Fashion Photography

I had an amazing opportunity to shoot for a local fashion designer - Daziaa. I enjoyed doing something different (much easier than kids) and building my portfolio.

Thanks to the great model who new what she should do; that really helped!

I was really exhausted that I spent 5 hours shooting and would have continued to if my 16GB wasn't full. Even though I was tired I couldn't wait to reach home and rush in the editing process to handover the entire shoot in two days.

I hope you love the photos as much as I did :)

Motion Blur

8/12... We are getting to there! This month's CM Blog circles was motion blur... Hmmmm I usually try to freeze the moment so sharp!

For motion blur I decided to play with my lensbaby! it works perfect for motion, I had a few shots but preferred this of my cousin.

Please head over to Claire Saidon's Blog for more motion blur!

Around Here

I've been away for so long, so many things happening and not a single day that I didn't think about A Spoon of Life!

Lots of photos taken, lots of online photography learning and workshops taken, and lots of work accomplished!

I can't believe that there is no peak of our new home over here! there are still some messy areas but its only a few hours work if only there were a few extra hours over the 24 hours in my day. I've been dreaming about those extra few hours those days! working day and night on something that I'm revealing here today!! YAAY!

Yes!! Did you notice the last watermark?! I'm starting my Portrait Photography Business!! After a very long thought and a really deep study and lots of hard work!

Have a look at my first and fully developed by myself business website; www.saraalkiyumi.com!

Whats going to happen here? No, I'm not planning to let go of my personal blog! I will still post here!

iPhone Photos

This month for the clickinmoms blog circles challenge was to take iPhone photos, I use to take a lot of them but stopped when I started to compare the quality with DSLR. 

I prefer carrying my heavy gear along wherever I go rather than taking iPhone snapshots! 

I think this challenge's timing suited me this month with all the extra load and move packing and unpacking, it was really difficult to hold my camera which is really painful to me not to create a beautiful photo all this period </3

Have a look at my photos then head over to Juanita of Two Point Five Photography for more iPhone photos!

Here my little Osama is having his first happy meal!

and playing around his favorite place in our apartment while I was packing <3

Last is the only sneak peak of our new home!! Awaiting so many adventures and years to live, cherish and photograph <3

27.

I turned 27 today, I'm not sure how this feels?! Especially with all the drama in my life lately!! I think I'm doing very well in life - I'm happy with what I've got <3

I'm not happy that my life drama is not giving me time for my blog and my daily shooting </3 my birthday had to be on the blog (I love my birthday so much!)

27 reasons my life is lovely:

1. Proud of my family and proud to be mom of two.
2. Thankful to be healthy and for my family's health as well
3. Thankful to have both my parents in my life <3
4. Satisfied with where I'm standing in my career.
5. There is a plan for the future!
6. Photography skills improved drastically last year!
7. one of my childhood's dream was to be a writer - I'm writing a blog now :)
8. Love my Brothers and Sisters SO.MUCH!
9. Love my Cousins <3<3<3
10. Both my boys care for me a lot!!
11. I have a lovely niece that calls me Sara!
12. I've been trying more healthy food!
13. I have everything that I wish for!
14. My friends are AMAZING even if we don't meet a lot!
15. My Boss is the kind of person that will push you to be better!
16. I've been reading a lot this year.
17. I've been thinking outside the box!
18. My biological watch finally agreed to let me get up early every morning!!
19. I can see that I'm making a difference in both my personal life and my career.
20. I'm sitting in front of the camera with my family <3
21. My in-laws are really nice <3
22. I'm a more focused person.
23. My self confidence has boosted higher and higher.
24. I have nice displays of my family's adventures on my walls!
25. I'm controlling the clutter in my place.
26. Most of my goals for this year has been accomplished!
27. We're finally moving to our home!

Shallow Depth of Field

CM monthly blog circles again! I'm proud of myself getting hold of my photography challenges; getting a long on the blog circles and the P52.

This month was shallow depth of field; something that I love and shoot everyday! I love to shoot wide open <3

In the first photo Ahmed was having sausage.

Here he was having a happy meal; Osama was dying to get that Coke </3

Please head over to Karen's blog and complete the circle for more shallow depth of field inspiration!

Lifestyle Photography with Kids

Last two weeks were the craziest weeks in my entire life!

So much DRAMA!

So much ACTIVITY!

So much ILLNESS :(

I missed blogging so much too, and I missed having so much time to play with my camera </3

I have been waiting for so long to take this workshop that I'm in the middle of right now; Lifestyle Photography with Kids and when I finally take it so many things happen in my life!

I was in Dubai for a week to attend a course in shopping center management, it was really great and comprehensive :D

My Housemaid decided she doesn't want to work and I have to be a superhero at work and home!

My boys were ill when we got back from dubai and I had an eye infection, two days later Ahmed bumped his nose and I got a really high fever.

Some Lifestyle photos of my little boys for my week 2 Homework :)

A Day Through Lensbaby

Lensbaby! A dream come true! I've been in doubt, on and off for So.Long. Finally decided that its something I should try and got the composer pro with sweet 35 optic and a macro kit that I still haven't touched.

It was a long wait to make a decision and a long wait to receive it as well. What annoyed me is that there where no shipment tracking online.

I'm loving it so much so far and thinking that it should be the lens on my camera for a while!

Beautiful Ugly

Here is part 6/12 of my Clickin Moms blog circle.. This month was a tough one, maybe because I thought it would be the hardest from the beginning of the year....

Beautiful ugly... What could it be?? my first thought of something that I feel its beautiful though its not is the decay in my son's teeth but I couldn't do it! I couldn't put his photo and say beautiful ugly because he is the most adorable thing to me <3

So.. I finally thought it would be my TV table.. When we were shopping for our flat 5 years ago I was looking for something that could hold So.Many. books, I love reading and I was still doing my final year of Engineering at that time. I have a habit to keep all my books, magazine, notebooks... etc. throwing anything breaks my heart!

Living in an apartment made me throw so many books and magazines that I never thought I would. The good thing is that I still have A LOT :)

Head over to the blog of Eastern Massachusetts photographer Lisa Sheehan of Lisa Sheehan Photgraphy to see something really different!

News!

This week was really.so.busy!

1. Received my first order from b&h - a flash!
2. Osama had his first professional haircut that I still didn't photograph.
3. My Lensbaby arrived after a really.loooong.waaaaait and dreams! Composer Pro with Sweet 35.
4. Osama turned ONE!
5. I got promoted at work!!!
6. Finally - Ahmed's end of year party

Orange Sky

I noticed this beautiful orange sky yesterday on our way back home and thought that I really need to pull over and have a few back-lit photos, then I remembered this empty space near our place and decided to take the kids there. Not the best location to capture the beautiful sky but good enough to let them run and be free while I shoot as much photos as I could (turned out to be more than a 100!!)

It was really. so. difficult. for me to pick the photos that I picked - really wanted to put them all on the blog!!

Ahmed is 4

"Come to me my love, stop crying. It's me, Mama. I love you so much" My first words to my handsome baby four years ago!

Couldn't sleep before sharing the photos!!