Tagged! Part 1

Have you ever wondered about what random facts you didn't know about Jeremy and I? Well wonder no more! Yesterday a blog comment appeared that said we had been "tagged". I was like, "Tagged? Tagged! All right! Jeremy we're tagged!" Let me explain. There is this phenomenon going around the photography worlds' blogs where photographers tag each other. When you're tagged, you have to give 8 facts about yourself that your blog readers probably wouldn't know about you - anything at all. It could be like, I lost my first tooth on the crazy wet and wild slide in my backyard while whistling La Bamba. (You can see I've thought this out before.) I saw some great people get tagged over the last month and so I thought it'd be awesome to be tagged. But I wasn't sure how the chain would get over to our side of the web. (I watch a lot of Californian photographers blogs). I guess they've decided to make the continental journey because low and behold, a Tag! hehe Thanks Jen. ^_^ Check out her fun blog at www.jlowephotos.com/blog.

So first, we are supposed to display the rules…

1. Post these rules before you give the facts.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 peoples, list their name and link to their page
4. Leave them a comment on their blog letting them know they’ve been tagged!

Since Jeremy and I were both named in the "tagging", I thought it would only be fair if we each gave 8 random facts about us. We'll try not to make this a marathon blog. :)

Heather's (8) Fun Facts:
(1). When I was very young, I got to meet Ms. Kathleen Turner on the movie set of "Peggy Sue Got Married". My family's 1956 Studebaker President was going to be used in the movie (whose seen was later taken out). But it still allowed me to talk to Ms. Turner in her trailer and sit on her lap. I don't actually remember much of it but I do remember her lap. lol... Oh I also remember almost falling out of the car as it was pulling out of the parking lot. The door swung open and my body dipped out, but my seatbelt (lap-style only) caught me and my dad pulled me back in.

(2). Growing up as a big Disney fan in a Disney family, my dad taught me to speak in a Mickey Mouse voice. But I can only say three words, " Look fellas - Beans!" This is a quote from the Mickey short, "Mickey and the Beanstalk" which I watched forever trying to get the voice down. I'm actually quite proud of it. Just give me a few tries before the real Mickey comes out. :D

(3). I am a Coloratura Soprano with a high and low range. From my late teen years through college, I trained to become an opera singer. I was actually double-majoring in vocal performance and photography in college, but it was during that time that photography really won me over.

(4.) When I was 4, I got the brilliant notion that instead of walking around a bookcase I should instead climb over it! I figured it would be faster. I think I got up to the third shelf before my weight unbalanced the bookcase and I along with it both fell backwards. I remember falling and then an adult holding back the bookcase from my leg. I didn't break any bones but my leg sure did ache for a while. I haven't climbed in bookcases since, but I do sometimes get the urge the break out of the rut and do things differently.

(5.) I love baking and creating sweets! But I rarely eat them. I'm known for my chocolate chip cookies and peppermint fudge crunch brownies. I'm also known for some terribly awful attempts at unusual concoctions that will not be named here. Poor Jeremy :) But that doesn't stop me from dreaming up new and yummy recipes to try out and give to everyone I know.

(6.) In eighth grade, I was both class president and leader of our school's cheer squad. We wore big white t-shirts that covered our thighs and bold blue leggings than went down to our ankles (school rules). We couldn't perform any type of hip action in our routines, only arm movements and marching-like leg action. But we were pioneering the first ever cheer squad at school. So we marched and arm-rotated like crazy to Wilson Phillips!

(7.) I am a gamer. I am also married to a gamer. My very first game that I ever beat was Disney's Ducktales on the NES. Since then, I have been known to play everything from Pokemon to Final Fantasy 8-12 to World of Warcraft and many others in between. I currently love Nintendo's Wii (super fun) and am getting a bit of a "Wii arm" :)

(8.) I'm a California girl. I was born and raised in the north right across the mountains from Napa Valley. I left there to live on the east coast when I was 7 but returned every summer there after. It rejuvenates me and keeps me grounded in a feeling you can only get when you know you've come home. I attribute much of my creativity in my photography to the people and places who inspired me as a little girl growing up in the tall golden grasses of the Napa Valley hillside. (Did I mention that Jeremy's a Northern California baby too? Good things come from California! :)

Wow this got a little long. We're going to have to make this a two-part entry! Sweet! While we wait for Jeremy to get his blog facts up, go enjoy our 8 top picks for cool photography blogs.

Our Super 8 Picks:
Jose Villa - Jose is an amazing photographer. We chose him to shoot our wedding and the images we got from that day are absolutely gorgeous. He's based in Southern California and he's built a reputation with the entertainment and Hollywood insiders there for his exclusive use of film in a digital world. If you haven't seen his work, please check him out.

Liana Lehman - We got to meet Liana at this year's WPPI convention. She's devoted herself to helping photographers be the best they can be in their businesses and in their photography. Her blog always has fun stories and tips to read plus she has great slide shows to keep you inspired. And who wouldn't love to read a blog with 'Bananas' in the title?

Jesh De Rox - Jesh is a philosopher, photographer, song writer and a really cool guy. He's far up north in Canada so I'm not sure how many people know about him. His real and genuine approach towards his couples inspired us to do the same. We definitely recommend checking him out! His work speaks for itself.

Anna Kuperberg - I stumbled upon Anna's work early this year. She is awesome! Another artist who is also a photographer, her work is gentle, fun and sincerely from her heart. Hers is definitely a style I can identify with. I'd love to be able to meet with her someday. She's also a dog fan and likes to include them in her weddings and portraits. If you're a pet lover and getting married, look her up!

Gene Higa - Destination Wedding Photographer Extraordinare! Another great guy we met at the WPPI. He's full of crazy energy that is infectious to everyone he meets. This is the guy you'd want to have around when you're spending 6 days in Thailand before your wedding. He's right there with you, doing all kinds of crazy things to get the shot. And he gets gorgeous shots! He's also gives back to the photography community and that makes him one awesome guy in our book!

Anne Ruthmann - This girl is a Midwest photographer based in Indiana. Her blog is full of awesome pics, great tidbits to read, and everything that makes Anne - Anne. Plus she has a scrolling chat box that she always replies to. ^_^ Another inspiring artist to keep an eye on.

Don't Box Me In! - OK this isn't exactly one person's blog. But I have found it to be so motivating to read. It showcases lots of super-talented photographers from all over the web and asks them tons of questions we're all dying to know. All photographers should read this blog. Plus brides-to-be can get some great advice for choosing a wedding photographer and what questions they should ask when they go to an interview. I believe a knowledgeable bride is a happy bride.

Jen and a few others have already tagged The Image is Found (i.e. Nate and Jaclyn Kaiser) but they are just too cool not to be mentioned! AMAZING photography from this husband + wife team and an AMAZING little girl named Gracie livens this blog up. It's a daily read as all kinds of things pop up on here: book recommendations, movies, the iphone, weddings, portraits, road trips, Gracie's newest TV show fav or best costume idea. This is one awesome family that just also happens to be one of the best photography teams anywhere! We can't wait to attend their next workshop. Please come out the east coast!

~Cheers!