So I spoke of the lovely sunsets of Kauai, but failed to really include any in my posts yet. Oops! Well, I’ve got plenty of photos to choose from, but I wanted to include this sweet shot of Larry and Sienna first. Again, those awesome black lava rocks…just make the shot special! I love that beach. Another sunset photo from a different perspective, with emphasis on the wild grass on the mountainside. I just love the processing on this, and the sunflare again makes this a magical shot. I love when I can see the shot from start to finish. That is exactly what happened with that one. Some shots are all about the detail and this was one of them. The last one makes me smile because it just seems like I rarely get a moment like this with the little one. He’s such a boy, and always so busy getting into this and that. This was a moment I wanted to capture. I will hang onto this one for a really long time I’m sure.
Archive for February, 2010
speaking of sunsets | Esther Pederson Photography
February 27, 2010more than a beautiful beach | Esther Pederson Photography
February 26, 2010Well, we all know Hawaii has much more to offer than beautiful beaches. But we sometimes don’t get to see the whole picture. Kauai is nicknamed the “Garden Isle”, for obvious reasons of course. It is lush and green and there are plants everywhere you look. It also gets the most rainfall than any other island. I recognized a lot of those naturally growing outdoor plants as some of our houseplants. Although I am going to admit that my plants don’t grow as big or beautiful as they do in Hawaii. Why is that? 
OK, stupid question. Here are just a few of the places we visited and things we saw. We drove through a tree tunnel, which was probably way more exciting for me than the kids. One of our drives also took us to the Menehune Fishpond, which also had a beautifulul mountainous backdrop. The sun happened to be at the perfect spot too! Waimea Falls and the Hanalei Lookout (where most of Hawaii’s taro is grown) were also interesting and gorgeous. Being Alaskan’s we also gawked at the domesticated animals (and the wild-roosters are everywhere) we saw. What can I say, we don’t have many horses in Nome. (Yes, we do have a few for those wondering.)
poipu beach | Esther Pederson Photography
February 25, 2010Just one for today, me and the little guy. Poipu Beach was beautiful and a wonderful place to watch the sun dip into the ocean. I loved those rocks in the shallow water too. Yum! 
leaving on a jet plane | Esther Pederson Photography
February 24, 2010I know I’m back tracking a little bit, but I just had to post these. I took them in the Anchorage airport before we got on our jet to Honolulu. The lines, the light, the long hallway, and even the airplane hanging off the ceiling all made for a great location for a shoot. And the place was practically empty! I, of course took advantage of it, and Larry reminded me that we weren’t even there yet! These turned out to be some of my favorites of our entire trip, but of course, lots more to come from beautiful Kauai. Enjoy.
from here to there | Esther Pederson Photography
February 23, 2010From Alaska’s frozen ocean to Hawaii’s sandy beaches. I thought I would share a couple photos of what we left behind in Nome, on our way to Hawaii. Can you now see why we were so excited to be warm!? It was 20 degrees below zero the day we left, and 76 degrees the evening we landed in Kauai. Almost a 100 degree difference, and boy did it feel awesome! Even the humidity felt great, because in Nome the winters are so dry. This was the kids’ first time on the beach since being there and as you can see already enjoying the sand and sun. We also saw our first sea animal that day, a sea slug! More to come this week as I sift through all the photos!
paradise found | Esther Pederson Photography
February 17, 2010We just returned from our trip to Kauai. After this trip, I am convinced that paradise does exist. It is gorgeous and green and most importantly for this Alaskan, warm! The kids enjoyed the beach so much, as expected of course. Sienna liked playing in the water and learned to swim with her arm floaties. She was even looking like a boogie boarding pro by the end of the trip. If we lived there, I am convinced she would become a world class surfer. She has no fear of the water. Levi occupied himself on the beach digging in the sand with his bucket and shovel (when he wasn’t busy chasing the roosters away). Larry and I got our exercise following after both kids when they roamed so far away chasing birds they didn’t even know where they had ended up. And exercise we needed, after all the delicious food we allowed ourselves to eat! Besides all the fresh fruits we gorged on, we also ate plenty of yummy dinners and desserts. For those planning on visiting Kauai in the near or distant future, Kauai Pasta is a place you MUST eat at. It was everything and more. I of course took photos of just about everything and want to thank Larry so much for stopping at just about every lookout or attraction there was to see. Here is just one small glimpse of paradise. This was the last beach we visited on our way to find a coffee plantation. It was the best beach by far, and I wished we could have found it earlier in our stay. After all, it’s where Gilligan’s Island was filmed! I’m leaving town again tonight until Friday, so I’ll have lots more photos of our vacation when I return. Until then, enjoy this little sneak peak. Can’t wait to sift through my 5 memory cards of goodness!
the big playground | Esther Pederson Photography
February 5, 2010When I was little I remember thinking the world around me was so big. Now when I go back to those same spots as an adult, they really aern’t so big afterall. I think that’s what Sienna thinks when we go to this playground. She calls it the “big playground”, because its a lot bigger than the one across the street from our house. She loves to visit this place and has so much fun on the slides, swings and ladders. Even when it is 10 degrees out, we bundle up and enjoy ourselves. Levi is now big enough to use the slides and swing with Daddy too. Here is a slice of our life one afternoon in January.
senior announcements | Esther Pederson Photography
February 3, 2010I just wanted to share some of the announcements I’ve been making for some awesome seniors this year. These are both 5×7 double sided, and as you can see, full of personality. These are sure to impress your friends and family, and so much more fun than the traditional graduation announcements. Thanks for letting me be part of your senior year guys. It’s not too late to book a session this school year, so please contact me if you would like to meet and we’ll make something happen!
{3} fingers old | Esther Pederson Photography
February 2, 2010Sienna turned three on January 28. I still can’t believe how smart and big she is getting. I remember so well the day she was born. It was one of the best days of my life. She is my helper and my side kick. We do almost everything together, and I can’t imagine life without her. Here are just a few images from her special day. It was a cupcake themed birthday, and I made these awesome cupcake ice cream cone desserts and totally forgot to take pictures of them. They were a big hit and I highly recommend making them for any special birthdays you might have coming up. Here’s the link to see what I’m talking about. cupcake cones The actual birthday cake was made using Wilton’s Giant Cupcake pan and the liner for the cake was made out of chocolate. It turned out awesome and was so easy. I followed instructions from here. Overall everyone had a fun time and I *think* the desserts went over well. I think even more fun for me was making everything with Sienna’s help. She is quite the little baker/cook when she wears her apron. It’s SO cute!