Best of LA

Project 52 // Through My Eyes

Each year, we all have resolutions, goals, hopes or dreams for the new year.  All in good intention of course. We all want a better than the year before kind of a year.  This year, I decided on a few personal & business goals that I aspire to achieve.  One of those goals is to keep pushing myself, keep evolving into a better me - the lover of God, wife, momma, friend, photographer, person. While my path to this may be long, never-ending or constantly changing, the goal will always be the same.  

This is your personal invitation to be part of my journey through 52 weeks of my life, through photography.  I am a part of a group of photographers that have challenged one another to shoot with a purpose, to tell your story, get creative and I can't wait to share!  Each week we are given a new theme, and each week, I will post my photo here. I'll say Wednesdays, yep, thats a great day to post.  (that's also today, the beginning of my journey)  

Are you following me on Instagram?  If not, you can find me @theginaholt.  Join in on the fun, hashtag #ginaholtproject52 so I can see your creativity at its finest.  

Week 1 // GRATITUDE

grat·i·tude  ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/  noun 1. the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

I am thankful for all of God's blessings.  

Week 2 // BOKEH

In photography, bokeh BOH-hay - also sometimes pronounced as BOH-hə, Japanese: [boke] is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens.  Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light"

I chose this photo as a representation of bokeh for project 52 because I loved that there is so much going on with such a simple shot of a sign.  You'll be able to find this sign in the gorgeous Vertigo | Event Venue & Banquet Hall.  

Week 3 // MUSIC

mu·sic   ˈmyo͞ozik/ noun 1. vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.

To me, this photo represents the true definition of music through an image.  I love the sounds of a newborn baby's cry.  

Week 4 // CAKE  

/kāk/ noun  1. an item of soft, sweet food made from a mixture of flour, shortening, eggs, sugar, and other ingredients, baked and often decorated.

As I mentioned earlier this week, cake's and desserts are probably one of my most favorite obsessions.  Not actually to eat (ok, maybe - but ice cream is still my all time fav), but to look at, make/bake, and photograph.  I know, I am technically a day late, but with reason... I just couldn't choose which photo to represent this weeks theme.  Maybe next year, I'll do 52 weeks of Cakes & Desserts alone.  Haha!  

This photo of the ever so delectable Sprinkle's cupcakes from an awesome baby shower event that we were part of last year.  We've been invited back again this year & can't wait! I want to see your cake shots.  Put your IG link in the comments below and don't forget to tag it with #ginaholtproject52

Week 5 // LOW LIGHT

Low light in photography is not necessarily just night photography, as many people assume.  There could be different amounts of light coming from various sources & whatever is less than daytime light outside.  Indoor photography without much ambient light (as in many of our homes) as well as the light that is barely visible to our eyes at night, is also considered to be low-light.  - Nasim Mansurov

This weeks image is from one of our many trips to Disneyland.  As many of you know, this was on the Pirates of Caribbean ride & is one of my favorite parts of it.  Don't get discouraged when the light is not ideal, sometimes the moments are more important to capture.   

Week 6 // ABANDONED  

a·ban·doned  əˈband(ə)nd/  adjective  1. having been deserted or cast off.

Meet Buddy, abandoned by his original owner, it was God's plan to have him in our lives and part of our family.  The joys of seeing the kids eyes light up as Buddy greets them as they return home from school, or how awesome he is at posing for photos, we love him so very much.

Week 7 // BLACK & WHITE

 black-and-white (blăk′ən-wīt′, -hwīt′)  adj.  1. Partially black and partially white

This weeks theme is pretty easy, as we can take almost any photo and turn it black and white.  I could have chosen any photo and would have been done for this weeks challenge, instead, I decided to look for one of my favorite photos, the one that emotes emotion, and brings me back each time to the session I had with this handsome little guy.  I love the way this image pulls my heartstrings, Grant is such a sweet, loving little man.  

Week 8 // SAME BUT DIFFERENT

This weeks theme I believe was open for interpretation and meant for us to use our creativity.  I have to admit, this one was crazy hard and some may think the image chosen is a stretch, but I actually like what I feel it can mean.  Although we may be in the same place in life, which may feel like day in & day out, if we just took a moment to look around, with a different perspective,  what would that look like?

Week 9 // SHAPES

/SHāp/ noun :  1. the external form or appearance characteristic of someone or something; the outline of an area or figure.

It's been a busy few weeks and I am playing catch up, but I still wanted to put time and effort in my image choice.  I love this image of the suctions on such a magnificent sea creature.  



Please take a moment to comment below and show some love.  Leave your IG name so I can follow you & see all your amazing images. Can't wait to see what you've got!

Palos Verdes Maternity Session // Dimple & Ravi

Palos Verdes Beach Maternity Portrait Photos, It's a Boy, Los Angeles Pregnancy photos, Palos Verdes, California, Love Story, New Chapter, Expecting Parents, Best of LA, Sunset maternity photographer, Baby Bump Photographer

We met Ravi & Dimple on a beautiful Southern California Day, considering just this past weekend we were into the 90's in September.  Seeing Dimple, she looked amazing, there's nothing like the glow of pregnancy.  One of our most favorite things is capturing the connection between people - needless to say, the chemistry between Ravi & Dimple was infectious.  We could tell right away that Baby Murthi was on his way into a family of love.  

Throughout our time together we got to know our soon to be parents, hearing about how they met, how they began to date, it was such an amazing love story.  We had such a blast and can't wait to meet Baby Murthi in December.  

Ravi & Dimple, we can't thank you enough to allowing us to be part of your next chapter in life together.  You are both going to be amazing parents and Baby Murthi is one lucky little man.  We are beyond excited to meet him.  

Here are some of our favorite photos of our time together.  Enjoy!   

Palos Verdes Beach Maternity Portrait Photos, It's a Boy, Los Angeles Pregnancy photos, Palos Verdes, California, Love Story, New Chapter, Expecting Parents, Best of LA, Sunset maternity photographer, Baby Bump Photographer
Palos Verdes Beach Maternity Portrait Photos, It's a Boy, Los Angeles Pregnancy photos, Palos Verdes, California, Love Story, New Chapter, Expecting Parents, Best of LA, Sunset maternity photographer, Baby Bump Photographer
Palos Verdes Beach Maternity Portrait Photos, It's a Boy, Los Angeles Pregnancy photos, Palos Verdes, California, Love Story, New Chapter, Expecting Parents, Best of LA, Sunset maternity photographer, Baby Bump Photographer
Palos Verdes Beach Maternity Portrait Photos, It's a Boy, Los Angeles Pregnancy photos, Palos Verdes, California, Love Story, New Chapter, Expecting Parents, Best of LA, Sunset maternity photographer, Baby Bump Photographer
Palos Verdes Beach Maternity Portrait Photos, It's a Boy, Los Angeles Pregnancy photos, Palos Verdes, California, Love Story, New Chapter, Expecting Parents, Best of LA, Sunset maternity photographer, Baby Bump Photographer
Palos Verdes Beach Maternity Portrait Photos, It's a Boy, Los Angeles Pregnancy photos, Palos Verdes, California, Love Story, New Chapter, Expecting Parents, Best of LA, Sunset maternity photographer, Baby Bump Photographer
Palos Verdes Beach Maternity Portrait Photos, It's a Boy, Los Angeles Pregnancy photos, Palos Verdes, California, Love Story, New Chapter, Expecting Parents, Best of LA, Sunset maternity photographer, Baby Bump Photographer
Palos Verdes Beach Maternity Portrait Photos, It's a Boy, Los Angeles Pregnancy photos, Palos Verdes, California, Love Story, New Chapter, Expecting Parents, Best of LA, Sunset maternity photographer, Baby Bump Photographer
Palos Verdes Beach Maternity Portrait Photos, It's a Boy, Los Angeles Pregnancy photos, Palos Verdes, California, Love Story, New Chapter, Expecting Parents, Best of LA, Sunset maternity photographer, Baby Bump Photographer
Palos Verdes Beach Maternity Portrait Photos, It's a Boy, Los Angeles Pregnancy photos, Palos Verdes, California, Love Story, New Chapter, Expecting Parents, Best of LA, Sunset maternity photographer, Baby Bump Photographer

Surprise Announcement from the Ng Family // Pasadena Lifestyle Family Session

Pasadena City Hall Family Photos, South Pasadena Portrait Photographer, Pregnancy Announcement, BIG SISTER, love, Los Angeles Lifestyle Photography, Gina Holt Photography, Best of LA, Expecting Parents, Surprise!, Fall Family Photos 2014

This is our 2nd year that we have had the blessing of photographing Roger, Carolyn and Audrey. Words could never express how special it is for Chris and I to be part of so many families throughout the years through photography.  Our families are not just clients, they become friends, they become part of our family.

When we met up with Roger, Carolyn and Audrey this year at Pasadena City Hall, we were excited to see them.  Audrey had surpassed so many milestones since our last session, not only is she walking now, but running.  She has her own little personality, she was so much fun.  She also had along with her a little surprise. As they walked toward us, I noticed Carolyn with a rolled poster.  During our pre-consultations, we are often asked if families can bring along props, or signs, and we are all for it.  Little did I know how special this sign was...

We were beyond thrilled to read that Audrey was going to be a BIG SISTER, and aside from close family, this was going to be their announcement of the BIG news.  Roger, Carolyn and Audrey, thanks so much for trusting in us to be part of so many special moments in your lives and we look forward to many more fun times together, and meeting your newest bundle of joy.  Audrey, your going to be an amazing big sister!

Enjoy some of our favorites from our session together.  

Pasadena City Hall Family Photos, South Pasadena Portrait Photographer, Pregnancy Announcement, BIG SISTER, love, Los Angeles Lifestyle Photography, Gina Holt Photography, Best of LA, Expecting Parents, Surprise!, Fall Family Photos 2014
Pasadena City Hall Family Photos, South Pasadena Portrait Photographer, Pregnancy Announcement, BIG SISTER, love, Los Angeles Lifestyle Photography, Gina Holt Photography, Best of LA, Expecting Parents, Surprise!, Fall Family Photos 2014
Pasadena City Hall Family Photos, South Pasadena Portrait Photographer, Pregnancy Announcement, BIG SISTER, love, Los Angeles Lifestyle Photography, Gina Holt Photography, Best of LA, Expecting Parents, Surprise!, Fall Family Photos 2014
Pasadena City Hall Family Photos, South Pasadena Portrait Photographer, Pregnancy Announcement, BIG SISTER, love, Los Angeles Lifestyle Photography, Gina Holt Photography, Best of LA, Expecting Parents, Surprise!, Fall Family Photos 2014
Pasadena City Hall Family Photos, South Pasadena Portrait Photographer, Pregnancy Announcement, BIG SISTER, love, Los Angeles Lifestyle Photography, Gina Holt Photography, Best of LA, Expecting Parents, Surprise!, Fall Family Photos 2014
Pasadena City Hall Family Photos, South Pasadena Portrait Photographer, Pregnancy Announcement, BIG SISTER, love, Los Angeles Lifestyle Photography, Gina Holt Photography, Best of LA, Expecting Parents, Surprise!, Fall Family Photos 2014
Pasadena City Hall Family Photos, South Pasadena Portrait Photographer, Pregnancy Announcement, BIG SISTER, love, Los Angeles Lifestyle Photography, Gina Holt Photography, Best of LA, Expecting Parents, Surprise!, Fall Family Photos 2014
Pasadena City Hall Family Photos, South Pasadena Portrait Photographer, Pregnancy Announcement, BIG SISTER, love, Los Angeles Lifestyle Photography, Gina Holt Photography, Best of LA, Expecting Parents, Surprise!, Fall Family Photos 2014
Pasadena City Hall Family Photos, South Pasadena Portrait Photographer, Pregnancy Announcement, BIG SISTER, love, Los Angeles Lifestyle Photography, Gina Holt Photography, Best of LA, Expecting Parents, Surprise!, Fall Family Photos 2014
Pasadena City Hall Family Photos, South Pasadena Portrait Photographer, Pregnancy Announcement, BIG SISTER, love, Los Angeles Lifestyle Photography, Gina Holt Photography, Best of LA, Expecting Parents, Surprise!, Fall Family Photos 2014