Jeni Bernatz Photography

Guess what's new??

2008-09-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have a new and improved blog!! You can now keep up with the Jeni Bernatz Photography Blog at www.jenibernatz.com/blog .....
at the new blog there are finally bigger pictures so the sneak peaks are oh so much better to look at!

Come by, visit, bookmark it and leave some blog love....It is still a bit of a work in progress, but I can't wait to hear what you all think of it!

Gorgeous High School Senior San Diego Senior Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-09-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the pleasure of photographing another beautiful high school senior from Steele Canyon HS. We headed down to PB, where even the cloudy, overcast, icky looking skies could not hold us back!

Thanks for being such a great sport Miss B, I had a great time getting to know you a bit! Here are some of B's blog questions....and a sneak peak!

Food you could eat every day? sushi **I knew i liked you!!**
What did you have for dinner last night? Pb&j
Favorite song on iPod: rebelution
Apple or PC? Apple all the way!
Best thing about summer? river and tan

Busy Busy!! San Diego Childrens Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-09-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

I was reminded by a good friend this morning that I have not been updating by blog over the last week, oops! It has been a busy week, here are a few peaks from the last week....

Big 3 Year Old San Diego Childrens Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-09-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well, you all know I almost never post any pictures of my girls on the blog, but today is an exception. My littlest one turns 3 today!! She is my baby, the snuggliest, sweetest just turned 3 year old ever! I'm a little sad that my last one is passing out of that toddler-ness and into the next stage but I also love being able to have conversations and start to reason more with her too!

I guess it's time to take down the crib (that hasnt been slept in for about 2 months) and pack up the baby clothes to donate...sniff sniff.

Happy Birthday Princess!

Sweet Siblings San Diego Family Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-09-06T22:06:00.001-07:00

Tonight I got to meet Little Mr. N and little Miss S. The kids were so sweet and had eyes my cameras loved! Miss S gave me some hillarious looks, and some beautiful smiles! Mr N was a very much 2 year old boy, which made my job so fun as he played with dirt, grass and sticks...it was awesome!

Here is your sneak peak!

A whole week old! San Diego Newborn Photography by Jeni Bernatz

2008-09-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

Oh I just love little newborn, teensy, tinsy, squishy, smell so good babies!! This sweet little girl was just so sweet and snuggly and had a great head of hair already! I have been waiting a while for this little one to be born, and Im so happy she is here! Thanks so much C family for sharing your new princess with me, she is amazing and so perfect!

Meet tiny Miss K, isnt she precious??

And here is big sister "M". She has an amazing room, so we took a break to play during one of the baby's feeding breaks, so fun!

Hurray for little Miss K! San Diego Family Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-08-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing little Miss K tonight at her home. This family has an amazing and gorgeous yard which was the perfect setting for this little one year olds portait session.

We were able to play for a while in the back yard, got some great family shots, some lifestyle shots of little K, and then some more posed portraits also. We also got to play in the beautiful front yard where this amazing little one year old was showing me her yoga moves, wow!

Here is your sneak peak M family, it was great meeting you all tonight!

sweet daddy and daughter time :)

Class of '09 San Diego Senior Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-08-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Meet Miss B...another super fun senior girl from Steele Canyon High School class of '09. We did her session at the same time as her friend L in the last post, which ended up being a lot of fun! These girls both cheer together and obviously are very good friends!

Here are Miss B's answers to some blog questions too!

*Favorite song on ipod? I dont want to miss a thing by Aerosmith

*What did you have for dinner last night? Lunchable

*What do you want to be when you grow up? Special Ed Teacher

*Thinker or dreamer? Both

*What will you remember most about getting your senior pictures taken? Getting wet in my dress.

Here is your sneak peak...

Beautiful High School SeniorSan Diego Seniorphotographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-08-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Wow, there must be something in the water, all of these high school girls are gorgeous!! This weekend I did a double session, 2 friends each did a senior session, and booked them at the same time which ended up being super fun! We were at Pacific Beach and got soem great shots under the pier, all around town, and then back under the pier and into the water, brrrr!!

This is Miss "L" and here are some fun answers she gave to my new blog questions for seniors :)

*All time favorite movie? Billy Madison
*Facebook or Myspace? Myspace
*Dream Vacation? Greece
*Favorite Class? Psychology
*Who gets the most texts from you? Marc
*Best thing about summer? sleeping in!
*Highschool? Steele Canyon High School
*Favorite Drink? Iced Tea

here is the gorgeous Miss L!

Little Man D San Diego Baby PhotographerJeni Bernatz

2008-08-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

Little man D is one!! He is the same little man at the end of my baby gallery with all the hair! Wow, how he has grown up!! We had such a fun time playing in Rita and Barry's yard (thank you again!) and he was all grins until the big water puddle accident :( He still managed quite a few smiles and giggles and we got some great shots!

here is your sneak peak little man!!

awwww all done!!

The Amazing C Family San Diego Family Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-08-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

Last night I realized again how much I just love my job! I got to meet another really incredible family that was here in San Diego on vacation from Barbados. This family was so much fun and their 3 boys just melted my heart. They all have "C" names so for blog sake they will be high C, middle C and low C :) These 3 boys are very close to the ages of my three girls, which was fun to watch the other genders dynamics!

Half way through the session while we were all playing, I got hugged in the disguise of a tackle from the 3 year old, a flower from middle C-the 5 year old (super melt!), and even accused of sarcasm from high C...who me??? :) I just love this part of my job!!

C famly here are some sneak peaks, I had a great time with you all last night!!

Another gorgeous High School Senior San Diego Senior Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-08-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

What a week!! It has been a whirlwind of sessions this week but I wouldnt change a thing!! I headed down to Pacific Beach this weekend for a senior session with Miss K. She is such a beautiful girl and really just so sweet too!! She is going to be a senior at Steele Canyon High School this fall and was ready to try anything I suggested to get some fun shots!

We were able to get some shots on the beach, at the pier, and then up in "town" for a few urban shots too.

Here is your sneak peak, It is hard to choose my favorites!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Miss K! San Diego Childrens Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-08-16T14:27:00.001-07:00

Little Miss K just turned 2!! I have been doing her portraits since long before she could walk, so this is such a fun milestone to share! She is so very full of personality, just started saying her own name instead of calling herself "me" which to me sounds like tika :) (or maybe there has been way to much barbie island princess in my house!)

Her mom got her this gorgeous ballerina dress, and boy was she proud of it. She pranced all around and completed a lot of beautiful twirls!

Here is your sneak peak A family....I cannot wait for your maternity shoot in a few months!

{Brandon and Shea} Bridal portraits by San Diego Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-08-14T07:15:00.001-07:00

Last night I had a blast shooting bridal portraits for Brandon and Shea! They are getting married at the end of the month and I love that they wanted to get some fun shots before the wedding. They are going to use some for display at their wedding and I cant wait to see what they choose!

Yes, she is in her gorgeous dress, but we actually got some fun shots of Brandon when he saw her for the first time in her wedding attire, it was adorable!! I realized during this shoot how much fun they were having and it showed in their pictures!

Here are some sneak peaks from last night, more to come!

Staff Picture Time San Diego Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-08-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight I headed over to Gymtrix for Staff Pictures for Rocket Cheer. I knew going in that this was a great group of coaches, and they did not disappoint me! This group is so much fun and were open to have some fun outside of the box staff pictures. We did do traditional head shots, but also some fun group shots of all of the cheer coaches.

You can find more information about Rocket Cheer at http://www.rocketcheer.com/ and the great program they have for cheerleaders from 4-18 years old!

Here are some sneak peaks for you, I had a great time tonight!!

Meet Baby Scoot Photography by San Diego Baby Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-08-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

About 5 months ago I did a newborn session for baby "squish"...well little man squish is now little man scoot! He is 5 months old and rolling all over the place. We did an outdoor, natural light session this time, and big brother "D" is a part of this fun session too! He is such a great big brother and can really make his little brother light up and smile! Even through the loud thunder and a few lighting flashes, we made it with no rain drops at all!

Here is your sneak peak and thanks Miss Rita for sharing your fabulous yard with us!!

Gorgeous Senior Girl! San Diego Senior Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-08-06T21:32:00.001-07:00

Tonight I has a session with an amazing High School senior from Granite Hills High School. This senior is one of those people that is all around awesome...not only is she super smart with a 4 point something so high I didnt know it was possible, she is a great basketball player, and to top it off she is {gorgeous} !!

We did the first part of our session at Balboa park and then headed downtown for a few urban shots as well...lots of fun!

Miss "L" here is your sneak peak, we got some great stuff tonight!!

Beautiful Baby Blues!! Photography by San Diego Childrens Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-07-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

Meet the Z family! They are visiting from Texas and booked their session a while back... I have been so looking forward to meeting these three little girls! They were so so sweet and well behaved even after driving down here from L.A. and getting stuck in some bad traffic!! I love sessions where you can se the love and connections between the siblings, it warms my heart!!

These girls all had amazing blue eyes, so pretty!! Here is your sneak peak for Miss "E", "O" and "S"...thanks for coming out and playing last night!!

Little Man B and his truck! Photography by San Diego Childrens Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-07-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

So this morning after a little craziness I headed over to do portraits for little Mr. B, and oh my gosh how cute is he?? His grandma set up his session and we did it in her *beautiful* yard. This little guy has the absolute best expressions, and even his about to burst into tears face looks like a big smile!!

We got some great shot in their fabulous side yard...until the sprinklers came on and soaked us a bit, oops! We just relocated and finished the session where it was a bit drier!

Here is your sneak peak for the whole B family, there are great things in store for this little guy!

Sweet little baby belly! Portraits by San Diego Maternity Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-07-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

Today I got to do a fun maternity session with Miss "C", she is due in September and is just too cute! She of course has a perfect little belly and looks terrific!! She and her husband "M" came out today for a maternity portrait session and were willing to try almost anything. They were great sports about it all, even when I put her husband to work with the reflector!

Here are some sneak peaks from todays session, I cannot wait to meet your little girl and do her newborn portraits!

Hats, scarves, petti's & boots, oh my! Photography by San Diego Family Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-07-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last night I headed downtown to do an urban session for Mr R and Miss M. They did a session with their family at Christmas time last year, but this one was all about them! We wanted to do something a little more fun and funky so we headed downtown and brought lots of fun accessories! There were a lot of people around so we had to get creative but found a fun {safe} alley and some other storefront places that were just perfect for them!

I had such a difficult time going through their images to choose a sneak peak, there are a lot that I just love!!

Here you go G family, enjoy your sneak peak and have a great vacation!!

Wedding bells and beautiful brides! Wedding photography by San Diego photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-07-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend I travelled with a good friend and fellow photographer to Phoenix AZ to shoot a wedding. Yes, it was hot! I must say though, this wedding party had such a great attitude and through the heat were willing to do anything the bride and groom asked, and as a result we got some terrific shots!

I just made it home a few hours ago but was so excited to get a peak and play with a few of the pictures, and also get a little sneak peak up just in case!!

I played with all sorts of processing here, but will have some more images to come! Huge congratulations to K and B, and a lifetime of happiness to both of you!!

Isnt she *beautiful*??

now off for some much needed (and much neglected!) sleep!!

Think Pink and Fight Breast Cancer! Family Photography by Jeni Bernatz Photography

2008-07-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give an little more of a sneak peak for my last session and a little more information to share also once I got the green light from them! The last session with the "F" family is a very special session and meant so much to me to be able to do.

Rhonda is the mom of this family and she was just diagnosed with breast cancer. She has a surgery date set for the end of the month and wanted to do a session to mark the start of this journey. There is so much more to her story though. I have no words to express how amazed and inspired I was just being around her and watching her with her family. Her attitude is amazing and so very positive.

Here are a few more sneak peaks for this amazing woman! (the last post is her family too!) Also check out Think Pink Photography when you get a chance, it is a great resource and one to share for sure!!
http://www.thinkpinkphotography.org/ and I am proud to be a part of this organization!

2008-07-15T21:56:00.001-07:00

Tonight I had an absolute blast meeting the "F" family at... Balboa Park (I know, surprise surprise, but hey it is my favorite place to shoot!!) They have the most adorable boys, 3 1/2 year old "D" and 9 months old "N"-and they are deliciously cute!!

These boys were so much fun and the oldest at only 3 is already a great ball player and makes awesome tiger noises! The little one pretended he could care less if I was looking at him making faces and holding a camera, but he did reach out to me to hold him which was the highest compliment!

So, for the "F" family, here is your sneak peak!

I *love* this one of the family!!!

Some Fun, Fun, Family Portraits! Family Photography by San Diego Family Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-07-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Meet the "M" family! This little family is full of love and just so much fun to be around. Their son "R" was born with spina bifida and has surpased so so many expectations and continues to amaze everyone around him. He is full of personality and laughter that I could spend days with him!! I walked in the March of Dimes walk 5 years ago with his nicu picture on my shirt and to see him now you would never in a million years believe it is the same child!

This was a mini session for them but we ended up with some great shots in our short time together! Here is your sneak peak!

These girls are growing up too fast! Photography by San Diego Family Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-06-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got to shoot one of my favorite families! This mom gave me a great compliment when she told me "I am addicted to your pictures" , awww thanks! They are a great family and I have had the pleasure of doing many sessions with them over the last few years.

This weekend we had a session with Miss K who just turned 6 and her youngest Miss D who just turned 1. About a year ago I also got to do Miss D's newborn shoot, I cant wait to do a side by side of the progression! We also got to add a few of their other sister too, even though she just had her pictures done (its hard to resist the petticoats!)

Here is your sneak peak, there are some great shots from this session, I cannot wait to get to them all!!

Say "sassy 6 year old!"

Happy birthday big girl!!

Who's going to marry Luke Skywalker? Photography by San Diego Family Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-06-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

what about Hans Solo? These girls kept me cracking up with their silly giggles when ever their parents asked these questions, they seem to {love} the Star Wars boys!!

Last night was such a fun night, playing with the N family at Balboa Park. We started early and had a great time with a couple clothing changes, and lots of laughs. This was a great session with the parents too- also willing to try anything and everything, even being super silly to get some great "real" smiles! We got some great shots of them playing, being silly and just natural wonder.

N family here is your sneak peaks for sissa, boobala, and all the other fun names!

and "D" family your sneak peak is coming soon!!

One more beautiful '09 Senior High School Senior Photography by Jeni Bernatz Photography San Diego

2008-06-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

So.....meet Miss C. another beautiful senior from the class of '09. We had a blast going from open fields to really run down urban areas to get some fun grungy shots. She is very fun, and willing to try anything at all so we had a blast!

Check out her gorgeous hair, isnt it great? We have so many great shots from this session it is tough to pick any favorites at all!

Here is your sneak peak Miss C!

DSD Alpine Dance Academy Recital

2008-06-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

So this weekend was the annual recital for DSD Alpine Dance Academy. The theme this year was Dancers at Work and it was an amazing show. I was able to photograph both the dress rehearsal on Friday night and both shows on Saturday. These dancers were amazing and did such an awesome job!!

They had kids in the Tiny Tot classes that start at 3 years old and the classes went all the way up to the adult classes which even have some Grandmas in them! The dances covered all types such as ballet, tap, hip hop, lyrical and production numbers. What a great performance!

It was very dark but we still got some great shots!

Here is a sneak peak, dancers your galleries will be ready in the next 2 weeks!

Kiwanis Magazine

2008-06-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Remeber a while back when I went on the shoot at Rady Childrens Hospital for the Kiwanis magazine? It was an article about Sue Cox, an amazing trauma nurse at Childrens hospital in San Diego. Well, in the mail this weekend I got the copies of the magazine with the picture from the shoot in it :)

There are 2 links to the online magazine, one with the article on Sue, and another that talks about the "behind the scenes" of the picture, its actually an amazing story!!

Here are the stories if you are interested!
http://66.29.197.80/magazine/0608champs.asp
http://66.29.197.80/magazine/0608story.asp

coming soon, previews from this weekends dance recital by DSD, Alpine Dance Academy!

Beautiful High School Senior High School Senior Photography by San Diego Senior Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-06-10T21:34:00.001-07:00

Meet Miss J, she is going to be a senior this year and she is beautiful (can you even believe she is only 17??)! I had a great time shooting with her and could have done many more hours. She is so natural with her smiles and posing and willing to try anything, even laying in the middle of a cobblestone road to get the shot!

Here is a peak for Miss J and her family...more to follow!

The Little Red Head Book Cover Shoot

2008-06-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

I had a great opportunity this weekend to head up to LA for a shoot to get the cover for the little red head book. I shot with another photographer from LA and we had a great time with about 13 little red heads.

While there I got to get a sneak peak at a sample of the book and it looks so awesome! There is so much fun information and great pictures in there (including my little K), I cant wait to see the real deal!

Here is a little sneak peak at some of the shots from this weekend, lots of fun!

East Coast Senior shoot Photography by San Diego Senior Phtographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-06-04T20:09:00.001-07:00

Ok, so as promised, here is the first of the senior sessions from my trip to Virginia. We shot around Chesapeake, Norfolk, got lost somewhere past a place called stump lake, and found some awesome old deserted buildings, down in Ghent with some amazing historic buildings dating to the 1800's (yes that is amazing to me after so many years in San Diego!) and other places we found along the road.

Here is senior #1...

Back from Vacation....

2008-06-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

Well we are home and we are tired!! This last week on the east coast was wonderful and very emotional. After 38 years my Dad retired from the Navy and the ceremony and parties that followed were just amazing. He is such a wonderful person, father and grandfather, and to see how many peole look up to him and respect him was so great to experience first hand.

The same weekend my "baby" brother graduated from Cape Henry Collegiate High School and that was almost equally emotional. It was great to have a mini family reunion as well as seeing family friends, some of whom I havnt seen since I was a little girl.

While in Virginia I was able to fit in a few sessions too, all of them high school seniors, and lots of fun in some very different than my normal locations. These sneak peaks will follow soon!

For now, here are some of my favorites from the retirement ceremony. Both of my sisters and my brother in law are active duty Navy and were a part of an emotional flag ceremony.

What little girl doesn't love horses?

2008-05-25T22:01:00.001-07:00

Well, this memorial day weekend is not exactly what we all had in mind weather wise...no pool time, no outdoor enjoying the bar-b-que....but snuggling by the fire and baking cookies instead. Not too bad of a trade off I guess. The bummer is that my 2 sessions for this weekend had to be rescheduled due to all of the rainy wet weather :(

Today my oldest Miss C headed out to Japatul to one of her best little friends houses and got to go riding a bit with her. They have one of the sweetest, most patient horses I have ever seen, he actually belonged to her mother when she was a girl and they recently got him back for their daughter.

Here are a few shots of the girls having fun and Ed the horse...

The girls in a tire :)

Happy Belated Mothers Day! Photography by San Diego Family photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-05-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

Today I did a Mothers Day session that was gift to this great mom from her daughter. It was fun to get together for some shots of this mother and her grown daughter! "Mom" let me know that it was the first time since her daughter was 3 she remembered having professional portraits done together. It really made me think about how little time I spend in front of the camera capturing my own children *with* me...I love it behind the camera a little to much!

Even in the record heat we braved outside for a short while then moved inside for some studio shots. I had a great time with them, and cannot wait to work on your gallery!

Here is your sneak peak Miss B!

The little man is turning one! Photography by San Diego Baby Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-05-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

So many of you have probably seen Mr. W who has come every month for his pictures during his first year....last weekend he turned one!! We tried some cake smash pictures but poor little guy wanted nothing at all to do with his cake. He is such a sweetie and very serious on picture days it seems :) I feel lucky to be the one to capture his first year and watch him grow towards a toddler!

Here is your sneak peak, cake pictures will be coming!

Its the season for baby boys! Photography by San Diego Newborn Photographer jeni Bernatz

2008-05-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

This morning I got to meet sweet Mr. J, an adorable little 10 day old baby boy! He is so so sweet and was such a great sport during all of his clothing changes and posing. This little guy was all smiles (no, really!), and I can atest to that! He was already smiling and had a million great expressions! He is adding to my theory that this is a boy year, as all of the newborns I have had have been little boys this year. He was born at a whopping 9lbs12oz and I was in love with all of his precious little rolls already!

H family here is your sneak peak....

A few more from KinderFun! Photography by San Diego Preschool and childrens photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-05-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

I wanted to update and add a few more sneak peaks from the Kinder Fun sessions last week. Here are some of the kids that havn't gotten a preview yet....

Preschool Picture Day Two

2008-04-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

Today was day 2 of pictures for Kinder Fun, and this group of kiddos was just as cute as yesterday! We played all around the yard and back onto the backdrop, and lots of fun and giggles while we got some great shots!

Here are some sneak peaks from the Tuesday Thursday class....

Preschool Picture Days !!

2008-04-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

Today was day one of school pictures for Kinder Fun in Alpine. What a terrific group of kids that did amazing today and made my job so much easier! We got to do all of our shots outside, some on the backdrop and around the yard at their school.

Here are some sneak peaks from the MWF class.... I cannot wait to get to the rest of them!!

a little mascot :)

What a Beautiful Family ! Photography by San Diego Family and baby photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-04-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to do school pictures again for Children's Choice Day Care/Preschool in El Cajon. What a great group of kids, it was fun to see how many of them have grown in the last year! You will have your proof sheets at the end of the week, yipee!

On to today....

I woke up this morning a little worried about how the weather was going to end up-but it cleared up nicely and we had a great sunny morning for the "C" family shoot. They have an amazing house, with gorgeous property I could have stayed there and shot all day! They are such a nice family and ther boys were great!

We started outside with some family shots and then moved inside for some shots of the littlest C, some with his big brother, mom and dad, and then just the little star! It was great to get to photograph such a gorgeous family!

Here is your sneak peak "C" family, thanks again!

Isnt he adorable??? He had such a great laugh and smile!

Showdown at high noon...

2008-04-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

Mr. W came in for his 11 month session today, how can he already be ready to turn 1?? It seems like we just started his monthly baby pictures and he has grown so much! It has been great to see him grow before my eyes, and wow he has grown! He was walking all over the place today and giving me some hillarious looks!

J and A here is your sneak peak, I cant wait for next months 1 year old portraits, cake and all!
Im loving this look, who was in charge today??

Senior Class of '09 Photography by San Diego Senior Photographer Jeni Bernatz

2008-04-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

Todays senior is one of my senior reps for this next year....this girl is so much fun and really such a great sport! We started off in a field, then ended up the session downton. After a few clothing changes, including her prom dress, we got a great variety of shots to showcase who she is!

So, Miss B here is your sneak peak!

Seniors....and sisters!

2008-04-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was lucky and had a senior shoot (of the high school senior variety so no one gets confused!!) with a really great guy! He was so very fun and easy going, and very photogenic! His sister was along too, so we grabbed a few shots of her along the way too.

Here is your sneak peak F family...thanks for not laughing at me too hard in all my excitement over dilapidated buildings and boarded up windows!!

Wow!! The voting is now closed...

2008-04-04T19:34:00.001-07:00

Can I just say it again, wow!!! When I posted this contest I never imagined I would have so many votes, there were 743 votes in this week! I have to give creativity awards to the Arnold Family-they have emails out to everyone, it totally worked!!

I had planned on announcing the winner on Monday, but it was overwhelming percentage wise, and a winner is clear! Congratulations #7, you rock and will receive your sweet baby's image on a beautiful 16x20 gallery wraped canvas...you are going to {love} it!!

Its Contest and Give away time!!

2008-03-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

Guess what!?!? It is time for my first ever Jeni Bernatz Photography Blog Photo Contest!! I have chosen 11 of my favorite images from the last 6 months - which was nearly impossible, I could have chosen 20+ ! I am listing them in random order, and each will have a number. Vote for your favorite image and the winner will receive....can I get a drum roll.......a gorgeous 16x20 gallery wrapped canvas of their image! I am so excited because I won one of these in Vegas and would love to share it with one of my fabulous clients!

Feel free to pass on the link to family and friends for votes, I only ask that each person vote just once! The Contest will be up until the end of next weekend, ending on Friday April 4th, winner announced Monday April 7th. {please go all the way down and see everyone before voting!}

Thanks again for a great year!!

2008-03-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

#7

#8

#9
#10 #11

#12

Hello from WPPI Las Vegas!!

2008-03-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

So I am still at the terrific convention in Las Vegas by WPPI, but wanted to pop in and say hi!! I am learning so many great things and hope to have some awesome changes coming your way at Jeni Bernatz Photography! (see my little eye up there??)

and this is a group of us with the fabulous Roxanne- our awesome canvas vendor! She is also the one who Oprah got the huge canvas from on their home makover show, we {heart} her!!

Nine months in the making

2008-03-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share one of the storyboards from Miss T's monthly maternity session. She is the moom of baby C from February. I love how cute her little belly is and how great she looked her whole pregnancy, she is amazing!!

Panther Cheer!!

2008-03-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

Today was team picture day for the Prospect Ave Panthers, one day before their last competition. This team is in Santee, CA and the girls range from 3rd grade to 8th grade and were super cute!!

I won't do a traditional sneak peak for tonight, but here is Miss Shea, the fabulous coach of this team, posing for me to assist in the set up of my lights! Isnt she soooo cute!! Love it!!

Did you miss me?

2008-03-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

So the last week I have been scarce, but with good reason! My husband has embarked on a new venture and is now the co-owner of Pacific Wide Electric! They are up and running and I am getting back into my own fun business again.

Tomrrow look for Panther Cheer team pictures, I cant wait!

It's raining baby boys!!

2008-03-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

oooh another new arrival was here today, and there is one word for him....chunkalicious!! This little man was just yummy with his little rolls and jiggly cheeks, I could have held him forever!! This is Mr. S, lovingly known also as "squish"....born at 9lbs 4oz here he is at 8 days old....did I say yummy???

I love doing newborn photography for reasons just like this, so precious and innocent and very very sweet! Congratulations R family!

Here is your sneak peak.....

He keeps growing, and growing....

2008-03-03T06:09:00.001-08:00

Mr. W was back yesterday for his monthly session, boy is he growing fast! He is so cute and loves his mommy so much! We got a few shots outside them moved inside and he was off!

Here is a sneak peak!

Happy Monday!

2008-02-25T19:33:00.000-08:00

aaaah the sun is shining today, yippee!!

So what a *great* weekend! Congratulations to all of the Rocket Cheer competitive teams! All three teams, (the mini's, juniors and seniors) took first place this weekend at Cheer Power Nationals!! They are all sporting fabulous new leather jackets and {huge} smiles!! They rocked and very much earned their awards!

Today was a family session for baby "C"'s family. Yep, I still love this little guy just as much as last week, he is yummy!!

Here is your sneak peak...

He is here!!!

2008-02-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

Remember my maternity that came each month, "T"? Well last Monday her sweet baby boy made his appearance. Let me tell you, this is one of the sweetest, teeniest, most adorable little boys I have ever seen!! He slept almost the entire time, and was just a little angel!

Here is your sneak peak, and conratulations again, I love him!!

Wrights Field in Alpine

2008-02-13T16:35:00.000-08:00

Today I took one of my girls over to Wrights Field here in Alpine to see what fun places there were for portraits-wow it is beautful!!! I drive by it almost daily but have not stopped before to explore much at all. Little Miss K is over her pneumonia for the most part so we went on a little walk to check it out, we will go back for sure!!

Playing with texture

2008-02-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

Here is one more from the Valentines Mini Sessions...this one I wanted to add some texture to and change the feel up a bit! This was one of my favorite shots from the day so I played with it way to long!! :)

I added in some rusty metal and paper to change it up then a grungy border around the whole thing.

Watch him Grow!

2008-02-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

Little Mr. W was back for his monthly session, and he is getting so big!! His parents are in for it, he is already crawling at lightning speeds, and standing on his own!! :)

Here is your sneak peak...

And even more...

2008-01-27T13:38:00.000-08:00

Here is round three of sneak peaks from yesterdays Valentine mini's...Thanks again everyone! I will contact you within the next week or so with information about your galleries!

This is Miss C thinking about what color she wanted her Valentines :) Isn't her hair great??

and little Miss K, I wish I could remember her crazy hair pen dolls name, I really thought I would never forget it!!

A Few More

2008-01-26T20:22:00.000-08:00

A few more, we got so many of little Miss D! She was really loving her baby leg warmers, and was hammin' it up for her mini session!

Valentine Mini's

2008-01-26T17:13:00.000-08:00

This morning was full of Valentine Mini Sessions, complete with lots of petticoats, rose petals, candy hearts, and happy smiles! I got to visit with some past clients/friends as well as meet some new friends!

Here is round one of sneak peaks from this morning!

Little Miss C is here!

2008-01-25T22:51:00.000-08:00

When E came to me back in November I knew I couldnt wait to see this little girl that was due a few weeks later! Miss C was born in December and came today for her first photo shoot! She was almost 6 weeks old and adorable with her yummy big eyes and sweet way she looks so lovingly at her daddy already. You can already tell she is smitten with her Daddy and it made my heart smile!

Here is your sneak peak, I cant wait to get to the rest of them!

Looking for Senior Reps!

2008-01-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

If you are on my mailing list you already know this (and if you aren't, why not??), but I am looking for some senior representatives to be my spokesmodels for the class of '09!

I am looking for guys and girls class of '09 that are outgoing and excited about having great, funky, unique senior portraits! I will take 2 from each local high school and give them a free senior portrait session. I will then print up cards with their pictures for them to hand out at school. For each person that books from one of these cards, the senior rep will get a fabulous print credit to use for their own portraits!

A senior session includes up to 3 clothing changes and 2 locations. This can be done almost anywhere and is meant to showcase "you"! *think beach/piers, downtown, fields, really anywhere!*

Have questions? Know someone who would be a great model for me? Let me know!

Big Brother to be!

2008-01-21T15:51:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe after all of these mini sessions we are so close to baby H coming on out! T came by for her last mini session for her pregnancy today, and brought along the big brother in training! I know as much as i cant wait to meet this baby you are even more ready!! Here is your sneak peak...

Rockets, Rockets, Red Black and White

2008-01-14T08:49:00.001-08:00

This weekend was the team portion of cheer pictures, lots of fun and lots of girls!! (and lets not forget the one lucky boy!!)

Go Chargers!!!

2008-01-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

What more can I say!! What a great game today!

Valentines already??

2008-01-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

Yep, it is time to start planning my Valentines mini portrait event!! This will be one day of mini sessions, complete with yummy petticoats, heart lollipops and all things red and pink! This is a great way to have unique, personalized valentines!

Contact me if you are interested, pricing includes a mini session (20 minutes) and 24 wallets sized personalized valentines! The date is coming soon! jbernatz@gmail.com

here are some from last year !

My little girls

2008-01-01T21:14:00.000-08:00

Today I got to take my own special girls out for their very own session! We picked out favorite outfits, packed up lots of hats and scarves and headed down to Balboa Park for some fun!

We had so much fun, even though little Miss K was saying "no more no more camera!" after only about 20 minutes :) It was so much fun to play with my own kids and realize why it isn't always as much fun for the moms and dads as it is for me while taking the pictures!!

My little muses....

Happy New Year!!

2007-12-31T20:28:00.000-08:00

I really want to say Thank You to everyone who helped make this such a tremendous year for me and Jeni Bernatz Photography! This year has seen so much growth in my business and I owe so many thanks to all of you who have supported me and been here to help in one way or another! I really appreciate you all and send wishes for a joyful new year!

Ooops one more shoot snuck in!

2007-12-31T20:06:00.000-08:00

Today we did the Mr. W's last monthly shoot for this year! He is getting so big, he was standing against my new prop today!! Even though he wasn't feeling great, he was so cute and agree-able!

We love you little man, here is your sneak peak M family!

Family Fun

2007-12-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

Today was my last shoot of the year!! I lucked out as it was a super fun shoot and could have kept going with this family! I have not laughed this much in a while, and it was a great break from all of the holiday stress!! The guys were all good sports about being here and geting their pictures done, and it made it so much easier. Miss R we have all decided here that you look terrific with braces!!

B family, thanks again, here is your sneak peak!

Love is in the air

2007-12-21T21:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight I got to do a very, very special engagement session. The groom to be is someone I used to nanny for (making me feel very old at the moment!!). He and his fiance are here visiting family and preparing for their June wedding. This couple was so much fun and willing to try anything for their session. We had a blast and at the end ended up in the big fountain by the space center!

L it was great to finally meet you, I am so happy for both of you!! Here is your sneak peak....

Rainy day = play time

2007-12-20T15:48:00.000-08:00

C and K have decided they are fashionistas and the oufits they are coming up with are hillarious!! Today it has been cold and rainy so we had layers of fun, fun, not so matching clothes!! Ah to be 2 and 4 and not care how you look, or when as long as all pieces of the outfit were pink they must match! (how can that not make sense, right?)

So of course I break out the camera, only to be told, no way!! So before I lost them completely here are 2 shots of Miss K, spunky little thing!! (hey and it almost looks like she actually has some hair here!)

Girls Girls Girls

2007-12-17T20:33:00.000-08:00

Sunday I headed downtown with a couple other photographers to photograph these cute girls. It was great to scout out some fun locations that are a little more "urban" than the norm, and get to meet some fun people! Thanks again girls for getting up early and coming out to "play"!

Here are a few from the morning, more to follow!

You better watch out....

2007-12-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

You better not cry! We met with santa tonight at the "A" families annual party. This year my sweet, shy, princess C decided she was in love with santa!! This little one was so scared of him every other year that she would not even go forward for her gift! This year she hugged and kissed him when he gave her a gift them went back afterwards for more hugs, secrets and love for him!

Here is just one from tonight, if you were there tonight check your emails in the next few days :)

I have more updates coming soon, and some more of what I have been working on!! Also look for a new contest after the first of the year !

Bye Bye Rain!

2007-12-02T19:47:00.000-08:00

As much as we can always us the rain around here, it does put a damper on outdoor portrait sessions. Lucky for us the rain from the last few days was no where to be seen today! We were back at Balboa Park with the extended family from a shoot a few weeks ago. 14 people with some cute cute kids! It is getting cold and dark much earlier so even with a short window we got some great shots...

Here is your sneak peak...

I love this one so much Im showing in color and black and white :)

Family

2007-11-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

The holiday picture season is winding down for me, only a few more shoots to go and I am already scheduling for January and February! If you are still wanting to place an order for Christmas, please contact me this weekend so we can get it ordered!

Yesterday I headed north to meet the P family-all 4 generations were there! We did some shots of everyone, then the grandparents and grandkids, and each family.

Here is your sneak peak.....

Sweet Miss M !

2007-11-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

This morning I got to meet one of the sweetest little 14 month olds ever! She came to get her pictures done with her Grandma as a present for her mom, so if you know this family shhhh!!

Miss M was so much fun and loved to smile and play for the camera, and has the best cheeks ever!

Here is your sneak peak...

Brrrrr It finally feels like Fall!

2007-11-25T18:32:00.000-08:00

Well, be careful what we wish for, right? This morning I was back at Balboa Park with the M family, and it was chilly!! It does put me in the mood for Christmas decorations and holiday fun though! It was hard to get into the spirit when it was still 80-90 degrees everyday!

This little man wanted nothing to do with me today, between shots this week, cutting a new tooth on top and trying to figure out crawling this photo shoot was not on his agenda!! Still, it was fun and I got to laugh at myself trying to make him laugh as well as the "are you kidding me?" look he kept giving me! M family, here is your sneak peak!

Saturday Sneak Peaks

2007-11-24T19:30:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had terrific Thanksgiving Holidays! I did my first Thanksgiving dinner, and we had a good time with of course too much food followed by crazy shopping on Friday! Things got back to normal today with 2 shoots, one for the S family and one for the W family.

The S family did a fun mini session at their house, real quick but lots of laughs! Here is your sneak peak....

and here is the W family, minus a few pieces if silver, hehe! I had fun with you all, goofy faces, dogs in shirts, elbows and all !! :) Here is your sneak peak!

Welcome Home Jeff!!

2007-11-21T06:39:00.000-08:00

One of my first OpLove clients returned from his deployment on Monday-I was sad to miss his homecoming as I realy wanted to photograph it, but I am so happy for them to be back together again!! We did a session before he left with his wife and him at Seaport Village, and they were so so cute together!

Welcome home!!

(Op Love is a group of photographers donating time to give deploying/depolyed military sessions for their families either before they leave or while they are gone....great program!)

Nighty Night!

2007-11-17T21:22:00.000-08:00

Before I hit the hay I want to get my last sneak peak up...this was such a fun family and we got to use my own yard for the shoot which was great for me too!

Here you go M family!

No water in the fountains = Background....

2007-11-17T20:51:00.000-08:00

Right??

We went up to Viejas this morning and had a great time with the M and W families! The fountains were all empty of water so I kept thinking they would make a fun background with all of the gorgeous rocks :)

We got some great full family shots with 2 generations, as well as some Aunt shots and family shots! This is one of my favorite families and I was excited to get to shoot with them again!

Here are your sneak peaks....

belly = baby

2007-11-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

Today was full of shoots! I got to meet a very sweet couple who are expecting a baby in just about 3 weeks....E is adorable and her little belly was super cute and fun to photograph!

She came with a lot of fun ideas she wanted to try and we were even able to talk her husband into a few of the shots! Thanks so much for coming out today, I cannot wait to hear about your little girl!

Here are your sneak peaks......

and with the chocolate color I told you about...

Sneak Peak Catch Up!

2007-11-14T11:53:00.001-08:00

I'm playing a bit of catch up this week and havn't posted sneak peaks for a few people, so here they are! I have a maternity, 6 month old and family to share....

Oh Baby!

2007-11-05T19:57:00.001-08:00

Today I got to meet precious little Miss A and her big sister Miss G (who is 2!). These girls are adorable, and Miss G was a great shadow with her little pink princess camera. If I stooped, she stooped. If I sat, she sat. If my camera rested on the floor, hers sat next to it. I loved it! She was hillarious and a lot of fun!

This sweet little bundle is Miss A, she was a whopping 7ish lbs and right about a week old. She is a great sleeper, and was easy to pose already! Did I mention I love newborns??

Here is your sneak peak F family, thanks for having me this morning!

Look at the muscles!! :)

Daylight Savings changes everything!

2007-11-04T19:34:00.001-08:00

Wow, what a difference the time change made in todays shoot! We started at 3 and by 4:30 it was already getting too dark for some of my favorite spots! We still had a good time, K and T were cracking me up with their faske smiles, but I think we caught a few real ones hidden in among the rest of them! And Mr. C was loving the fish in the reflecting pool, they were much more interesting than me and my camera!!

Here are your sneak peaks, thanks again!!

P-a-r-t-y!!

2007-11-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

Today was my very first Portrait Party, hosted by Mindi. I had such a great time and got to meet so many families and great kids!! Each family got a 15 minute mini session and will get 5-7 proofs in their online gallery later in the week.

Here is a little sampling and sneak peak for some of the families! I am looking forward to doing another one come spring time!

Ok Miss D, you do not look 3 in this picture!!

My little red head

2007-11-02T07:20:00.001-07:00

I thought I would share some pictures of my little red head! There is a great book in the works right now that has pictures of little red heads across the country (age 10 and under), fun facts about them, their states etc. This is a great way for the little red heads to celebrate their uniqueness!! More info to follow as it is available!

In honor of that....here is my little red head (freckles and all!) from this week!

A Day For Mini's

2007-10-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today was a mini session day, and most everyone was here for Christmas Card pictures! I am not going to show any family shots and give any potential cards away in my sneak peaks...but here are a few from this morning....

And last but not least for this week....

2007-10-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

My final session of the week is the F family! This was a brother and sister, along with their cousin. It was a lot of fun, they all got along so well, and you can tell these kids have a blast together!

I brought along a petticoat too, so Miss K got to do some dress up and goof around! You guys were great, and thanks for the yummy cookies you brought me too-some of them even made it all the way home !

The G Family

2007-10-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

Meet the G family....and about the sweetest siblings I have ever seen! This brother and sister loved each other so very much, they really were watching out for each other and looking to each other the whole time!

I learned so much about ths family from the kids today....not all things Im sure were supposed to be shared :) Dont worry I wont tell!!

G family here is your sneak peak!!

Saturday at the Park

2007-10-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight at Balboa Park was amazing!! There were about 5 different wedding parties and a quince or 2 at the organ pavillion when we arrived-wow!!! The sky was beautiful, the temperature was great and the family I was shooting was so much fun!

Its a busy weekend, but I wanted to get this sneak peak up before I head into tomorrows shoots!

Here ya go!

H-O-T

2007-10-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

So tonight I had a shared shoot-I did a shoot for Becca, and she did one for me. It was so much fun to have her on the other side of the camera....and not so comfortable for me! There is a reason I am behind the camera-I enjoy it there so much more!!!

We had a blast starting at Balboa Park where we left after jumping from one of the fountains almost broke her foot. We then headed downtown for some more urban locations. The sun was fading fast so we grabbed a few spots that we could just pull the car right over and jump out. Here are a few, Ill share more as they are proofed....and maybe even some of me!

Learning is Fun!

2007-10-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got to spend a few hours at iMagic School in Alpine. iMagic School is a place where kids of all ages can go for individual instruction, after school homework help, and so much more! In addition to the teachers pictures, I got to spend a few hours documenting the school itself, the kids that are there as they work, and the things that make it such a special place!

iMagic here is your sneak peak....

Cheer!

2007-10-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

Its time to start gearing up for cheer pictures next month! I am excited to have the opportunity to do team pictures for Rocket Cheer this year, and cannot wait to offer some fun options for the images!

Hurray for 2 year olds!

2007-10-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

Today I met up with little T and his mom at Balboa Park (yep back to my favorite place!) for a mini session. This little guy is so full of personality and is not afraid of the camera at all!

We started at the organ pavillion and ended in partially in one of the fountains, so so much fun!!

Here is your sneak peak from this morning...

Watch 'Em Grow!

2007-10-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Friday was mini session day for my 2 mothly sessions. This week has been so crazy with sessions and one of my girls birthday parties I am a day behind on these sneak peaks, Im so sorry!!

Mr. W is 5 months old already! He is doing such a good job almost sitting, and was holding himself up for a while before tumbling. This was our most fun session yet, he was so into everything around us, and super smiley!

T was back for her belly session too, she is already 20 weeks, how did that happen? No finding out the gender of the baby so we will be waiting another few months for the big surprise!

I love Balboa Park

2007-10-04T20:47:00.001-07:00

I got to go back to my favorite place to have a session tonight-Balboa Park. I love this place, there are so many different options for portraits, lots and lots of variety!!

This session was 2 families, each with 3 small children. started at the Organ Pavillion and worked our way around the park. I can say without doubt the favorite spots for the big kids were the fountains and water! I can also say that the babies were unimpressed, sleeping through the majority of the session.

D and J families.....here are your sneak peaks....It is going to be so hard to go to bed tonight and not proof more of these!