April Rocha's Blog

New Obsession

2010-04-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

I have a new obsession.............vintage wallpaper...........

Here is one of my recent purchases.

Constant Contact

2010-04-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

For the second year in a row Constant Contact has awarded me a 2009 All-Star Award.

These awards are given out to companies that average an open rate of 20% or higher, sent newsletters regularly in all four quarters of 2009 and averaged a click through rate of 2% or higher.

Click here to view one of my 2009 newsletters.

Letterpress Week

2010-04-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

letterpress week at oh,hello friend!

Excited about Letterpress Week on the Oh, Hello Friend blog.

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Sneak Peek of Weekend Project

2010-04-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

Minnie

2010-04-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

Victoria & Sophia - Kids Headshots

2010-04-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Arielle & Triniti - Kids Headshots

2010-04-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

Photo Shoot with SuperSpy Music

2010-04-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

I had the honor last week of shooting the incredibly talented songwriting/music producer duo, SuperSpy (Mher Filian and Isaac Hasson). Their most recent credit is co-writing and producing Demi Lovato's new single, "Here We Go Again."

We had a lot of fun shooting together. These three images are probably my favorites.

Save the Date Card Samples from Minted

2010-04-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

As some of you know I have a Minted site.

Now that Trisha and Jason have their engagement photos, I can help them create a Save the Date card.

Here are two Minted samples including one of my favorite features about this stationery company.........their minibooks. They are just adorable.

Click here to see a slideshow of the Save the Date cards so you can get a closer look of Trisha and Jason's story.

Hollywood Sign on Polaroid Film

2010-04-14T12:22:00.001-07:00

iSpy with my plastic eye Exhibit in Association with Month of Photography - Los Angeles

2010-04-13T13:23:00.001-07:00

Last December, the I Spy with My Plastic Eye exhibit opened at A&I Hollywood.

The exhibit has now travelled to 5th & Sunset Studios in West Los Angeles with a gallery reception this coming Friday, April 16.

Click here to see my previous blog entry on this exciting exhibit.

The fine art book that complements this exhibit will be for sale, featuring all images from the show with shot details and artists commentaries. The book is $40 and you can purchase it by clicking here.

Trisha and Jason's Engagement Session

2010-04-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last week I teased you with a Polaroid image from Trisha and Jason's engagement session.

I have collected over the years a list of over 50 engagement session location ideas that I allowed Jason and Trish to view. The couple chose a street filled with pink trumpet trees in Los Feliz (which I learned about from an article in the Los Angeles Times years ago) and Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House in Barnsdall Park.

Here is another Polaroid image from the shoot.

Sneak Peek - Jason and Trisha

2010-04-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

Trisha and Jason were one of the couples that won an engagement session with me.

Here is a sneak peek of an image I shot of them with my Polaroid camera.

Hank & Jordan's Engagement Session

2010-04-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

I met Hank through my dear old entertainment biz friend Doreen Thorson (who escaped the business and now lives in North Dakota).

I'm so glad Doreen introduced me to Hank and Jordan.

We immediately clicked and had a great time shooting under the Hollywood sign, Griffith Observatory and their favorite restaurant Greenblatt's, where they treated me to a yummy lunch.

The Luckiest Girl in the World

2010-03-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here in Los Angeles my family only had one relative – my Aunt Francie.

By the time my sisters and I came into the picture her parents were deceased and she only had one sister still living, who lived in Northern California.

As I like to say she was ours and we were hers.

So every holiday was spent at Francie’s house if it'd be Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving or Christmas. She always made us lemonade from her Meyer lemon tree and she always used this glass pitcher. Because of my aunt I can make a really good pitcher of lemonade with just the right amount of tart and sweet.

Any trained actor will tell you the most important element of being a good actor is listening. I remember being five years old and no matter what I was sharing with her she listened intently to everything I had to say and had this wonderful conversation with me. In her eyes my sisters and I were never little children that could be easily dismissed. Talk about being spoiled at a young age. I always listen to what my friends have to say and they are always telling me I have the memory of a steel trap and I swear I got this trait because of her.

Francie never played with my sisters and I or got in the pool with us but we never expected her to. She was the quintessential hostess with her pitcher of lemonade and the makings for a martini or a bloody mary on standby in the kitchen.

Her dining room table always had tapered candles and placemats in colors appropriate for the holiday and she cooked everything without ever opening a cookbook. If you asked her what she put in a wonderful casserole she made, she would say, “Oh just a little of this and a little of that.”

So this blog entry pays tribute to the greatest Aunt a child could ever have.

I'm Featured on the Koloist Blog Again

2010-03-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned on many occasions how much I love Kolo products.

Kolo recently wrote another blog entry about how I use TTV (Through the Viewfinder) and the Kolo Essex Travel Journal for my A Little Piece of Home journal.

Thank you Kolo!

Click here to read the entry on the Koloist blog.

Congratulations to the Winner of the $25 iTunes Gift Card

2010-03-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Chelsea Fuss for winning the $25 iTunes Gift Card for signing up to receive my blog entries via email.

Sneak Peek - Hank and Jordan

2010-03-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

More About My Photographic Series

2010-02-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

I told you a little bit about my new photographic series last week.

I started working on the series yesterday and wanted to share this image with you.

My Great Aunt Frances Reid owned her home in Brentwood from 1968-2010 (42 years) and since she passed away our family has to sell her home.

In a perfect world I would be able to twirl a magic wand and have the home stay exactly like it is forever -- a museum of sorts. But since that is not possible I thought it was appropriate that I photograph the home. Not so much the rooms but the little things.

My Aunt Francie had a wonderful book collection so I thought it was important to photograph it.

My dear friend Ron Marasco came over yesterday and we went through all of her theatre books. Ron helped me tremendously figure out what was a rare treasure and what was as he calls it "readily available." I could not have done it without him.

In going through the books yesterday we found a book that belonged to choreographer Jerome Robbins (dated 1946), a book signed by playwright Moss Hart given to Francie's husband actor Philip Bourneuf and a script with a note from film/theatre director Elia Kazan.

I cannot wait to share more of this project with you.

Win a $25 iTunes Gift Card

2010-02-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

You will be eligible to win a $25 iTunes gift card if you sign up to receive my blog via email.

Just fill out the form below by February 25 and your name will be put in the drawing.

Richard Cummings, Jr.

2010-02-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

There was a time in my life when I watched a lot of network television. This was before HBO, F/X and Showtime got into the series television world.

Two of my favorite shows from the early 1990's were "thirtysomething" and "Northern Exposure."

After a ten year acting hiatus Richard Cummings, Jr., who I was already familiar with from recurring roles on both of those series, asked me to shoot his headshots.

I was very honored that he asked me and we had a great time shooting these recently one Saturday afternoon.

This image was one of my favorites.

Congratulations to the Winners of the Engagement Session Giveaway

2010-02-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the winners of my ENGAGEMENT SESSION GIVEAWAY.

Andrew & Kelly
Jason & Trisha
Lauren & Fletcher

New Photographic Series

2010-02-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

I am starting to work on a new photographic series. A little info (or maybe more like a tease)

-- It has huge time constraints
-- It is probably one of the most personal projects I will ever work on

Intrigued?

More next week..........

Aidan Maxwell Walter

2010-02-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

I went to junior high school and high school with Mark Walter and Robin Zander. Mark and Robin are now married and Robin brought Aidan to me recently for new headshots.

I've never had the experience until now of two people I knew as a kid having a child themselves.

It's like seeing Robin and Mark as I remember them as kids all mixed into one kid -- Aidan!!

Use RedBubble to Purchase Greeting Cards and Prints

2010-02-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

I found this great new company called RedBubble where you can purchase any of my images as a greeting card, canvas print, matted print or framed/matted print. Talk about making my job easy.

I shoot, I upload and they do the rest. Most of the images I have on the site are my floral images but I'm sure as time progresses my repertoire on RedBubble will expand.

In the meantime, enjoy.