Bug and Bean Blog

Hope you all enjoyed the holidays with family and friends and that the new year brings you many new adventures and happy memories! We kicked off the new year in typical adorable Bug and Bean fashion with a very sweet family visiting from the East Coast. Meet Ellie, the first Bug and Bean Baby of 2011! She braved the cold and dreary weather and lit up San Francisco with her smile and perfectly coiffed hair. Such a nice way to start off the year.

“We’re super thrilled to be new parents and we just want to capture this time in our lives before our baby girl grows up too fast. My husband and I lead very busy, stressful lives..as I imagine most parents do..but when things get to be too hectic, I’d like to be able to look at these photos and be reminded of how wonderful our family is.” -Karolyn, Ellie’s Mom

It’s not always easy for me to find the words to express how I feel about my photography and the importance of it without getting all mushy or cliche and I think Karolyn summed it up quite perfectly. I absolutely love being a photographer but being a small business owner is hard work and it can be draining. I know I am extremely lucky to be able to do what I do and hands down the best part of the job is getting to meet so many wonderful families,  and I am thankful, but I’m human and I’ll be honest, sometimes I complain. I complain about missing my own family, I complain about the driving, the late nights that run over to the early morning, the missed weekend gatherings and soccer games.  Especially now, after the hustle and bustle of the holidays, Karolyn’s heartfelt words  are such a wonderful reminder of why I love what I do and how meaningful it is. As a photographer and as a mom, I go into every single session with the hopes that the photographs we make together will bring your family joy for many years to come and in turn, that makes me happy. I hope Ellie’s photos make you smile. Happy New Year! Here’s to slowing down and remembering how wonderful our families are.  xo nancy

Lovely Lily on a stroll with her dolly and dressed in the most beautiful vintage dress coat.

As I walked into this families home, I could instantly feel the warmth and love that they exuded for each other. A chalkboard above the mantle caught my eye and read of simple truths. We are grateful for each other. Take a moment to count your blessings and remember the simple truths in life. What are you grateful for today?

Over the weekend we decided to take advantage of our Checkout San Francisco family pass to Zeum, a multi media arts children’s museum. The Checkout SF Family Pass allows families to visit popular attractions like Zeum, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Zoo,  SF Moma and the Exploratorium for free. Pretty awesome, especially for large families like ours! (Plus, we LOVE the library!)

Our favorite part of our Zeum visit was the Animators Studio where we were able to create clay characters and then use those characters to create our very own stop-motion movie. Nothing feels better than creating something with your own bare hands! I cannot tell you how much the kids enjoyed this experience. You could really see each child’s personality come through with the characters they created. The end result was a true collaboration between my little budding artists!

So without further ado, the debut of The Wong Family VERY short film “Summer Adventures” We hope you enjoy it and we look forward to making the sequel. We might actually know what we are doing second time around!

cast of characters from left to right:

ketchup the dog (and his ball)-by mom, tomato the fruit/veggie? fairy-by kaia, googly eyes the muscle man-by kadin, oregano the herb fairy-by kualii, pig dog the pig dog-by kiran and dad, big belly (not pregnant mom!)-by dad

Be sure to check out the upcoming NY/SF International Children’s Film Festival!

San Francisco Film Society Fall Season
NY/SF International Children’s Film Festival
September 24–26, 2010
Landmark’s Embarcadero Center Cinema

A three-day celebration of diverse, enlightening, inspiring and entertaining films for kids and teens ages 3–18 and their families, the NY/SF International Children’s Film Festival will bring short, feature length, animated and documentary films from around the world to the Bay Area.

The mixed media shorts program Party Mix and music documentary Sounds Like Teen Spirit open the Festival with an Opening Night party in between the screenings. Filmmakers in attendance throughout the weekend include Folimage founder and Mia & the Migoo director Jacques-Rémy Girerd, and The Secret of Kells director Tomm Moore who will lead an interactive workshop. From cyberpunk/sci-fi anime featureSummer Wars to the awe-inspiring nature film Turtle: The Incredible Journey, this fun-filled showcase has something for everyone.

For tickets and program information, visit sffs.org< http://www.sffs.org/Screenings-and-Events/Fall-Season/NY-SF-International-Childrens-Film-Festival> or call 925-866-9559.

I’ve got twins on my mind after a visit from my brother’s family over the weekend. I was photographing his twins for their upcoming one year birthdays. YAY! More of those photos to come!  Meanwhile, I was reminded of a session that Mike and I photographed last year. Another set of boy/girl twins! I’ve been wanting to share these for a while now because I adore them so much!  There is just something so special about twins and much to my delight, I will be photographing them again this coming fall!

I bow down to all the mothers of multiples. I don’t know how you do it. I was wiped out after spending Saturday with the twins and I didn’t even do anything!!

Spending my Sunday editing this adorable session of Troy. I have photographed Troy as a newborn, at 6 months and now for his 1st birthday. As you can imagine, this family holds a special place in my heart. They are truly the sweetest people! Stay tuned for a blog post featuring all three sessions.

This past Saturday I had a blast photographing new friends and super cute kids at the first ever Boing Boing picnic in Golden Gate Park. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped me set up and a special thanks to the Boing Boing crew for letting me hang out. If you were at the event and would like access to the full gallery and copies of the photos please contact me at nancy at bugandbeanphoto dot com

UPDATED 7/13
Hi all! I added a few more images and WOW thank you David Pescovitz for the nice little write up-I am so flattered!   http://www.boingboing.net/2010/07/12/bug-bean-photography.html

sorry-no time to post them all but there will be more to come on tuesday!!

thanks!

nancy

Being that I just started this blog in February, there are so many sessions that I haven’t been able to share.  This was a session I photographed a few months ago in celebration of Josie’s 1st birthday. I can go on and on about how awesome this family is, but I think it is pretty evident in the photographs. :) Josie is just a sweet, funny, brilliant little baby girl and I had so much fun spending the morning with her family- from hanging out in her nursery, to breaking for a snack, to a family stroll down Clarion Alley and then back home for a little splish splash in the tub, she stole my heart. It was one of those sessions where I didn’t want to stop clicking my camera shutter. Looking forward to photographing your second birthday Josie!

I love the chalkboard picture mama made for her!

I vaguely remember having to pick my jaw up from the ground when I saw this bubble chair hanging from the living room ceiling!

Hello All! We are have been busy bee’s here working hard to launch our brand new Bug and Bean Photography website and blog! We would be delighted if you took a minute to check it out. It is still a work in progress, so check back often! Bug and Bean Photography NEW site!

Our new blog will be updated more frequently featuring recent session, design inspirations and other snippets of life. We hope you enjoy it!

Also please check out our feature on Project Nursery where I was asked to share tips on preparing for a professional photo session as well as how to improve your own photography skills. We are doing a photography session giveaway, so please enter by 03/12 and spread the word! Project Nursery GIVEAWAY!

P.S. We will be in Las Vegas for a Photographer’s Convention from 03/07-03/10 and shooting in Los Angeles 03/13-03/14. Please note that e-mail and phone will be limited during this time.

UPDATE: 3/16/10 Big thank you to all who entered the Project Nursery/Bug and Bean giveaway and congratulations to Sara of Stinkerpants Designs! Looking forward to meeting your summer baby.