Workshop Workbook Giveaway

Hey all you photog friends!  This is so very exciting.... Skye Hardwick, who you may know as the queen of artistic child photography, is doing a super awesome GIVEAWAY!!  In addition to operating a successful photography business as an exclusive child photographer in Southern California, Skye also holds workshops for other photographers.  The Giveaway for Skye's Workshop Workbook is going on right now so stop by her site and check it out.  And don't forget to become a fan on her facebook page too! Visit her website here:  http://www.theworkshopworkbook.com/

Resources: MCP Actions and Shootsac

I'm certain that most photographers today have heard of Jodi and MCP Actions but if you haven't, then you really, really need to check her out!  In short, MCP Actions....  


"...offers original Photoshop Actions and Workshops to customers internationally, which enable photographers, at the click of a button, to enhance and enrich their photos in a fast and efficient way."

Jodi, along with various guest bloggers, post trick and tutorials on the MCP Actions blog almost daily.  It's a GREAT place to learn all about PhotoShop.  Subscribe to her blog/newsletter.... you will be really glad that you did.  Just today, Jodi announced that MCP Actions and Shootsac have teamed up to offer a super contest so you'll want to head over to MCP Actions this very minute and enter for your chance to win one of these babies....

2nd, 3rd and 4th place winners will receive MCP Actions!!  Visit Jodi's blog for all the info!!

"Trains, Trains Everywhere!" Traveltown - Griffith Park, Los Angeles

Yesterday, the boys and I headed over to Traveltown in Griffith Park.  It's one of our favorite places to visit, more so when the boys were smaller, but they still enjoy it a lot.  I can go on and on about how terrific this place is but really, you should just come and check it out.  It's (surprisingly) still free to the public although they welcome any and all donations.  This place has so many great backdrop for photos so I couldn't resist bringing my camera with me.  Oh yeah, and every time we come here, we are reminded of the awesome party we had inside of a real live caboose for the boys' 3rd birthday!!  That was really, really cool!  Here are the boys, already 6 years old.  Where does the time go?!

And here's a couple of photos from their 3rd birthday party.

Announcing the Winner!!

Before I announce the winner, I would like to thank each and every one of you for being a fan of mine!! And a special, special thanks to everyone who posted their heartfelt comments!  Wow, you guys are beyond incredible and I really do appreciate you all so much!!  Alright, on to the announcement.... [drum roll please]..... The winner of the FREE session goes to......

S H A N N O N   O ' R O U R K E - A  G U I R R E ! ! ! ! ! 

Congratulations Shannon!  I will be contacting you shortly to set up our session!  I feel as though I know you (thanks to Facebook) but I can't recall if we've ever actually met.... so yay!  I'm looking forward to a fun session with you!!!

300 Facebook Fans! (Los Angeles Family Photographer)

Thank you to everyone who helped me reach 300 fans on Facebook today!!  I am feeling so loved!! Reaching 300 fans is a tremendous milestone for me and I would like to say that I am humbled by the graciousness of those of you who have taken the time to support my photographic journey... and trust me when I say that the simple act of becoming a fan is extremely valuable!!

So to celebrate my reaching 300 fans, I am offering a complimentary session to one lucky winner, selected at random using random.org.  All you have to do is head on over to my Facebook fan page and leave me a comment!!  Hmmm, I'll probably close the contest on Friday night and pick the winner on Saturday morning.  Will keep you posted on the exact timing.

So.... what are you waiting for?  Head on over to my fan page and if you're not already a fan, I would love to have you!  And oh yeah, since no post is ever complete without a photo or two, here is my little wanna be rock star!!

P.S.  Please read the following boring fine print for this contest.  Winner will receive a complimentary session with Toki Lee Photography for up to 3 subjects.  Winner will also receive $100 credit towards purchase.  No other discounts or special offers will apply.  Winner must be willing to travel to the Thousand Oaks area.  Session must be held by 4/30/2010.

And the winner is......

.....entry 'A'!!!!  Looks like the sibling love melted everyone's hearts.  A 16x20 wall portrait of this image will be arriving at your doorstep shortly!  And be sure to contact me to book your freebie session in 2010. Congratulations on being selected the Favorite Image of the Year - I love this image!!

And because the second and third entries with the most votes were pretty close (and also because I'm in such good spirits), I have decided to award them too.  The entry with the second most votes goes to 'E' while the entry with the third most votes goes to 'G'.  Congratulations you two!!  An 11x14 wall portrait will be arriving at your doorstep shortly!

Thanks to everyone who participated! I had so much fun reading everyone's wonderful comments.  You guys keep me motivated to keep doing what I do so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Cheers!  -Toki

Random Thoughts on a Sunday Morning

Wow, thank you to everyone who voted so far! There is still 14 hours and 41 minutes left to vote for your favorite image so hurry and tell your peeps to vote!!! I will tally the results and post the winner in the morning. Good luck!!! To read about the contest, click here.

"Grandmother-grandchild relationships are simple. Grandmas are short on criticism and long on love."-- Author Unknown

This is the boys' Grandma, my lovely mother. Isn't she beautiful? At 72 years old, she's quite vivacious and I think that her grandkids (all 5) keep her youthful!! She's a busy lady but tries to come and visit the boys once a week and the boys' lives are so much better for it. I am infinitely grateful for her enchantment with the boys and look forward to her visits as much as, if not more than the boys do. I love you Mom!

Are you in the running?

Here is another way to view the entries for the contest! Take a look and see if your image is in the running.

A heartfelt thanks.... and a Contest too!

Thank you, each and every one of you, for being a part of my life in 2009. You encouraged me, "followed" me, spread the word about me, and allowed me to capture images of your loved ones. I realize that there are many talented photographers out there for you to choose from, which is all the more reason why I am grateful that you chose ME!  I love getting to know you and I feel so lucky to be able to photograph your little ones and to be a part of documenting your family history... to leave you with something both beautiful and tangible for you and your family to enjoy for many years to come.

So along with my heartfelt thanks, I thought it would be fun to run a contest and I do hope you'll play! I went through all the images taken in 2009 and selected some of my favorites, which you now get to vote for. Feel free to vote for your own image and by all means, get your friends and family to vote for you too! To vote, just leave a comment on this blog letting me know which image is your favorite. To keep things fair, only one vote per email please!

The lucky winner with the most votes will receive ***drumroll please*** a 16x20 mounted wall portrait PLUS a free session in 2010!!*

Contest begins now and ends January 3, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Good luck, and again.... thank you for your continued support! To see the entries, please click here or go to http://tokileephoto.zenfolio.com/2009contest and then come back to this blog to leave a comment. And since no post is complete without an image, I'll leave you with the boys rocking out to Rock Band Beatles.

*Session fee waived and no print credit or discount will be applied to order. Session must be held by August 31, 2010.

A special thank you to Melissa Miller for sharing her great idea!  Now, go vote and tell all your friends and family to vote too. Good luck!