Happy Easter?

So this is my little Easter art project. After talking with my dear friend Anne, it’s probably the result of watching too many documentaries lately, but the idea actual came to me last week when on the same day I saw a Facebook ad for chocolate lambs to “win Easter back for Jesus” and chocolate crosses  next to the chocolate bunnies at the dollar store.

Now celebrate Easter for whatever reason you want, but being a Christian, I try to primarily remember Jesus’ giving of His life on the cross, as payment for my sins and the sins of the world. So when I see people intentionally trying to point people toward Jesus as the reason for Easter, and then try, in the same blow to sell candy that they feel is in some way more righteous than other “non-Christian candy” I really just don’t get it.

In the end I don’t think it is really a religious issue for me so much as it is an issue of frustration with commercialism, however I don’t really think Jesus takes great pleasure in us eating milk chocolate crucifixes when I really think about it.

Oddly, as I was going though my images tonight I saw this Walmart ad for the first time, which I felt conveyed the very same thing I was trying to say in my image….only they were using it to sell Easter stuff, which was just ironic to say the least.

I won’t say anything else about it other than there were a lot of people watching us in Lithia park this afternoon, wondering why we had a million eggs for two kids, why they weren’t hidden well, why I had a 70″ softbox at an Easter egg hunt, why I was photographing unhappy children, how long I have lived in Ashland, if I had a business card, if this was a commercial job and one lady told me in Spanish that it was too cold for Autumn to be without a sweater. Happy Easter. 🙂

Daffodils Means Spring

Today we spent time our in the yard, picking flowers, swinging, and playing hide and seek. I love spring! And spring in Ashland, well Oregon in general is even better! Happy Tuesday!

Autumn picking daffodils.

Josiah likes to wear his overalls I bought for he and Autumn’s Max & Ruby costumes (see below) so that he can look like “Mario.” I like them because he looks like a little boy. 🙂

This is my Autumn’s stubborn face. We see it a lot these days.

Haha, this is the kind of excitement now everyone gets to see in Josiah.

Don’t forget to click here to get a my photography workbook!

Beauty all around: Southern Oregon Photographer

I am never been one to photograph nature, buildings or pretty much anything but people. Not sure why, just never really had a desire to. Today we have a few minutes of snow and a few more of rain and I was feeling stir crazy so I walked around my yard so interesting things to photograph. I took all these on our tiny little lot that we live on. Just goes to show how beautiful Southern Oregon and Ashland is.

If you are in the area I will be celebrating spring with mini sessions starting this Sunday through Thursday. Sessions include water marked images on Facebook, online ordering, and a free 8X10 of your choice for just $75. A great way to get a great family photo or updated pictures of your baby or child! Email for details: Crystal@CrystalGarcia.com only 5 sessions available so get one fast!

And don’t forget to order your copy of my photography book!

Using Your Digital SLR Camera To Photograph Your Child

Mommy Lens Issue 1:

Getting the most out of your digital SLR camera so you can take beautiful, crisp photographs of your baby, toddler or child before they grow up!

Our Big Boy Josiah Reading (at only 3 years old)

Our 3 and a half year old, Josiah has been doing some “preschool” work at home with me and recently he I found out that he can write every letter of the alphabet and he can spell and write his own name. Every child is so different, our 2 and a half year, Autumn doesn’t know all her letters still, but she has such a creative mind for solving problems and making up stories and songs. I love how opposite they both are!

Yesterday I printed out Primary Phonics’ Mac and Tab a reader book that I learned to read with in preschool. By bedtime Josiah was reading my the whole book all the way through! He loves being able to read and recognize words. It is such a fun time for him. Autumn even sits down an pretends to read too, telling us what she sees in the pictures. Here’s Josiah reading. You can print out the book he is reading for free here: eps.schoolspecialty.com/downloads/samples/357m/pp_1-storybook.pdf

And to have a look at my photography workbook that is on sale for 25% until midnight today click here:

Using Your Digital SLR Camera To Photograph Your Child

Mommy Lens Issue 1:

Getting the most out of your digital SLR camera so you can take beautiful, crisp photographs of your baby, toddler or child before they grow up!

Max and Ruby

So when I went into Target last week and saw $1 bunny ears for Easter, I automatically knew what I wanted to do with them. If your child is a Nick Jr. Fan you will get this. Happy Friday!