My Favorite Pic...

This is my favorite shot from the kids holiday shoot this morning. I just love how much fun they're having trying to not get their butts wet while "sitting" in the grass. LOL Don't think this will make the Christmas card this year but I just had to share it. :)

Relaxing in the Calm Before the Storm

Busy weekend coming up-- Some are going to see the Coast Guard Saturday, others are going to a very long rehearsal for the ballet Swan Lake. The show plays twice on Sunday. Late night Sunday, short week at school. Extra long weekend with nothing to do coming up! Looking forward to it!

Relaxing a bit tonight before the hecticness begins...

Macro Fun!

I hardly ever use my 50mm (f1.8)lens-- turns out prime just isn't my thing, but adding a Canon 250D close up lens to it might make me sing a different tune. Turns out that it makes a fabulous macro lens-- of all the lenses I have macro attachments for, this one wins by a long shot!

Happy Halloween

This year holds Little Bo Peep, a homemade Lego Minifigure, & a ballerina kitty-cat. This picture was taken at a family event a few days before Halloween. Hope everyone has a good one!

It's that time of year again...

Time for the "Capture Cincinnati" book project! Back in 2007 I had the honor of being pulblished in this book thanks to the help of everyone who voted on my "Perfect Framing" image. Once again, I'm asking for your votes with this year's submitted photos. Every vote, comment & "love" counts in this race, so please help by voting & spreading the word to others you know who like to look at pictures &/ or take an interest in the Cincinnati area.

This year I selected a few pictures from my engagement session I had with my brother & future sister-in-law, as well as a favorite must-do every time we're in town... Please click on each image to cast your vote (registration is required, but only takes a second, I promise!). Thank you!!!

My Little Hawaiian Girl

This isn't the best shot by any means, but I just love the expression on her face & the colors. This was taken with my rented Canon 24-70L lens which I am now madly in love with. Someday I hope to own one myself... Someday.

Hanauma Bay, Ohau

Hanauma Bay, Ohau
Originally uploaded by Jan Herbert

I wasn't very good with the camera in the ocean. I had a hard time trying to point it while being blown around in the waves. Here's a little clip I took in Hanauma Bay State Park on Ohau, Hawaii. An absolutely gorgeous place to visit & by far the best snorkeling I've found in Hawaii. I think Moorea & Bora Bora spoiled me a bit when it comes to amazing snorkeling. One of these days I'll make it back there.

Greetings from Paradise

On vacation this week & rented a Canon d10 to try out. So fun!!! Snorkeling wasn't so good today-- too much sand blowing around. Hope to get a few good shots in the next week. We'll see...

A Summer Evening

Took this shot of the kids tonight in the backyard. It's getting tougher & tougher to get a good shot of the three of them together anymore. I'm happy with how this turned out.

Happy 4th of July!

In the Mimosa

Have been rather busy & not taking too many pictures lately, but as I sat outside with the kids in the backyard yesterday, I couldn't resist trying to get a good shot of this hummingbird.

Another Show

My latest project that has consumed my time for the past week or so- creating the flyer, programs, & tshirts for "Dancing Through the Decades," the June Showcase for South Bay Dance Center's- a huge year-end recital. Every class from age 3 to infinity performs a song. My two daughters will both be dancing, one in two shows plus making an appearance for a special award as this is her 5th year dancing at the studio (and is only 7 years old to boot)! I'm so proud of both of them! Pictures are sure to appear after all is said & done. :)

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

I think that's how you say it... This was a holiday that was first introduced to me after moving to California in 1995. While I don't really celebrate the occasion personally, I used it as an excuse to make a margarita on a Tuesday this year!

This is what happens at my house when we boil the Easter eggs...

At least they're a little like me.

Must be Easter...

She found this little guy yesterday & just had to sleep with it last night. :) I'm glad the flash didn't wake her, but it made her sister stir a little...

Pure Dance - Seasons of Dance

Last weekend I spent some time in the balcony of the Campbell Heritage Theater taking pictures of South Bay Dance Center's Pure Dance production - Seasons of Dance. Using a wide range of music, the show chronicled seasonal events throughout the year. The dancers put on a great show as always! Here are a few of my favorite shots.

A wedding:












A not so happy moment, done to Kanye West's "Bad News"




And a "Celebration" to mark the end of the year.

Seasons of Dance

Not my photography, but a project I've been working on & a little plug for the studio... My daughter isn't dancing in these productions (yet), but they asked me to create the flyer to help promote the show. This is what I came up with. The next one I'll be working on is their big June Showcase, which of course will be in June. :)

Shannon & Louie

I'm thrilled to have been asked to be the photographer at my little brother's wedding next year! While in Cincinnati recently, I had a chance to do an engagement session with he & his finacee Shannon. It was the first session I had with the 40d, & I'm so excited about the results!

This turned into quite the session! We ended up hitting 5 locations in 3 hours. Here are a few from Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati:









They even did some ice skating! What a wonderful place for pictures! I hope they want to revisit for the wedding next spring!


The Art Museum in Eden Park was where we started:










And the session ended over in Kentucky with a very romantic backdrop. Congratulations & best wishes Shannon & Louie!

Time for a Break - Cincinnati's Union Terminal

I've been quite busy lately, first by taking the kids on a trip to Cincinnati to visit family & friends, second by spending my time catching from the trip, & lastly by proofing lots & lots of shots from my brother's engagement session I had while I was in town. Samples from that will be posted in hopefully another day or two, as I've had a few setbacks due to my aging computer.

In taking a break, I decided to go through a few of my own shots from the trip. Going to Union Terminal is always a highlight for me as the building is my favorite in the city. I spent quite a bit of time here digging in their archives for a research paper I wrote in college about WWII war bonds in Cincinnati. The building is currently known as the Museum Center where it houses a Children's museum, Cincinnat's Natural History Museum, an OmniMax theater, & special exhibits that come through the area.

The outside of the building is simply gorgeous. I've been told it was built to mimic the shape of a radio, & I think that's a pretty good comparison...


And here are a few shots from the main entrance. Makes you feel like you've taken a step back in time...



The enormous window on the front of the building, from inside:


And a few of the murals that are up depicting the area's history, I captured 2 of them, but they extend back behind the main area as well:

Happy Valentine's Day

I'm not too big on celebrating the day, but the kids sure like it. I got these pearls 2 Christmases ago & since I'm not too big on ever wearing jewelery, I'm happy to get another use out of them. :)

Love Hate Relationship

I adore the light that comes in through the window here, but it's a terrible spot for pictures, at least of humans... Nothing but a stairwell. I included a picture of the full image to let you see what I mean.


The full, uneditted image...

That's my nephew!

That's my nephew!
Originally uploaded by JanH.

2 of my nephews won it big during the Superbowl tonight! They won the Doritos crash the Superbowl contest & captured the 1st place spot in the USA Today commercial ratings, winning the a million bucks!!! Congratulations Dave & Joe Herbert!

New Year, New Camera, New Webpage

JanHerbert.com is up & running once again & I'm so excited about it! It sat horribly out of date for the past several years & with my new camera comes new inspiration to try & take this photography thing one step further. The site is working, but still in the works, so if it's not compatible with your browser currently, I hope to make it so very soon. Be sure to check back again to see more of my work as I plan to still add stock photography & more Event & Love pictures from a few upcoming sessions I have planned. :)