Portrait of Col Clarke

In this portrait, Col. Anne L. Clark, PhD Electrical and Computer Engineering, stood before a mock-up of a current U.S. rocket engine, on display at the Air Force Research Laboratory, during the Rocket Lab’s Family Day, an event that brought employees, alumni and their families together to join in a variety of activities, demonstrations and displays as part of the rocket lab’s 65th anniversary.

In August 2016, Colonel Clark assumed command of AFRL’s Detachment 7, known for the past 65 years as “the rocket lab” and “the rock.” This 65-square mile research laboratory sits on Leuhman Ridge east of Rodgers Dry Lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA. Prior to her current position, Colonel Clark served as the Military Assistant to the Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force , Washington, D.C.

For more about Colonel Clark’s impressive career and academic credentials, see her LinkedIn profile.

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C is for cupcakes

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To a super special somebody…

Image Credits: Bat-Ami Gordin ©2017 all rights reserved. Credit if you use it, please.

Portrait of Breanne

Yesterday was the Fourth of July, and if you read my Fourth of July post, I said I’m starting to like Fourth of July a bit. That was also my way of saying I was going to try to have a good Fourth of July.

I’m sure it would not surprise any of my readers that having a good time, to me, means going out to make pictures. So here’s one of the really cool Fourth of July pictures that I took. I just love this patriotic outfit and also Breanne was a makeup artist and hair stylist, so she looks smashing here.

Breanne was a military wife living on a military base who attended the American Military University majoring in English and Writing.

Breanne’s favorite writer was possibly Mark Twain. She liked all writing periods and all types of books. “I like all of them. That’s why I’m doing the Bachelor’s degree, to learn all of it and write a book eventually. There’s no specific period I can say I like. It’s all too interesting.”

Breanne had one child. She loved being a parent, “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.

Image Credits: Bat-Ami Gordin ©2017 all rights reserved. Credit if you use it, please.

Portrait of Buttercup

Five year old Buttercup was a dancer who did ballet and tap. She loved makeup and to play dress up.

Buttercup played all kinds of sports with all her cousins. She played t-ball with all her cousins in spring and played soccer in the fall.

Image Credits: Bat-Ami Gordin ©2017 all rights reserved. Credit if you use it, please.

Portrait of Jean

Jean participated in dog agility since 1998 and at the time of this posting, administered the Fun Run Agility Program for dogs, in the Los Angles area. She started agility training with Bonnie, the same teacher with whom I did some training several years prior to our meeting.

Jean set the Fun Runs in motion because, “there is a lack of this sort of training in the area, the Los Angeles area. It is very important for young dogs, when they first want to go to a trial, to come to a fun match because it’s like an intermediate step between class and and proper trials. It gets them used to all the barking, all the noise, and the commotion which they don’t get in class.”

Jean was originally from Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England, UK. She went to Gloucester Technical College where she studied shorthand, typing and secretarial subjects She never participated in that is a field because she followed her husband, an aerospace engineer, to places such as United States, England, Canada and Israel.

Jean, an avid dog lover,  had  a Jack Russell Terrier for her first dog, and she remembered him fondly.

Image Credits: Bat-Ami Gordin © 2017 all rights reserved. Credit if you use it, please.

Portrait of Wishbone

Wishbone was a mechanical engineer from Lake Elsinore, California, USA. He was also a blacksmith who, for 27 years, primarily practiced at events such as  the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival. Wishbone said, “come down to the Cowboy to have fun and keep the old west Alive.”

Image Credits: Bat-Ami Gordin © 2017 all rights reserved. Credit if you use it, please.

Portrait of Sam

Sam played the ukulele for about a year, primarily as a meditative tool; he decided to play the ukulele because he needed a hobby. He played guitar prior to that, so he knew he could learn ukulele easily. He started playing guitar in seventh grade, played for two years, stopped and recently taught himself how to play  ukulele.

Sam was born in Tucson, Arizona, USA. He graduated from Del Campo High School in Sacramento, California, USA area. He liked to play video games with friends, participated in track/cross country events.and once ran as far as 13 miles.

At the time that I met Sam, he was twenty-one years old, but he was eighteen years old when he attended American River College. He stayed there, in the Sacramento area, for two years, but after moving to Antelope Valley, when he was twenty, he started studies at Antelope Valley College.

Sam studied and aspired to be a firefighter and a paramedic. He was inspired by his uncle who told him fascinating stories of his exploits as a heroic firefighter.

Image Credits: Bat-Ami Gordin © 2017 all rights reserved. Credit if you use it, please.

Portrait of Taylor-2

Taylor was a 21 year old resident of Antelope Valley, California, USA who had three jobs. Firstly, she had her own photography business doing portraits and events.

She also was a pet care associate at the PetSmart in East Palmdale, California, USA.

Finally, she worked with animal actors at Birds & Animals Unlimited in Acton, California, USA. She was a kennel assistant who cleaned up after penguins, kangaroos, wolves, cats, dogs, bunnies, hours, hawks, eagles, peacocks, emos, pigs and goats. These animals acted in movies, TV commercials, news, and various videos. Her favorite animal was one of the wolves,  Cruz, who had been in the TV show Zoo.

Image Credits: Bat-Ami Gordin © 2017 all rights reserved. Credit if you use it, please.

Portrait of Paris

I met Paris at Big Sunday’s 5th Annual MLK Day Clothing Collection & Community Breakfast. He had come to lead a team of severs and cleaner-uppers, who volunteered at these types of events to “make sure that they were well-rounded.” He represented an organization that had a basketball and mentorship team.

In the mentorship program, Paris had a group of about 5-100 kids ranging from ages 4 to about 17. He worked with them weekly on basketball, life skills and character development. This had been the third time that his group participated in the Big Sunday event.

More than 1,000 people turned out and the volunteers collected more than 23,000 articles of clothing. Paris said, “It’s a great opportunity and a great day for me.”  At this event, various people assembled, volunteered, coordinated with the food serving and clothing collecting, all with love and cheer. The kids that Paris worked were called the Mambas and had great respect and adoration for him as a leader.

Paris, himself, had three children; a twelve year old, an eight year old and a nine month old. He lived in Redondo Beach, California, USA and was originally. from Stockton California, USA

Photo credits: Bat-Ami Gordin © 2017 all rights reserved. Credit if you use it, please.

Portrait of Aeowyn

This portrait is of Aeowyn, named after the Lord of the Rings character Éowyn . I was so excited that Aeowyn’s mom allowed me to shoot this and post it AND that Aeowyn was cooperative. So here you go, my first child in this series.

Aeowyn is an energetic, cute, affectionate three year old. She loves to draw, build with blocks and dance. Recently she discovered she liked singing. She primarily sings Disney songs, but since she’s seen Moana, she is obsessed with You’re Welcome. She saw Moana a few weeks ago with her mother, brother and aunties.

BTW, in case you question when this was shot, it was shot in January, for sure. The sky cleared, the rain stopped, it was still chilly, but not enough to make a little girl who can’t stop moving cold. So. Yes. This is a California girl in January, and it’s shot with my DSLR and not the point and shoot.

Image Credits: Bat-Ami Gordin © 2017 all rights reserved. Credit if you use it, please.

Portrait of Arteasha

This portrait is of Arteasia, who I had known previously from my local Lancaster Costco  in Lancaster, CA, USA. She worked for CDS (Club Demonstration Services) Costco Food Demonstrator as one of the sample ladies, everyone’s favorite people at Costco. She had been working at this position for four years and loved the job. She believed Costco employees were fun and the customers were terrific. What she enjoyed the most about her job was meeting and speaking with people, “a lot, all day long.”

Arteasia’s favorite item to serve were sweets, “everyone tends to like sweets so I get all the customers when I have sweet things.” Arteasia found that the customers “stuck around” and talked to her more because they wanted more and more sweets. In other words, on sweets day, she was able to talk to even more people.

I took this portrait with the point and shoot. I used Costco overhead lighting, but because of the shadow on her face caused by her cap, I looked for a box with a white bottom. You know all those empty boxes in Costco? Well I didn’t use one of those. I emptied out a box full of chocolate covered some non-GMO fruit.I had Arteasia stand under a light, had her hold the box, at her waist, like a tray, pointing up, and it reflected the light into her face to give her even lighting. I darkened up the background with Photoshop.

This was a fun shoot not only because Arteasia was tickled from being chosen to be in my project, and because she is so “sweet” (pun intended) in the first place, but because I enjoyed being creative about improving the available light.

Image Credits: Bat-Ami Gordin © 2017 all rights reserved. Credit if you use it, please.