Catching up...

Wow, it has been a long time since I have blogged! A lot has happened in the last few months. I have directed two shows and am getting ready for a break! It will be the first time I haven't been involved in a theatre production in five months.

The first one was Seussical the Musical with Kelrik Productions. I performed in this one as Bird Girl #1. It was one of the most fun productions I have ever been a part of.  You can read my blog about it here: http://danielledutro.blogspot.com/2011/07/seussical-musical.html

The next one was Sister Amnesia's Country Western Nunsense Jamboree that I directed for The God Is Still Speaking Players in August. I has so much fun with this one. I had an amazing cast that was able to put this entire show on quickly and put up with my attempts to choreograph when our choreographer got extremely sick.

And finally, I am currently directing Arsenic and Old Lace with Sorcerer Productions. This is my biggest production to date and has been an incredible learning experience! It is a fantastic script and I have amazing actors that have made this process so fun. We have such high quality theatre on the Central Coast and I am so thrilled that these companies have trusted me to bring these productions to fruition! We have had a few reviews, you can read them here and here.

If you are interested in seeing our last weekend, you can call the Clark Center box office at:
 (805) 489- 9444

Brady and Melissa Beckstead: An update!

For those of you who have been asking for an update on Baby Ella, she is doing well! She is growing rapidly and Brady and Melissa are in LA eagerly awaiting the arrival of little Ella. If you don't remember, Ella has HLHS or Hypo Plastic Left Heart Syndrome, which basically means she will be born without the left side of her heart. 

She will have one open heart surgery a few days after she is born and hopefully she will be able to come home a few weeks after that. We miss the three of you immensely and cannot wait to meet Ella! I am looking forward to photographing her when she is strong enough to come home. 

Brady, Melissa and Ella, our thoughts are with you. Ella, you are so loved already, I hope one day you can look back and see how your family and this community came together out of love for you.

** An Update on the update
Ella will be delivered via C section on Tuesday September 13.

If you are interested in following Melissa's blog about Ella you can see it here: http://hearts4ella.blogspot.com/  **

Sierra Senior Photos

When Sierra and her mom called me to do her senior photos I was so excited! One of my favorite types of photography is senior photography. It is so much fun finding the best locations and poses to fit each senior's personality. 

Sierra is a beach girl so we headed out to one of my favorite locations. We had such a great time and Sierra was up for any challenge I threw her way, she even got into the water to let me play with using reflections! 

Brady and Melissa Beckstead: A Heart full of Love

I have known Brady and Melissa for several years now. We met, as I meet so many people in my life, in theatre. I met Brady while performing in RENT with a local theatre company and met Melissa soon after. We have been friends ever since and were even invited to their wedding. I am so thrilled to be photographing their journey of welcoming their first child, Ella. 

Unfortunately, they found out that Baby Ella has a rare heart condition, HLHS. Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Essentially, Ella will be born without the left side of her heart. Brady and Melissa have been so inspiring with their strength and positivity. Ella will have to go through one open-heart surgery immediately after she is born and at least two more by the time she is three years old. Brady and Melissa will move to LA for three months to be close to Children's Hospital.  

Their family is putting on a fundraiser to help with the astronomical costs of living expenses and hospital bills. Below is the flyer will all of the information. Tickets are available for $30 on www.brownpapertickets.com. You can also donate directly through any Rabobank Branch into the Ella Beckstead Benefit Fund. 

I have been so honored to be part of this special family's life and cannot wait to meet Baby Ella!

Landers Family

I had the best time photographing this amazing family a few weeks ago. They are so warm and open I immediately felt like part of the family. Their little boy was tired while waking from his nap but was all smiles and had a good time making silly faces for the camera. We found this field of beautiful yellow flowers and took full advantage of it.

Gilliss Family

I had the opportunity to photograph the Gilliss Family during their pregnancy and after their bundle of joy way born. Both photo shoots were a great opportunity for us all just to play. We had a blast goofing off and playing around but we ended up with some of my favorite images that I have taken.

SLO Life Magazine

The newest edition of SLO Life Magazine is out and available at your local grocery stores, jamba juice and more! This issue I did the photography for all of the articles. I have so much fun getting to meet all the locals involved in making this magazine possible. Check out slolifemagazine.com to find out more.

Childer's Wedding

This past weekend I had the opportunity to shoot a beautiful wedding for two awesome people. They had a country theme with the perfect location in Creston.

Senior Photos

I had so much fun recently photographing Katie McNamara for her senior photos. She has such a vibrant and fun personality that I wanted to find a location that would represent that. Here is one of our favorites of the day.

First Publication!

Well it is official I am a published photographer. I can't take credit for this fabulous cover but pick up your copy today to see my photography inside the magazine. Slo Life Magazine is the best magazine for learning all about living in San Luis Obispo.

The premier issue hits stores next week. Make sure to keep your eyes open and grab your copy of Slo Life Magazine!

-Danielle