San Diego Safari Park

Posted on January 2, 2014 by tearsofjoyvideo

We started off the new year visiting the San Diego Safari Park and we got to do something different this time. We went on a special safari that got you up close to the animals and allowed you to feed them. The following are some of our pictures.

The park was displaying this baby Giraffe for the first time. He was only one month old

We also fed the Rhino’s apples

Earlier in the day we were able to feed the Lorikeets

We were able to visit the lions and two little lion cubs that were just born. The mama lion rejected them, so they are being hand fed.

Here are some other animals we were able to see

The Grounds were beautiful and we were able to see a beautiful sunset

Favorite Photographs of 2013

Video

These are some of our favorite photographs taken by Tears of Joy Video and Photography in 2013

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Beaches in the OC

Posted on October 13, 2013 by tearsofjoyvideo

Laguna and Newport Beach

Our website has a new look

Posted on October 10, 2013 by tearsofjoyvideo

htto://tearsofjoyvideo.com

Today our website http://tearsofjoyvideo.com got a new look. It has been the same look for a number of years, and it was in need of updating. For one thing, many of the videos posted could not be played on Iphone and Ipads and since many people these days are using these means to search the web, we thought it was important to have at least the main pages compatible for these means.

Since we were already making these changes, we decided to completely revamp it. Here is a list of the things that has changed.

1) The pictures and video. As already stated, the videos have changed to be able to play on all devices. We also have added a few new videos to our site. We have changed out the pictures. Now all pictures on our site are personally created by us.

2) Packages. We have new packages and with that new pricing. We have also streamlined the site to make organizing and ordering your product a lot easier. Prices are basically the same, but now you are not pigeon holed into a number of pictures. You can choose the one that suits your needs and then add as many or as few pictures, songs, titles and video clips you want to create your video.

3) Photo book creation pricing has also changed and has been streamlined for easy ordering.

4) We added a new product called Digital greeting card montage. This allows you to have us create small video message to a digital video download that you can either send by email or load on to personal devices to send a greeting for a special occasion, or just to say hi or I love you.

5) Some items that were hidden on the site before are now easily accessible, like our scanning, and transfer services and our slide art. We have also added a products section, which in the coming months will list products we are creating from our own video and pictures for sale to the public.

6) Photography-We still offer photography in our area, but we are only doing portraits, no event photography.

7) Biography videos. We have created a simple, low cost way to turn your video montage into a biography video, either by you filming it yourself with our instruction or in the San Diego and surrounding areas, we can come out and film your interviews.

8) We have highlighted our celebration of life/memorial packages into their own private section.

Take a look at the site and for those who have been on our site before, give us your input as to what you think. If you have any suggestions on other ways we can improve, or anything that is unclear in what you read, please give us feed back here.

If you live in the USA and know someone who would like to have a video created, we would appreciate you letting them know about our site. Our videos make excellent gifts for family and friends.

Newborn Photography and Video

Posted on September 17, 2013 by tearsofjoyvideo

I have been working doing newborn photography and video for a few years now. There is nothing more exciting than being there to celebrate a new life. I have also had couples give me their pictures and video to create a video of the new baby experience or babies first year of life or the birth of their baby.

I love creating pictures and videos of my clients and the ones they love. But celebrating a birth is one of the best experiences because it is the start of a life, a hope, a future…

Born April 16th-day after tax day-with tax papers
copyright http://tearsofjoyvideo.com

Hands
Copyright
http://tearsofjoyvideo.com

Gliders off the coast in La Jolla

Posted on September 14, 2013 by tearsofjoyvideo

La Jolla California has a Gliderport where these colorful gliders take flight. With the beautiful La Jolla coast below it makes for an awesome picture taking experience

This is for all the ‘picture people’

Posted on August 30, 2013 by tearsofjoyvideo

Picture People
Copyright http://tearsofjoyvideo.com

I had a client a few weeks ago tell me as she brought her pictures by, that some people are picture people, and some people are not, but she was a picture person. She was excited because a family member had gifted her a video montage for her wedding. As we went through her pictures she was telling me that she was more excited about this video than preparing for her own wedding. She said she always wanted something like this done. But now she was preparing it, it was so hard to pick which pictures to use- so I helped her edit her pictures down. She was a fun client to work with as she expressed her excitement over each stage of the video coming together. She called me her picture fairy, because I made her pictures come alive. When she came to pick up her video she said she is already planning her 50^th Birthday party when I will do her video. I had to laugh because she was only 30. But this is one of so many examples of how when we create a story with pictures, movie clips and music; we touch peoples hearts, especially if you are a “Picture Person”.

I have said over and over again that it is the greatest gift you can give. But I started thinking those words can sound pretentious without knowing the evidence I have seen to back up that statement. So I thought I would share some of the personal experiences I have seen from my clients, without mentioning them by name.

Another client came to me a few years ago. She was referred to me from someone we had previously had a video done. Her parents were celebrating their 50^th anniversary and she wanted to have a video to show at the event. While going through our website she saw that we did photo books as well and decided to have a book done along with the video. The video was a big hit and she called me to order books and videos for each member of the family. She said she wanted to do one for her son and daughter too. But it was a while before we did that.

I did a couple of small jobs for her, and then about two years later she called me to do her Father-in-laws celebration of life video, as we were preparing for that her mother-in-law also suddenly died. So the family decided to do their celebration of life together. I created the video and the posters for the entry as well. When she watched the finished product for the first time she said it brought her to her knees, she was so overcome by emotion. It was the first time she had faced the grief of the loss. But she said this was a credit to me and the meaningful way I portrayed their story, bringing out the best part of each of them. She later told me the video deeply touched everyone in attendance

Finally the next year we were able to get to her daughters and sons video. She said she had always wanted to scrapbook their life, but was a working mom and didn’t have time. She had numerous pictures, but most of them were in boxes. I scanned them all and then we edited them down for the video. With her input I was able to create the story of each of her kids using their pictures and video clips. As a final touch I came to her house and had her and her ex-husband tell stories and memories of their kids and a special message at the end to each of them. The video had their home movies, their personal messages, and highlighted pictures. The book had even more pictures, but also included their artwork, cards they had written to their parents, awards they had received, and a page with a special written message to each of them. I finished the video and books in time for Christmas, and she said this gift made their Christmas as they all came together remembering the happy times of her children’s life.

This year I have started doing the same thing for another client. She has 4 children, and I am working on doing a video and book for each of them. Her kids are all spread throughout the country, and as a parent she wanted to do something to bring them together as a family and help her children always have something to remember their roots. She gave her first book and video to her youngest daughter a few months ago when they attended her graduation from college. All the family had come to it, so they all were able to watch it together. As it was the youngest child, all were apart of this video and book and the other kids enjoyed it just as much. She is planning to visit each child and give the book and video to then as we get them done, so they can each have that special moment watching their video and looking over their book for the first time. She said it was the best gift she ever gave them.

When I make these videos, and photo books, I know nothing about the person. Their pictures and the people who love them are telling their story. By the time I am done, I feel like I know them. I had a customer a couple of month’s back that created a 60^th biography video for her husband. We included home movies of his childhood and then I went to her house when he was not home and interviewed family and friends, also family members out of state sent me video clips to add in. After I was done we had a very touching video with the full story of his life. The first time he watched it was at a family party back east and she said he was deeply touched, as he laughed and cried at the stories told about him. The second birthday party held at his house she hired me to come in and take a few family shots before their party. When I first met him I shook his hand and said I know all about you, but now I get to meet you face to face. When he found out I was the one who made the video, he understood this statement.

I love creating the best gifts in people’s lives. I love hearing how they touched the person who received them. Once in a while I get to see the response myself, I get to see them cry tears of joy. I can relate to this, because we started this business by creating our own video that made us cry tears of joy. You can see from these personal experiences why I say this is the best gift you can give. Don’t let the preparation for a video shy you away from creating it. We will help you every step of the way. We have different ways you can create a story with photo books, montages, biography videos, or digital cards. Each one will tell a story, and touch someone’s heart.

Do you have a “Picture Person” in your life? Give them the best gift you could give. As they are crying tears of joy, they will thank you over and over again.