Digital Xmas Card Holiday Special

Still trying to figure out how to pick a photo for your Christmas card out of the thousands you probably took this year?  Or perhaps you are just having a difficult time justifying the cost involved in mailing all those cards.  Don't worry, the answer is right here!

For the past few years we have been creating a digital xmas card that we share with friends and family via email, Facebook, YouTube, and Blogger.  What can I say, the holiday season gets us all warm and fuzzy, which is why we are sharing this gift with our friends.  For the low cost of $45 (plus tax) we will create a custom digital greeting for you to share with your loved ones this holiday season ~ that's less than the postage on 100 greeting cards!

Contact us today to start your custom greeting and dazzle all of your friends by bringing 2011 to life in a stunning movie complete with graphics, text, and of course, photos!  Contact us at info@tremediasd.com to get your video started today!

Check out these sample videos:

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Holiday Theme #1:


Holiday Theme #2:

* This is a limited offer and is based upon availability.

Composting at School

Anybody who knows me understands that I have a passion for gardening and the outdoors.  I would rather spend my Sunday in my backyard transplanting succulents and building retaining walls than wasting away the day on the couch watching football.  I bring that same passion to my job working as a school nutrition professional, enhancing the foods that are available to students and enlightening them on the benefits of eating a balanced diet and exercising. 

I also believe that in order to understand why food is important for our bodies to properly function, we must also have a deeper understanding about where our food comes from and how it is cultivated.  I have found that our children are now the product of a highly industrialized society, which has resulted in a disconnection from our food sources.  Kids actually think food comes from the grocery store.  That it just magically appears on the shelves.  And I digress...

Anyway, in addition to teaching nutrition education, I have also began to develop programs through our school kitchens that support gardening in schools.  We have piloted a successful composting program at one of our schools that illustrates the food cycle:

1. Veggies are grown in the school garden.
2. Veggies are served in the school cafeteria.
3. Leftover veggies are collected for composting in the school garden.
4. Compost is used as fertilizer for more veggies.

Can you think of a better way to teach kids about the food cycle than to create one at their school?  The success of efforts like our composting program gives me hope that changes can be implemented that will have a meaningful impact on the future health of our children. It took us a long time to become the unhealthiest nation in the world, but I refuse to give up making things right again.

The Smith Family Digital Christmas Card is Born!

Every year we scramble to select a few photos and assemble a Smith Family Christmas card that recaps the entire year.  After coming to the realization that our year could not be summed up in a single photo, the idea of creating a digital Christmas card was born!  Although I admit that this idea is not entirely original, I do take credit for utilizing it as an alternative to the traditional holiday salutation. 

We had a lot of fun picking out photos to illustrate all of the amazing things that happened to us over the course of the year and seeing the final product, which we can watch over the years.  Perhaps the best part of sending a digital card via email, Facebook, Vimeo, and YouTube is the money we saved on printing and postage.  We found that each Christmas card we sent was costing us about $1.25 after all the expenses of printing, stationary, and postage.  With all those savings we have extra cash for stocking stuffers :)

The digital Christmas card has now been established as a Smith Family tradition that all of our friends and family members will look forward to each year.

Season's Greetings from the Smiths!

Angsana:Judistira Wedding

There is something magical about Balboa Park that draws people there, like a moth to a flame.  Joseph and Julianty were one of those couples who loved it so much, they decided to get married there.  Joseph was one of my biggest critics, which became very clear during our first consultation.  He came armed with tons of questions and even waited a week to book us while he continued to do his research.  One of the most important things to Joseph and Julianty was my ability to effectively capture every moment of the ceremony in great detail.

In order to accomplish this during a religious ceremony with limited mobility, we utilized two wireless lavaliere microphones and a shotgun mic.  Needless to say, both Joseph and Julianty were extremely satisfied with the outcome of their custom wedding story.  In addition to capturing all of the sounds and sights of their wedding day, I was able to capture unscripted moments and detail that they weren't even aware of. Priceless.

Check out some of the highlights here:

Aqui:Disman Wedding

I had the great pleasure of providing video services for Precila and Aaron in beautiful Ventura, CA on a sunny summer day.  Precila was actually a classmate of Marjeri's at UCSB and a fellow member of Alpha Kappa Psi.  The day proved to be memorable from start to finish with a delightful ceremony on the beach followed by a reception with views of the ocean. 

This was an experimental wedding for me because I shot the majority of the wedding on my Canon XH-A1 but also shot enough footage on my Canon T1i to create an HD highlight.  I particularly loved the footage captured at the park prior to the reception.  Check out the videos and give me some feedback.  Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Disman!

Original Version:



Canon T1i Version:

Newman:Rowson Wedding

Steven and Regan were down to earth country folk who knew how to have a good time.  From the moment their chocolate lab walked the rings down the aisle I knew we were going to have a great evening!  Their wedding took place at Marina Village and the day could not have been more perfect.  The ceremony was held on the lawn with live music followed by photos on the water and an intimate reception in one of the banquet rooms.

The most memorable point of the evening was when Steven and Regan broke into one of the fastest two-steps I have ever seen in my life.  Granted, I have not observed many two-steps in my lifetime but this one was fast!  The wedding went off without a hitch and the happy couple and their guests danced the evening away.

Here are some highlights:

Summer Youth Camps at Mission Bay Sports Center

Ever wonder what kids do during the summer these days?  I can remember riding my bike across town to go throw rocks in the lake or building a tree house in the backyard.  Kids these days just aren't entertained as easily as I was back when things were simple.  

One of the coolest ways to spend the summer is at one of the various summer youth camps at Mission Bay Sport Center.  They offer a variety of half and full day summer camps that fit every budget.  Have your child learn to surf, sail, wake board, water ski, or paddle board under the close supervision of one of MBSC's highly trained staff.

I have a great time working with the staff in producing their promotional and education videos, especially since I have to be out on the water!