Friday, April 30, 2010

Photo Friday ~ 17 ~

These pictures are my favorites this week because they are of my favorite people, in one of my favorite places.  These were taken the other evening when we were outside playing baseball.  I love the softness that the lighting gives them.  

Here's my daughter stepping into the enchanted garden.

I love the light on her hair, the stance, and the boots!


My beautiful girl.


I love his expression in this one.  And his little hand.


I adore this kid's laugh.  It's one of my favorite sounds in the whole world.  I can be in the worst mood possible and soon as I hear it, my mood is lifted.


Little did I know that the enchanted garden has poison ivy in it!  Oh well...these pics made it worth it.  I've got three photo shoots scheduled this weekend, so check back next week for some peeks at them!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Some Enchanted Evening

Last night we went outside to enjoy the sunny evening and play a little baseball.  I just have to say that I am so so so grateful for our beautiful yard.  I could just sit out there in the evening and do nothing but enjoy the peacefulness of it.  We have no fences and our yard backs up to our neighbor's garden and then to a creek and more backyards beyond that.  I really couldn't ask for a better setting, especially since I like to take pictures.  The sun sets perfectly in that direction too.  I don't think I could ever move from this house for fear that I wouldn't find a yard as good as this one.  It'd have to be one heck of a house for me to give this up.

My little baseball player.  He had a fever of 103.3 about an hour before these pictures were taken.  A couple tylenol and he was ready to go.  He's the one that wanted us to go outside and play baseball.  He amazes me with his perseverance.  Nothing will stop him from having some fun.

These are his tired eyes.  Poor baby.

Playing catch with Daddy.  Is there anything more precious than a father and son playing catch?

How come I never notice he needs a haircut until I see it in pictures.  Geez, I need to start brushing my kids hair.  But, on a completely different note, I love this pic because of my husband in the background.  I don't know why, but I love when there are other people blurred in the background.  Guess it gives the photo more context.

My girl getting in on the baseball action.  She was the batter.  That's right, keep your eye on the ball, baby!  By the way, I love that fact that she's got her rain boots on in all these pics.  And I'm thinking I'm gonna have to retire that dress since I never noticed until I saw these pictures how short it is!

Daddy got in on the baseball action too!  He's so sexy when he's being athletic.  He's gonna kill me for writing that.

I love this photo because I feel like it's spying on a perfect little family and they don't know about it.  And how lucky am I that that's my family!?

Our lilac bush, I can almost smell it just looking at it.  And I love that the blue and pink shapes you see are actually my husband and my daughter walking side by side.  

Oh yeah, I can't take out my camera without my daughter showing off some of her supermodel moves.  Here she is practicing her runway strut.

And here she is jumping around acting crazy.

And here she is pretending to be a frog as she jumps off our log.  Literally, she was saying ribbit and everything.

World's Cutest Frog.

I could go on all day like this, but I'll just leave you with this shot of the enchanted garden part of our yard.  I hope someday when I look back on my life that it's evenings like this that I remember.  My happy little family enjoying each other's company in the midst of the beauty of our Creator.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Found ~ Custom Camera Bag by Elizabeth David Designs ~

I have finally found a camera bag that I'm not embarrassed to carry!  I've been looking online and in stores ever since my trip to LA where I put my camera in my purse wrapped in a washcloth.  It worked, but my purse was ridiculously heavy and my camera really wasn't very well protected.  There are nice camera bags out there if you look, but you have to be willing to pay a pretty penny for them.  Granted, my new bag was not cheap, but it was within my budget (I used my birthday money) and I got to design it myself!  I found it on Etsy, but it wasn't listed as a camera bag, rather as a handbag.  It is padded so that you can use it for whatever multimedia type of device you want.  It is made by Elizabeth David Designs and you can find her Etsy shop here.  She has tons of designs and if you don't find what you like, she can make it for you.  She was great to work with and even got my bag to me in time for my vacation to Florida in a couple weeks!  I picked these fabrics from the many that she had available.  Most of her designs are a little brighter and fun, but I'm super practical and wanted something that I could carry year round and that wouldn't show too much dirt.  So, I decided to go for this beautiful brown and cream fabric accented with the green to give it a little punch.  I was nervous since you have to pretty much envision it in your head and go with your gut when ordering, but I think it turned out great!

Here's the bag.  It has a magnetic closure and a great adjustable strap.  I've worn it short so my bag is on one shoulder and long across my body.  It looks great both ways.

The back of the bag has two pockets for whatever you need to find quickly.

It also has four inside pockets.  Perfect if you like to organize yourself a little more.  Also, you can see that the bag is very padded all the way around including the bottom, great for protecting your camera.

It is so well made, even down to the last little detail!

This is what I love most about this bag.  It doubles as my purse and camera bag.  I cannot stand having to carry a camera bag in addition to my purse.  I plan on carrying it like this on days when we are on vacation, or we go to the park, or zoo, or any other place where I might want to snap a few pics.  Other days, I might just take out my camera and use it as a purse.

I also love that if I do want to take it on a photo shoot, I can take out my purse items and throw in an extra lens and other camera accessories.  Honestly, I could probably still throw my wallet in on top or even another small lens.

I am so happy with my new purchase I just had to share it with all of you!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Three of a Kind

There are three 3 year olds at my house most days.  It makes for some fun times and crazy times.  These three have known each other since birth and they are best buds.  They have three very distinct personalities yet they all get along really well.  There's my son, the athletic, loud one.  He likes to be in charge.  Then there's my nephew, who is more sensitive and is a people pleaser, always trying to make everyone happy, just along for the ride and enjoying the general craziness around him.  Then there's the girly girl who can hold her own with the boys.  You can't push her around, she has a mind of her own.  And she entertains me daily with the unintentionally funny things she says.  

I took some pictures of them the other day while we were outside and I thought I'd share them with you because they make me smile.  I just love watching little kids interact.  

These are the boys.  They've all discovered the gutter at the edge of the street.  It is filled with tiny rocks so they just stand there and throw them out into the street.  They won't dare step foot into the actual street though because I've put the fear of God in them about that.

The three of them.

There's my son trying to be a rebel and step a toe into the street.

Discussing politics or religion most likely.  Or maybe the NFL draft.

Checking out the girl.  I love his face in this pic.

Here's to friendship and hoping they still like each other in another 15 years or so.  I'm thinking they will.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Photo Friday ~ 16 ~

 This week's Photo Friday is a complete hodgepodge of photos that I took this week.  I've been very indecisive today as to which photos to pick since there isn't really a common theme.  So, there is no theme this week, other than the fact that all these photos were taken this week.

This is my husband's nemesis.  He hates these things.  He will see my daughter holding one about to blow it and suddenly there will be like a slow motion movie moment where he will yell, "Noooooooo!" and she blows it as he's saying it and it's too late.  But how can she resist?  They are so beautiful and just calling out to all children everywhere!  I took this picture for you, honey!

One of my very best friends had her baby this week.  This is the second newborn I have seen in two weeks.  That is dangerous for me.  Gotta get the baby fix and give them back!  I like this picture because I love when newborns yawn, it takes up their whole little face.

This is a little collage I made of my son.  I love all the different facial expressions that I captured.  The one in the middle is him trying to be serious.  I said, don't say cheese, just do nothing and that's what I got.  

This is the little girl I babysit.  She was just sitting in the stroller watching the big kids and I snapped a couple pictures of her.  I'm not sure why I like this so much, it's just the serenity of her expression I guess. 

Oh my gosh, I adore little fat baby hands!  And she claps so cute!  I love the dimples in her fingers.   

I also love this profile shot of her.  She's so sweet and loves to watch the big kids.

Hopefully next week I can be a little more focused.  I will be a little less busy, so hopefully I can get out and shoot some more.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Boys Will be Boys

I feel like I've been neglecting my blog lately.  It's just that I've been trying to get my business up and going so I spent a lot of time putting together a page on Facebook to showcase my portfolio.  Feel free to click here and check it out if you haven't seen it already.  Now that I've got that set up I feel better and it's been beautiful outside so I've been spending most of my time outside with the kids and trying to work on my tan since we are going to Florida soon!  Can't wait!  I was going through my photos from last week trying to think of something to write about and found these cute ones of my son.


These are so him.  We were outside and the first one is him saying "Mommy, I hear a fire truck!".  He has supersonic ears when it comes to sirens.  I swear he can hear them miles away.  We do live kinda close to a fire station, so we hear them pretty often...at least he does.  If it weren't for him I'd probably never notice them.  When he hears a siren he gets really still and stiffens his body to listen.  It's so cute. He's like a dog perking up his ears or something.  The middle picture is just him listening and thinking about it.  He usually talks about all the vehicles that have sirens at this point...like he'll say it's a fire truck, police car or ambulance.  He's really pondering it.  The last one is just him cheesing for me.  I love that kid.  I never thought I'd appreciate all the little things that go into making a little boy, like their insatiable love for cars and trains and fire trucks, or their ability to get dirty in any situation, or their never ending energy, but I truly do love it.  Before I had a boy I really didn't get it and now I do.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Photo Friday ~ 15 ~


I didn't take very many pictures this week, but I did snap this cute one of my son.  I love this because of the vibrant green grass and the softness of it, along with his amazing blue eyes.  He's a heart breaker for sure.  I can take all the creative, artistic photos I want, but when it comes down to it a photo like this will beat them out every time.  There's nothing better than a great picture of your own child with a real smile.  

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Shadow

I was sitting talking to my husband the other night and suddenly I noticed the most beautiful shadow on the wall behind him.  I shushed him and ran to get my camera.  He didn't bat an eye...he's used to me and my camera now...one of the many reasons I love him.  He just gets me.  It's one of the most comforting feelings in the world. 

Friday, April 9, 2010

Photo Friday ~ 14 ~


When I started this Photo Friday project, I had intented it to be a way for me to challenge myself to take pictures each week and hopefully find one that I thought was good enough to share with the world (or at least my blog readers).  It has been that and so much more.  It's a great creative outlet for me.  I know at the beginning of each week that I have this task to complete so I begin looking at things in a different way.  An evening with a beautiful sunset where my kids are playing outside while my husband does yardwork turns from a time I would normally catch up on some recorded tv or check my email into a time for me to join my family outside and capture them in the gorgeous glow of the sunset.  I couldn't pick just one picture this week and first when this was happening it kinda irked me because I am a rule follower and in my head I had made a rule that I should only post one photo.  Now I realize that it is a sign of growth on my part as a photographer that I have more than one picture to share.  So, I'm done with my stupid rules and I'm posting a whopping six photos this week!  I'm a rebel, what can I say. 


I had to take a picture of this tulip because this is the only one I have in my yard.  I love it.  It's color is so vibrant.  I guess I could plant more, but then it wouldn't be as special.  I love this picture because of the beautiful bokeh in the backgound.  Bokeh is a photography term that describes the softness in the background of the photo in case you've never heard of it (Mom).  : )

I am fully aware that I have an obsession with side profile shots of my daughter.  I don't know why I love them so much, but I do.  There's something about the light hitting the side of the face that I like.  I also love the tops of the trees in this photo.

My new favorite thing...squishing photos together to form a collage.  I like how it helps the photos to tell a story, like this one of her picking a flower for me.

I love this collage because it shows the progression of her pout.  I caught her picking the flowers and she wanted it to be a suprise so she was upset.  I just love how kids show their honest emotions at all times.  Except when it involves a tantrum in public...then I hate it.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Expecting ~ A Photo Shoot ~

I've always thought that was kind of a weird way to say that someone is pregnant...she's expecting.  But the more I think about it, it fits.  When you are pregnant you have so many expectations for the future.  Mostly involving the immediate future, like what the labor will be like and who the baby will look like.  Then there are the more broad expectations, like what kind of mother you will be and what type of person your baby will grow up to become.  My cousin is in the midst of all of these wonderful and scary and life altering expectations.  It has been such a joy for me to see her experience the beauty of pregnancy especially knowing some of the trying times she has faced getting to this point.  But they will all be worth it in about four short (or long in her case) weeks.  I'm so glad I was able to capture some of that pregnancy glow.  I really have never seen her happier and this is just the tip of the iceburg.  I can't wait to see the joy on her face when she is holding her baby girl in her arms.  Here are some shots of our photo shoot the other day.  I don't have a studio, but it's amazing what you can with a small space and some great light from a window!


I am totally in love with this shot and this was supposed to just be a test shot where I was testing the light and camera settings.  I just love her hands, they look so relaxed and her belly is just so perfect!



Another favorite...love her hair, the pop of red and again with the perfect belly!  Why didn't my belly look this cute?  I'm chalking it up to the fact that I am extremely short.

See what I mean about that pregnancy glow?   And I'm loving the way her eyes pop against my green living room wall.



We went outside for a few fun poses as well.  Guess the name's not a secret anymore!  Just kidding, they already told everyone.  And her middle name is the same as mine, so I'm just pretending they're naming her after me.

Love the way the wind is blowing her hair here.  And she barely even looks pregnant in this one.

She has a thing for rubber duckies...it's her nursery theme.  Isn't this perfect?!

Hope you enjoyed browsing these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.  I'm pretty much ready to open up shop here soon with my business so let me know if you are interested in getting on my calendar!

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