Kai was a joy to work with and so were her sweet young parents.  They were so excited about our session. Grandma brought an adorable outfit from the Velveteen Rabbit as well as a few other items.

Little Kai was just 7 weeks old.  She was awake and even slept a little during her sesison with us.  What a perfect little model she was.

Daddy had really hoped we could do our baby in the hammock image which we usually do with a baby less than 2 weeks old but Kai was certainly up to it and with daddy’s help we were able to capture exactly what hey were hoping for.

I looked at them and remembered that I was just that young when I got married and it seems like a lifetime ago.

Congratulation to Darrus and Margo and grandparents Joanne and Kelly.  Don’t blink.  Time will fly.  Cherish every second with your little one. She will bring such joy to your lives.

childrens photography and lessons

Even children can learn from visual examples.

I know that I am a visual person who learns so much more when a lesson or idea is accompanied by a visual aid.  Pictures, objects, photographs – any visual aid helps.

This is a great story I ran across the other day and I’d like to share it with you. Its a perfect example of how visual aids can bo very effective, especially when talking to children.

N New York City Teacher Shares a Lesson WIth Her Children

A teacher in New York was teaching her class about bullying and gave them the following exercise to perform.

She had the children take a piece of paper and told them to crumple it up, stamp on it and really mess it up but do not rip it. Then she had them unfold the paper, smooth it out and look at how scarred and dirty is was. S

he then told them to tell it they’re sorry. Now even though they said they were sorry and tried to fix the paper, she pointed out all the scars they left behind. And that those scars will never go away no matter how hard they tried to fix it. That is what happens when a child bully’s another child, they may say they’re sorry but the scars are there forever.

The looks on the faces of the children in the classroom told her the message hit home. 

When I read this it had a profound effect on me.  I hear so stories of so many children who have been bullied and how it will effect them and it is so sad.  I think it is our duty as parents to try to make a point to children about how long lasting bullying can be and what a terrible effect it can have on others.

I suppose something worse than a child that is a bully is an adult who has grown up as a bully and continues to be one.  I actually know a few peole like this and it is very sad indeed. 

Give you little ones a gentlehug tonight and remind them that you will always be there for them no matter what.  Remind them that treating others the way they want to be treated is a good way to live your life. Help them learn to be kind and gentle people so they will grow up to be kind and gentle adults with compassion and empathy for their fellow man.

A kind word to a stanger is a great example to show your children that it doesn’t take much to reach out to others and show kindness.

Some lessons are better learned early and others live on forever. Use visual aids to help your children those lessons in life that will serve them well.

Don’t stir my pot!

Ok I’m really talking about my pot of chili but this could also apply
to people who stir up other things.
 
I recently was working from home writing blog posts.  It was going to
be a productive day because  no one was home and I would not have any
distractions or interruptions.  It is hard to write blog posts at work
because I apparently have a swinging door that everyone feels
compelled to come through every 10 minutes with problems.  Writing
is something I love to do but find difficult with too many
distractions.
 
It was a rainy, cold day so I decided to start dinner while home  i
got out my big ole’ pot and started my grandmothers famous chili. All
ingredients in the pot, heat on low and let it simmer for hours. When
my grandmother made chili like this and she’d usually bake a cake
at the same time. I always remember her saying “don’t stir my pot and
don’t open my oven -in fact just stay out of my kitchen”. It was
always accompanied with her lovely smile – however she was dead
serious!    I guess I took after her. Whenever I’m cooking I hate for
someone to come in and mess with what I’m doing. It just gets under my
skin and interrupts my thought process – just like when I’m writing.
 
This same day a friend dropped by to bring me something I had left at
work. He went immediately into my kitchen and took the lid off my
chili and stirred the pot.      NO!        I almost took his head
off. Lol. Sounded just like my grandmother – but without the smile.
 
I only have a few little quirks – well maybe more than my share – but
just a few that really get under my skin. Empty ice trays, clothes
laying on the floor, unmade beds, people starting trouble, and
STIRRING  MY POT!
 
What are you’re quirks?  Care to share them with us so we all feel
normal for having them?
 
Oh BTW – here is my chili recipe – care to share yours?
1 c. chopped onions                           1 lb ground beef
1 lb. pork sausage                              1 c. water
28 oz can whole tomatoes                 1 can kidney beans
15 oz can tomato sauce                      12oz can tomato paste
 
2 tbsp. chili powder                           1 tbsp. basil leaves
1 tsp. oregano leaves                         1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt                                         3 tbls Dijon mustard
1 tsp. curry powder                             1/2 cup chicken stock
 
In 10″ skillet cook onions, beef and sausage over med. heat until meat is browned.  Pour off fat.  Meanwhile, in Dutch oven combine remaining ingredients.  Cook over med. heat stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to low; add browned meat.  Cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 – 30 minutes.  Sometimes we add a cup of rice or server it over pasta.  But this is a chili recipe that has been in  my family for over 80 years.
 
Enjoy!

January brings new things in the photography industry and into our daily lives.

New technology, new equipment, new ideas. Potential clients become, new brides, new mothers, new senior’s or just a new age – yes there are many new things for everyone in January.

Most studio outline all their promotion ideas for the upcoming year in January.  They attend conventions and workshops and often make a commitment to purchase new equipment.  It is a very creative time for us.  We are not photographing quite as much because everyone is taking a break and recovering from Christmas holidays so it is a wonderful opportunity for us to clear our minds and turn on our creative thinking to discover new opportunities for us and our clients.

• January bridal shows bring great ideas to newly engaged ladies and brides. They also have the opportunity to win a things at these bridal shows.  
• New mothers and pregnant ladies are now looking for someone to photograph their new baby or to document their pregnancy.
• High school seniors have just entered the last half of their school year and they are so excited about their upcoming graduation.
• The new year also often brings on a new attitude for many who have struggled with weight issues, or relationship problems or just coming to terms with becoming “older”.  These ladies may choose to have an intimate boudoir session created to celebrate it all.

Whatever your place in life, you may find yourself searching for the perfect photographer.  Don’t choose one with your eyes closed. There are a few things that can helpo with your.  

There are so many options today in choosing a photographer and you may wonder how can you tell if its a good choice.  I think it is a good idea to find someone who you believe would be around for years to come so you can develop a working relationship with them insuring they would have the opportunity to get to know your children and your family.  Recommendations from friends is always a good place to start but it is only a start.  Look for someone who has a business license and who is a member of a professional organization like PPA (Professional Photographers of America), WPPI, SEPPA, VPPA or any professional photography association within your state.  Then you may want to look for some credentials associated with their name.  Credentials such as being a certified professional photographer, a photographic craftsman, or master photographer.  None of these credentials can be earned in a short period of time and it signifies they have put effort into continued education and are interested in furthering their career as a professional. Next find out what their specialty is.  Not every photographer is good with children or skilled at lighting and posing required to create an intimate boudoir collection or good at working with large groups of people like in family groups.   Then and only then should you look at their work to see if you like their style. The last thing to consider should be the price. 

While I know we all want the best value for our dollar, price is not always the best criteria to base a decision like this on.  If I looked at 2 photographers and found one to be very inexpensive and one to be very expensive I think I’d be asking myself – do I really just want a deal or is there more to this decision than just finding the cheapest one out there.

I don’t believe you’re buying a piece of paper.  You really are buying that artists vision first, the experience second and the actual physical product last. 

Snapshots anyone can get but a work of art requires more talent and vision.  Before I became a professional photographer I took lots of snapshots of my son but when I wanted something truly special I did the research and found the perfect fit for me and my family.  Something I have tried to be for many people over the years. 

I hope these guidelines will help you find the perfect professional photographer – someone you can turn to many times over the years for that special work of art to cherish for a lifetime.

Me and grandpa

I’ve had many occasion in my career to feel a “story” in my heart when talking to a client. It is just soemthing I can sense.  Many times they are reminansant of things I have experienced personally. There is a familiar ring to the story.

This is one of those stories. Four years ago, we had the privledge of photographing a little boy – he was a year old. His grandparents came to watch and ultimately loved what we captured of this little guy.  During our time with them, I sensed a very special relationship growing between this little guy and his grand pop. You can’t always explains the feelings you get about people but they can be very strong. I was reminded of the relationship between my son and my father.  A very special bond that today, even though my father has passsed away, there is a strong bond that reflects the story that I witnessed many years ago between them.

Fast forward to now- four years later. The grandparents  have returned and they want us to create whatever vision we had back then of these two because the relationship they have is so very close. Not typical of children today actually but very real in their lives.

The image that came to mind was one that I have of my father and my son. It is a photograph of the two of them on the dock out back of dads house. Dad is sitting on the deck putting a hook on a fishing line and my son, with hands on his knees, is bent over watching so intently what his Pawpaw was doing.   This is the same image I had in my mind for this client. I could see the same connection between this little boy and his grandpop.

I have a large portrait of the image of dad and my son displayed on my bedroom wall and I look at it every day. My dad passed away several years ago and I can tell you that this image means the world to me.

If I had to put a price on it – we’ll now that would be hard to do. What it cost me to purchase that portrait is little compared to the value it has to me today.  I think I know the true meaning of priceless and I know it everyday as I am taken back to a time when my dad was still here with us- sharing, teaching and loving his grandson. Yup, priceless!