I have been working on headshots from a recent performance all day and had planned a big post with some of my favorites… but there are only so many hours in a day and at some point I had to realize that it’s just going to have to be a quick share for today (especially because girl scout cookies are in and they demanded to be sorted tonight so we may start deliveries for my little Brownies tomorrow).  So headshot info next week!

This week I wanted to share four of my favorite individual performance photos from Heidi The Musical.  I visited this talented cast in December (Elden Street Theatre for Young Audiences out of Herndon) and had the pleasure of photographing their final dress rehearsal.

During each performance session I try to get both photos that show the story and interaction between characters as well as dramatic individual shots that actors can use in their own portfolios or memory books.

I love these four shots in both black and white and color… but today I’m sharing them in black and white because I felt the conversion just added so much to the photo of the grandfather in his sadness.

So there you go.  Four talented actors – four fantastic characters.

And a Theatre Thursday blog post completely just in the nick of time!

Thank you to all of you who are reading my posts and supporting me as I learn and grow and share right now.  I can’t tell you how much it means to have your support!  Truly!

Today – I’m sharing something that surprised me.

There’s nothing truly special about this photo …

… except for the fact that I took it in my front yard.

Today.

In February.

Apparently these flowers have seeded themselves from something we had planted in a flower pot on the porch last spring (April to be exact) and today they are blooming in a variety of spots throughout the mulch near the porch.

In February.

I. Love. Spring.

So I’m so happy to see it a bit early.

Hope you are all enjoying the wonderful weather this week as well!

What’s sprouting in your yard?

…and then I turned around and saw the owner’s dog, an adorably friendly dog, who had been following me around and keeping me company throughout the shoot.  He was standing there in a perfect pose with the beautiful mountain backdrop.  My instinct said to grab a quick shot thinking that perhaps the homeowners might like to have it as a memory.  It ended up as a favorite of the agent as well and made the final selection of photos for the listing.

Do you think he knew I was taking his picture?  Isn’t that just the greatest “pose.”  :)

I loved the teaching.  I loved seeing young performers grow into mature young adults.  I loved the little moments when they didn’t realize I was paying attention…

…when I realized that they were paying attention.

These are magical moments when we get a glimpse that all the talking and teaching and training and experience has paid off.  When we know that they “got it.”  That they understood some underlying purpose for what we were doing.  For me, when the “got it” moment is a life skill or leadership skill it is even that much better.

Last season during a “Day in the Life” session with one local winterguard I captured the image below which makes my heart sing.

To an observer it may appear to be just a simple snapshot.  It’s messy – the background is cluttered… it may be unapparent to someone outside of the activity what is going on here.  BUT… to me and to their coach and their parents, THIS picture is what it’s all about.

This was taken just moments after the award ceremony.  The team in blue had just received 2nd place and the team in green had won.  Both teams are from high schools within the same county school district.  In most cases at the conclusion of the award ceremonies teams simply scatter – captains run back over to their teammates to celebrate – teams head out to the bus.

But on this day the captains from the team in blue immediately turned to the team in green – without even a moment of hesitation and with no prompting from their coaches – to congratulate them… not an ounce of disappointment on their faces.

They “got” it.  Sportsmanship.  Grace.  Maturity.  They “got” it.

And because of that, this “snapshot” makes my heart sing… <3

It is perfectly set up for entertaining with open eating/kitchen and living room areas.

And the HUGE fenced back yard and large deck would be perfect for a family with young children or a doglover.

The homeowners have done a wonderful job of upgrading and really maximizing the space.  Take a look at a few more pictures here in the slideshow…

And if you are looking for a home like this one check out the full listing or contact Leslie Thurman for a showing.

I love the theatre.

And I’m not-so-secretly hoping to expand my work with theatre groups. 

This week’s photo was taken during a November 2011 performance of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by a Theaterpalooza workshop class at the Old Stone School in Hillsboro, VA.

My daughters were part of this production, playing Bashful and Doc.

I have to say both as a parent and as someone with many years of experience in both education and the performing arts I was very impressed with the experience my children had in this class.  The teacher, Ms. Jennifer, was absolutely amazing.  She had the students hanging on her every word.  She was both talented and kind.  The quality of the finished production was also quite impressive.  I couldn’t believe how smoothly everything came together and how well this talented group of little performers did.  My face ached from smiling so much!  And my kids have been begging me to sign them up for more plays ever since.

Special thanks to the moms of Snow White and the Evil Queen for letting me share their picture here!  And thanks to Theaterpalooza from this mom for the fantastic experience!

I’ve been thinking for some time that I’d like to share more than just highlights from sessions or photography-related posts.  I mean really, when you hire a photographer, a big part of the decision is whether or not you feel like you might connect with that person and feel comfortable working with them.  So maybe it would be nice for potential clients to learn a little more about me, as a person.

Of course, you might not need to know about me as a person to know whether I’m capable of photographing your next real estate listing…which is why I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not it’s appropriate to share more casual or non-photography related posts here.

In the end I think I just like to share (which is the first thing you’re learning here today… when you meet me – I’m a talker.  Meeting and talking to agents and homeowners is one of my favorite parts of this job).

…besides the blog might be boring if it’s just the latest photo of the day from my latest session. Beyond technical abilities – any working relationship is nicer when you know a little bit about the person you’re working with.

So from time to time you’ll get “me” here on the blog.

Messy. busy. fun. indecisive. creative. crafty. teacher. mom. photographer.

Lately, I’ve been incredibly inspired by the creativity I see all over that addictive new platform known as “Pinterest.”  Have you found it yet?  It’s awesome, and amazing, and addicting, and time-sucking… all at the same time.  But I do love it.  It makes it so easy to find inspiring designs and ideas you would probably not find otherwise.

Between Pinterest and my time spent in beautiful homes I am incredibly inspired to upgrade my own home, do creative activities with my children and organize my life.  I’m becoming somewhat of a “weekend warrior” (when I can carve out time) trying to think of some way to improve our own space each weekend – whether that’s through a home improvement project or some new routine or organizational strategy.

The first, and easiest project we’ve done is to organize the “hair pretties” that were spilling out of our bathroom vanity drawer.  As trivial as it may seem it was a real problem for us.  They were all over the place, being stepped on, the drawer wouldn’t close – and most of all when the girls wanted one they could never seem to find the 2 matching barrettes without a huge struggle and good deal of frustration.

Then one night on Pinterest I found my way to the “My Magic Mom: Finding magical moments in everyday life” blog and DIY instruction set “Hair Bow Holder Instructions.”  I knew I’d found the solution to our problem.

BUT…

Good intentions being what they are… trying to grow a photography business doesn’t leave a lot of extra time for crafting.

That’s when I remembered I had one of those french memo boards in the basement – brand new and completely  not being used.  So I got to work organizing our hair pretties by color.

Now this rainbow of hair pretties is hanging neatly above the toilet in the girls’ bathroom.  Against their dark blue wall it is pretty – the perfect accent and organization solution all at once.  And it cost me nothing because we used what we had around the house.

So that was my first organization project of the year.  Not earth-shattering… but every little detail helps make our lives a little more streamlined and a little less stressed.  That’s always a good thing!

Hmm… maybe I should call this “Weekend-Warrior Wednesdays.”  It has a ring to it don’t you think?  I’m not sure I can maintain the momentum of a project every week… but it’s an idea!

What do you think?

Nestled on 30 acres in Marshall, VA this home is spectacularly designed and decorated.  Today I’m sharing photos of the Hearth Room and Kitchen.

Today’s photo is one that I took a couple years ago actually.  In many cases when we photograph fast-moving sports we are trying to freeze the action.  We’re looking for the fastest shutter speed we can get under the lighting conditions available.  But sometimes it’s really beautiful to embrace the blur and let the image really give a sense of the action.  Here the main subject is stationary but I find the blur in her silk just beautiful – how it implies motion – how the colors melt together.

And goodness wasn’t I lucky to have such a beautiful subject with such a beautiful smile in this young performer!

This one would look gorgeous as a canvas print…

If you are a colorguard coach and would like photos of your season please contact me.  I offer headshot sessions, action shots sessions and even “day in the life” sessions where I apply a photojournalistic approach, following your team throughout a competition day for a true glimpse into the heart and soul of the team.  Email me here for information on availability and rates.

The first features three of the “Tragedians” (which in this production have been imagined by the director and cast as “80s punk”).

and the second features Hamlet as he continues toward madness…

If you missed any of the pictures posted earlier in the week check them out here and here and here.

If you are a theatre director and would like to discuss scheduling a session for either headshots or photos during a dress rehearsal please contact me.  I would love to expand my work with theatre groups!