Things are really starting to get ridiculous around here. Food costs and gas prices in particular are getting to be a bit much. I do realize with all the craziness going on in this world right now, this is the least of anyones worries - so I’m trying to keep that in perspective.

We celebrated St. Patricks Day with the family - by the time it was over, Amelia was EXHAUSTED.

Liam is getting really into photography. It’s so amazing that one of these kids has FINALLY shown an interest. He is doing amazingly well and has a great eye. We drove down to the Mill House park in Yaphank to take some photos of the other kids.

Sometimes, Amelia gets so sad seeing all her friends going to school. Only 2.5 years to go until it’s her turn.

This week, we discovered the magic that is Chick Fil A. It was SO AMAZING that we actually went back two more times. Thank GOD it’s out of the way, otherwise we’d have a serious problem. It’s THAT good.

I don’t know where I missed the memo, but we got MORE SNOW mid week this week. While it’s gorgeous for photos, this cold weather is just a killer.

My nephew Liam has been accompanying me all over Middle Island and beyond taking photos lately. He has actually developed his own little love for photography and has been shooting non stop. We actually sent out a model call and he has two sessions lined up for next week. I can’t wait to see what he does!

John doesn’t usually accompany us on our weekly shopping trips, but he did today and Amelia loved it. Daddy buys all the snacks and treats so she had a field day at the bakery and snagging literal poison in a jar - maraschino cherries.

It’s so awesome to finally have a week where we haven’t been cooped up in the house. Next week, Daylight Savings Time finally ends and I AM ALL FOR IT. I can finally take Golden hour photos again!!!!!

The excitement is seriously real.

I saw yesterday that my daffodils are starting to pop up and that was super exciting (that really makes me sound freaking old).

Anyway, the weather is getting nicer and with covid numbers down, we ventured outside quite a bit this week.

Suffolk County has plenty of parks to visit and I really want to visit as many as possible since we’ve been cooped up for so long.

Here is a look at our week.

Today, we were blessed with some sun so Amelia hopped in the car and took a trip to our happy place - Target.

Our Target got a dedicated Disney section that Amelia is obsessed with. She has been begging for this FIFTY DOLLAR Rapunzel dress for ever. She just got the princess Jasmine costume so it was a hard no from me.

She ended up picking out a much cheaper Disney dress and these super cute Ariel glasses.

I’m trying to get Amelia out of the house a bit more. Since Covid, I really haven’t let her out much. Since we all recently got sick with the newest variant, I feel way better about going out and about and just living our lives. I think today was the first day I’ve been in a store without my mask on…. although I literally look like I rolled out of bed. Oops.

And that, my friends sums up 30 minutes in the life of the Amelia this month. Thank you for joining me! Please be sure to follow along the blog circle, and see what my amazingly talented friend Sharleen Stuart is up to this month by clicking here!

Want some amazing inspiration? Keep following the circle to see what other photographers from the US and around the world  have shared this month - and don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages!

Here’s a look at our week:

We had one 60 degree day this week and it was GLORIOUS. I went out for my first run of the month and took Amelia to the Mill House Park in Yaphank after work. The park is right on Carmen’s River and absolutely beautiful. It’s got a large playground for Amelia and a little beach area. We stayed until about sunset enjoying the weather and playing.

After our first ever trip to Disney when Olivia was 3, we got her the same bubble wand. It plays an instrumental version of Under the Sea. Olivia would play that song over and over and over again until it finally broke a few months later.

When we went back to Disney last week, Amelia found one at Animal Kingdom. Once she played the song, it shot me right back to a little 3 year old Olivia. It’s amazing how music triggers memories.

We dusted off Olivia’s old bicycle and Amelia was super excited…. until she realized both tires were flat. Luckily Johnny and Ava came to her rescue with the bike pump.

Amelia finally figured out how to get the cats to actually pay some attention to her - through TREATS!

The week started out like every other has lately - Long Island continues to be a little dreary, cold and snowy. Covid and cabin fever has definitely taken its toll on all of us, so we were all very much in need of some time away.

On Tuesday night, we packed our things and loaded up the truck to take a much needed vacation to sunny and warm Florida.

After an 18 hour long drive, we made it to Tampa to visit my mother for a few days. The kids loved every minute they spent with their “Florida Grandma”. 80 degree weather in February is definitely where its at.

I don’t know about anyone else, but every single time I go to Florida I instantly want to pack everything and move.

I think I was on zillow every day of our drip scoping out Florida real estate. I could sell my house on Long Island and buy a new construction mansion house right next to DISNEY. It’s like a dream.

Too bad my husbands job is pretty much non transferrable. Oh well.

The girls had a ton of fun swimming and playing in the many heated pools in my moms community. Luckily for us, Floridians think it’s way too cold to swim in the winter months so the girls had the pool all to themselves every time they went.

Interesting fact about Tampa: It’s famous for its cigars . According to John, its the cigar capital of the world. My mom lives about 20 minutes from Ybor City which is know for its hand-rolled cigars and cigar stores, so you know the boss was in his GLORY.

The city is also home to one of my favorite restaurants - Columbia Restaurant which is the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States and for good reason. I literally dream about their 1905 Salad and Cuban Sandwiches. Just writing about it is making me hungry. This is a MUST do for me any and every time I visit my mom. It’s that good.

After our visit with Grandma, we headed off to Walt Disney World for a week long stay. It’s always bittersweet leaving my mom but we’ll see her in a few months again when she flies up to New York to visit.

This year, we opted to stay in a one bedroom at out home resort of Copper Creek in the Wilderness Lodge. While Olivia and I are Boardwalk gals, my husband loves the theming of the great outdoors.

Because of mid winter recess, the parks where overwhelming at times. We’ve been to Disney MANY times over the years, including some crazy Christmas trips and I don’t think I have ever seen it this crowded ever in my life.

While we had a wonderful time overall, the crowds were beyond anything I have ever seen before. So much for February being a slow month!

I’m going to terribly miss the sunny and warm weather. I need winter to fast forward to spring asap. Until next week!

The rest of the week as pretty much the same old. Here’s a look at what we did:

We did get some exciting mail this week. Magic bands arrived for our upcoming Disney trip. I’m not sure if you can tell in this photo, but one little girl was pretty excited.

For a bit more motivation this month, I’ve been following prompts from the We Are Memory Catchers Facebook page. They are motherhood themed and the prompts are different than the usual. I like that they make me think outside the box. I’m not sure if I can follow the themes through our vacation, but I’ll make the attempt.

1. Mess

2. Dishes

3. Nap

4. Feet

5. Littlest <3

Next week, we’re off on an adventure, so see you when we get back!

Fast forward to today, my Sony A74 has a max aperture of 204800 - but in most cases, I still don’t rely on ISO. I’d much rather find my own way to light the night.

I live in the middle of a pine forest, so my house doesn’t get as much natural light as I’d like. I also work full time, so in the winter months artificial light is all I have. In most cases, I need my trusty Godox V1 flash to help me out.

I usually just keep the bare flash mounted on camera and depending on the light I want, bounce it off the ceiling or angled at a wall.

Why bounce?

If you’re using an external bare flash mounted on camera and point it directly at your subject it’s going to look bad. The light will be harsh and unflattering. Think of how someone looks if you point a flashlight in their face….. Not good.

Bouncing your flash allows for a much softer and flattering light. When shot straight up on a white ceiling, the light created is much softer creating a much more pleasing, albeit slightly flat look.

Tilting or angling the flash slightly to bounce off a wall, will also produce a similar soft light effect, but also provides some added dimension. For portraits particularly, angled light is the best light (in my humble opinion anyway).

Lets see this in action:

This image was taken with the ambient lighting in the room (tungsten overhead light - my least favorite of all lights) - just so you can see what I’m working with.

Settings are F2 SS 1/100 ISO 4000. The quality of the ambient light in this room is pretty bad - so flash is always necessary.

Direct flash:

Settings are F2 SS 1/100 ISO 50. Flash was set on TTL at 1/16 power.

While this image is certainly better than the image with only ambient light, it has that Deer in the headlights / snapshot look. When you examine the image, you’ll see dark shadows under the eyes , harsh shadows and highlights.

Bounce flash off the ceiling:

Settings are F2 SS 1/100 ISO 50. Flash was set on TTL at 1/16 power.

In this image, you’ll immediately see that the shadows and highlights are softened. While the image is pleasing to the eye, it does look a little flat.

Directional flash off the wall to camera left:

Settings are F2 SS 1/100 ISO 50. Flash was set on TTL at 1/16 power.

In this image, you’ll notice that the image instantly has a more three dimensional look due to the light placement (especially in the hair).

I chose to bounce camera left since her face is also facing left. A good rule when choosing which direction to tilt your bounce is to follow the face (when possible). If you subject is facing camera left, angle the flash left and vice versa.

Lets talk settings:

When it comes to flash, there are two options - automatic (TTL) and manual.

Which option works for you is really more of a personal preference. I initially started out setting my flash manually and adjusting my settings to get the look I wanted.

Eventually, I made the switch to auto (TTL) because I prefer to set my camera to the settings I want and allow my camera to figure it out the flash power.

Flash is one of those things that requires trial, error and chimping. If your shot is too dark, you can increase flash power, ISO or lower the aperture or shutter speed. If the flash is too strong - you can do the opposite - lower the flash power or ISO, or raise the aperture or shutter.

When to bounce?

Bouncing light is easy when you are shooting indoors where a ceiling or wall are close at hand.

Bouncing flash outdoors is also possible, but a bit more complicated since you need a usable surface to do the bouncing. Cars, sides of buildings and the like can work, but can also create color casts depending on their color.

If there is nothing to bounce off, that’s when modifiers come in. With so many modifiers available, I’ll have to leave that to the professionals to discuss.

In closing - learning to bounce my flash has really changed the game when it comes to shooting at night. Something that I once dreaded is now one of my favorite ways to shoot. With trial, error and practice it has become almost second nature - and really makes SO MUCH of a difference in the quality of my images.

Anytime I meet another person that’s into photography, the inevitable question of gear always comes up.

It’s been ages since I talked about my current set up - back when I first started this blog six years ago, I was a Canon user… but made the switch to Sony about three years ago and have slowly made the switch to an all e-mount line up (with one BIG exception).

So, what’s in my camera bag now?

As noted, I made the switch to mirrorless right around when Amelia was born. My Canon 5DM4 was a beast, and I just didn’t love it. It didn’t feel like much of an upgrade from my beloved 5DM3 and the weight of the camera plus lenses were killing my back and shoulder. There would be times when my shoulder felt BROKEN after a few hours of carrying it after a session. Around the same time, several friends made the switch to Sony and talked about how incredibly light a Mirrorless set up was, so I took a leap of faith and bought the A73 and a Sigma MC-11 adapter.

It was literally love at first sight. The camera itself was significantly lighter and more compact than my Canon. An unexpected benefit was the autofocus. It seriously blew me away. It was leaps and bounds ahead of anything I was used to, and the image quality and sharpness were beyond my wildest dreams. When I say that my images where TACK SHARP, I am not kidding. The kicker was that every single one of my Canon lenses preformed better on the Sony with a Sigma adapter. MIND BLOWN.

Knowing that weight was a major reason for switching systems in the first place, it was counterproductive to use the Sony A73 with an adapter and the same heavy Canon lenses - so I sold them on eBay and started the slow and expensive process of replacing my glass.

After using my A73 for the last 3 years, my awesome husband gifted me the brand new A74 this Christmas and its pretty much the perfect camera as far as I’m concerned. That camera really deserves a blog post all its own, but that’s for another day.

My lens choices

The Sony 24mm 1.4 GM is an indoor staple for me. It’s wide, it’s tack sharp and weighs next to nothing. It’s perfect for documentary photography and just gets right in there, regardless of space.

Sony Zeiss 35mm 1.4 is the perfect compromise for documentary and portraits. It’s wide, but not too wide that distortion becomes an issue. The Sony has a beautiful depth of field wide open and I find that I love taking detail shots that just get right in there. I had a 35mm for my Canon back in the day and I never understood the hype of the 35mm - I finally get it now.

Lensbaby Edge 35 is my newest and only manual lens. It’s a part of their optic swap system and I am in love. Back in the day, I had the Lensbaby Edge 50 and 80 for my Canon, but it was very hard for me to find the sweet spot of focus. The Sony has a feature called focus peaking which allows me to really SEE what’s in focus and its been a game changer for me. This lens is such a mood.

Sony 50mm 1.2mm is a lens I really debated on. I don’t really NEED it, but I wanted it.

I had a 50mm 1.2 for Canon and wanted to love it, but it was so top heavy and so slow to find focus. It was almost impossible to use on moving subjects because it would hunt and peck FOREVER before finally locking focus. Talk about frustrating! This 50mm 1.2 is everything the Canon should have been and more. The color, the contrast and the BOKEH are everything.

Sigma 85mm 1.4 DGDN. I originally bought the Sony 85mm 1.4 GM and HATED IT. It’s possible that I got a soft copy, but from what research I’ve done, it’s very hit and miss. For me, it was a complete miss. The Sigma however is a beautiful lens that’s much smaller than the original Art 1.4 and a great all around lens. I almost use it exclusively for family sessions.

Sony is allegedly coming out with an 85 1.2 in 2022. If its half as good as my old Canon 85 1.2 was, it will be probably end up in my bag too :)

Canon 200mm 2.0. The one Canon lens I kept and use with an adaptor. Sony hasn’t come out with a 200 F2 yet and chances are I couldn’t afford it if they did. My trusty F2 is a masterpiece but heavy as hell and isn’t used much - but when it’s used….. it’s always worth it.

My bags

I’m pretty exclusive to Peak Design. I’ve had their 30L backpack for years and its still looks brand new. It pretty much holds everything I could ever need and then some while still keeping my gear protected and organized.

I use the 5L sling as an everyday bag. It’s the perfect size my camera, keys and phone.

The 15L tote was gifted to me recently and its the perfect in-between for my backpack and sling. It has pockets for everything is keeps me very organized.

That’s a wrap for what’s in my bag currently. It’ll be interesting to see what changes in the years to come!

Amelia loves playing with her Dolls - at least one (and more likely 3-4) have to go with her everywhere she goes. This doll in particular is her current favorite - so of course, Dolly had to come outside too.

Amelia promised Dolly they would go on an “adventure” so off they went!

We are so lucky to live right in the middle of Prosser Pines - so Amelia took her Dolly into the forest to explore and play.

It’s so adorable to see her imagination at work. She and her Dolly ran, jumped, and looked for dinosaurs and princess castles (sadly, not a dino or castle in sight). As the sun was saying its goodbyes, it was time to go inside. All and all, a pretty adventurous day for Amelia and her Dolly - and some sweet moments documented.

And that, my friends sums up 30 minutes in the life of the Amelia this month. Thank you for joining me! Please be sure to follow along the blog circle, and see what my amazingly talented friend Christina Zemke Photography is up to this month by clicking here!

Want some amazing inspiration? Keep following the circle to see what other photographers from the US and around the world  have shared this month - and don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages!

I may have mentioned previously that I got a Lensbaby Edge 35 right before Christmas and I am literally so obsessed with how magical this lens is. The ability to use focus peaking with my Sony A74 makes this lens an absolute game changer for me.

The jury is still out on whether Amelia likes snow. She likes it for a few minutes, but once she gets any on her face or hands, she has an EPIC meltdown. To be fair, I have my own epic meltdowns when I’m cold too :)

I think Amelia is starting to get cabin fever from being inside so often. She very literally bounces off the walls!!! Here’s a look at our week:

We did a lot of baking and crafts this week…. which usually also means a lot of messes.

Heres a look at our low key week.

On Monday, I wanted to document our typical weekday morning routine. I’m super lucky to be able to work from home during all this craziness and at some point, it has to end - so I want to document what I can. Covid has done a LOT of negative things, but this extra time with my kiddos is the one silver lining to it all.

At 6:45 am, the house starts to awaken and the early morning light hits my kitchen . The cats usually hang around as I prepare my coffee and wait to hear the pounding footsteps of a pre-teen and a toddler hell bent on destruction upstairs.

By 7:30, the kids are up, out and going to their respective places - Amelia goes across the street and Olivia goes to wait for the bus - and I to start my workday.

Something clicked in Amelia’s brain this week and she’s been doing GREAT on the potty. Turns out, ice cream and M&M bribes work like a charm. She constantly wants candy so she is always on the potty with her hands out for a reward.

Meal had to have a pretty low key birthday this year - I’m afraid to say that she hasn’t ever had a “real” birthday party, but to be fair - she totally enjoys the ones she’s had. Her favorite gift this year was new “prices dress” from her Aunt Dot and a baby JoJo from Cocomelon.

While I don’t typically share “client” work, I have to share these because every session was amazing - and all with amazing people.

Check out the gorgeousness:

Thank you so much to those of you that trust me to take your family portraits year after year. I absolutely love capturing your special moments <3

Here is a look at our laid back week!

Happy New Year!!

After a two year hiatus, I’m going all in on another 365 daily project for 2022. Each year, I typically have some kind of plan in place for the things I want to challenge myself on, things I want to learn, or things I want to improve upon.

Here’s my preliminary list:

For things I want to challenge myself with:

• At least one hour by hour project. Shooting one image every waking our. It can be of anything, but I’d ideally like one storytelling imagine every waking hour.

• It goes hand in hand with the above, but taking multiple photos of a scene to tell a full story. Documentary photographers have this magical ability to create photo essays that take the viewer on a journey through the story. This is something I’d love to delve deeper into.

• Limiting my gear. A few years back, I did an F8 / 24mm challenge and created some of my favorite images. It’s a great way to be really cognizant of what you put in your frame and is also a great way to think outside the box.

• Lensbaby! I finally reinvested in an Edge 35 and would love to challenge myself to a few weeks of manual focus.

For things I want to learn:

• I’m currently obsessed with multiple exposures. I’m kind of annoyed that my Sony doesn't give me the option to do this in camera, but this is something I would LOVE to improve upon. I have a ton of ideas and just need to put them into practice.

• Diptychs. I’m clueless on how people put these amazing images together and would love to know more on the science behind it and how to work that into my style of shooting.

For things I want to improve upon:

• Actually learn the technicals of OCF and on board flash. I use it all the time, but I don’t really know all the specifics and I want to learn. When to zoom, when to gel, ETTL etc. For years I’ve just put it in manual and shot, but there is so much I don’t know. I want to make sure I’m using it to its fullest potential.

• Shooting more documentary images. While I love all types of imagery, documentary photos that are truly unscripted are my favorite. I always tend to lean on lifestyle and boheh is like a crutch I can’t quit. I’d love to really work more on capturing images with authenticity.

I figure it’s as good a time as any to memorialize my goals and plans for this upcoming year. I Already know the first few weeks are going to be easy - it’s new and exciting. However, as the shine begins to wear, this daily project can get monotonous and heavy- especially during the long dark days of winter.

With some kind of plan and goal in place, it’ll be a little easier to remember my why’s of doing this in the first place - and remember what I want to get out of it. It will also be great to revisit this blog post at the end of the year to check out my challenges and my successes.

I’m sure this list will likely grow and evolve over the year, but it’s a start. Here’s to trying new things, learning and growing in 2022!

What a disaster!

In all this craziness of covid, work from home and driving my kids all over the world - photography has taken a massive back seat.

More than massive. It was forgotten. COMPLETELY!

Now that the proverbial dust has (somewhat) settled, I got the itch to shoot again, document again, and blog again. Just for me.

So what’s been going on in the last year and a half? So much and nothing at all.

Miss Olivia is now 10, a 5th grader in middle school and the size of an adult woman. The last six months have been intense. She had a massive growth spurt and literally nothing fits - she grows out of clothes AND SHOES in months. She still loves to dance, loves her Roblox and is still as serious as ever…. with a wicked sarcastic side (that she obvs gets from her mama).

Amelia. What a whirlwind she is. I don’t think a tornado could do as much damage as she can. Just writing this now, she pulled all the sheets off her bed, launched all her toys off her shelf and somehow found a pencil (that we keep hidden to protect the walls) and broke it in half before giving it to me.

She’ll be three in a month and told the terrible twos to “hold my beer”. Other than her destructive tendencies, she is super loving and smart. She is a mimic and repeats everything (which is horrible) and loves watching Blippi, Peppa and telling Alexa to play her favorite songs.

In the midst of all the covid craziness, we got some new neighbors that just happened to be the same ages as my girls…. and also coincidently happen to be their cousins! Having them literally live across the street is just about the best thing ever.

Now that we are living this new modified normal, we’re getting back into the usual routines and I’m hopeful that I can get back on track with daily documenting, occasional blog posts (because we know that occasional is the best it’s going to be) and preserving the memories and moments of my little crew.

Liv turned NINE this month and returned to school the day after her birthday. Our district is hybrid - basically meaning half of the week is in-person learning and the other half is online instruction. The kids alternate to keep the class size small. I think she has a total of 12 kids in her fourth grade class. It’s an adjustment to be sure, but so far so good. She’s enjoying her new teacher and classmates. It’s amazing how resilient she is about it.

With this schedule change, I’m so thankful to be able to continue working from home so I can get her on the bus and be home when she is.

Forth grade also has it’s challenges - Band and Orchestra classes started this year. Olivia opted for the Clarinet. When she plays, she plays it quite loud. If I could describe the sounds emitting from this clarinet, it kind of sounds similar to Canadian geese fighting in the house.

When I was her age, I remember my dad would groan anytime I would practice my violin. I always thought he was kidding, but now I’m second guessing that…

Meals is now 20 months old and every bit a two year old in size and attitude. She has her moments when NOTHING makes her happy, and she dramatically flails around or falls to the ground and screams. Luckily these outbursts are quick and she is mostly sweet, loving and snuggly - but when she’s in a mood, I literally want to rip my hair out. OH THE JOYS OF MOTHERHOOD.

Anywho, September came and went. Here’s a look at our month in photos:

This photo of Olivia on the bus literally makes my heart melt. THOSE EYESSSSSSSSSS!!!!

The perfect example of what I mean with this baby. One second she’s fine - the next is MELTDOWN.