Mom – “They are incredible!! My husband and I could not stop smiling as we looked at them. You really captured our family (especially the kids) in our true form!!”

We got right down to business and took off our shoes. Add in a beach ball and ready, set, run!! There was a brief interlude in the running to test out some tree climbing skills and then we got right back to running. Once all the running (and plain ole exhaustion set in!) I was able to take a few classic portraits of all the kids. Check them out – they are beautiful!! (The kids!! I meant the kids!!)

The more I talked/emailed with Jenny and Jeff, the more I loved this wedding. It was going to be small – 40 to 50 people – and at the lake cottage Jeff spent all his summers growing up. I have a soft spot in my heart for the upper part of Rogers Lake. It’s where I first learned to row many moons ago and is still my favorite part of the whole lake. I couldn’t wait until July!

The wedding day arrived and so did the rains. I mean the skies opened and it looked like it was never going to end. I swear Noah’s Ark drifted by!! Jenny was so calm about everything – totally went with the flow. The actual ceremony was to be held on a grassy point on the lake and literally 10 minutes before we weren’t sure if we’d have to move everything under the catering tent or not. Slowly the rain eased up and turned into a light mist. Jenny decided to go for it – we were outside.

It was hot. It was humid. My lenses were fogging up… It was also a very, very, sweet intimate wedding – all the important people in their lives were there. From the get go that was what was most important to Jenny and Jeff – those most important to them would be there. I’m so glad Jenny and Jeff got the wedding they wanted rain and all!

Headshots…. They can be the bread and butter of a photographer’s existence and simultaneously the suck of their creative soul. Imagine how thrilled I was when I got an email asking if I could do some headshots but with an edge, not “the catholic school girl look”. It got even more interesting as my contact person was interested in getting headshots done for two very different business – a law office and an advertising agency. Couldn’t be on more opposite ends of the spectrum! A challenge I was ready to take on!

First up – meet the team at Weisse Miller Law.

Now the Punch crew!

Taylor – Hey Jennie! Thank you so much for doing the photoshoot! My mom and I just looked at them and I love them so so so so so so so so so much! Thank you thank you!

Taylor’s Mom - All I can say is “WOW” – you are an amazing photographer!  You captured my “baby girls” personality and spirit so perfectly!  The video and pictures are breathtaking – it is going to be a challenge to pick which ones we want to purchase  Thank you for creating this beautiful memory for Taylor, I know that she will cherish the memory of the photo shoot for the rest of her life!

I met Taylor at the Cracker Barrel on Kent Island days before the school year was to end. She has this bright, bubbly personality and a ton of energy! As with every senior I asked “What is it that make you, you?” She stopped to think about it for a moment, threw a few things out there and then she mentioned theater and the Church Hill Community Theater. Her whole face lit up and if it’s possible she got even more energized! That was it! That was where we had to do her session! I already had ideas for images running through my head.. Can’t thank Church Hill Community Theater enough for allowing access!

Meet Taylor!

Meet Lil Mr. N!

We started the afternoon off ‘sharing’ goldfish and quickly moved to jumping on the bed, reading books and singing songs. Wheels on the Bus was a huge hit!! It was such a fun afternoon filled with laughs and giggles.  I love when I get to photograph the connection and love between parents and their kids. It’s a special kind of love!

(cool) progeny even wrote up a review of the day on her blog!

Let take a step back, shall we. You would be correct if you thought “Wait. Didn’t she just move last year at this time?” Why yes I did and what a move that was. On a complete leap of faith, not knowing anyone, I moved to Upper Baltimore County, Maryland. I found this sweet, sweet little cottage and set up camp. I loved my little cottage but as time passed I found myself spending more and more time on the Eastern Shore. Queen Anne’s County to be exact. The majority of the people who wove themselves into my life over the last year live down here. So a week or so before Christmas I made the decision that I was going to move yet again when my lease came up at the end of May.

Life, being what it is, never goes exactly to plan… The original place I had lined up to move into fell apart a few weeks before my actual move day. A mad, mad scramble in sued, many emails were sent to friends, and I asked anyone who would listen if they knew of a place. Which is actually how, in a round about way, I found my farm house.

I was talking with a group of women and brought up my dilemma. One of them brought out a local paper and inside was an ad for a house in Old Centreville. When I called the number the woman said yes the house was available and she also may have another house available – a farm house. My ears perked up immediately when she said that. Growing up I always told my parents that I was going to live on a farm. No idea why, but it’s what I always said and I’d say it with conviction. We set a time to meet the next day.

I saw the other house first and it was lovely. I could tell immediately that the landlord loved her properties and took very good care of them. Then we went clear across town and don’t you know I fell in love. It was like this little house had been waiting for me. I have a huge yard with two perfect trees for hanging a hammock, a porch the length of the house and I’m surrounded by wheat and corn fields on all sides. All these years later and I found my farm house! Last night there was a soft breeze and fireflies were playing in the cornfields and I fell in love all over again!

“Wow. Working on a project and going through all my old work I did in photography school. I wasn’t just bad – I was HORRIBLE!!! Thank goodness I didn’t know it then!” Facebook Status May 8 2011

Yep, that was an actual status update a few days ago. I knew once I put that out I’d have to share the badness with you…

How did this revelation come about you ask? I went searching for some inspiration for a new project on which I’ve been working. This project will involve working with others and some teaching. So naturally, I thought “Ah ha! The photo assignments I did at school are the perfect place to start!!”

What I found – “WOW” and not in a good way!! I was horrible, horrible. All I could think was “Thank goodness I didn’t know it then!”

I give you exhibit #1:

This assignment was to take portraits in a natural setting with different types of lighting. Um, yeah didn’t knock this outta the park and what’s up with the toilet obsession in the last 3 frames??

Next we have exhibit #2 (may Nolyn forgive me!!)

Here we had moved on to a studio setting. How about my stellar skills in taking control of a session and award winning posing techniques? Wait! Did you miss the middle pose? Here let me give you a close up…

In hopes that Nolyn doesn’t hate me for life – there is actually one decent portrait in those 12 shots! This is actually how I remember her from school best – relaxed, fun and natural.

There are times I am so thankful I didn’t know what I didn’t know! In retrospect, this is one of them. It hit me, as I was going through all my school negatives, if I had know then how bad I was I don’t know that I would have kept trying and moving forward. Instead, with complete blinders on, I pushed on, persevered  and grew. Boy did I grow!