Baby “E” is one!!! | Franklin, Pennsylvania child photographer
Posted on May 10, 2012
I can’t believe it but THIS LITTLE MUNCHKIN has actually turned one!!!!! Yes, sweet baby E celebrated her first birthday last Friday. And we could not have asked for a better day!
We held the session at baby E’s home. She actually lives on a sheep farm! How perfect is that? We were also so incredibly lucky to actually have a one week old lamb willing to join us for a few pictures! To top it all off, it was a beautiful and warm spring morning and sweet E was [mostly] full of smiles. We even ended the session with a good old fashioned cake smash which was a rip-roaring success!!
And now, onto the photos!! There were too many I absolutely LOVED!
These next two shot of E and her mom I just adore!!!!! Love me some honest-to-goodness Mama-love!!!!
And if this the most perfect depiction of a little girl celebrating a Happy Birthday…I don’t want what is!
And lastly an outtake that I just love….what happens when Mommy walks away for 1.2 seconds….
Thank you so much Leo and Joe!!! I love you all and can’t wait until next time!!!!
XOXO!!!!
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The Simple Things – The Wonders of a Walk
Posted on April 30, 2012
A lot of times when you are a photographer you get caught up on striving for perfection. You always want the perfect light, the perfect expression, the perfect picture. Because of this need for perfection, we as photographers, sometimes forget to take shots of the every day. To help us remember these important shots of real life, a group of photographers that I am involved with have decided to start a little blog series called “The Simple Things.” Each month we will shoot one of those simple moments in our lives that we have been neglecting with our cameras. At the end of the month we will make a blog post and share our stories. At the bottom of the post we will share a link to another photographer in the group so you can read her story.
This last month has been just crazy. And not crazy in a good way. Crazy in a very scary way. Crazy in a way that grounds you and gives you a serious wake up call as to what is really important in this life.
My family has been struggling with the fear and stress of a sick family member, my dad . For the last four weeks, we have been distraught, terrified, hopeful, annoyed, angry, elated, exhausted and every other emotion in between. It has definitely been one of the hardest things my family has ever gone through. And it isn’t over. Although, for now, we are very hopeful.
We had yet another scare last Friday which resulted in an emergency trip back to the hospital. And I spent another night away with my mom and away from my own family. When I returned Saturday afternoon, I was tired but really in need of some serious family time. I felt like lying on the couch for the day, but I know my husband had wanted to take the girls for walk in the woods to see a huge beaver dam. So I suggested, in spite of my lack of motivation, that maybe that walk would do us good.
We headed out. It was cool and cloudy. And I do have one huge disclaimer……we were dressed for comfort and NOT at all for a photo shoot. In fact, I don’t think my girls could have chosen a more bizarre set of clothing if they had actually tried. LOL!
But did that matter. No.
After a bit of hike through the woods, we found a clearing filled with flowers. It was just gorgeous!
OK. Maybe it is technically a field of “weeds”. But I thought it was quite beautiful and will be a wonderful setting for a mini shoot! (Must keep in mind!!0
And we eventually made our way to the home of the dam. Yup, a huge swamp in the middle of a field. You may not find it very beautiful. But actually, it is quite interesting…
My husband played his role as teacher showing the girls all the signs in the woods of the deer and the beavers and they hung on every word. These two are definitely two “Daddy’s girls”.
And when they say busy as a beaver, holy cow are they right! Those critters must never stop! My girls were amazed at the beaver’s home and swore there was a little chimney on top. They had hoped for a glimpse at the owner, but no luck.
I was just amazed at the amount of damage those suckers do!
And damn, what a serious dam they build!!!
After trekking through the mud, we headed through some apple trees where I found a few blossoms (and the husband found a great place for his tree stand).
And we eventually made our way home.
And even though I originally had really no desire to do anything that day but sit on the couch, our little walk in the woods ended up being the exact thing I needed most. We returned rejuvenated, re-energized and just plain ole happy to be together.
And we don’t need much more than that. Do we?
Next visit Laura!!
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“Make each day your masterpiece” – John Wooden
Posted on April 22, 2012
Things have been a bit, um….crazy in these parts recently. Luckily, hopefully (?!!!), things will soon be settled down and will soon be back to “normal”. But as hard as these “hard times” have been, they really do make you appreciate life so much more.
I know. I know. I know. That is SUCH a cliche. But it is a cliche because it is so true!
When my second daughter, who is severely handicapped, was born, we faced a few years of off and on hospital stays and many many scares. But each time we weathered through a scare, or were finally released home from the hospital, we would feel such incredible ELATION. We were on a huge high. We were so much happier after the scare than we were before the scare, when we had nothing to worry about.
We were thrilled to just enjoy an evening home with everyone. We were over the top excited to finally sit down again, as a family, for a nice dinner. We appreciated every single otherwise mundane aspect of our life.
And we felt a bit (a LOT) of irritation when we would hear someone complain about things like the weather, or being bored, or just other “woe is me” stuff.
My lengthy to-do lists of the last month are starting to get dusty as I have barely even looked at them. All I have been able to do is make sure laundry is done, food is in the pantry and bills are paid on time.
These last few weeks, I have barely even touched my camera. But there were just a couple evenings that I forced myself to grab it. My photos from those days may not be well planned, stylized, or necessarily portfolio-worthy. But they are glimpses into some of the “mundane’ beauty found in our every day. The beauty in the things we already have right inside our homes and right outside our door. The beauty we too often ignore when things are going great, because we are too busy complaining and focusing on what we think we should have or should be doing.
And we all know, that focusing on what you don’t have is pretty much the key to unhappiness.
So here’s to some crazy kids and some signs of spring! And a few quotes to inspire us all.
“Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine.”
Mario Fernandez
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Albert Einstein
“Dance as though no one is watching you,
Love as though you have never been hurt before,
Sing as though no one can hear you,
Live as though heaven is on earth.”
Souza
“Realize that true happiness lies within you.”
Lucian
“Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God.”
Mary Manin Morrissey
Until next time!!! XOXO!
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It’s newborn time!!!
Posted on April 2, 2012
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of taking newborn portraits of dear baby R! Oh my!!! He was just TOOO sweet! He is a very lucky little boy, with a wonderful family and one older brother who will surely be his best buddy for life!
I absolutely LOVE doing newborn sessions. I just can’t get enough of those teeny tiny fingers, toes and everything else! And dear sweet baby R didn’t disappoint! He was awake just a little while and then was soon smiling as he drifted into a sweet slumber.
Thank you and congratulations to you all!
Now onto the pictures!!!!
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Cinders and Ashes…and the wonder of a sweet little boy!
Posted on March 26, 2012
I recently was reading an article with suggestions on how to create a great portrait. The focus of the article had nothing to do with creating a technically good photograph. It was focused instead on creating “portraits”.
Yes, there is a difference.
It definitely is important to know how to create a photograph that is technically pleasing. It should be in focus, properly exposed, has correct color balance, flattering lighting, good composition and a pleasing, non-cluttered background etc etc.
But a portrait goes beyond that. A portrait is much more than just a good photograph. A portrait draws the viewer in, captures a moment and provides a glimpse into the subject’s personality. You look at a portrait, and you see a story.
I had the pleasure of taking 2 year pictures for my sister in law. Dear sweet Baby D has never been one to enjoy time in front my camera (LOL!). I guess that crazy big, black box just mystified him and turned me into someone he wasn’t quite sure he should trust.
This time, I thought, let’s try something a little different. Let’s take our time, let’s let D be D. No poses, no forced backdrops, no “CHEESE”y smiles. Instead, let’s play, let’s explore and let’s just have fun.
And it worked!
The first 1/2 hour or so, D got quite reserved and unsure as soon as I picked up my camera. So I put down my camera and just chatted with my SIL and let him play. And after a bit, he started to forget about my “black box” and let me take some shots without too much concern. And I even got some honestly sweet SMILES!
I loved so many of these photos. I loved capturing D’s expressions as he looked for “fishies” under the bridge.
I got a kick out of watching him find sticks and squeal with joy as he threw them in the creek.
I loved watching him intently study his matchbox cars and then dig them into the dirt.
I thought it was so sweet as he studied Thomas the Train chanting “Cinders and Ashes” over. And over. And over…..(I guess it is a Thomas thing, with only little girls, I am not up on Thomas lingo.)
Here is a sampling of our session. We spent about 2 hrs at the park. And yes, much of the time was spent chatting and letting D do his thing. And here and there I stopped to snap a few moments.
But that turned about to be EXACTLY the perfect recipe for some absolutely adorable photos that (hopefully) lean a bit more towards being a portrait than just a photograph. I see a little boy who is in awe of the world around him. I see a boy who loves fishies and cars and trucks and trains and sticks and DIRT and puddles and, well – LIFE!
I will start with my absolute favorite of the day – LOVE everything about this photo!!!!! Especially the truck and train in his dirty little fist!
Until next time!! XOXO!!!!!
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Irene, I hope your Dad is doing better! Thinking of you!
Irene-I hope your dad is on the mend; I’ll be thinking about him and your family!
What a huge dam that is! It’s awesome! In fact, I really liked your whole ‘dam’ post.
Sorry, bad bad pun! XO
I love walks in the woods! This one is especially beautiful – your whole post is beautiful!
These are really beautiful, love the story telling in them. Sorry to hear of your hard times, hope things get better soon.
Irene, I love how you showed us your walk through the woods! It is the days like that you look back on and truly appreciate.
[...] I am in Korea! As fortunate as that is, it does mean I don’t have access to my photos just yet. So if you’ll patiently tune in in a couple days you can enjoy the epic saga of Kristina versus the Doctor Fish. Until then check out the fabulous photography of Irene. [...]