An amazing Teen, one amazing town!

This weekend was so inspiring for me as I spent most of it with this young lady 

and her family. I had the the distinct pleasure of photographing Miss M. almost 2 years ago for her pageant portfolio and found out that during that year of her pageant entries she won several titles in the photogenic category.  Well, needless to say I felt like her proud "Aunt" and when you look at this face, how could she not win for the most photogenic!  She's simply gorgeous, and only dons a bit of eyeliner and lip gloss. Yep she makes my job very easy indeed! 

As anyone can see Miss M. is definitely a beauty and a natural behind the camera, but what you don't see is her silly side, her love for family and a maturity that is beyond her 19 years of age. 

I first want to thank this unique and special young lady, her Mom, Dad and Grandmom for keeping me smiling and hydrated during this heat wave out east and for welcoming me into their beautiful historic home and community.  


These photos were just a few of my favorites from our session.


More photos to come!

Welcome Summer!

 

The heat is on!  Summer started off here on the east with an incredibly oppressive heat wave.  However, that also means hours in a plastic child pool,running under the sprinkler, making water filled balloons to throw at anyone who passes by your "fort" and drinking cold iced tea.  That's what I think of when I recall my childhood. 


Although I have been trying to gather my props and ideas for a "themed photo session", I couldn't resist the warm setting sun this week as it cascading perfectly over my daughter's wide brim hat.  Seems to me these may be my most favorite photos ever as the last photo required no editing except a little de-fogging and the first two I added a bit of contrast to capture the shadows on her pretty dimples.


I am so excited for this evening shoot with another favorite model.  Last night I met with her parents and we walked miles scouting out beautiful locations right near their house.  I love finding unexpected new locations!  Now all I have to do is narrow them all down to 1-2 hours (should be fun considering all the outfit changes).  


Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the warm, lazy summer days!


Ivy

"Everything I learned about posing...I learned from my Pre-Schooler" by Kira's Mommy

Yes, it's so true, most of what I learned from posing children I actually learned from my daughter!  She is very determined and stubborn and so I thought, why not take advantage of doing things her way? Actually knowing the developmental behaviors of kids is really the key.  Although, Kira has always been set in her ways, most 5 yr olds love to run, dance, explore and of course dress up and use their imaginations.  So ya just got to work with it.

I used to believe that in order to capture those "perfect" shots I had to continuously keep my finger on the shutter button or by the end of a shoot walk away exhausted from trying to entertain a child who had their individual ideas of what "play" was (and sitting through an hour or two family session just wasn't one of them.)  

So my sweet, creative and feisty little girl helped me to realize that pre-schoolers are quite capable of knowing the true definition of candid photography.  

These images were taken with my D700 and 50/1.8mm lens.  I changed the ISO depending on the light since I love to shoot nearly wide open (f/2.2 or lower) and adjusted the shutter speed as needed.  Also I like to set my EV at 0.3; a nice combination that works for me when trying to obtain optimal exposure.

Yesterday I bought some flowers and as we walked around the house we found some bright pink azaleas that caught Kira's eye and so as you can see this is what she did and how she wanted to use her "props".  Notice she wanted a "pony tail that was off to the side" so I had no control over this spontaneous shoot, which made it even more fun!

Here is the typical, "okay Mom, you can take just one picture," with hands placed strategically on the hips and a face that says "you've got one shot"!

Oh how this child makes me laugh and if I can say one thing, her attitude is adorably displayed in the image above.  She wanted to blow bubbles and I wanted just one more photo and again, her face says it all.  I love her laughter, pouting and most of all her sensitive personality.  But this image I'm saving for her future husband:)) and in gallery of favorite images.

 

Where are those bugs?

Capturing the "Butterfly" in motion.

The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.

Albert Einstein

Tired out after a day of "working the camera"!

Thank you sweet Kira, for these very important child posing tips.

Spring Flora

Let us be grateful

to people who make us happy;

they are the charming gardeners

who make our souls blossom.

-Marcel Proust

Berry Good Smoothie

A few months ago my husband bought a Vitamix mostly so that I could figure out how to get my picky kids to eat veggies and fruit instead of mac and cheese 24/7.
Okay I was a skeptic at first and thought whats the big deal over this blender? And, what does it do that other very less expensive blenders can't do??? How about that you can make hot all natural low calorie soup or your own almond soy milk? I am really like this and yes we use it almost everyday, but the most fun is creating tasty, healthy smoothies for my girls and they drink them all up! A win win situation and might I add a machine well worth the money.

After some trial and error for consistency and taste I came up with the following ingredients that you most certainly can edit by adding a 1/4 to 1/2 cup more of any of the following ingredients. Many smoothie recipes also call for a cup of ice but since this is using sugar free frozen berries, there's no need for ice and it's jam packed with vitamins

Berry Good Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup of red or green grapes

2 cups baby carrots

1 apple (skinned and quartered)

1 small ripe banana

1 1/2 cups unsweetened frozen strawberries

1/2 cup unsweetened frozen peaches and or mangoes

Certainly I love using fresh fruit, but depending on the season, the markets may not have them readily available.

Mix all ingredients in blender on high till well blended.  The mixture will be thick so you can add 1/4 cup of water and blend again for a minute or so.  The other option is to add 1/2 - 1 cup of low fat vanilla yogurt and this adds a creamy texture making it all that more delicious and a bit sweeter since the berries can be tart and I don't add any sugar. 

Enjoy!  

Raspberry Cheese Pancakes

These pancakes are so delicious they inspired me to even take some photos!

I mean who can't resist a good carb load now and then, especially on a weekend morning.  When I saw the cottage cheese ingredient I thought "no way are my picky kids going to eat this." However to my delight they ate them all up.  Either they are tired of scrambled eggs everyday or really loved the flavor and I think it's the later.


Okay so they look just like ordinary pancakes right???

Well they are far from ordinary and so easy to make.  Instead of taking photos of mixing dough and adding ingredients I thought I would cut to the chase and post the ingredients and results.

Ingredients:

1 cup cottage cheese and feel free to use low fat

4 eggs

1/2 cup all purpose flour

6 Tbsp melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp sugar

Directions:

1. Whip cottage cheese, sugar and vanilla with hand mixer on low to medium speed.  Add the flour and eggs and start the mixer again. With mixer on, add melted butter. This should be a thick batter.

2. Test a small amount of batter on grill. Add a small amount of flour if it needs thickening.

3. Cook pancakes until golden, then flip and cook for an additional minute. Do not overcook. These pancakes are moist and should spring back to the touch.

4. The batter yields about 10-12 three inch pancakes and they should look like the photo.  Usually I add a 1/4 tsp of extra vanilla but in this case you don't need to because of the most delicious topping using raspberries and maple syrup.

Now onto the raspberry syrup!

Raspberry Maple Syrup:

1 cup Vermont Maple Syrup (again you can try low sugar syrup)

2/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (fresh are best)

2 Tbsp raspberry jam

Combine ingredients in a non-stick saucepan. Hear on low until raspberries defrost- stirring occasionally. Stir in the jam which helps the syrup mixture thicken. Heat until the syrup boils, then turn off the heat and let sit. Syrup is ready to spoon over pancakes after the mixture has set for a few minutes allowing it to thicken.

A Year of Beautiful Places and Faces

After almost 7 months with our Gansu Girl, I felt a bit nostalgic for China and wanted to post a few of my favorite images of my precious daughters and their birth country, amazing China. 

Seriously, I try so hard not to pose Kira, in fact I have no idea where she learned how to "work the camera" like this, but I enjoy capturing her new interest in being photographed.

Beautiful Leah in Bejing, China

Very cute school children of Guandong Province

This has to be one of my all time favorite images from our journey to Shelby. Though our trip was rushed and there was barely enough time to eat, let alone take photographs, I took several of this Mother and her children.  This is a typical Hutong (small neighborhood) where the locals reside in the bigger cities.  I adored the history and antiquity of this country.

Beauty in back light

Well I am switching gears, FINALLY,  and stepping out of a learned habit...that is, to not shoot directly into the light, but instead use shade or face your subject away from the light.  WHAT WAS I THINKING?   the most beautiful photographs are always back lit, especially in ambient light settings.  


So last week, as the warm sun started to set, I dragged my equipment out to a nearby field and again using candy to bribe my favorite subject, I was honestly astonished at the results when I down loaded the photos.  Processing these photos was a breeze, only because I got the exposure correct for a change:))  But the fun part was using blending modes to soften, deepen surrounding colors.  I used a bit of sharpening to polish off the images but otherwise was quite happy with the results.  Now I can't wait to do more.  Warm afternoon light is so beautiful, especially this time of year when Spring is just around the corner.


More photographs to come.  I decided since I learned so much from many online free tutorials, I wanted to give back and share what works for me.  So in my next post, bring your pencil and pad and take some notes on the most simplest way to process a photo in five minutes or less (and yes that's a record for me).  


Happy Spring!

Welcome Home Shelby

Yes I have been absent for a while, but for good reason!  We traveled to adopt our second daughter from China this past October and although she and big sister have been keeping me busy, they sure have given me the opportunity to get some fabulous photographs.  Okay, I know I'm biased, however considering the fact Miss Kira does not like her photograph being taken and little babe does, it's almost like "monkey see, monkey do"; they each follow one another and I'm so enjoying this ride.

 Taken in Lanzhou, PRC  Wu Ke Xiu became our forever daughter!  

Captured in NJ "Forever Sisters"

I am so in love with these girls!  Each of them now tug at my heart, with unique personalities and giggles that warm you up on the coldest days.  

Now after being home with Shelby for 3 months we are getting ready for her big surgery in Baltimore the end of this month.  It's great to see that she loves American food and has gained weight, so here's hoping she heals just as quick.  

Thanks for peeking in.  For information regarding Bladder Exstrophy (pre-op care, etc) please do not hesitate to inquire.

Thanks to everyone!

Thank you to those who have participated in making this fundraiser a success.  We raised a bit over $300.00 which is more than I expected.  To those who donated items, a huge thank you because obviously this couldn't have happened without the sweet items that were generously offered to me.  To those who bid and won, another huge thank you to all involved.  Just know there will always be a special place in our hearts for the kindness of others.

Pretty Cards made by Me!

Photo #1 Textured Tulip using Chasing Dreams Textures

Photo #2 Purple and Orange ya happy set

Photo #3 Pastel roses on scalloped edging (courtesy of Coffee Shop's Free Downloads)

Photo #4 Same as first photo slightly muted with linen texture

These are perhaps my all time favorite textured flowers I have photographed.  The pastel roses were hidden in another hard drive and I'm so happy I found them.

I have been wanting to make something with them and not just hang them on the wall. So my sweet friend Colleen, from Chasing Dreams Photography gave me this idea.

Why not make cards out of them, so that's exactly what I did and I hope you like them.

The winner will have their choice of one of the four watermarked photos you see.   They will be printed without the watermark of course into a double sided open 5x7 card

THE SET COMES 25 CARDS WITH ENVELOPES

STARTING BID $18.00

AUCTION WILL CLOSE JULY 9TH @ 6PM EST

THANK YOU.

My Pretty Chapeau

I must say I'm a bit partial to this piece because I got such a great smile from my daughter as she modeled it for me.  It's probably one of my favorite pieces I've made but I thought I would auction it off since it is ready to go!

It's made of designer fabrics, tuille, ribbon and one beautiful  hand rolled dupioni fushia pink rosette with a dark teal silk hand made leaf hand sewn to it.  The hair band is wrapped in fushia ribbon to make it more comfortable when worn. 

It's so sweet I had to add a beautiful rhinestone heart because I just HEART it and hope you do too:))

STARTING BID $18.00

AUCTION CLOSES 6/27

Please stop by my new shop MY PRETTY CHAPEAU TO SEE MORE PIECES

CLOSED!

Fundraiser for Baby Wu

Photography Prop's and Fun Auction For Baby Wu's Surgery

After weeks of worrying and trying to figure out what to do so that we will have the monies to pay for the expenses associated with our daughter's major surgery this fall, I decided to start with a simple and fun little auction for photographers, using props and accessories as fun items to auction off.


It's been rather therapeutic and fun as I reached out to many friends, etsy sellers and even strangers who were willing to donate items, graciously to help with our daughter's surgery expenses.


So let the bidding begin! Don't forget to leave contact information in your post.


I will list the each item, the seller's link to their store and you will have two weeks to come back or help spread the word.


Let me first say that I am totally grateful for the support of those who donated to this auction and those who've listened to my concerns.  Remember every dollar counts and will go towards the $10,000 out of pocket expenses not associated with her adoption.  The 2 or 3 part surgery will be at John's Hopkin's Medical Center, in Baltimore, MD which is about 2 hours from our home.  Her hospitalization will require a 12 hour procedure to replace her bladder back inside her tiny body, repair her female parts and stabilize and fix her pelvis (which means grafting, internal and external fixation).  It's more than I can take in right now, considering she's just a baby, but I have the utmost faith in a fabulous muli-disciplinary team that will give our child a normal life, and that is what I am going to focus on. 

Second, if anyone would like more information on Bladder Exstrophy please contact the Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community where there is a wealth of information for patients and families.

Also visit The Division of Pediatric Urology at John's Hopkin's Medical Center 

Please feel free to contact me with questions on Exstrophy as I hope to become an advocate for children with this defect.
Thank you all for coming by to help. 

The Organic Bloom

FOR THOSE OF YOU UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS NEXT COMPANY, LET ME INTRODUCE THE ORGANIC BLOOM.

I love their frames and have enjoyed watching their business grow this year.  A few months ago their frames were showcased on Extreme Makeover, Home Edition and their ideas and creativity keep on inspiring photographers and the public who like me would love to own every style of these gorgeous frames!

*Their frames are only sold through photographers so this is a treat that they donated one 8x10 FRAME AND COLOR OF CHOICE TO THE WINNER OF THIS AUCTION!

THEY ARE A GENEROUS COMPANY RUN BY A SPECIAL COUPLE, JASON AND ANDREA SOOTER. I FEEL HONORED THAT THEY CHOSE TO HELP WITH OUR FUNDRAISER.

8X10 FRAMES USUALLY RETAIL AROUND $75.00

THE WINNER WILL HAVE THEIR CHOICE FROM 16 STYLES, 3 CONFIGURATIONS AND PROBABLY 36 COLORS TO CHOOSE FROM.

Permission to use photo courtesy of The Organic Bloom

Starting bid $30.00

Auction will end 6/27 @ 6PM EST

Please don't forget to leave your contact information after posting.


CLOSED