I love photography.  Maybe you’ve noticed that?!    One of the best parts of taking photos is seeing kids I’ve known forever in a new way.  A few weeks ago, I got to take photos of a family I’ve known for a long time.    These two photos of C are just so her!  She was in my class in 3rd grade and was equal parts serious and happy.  I never noticed then how gorgeous her eyes are!  Now she’s heading off to high school!  Yikes!  I had her sister M too.  So bubbly and fun … and now almost halfway through high school?!?  And this guy…           He is such a sweetie, always giving me a hug when he sees me in the halls at school.    Their mama was the best Brownie Leader ever when our girls were little!  She had more patience than I ever could have.                             When I look at how grown up these kids are, it makes me realize I need to get my own kids out in front of my camera!  You better get photos done too!  Call me! 🙂

When your friend tells you that she’s going to be a grandma for the first time, most people offer congratulations.  My first words were, “Can I take the baby’s picture?”  I’d never shot a newborn.  And I had said several times that there was no way I would ever do it.  Too scary for me!  But just look … This baby boy was the sweetest thing ever!  My youngest baby is now 14, so it’s been awhile since I’ve held a newborn. I’ve admired tons of adorably posed shots of newborns and plenty of lifestyle newborn photos, but I never thought I would want to give it a try.  Until this little guy came along.  Now, let me tell you… this was hard work!  Baby boy was not into sleeping the day I met him.  His grandma and I grabbed him right away and did a few shots when he was sleeping.   Then he decided he didn’t want to miss any of the action, so he was wide awake.  A newborn photographer must be patient!  And prepared … for clean ups!  All in all, I didn’t get every shot I had hoped for, but I learned a lot.  And I got to snuggle with the sweetest baby in town!  Can’t wait to do it again!

I have always loved black and white photography.  Perhaps because so many of my mom’s photos of us kids were black and white.  Who knows?  I just know that I love the shadows and the textures in a good black and white edit.  Ted Grant said, “When you photograph people  in color, you photograph their clothes, but when you photograph in black and white, you photograph their souls.”  I agree completely, Ted!With black and white, you are forced to see the world in a different way.  There are no pretty colors.  Just light, shape, and form.  The details jump out at you.  Don’t get me wrong … I LOVE color!  But there’s just something special about black and white.    And my favorite … an old photo of my mom from 1949 (with her eyes closed!) in front of my grandfather’s truck.   How cute was she??

I love b/w portraits and landscapes, and even the occasional flower, but my favorite shots are from lifestyle shoots.  Families just being families.   Black and white shots are always included in the files I deliver. 

Today I got to spend some time with my friend S taking some photos to celebrate her birthday.  She is a funny, athletic, serious, and silly girl all in one!  She’s on the edge of childhood, headed for middle school.  Before her parents know it, the Legos and monkeys will be gone, so capturing those special moments is important.   Having a photo shoot in your home can really help kids feel more comfortable with a camera around.  Letting them play, show off their special things,  and just be themselves relaxes even the shyest of kids.

Welcome to  2016!  Wow.  Seems like it was just Y2K.  Sorry, showing my age!  I love the beginning of a new year.  (Lucky me, I get two New Years every year.  I love the beginning of the school year too!)  Everything feels so fresh and new.  A new planner.  A clean house now that all the Christmas decorations are tucked away.  Resolutions.  I don’t usually make a big deal about resolutions.  I always have a couple things I want to do.  Lose a few pounds.  Spend quality time with my kids.  Keep up on grading papers.  I start off strong and BAM!  Life gets in the way, and the resolutions are thrown to the side.  Last year, however, I somehow managed to make 2 resolutions and keep them.  All. Year. Long.  Crazy!  I made a real effort to exercise and eat right and lost almost 50 pounds.  (I only say that publicly in hopes that it will force me to keep exercising!)  I also completed a 365 photography challenge.  (More on that in another post.)  What are your goals for 2016?  I have to say the one thing that helped me in both situations was making connections with other people.  I bought a Fitbit and got involved in a weekly challenge with my coworkers.  I joined an Instagram challenge for my 365 project and “met” some amazing photographers, who have become friends.  Connecting with others makes those resolutions possible.  Believe it and you can achieve it!  Happy New Year!