Colin & Alexa

Legos, radio flyer wagons, jumping on the bed, and parents' promises of homemade chocolate chip cookies after the shoot... life for a kid doesn't get much better than that, does it?  ;o)

Colin and Alexa's photo session was a blast and I had so much fun with these two little firecrackers.  They were on the go for the entire session and their parents and I did all we could to keep up with them.  Colin was so excited to show me all his favorite toys and he'd crack himself up with this full-faced grin and a bubbly laugh.  His little sister Alexa just turned one and wanted to do everything her big brother did.  Her favorite activity seemed to be jumping on the bed, and she'd just bounce up and down and fall over laughing.  Such a fun morning!!

We got some great shots in their classic Radio Flyer wagon.

And Alexa was a gorgeous little model with those sparkling eyes of hers.  Love the blurred background and bokeh in this one!

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A few of my fave black & whites from our session...  Truly, some photos just beg to be in black & white!!

This was the family's first time doing a photo shoot outside of the portrait studio at the mall, and they really loved the freedom and flexibility of it.  For all those moms who are thinking about their holiday photos this year - why confine your kids to a 6x10 space where they're out of their element, tired, fussy, and uncomfortable?  And why rush yourself working around someone else's fast-paced schedule?  Portrait sessions at home are so much calmer, usually last 60-90 minutes, and really let the kids be themselves and their personalities shine through.  The photos are much more personal -- they show their real smiles and expressions, their favorite toys and pastimes, and those candid moments of playtime and interaction between siblings that you often cannot capture at an in-and-out chain store. In the end you're not just printing out photographs but creating memories that you'll look back on with a smile many years from now.  After all, isn't that the sign of a true photograph?  One that brings you back to that moment and lets you relive everything about that time?

Contact me to set up a holiday session for your family today!

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A Birthday Arrival: Alice Olivia {Boston Newborn Portraits}

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at 2:15pm

Boston, Massachusetts

Alice Olivia was an early birthday gift to her mama, arriving just two days before her 30th birthday.  This little girl's arrival was long-awaited and much-celebrated.  From an early conversation shared in a coffee shop last January to a hazy February afternoon in the city when Arlene and Chris shared their news with friends, and all the moments in between when baby Alice accompanied her mom on her own labor of love (her doctoral dissertation!), this little girl's arrival has been eagerly anticipated by everyone involved.

For weeks, friends and family anxiously kept their phones nearby waiting for news.  Every lapse in response time we got from Alice's parents we figured surely meant that they were in the hospital delivering the baby.  Just days before Alice arrived, I joked with Arlene that she should have her baby on Tuesday to coincide with my day off.  And wouldn't you know, Alice decided to make her grand entrance into the world just in time for her mama's grad school friends to visit on their free day last week.  Isabel and I rushed off to the hospital on Wednesday, knowing that a 22-hour old baby was waiting for us in her bassinet.  We had a tradition to uphold of celebrating the newest baby's first day of life!  With our cameras, a toddler, a birthday cake, elephant plates, a pink bundle of tissue paper, and a candle in tow we found our way to room 663.

It was magical.

First glimpse...

Watching three-year old Nico with Alice Olivia was like déjà vu.  It felt like only yesterday Arlene and I were rushing to the hospital to celebrate his arrival into the world with a birthday cake and blowing out a candle, and here he was with his blonde curls looking into the crib and giving the little baby girl sweet kisses covered in his goldfish crumbs.  

Alice's parents kept everyone guessing about her name right up until the end, giving little hints here and there but nothing concrete.  But here's the thing -- they didn't give "normal" hints.  Oh, no.  They told us that her middle name was bilingual and was 4 syllables in English but 3 in Spanish.  That her first name was a family name but was a little hard to pronounce in Spanish.  That her initials were "very cool".  That there were two A's in her names, and many letters from her middle name were in her first and last names, too.  Ooooh, the hints kept getting more and more complicated and as much as we all guessed and analyzed, compared and discarded, we also didn't really want to know the name and wanted the surprise factor, too.  In the end, Alice Olivia is a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl.

A huge congratulations to Arlene and Chris.  Alice is lucky to have such amazing parents.  I can't wait to run over to their house and cuddle up with that little baby girl.  And I'm really looking forward to capturing her on camera.  :o)  This was my first experience with hospital photos, and I'm quite excited with how they turned out.  What do you think?

These last two photos just kill me.  She's just so sweet and new.  Don't you just melt looking at them?

She is so loved already.

Bienvenida al mundo, Alice Olivia.

Emilee: Class of 2013

Talk about a photographer's dream!  When Emilee came to me for her senior portraits, she had a beautiful location in mind: Luciano's Lake Pearl in Wrentham.  The original day that we were scheduled to have our session, we awoke to a rainy morning and I crossed my fingers and hoped that the torrential downpours would stop by evening.  After frantically checking the weather reports every free chance I got, a few emails and hours later I realized that that was just silly as the storm relentlessly pounded the area, making for yet another rained out shoot.  (That's the chance you have to take as a natural light photographer!)  We rescheduled for a week later, and boy am I glad we did!  The conditions were perfect!  Between the combination of the perfect rays of golden hour light slanting through the trees, a gorgeous setting, and a beautiful senior who was open to all of my crazy ideas... the shoot was a dream!

These gazebo photos below showcase Emilee's true talent of keeping a poker face despite her photographer rearranging the wedding furniture that was left outside and climbing atop a rickety table to get the perfect angle for the shot in the middle!

Emilee is a vibrant senior girl with big dreams for next year.  I was thrilled to be able to capture this in her photos.  A few of my faves...

*.*.*.Laughter.*.*.*

And these whitewashed arches that I found on the beach... ooooh, but I fell in love with these arches!  Absolutely gorgeous, and only made more so with Emilee posing in the arches!

One of the best parts of the shoot?  When I spotted the pier in the above photo, I looked at Emilee to see if she'd be okay with hopping the fence and climbing out into the water.  She was all up for our little conspiracy, and we then were able to get some great shots at sunset!

And to finish this post off... what would a session of mine be without catching some brilliant sunflares?

Congratulations, Emilee, and the Class of 2013!

Location: Luciano's Lake Pearl, Wrentham

Makeup Artist: the very talented Joana Castano

In the meantime... a few sneak peeks!

I've been in the middle of a big move, the start of a new school year with my first graders, and a whole lot of other things going on at the same time.... Purchasing Photoshop, designing DVD cases, finding a new photo lab, booking weddings and bar mitzvahs, helping a friend with her wedding photos.... The list goes on and on! That said, it's clear why I haven't posted in a few weeks!  But now I'm lucky enough to enjoy a four-day weekend and I plan on filling it with photography and lots of DIY projects in my new home.

So here, to tide you over until I get to editing the rest of my photos from these last two shoots, are a couple of sneak peeks... Full sessions coming soon!

Colin & Alexa

Emilee

Check back soon!

Low Tide & Laughter

"If you once get the sand of the Cape in your shoes, you shall return."

Last week I packed my gear bag with some flip flops and an extra towel and I headed to the tip of the Cape to one of the most beautiful Cape Cod beaches I have ever been to.  I reached Eastham a few hours before sundown (perfect for that "golden hour" of light!).  It was low tide, and this family of six and I headed down a sandy path and through some sea grass to the wide expanse of sand that was filled with tide pools and crevices left by the receding water.  The setting was perfect, the light was dream-like, and this family was ready for some fun.  Cue the dance party!

Ella, Charlie, Lulu and Jack burst into a spontaneous dance party on the dock!

These siblings were a blast to work with.  Each had a unique personality ranging from bubbly and effervescent to quiet and studious.  The beach was a natural playground for them, a sandy and salty paradise.  Our session was filled with slithering eels, digging through the sand for pebbles, making sketches in the wet sand, relay races, and lots and lots of laughter.

Jack was lost in a book when I arrived, and when we went to the beach I coaxed some details out of him about his chapter book and he decided to teach me about all sorts of new kid tv shows that I didn't know about... I guess I need to brush up on the titles at least so I know if what they're mentioning is a show, a song, a book, or a group!

Charlie wore a grin the entire time -- literally every single picture I have of him, he has this huge smile stretching across his face from ear to ear.  He spent a lot of time getting lost in his own little sandy world, creating tunnels, dams, and pictures in the sand.

Ella loved the camera and was very relaxed and playful with her brothers and sister.  I got some great action shots of her on the beach... she was in her element!

Lulu was the youngest, but not to be outdone by her three older siblings, she fit right in with her sense of humor.  Lulu was a bubbly riot, knocking out one joke after another and a number of one-liners that were just too funny and had us all in stitches.

This family was such a joy to photograph!  Plus, I discovered a gorgeous new beach!  The dog days of summer don't get much better than that!

Cape Cod Cousins

Just for fun, let's throw together 12 family members, a newborn, a beach house, a pier, some woods, knock-knock jokes, sandy feet, dancing uncles, and a dozen balloons.  Add in a few thermometers hovering around 95 degrees and some adorable polka dot dresses.  Mix it all together for two hours, and what you get are some of the most adorable photos ever.

A few weeks ago I did a joint family session for these two little girls and their cousins during their family vacation to Cape Cod.  Their house was nestled in the woods right on a lake, and you could walk out onto this quaint little pier on the water.  The yard had this perfectly chipped bench that we incorporated into so many of the photos.  Plus I brought a car full of balloons for later in the shoot, because yes, with six kids on a hot and sticky day, bribing with balloons is a must.  Tip #1: Know your audience.  ;o)

The sun-dappled woods created the perfect conditions for the beautiful bokeh in these photos.

Little Abby, 4 years old, was quite a character.  The sparkle in those eyes of hers was there 100% of our time together, and her personality really pops in these photos.  She got along so well with her two older brothers, William and Alex.  I love the photo below, a moment I captured in between the other moments.  You can practically hear her bubbly giggle in this photo!

The older boys were so sweet and protective towards their new brother, Thomas.  As I got close to them in this photo, I heard them both singing a song to the baby.  I asked them what song it was, and they told me they had made it up for their little brother since it was "his favorite song to keep him happy."

A couple of shots of 3-month old Thomas.  Look at those big eyes!  He was such a happy, cooperative, and alert baby during our entire newborn shoot.  It was once he got into the arms of his family members for the big shoot that he fell right asleep!

And then there were the three girl cousins.  Sophia, Violet and Abby all wore matching dresses. (A side comment: a friend looked at this photo below and told me, "Wow!  That's some photo software you have!  You can do age-lapse cloning!"  Hahaha, too funny.) The three girls got along so well together and were inseparable.  I absolutely love these three photos below, so much so that I couldn't choose just one to display here.  Enjoy!

Oooooh, BABY! {Arlene's Maternity Shoot}

Arlene is one of my friends from grad school, and we go way back to the days of sharing grad student offices in the basement of a building on Comm Ave in Boston.  Every time we get together we always stir up some mischief and have an absolute blast, so this photo shoot turned out to be one of the most fun shoots I've done in these past few months.  Entering her eighth month of pregnancy and eagerly awaiting the arrival of her little girl, Arlene was game for anything and everything. A few things I learned on this photo shoot:

• I must find a way to incorporate balloons into my daily life.
• Jamaica Plain = funky, colorful, and amazing backdrops for photos
• There are photos that just BEG to be in black & white.... and a number of them came out of this shoot.
• When Arlene told me she had a big family, she really wasn't kidding...

Let's start with the balloons.  I've always wanted to just bring a big bunch of balloons with me to surprise a friend, so I filled my car with pink and white balloons and made my way to Jamaica Plain with pink globes bobbing around and filling my rear view mirror.  We joked about how I wound up bringing her a klutz's dozen (11 - I popped one!).  Balloons have also been a photo prop I've been dying to try, so I knew that Arlene would be up for anything.  And wow, am I glad I brought them!  They added a nice punch to the photos and gave us something to laugh about while attracting all sorts of interesting looks.  Not to mention that it was an incredibly windy day, so Arlene had quite the challenge of reining those balloons in.

Those backdrops in JP...  There's nothing like city-living to give you an unlimited amount of backdrops and unique props.  All were discovered on the fly.  That gorgeous blue wall, vibrant murals, brick walls, librerias for this Spanish literature doctoral student, pink benches in front of hair salons.  The options were endless.

The black & whites...  There's just something about the shadows, the light, and the silhouettes in these photos.  :o)  When I saw Arlene's black maxi dress, I told her she HAD to wear it for these photos.  Simply stunning.  She is RADIANT.  Have you ever seen the movie The Family Stone?  The last ones in this little batch remind me of that old photograph of Diane Keaton.

Barefoot and pregnant.

A few more shots back at home..

Meet Nina, their friendly chocolate lab.  It took many, many clicks of the shutter to capture this one.  Let's just say that Nina doesn't pose on command!

Hahaha, a little fun with those last two chapters of What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Arlene wore the cutest T-shirt: Due for Delivery Sept 27, 2012 with her zip code on it.  So adorable!  Even the UPS man was chuckling when he noticed it while dropping off a package.

Oooh, and about that big family...  I posted two sneak peek photos of Arlene's session on my Nicole Schwalm Photography Facebook page, and by early the next morning they had been seen more than 600 times EACH by her family members.  Unbelievable.  That little baby is going to have so much love to welcome her into this world in September.  I can't wait to meet her!  Expect to be seeing a lot more of that little girl on my blog come the fall -- she is my belly to baby package!

Shutter Session: Ravi

Those hot July days were good for one thing -- some fun-filled photo shoots with friends!  Last week I got to photograph my friend's son Ravi. He just turned one, and he is the most adorable little boy ever with these huge dark eyes that just make you melt when you look at him.

He's a very independent, spunky little guy who's sure on his feet but is always looking around to make sure his mama is right behind him.  I love these black and whites of Ravi, especially the second and third that show him with his mom.

He was a blast to photograph and we definitely had a lot of laughs -- and outfit changes! -- during his photo shoot. Ravi is one of those kids who will have a million toys and will manage to play with each and every one of them at the same time.  His mom's been talking about the "path of destruction" he leaves in his wake.  Always being on the go, I can see how that might happen!  Here, a few adorable shots of this little guy.  Note how DIFFERENT they all look -- that on-the-go nature of his really made that possible.

At one point, somewhere between the kiddie pool and the jungle gym, we busted out the colored bubbles.  Have you seen these yet?  Crayola makes them, and they put all these warnings on the bottle about wearing play clothes and not using them at weddings.  (I keep imagining the poor bride that didn't read the directions.)  They are messy -- WARNING! Only do this with friends' kids  :o) -- but they are so much fun in photographs.  Ravi was more interested in chewing on the wand than playing with the purple bubbles, so his mom decide to shake things up and cover him with the purple liquid instead.  From there, EVERYTHING was purple.  A little bit messy, but a lot of fun!

Mr. Independent.

I absolutely love the soft, hazy sunlight in the two photos below.  Plus, the expressions on his face in each one are so unique!  Above he looks a bit mischievous, and below he's just happy and bubbly, lost in his own little world while sitting in a pool of sunshine.

Ravi was such a joy to photograph.  Already looking forward to our next session this month!

MR. & MRS. - Dave and Kirsten's Wedding

Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethaw today. Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam... "

Not every wedding begins with a quote from the movie The Princess Bride, but then again, not every wedding is like Dave and Kirsten's.   What was it that made it so unique?  It wasn't just the way that their friend Josh (who officiated the ceremony) surreptitiously snuck in that lispy line from The Princess Bride.  Or the Chuck Taylors and the patterned socks worn by the groomsmen.  Nor was it the brawny sailors that Dave invited who danced up a storm on the dance floor, or Kirsten's college friends that came back to New Hampshire for the wedding.  It wasn't simply the overarching theme of travel, suitable for this couple whose romance has spanned the country and has even spanned the Atlantic Ocean, this couple that is going to start their new life together abroad in Sicily for the next three years where Dave will be stationed in the Navy.  This wedding was unique because it brought together everyone from all over the country and all walks of life.  The guests blended together as seamlessly as the bride and groom, making for a memorable and very fun evening.

And now, let's allow the photos to speak for themselves...

The ceremony...

A very proud mother of the bride.

The first dance...

The father-daughter dance...  Beautiful light in this photo.

The decor was perfect for this jet-setting couple...  I'm loving the "sneak peek" of the reception room photo below, right.

Boys will be boys, from their shoes to their shades, to their posing in front of a fancy-shmancy car out front.

And the reception was a party all in itself.  The DJ didn't stop playing all evening, putting on one hit after another.  At one point we looked up and there was hardly anyone sitting at the tables because EVERYONE was up on their feet, dancing up a storm on that crowded dance floor on that hot July night.

As Kirsten's mother so eloquently put it... "Well, what would YOU do with a drunken sailor?"

Such a beautiful wedding, such a fun reception, and such a perfectly in love couple.

7.14.2012

One of my favorite images from the day.  Congratulations, Kirsten and Dave.  I'll miss you here in Boston, but I can't WAIT to come and visit you (and photograph you!) in Sicily.

Summer's Spontaneity

"Loadin' up and living right,

Fast cars on a summer night,

Breeze is warm and the music's right

This endless summer.

Boogie boards and diggin' holes.

Sand castles and fishin' poles.

What a way to save our soulds

This endless summer."  

(Aaron Lewis, "Endless Summer")

A last-minute phone call, a few bags and coolers thrown into the car, and a spontaneous trip to the Shore.  When I got that "What are you doing next Tuesday through Thursday?" message from a friend, I just knew I had to drop everything and meet her on Long Beach Island.  She brought the kids.  I brought my camera.

Below, one of my favorite pictures of Wendy and Zack.  Love the retro vibe to these beach photos!

It was a relaxing mid-week getaway.  The house we stayed in was one of those perfect beach cottages, only a block away from the beach and filled with that comforting feel of sand under your feet on the hardwood floors.  When I was a kid, we had this little placard that read, "If you once get the sand of the Cape in your shoes, you will return."  Same thing here.... there's just something about the beach that has you coming back for more!  We definitely had some sandy beach babies with us this week!!

And, what would a trip to the beach be without a stop for ice cream?

I absolutely love the story board below.  Zack went to town on his dish of ice cream, and he was oh-so-disappointed when he reached bottom.  Clearly he wouldn't accept that there was no more ice cream in his dish, and he kept searching for more.  His expression in the last photo just kills me!  :o)

Beautiful Addison Caroline was with us, too, celebrating her two-month birthday. I haven't seen her since I did her newborn shots at 2 weeks, and this beach babe has grown so much already!

Two-year old Hailey spent the whole week looking out for little baby Addie.  So adorable!

Such a wonderful trip!  Now if only our endless summer really were endless!!

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge: Enjoying Life

Check out the monthly photo contests over at I Heart Faces.  This month's theme is "Enjoying Life," and the guest judge is my favorite blogger, Kelle Hampton.  Kelle's blog, Enjoying the Small Things, has been an incredible inspiration to me.  I just love clicking onto her page and losing myself for a few minutes in that rainbows-and-unicorns perspective of hers.   So it's perfect that she's judging this month's theme of "Enjoying Life." Looking back at my recent photos, I found this one of Liam that's just perfect.  He's lost in his little world of sand and water, looking off-camera with that mischievous look and a trail of sand hanging from his chin.  THIS is a boy that's enjoying life!

Happy Summer, everyone!  And Happy 4th!

This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com

<a href="http://www.iheartfaces.com/"><img title="I Heart Faces Photo Challenge Submission" src="http://www.iheartfaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/I-Heart-Faces-button.jpg" alt="Photo Challenge Submission" /></a>

Shutter Session: Liam

When his mom told me how much Liam loved the water, I didn't believe her at first.  There were stories of Liam teaching himself to blow bubbles in the bathtub, his first trip to the beach, and how his first word even had to do with water - DUCK.   She also told me how much he loves loves loves to eat sand.  Well, after our photo shoot at Lake Cochituate last week, I believe her.

The mischievous little guy after eating a mouthful of sand.... because really, a sandy goatee is irresistible for a photograph!

The second Liam changed into his swimming gear (which, by the way, makes him look like a handsome little surfer dude!), he knew what was coming.  As we approached the water, his feet started running even though his mom was carrying him in her arms.  He knew where he wanted to go.  And we let him head right into the sand and the water.

An expression of pure ecstasy in the shots above. If you give a one-year-old boy some sand, he will certainly find a way to cover himself in it.

Liam was a blast to photograph.  I rolled up my jeans and got into the lake to get just the right angle of this little boy in his sandy element.  He was fascinated by the water -- this water boy, as his mom told me, even loves getting the water poured on him during bath time!  Here, a few of my favorite water shots...

Somehow, we did manage to get some dry pics of Liam on land, too.  I love his sparkling eyes in this one, and his cute little one-year-old teeth peeking out!

And of course, he made a toy out of the pine needles that covered the ground.  I'm starting to see a pattern in all his toys created from nature.  ;o)

Love the lens effect on this image, above.  Completely loving my new 50mm lens!!

Such a fun little guy!

Shutter Session: Sophia and Violet

Last weekend I got together with two little girls in pink and purple dresses to shoot some photos for a Fathers' Day surprise.

We went to the Grist Mill at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, and the girls turned the grassy fields into their playground.  The oldest one, Sophia, told me all about how they were taking photos for "Daddy's Day" and that it was a secret.  Amazingly, they kept the secret all week long and didn't let it slip!  So Happy Fathers' Day to all the fathers out there, but especially to the ones of little girls who keep photo secrets to surprise their dads.

Sophia is the oldest, and she came up with all sorts of interesting games for us to play during the session.  I loved catching her staring into my lens (she was searching for unicorns!), and her eyes really sparkled in these pictures.  I used my new 50mm lens, and I absolutely love the results.

I pulled out some more of my new photo props (check out these chairs I bought for $5 and repainted!).  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the chairs and they really made the shots.  I happened to leave the chairs off in a field while we wandered off to take some more photos in a different part of the park, and I came back to find someone setting them up taking a picture of just the chairs.

Plus, the light in these photos is gorgeous and it just worked wonderfully with the girls.  This next photo is my absolute favorite.  Violet put her head down on the chair when she was getting tired, so Sophia stood up and copied her.  Their mother and I were joking, "What are they doing?", but this turned out to be one of my all-time favorite photos.

Violet, at 22 months, was an absolute doll and such a sweetheart.  She spent some time running around chasing after her mom, so when  I finally gave her a chair, down she went.

We came across a beautiful run-down barn, which was a nice backdrop for a few photos of Violet.

And Sophia was game for playing on the fence posts.  Such a cute shot!

After our fun in the fields, we wandered off in search of some ducks.  "Patos, patos!" the girls exclaimed as we drew near them.  I love the story that this next picture tells -- you can see Sophia up ahead on the path to see the ducks, and Violet turning around to make sure we were coming behind them.

Such a fun day, and such adorable little girls to be able to spend the day with!

Happy Fathers' Day, everyone!

Addison Caroline {Boston Newborn Portraits}

A few weeks ago I packed my bags (again!) and hopped into my car.  500 miles later, I let myself in through the back kitchen door and a newborn was placed into my arms.  After a few minutes with that blanketed bundle, I looked up at my dear friend Wendy and told her that, if I had to get back in my car right now and drive home, it would have been worth it just for those few precious minutes with her daughter. Luckily, I didn't have to turn around and drive back to Massachusetts and I had a couple of days to snuggle with that lovely little girl and her big brother, Zack (check out his post, here!).

Going through Addie's photos I have rediscovered the beauty of black and white.  Here, a few of my favorites...

She has the most piercing blue eyes, and such an intense gaze!  Plus, did you see that head of hair?  Her brother was famous for his natural mohawk, a subject of his momma's blog for many months when he was born. Though little Addie may not be going down the mohawk path, her tresses are already noteworthy.

One of my favorite moments that I captured was this little exchange between my best friend, the momma and her daughter.  Such a sweet moment to capture in the perfect photo.

And what would life be without a little color?  A few more of little Addison Caroline, who has already stolen so many hearts...

Below, my newest photo prop addition: a beautiful picture-frame-turned-chalkboard.  Love this!

And lastly, let's not forget about Addie's big brother, Zachary.  That little guy has been amazing his momma and daddy for 22 months.  The day that Addie came home from the hospital, he decided that he wasn't about to let her steal the limelight and he took his first steps... all SIX of them!

The Z-man also stole the show with my newborn props.  I love that when I looked back through these pictures I found that itty bitty droplet of baby drool coming out of his mouth in the photo on the left.  He was concentrating oh-so-hard on erasing that chalkboard, and it shows!!

Little Addie is lucky to have such a wonderful big brother!

Genevieve {Boston Newborn Portraits}

Welcome to the world, Genevieve Elizabeth.

Born on May 18, 2012

8 pounds, 6 ounces

On Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing 8-day old Genevieve Elizabeth.  This was my first newborn session.  I read all the books and pored over all the blogs, I assembled a variety of props, and I went into it ready for anything.  ("The books," by the way, say to expect to get peed and pooped on.... I am happy to report that neither of those occurred during our session!)

Since it was my first newborn session, there was inevitably some of this happening:

But everyone made it out unharmed, and had some fun in the process!  :o)  Genevieve was a little angel and I truly enjoyed photographing her.  Her parents were excited to show their own interests and hobbies in her portraits, and they supplied their own collection of props, including mom's handmade quilts and sock monkeys, and dad's Lego rocket ship.

Here, a few of my favorite sock monkey pictures...

And here, one for Genevieve's dad.  He went out and found this rocket ship just for her!  She was fascinated by it the entire time and stared at it, completely mesmerized.  She was also quite shocked the few times she reached for it when it found its way crashing down for a landing!

Once Genevieve was quite comfortable in front of the camera, we confused the poor thing by having her do some naked baby shots.  But they turned out absolutely precious!  She showed so many unique and adorable facial expressions in these ones.  There are too many to choose just one favorite!

Notice the handmade sock monkey quilt Genevieve's mother made for her in the photo below!  Absolutely adorable.

I was so excited to catch her little wink, below.  So sweet!

This little girl with sparkling eyes was such a joy to photograph.

Shutter Session: Nicolás

Isabel and I met in grad school five years ago while sharing the hallway between our narrow basement office spaces.  Together with our friends Arlene, Leslie, and Jill, we breathed life into that space and filled our offices with laughter and gossip sessions to escape the stress of being a graduate student of Spanish literature.  We spent many hours perched on each other's desks and quickly formed a strong friendship that has endured many changes over these past five years...

Isa has an adorable curly-haired son, Nicolas Joaquin.  At 2 1/2 years old, Nico is a mischievous little boy who is quick on his feet and is always finding himself in the midst of one adventure or another. Isa and Dallas were the first to jump at the opportunity of a photo session with me, so here, at long last, are some photos of their sweet family...

I love the wonder on Nico's face, above.

He has a very independent spirit and headed out across the park in search of adventure....

...which he found in the form of a soccer ball!  Here, he's making his grandfather in Ecuador very, very proud of his futbolista skills.

Love this shot of him perching on the rails.  I was lucky to catch him in the middle of his escapades scaling fences here!

Finally..... super toddler!

Shutter Session: Daniel

A Sunday afternoon beneath the spring trees with a guitar-playing little boy...

Daniel will be going into first grade next year, and he is oh-so-ready for that big step.  He's a little boy filled with curiosity and a playful spirit, and his session was filled with games and playful moments sprinkled with serious moments of calm like the one above.  I loved capturing those moments of him, completely lost in his own world.

Daniel came completely prepared with his own arsenal of props... all of his favorite toys!  His dad is teaching him to play the guitar, so he brought that along with his favorite blocks.

He is such a typical little boy and he spent the afternoon turning over the bark on tree branches to shriek about the insects hiding underneath, running through the shadows in a red-light-green-light game, and constructing tall towers while his sister sat beside him building Snow White's castle.

I love the above shot of him.... such a serious engineer constructing a tower with his blocks!

Later I busted out a secret weapon from my own arsenal of tricks.... soap bubbles!  For some reason, watching those shiny bubbles float through the air and watching them pop is always a fascinating hit!

And finally, a hazy late-afternoon shot of Daniel playing soccer in the dandelion-filled fields with his dad.  I love the sunlight's haziness in this shot.  It really makes the puffs glow, and you can almost see the beams of light shining down...

Engagement Shutter Session: Kara & Greg

What do you get when you mix together a diamond ring, a fun-loving couple, a whole bunch of quarters, and a photographer?  And then you stick them in downtown Boston?  A few weeks ago I spent many fun-filled hours photographing Kara and Greg around the Faneuil Hall area, and despite the fact that I had to run back to my car and feed the meter not once but THREE times (!!!), we had an amazing session and I got a number of great shots.

I had a feeling right from the beginning that these two would be up for anything when I told them that the first place I wanted to photograph them was down this desolate alley off the marketplace.  They were in!

Downtown Boston has always been one of my favorite places to photograph, so I was excited that Kara and Greg chose this location for their engagement session.  Mixing a couple into the photos lends a whole new perspective to this photogenic city!

It was clear how much fun Kara and Greg have together.  The afternoon was filled with piggy back rides, carousels, a little bit of car hijacking (kinda, sorta, maybe!), and some dancing.  Case in point: Give them a bubble lamppost in a crowded marketplace, and they will find a way to make it work!

Apparently their laughter rubbed off on others around us, and a college student came over asking to take the same photo for a class project of hers.  As Kara said, who was she to stand in the way of this girl's poor graduation?  :o)

(Above: This is one of my favorite shots!)

I love these bench shots!  The benches and the chains were the perfect frame for these two Bostonian imports.

Bricks are quickly becoming my trademark:

I loved working with this creative couple.  They had the fun idea to do some miniature portraits.  It lends a li'l bit of sass to the session!

To showcase their playful nature, we headed over to a nearby playground.  Greg proposed to Kara after one of her trapeze shows last December.  We found some fun playground equipment to incorporate into their photos, reminiscent of her trapeze acts.  The tricky part was trying to "steal" the bars away from the children!

A little bit of dancing in the park...

Congrats, Kara and Greg!  Such a joy to photograph!

Shutters & Steering Wheels

Given that a car crash was part of the reason that finally prompted the purchase of my fancy DSLR camera 1 1/2 years ago (more on that later!), there must be a few good reasons about why it's not such a good idea to wield said bulky camera behind the steering wheel.... whatever those reasons are, I certainly didn't find them today!  Behold, the car pictures....

I spent the weekend down the Cape, and while driving back I got stuck in traffic on a two lane road.  With a glimpse of a field of purple flowers to my left, I slammed the brakes, turned around, and got out with my flashers blinking to photograph it.  I thought it might have been the Cape Cod Lavender Farm, which I just found out about and am dying to go to and photograph.... instead, it was the front lawn of a private property.  Still gorgeous:

And a close-up:

Well, those couple of pictures led to the end of the end for me.... after all, what's a girl supposed to do while stuck in traffic at sunset?

Above: I got a bokeh in my shot! If you don't know what a bokeh is, click the link.  Bokeh is my latest photography obsession.

(Oh, but of course I managed to catch a sunburst while balancing my camera on the steering wheel in traffic!)

Seriously, there must be a number of logistical reasons of why this is dangerous.  And after this blog post, there may even be a new law going into action about hands-free cameras. Case-in-point, the bridge that I definitely shot a little off center/out of range with my aim:

Despite steering wheel mishaps, that camera will still be in the front seat with me.  So in the meantime, keep those beautiful Cape Cod sunsets coming, and I will find ways to capture them (even if I am stuck in a car in end-of-weekend traffic!)

Shutter Session: Princess Cristina

I had the honor of photographing a lovely brown-eyed princess this past weekend.  The second she got out of the car, little Cristina was telling me all about her fancy sandals and showing me her pink toe-nail polish.

As the afternoon wore on, she became my own fashion stylist.  I should have known that would happen when her mom called me an hour before the shoot and recommended I run upstairs and throw on a pink shirt.  :o)  Cristina spent the afternoon admiring the roses on my camera strap and telling me how to style my hair (which, by the way, means no ponytails or sunglasses allowed in this royal tot's court!).

The light on Sunday was BEAUTIFUL and worked wonderfully in our photos.  We're going on a ten-day rain streak here, so this was a nice reprieve from the clouds.  What a perfect way to spend the afternoon.... in a gazebo (or rather, Snow White's castle!) with a fairy tale princess.

The park was filled with dandelion puffs.  Literally filled.  I love the above shot, which was actually inspired by the title page photo of Kelle Hampton's beautiful new memoir, Bloom.  If you haven't read it yet, check it out!

Later, Cristina pulled out her guitar from El Salvador to play alongside her brother (shots from his shoot are coming soon!).  I absolutely love everything about the hazy light in this shot, the way her dress flows, the sparkles on her princess tiara...

She is a very independent little girl, and insisted on holding it upside down in her left hand while strumming along.

And finally, one of my absolute favorite shots of her.  I busted out the bubbles, and she and her brother were entranced.  At one point I looked over at her to see this mischievous sparkle in her eyes, a sly smile on her lips, and the bubble container between her teeth.... "It's a trumpet!" she exclaimed!

Such a fun bubble-chasing, princess-smiling kind of day!