One and Wonder

Happy 1st Birthday, Genevieve!

One year ago, Genevieve was the first newborn that I had ever photographed. She was also in my much-liked photo of the Christmas lights baby.  I've learned a lot since then, though it's hard to believe that a year has gone by already!  Genevieve's first birthday was on May 18th, the same day that two of my other baby clients also turned one!  A popular day for first birthdays, that's for sure!

So when she was 366 days old, I went to her home and photographed her in the same sunroom where we had been a year earlier with baskets, quilts, and a newborn who wondered what in the world was going on around her!  This time was a bit different -- Genevieve is so curious and inquisitive, and I loved being able to capture that on camera!

She was wearing a handmade sweater that had been her mother's when she was a baby.  When her mom was planning the shoot, the only thing she knew she wanted for sure was for this sweater to be on her little girl.  We joked that it didn't matter what the temperature was, and it didn't matter if she'd have to squeeze into it -- she was going to wear that sweater!  And it came out so adorable and precious in the photos of her with the same handmade quilt from her newborn photos.  I love when you can use heirlooms like that to tell the story through your family's portraits!

It's a big untraditional, but this is definitely my favorite image I captured of Genevieve's little family.  Such a sweet moment capturing a one-year old's wonder.

A Barefoot Afternoon

As many of you know, I'm a first grade teacher in my day job and I do photography on the side.   (Although "on the side" is quickly becoming much more than that as it fills up all of my time outside of work!)   The photography is a wonderful creative outlet and it's something that really keeps me going when I know I have a shoot or some editing to look forward to. It's very rare that my two roles overlap, although there are a few times when they do cross paths, and I love it!  I had that opportunity with this sweet little family last week.  Mahalia started first grade with me almost three years ago, and her family won a session with me at a school fundraiser.  I was thrilled to be able to capture them on camera and see them outside of the school setting for some photographic story-telling.

We met for our mini-session at Cushing Park, and it did not disappoint with options for backgrounds to frame this beautiful family!  Mahalia immediately took to being my photographer's assistant and started scoping out locations.  Later in the session she even took hold of my camera and shot a beautiful picture of her parents, below.

My favorite thing about this sweet family?  Well, there were so many things!  The love between the three of them, the way that Mahalia just brought them all together, their vibrant energy and fun-loving spirits... But my all-time favorite was that the minute we got there, both Mahalia and her mom took their shoes off and did most of the session barefoot.  THAT is just my kind of casual on-the-go session!  The mother later told me that she always wanted to run around barefoot as a kid, so this was quite fitting.  :o)

And, as I promised in the sneak peek of this photo on my Facebook page, here's the story behind this gorgeous shot:

Mahalia has had these two teddy bears her entire life.  The yellow one was bought for her before she was born, and the blue one she received when she was very young.  I actually remember her writing stories about these bears when she was in first grade, and I'm pretty sure they made their way into the teddy bear journal that she brought home when she was six.  She really wanted a shot with the bears, and it just came out so soft and precious.

Her mom's reaction to seeing this photo was the best:  "These photos are absolutely amazing.   Mahalia with her lil' teddy bears gives me happy tears.  Thank you so much."  I love being able to put smiles on their faces and evoke happy tears in the families that I work with!  That right there is the best review a photographer can get -- it means I captured the moment and told the story through the lens of my camera.

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Considering a location for your next session with me?  Take a second look at Cushing Park on Dudley Road in Framingham!  It's absolutely gorgeous year-round, and my photographer's eye can spot out the best locations to make your family's photos really POP! and come to life.

Happy Birthday!

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

This week I got a little notification in my email box from the site manager of my website: "Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!"  One year ago I decided that I needed something more in my life, that I needed to create and find beauty and reveal the stories that others had to share.  I realized that I needed to pick up my camera and actually do something with it.  And oh, I am so happy that I did!

Last spring I had no idea where my new path would lead me.  I was giving away free sessions left and right, rushing home to edit the photos, to work magic with my mouse and reveal the internal stories that only I could capture with my camera.  Immediately, I was hooked.

All year, I've looked at the world in a before-and-after perspective.  There are so many free-time things where I've commented, "Oh, I haven't done that since last March."  Watch TV? Nope, over and done with.  I have given all of my time and all of my heart to this business over the past year, and I couldn't be happier to see where I've been able to take it.   This entire year has been a learning process for me, and I have loved every single minute of it!  I can't wait to see where I'll be a year from now, and where I'll be able to take my business over the course of the next year.

One year ago this weekend, I was giving away a free session to two adorable little girls in a park.  This weekend, only one year later, I've photographed a bar mitzvah and am meeting this afternoon about an upcoming wedding I'm shooting next month.  Talk about a difference!

THANK YOU to every single person who has supported me and my business.  Thank you to every client who has booked a session.   Thank you for every click on my website, for every referral, for every rave review and glowing testimonial.  Thank you for hanging my artwork in your homes, for sharing it with family and friends, and for allowing me to capture those fleeting memories for your family.  Thanks for asking me how it was going, and for sharing in my (sometimes literally jumping-up-and-down!) excitement.

THANK YOU.

Classic B&W {Boston Newborn Portraits}

Beautiful little Sophia's parents asked me to come back and do an ENTIRE portrait session for them in black and white.  ALL B&W???  Seriously???? How could I possibly resist that temptation?  :o) While I adore color portraits and I believe that everyone should live out loud in color, there is just something so crisp and clean about a black and white photo that I love so much.  I have said on this blog more than once that some photos just BEG to be in black and white, they were just meant to be unsaturated with a play on highlights and shadows.  When I look around my own home, most of the photographs that I've chosen to hang on the walls are in some version of B&W.  So an entire photo session in B&W?  Sign me up!

I couldn't be happier with the images.  I'll let the photographs speak for themselves...

Is there something special you want in your session?  A dream you have for your photographs?  Please speak up and let me know!  I'd be happy to bring that dream to life for you.

Sweet Sophia {4 months}

Earlier this month I got to meet the absolutely darling 4-month old Sophia.  Her mom had contacted me to schedule a session after being referred to {Nicole Schwalm Photography} by a friend (check out baby Stephen's photos, here!).  That referral actually happened in the middle of baby Stephen's shoot and put such a smile on my face.  Word-of-mouth referrals are the best and are my favorite way to get in touch with new clients since you have an instant connection based on the referral.  Plus, the new clients already know exactly what they are looking for in their family's photographs since they saw their friend's session and could already picture how their own family's portraits would turn out, inspiring them to schedule their own session! I walked into Veronika, Alec, and Sophia's sunny home and met their loving and happy family.

Veronika already knew that she loved my B&W baby portraits, so we were sure to capture those classic and simple moments that always translate so well to B&W.  I adore the love that fills these photos, the soft back lighting that lends an airy touch to them, and the precious candid moments that I was able to capture between little Sophia and her parents.  Plus the light coming through those doors resulted in my two favorite characteristics in a photograph: beautiful bokeh AND catchlights... oh, be still my photographer's heart!  ;o)

Ooooh, and did we ever have fun playing dress-up with Sophia and these gorgeous little handmade hats that had been given to her!  I love the sherbet-colored bonnet and how it just pops against the white background.  It's reminiscent of Genevieve's Christmas session, but a touch more spring-like with the colors.

Sophia spent most of our session clasping her little hands together and bringing them up to her lips, a move her mother explained that she perfected in utero and that they saw time and time again in her ultrasounds.  So cute to now be able to see that in person and on film!

And I loved the B&W image and the color one so much that you get to enjoy both of them full-size right here, too!  Look at the way those beautiful eyes of hers sparkle and are full of so much depth!  THOSE are the perfect catchlights in her eyes.

Next came the adorable little pea pod hat and some tummy time.  Sophia was such a little model and was in such a pleasant mood, not fussing one little bit during her tummy time photos!  She was in love with the soft, furry background and just burrowed herself in it, smoothing it along her cheeks to feel how soft it was.  So cute!

And finally, another favorite from her tummy time.  This one is much more dramatic with the light and shadows!

I'll end with this gorgeous soft-lit frame of Sophia chilling in her dad's arms.  Her blue eyes really pop against his shirt!  Since she was so much older than the newborns I've been photographing lately, she really kept her focus on the camera the entire time and stares right into the depths of the lens in many of her photos.  Love the effect that has!

Thanks for a wonderful session, Veronika and Alec!  It was a joy photographing your family.

Remember, everyone... word of mouth referrals!!!  :o)

A New Arrival: Elizabeth Darcy {Newborn Portraits}

February 4, 2013

10:51am

6 lbs, 15 oz

Elizabeth Darcy's arrival was long awaited, and much celebrated.  This little girl's entrance into the world was a grand one, and she came home from the hospital right when 2013's epic blizzard (Nemo) hit New England.  Our 30+ inches of snow delayed our photo shoot a few days, but I was thrilled to get to photograph this little girl when she turned 7 days old.

Welcome to the world, Lizzie.

Lizzie's mom and I teach together, and the moment Kate told me she was pregnant we were already talking about scheduling her maternity and newborn sessions.  Check out the family's whimsical maternity session, here.

Continuing on that whimsical theme, we created so many soft and beautiful portraits of little Lizzie.  I am in love with these images!  This little girl is just so precious.

Lizzie has these deep blue eyes that were so alert for much of the session.  She fought sleep so hard and wanted to see what was going on around her.  Such a curious little girl!

So sleepy!  She's trying so hard to keep those eyes open here...  But then she finally succumbed to sleep.

Yawn!

Kate and Matt are so excited about the arrival of their little girl, and it showed!  I love these black and whites that I captured of them together.

And another of my favorites from the session is this soft image of Kate and Lizzie.  The light is PERFECT!

A few more teasers of this Valentine's baby...

And lastly, since both of Lizzie's parents are teachers, of course we got some pics with books!  This baseball book is one of Matt's faves.  He's a NY fan.  ;o)

Thank you, Kate and Matt, for a wonderful session!

Kyle's Family {An Olivia Act Session}

What is The Olivia Act? It's kindness.  It's a smile on a deserving family's face.  It's capturing a moment that wouldn't otherwise be captured.  It's a rapidly growing "pay-it-forward" movement of photographers all around the world giving away a free session and the photos to so many wonderful families.

The Olivia Act, named after one of the children killed in Newtown, was started by a photographer who wishes to remain anonymous. Olivia’s family had pictures taken a short time before she was killed, which are now priceless to them. Upon hearing this, one photographer was moved to give away a 30 minute family photo shoot and has challenged other photographers to do the same.  As a first grade teacher AND a photographer, this proposal hit me double time.  We all go about our daily lives, day in and day out, and we often don't take the time to enjoy the small things and soak up a moment.  Many families don't have the time or the resources to have their children's photos taken professionally.  I chose to give away a session and capture one family's moments in time for that reason, to pay it forward and put a smile on one family's face.

It started with a proposition in mid-December.  I asked for nominations, and was pleased that there are so many kind people out there generously nominating their friends, family members, and neighbors.  The kind letters came flowing in, each story touching and moving in it's own way.  One that really struck a chord was written by Christine about Kyle's family.  A short excerpt:

The world is blessed with many beautiful and happy babies, but Kyle is special because he is a blessing. He is a constant reminder of faith, family and love. His positive attitude is remarkable and he's such a joy for anyone to be around; he loves his cat Stitch, his family and practices his pitching arm any chance he gets! The most infectious thing about Kyle is his laughter. Whenever Kyle laughs everyone knows that to be truly happy is to be grateful and to live in the moment because for someone so young he's been through quite a bit.

Kyle has been in and out of hospitals since he was one month old due to a congenital heart defect and a slew of other side effects associated with this complication.  His family has shown such resilience and love, and I was honored to be able to capture that for them.

His mom had the perfect idea to incorporate hearts in his shoot, not just for Valentine's Day but because February 7-14 is also Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week.  I couldn't be more pleased with the way his photos turned out!

How do you keep an 18-month old still?  Give him his dad's iPhone with the Gangnam Style song playing.  Apparently it's his favorite!  He definitely started bopping around to that one!

And finally, this strong little guy is so close to walking!  Such a huge milestone.  :o)

To Kyle, Laura, and Greg: Thank you for welcoming me into your lives for the afternoon and allowing me to capture these beautiful moments for your family.

To Christine: Thank you for such a beautiful nomination letter.  Kyle and his family are lucky to have you!

To learn more about The Oliva Act, please visit the website at http://www.theoliviaact.blogspot.com/ or the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheOliviaAct?fref=ts.

Fellow Photographers, please consider taking part in The Olivia Act!

Stephen {Newborn Portraits}

Stephen made his grand entrance into the world on December 4, 2012.  To his parents Nichole and Stephen, little baby Stephen is their "tornado", and it was quite appropriate that the Little Big Town song came on during our session.  He has turned their world upside down in the two months since his arrival, and it was so clear that they are head over heels in love with their firstborn. At only 6 weeks old, I got the chance to photograph this newborn on a sunny winter day to ring in the new year (actually, "oldborn" is the term that photographers use for the littlest of the little ones older than 2 weeks).  I was thrilled to be able to capture his precious and fleeting newness on camera.  Stephen was very alert and pleasant throughout the session, which is rare for a newborn!  It was almost as if he was telling us, "So you made me get naked?  And you're putting hats on me?  And you're posing me in baskets and moving me around the house?  So what?  I can take it!"  Absolutely adorable, and his photos came out just precious.

And now, with no further introduction, the little baby boy with the sparkling blue eyes...

There's just something about newborns in black & white that is so classic...

(I couldn't decide which of the above edits I liked more, black or grey... what do you think?)

And the adorable, happy family.  Baby makes three.  I love the shots of the new mom and dad with their little guy.  You can just see the love pouring out of the photographs.  The candids are the best and their bond really shines through -- and being able to capture THAT is the reason I love this job!  :o)

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And finally, some soft toned photos to showcase those gorgeous sparklers of baby Stephen's!  Such a wonderfully fun session -- I can't wait to photograph this little guy in the future.  His mom and I were already talking about a one-year old cake smash!

And now that I'm in head-over-heels in newborn mode, I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby C, the next little girl I'm due to photograph.  Everyone seems to be eagerly waiting for news of her grand entrance into the world.  Hurry up and get here already!  ;o)

Jack, Adam & Evan {3 Merry Brothers}

Talk about a kick-start to your Sunday morning!  A few weeks ago I knocked on the front door and had it open to these three merry little boys inside.

It was a whirlwind of activity and we went from one thing to another -- homework, toys, drum sets, trophies, snow boots, beyblades, M&Ms...  There was so much LIFE in that home on a sleepy Sunday morning and it was a great way to start the day.  The boys were so much fun and clearly very comfortable in front of the lens of my camera.

I loved catching them in between... in between all of that activity, in between the moments when they were looking right at the camera, in between the "cheese" smiles.  I loved capturing the giggles, the hugs, the silly and confused and amazed expressions, the wonder...

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A few of my faves...

Adam, in amazement, telling me that he can see my "eye" in the lens of my camera.  It was really the shutter, but then he watched it until it "blinked".  And he got his brothers to do the same!  That's quite a simple way to stop three excited brothers in their tracks.  Pure focus, attention, and wonder.  And their bright blue eyes just make you melt!

Jack and his grandmother.

Adam & Evan.

And this little mouth here?  How adorable!

And here is one of my absolute favorites from the day.  I was lying on the floor, clicking away, and when I came home and started processing the photos I just about died laughing when I saw Jack's expression in this one.  Everyone knows the feeling that he's showing here when looking at his little brother.  Too funny!

And here, boys will be boys:

Jenna & Annabelle

 

Jenna and Annabelle are two of the cutest little brown-haired sisters that I had the joy of photographing this holiday season.  My photography calendar for the holiday season filled up quickly, and I was thrilled to be able to fit a session in with this family.  Jenna was a former student of mine, and the week leading up to our session she came by my classroom every day to say hello and ask about that weekend's photos.  So adorable!  Both sisters were such little hams for the camera and were an absolute blast to photograph.

A few favorites... I loved the B&Ws from this session!

And, since I teach kids to read and write every day, I thought this one of little Annabelle learning to write her name was too adorable to pass up.  Such a proud preschooler writing her name out in chalk!

(On a sidenote: this chalkboard is one of my newest props.  I love that you can use chalkboard paint and literally turn ANYTHING into a beautiful writing surface!)

'Tis the Season

Fa la la la la la la la la. Awhile back I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with Noah and Ravi and their moms, two teachers from the school I work at.  The playdate buddies were such hams for the camera.  The second I had the backdrop and lights set up, Ravi walked right over there and plopped himself in the middle, intent on showing off for the camera.

Tis the season...

.... for shiny gift boxes to be used as toys.

.... for sparkly holiday lights and wooden trains.

.... for The Polar Express.

.... for December clementines... and one-year olds realizing that the skin doesn't taste so good!

.... for adorable little boys dressed up in bowties.

.... for childhood wonder and magic.

.... for cute footsie PJs.  And for tackling your friends to get closer to the book!  (Noah is practically reading on his own anyways, so it's no surprise here he's clearing the pathway to the story!)

Hope you're all enjoying this merry season and all that it has to offer!

Happy Holidays!

{1 Photo: 32 Days} Part 1

I feel like I need to preface this post with a disclaimer.  I love December.  Everything about it.  What's not to love?  Twinkling lights, pine garlands, sparkling Christmas trees, candles in the windows, nightly baking traditions, lots of holiday gatherings, old fashioned B&W Christmas movies, a nonstop Christmas playlist on Pandora, and an abundance of cheer.  Yes, people may be stressed and frazzled, pulled in too many directions, but there is so much GOOD in the month that it's easy to get a little dazed and distracted by it all and allow yourself to just soak it up and enjoy the merry and bright month that only comes once a year. The Danish people have a word that embodies the concept of all things warm, fuzzy, and comforting:  hygge.  It's a light-hearted concept that they take very seriously, striking the perfect balance between satisfaction and feeling self-satisfied, finding hygge while sitting beside a fireplace in a warm, wooly sweater and sipping on some delicious Danish drink while surrounded by friends and good conversation.  Can you tell now why Denmark is on my bucket list for stamps in my passport?  Basically, the Danes embrace my high-on-December attitude year-round, which is something I think we should all aspire to do.

On that note, here's a creative way I've found to approach the contented state of hygge this season...

There is this amazing website for photographers (professionals, amateurs, shutter clickers, and everyone in between!) called I Heart Faces.  I discovered the site a couple of years ago for their weekly and monthly photo challenges.  This December they posted a photo-a-day challenge with the idea that participants will post one photo each day related to a specific daily theme.  Me being me (the one who is filled with Christmas cheer, dazed by twinkling lights, and all around cheery throughout the month of December).... well, let's just say I was ALL OVER this challenge when I read about it.

It hasn't been easy finding the time to take and submit a photo every day, but I've managed to make it halfway through the 32 day challenge so far.  I'm quite pleased!  You should check out the other submissions on their I Heart Faces Facebook page for a bit of holiday inspiration.

So here you go, my month in photos.

{Day 1: me}

{Day 2: elf}

{Day 3: what you're reading}  This is one of my all-time favorite and most inspiring quotes from Mary Oliver: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

{Day 4: shadow play}  Okay, so maybe I cheated here and found an older photo.  This was taken last February on my birthday, an unseasonably warm day that I decided to get in my car and head to the beach.  Beachy, wintry shadows?  I'll take it!

{Day 5: someone I love}   Another old photo, this one of my best friend's son, Zachary.  Check out her blog here.

{Day 6: burst of red}  I couldn't decide and I had two entries for this one.  The first is from Provincetown.  The second is from Saratoga on a nighttime adventure in search of a burst of red in their quaint little city.

{Day 7: the view from here}  And this show why I find Saratoga so quaint and beautiful!  I literally stopped dead in my tracks in the middle of the road, mesmerized by the lights.  It's like stepping onto the set of It's a Wonderful Life.  That little house up there?  That's Santa's house.  No, seriously, that's where the kids go to sit on Santa's lap and write him cute little letters.  So sweet.  Every town should have one of those.

{Day 8: shopping}

{Day 9: decorated}

{Day 10: stripes}  Wrap me up in Christmas lights and call it a night!

{Day 11: on the shelf}

{Day 12: sweet}  Wednesday night baking adventures commence!

{Day 13: 'tis the season}  Shaped bokeh.  Again, I am ALL OVER that!!!  No house in my neighborhood is safe from my camera. If you put lights up, they are just begging to be photographed!

{Day 14: B&W}  Sweet little Genevieve, a beautiful little snow angel.

{Day 15: something yum}

So there you be.  That's my December, so far.

And if you want to read another post that made me burst out laughing time and time again, check out Kelle Hampton's post about her cup o' cheer holiday season.  The part about the Christmas village and 50 shades of good stuff happening up in that little village inn?  Yeah, she embraces the hygge, too.

And Baby Makes {3}

A few weeks ago I met up with Kate & Matt at Veteran's Park in Westborough for their maternity shoot. It was the perfect fall day, and it was becoming quite a baby-anticipation-filled day for this happy couple... right after our session they went to their first baby class!  I'd like to think that our belly-kissing session was a nice jump start to their class.  :o)

{Matt meant this as a joke, but little did he know I'd capture it and it would become one of my favorite images from the session!}

Kate & Matt's little girl is going to be a winter baby.  She's due to arrive with the snow in late January/early February, and everyone is eagerly anticipating her arrival!  Kate and I teach together, and her husband is also a teacher.  In fact, they are commonly known as two of the math gurus around town  ;o)  We kept joking about how the newborn session would be staged with their little girl propped up on math books, and when collecting props for the maternity shoot, Matt leaped into the room with a calculator and suggested, "Should we bring this?"

Off to the park we went with a bundle of balloons.  I have a theory about balloons after doing a couple of shoots with them now.  So a baker's dozen is 13, right?  And that would make a klutz's dozen 11.  Well, a dozen balloons is never a dozen balloons! We had barely gotten them out of the car and started walking when we looked up at the sky and saw one floating away.  At which point we stopped to count and found that we only had 8 balloons left.  NO IDEA where the rest disappeared to, or when they disappeared, but they did!  And then our mathematicians started constructing story problems based on the disappearing balloons!

{Whimsical: my new favorite word to describe my photography.}

Aren't these little shoes adorable?  They were the first gift that Kate & Matt receive for their little girl, and they came with the most adorable hand-knitted dress, too!

I really like this last image.  Their whole family is there, including little Rudy the dog!  And the way Matt is looking at this momma-to-be... love!

Such a wonderful session.  Thank you, Kate & Matt, for many laughs and many wonderful moments to capture.  I'm already eagerly anticipating the next time we get together with a camera to photograph your little girl.

*~*~* Belly to Baby Package *~*~*

Capture the anticipation, the wonder, and the excitement wrapped up in those nine months of waiting!  Then once your little one arrives, capture the little toes and the sleepy yawns before the moments pass you by much too quickly.  Contact me for more information today!  This is a GREAT gift idea for all those moms-to-be on your holiday list.  Spread the word -- now booking sessions for 2013!

Merry & Bright

'Tis the season to be merry, bright, and glistening with all of those gorgeous twinkling lights! One of my favorite things about this season is the lights.  I love the way they look and the magical whimsy that they lend to the night.  If I had my way, every inch of the town would be covered in beautiful white lights and draped in pine garlands... and not just in December!  Nearly everyone that knows me knows that I have a (minor?) obsession with holiday lights and I love photographing them and finding ways to incorporate them into my every day life.  Just a touch of Christmas year-round?  But of course!

(Advertisements seem to be making their way into the links in this paragraph... please ignore until I can correct this issue!  The only link I've added is og Genevieve's newborn session in the fourth sentence.)  So of course I jumped at the chance to do some holiday photo shoots.  This is the first of many.  I was thrilled to travel to six-month old Genevieve's house early on a Saturday morning to play with holiday lights, Santa hats, and a red tutu.  Genevieve was the first newborn that I photographed last spring, so this was an especially sweet photo shoot and I loved getting to capture her as she grows.  Looking back through the photos I found a few cute little facial expressions that she had made six months ago, too!

And now, let's let the lights speak for themselves...

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One of my absolute favorites from the shoot?  This black and white one with the lights shining just so and illuminating beautiful Genevieve's wonderstruck expression.  As a photographer, I draw inspiration from so many places.  Lately I've been admiring the gorgeous B&W photos of the talented Kate T. Parker Photography.  After I processed this photo, which just BEGGED to be in B&W, I took one look at it and saw the inspiration connection.  Love it!  Right now it's topping the charts as my current fave, though that is always changing with each new shoot that I go on  ;o)

As we enter the most wonderful time of the year, remember to pause and appreciate the joy and the wonder of the season.  Stop on a street corner and just soak up the twinkling lights for a few extra seconds.  Breathe in the scents of the pine boughs and the peppermint candles at the supermarket, and appreciate the warm and cozy atmosphere in the kitchen.  Come together and create new traditions, celebrate old traditions, and SOAK IT UP.  Suck the marrow out of life.  Enjoy it.

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived...  I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.”  ~Thoreau

Aliya, Adlani & Norah

The leaves may all be gone now after the hurricane and the snowstorm that we just had, but going through this session brought back all those fun colors and crunchy leaves that come to New England each fall.  For such a beautiful season, it is much too short-lived.  This was such a fun shoot -- we scheduled it right in the last week of the full-color season and decided to meet on the quaint town common in Framingham with all of the interesting buildings to lend texture to the photos. The Common was in full color, every inch of space filled with orange and yellow leaves... Amazing color and instant props -- a photographer's dream!  I was greeted coming out of my car by Adlani, Aliya, and Norah.  They were full of energy and excited for our shoot with promises of leaf fights, tree climbing, races, and handstands.  At one point I found my hair being decorated with leaves by the youngest, Norah.  You never know what you're in for with this job!

I really like the next two images... look closely and you'll see the "before" and "after", telling you exactly what it is they're laughing about!

These next two images of Aliya and Norah are a few of my favorites, too.  Love this angle with the leaves and the grass surrounding their smiling faces!

And finally, what would a shoot of mine be without a couple of images that just begged to be in black and white?  :o)  Love Adlani's laughter in this one, and the serious expression on Norah!

Happy Fall, everyone!

Aglow

I'm working on three different galleries right now, but this is one photo that stopped me in my tracks that I absolutely love.  More details and photos coming soon, but I was thrilled to get to photograph nearly six-month old Genevieve this past weekend for a light-filled holiday shoot.  So many favorite shots to go through, but this one in particular is just calling out to me right now. Love everything about this image!  Her hand-knitted hat that was passed down from her mother, this little toes curled around the lights, her wonder struck expression, the cozy sweater against the soft blanket, and the way the lighting is hitting her just so.  It's magical.

More holiday photos coming soon.  Remember, if you're interested in scheduling a holiday shoot, please contact me to schedule it by November 28th. Holiday photos, New Year's photos.... this one actually looks like a good one for St. Lucia Day!

Laughter & Leaf Fights

  While I loved the summer for all it's warm ocean breezes and hazy light, the fall is also quite the dream season for a photographer!  There's just something about that crisp air, the warm and cozy sweaters, and those bright harvest colors that beg to be photographed.  A few weeks ago I was able to bundle all of fall's goodness into a deliciously fun session with this family.  Can you believe how beautiful these two kids are?

Katie was a student of mine my first year in the classroom, and I was lucky to get to photograph her now as she's turning into quite the young lady with her little brother Gordon.  (Look at his little toothless smile, above!)  We had such a great time during our session and they were both so eager to be my assistants and scout out the next amazing location for each of our shots.

I love Katie's fiery red hair in these shots.  It really pops in these fall photos!  She was great for the whole session, just going around her backyard exploring and coming up with creative places for our photos.  She's quite the scientist and I really enjoyed watching her in action!

Gordon is a little firecracker. He was full of energy and had so many things to say.  He took his "assistant" job very seriously and even found himself climbing a couple of trees to show me his ideas for photo locations.  Such a great kid!

My favorite was when he ran up to their porch and called out, "How about we do one like this?" and just popped this cute little pose out of nowhere!

(Above: Gordon's melting face!)

The best way to work with kids through a photo session?  Promise them a leaf fight at the end!  :o)  Actually, looking back on the photos, I'm pretty sure their mom was the first one to throw the leaves and the rest was history!  So much fun -- love the whirling colors and the look of pure exhilaration and wonder on their faces in these ones...

Before...............................................................................................................   And after!!!

Happy fall!!!  Next year I'm making sure to book lots of fall sessions in advance while we still have all of these gorgeous leaves to work with.  I can't wait!

Fall into Fall

I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." ~L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

I'm working on a few fall sessions for clients right now, so while I wait to post their photos, I have a few of my own that I wanted to put up here.  Fall is one of those seasons that is much too short and way too beautiful.  I love the crisp air, crunchy leaves, bright colors, cozy sweaters, and warm mugs in my hands.  Not to mention the pumpkin.... I have a fall-ish affinity for everything pumpkin!

Here are a couple of my fave pics that I've snapped lately.  Thank goodness for Instagram and camera phones!

13 days {Boston Newborn Portraits}

Alice Olivia is quickly going to become the most photographed baby girl in Jamaica Plain.  Not only was I lucky enough to photograph Alice's mom's maternity session over the summer and her arrival into this world at a mere 22 hours old, but I got to spend a wonderful afternoon with her and her parents to get some fabulous newborn shots. The hats in all the photos below (except the elephant hat) were hand-crocheted by my coworker's fabulous mother.  I think every photographer should have a little Ecuadorian abuelita to make baby hats for them.  A thousand thanks to Maria for her many hours of hard work.  The hats came out wonderfully and I am so, so happy with how they look in the photos.  They're absolutely precious!!

Alice makes an adorable little teddy bear.  

And a sleepy little elephant...  Her mom loves elephants, and this was a hat she bought while pregnant.

Alice was so wonderful during our session.  When awake, she had the most expressive face.  I love her wide alert eyes taking in everything around her.

Since Alice's mom is finishing her doctoral dissertation in Spanish literature, we thought it was appropriate to raid the bookshelves for some of the best and most classic volumes from her mom's office.  Only this little 13-day old girl would be propped up with Don Quijote and Silvina Ocampo.  Plus, the little hands under the chin pose?  That was all Alice.  We had nothing to do with it!  What a little model!

And one last picture to leave you with...  I just discovered this gem of a photo and it literally made me burst out laughing.  Look at this adorable little face!  I love being able to capture all the funny little expressions on my subjects' faces.  So sweet!

A little square of paper...

Business cards are in!  

Have any friends or family members you'd like to refer?  Contact me for some cards to share!  :o)

Thanks for your support!