Dear Santa,

I was good this year. This year for Christmas I want a new camera. I bright, shiny, SLR camera so I can take amazing pictures.

Signed, Me

Does this look familliar to you? Is a new SLR camera on the top of your wish list this year? What better to go along with your new camera than some lessons on how to use it? Keep in mind, taking good pictures involves more than just pushing the big shiny silver button. Tell Santa or a loved one know that, along with that new camera, you would love a gift certificate for my Basic Photography class (perhaps in a stocking?). Starting this spring (as soon as that house gets finished) I'll be teaching some new classes along with the Basic class....I've got some exciting things planned.

(drawn by me, one handed, while holding a sleeping baby)

Even better, why not win one? Just leave a comment on this post and one lucky winner will win a gift certificate for my Basic Photography class ($100 value, woohoo!) or one of my other photography classes I will be teaching in my new studio this spring. Keep it for yourself or gift it to a friend. Winner will be randomly picked on Tuesday morning, December 1st (my birthday!)

Warning!

If you are going to have me take pictures of your children and you show up wearing coordinating outfits, I'm going to make you be in the pictures.

Case and point: My good friend, we'll call her "S", showed up to take some Christmas photos of her little guy dressed like this....

I made her tackle him down (note: two year olds do not like to snuggle with mom when they can be throwing sticks in a pond) and take a picture. I couldn't help it. It was too cute. Here are some more of her handsome guy....

I love this little guy. He might end up marrying my Sophie one day...

A few more...

Got Leaves?

Today I went and took pictures for a good friend of mine. She has two darling boys. She also has a whoooooole lot of leaves from a very large tree in her backyard. Raking them all would be a nightmare, but they sure are pretty for pictures!!

Baby brother was not feeling good today. More of him to come later.

The "A" Family

Well, I'm officially "not quite back to work...ish" I'm taking a few sessions between now and the end of the year....but definitely keeping things low key and enjoying my time with my family. Yesterday I did venture out to take pictures of this beautiful family. This is my second time taking their pictures, and their mom took my Basic Photography class this summer, so I loved being able to see them again. Here are just a few from our session....

Happy Halloween!

A couple photos....

I'm lovin' me some baby Hazel.

Our New Baby

I'll be out of commission for a while. I have a new distraction in my life. Miss Hazel...sweet as can be. You'll have to excuse the lack of posts.....I'm busy smelling her head, kissing her soft cheeks, and snuggling with her.

Peek A Boo

From Christmas Mini Sessions

What I've been up to....

1. Moved in with my parents while we build our house.

2. Celebrated birthdays. My little girl turned five.

3. Still waiting and waiting and waiting for baby to come. Longest. Pregnancy. Ever.

Oh, you want to see a maternity photo of me?

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{Insert whale picture here}

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10 more days. 10 more days. 10 more days. I can do this!

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P.S. If you had photos taken any time this year, YES you can use them in one of my Christmas cards. You don't have to have participated in the mini sessions. Email me for more information.

H Family

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I LOVE going to client's homes to take their pictures. There is just something about having a family in their element that makes a picture so personal.

....I guess it also helps that the H family has a home in a picture perfect location. What a wonderful place to grow up!

I loved meeting this family. They were fun, laid back, and easy to work with. Their little boy caught a snake and two fishes while I was there. Boys...{sigh}....so different from my house full of little girls.

Well, enough of me blah blahing....here is the preview from our night.

Growing up

Here is the A family again....my sister-in-law's cute family. You might recognize them from here, here, and here. Time goes so fast...I feel like we were just taking their yearly picture! They are growing up! They are great boys, and, like always, we love going to visit them up in Wellsville!

...and finally

Okay, internet is up and running finally! Here are the rest of the mini session previews. Such great families - I can't wait to see how their Christmas cards turn out!!!

P.S. Life for me is very hectic right now, if you've sent me an email in the last few weeks and I never responded, I apologize and PLEASE send it again!

More Mini Sessions....

First up, the "C" family whom I've photographed before here and here. I LOVE photographing them because they are so easy!! Such a beautiful family, well behaved, and the kids are so funny! I loved the outfits they came up with, so great for fall !

This little guy was super serious for our session. He'd fallen asleep in the car and wasn't quite ready to take pictures. Luckily, he is a very handsome little man and still looks perfect with his serious little face.

Mini Sessions - Shout Hooray!

Today was my last day of mini sessions! Hooray! They were so, so, so, much fun this year. I loved seeing some old clients return and meeting some new ones. My cute husband Rich was my special assistant for the mini sessions. He did a great job dancing around for the kids to get them to smile, handing out candy, lifting me off the ground, and moving my furniture around. Awww....thanks Rich!

In other news, I've almost made it through my week! My daughters have both had pink eye, ear infections, and bad colds for almost two weeks, I've had bronchitis, we moved out of our house TODAY, last week I taught a photography lesson to a group of about 60 members of my church (the day I was diagnosed with bronchitis), and I am waddling around like a duck with baby #3 only weeks away. But hey, I've survived!

I have about 5 more sessions to wrap up and some editing to do before baby gets here, but I can definitely see a light at the end of the tunnel. Wheph! Well, without further delay here are 2 (only 2, with a lot more to come!!) sneak peeks of the fun I've been having the last two days.

When these cute little girls showed up in these colorful outfits I was super excited. According to their mom this is how you'll find them dressed up most of the time. They are such beautiful little girls!

Aren't their outfits so great? I love the colors!! I loved this session, a) because I have a special place in my heart for this sweet family, and b) because Baby C slept for basically the entire time and looks so cute sleeping in all of the pictures.