My Candid Moments

I want, no NEED a Soda Stream

2011-09-30T06:47:00.000-05:00

I have been posting a ton about BZZ agent lately, because well they are giving regular agents like me a chance to win an early invite to some of the upcoming campaigns. There have been a few of these I have liked and wanted to participate in. However, there is one this week that has me SUPER excited. The Soda Stream. I saw this at Best By the other day and I have been super excited to find that one of the early invites this week was for this. I love that i can make soda by the glass when the kids want it, like with pizza. No more half used cans or bottles of soda. Even better is that the diet soda is made with natural ingredients and that excites me. I have been spending too much money lately on soda, and would love to have this.

I can see it being the hit of our Halloween party, the kids having just plain fun as they make 'soda pop' for their friends.

So I am would LOVE to be asked to join this campaign.

BZZ - Bil Jac This Time

2011-09-29T15:31:00.001-05:00

There are so many reasons why I love Bzz Agent. I think the biggest is that you can test things out and share what you like or don't like with them. I have learned so many things I like and don't without investing in something that won't work for me in my family. They also ahve a great database of reviews put together by real people -- which gives me a great starting point for learning about new things as they come out.

A couple of weeks ago we got asked to participate in the BilJac Bzz campaign. I jumped at the chance because with two dogs we are always buying dog food. Anyone who has a dog also knows that it's hard to figure out what they will like, don't like or what will upset their systems and good dog food is expensive. The flip side is we have learned they also eat less and poop less when we use good dog food.

I had seen the bags of Bil Jac, but since we have an older dog who has a sensitive stomach I didn't want to try it, in case.

I have to say the dogs love it and so does my husband since using this brand, we have seen less poop to pick up as well~!

note: Bzz Agent provided me with a sample for review. They did not in any way require any specific outcome and all the opinions expressed about both Bil Jac and BZZ agent are my own. This blog post does contain links to BZZ agent, but I do not receive compensation for these links.

Bil Jac

2011-09-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Have I said lately how much I LOVE BZZ Agent? I think it's the best thing ever. I love that i can try out new things, and then give my opinion on them. It's amazing to me how many great and not so great things I have discovered. The best part is I figure out what works for us as a family AND earn points using My Points. OK That's enough about the love of BZZ, I need to tell you about the latest item we have been trying out. (even though I did not get into the campaign for the Cuisinart Smart Stick I still love them).

Bill Jac is a great new Dog food. The fact that it's packed with nutrients means the dogs need to eat less and then well you guessed it they POOP less. My dogs so far have loved the package we got, in fact I am excited as we now have another food to add into their diet that is full of great nutrients and makes them happy!

note: Bzz Agent provided me with a sample for review. They did not in any way require any specific outcome and all the opinions expressed about both Bil Jac and BZZ agent are my own. This blog post does contain links to BZZ agent, but I do not receive compensation for these links.

Time Mangement and a bit about BZZ

2011-09-15T16:00:00.000-05:00

I think that the biggest challenge that I face as a Mom is time. Now with going back to work, time is going to be even harder to come by then it was before. In an effort to be more efficent I have been looking for easier ways to help our morning routine. We love to make smoothies, fresh waffels and other things for breakfast. Now that I have to get three of us out the door by 7am, every morning. I was worried we would have to give up our fresh smoothies and other breakfast favorites.

Then while purusing the Bzz Agent website the other day, I had a brainstorm. They showed the daily BZZ and the item up for grabs was the Cuisinart Smart Stick. I have to say I suddenly got goose bumps. Could it be, was it possible, that I can now do smoothies on the go? No more getting out the big bleder and no more problems if I don't clean it all right away? Just one little detachable blade?

The more I read, the more I wanted to have this. I had visions of soups on the go, smoothies need I say more! I started to figure out if I had enough points saved to get a card to Amazon, I had been trying to save them for Christmas. SO instead, I decided to try and get an early invite. Afterall, how hard can it be. I love to BZZ, in fact I just told a neighbor today about how I do BZZ agent and use the MyPoints rewards to get gift cards to Amazon. Then i use the cards for birthday gifts, holiday gifts without impacting my budget negatively.

While I try and figure out how to get the Cuisinart Smart Stick, I hope BZZ agent can see how much this would make my life easier and that I would love to be a part of this campange. Yes I am a BZZ agent, and proud of it!

note this blog post contains links to others websites and none of the links and no insentive is recieved for htis blog post other then the hope I will get to be a part of the Bzz Agent Campain.

Apptivo

2011-07-29T10:46:00.001-05:00

Apptivo is a fantastic way to manage your small business. I am amazed at the varitety of activites that they have that you can use for free. I first heard about it through Bzz Agent, which is a great way to earn gift/cards and points while trying out new things.

I think my favorite tool is the to do list and that you can have multiple useres, it allows me to remind sub-contractors that I work with that we have projects to do and get ready.

I have barely begun to explore all the options and things that Apptivo can do for my small business. I can not wait to see what other tools and ticks they have for me to use to make my time more effient!

Trend Micro

2011-07-06T13:38:00.001-05:00

I was lucky to be selected through Buzz Agent to try out Trend Micro. As an admin assistant for photographers I have tried out several online back up services and can not say enough how important it is to have data backups. I have heard over and over again about professional photographers who have lost all their images due to faulty hard drives.

So that this does not happen to my own personal photos, I was very excited to see that I qualitifed for a trail of Trend Micro Safe Sync. The service was so easy to set up and install. The only question is how much space to have, which for me is clearly more the better, I tend to take alot of photos and have lots of digital scrapbooking elements I purchase in order to create albums for my chlidren. To protect those fantastic memeories I am thinking I would need to have at least 50GB, but that's me.

Even better then how easy it is to use, is that you can try it out for 30 days before you commit to purchasing it, unlike other services that require you to purchase them before you start to upload your data.

<img src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/safesync.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=5789313107&Campaign=5100708602&Uid=1132769&token=d22f9100e3371ff1c2cd024de36161c1" alt=""/>

Shannon

Review of Maybeline Super Stay Lip Stick

2011-04-20T11:30:00.002-05:00

As many of you know I am a pretty frugal person and recently came across a great website. This site, BUZZ AGENT, allows met to test products out for free. In doing so I agree to post about them on my blog, here and sometimes on facebook. Since I am a bit sick of all the contests and other things that require facebook posts/comments etc I have chosen to revive my blog and post my thoughts here.

To start with I was exited when I got the samples of the Maybeline Super Stay Lip color. I, like all busy Moms, find that I often discover as I am half way through my day I don't have a lips color, gloss or even a chap stick in my purse. That a little mini me has absconded with them and I left the house sans lip color.

The lip color was not as they said. To start with it required more then one application throughout the day. I also found that the lids to the two ends frequently came off and although I did not use the color every day I still went through my trail lip stick quickly. I found that I was re-applying the 'gloss' 4-5 times a day and the color at least once if not twice a day. It really did not save me time, provide long lasting and staying color.

While I think that the idea of this lip color is great, it's expensive (almost $9 not on sale) and does not feel like it will last very long, so in my mind it's not a great investment. I want to thank Buzz Agent for giving me the chance to try out the lip color and look forward to more campaigns with them. If you are interested in joining Buzz Agent please let me know and I can send you an invitation.

Growing so fast

2008-04-12T11:10:00.002-05:00

I can not believe that her first birthday is just a month away. She has been growing up so fast it seems, even more quickly the her brother did. She is a feisty little independent thing, but when it comes to her baby dolls, she is the little Mommy even now.

I love to watch her cuddle them, doing just as I do to her, then suddenly the baby gets flung aside as she takes off after her brother and the Thomas Trains.

She is going to keep me busy this summer -- if it ever comes!

New and exciting -- a way to get a few extra dollars.

2008-04-04T10:47:00.002-05:00

Do you remember when paypal started? I do, if you signed up you got $20 right away. Who wouldn't love that, an extra 20 bucks?

Well, another company is attempting to rival Paypal and is offering $25 if you sign up, no strings right to your account!

Check it out, free to sign up too!! Just click on this button and go sign up!!

Another sweetie...

2008-03-22T08:30:00.004-05:00

I photographed this little one last September when she was just a week old. She was so tiny and sweet. She is still very sweet, but not so tiny any more. I hope you like your sneak peak "Baby L"~

I hope everyone has a happy, if not snowy, Easter!

Another peak... for "Baby H"!

2008-03-18T10:37:00.004-05:00

I am working to get caught up and know that they are waiting so patiently for their gallery, so I am doing a few more "sneak" peaks for them!

This was such a fun session... can't wait to get the rest proofed and to the client!

Surfs Up!

2008-03-16T18:31:00.005-05:00

OK so it's really not even close to surf time here in Minnesota, but it felt like it this weekend. I had a few sessions over the weekend and everyone was wearing spring/summer dresses even though we still had snow on the ground.

This little cutie was such a ham. I can't believe she is the same child who SAT, yes SAT and didn't even crawl or move away during her cake photo session at one year. I can tell you it's not the same story now -- she's one busy girl and clearly has a mind of her own. This is one of "her" poses and the fact that I "caught" her laying down is nothing short of a miracle. She was up and down faster then my camera shutter, which moves pretty quickly!

More of that little boy...

2008-03-12T18:33:00.002-05:00

I thought I would put out another sneak peek of that little guy I did a week ago. I just love that the had his own ideas, too bad he didn't want to look at me~ I hope to have more peaks of that darling little girl next!

I told you I was busy...

2008-03-09T15:34:00.003-05:00

Here is another sneak peak. I did a session for miss "h" on Saturday. Her Mom and Dad are such fun people! She is so serious and so cute at the same time! I just have one for now, but there will be more coming tomorrow and over the next week!

She was such a trooper doing all that we asked and at one point just laid down and put her head on the ground as if to say "enough"! Gotta love babies nothing ever goes the same way twice!

Sneak Peak -- Mr. "N"

2008-03-09T15:28:00.003-05:00

I have been super busy this week with three and four month old little ones. The best part of baby plans is that you get to see them so often that first year you can really get to know the little ones and their families.

Friday I got to see Mr. N, bless his little heart he is the only baby boy on my schedule right now, but he is a cutie. I think Kate likes him so I will have to watch out as he gets older... when do girls start to think boys are yucky? Soon I hope!

Anyway, he was so much fun. You can tell he is a big guy and just very interested in the world around him. He was not too keen on being on his tummy with me, but loved the bumbo seat, so we made that option work for us. I be the next time I photograph him he cruising around and getting into everything!

Wrapped in Love

2008-03-06T17:40:00.004-06:00

OK, I know I already did a sneak peak for the W family, but I came accross this image and I just had to share it! I LOVE how baby M looks so wrapped in love. You can tell (although you can't see Mom and Dad's faces) how much they love their little gril. She is clearly the apple of her Mommy and Daddy's eyes. I know she is going to grow up with a Mommy and Daddy who love her tons, she is a very wonderful blessing for them! W family your session is getting done -- Hope you like the sneak peak or two I have posted here!

Cowboys, Doctors and Baseballs oh my!

2008-03-04T12:54:00.008-06:00

I am so happy to introduce my friend Mr. K, my session for today. I first photographed him last fall, when he was ONLY two and a half, as of today he's officially three! He is such a fun little boy so full of energy and so full of life! Last fall we had a fun session with apples and the lake in his backyard. Today we took his three year session in the studio (a bit cold to be outside). Mr. K was fun and brought his Doctor kit and cowboy outfit and twins gear for his session. I think he had fun, cause he gave me a hug when it was over.

A cowboy...

A Vet or Doctor....

A Baseball Player...

He was so fun and like all three year-olds did well once he understood the terms, you smile you get a lollipop. He worked for the lollipop, too bad I didn't have one for Dad too (Dad worked hard as well).

Baby A -- here is your sneak Peak H Family

2008-03-02T14:54:00.009-06:00

Wow it was a busy weekend around here, this is the sneak peak from my second session, this weekend. Meet Miss A. world to come to her, she want to get out and explore it and experience it for herself. Miss A has a strong will, but a sweet nature that will get her far in life.

She brought her Mom and Grandma to the session with her and it was so much fun to have a "girl" party in my the studio - aka my living room. Like all children she didn't want to do what we wanted when we wanted it, but she clearly had fun watching all the fuss her Mom and Grandma were making behind me!

Babies, well children in general, always amaze me, that even at three months they have started to develop unique personalities. No two babies are the same, just like no two adults are just simply amazing. I think that's what I love about what I do. I take photos and while the mechanics are often the same, the same light will get the same exposure, put a different child in the mix and it's a different result every time. Miss A is the type who is not going to sit around for long, and will be on the move by the time I see her again at six months.

Sneak peak ... W Family~

2008-02-29T13:21:00.004-06:00

MEET BABY M -- Welcome to the world!

I had the pleasure of photographing this little newborn this morning. She was such a peanut, you have to remember that Kate is now so big that they all seem small to me now!! Her disposition was just so sweet and her parents were troopers! I think baby M wanted me to give up, but I always get my shots, so in the end I won. I love newborn sessions because each and every one is different, but yet the same sweet little babies every time!

Baby M had a really cool Mom and Dad, Dad was a trooper today! Baby M's mom looked fantastic and went with the flow so nicely. You can tell she is a Kindergarten teacher, so great with the chaos that was our home today. My usual babysitter had a child who was ill, so my husband stayed home with the kids for me. It was the first time Kate saw Mommy at work, and was very curious about the whole operation. The lights were things for her to pull up on, the baby well just something new!

Anyway, I can't wait to proof the rest of this session and watch baby M as she grows! I loved working with her Mom and Dad -- they were such fun people.

Catching Up ... Again

2008-02-24T14:13:00.025-06:00

I am just now catching up to a hectic February. I am not sure where all the time has gone, but I do know I haven't been sitting around. Kate, John and Vince have kept me on the go with colds, the flu and of course John's fifth birthday. Just before all the colds started around here, I was lucky enough to attend a wonderful weekend with some very talented photographers.

The seminar was fantastic and we all learned so much, even Kate got in a few pointers from Mark, our wonderful teacher and the owner of the host studio, Mark Stien Photography

I was albe to get one of Kate and I along with this amazing shot of her by Kenneth Deboe of Deboe Studio Photography. Ken is just an amazing person and photographer. He is fantastic with children. If you are anywhere near Ken in California, run to hire him NOW! He just amazing and is located in San Jose, California.

I also love this photo taken by Alisha, of AGR Photography in Altanta Georgia. I love the way Kate is so at home and asleep! I have so few photos of the two of us together that I just LOVE when I am lucky enough to get one taken, let alone by such talented photographers.

This is the group that attended Mark's little seminar, most of them were from places where winter is much warmer then here, and they managed to brave the -16 temperatures to learn about photographing high school seniors and talk shop with each other.

Front Row: Kenneth Deboe, Me along with Kate, Alisha Robertson,Jodi Friedman, Faith Essary, Carolyn Jones, Kristie Kulick,

Back RowAli Hohn, Kelly Bennett Photography, Mark Stien, Kristin Franke, Alicia Thiede , Natalie B, Martha Bravo

Turning FIVE!!

2008-02-22T21:13:00.004-06:00

John turned five today. What a huge day for all of us. It has gone so quickly, and yet it seems like it has been so much longer then just five years too. We just can not imagine life with out John. He was and always will be our first little blessing. John is very camera shy lately, so the fact that I got these shots of him enjoying his Cake are just amazing to me.

We celebrated with his Grandparents last weekend, so it has been a week long celebration of his birthday, and I am ready to be done with cakes and candles, but not the fun of being five! Tomrrow is the big party with his friends at a local restuarant, Space Aliens. He loves going there since they have video games and pizza, what more can you want. We like it since they do have food other then Pizza and beer, I am not sure you can get anything but pizza at Chucky Cheese.

We are hoping to get him some golf clubs and a set of two lessons for his birthday. He LOVE golf and my girlfriend let me know about lessons at Sundance Golf Course here in Minnesota, for 5-6 year olds. It's a great deal, and just as much as they can handle for lessons. I have to admit I am really ready for spring to be here and some warmer weather, I am just dying to get out and photograph my tulips!

Birthday Party Recap....

2008-02-14T20:20:00.006-06:00

Ok so it's been a month since I shot these. I don't know why I didn't share them sooner, but anyway it's here now. This is Miss M and boy does she have so much attitude and she is just a hoot to watch. She's showing her Mom her tummy in this photo, I just love moments like this, totally unscripted and unplanned. The fact that you managed to capture them means that it is possible to hold these moments close FOREVER. That's the best part about photography.

Stay tuned the newsletter is coming soon!

Wow what a weekend

2008-02-11T21:18:00.002-06:00

Kate and I just got back from a weekend spent with thirteen very talented photographers. Most of the attendees were from the south and learned the meaning of what COLD is to us here in Minnesota. It's amazing to see all the work that others are posting. The same light, subject and angle with a different photographer will produce such varied results yet all equally amazing.

I just love this one of Kate, this is her I am about to get into trouble look. She is on the move now, and loves to get into things. This past weekend she discovered the sport of taking everything out of a drawer and or off a shelf... and of course dumping it on to the floor.

Who knew one little girl could do so much damage in a couple of minutes to my office. I hope everyone is staying warm and having a great Valentine's week.

Look for the newsletter to come out later this week with some great new things happening at Candid Moments!

Sleepy baby...

2008-01-25T20:26:00.000-06:00

I know it is just flying by for me. I am really not sure where it is going. I remember Kate like this and it seems like it was just days ago, not months. Baby M was such a great little guy, once he got to sleep nothing was waking him up. His big brother was also one great little guy. I will post a photo of him tomarrow. Today is just for Baby M.

Photos of sleeping ones like this make me want another baby, but then I remember how much work they are and am happy to just photograph them. It's my way of getting a small little baby fix!

New year a new Baby...

2008-01-05T15:53:00.000-06:00

I had my first session of the year yesterday, it was so much fun. I am now doing baby plans for my clients, called First Moments. This little one is one of my newest members to my First Moments group. She was such a cutie. I have to give a shout out to her Mom was, Ms. J was amazing. I have seen second and third time Moms less at easy with their newest addition then she was. She also looked amazing for having had her just a mere ten weeks ago.

Baby H was very alert and feisty. I think this little one is going to be going places soon. I can't wait to see her a couple of months and find how how she is doing. That's the best part of my First Moments club, I can see how they are doing along the way.

It has been too long

2007-12-23T14:41:00.000-06:00

Since I posted anything to the blog. I have been busy though. I did three newborn sessions in the month of December. I loved each one, they were all such amazing families. I will share a few over the next couple of days. I need to also share some of my Kate. She is growing so quickly, I can't believe how fast time is going.

Today I am sharing one I took at breakfast with Santa. I was lucky to meet up with a local restaurant owner and the next thing we knew we had teamed up to present "Photos and Breakfast w/Santa". We plan on doing it again next year, so stay tuned for the details. We are also planning on a Brunch w/the Easter Bunny two weeks before Easter in the spring. I can not wait, it is so fun to watch everyone and see their reaction to things.

2007-11-05T18:39:00.001-06:00

Things are not getting done as quickly as I would like this fall, so I am grateful to have patient and understanding clients. Adding Kate to our lives has brought us such joy, but oh so much more work. This is another "peak" for that wonderful family that meet me on a grey October day. Their gallery will be up tomorrow, barring any catastrophes from the kids. I love this photo, will it win awards for the perfect family shot, I doubt it, but I still love it anyway.

Getting into the sprit of things...

2007-10-27T23:15:00.000-05:00

It hardly seems right to think about Christmas before Halloween and before Thanksgiving. However, I have been working with clients to select holiday cards as well as taking photos just for those cards.

I am so glad that I took these today, as Kate's "Christmas" outfit seen here might not even fit her come Christmas, she is growing like a weed. I can't believe I got this shot of Kate and little miss "m". Next year I suspect it will be a real challenge to get the two of them in the same spot for more then a second.

More from my holiday sessions coming in the next few weeks.

A beautiful day

2007-10-23T11:51:00.000-05:00

After all that rain it was nice to finally get a decent day for photographs on Saturday. I met with a wonderful family and got to watch two little boys at work. This family was fantastic to work with, I really enjoyed their boys. I loved watching the expressions on Mr. D. He is two and at that stage where he is determined to do what he wants, when he wants. I just love this expression. You can just tell he is one happy little boy!

Another repeat...

2007-10-18T10:57:00.000-05:00

I am so blessed to have many clients come back more then one time. It allows me to really see the personalities of the kids. I also love that I get to play such a fun part in capturing their family memories. This year has been the year of the boys and apples, except for little Miss B. She is four and has all the attitude of a teenager... but she and her family are so much fun to work with.

We went to a wonderful location over in Scandia -- Gammelgarten museum http://www.gammelgardenmuseum.org/

I can't wait to proof more from this fun family!

Busy weekend and fun families

2007-10-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

I had a busy weekend and the pleasure of working with two wonderful families.

This little guy is two and very much about moving and not sitting still. I loved following him around with his parents. They are a wonderful family, you can just see how much this little guy means to them. So much fun to watch.

I hope I can photograph this little guy again, he had the biggest most engaging smile -- even if you can't see it on this photo~

Some more sweet little guys...

2007-10-16T14:08:00.001-05:00

I am behind, it's just the reality of my life. I love to take photos and I love editing them, watching the faces unfold. I wish I could say I get them done the next day, but I don't. So my compromise is that I edit as few at a time, giving everyone a sneak peak of their gallery.

These two boys are very sweet who knew when we scheduled the appointment it would rain to the point their yard was flooded, then be so hot we could have done the shoot wearing shorts! These two were so much fun. I have a ton of two year old/one year old boys this year. I may have to set up the backdrop and do a few of Kate soon, just to edit something pink~

My boy

2007-10-14T17:16:00.000-05:00

I just had to share this one of John. He is growing up so fast I just love how "into" the moment he is in this photo. I think we all need to stop and be more into the moment. I hope he retains his excitement for life as he continues to grow.

More boys...

2007-10-08T16:03:00.000-05:00

I seem to have tons of boys in my line up this fall and they are all such cuties!

This is just a quick one from a session I had over the weekend. These boys were so much fun, just all about moving and getting into things, all the things that make this age such fun but so much work.

Playing around

2007-10-05T14:11:00.000-05:00

I know this is a photo I have already shared, but I did something fun with the color. I just need to do things for just me, sometimes!

Summer's end...

2007-10-01T21:51:00.001-05:00

These are some photos taken at the end of summer. I know I am behind in editing, I feel just awful that these have taken me so long to get to. However, I am getting to them now and that's what does matter.

Familar faces....

2007-09-29T16:19:00.000-05:00

This session was just so much fun. The two little girls might look familiar, they are one of the first photos I posted to the blog in August. This session was for their little brother. I loved getting to catch up with my client and play with them again. I guess we should have taken off the little guys shoes, but it's still a great shot of the three of them. I can't wait to see what we get next year, when the little one is chasing his big sisters. Today he was just starting to walk, so they were safe.

Look at those eyes!

2007-09-29T16:15:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of doing photographs today for a little boy who is turning one. He was all energy and all little boy.

2007-09-26T19:03:00.003-05:00

Today I took some time to play, just a bit. I went back to a shoot I did in August and used a fun frame on it. Thanks to Bonnie C. for posting this. She has some wonderful Photoshop tutorials, freebies and other stuff on her site. Please check her out! Bonnie

http://oractions.blogspot.com/2007/09/wicked-wednesdays-free-border.html

More of that little miss...

2007-09-23T20:09:00.000-05:00

I did a few more of that cute I posted earlier this week. Slowly getting truly caught up, but then like laundry there are always more photos.

Tea cup cutie

2007-09-23T20:04:00.000-05:00

This is my daughter. I have been spending so much time lately doing photos of everyone else, that I thought I would do one of my little Kate. I have been dying to do one of these photos for a while. She was such a good sport about it.

I hope she is just as happy when I try for a second time! LOL. It's one way I practice different types of lighting and strangely enough - relax.

Little Miss

2007-09-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

I am experimenting with studio light, this is a first for me and I must say I LOVE it. There are so many things you can do easily when the light is controlled. Thankfully I have these two cuties to practice on. The first is my friends daughter who has the most amazing smile, and can be so silly at the same time. The second of course is my little Kate. I just love that she is nearly sitting up and soon I can take some great photos, before she starts to crawl away when she see's the camera coming! LOL. I am excited to say that with this experiment I am going to offer studio style in home sessions this winter - I can't wait to see what I can do with those.

All boy...

2007-09-19T18:22:00.000-05:00

Just a few more from a week ago. This little boy was ALL BOY. He reminded me so much of my son just a few years ago. This is something he would have done.

The photo says it all~

2007-09-19T12:44:00.001-05:00

Pretty in Pink and Two Tiny Feet.

2007-09-18T20:42:00.000-05:00

This little peanut was five weeks old, but still so tiny. She was adorable and just still so fresh. She made my "little" Kate look so HUGE, it's amazing how quickly they grow and how they seem to change in the blink of an eye.

Those apples...

2007-09-18T17:21:00.000-05:00

This little one LOVED the apples, so much so I don't think we could have gotten her the give them up. She was simple adorable, as you can see from this photo. She had an apple in each hand most of the time and by the time we were done had eaten at least part of three! What fun to watch her go.

So sweet...

2007-09-18T16:06:00.001-05:00

There is nothing sweeter then a newborn. I love photographing them, they are so unique. This little one was just a few days old, and so tiny.

I can't imagine a baby this small, both mine were larger then this when they were born! I love how large the nuk looks, compared to the baby.

Those Curls

2007-09-18T15:34:00.000-05:00

This little guy had the most amazing little blond curls, the kind you just want to reach out and touch. He was also a busy one, not liking to stay put for very long (how many of them really do?).

What a fun family!

2007-09-18T11:17:00.000-05:00

This brother and sister were so much fun. Although Mom and Dad didn't get into the photos, they were also great to talk with. The Mom is a WONDERFUL artisit and creates the most amazing mosiacs, you can find out about here work here - http://www.tcmosaics.com/about.htm I really enjoyed working with them and their two kids!

Catching Up...

2007-09-18T11:12:00.000-05:00

I did a wonderful set of Sessions in Forrest Lake a week ago. It was so much fun to play with so many different families and see so many little ones having fun with apples! I still have a ton of work to get the galleries ready for these clients, but thought I would offer a sneak peak for them as I get a few done.

More to come... May be one day I can do some more of my own kids...LOL!

This little guy was so much fun, just as busy as a bee! Of course, that's what kids his age are like, all over the place. I just love this shot, it is a perfect fall photo.

Time flies

2007-09-13T18:21:00.000-05:00

I know that I haven't been posting, well to be honnest I don't know how many of you are reading the blog, so I guess that plays into my doing posts.

Things have been very busy with sessions, kids and of course the return of fall. I am just a tad bit behind in my editing and am working hard to get caught up. This photo was taken during the last week before Labor day and just sort of struck me as a fun "outtake" from this session.

More later. Feel free to let me know if you want to do a "lollipop" session -- the are a great way to bribe kids into doing the shots we want and then get some fun candid shots!

Busy...

2007-08-29T20:09:00.000-05:00

What I LOVE about photography is getting to meet so many different people. I had a chance last weekend to meet the two of the sweetest little kids, and their family. I know that, given their ages, they can be challenging, but for me they really did really well. The little girl was so cute and funny, just getting ready to walk, you could tell once she did she was going to be off and running. The little boy was all boy. He loved his pet Toad, who made in to most of his photographs. I just can't wait to complete proofing this session.

To many photos and too little time...

2007-08-26T20:10:00.000-05:00

I have to say I have too many photos. I know that might sound odd to you, but for me well it's just a way of life. Since having Kate I have a great subject to play with, but at the same time I also have way more work and not just with photography. I am running a business, taking care of two kids and while I love it ALL, time is not something I have as much of as I would like. Time to learn more about my craft, because I am always learning new things. More time to read, more time with the kids, more time with friends, more time to just be. I know it will all come in well, time. However, until I get more time. I thought I would share a couple of recent photos. They are of my kids and their friends. I love it when I manage to capture them in the middle of doing things and just "being" themselves. That is something I love to do for my clients, but often is the most difficult thing as I am there for such a short time, but I try.
Kate has started to suck her thumb, as seen above. I guess it was bound to happen with one of our kids, since both Vince and I did the thumb thing when we were little. Kate continues to be a source of great joy for all of us. I think John continues to blossom as a big brother, he tries to be patient and kind with Kate. I will hear him tell her "don't worry Kay Kay Mommy is coming it's going to be all right" or "don't worry Kay Kay brother is here, it's OK it's just a thunder storm".
It also makes me realize how much John takes in even when you don't think he is listening.
That's all for now.

Life....

2007-08-20T13:36:00.000-05:00

I don't know how time just gets away from me so quickly. I am busy with the kids and of course my photography. This past weekend was so disappointing for me, since it rained for three days and required me to reschedule many clients. However, the one nice part of it is that it allowed me time to just sit and relax, since I know the busy season will soon be here.

This is a photo I took of John when I was shooting at the rose garden last week. I just love the expression on his face and that well I actually got a shot of him. He hasn't been to keen on my taking his photo lately.

Time to rush off to do something else while Kate is sleeping.

Kate -3 months old!

2007-08-11T16:34:00.000-05:00

Wow time has just flown by. My little cutie is now three months old. I can't believe it! where did all the time go??? I know it's just a matter of time and she will be crawling and walking and I am just not ready for all of that, yet. She is talking and giggling all the time now, wonder where she got that from??? She loves to "hang out" with me in my office while I work. She really likes the photos on the wall above my desk, I wonder what she is thinking as she looks at them. In fact while I am editing photos today and typing this up she has done a complete 180 scoot on her back by kicking her legs around. She is so very proud of herself, you can just tell in her delighted squeals she is making. What joy she and John bring to my life.

I am still trying to get a more formal photo of her for the wall, but this one I did just on the fly last week. She was in a good mood and the light was nice inside the garage. I am hoping to convince Vince to help me (he usually does) and take photos later today of the kids.

John is a great big brother to her and loves to be helpful. In fact just the other day he said to me, when talking about a friend, see I am being a "good big brother to Brooke". I hope to post more in the up coming week. Thanks for reading about our lives and our blessings.

Why I do this... Photography

2007-08-11T13:49:00.000-05:00

I am striving to balance my need to photograph things and the needs of my family. I often wonder if I am doing the right thing and if my photos truly have an impact on others. Just recently I had a session with a little three year old girl and her four year old brother. As it often is with kids they didn't want anything to do with each other, and for the boy he REALLY didn't want to have anything to do with having his picture taken. I was only able to get a couple of shots of him and put what I had, which wasn't much, in the families gallery.

Later the Mom commented to me that when she saw the photo she nearly cried. That this photograph was the essence of her child. This is the photograph posted here, btw.

That is why I do this, why I strive to achieve "perfection" in what I give to others. It is so that they have those wonderful unscripted moments of their families preserved in a photograph.

This week

2007-08-08T20:16:00.000-05:00

I have been busy working on my new web site. I haven't even taken photos of my own kids lately. I really wish that I had more time, but if today is nice I should get a few minutes to take photos of John and Kate. Then hopefully find some time and upload them.

This photo was from a recent session I did with two of the sweetest little girls. I just loved working with them and can't wait to photograph them again soon. I took photos with them at the Rose Garden, one of my favorite spots to take pictures. I really enjoyed watching them play in the fountains and in among the flowers. I hope their Mom loves the photos as much as I do.