Fall Color

This is going to be quick - 'cause it's 5:15 on Halloween and my kids are ready to go trick-or-treating (and I mean standing in my studio in costumes staring at me as I type this).  I wanted to get this sneak peek posted before the chaos of the evening sets in (sugar high anyone?!).

In the previous entry I mentioned the stark contrast in fall color from one park to the other last weekend.  Well, here is Antioch park - just down the road from the previous entry - on the same day.  Amazing.

This sweet family has been coming to see my for several years - almost since the beginning (of ccphotodesign, that is).  I always enjoy our time together.  The thing that strikes me most with this family is how relaxed they always seem to be.  They just seem to soak in every moment with each other.  So inspiring!

Here is your sneak peek "N" family.  Thanks for another great session!

Ok - off to trick-or-treat!  Enjoy your Halloween everybody!

Mother Nature is Strange

The last two weekends in October and the first weekend in November are my busiest weekends of the entire year.  Everybody wants the fall color and this is when it appears (contrary to popular opinion that it appears in early October).  So the color is here and Christmas is around the corner and that means that I - am - swamped.  Please forgive me if it takes me a little longer than usual to get back to every one's email and voicemail - or if I sound a tad delirious when you talk to me!

Back to the fall color discussion.  Mother nature shocked me this weekend.  Saturday morning started out at Antioch Park where the color was fantastic.  Then I pulled up to Loose Park for this session and was shocked to see - green.  Lots of green and not much red,  yellow or orange.  How strange that two parks not terribly far apart could look so different on the same day.  We did manage to find a few spots with some color, but not much.  I'm so sorry "Y" family that the Mother nature played games with us!  Hey - at least green is always a good color, right?!

Here is your sneak peek.  Thanks for spending a few hours with me in the park.  I enjoyed meeting all of you.

Santa Sessions

Santa is coming to the studio!

He will be here for the 2008 Holiday Mini Sessions on November 15th.

If you've seen my work, you can probably guess that these will a little different from the traditional Santa pictures.  Imagine Santa's hand holding your child's hand, kids in their pjs peeking over Santa's shoulder, a toddler looking up at Santa and all you can see are Santa's legs - you get the idea.

Santa Sessions will be 30 minute spots and cost $35.  You will receive approximately 5-8 proofs (please note that proofs are not prints).  You are welcome to use your time slot for all of your children or book separate sessions for each of them.  Santa is very busy getting ready for Christmas so he will only be here on November 15th.  Book your session now - the spots are already filling up and I just opened the sessions!

Oh The Eyelashes

Seriously - you have to see these eyelashes.  "B" came to see me for his one year pictures last weekend.  This baby's eyes melt me.

He was in a great mood for his pictures and I had so much fun with him, as usual.  He is such a happy baby.  We spent the first half of the session outside at the waterfall and nature trail (same spot we did Mom's maternity pictures a year ago) and then moved into the studio for some essential one year shots.  

The most popular of all one year pictures is the "cake series."  This is where I sacrifice my studio floor for the sake of a one year old mauling a birthday cake.  I get mixed reactions from the babies - as we've all seen with our own children.  Some dig in, others are scared and others don't like the feeling of it on their hands.  Regardless of the reaction, the pictures are always great.  BUT I have to say that baby "B" has topped everyone as of yet.  He really dug in - and we got some great shots of it!  Thanks "B" for coming to visit again!  Enjoy your sneak peek "S" family.

A Fun Little Challenge

I had a session on Thursday that was a bit of a challenge.  

Let me explain.  

There were some concerns coming into this session - not on my part but on Mom & Dad's.  It seems that little "A" has given them a run for their money in previous photo sessions.  Now, keep in mind that just about every session with children gives me a bit of a challenge.  There haven't been too many kids that come into their sessions jumping with joy at the thought of spending two hours with me and my camera.  Most challenges consist of kids that would rather be playing and being wild than sitting for a nice little smiley picture.  They're kids and that's what kids do - and I've learned how to deal with that (most of the time anyway).  But let me tell you about a few other kids that have come in.  The shy ones.  The ones that aren't sure about me and certainly aren't going to buy into my making faces, saying silly words and putting my shoes on my head act.  These are the real challenges.  The super sweet shy little guys.  Well, "A" fell into this category.

This is how we started the session

And yes, that's Mom's shoulder you see on the right side of the photo.  Look at those sweet eyes - those sweet, "I don't trust you, please go away you strange lady" eyes.

So I focused on sister a little.  Now, she was not shy and not afraid of my camera a bit.  Which worked great 'cause I could do her pictures and "A" could just sit and observe from the safety of Mom's hip that I wasn't doing harm.

Ok, so back to "A" - he's warming up now (but still on Mom's hip)

And then, I think he knew that my memory cards were almost full and this is what happened as we neared the end of the session (notice he's not on Mom's hip anymore!) -

Why am I telling you this?  Because I want you to know that even if you think your child is at a difficult stage for photos (be it the wild or the shy variety), give a session a try.  You don't want to miss documenting a time in your child's life and you would be surprised at the shots we can get (especially as my memory cards get to be just about full!).

And for you - "C" family -  I thoroughly enjoyed our session.  The shy ones warm my heart (not to say that the non-shy ones, like big sister, don't) and I always love a "challenge." Enjoy your sneak peek.  I hope you are as happy with the results as I am.

Waterfalls, Fields, Friends and Babies

Sunday's session was full of waterfalls, nature trails, rocks, trees, fields with dreamy tall grass... and babies.  Some bigger than others - but as most Moms will say - no matter how big, they are still our babies.  My dear friends came by for fall photos.  This is the first time they've done a fall outdoor session.  There were concerns about the wind and hair - and all the terrible things the first can wreak on the latter.  Sometimes a little wind isn't so bad.  In this case it kept us from melting (80 degrees is tough when you're dressed for fall pictures!) and it made the dreamy field a little dreamier - or believable anyway since we are in Kansas.

"L" family - thank you for coming by and letting me do outdoor shots this time.  Also, I want to thank "S" for doing me a huge favor.  As a photographer, I am always the one behind the lens.  Because of that there are very very few pictures of me with my kids, especially me and the baby.  So "S" helped me out.  I set up the shot with her holding him and then we switched spots and she snapped it.  She did a great job!  Thanks "S" for giving me this gift and for insisting that we do it!  Here's what she got - 

And here is your sneak peek "L" family -

The "U" Family

I'm a little behind on my sneak peeks.  October is starting to catch up with me (craziest month of the year, followed closely by November), so please forgive me if I take a few more days than usual to get sneak peeks posted!

There's a tiny story behind this session.  Back when I did weddings, this couple was my first wedding.  A fantastic, sweet wedding.  Last year their son was born.  His birth coincided with me propping my swollen ankles up and trying to prevent my own little man from coming too early.  No baby pictures for me.  When they called, I really considered doing the session anyway until I realized that I could hardly move - how in the world was I going to do all of the squatting and running required for a photo shoot?!  No worries - I got to spend some time with him and his big sister on Saturday.  I can't tell you how nice this family is.  I'm thrilled that I got to meet "H" and spend more time with "M."  Here's your peek "U" family.  

Sometimes a Great Moment...

is when they're not looking at the camera

and sometimes it's when they are

Some of my favorite kiddos met me again at the park on Saturday.  I've seen these two several times since "B" was born and I just can not believe he's almost two!  Here's a one year comparison - last year's swing shot and this year's (he likes the swing!).

Thanks "A" and "B" for visiting again!

Three in the Studio

I had three darling kiddos visit me in the studio on Friday.  Baby "J" was so sweet and happy, but it didn't take much time with me before he was exhausted.  I was running out of space on my cards or I would have snapped a shot of him passed out in his car seat as we headed out to do outdoor shots of the big kids.  He did great considering he is three months old - the toughest age to photograph (in my opinion anyway).  "E" loved the camera and "W" was so cooperative, even though I knew he wasn't terribly interested in getting his picture taken.  What a fun bunch!  Thanks guys for putting up with the looonnng shoot that always happens with babies and for being brave enough to bring the big kids along.  And double thanks to "M" for scaring off any potential snakes in the field at the end!  Here's your peek -