Brown Eyed Girl

Eyes so deep you could lose yourself in them. A smile so pure that it seems like the angels are singing when you see it. A glow surrounds this little girl in every movement she makes. She smiles so much that she makes you want to smile yourself. Some moments, she looks just her mom...and then she gets that look in her eyes, she smirks and looks just like her daddy! I had so much fun Fotoing this family. It made me feel like a welcomed friend...wait, I was a welcomed friend! You see, I have known this family for a few years and was honored to be able to provide them with memories of their newest member as she is growing soooo fast! I am so happy for the gift I have been given, as I say over and over again.

Shades of Black, White & Grey

As time goes by, lines are being blurred more every day. Half the time, when you see a picture of someone, you cannot pick out their lineage. Having grown up without prejudice, I do not see the point of trying to pound people into categories anymore. People should be judged upon their own merit...be it positive or negative. You build your own life, your own reputation, your successes and your failures, too. Should you choose to behave badly, others should weigh your merit upon your actions...not upon what others perceive as your lineage. If you decide to behave admirably, that is what you should be measured upon. We choose each day how we are to behave. Raising and teaching only go so far if we choose our actions each day and if we pay attention to our experiences instead of what we always heard someone say. If we are adults, then let us act like adults. Let us rationally, intelligently think about the people we come across each day and learn to be more like Him. Jesus spent time with prostitutes, lepers, outcasts of society. And yet, many people today turn their noses down to those who need our help the most. He never turned away someone who needed Him. I try each day to see those who need me. The couple I selected for this Foto shoot has faced many major adversities and has faced all of it together. It's no wonder that their bond is so strong, even at such young ages. It was a pleasure to be around them and their beautiful dog, Izzy. Remember: do not judge, lest ye be judged. Before you assume to know about someone, get to truly know him or her first, then make your opinion about the real person who that someone is...that person is human just like you. Wouldn't you want someone to do the same for you?

Belles and Gents of the Bell Ball

To have a proper ball, you must have ladies and gentlemen. This family could certainly have their own ball! With beauty and grace, they swept into the room and oddly, there was little to no chaos involved. They each were happy to pose for me: individuals, couples, sisters, moms and children, dad and the girls, grandparents with all the grandkids. They were so fun to Foto! With a group like this, there's bound to be a lot going on. I was lucky enough to have time with my friend and her daughter before everyone else arrived. This resulted in some very nice individual Fotos and some Fotos that I hope my friend will be able to enjoy of herself and her daughter for many years to come. I had only been asking to Foto them for quite a few months but it never seemed to work out. Thankfully, this time it worked out for everyone in my friend's family. From what I understand, my friend's mother has been asking for a family foto for the past couple years. I was so happy to be able to make this a reality for her. The adorable new baby was only 2 months old at the time these Fotos were taken. What better time to have a family foto done?!? These Fotos have created immortal moments in time for this family. It really touches my heart that I am the one they chose to capture these memories for them. And I'm grateful to my friend for giving me the opportunity to meet her family and to give her mom a very dear gift that she has been asking for. Maybe next year, when they take their annual beach trip, I'll be able to take a day trip to do some more fotoing for them. Until then, I'm happy to have been invited to the Bell Ball.

3 Little Angel Belles

They say that every time a bell rings, an angel gets it's wings. These 3 belles don't ring but they certainly do shine. They bring to mind the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. Even without the white dresses and pink satin sashes, these 3 embody the beauty of childhood. Such precious faces with precocious smiles and actions. To find 3 such lovely faces within the same family is more than most photographers could wish for. I wanted to foto them as much as possible. Their smiles, their features, their love for life in their innocent worlds. These are the types of faces that men and women fight every day for...the soldiers who fight for our freedoms. Children...beloved by Jesus, held close by their families and loved by those who are able to be in their midst. It makes me remember how magical the holiday season was when I was young. How the days from Thanksgiving to Christmas seemed to drag by. Cutting each colored construction paper ring for each day gone by until you reached the star or bell that told you that Christmas Day was there. Going to bed on Christmas Eve in a sea of excitement for the amazement of Christmas morning. Of falling asleep in my bed watching the outside Christmas lights blinking on my ceiling and walls...the outside lights that my Dad painstakingly hung every single year past and still does. A lifetime of memories made magical by my mom & dad each Christmas season. Of the sparkling snow in New York as we walked into church on dark Saturday nights. The smell of a real pine Christmas tree covered in colorful lights and handmade ornaments from school and Girl Scouts...added to each year. I still have some of the ones that my once tiny hands made from Popsicle sticks, paint, glitter and glue. Reindeer made from clothespins. The paper plate with construction paper and my Kindergarten school photograph. All of these things crowded my head as I watched these 3 belles gather at the window when an adult told them to look for Santa. I wished for a moment that I was still so young and counting the slow days until Christmas. And then, I heard their laughter...sounding like the tinkling of silver bells.

Giggles from Angels

When was the last time something made you giggle? Was it a funny joke? A uTube video? A movie comedy? When was the last time you really felt that giggle come from deep within because you were so happy about something that you couldn't keep it inside? These girls know how to giggle...whether they've told you the joke, made a rubbing statement about the fork you're eating with at the dinner table, picked out the movie or even if they were the ones to air tickle you. The older one is so quick with comments, comebacks and jokes that she fair to stuns all the members of her family. She should be quick...she got it from her momma. The younger one is following right along in her older sister's footsteps...giggling all the way! These fotos might help you to smile...and if you haven't enjoyed a real giggle in a while...you should. Giggling is good for your heart, health and your soul, afterall.

A Beautiful Smile

Thought for the moment: what is your definition of "Beauty"? Do you associate it with a physical characteristic? Do you look for the definition on modeling shows? In Cosmo? Or are you the type of person who sees the beauty in everything? Wiki definition includes the idea that beauty is anything that resonates with personal meaning. What a profound idea. I have never heard it described like that. In that definition...nearly anything can be beautiful if it (or the person concerned) has a personal meaning to the beholder. The woman I fotoed for this session has the most beautiful smile. Full of laughter, life, enjoyment and playfulness. She has a sense of fun and she also rescues animals with her very tender heart. These fotos show that she deserves a foto shoot just to show her beautiful smile to the world. So many things are judged by the outside...it's a good thing that her smile is freely given on the outside!