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!

Mill House

Feels like traveling back in time...going to Yates Mill. The time-weathered wood, the large water wheel, the old grinding stones and old gears used to turn the wheels that now sit underneath the trees. Nevermind that it's now a beautiful county park...it is also a memorial to times gone by. To know that so many people brought their corn and grain here to be milled, it makes me wonder about the lives and hopes and dreams of all the footprints that are ingrained upon the land, stone and wood of this place. Back in a time when you bartered chickens, eggs, vegetables, milk, sewing and numerous other skills or crafts just to have the benefit of the mill. In a time when money is about the only thing that "talks", the ideas of trading for what you need is about as foreign an idea as apprenticing to learn a trade. Many of us learned the story of Johnny Tremaine in elementary or middle school. He worked for free with a silversmith to learn how to smith the silver. In exchange, he was given free room and board. In this present time, the concept of working for free to learn something is a lost "on-the-job" training. True, internships in college are rarely paid and in fact are a type of apprenticeship. However, they don't give you free room and board, either! So, as I stand on the slate, beside the waterfall, and watch the water turn the wheel that used to turn the gears that used to turn the grooved stone wheels that used to mill the corn and grain, I consider "If walls could talk..."

Bestie & Her Hubby

What could be better than to spend a truly gorgeous day at a really neat county park with my bestie and her hubby? Taking Fotos of said bestie and her hubby, OF COURSE!! Couple...a pair...two of a kind...lovers and friends...husband and wife. My bestie and her hubby are all of the above words. I have known them from the time they first started dating...that's when I met both of them. In the past years, I have watched them face life together. From commitment fears to family disapprovals to pressures of school, work and families. These two have faced all of it together. They exemplify numerous parts of a relationship that people seem to have forgotten...loyalty and support, love and understanding, problem solving and believing in the other person. No, they are not perfect...they have all the normal foibles that anyone person can have, but they believe in each other...they are each other's best friend. They support each other's dreams, jobs, schooling and lives. Every time I am around them, I see other nuances that I haven't seen before. They have cooked dinner, together, for me. They gave up a Sunday afternoon to let me Foto their love and laughter. I love watching them interact with each other. The teasing, the laughter, the love, all are parts of their relationship. And I love being around them. I am so glad to have both of them in my life. I love you R. & DJ. You certainly have your "W"...you are both Winners!

Momma's Eyes

You've heard everyone say: "Oh, he's got Great Aunt Agatha's ears!" or "He's got Uncle Joe's cheeks"...but this little boy has his momma's eyes. And that's no doubt.One of my former bosses, she called me to take her Christmas card picture of her son. He immediately said hello to me when we met at the park...now understand that I have never met him before. One look into his eyes and I could see a heartbreaker in the making. His mom's eyes are arrestingly vivid and I don't know many people who have not commented on her eyes. To see them duplicated in her son...WOW, what a punch! He had so much energy but he listened very well to his momma. We took a few pictures and he wandered around the open porch...looking over the railing, jumping on the leaves, and suddenly, he's looking for me and posing...just as cute as could be! His mom was so surprised. He scooted up on a bench, arranged his feet and then rolled over on his belly, propping his chin on his hand. Such a model! It was such a fun foto-ppurtunity!

Autumn in White Cross

Sometimes you have only to ask to get special permission. I've been to public arboretums in Atlanta and Raleigh but they don't compare to the place I went in October. A private arboretum hidden in the back roads of Orange County. Due to a turn of fate, I knew about this place 2 years ago through a friend of mine, but I never found the time to ask the owner if I could visit. Life has a way of getting in the way of your plans, you know. So, when I found myself with a few October weekends with no plans on my hands...I scoured my email for the contact information to this arboretum. After many emails and discarded dates, we finally settled on a Sunday late in October. As I got geared up to take this road trip, I casually mentioned to my 2 besties, Rachelle & Sarah, that I was going and would they like to join me for the ride. I thought there was no way either of them would be interested...I was way wrong. Both of them jumped at the chance to get away on a girls' road trip to a secret location! It turned out to be an overcast day with the leaves starting to turn and the colors really beginning to POP! We spent 1 hour driving there, 2 hours walking around with me taking tons of pictures of the scenery and of the besties, and an hour coming home. It felt like we were in the book, "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett (one of my all-time favorite books). Hidden from the world, in a garden that only a couple people know about, walking with 2 of my besties and surrounded by beautiful plants and statuary. We had a wonderful Sunday afternoon together and I took some pictures of my besties that made their mommas proud! It was a day full of memories, smiles and sincere, true friendship. It was a blessing and a bendiction from God.

Crossing Cultures

Having a curious mind is a very eye-opening thing. I have always been fascinated by other cultures, traditions and ceremonies. Receiving a phone call to document a ceremony for one of my favorite families was quite a pleasure. The richness of everything, the symbolism of the baby's first solid food, the closeness of the family and the rituals that created the entirety of the morning all came together to present me with a great Foto opportunity! On a week that provided me with numerous Fotoing moments, this was one that was unique, even for me!

Baby Fingers, Baby Toes and 3 Times the Fun!

I was really able to indulge my need for a Foto-fix this past week. A friend of mine let me spend my morning Fotoing her 3 adorable children. Part of the purpose was to take fotos of her newest member of the family, the 6 week old cutie pictured above. He is very cute and very alert. He likes to snuggle into my shoulder when I get to hold him and he's a very easy baby to foto. Deep blue eyes that want to see everything and he seemed especially taken with the flash from my camera. I could take thousands of fotos of this child and not grow tired of him. To see the fotos of him, please click on the foto above.

I really wish I had the energy that these kids have! Constant movement, constant questions and constant CUTENESS! It was a true challenge to keep up with them but it was so much fun at the same time. My camera loves these faces. I think even their mom was surprised that I actually captured so many good pictures because we were all in perpetual motion that morning! I know I was pleasantly charmed when I started downloading and previewing the enormous amounts of cuteness that I had somehow managed to foto. I am usually happiest working outdoors with natural light for my kid fotos but somehow, it all worked out. I knew I needed to work on my indoor technique and this certainly gave me the opportunity and motive. I truly wanted to be able to present their mom with wonderful fotos to put on her walls and to be able to share with all their family members. And I was able to fulfill my wish...she loved these fotos. To see the fotos of all 3 cutie pies, please click on the foto above. Let's Foto!

Attempt to Abstract

So, I joined an abstract photography group in the local area last week. The founder placed an ad on Craigslist to see if anyone was interested and the limit was 10 members. I responded, not quite sure if it was going to be a good idea…it means stepping outside my comfort zone. I have never done abstract work before, never considered it and certainly never looked for it through my viewfinder on my D70. The first meeting was really neat…meeting all the members, hearing their stories and their level of proficiency in photography and getting to see some of their work. After the first meeting, I spent the night trying to figure out what I was going to shoot for the first week’s assignment: take a Foto in your favorite style that shows your personality and who you are. I wracked my brain for the next 5 days straight…still, nothing. I finally wrote to the head of the group to help me with some idea of what I needed to be looking for. She wrote back not to worry about it and she was sure that whatever I came up with would be great. She gave me some ideas of things like colors that describe me, an image that describes one item in my personality, etc. On my lunch break, I was thinking about the colors that I would want to really spotlight my personality. Fuschia? Emerald? Rusty orange? Hmm…fall colors…like the pretty golden glass bowl on my living coffee table…with candles and soft glowing light…and the hearts in the bowl like all of my friends & family that my life holds…that’s IT!!!!!! As soon as I got home, I set up my bowl and scene just as I had thought it up in my mind…went and got the D70 with the new 50mm lens and voila!!!!! I had my picture for the project!! In fact, I liked it so much that I used it for my background on my work computer, used it for my feature Foto for this blog and made it my profile pic on Facebook.

Sometimes we spend too much time worrying and not enough time just enjoying the life that He has given to us. We let the “what if’s” dominate our thoughts. We let the “what might happen’s” paralyze us and make us fear-full. When we should be “living the moment’s”. So, go out there and capture your moments. Immerse yourself in them. Drink them in like water. Then tell me everything you experienced.

Kids and Ice Cream

Have you ever just walked right into the perfect situation and you were at exactly the right place at the most opportune moment? That happened to me this past Wednesday. My office mates decided to host an end of summer ice cream sundae social for our residents. No better opportunity to Foto than kids & ice cream!!!! So, I packed up my camera and that spiffy new lens of mine and went to work. I love the fact that I had so many beautiful and different faces to capture. I could have easily taken hundreds of Fotos and I didn't even get the chance to catch all the faces I wanted! In the Foto showcased above, yes, those are her natural color eyes. No color editing there! I love the fact that kids are so natural and their smiles can light up a whole afternoon. From the amount of smiles I got Wednesday, I should be brightened for the next 3 weeks. They have the most beautiful faces and I'm so blessed to have been given the oppotunity on Wednesday to immortalize them. It feels good to have such a gift to share with their parents. And the parents...what a wonderful group of people. Each one I have called and told that I have Fotos for them...they have been so excited and happy!!!

In the green of morning...

As my followers well know, I have been attempting to capture, however fleetingly, the beauty of hummingbirds...I finally feel that I have succeeded. After purchasing my newest lens, an AF Nikkor 50mm 1.8 (thanks to an endorsement from my friend Amanda), I spent most of today learning how to best use its talents. I am so happy with the Fotos I captured and wanted to showcase them to you. We have 9 hummingbird feeders hanging off the front porch where we can spend hours watching their dogfights and fun. They are so fascinating! After you sit outside for a few minutes, the hummingbirds become accustomed to your presence and then they begin to show off. I have had a hummingbird hover directly in front of me, chattering away and evincing his displeasure at the missing feeders that we were cleaning to refill at the time. Each year, we have between 50-75 hummingbirds migrate back to our front yard. Generation after generation...bringing the new generation with them as they return. The gentleman who previously owned the house told us that he has had hummingbird feeders hanging in the same spots for the previous 30 years...I guess that's why they know to come back now that we are the owners hanging them! So, this country morning, I was able to indulge my need for a Foto-Fix...which I have been sadly lacking the past 2 weeks due to a crushing work schedule. Fotoing enables me to relax and enjoy the beauty that God surrounds us with each day. I'm glad I took these moments to Foto-tize our hummingbirds since sometimes it feels like we are running around just as fast as the hummingbirds' wings are fluttering. Take your moments when you can...they will save your heart and life.

Every Blessed Moment

As I take more Fotos, I am reminded to appreciate every blessed moment I am given. So many days rush by without even a moment to slow down. Or maybe we just don't take the time to dwaddle...for fear we will miss something...but we don't realize all that we are missing by running around. I took some time recently to take some very precious Fotos for one of my favorite families. It was, as Carolina always is in the summer, humid and hot outside. Even still, we got some good family pictures. I learned long ago that language is a barrier only to those who let it become a barrier. With gestures, smiles and love between subjects, we can accomplish much more without words than you might be able to imagine. I had only to motion for Grandfather to turn in toward his wife and he turned. I only had to capture the love on his face when he hugged his wife and daughter close, without me suggesting the pose. I love natural actions...I love natural Fotos. I am not the type to stiffly pose people...I want to capture the kiss from Grandmother to her grandson, or the adoring look of both parents down to the creation they brought into this world. I want to capture the true emotion of the people I Foto. I want to Foto people as they are naturally. I just want to share my Foto gift.

4th of July

There's nothing like spending time with family and friends to make a hot summer 4th of July get together fun! With so many models to choose from, I had to make the most of the fun. It was good to have a beautiful day for a backdrop. I am finding that natural settings are my favorite format. I love being able to use the backgrounds that God has given me. They are so much more interesting and changeable than working in a pseudo-studio or Foto-graphing indoors. I love the natural light and the ways it presents my subjects to me. It didn't hurt that Rachelle is beautiful anyways. One of these days we'll find the time to take the Fotos of her that I've been trying to do for a long time! Hope you enjoy seeing in the window to our fun, sunny day! Off to get my next Foto-fix!

Hummingbirds: 1; Me: 0.5

Fast as lightning, jittery as a caffeine addict and as hard to capture as the dreams you have in the middle of the night. For my first real attempt, it wasn't really so bad. I think I needed to use a different setting but it also wasn't the worst I've ever done. I shall attempt again, maybe with some better results. We'll see. So, for now, the little buggers are winning.

Nick

Sometimes, a single question leads you into something that is as complex as it is simplicity. I asked a friend if I could take some pictures of his adorable son. I didn't know what I was getting into! Nick is as quick as a hummingbird in his motions and his expressions are as hard to catch with a camera as holding quicksilver in your hands. I could have taken pictures of him for hours and not caught all the emotions and fun that are intrinsic to what makes up Nick. He is insatiably curious and opens every cabinet he sees. He talks about everything and anything, barely pausing to wait for your answer. He is constantly in motion and perpetually adorable. Those few moments served my Foto Fix for my first day of vacation and I can only hope I'll have another opportunity this week to try to capture the essence of Nick in Fotos.

Drat the Hummingbirds!

I had a wonderful Father's Day...way cool fun was had by all and the hummingbirds put on quite the show for Dad's Day! Too bad the little buggers zip around so fast, I still have not succeeded in a half-way decent capturing in my lens. Someday I shall prevail...
However, I did get to take some (what I hope will be) good shots of family & friends. They are still on the camera due to the fact that by the time all the friends & family left at 9:00pm, I was ready to prop my feet up, snuggle with my doggeys and ignore that massive pile of dishes in and next to the sink. Needless to say, the dishes got done before bed but my precious Fotos are still languishing on my memory card, crying for me to return home from work today to rescue them...can't you hear their sobs?!? I can...

Post note: the pictures from Father's Day did not turn out like I expected but I did take a couple decent pictures. The picture above is the only shot of a hummingbird I was able to capture. I'll keep trying.

Building my portfolio...

So, I was all nervous about taking those pictures last evening...they turned out better than I anticipated! And sometimes you get those serendipitous moments that just turn out wonderful. Grandma was sitting on the couch holding the adorable little boy and singing to him...he was transfixed. I grabbed my camera and started shooting. Quite a few of those shots are some of my favorites from the whole session. From a crying, "you just woke me from my nap!" baby to a "thanks for my dinner" baby...we caught some amazing and beautiful pictures of a really great family. That home is so filled with love that you can't help but to feel it yourself. They made me feel so welcomed and appreciated. For my first attempt at semi-formal family pictures, they turned out quite well.

I have gotten my Foto fix for this week and I just cannot wait to take vacation in 2 weeks. Who knows what will come out of that whole 10 days!!

Babies & Opportunity

I cannot wait for 5:00pm to get here today. After work, I am going to a couples' house who have a new baby. They have graciously agreed to let me take pictures for them and to include her mother who is soon returning to another country. The thought that I will be taking pictures that are hallmarking a moment in time for this family that will never happen the same way ever again is a heady feeling. I want these to turn out as beautifully as what I am seeing that I want to shoot in my mind. So, you can see why I'm so excited! I will certainly announce when the Fotos can be viewed. Cross your toes for me!

She's Country!

I guess someone felt that it would be a good idea to send me to Virginia for 2 weeks in May. Not for a vacation...for work. Needless to say, once I returned, I needed a Foto Fix. So, on the way to my loving parents' home last weekend, I kept asking my great man to "stop here, please", "slow down a minute", and he did everything I asked...with a sideways look at me that said "Hunny, are you okay?" By the return trip, he was telling me, "you're missing another set of hay bales!" just in time for me to snap off a shot or two. Now, ladies, THAT is a wonderful man. There's just something about abandoned houses on the rural roads of North Carolina that make my hands stretch for a camera and make me beg my man to pull off the side of the road. (Not for THAT, you dirty mind! Although, that wouldn't have been a bad idea either...) Anyways, you can see my foray into having a Japanese beetle crawl up inside my pants leg because I got out of the F150 into tall grass to Foto a house I've been dying to have in my camera. These Fotos are in Rural North Carolina at Fyrefly Foto. I hope you enjoy them!

Here we go....

So, after 7.5 months of being without my boss...she has returned. And it's kind of an ambivalent thing. I'm happy to have 1/2 of her job taken off of my shoulders but at the same time, I realize that it means we're all under the microscope again. Agggghhhhh.
At least I'll have more weekends to myself to indulge in my photography dreams. Especially since Plant Delights next open house is next weekend and the weekend after. This is one of my favorite places in the world to go take pictures of the prettiest flowers. It's amazing and if you're ever in the Raleigh area, I strongly suggest you try to plan your trip around one of their 4 open houses a year. That's right, they're only open 4 times a year to the public and only for 2 weekends at a time.