e. broderick photography

So Long Blogger: Check Out My New Blog

2009-03-08T21:30:00.001-04:00

I have a new blog site! The URL is in the yellow box at the top of the page. You should be automatically redirected there. Please bookmark the new site:

www.ebroderickphotography.com/blog

Finn on Gender Identity

2009-02-20T20:46:00.015-05:00

Like most new moms I started keeping track of Finn's development in a baby book just after he was born. I jotted notes like how much he weighed, how gigantic his head was (it was!), when he first sat up on his own, his first tooth. But Finn was also an unusually verbal baby so before he was a year old I started jotting notes on a daily basis so that I would never forget all of the surprising and hilarious things he said. Of course they were just one word utterances at first but he was rambling off sentences before we knew it and I have been recording his proclamations ever since.

I came across an old sticky note today and decided it to share it. This happened on a drive to work around 6 or 7 months ago, when Finn was about 3 1/2.

I looked at his sweet face in my rearview mirror and gushed, "Finn--you are my best sweetheart."

Summoning his inner teenager he rolled his eyes and admonished, "Mom. Boys are not sweethearts."

"Oh?"

"We're buddies."

Just a mile or so down the road on that same drive he pointed out a hawk in the sky.

"Awesome!" I said.

"Mom-you can't say awesome. Boys says awesome. And cool."

"Then what do girls say?"

Finn, at a loss, "Whatever."

In March of last year we were having some work done in our kitchen. Finn abruptly announced one evening, "I have to go check on something."

I followed him as he strode purposefully into the kitchen.

Finn explained, "When we check on something, we have to roll up our sleeves, like this." He rolled up his sleeves. He proceeded to give the pipes a few good knocks.

What a man.

Welcome, Baby Ellebe!

2009-02-14T23:31:00.019-05:00

Last month Tim's cousin Chad and his wife Jenn welcomed their beautiful baby girl, Ellebe, to the world. Tim and I were lucky to get to visit her when she was just over a week old. What a perfect little doll she is! There were lots of other visitors there and I didn't want to be too obnoxious with my big, ol' camera, but I did grab a few shots. And I plan to head back to their house in a couple of weeks to do a full-on baby shoot. I can't wait!

Snuggled up on her auntie's chest:

Okay, so she was mostly sleeping during our visit! So peaceful. (Of course, she was probably up all night, but...)

The proud Daddy:

Tiny fingers:

Jenn is such a beautiful Mommy.

Love this detail shot from the nursery:

Okay. Check it out. Chad is an amazing artist and designed and painted this bad-ass nursery himself. I love it!

Seriously! Look at all the details, the colors and the bold design!

She's trying to stay awake, really!

Wide awake and checking out the big, fat lens in her face while Mommy checks her diaper!

Congratulations, Chad and Jenn! So happy for you guys. I can't wait to come back to see Ellebe! I bet she will look so big to me already!

How Much Do I Love My Mazey?

2009-02-10T23:00:00.004-05:00

I spent the morning with my sister and my sweet niece, Mazey. There will definitely more to come, but I had to post at least one shot of this little face.

She gets keeps getting sweeter and cuter!!

Slideshow: Best of Kid Pics 2008

2009-02-06T23:42:00.005-05:00

I am so lucky that I get to do this as my job. Not just because I love to be around children and love to take photographs but also because I consider it a high honor to be able to capture these moments for other families to cherish. Our kids grow and change so quickly and it means the world to have these little moments and expressions frozen in time.

A huge thank you to all of the families who invited me to spend time with their children and allowed me to bask in the joy of being a kid! These moments really feed my soul. Enjoy!

New Year's Resolution: The Update

2009-02-01T14:14:00.018-05:00

On the heels of my first "true" New Year's Resolution, I made a trip to Border's for some "supplies" and some inspiration. Several trips, actually. Truth be told, if I knew I could do it without getting arrested, I would set up camp at Border's. Bookstores are among my very favorite places on Earth.

Supplies included a delicious red tea latte, some new books and magazines and a brand new personal calendar. I bought an iPhone a couple months back, in large part due to its ability to keep all of my contacts and appointments in one tidy, portable little package. But part of me can't stand to give up the old-fashioned daily planner. I am a slave to my lists. Now that I suffer terribly from Mommy-Fog, I find that if I don't write it down--it either doesn't happen or never happened. I forget everything! The new planner I bought has a nice weekly spread with room on the left to write lists regarding work tasks--I use this for my photography "to-do's"-- and another list on the right for "life" lists. This is where I jot down errands, personal tasks, etc.

I also bought two Eckhart Tolle books--The Power of Now and A New Earth. I have had them on "my list" forever now. Since my New Year's Resolution specifically centered around me finding some measure of inner peace and possibly learning how to meditate or at least find balance and calm, it felt about time to get around to buying these books. (Making time to read them turns out to still be quite a challenge, but at least I have them by my bed, right?!)

Now. The truth is, in a (big) way I have fallen short on my overall goal.But only so far. I have not figured out how to balance work and life in some new, miraculous way. I still haven't found time to exercise regularly or eat perfect meals! I have not meditated or even read very much of my Tolle books yet! But I am trying to just do a little bit at a time and to take it a day at a time. I have visited friends and family on the weekends. That is a positive step, since for months I never felt I had time for this. I relaxed a bit more and slept a bit more. That is all good.

I have neglected my blog lately in favor of trying to get some other things done and in order to make time for family and friends. So while a part of me winced each night I went to bed without having posted , I am constantly trying to let myself be "okay" with doing what I can and not doing everything.

I constantly struggle with the feeling that I need to be "doing" all the time. Like if ever I sit down to relax, I ought to be elsewhere doing something else. Anything else! Spending time with Finn. Spending time with Tim. Editing photos. Updating my website. Updating my blog. Calling so-and-so back. Visiting Gramma. Cleaning out the closets. Running on the treadmill. You name it. And the problem is, when you look at that list--everything on it seems important. Is important. Which is why I never sit down to relax!

But I am working on trying to calm my mind. To remind myself that all I have is the present moment. That I want to live my life in a way that makes me feel happy and fulfilled. Not just to check things off my ever-growing To Do list.

Another little book I bought on one of my visits to Border's has turned out to be a new favorite. And part of its charm, for me, is that it can be picked up and put down when you only have 5 minutes to read. Each "chapter" is short but full of thoughtful and inspiring content. I find myself wanting to write down every other sentence to share it with someone or just to carry with me.

The book is called Wide Open and was written by Dawna Markova. I wasn't looking for this book; in fact I hadn't ever heard of it. But I am a sucker for a good title and this one just grabbed me when my eyes danced across its cover. It turns out the author wrote a book several years ago titled I Will Not Live an Unlived Life. (Another lovely title.) She went alone to a cabin in the snow-covered mountains of Utah and spent six months writing and learning about herself, her soul. I can't wait to read that book, too. This second book is her response to the thousands of letters she received from readers of her first. It is meant to help us each discover our own purpose, to ask ourselves deep and meaningful questions and to discover for ourselves what truly matters.

At the beginning of the book she offers this poem:

Wide Open

I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance;
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.

I could go on and on and literally am tempted to quote practically every page for you! I love to share writing that I am excited about and love to talk about life and thought and important questions. I may have to blog about this book a few more times. But let me, for now, end with one additional excerpt that so beautifully touched on my project for myself this New Year:

Thinking Yourself Home

No one can tell you how to find your purpose. It can only emerge slowly, in your own dark sky, in whatever territory is sacred to you, be that church or woods. It can't be found by searching for a role model. It is seldom discovered by following anyone else's rules. It lives in the rest in the place where music is born--the fertile void, the silence between notes.It emerges slowly as a sunrise as we search through our gifts, our darkness, our losses and loves. Your job and mine is to be quiet and alone from time. To be present to ourselves and the natural world, and to be in conversation with what is hidden in us to explore what brings us more alive.

In case you are interested, here is a link to purchase Wide Open online.

Best of Finn 2008

2009-01-18T13:07:00.050-05:00

I can't believe my little man turned four. I thought about doing a slideshow of his first 4 years but since the photos are all over the place and on more than one computer, I figured I'd start small and do a more manageable project. Here is a selection of my favorite photos of Finn from the year 2008. Enjoy!

photoNATION

2009-01-07T21:07:00.005-05:00

Check out this great new online photo community created by CT's own Steve Depino. It promises to be an awesome site for networking and sharing and all things photo.

One of the features I am particularly excited about is The Photo Challenge. This will be Carla's baby and she is totally cut out for the job. Carla TenEyck loves to challenge people. And I am sometimes in need of a little kick in the pants.

This month's challenge was to submit an image to represent your New Year's Resolutions. See my post below, directly inspired by Ms. Carla herself.

And visit photoNATION to see that and many more interesting ideas.

Return to Me

2009-01-07T18:07:00.015-05:00

Well. It's that time of year again. Time for New Year's Resolutions.

I don't usually make resolutions for New Year's. I haven't for years. I tell myself it is because I am too busy and things are for the most part as they should be. But this year is different. For one--I have examined my failure to commit to making resolutions and I think it may have more to do with my distaste for failure than anything else. I hate to let myself down. To "decide" something and then not be able to see it through. But avoiding making important (and much needed) changes is not any better. And I am not going to say that my life is a mess or anything--I am truly very blessed in countless way--but to say that things are "as they should be" in my life right now would not be totally honest either.

So what do I most hope to do in 2009?

Return to Me.

Below is a photo I took of myself back in college:

I did a self-portrait project one semester. In trying to decide how best to capture 'Me' on film I focused right away on my disposition. My attachment to having time alone to think and to read, to create and to just be by myself. I don't know how much other people think about their own 'essence,' but I have always been fiercely attached to my own mind and the freedom to think, question and wonder. I was a philosophy major in college and I minored in art. When I think seriously about when I have been most at peace in my life, it is during these years as an undergraduate student. To be sure, much of that has to do with the freedom I had then from many of life's bigger distractions--mortgage payments, running a household, etc. But what really fed me, then, was the time I took to be alone, the time I spent in philosophy class--thinking, reading, writing and questioning--and the time I spent in art classes focused on beauty and form and expression.

For my self-portrait project I wanted to capture Me, but not my details. The series of photos are all abstract and my form is more a shape or suggestion than an obvious likeness. This is back in the day of film and darkrooms. I printed the photos with very high contrast filters and through crinkled up tissue paper. This effectually blurred and interrupted the clarity and details. It was an experiment. But when I saw the results I felt they suitably portrayed how I felt in my mind. And how I felt I appeared to others. The part of me that was untouchable. My own.

While my life is rich and full of many blessings, this need to be in touch with my Self has never disappeared but has long been neglected. So my resolution for this year is to find time to revisit my Self. To better balance my work and my family life and to make time for Me a priority again. Life has gotten really crowded lately and I have had an awful time making time to just hang out with my family. And to "unplug" both literally and figuratively. I am hoping to find time to exercise, read and perhaps try meditation or yoga. I think if I can quiet my mind and escape the rat race for a bit I will be a calmer person and a better wife and mother.

What is missing most in my life is serenity. What I want for myself this year is to enjoy stillness of mind and spirit.

My resolution: A Return to Me.

*Except for the first image, which was scanned, these are somewhat sloppy photos of photos. The prints were too large to scan so forgive the mediocre quality.

Ruh-Roh!

2008-12-30T21:46:00.007-05:00

Yikes! Look what happened at my parents' house today:

It's crazy! I haven't seen it in person yet; my Mom sent these to me by email. The timing is ridiculous! They just had, like, 30 trees cut down all around the yard just a few weeks ago! And this tree, along with half a dozen more in the front yard were scheduled to be cut down in a week or two. They were waiting for the ground to freeze so the trucks wouldn't completely tear up the lawn. Oops!

In the photo above--the downstairs window pierced by a limb is the family room. The couch is right next to that window. Finn plays there all the time and my Mom sits on that couch and watches him. The windows above the front door is Finn's bedroom--where he naps. Luckily no one was home when this happened.

Below is the bedroom where Finn sleeps when he stays at their house. Talk about scary!

Well. They saved the lawn and lost the roof. And the siding. And the windows. Man, that sucks.

Merry Finnmas

2008-12-28T13:36:00.013-05:00

We had a blast on Christmas. It is actually Finn's birthday, too. (Poor guy!) He has been dying to turn four and was sooo excited to wake up and finally be the same age as his cousin (and "best buddy") Nathaniel.

"This is the biggest lollipop ever! Is this a toy?!"

Finn asked for a Hot Wheels Haunted House that he saw in a catalogue, but when I saw this castle I just knew he had to have it. Trust me--this is much cooler. Of course, it was Santa who brought it.

I mean, how cool is this?! I think Tim likes it as much as Finn!

I already nailed my foot stepping on that knight who is holding a crazy mace. DOH!

My sweet baby's face.

This just reminds me so much of being a kid. Laying on the floor and playing for hours...

Finn got a Manly Toolbelt. He was very proud and very serious about it.

Here he measures Mazey:

Mazey just loves Finn. He can make her smile every time. Look--they're holding hands!

Cake time!

Finn is so cute--he gets so genuinely happy about the little stuff--just check out his expression as he waits for us to cut the cake:

Finn is painting pictures for his cousins with his new paints:

Building a city from the clay he got for his birthday:

Dear Santa,

2008-12-23T23:16:00.017-05:00

The other night Tim sat down with Finn to draft his letter to Santa. He decided to make Finn really work at it this year! Almost every word that follows is straight from Finn's mouth with little or no "cleaning up" by Tim. We prodded him with questions and suggestions like, "Santa doesn't know you so why don't you tell him about yourself..." Here it is:

December 17th 2008

Dear Santa,

Hi Santa, my name is Finn Patrick Broderick. I live in XXXX, Connecticut. I am three years old, but I am going to be four years old on Christmas Day!!

I am best buddies with my cousin Nathaniel. He lives in Massachusetts.

Some days a week I go to XXX. XXX is a place where I go and do crafts, play, work, eat lunch, clean up, make good friends. Some of my friends are Shelby, Jimmy, Erin, Kaiden, Jake, and Cassidy, and Allison.

Other days I go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. And I meet Mazey and Sophie. And I eat all my food at breakfast. I eat meatballs all day! (Random embellishment.)

Me: What kind of boy are you?

I am half-medium. That means I’m short. I watch movies like Bigfoot. That is a Monster Truck.

Tim: You need to tell Santa about what a good boy you are. What do good boys do?

I say “please”…I say “thank you”….and I also don’t want to talk about this anymore.

I sleep all night, almost all the time. I throw up sometimes, but not all the times. I get a Kleenex at the night when I need a tissue. Kleenex is another word for tissue. I always say “Kleenex Town” when I see a Kleenex in my room.

I flush the toilet and always wash my hands. I do good listening. When grow-ups do what they tell me to do, I do it.

I play hide and seek whenever I don’t make noise.

I don’t talk with food in my mouth….I don’t put my elbows on the table. I wait to get off the table until everybody else is done eating.

I would like to have a Spyglass….a Transformer vehicle…..a Haunted House that has toys to hunt with.

Santa, may I please have these things.

Sincerely yours,

Finn Patrick Broderick

Rachel And Gary: Engaged

2008-12-22T22:06:00.003-05:00

Just over a week ago I got together with Gary and Rachel to visit and shoot their engagement photos. I had met Rachel a few months back when she was working on the wedding planning. Gary was not around for that since he was overseas playing professional baseball! Pretty cool, huh? I don't know very many people who get to grow up and live out their childhood dream like that.

These two are an amazing couple. For so many reasons. First of all--they have to spend so much of their year apart due to Gary's career but Rachel loves to travel so she visits him for much of the summer since she is a teacher. They've done and seen so much together already! They talk about possibly ending up in Italy for a spell and I am doing my best to convince them that they will need a professional photographer on hand to document the whole experience. ; )

My friend Traci from TruBlu Photography came along for the shoot. We met up at their house and made tracks to a local tree farm, Dzen's, in South Windsor to pick out a Christmas tree. Lots of couples feel a little funny when they first get in front of my camera and they need some prodding to get started. Not these two! They were totally themselves, laughing and snuggling and doing just what I wanted them to do--pretend I wasn't there! I had so many favorites I am afraid this post may be over the top--but how can I cut it down when they're so darn cute?!

I love getting in close with my 85mm. Just getting glimpses of their faces and expressions can be so powerful.

Look at her smile!

How good-looking are they? Come On!

Poor guy. I was all, "Wait! Let me get a picture! Hold it--gotta check my settings...Yup. Okay. Stay there..." Luckily the man works out for a living so I don't think it hurt him too badly!

A favorite from the day:

Doesn't it look like we're in Colorado or something? Gorgeous late-day sun.

I love this grab of Traci getting all Safari-Sniper:

Don't you just love Rachel's laugh? That girl could melt an iceberg with her smile!

After dropping the tree off back at home we headed out for some dinner at an awesome spot near their house and then on to the city to grab some shots with holiday lights! Of course, we had to stop in the parking garage for some shoe shots:

Constitution Plaza. It was beautiful. But did I mention that it was, like, minus 200 degrees that night?

They were such good sports about the cold but by the end we were all dying! My hands were working in slow motion. I'd go to change a lens and be all clumsy and forlorn! Rachel's toes were pretty much frostbitten so it was time to call it quits.

But not before a quick pit-stop at the local bar, The Pour House. This is where Gary and Rachel first met.

Gary and Rachel--I had such a great day with you two and am twice as excited to shoot your wedding in 2010! I hope we can hang out again soon. Happy Holidays.

Girlz in the Hood

2008-12-22T00:27:00.017-05:00

Okay. So I'm the lame-o who is just getting around to posting these days after everyone else.

Last Thursday night I had the pleasure of meeting up with three of my fabulous photo friends--Robin, Carla and Julia--for dinner and a little shoot-out. Dinner was a blast. At least for us. I'm not so sure the people who were seated near our table would agree, as they had to try to block out the constant eruptions of laughter from our corner--along with the occasional snorts of Ms. Robin Dini. I think we may be banned from that particular restaurant--oops.

After dinner and about an hour in the parking lot trying to coordinate who would drive and how to get all of our bodies and gear into one car, we headed out for Hubbard Park. As you may have read on Carla's blog, getting to the park was quite an adventure. Why none of us thought to take pictures of our route, I just don't know. I can tell you about the dive joints we drove past but it's just not the same as actually seeing them!

When we finally got to the park we all climbed out of the car and grumbled about how much we didn't feel like taking pictures! What a bunch of babies. Finally we decided we had to at least document that we were there. And once we started shooting the laughs came back and we had a grand time!

I love this shot of robin in her funky hat just taking it all in:

Robin being Robin. Pure delight!

Oh, Julia. Sweet Julia. If you've ever met Julia then you know this is what she looks like pretty much whenever she isn't sleeping. Who knows--she probably giggles in her sleep too!

A rare moment when Carla wasn't actively talking or laughing. I think she looks HOT!

And back to our regularly scheduled programming:

Thanks, Ladies! Can't wait for the next time!

The Ice Jungle

2008-12-15T22:53:00.014-05:00

So people are always asking me about where I live. We're in the northwest hills of CT where elevation makes all the difference. While most of you were getting crappy rain, we were getting this ice storm! Thursday night was a trip. Tim and I lay awake all night listening to trees fall all around our house. Scary!

This is the view from my driveway Friday morning. The funny thing--this is nothing! Parts of town looked much worse than this but it really wasn't safe for me to be out shooting for much of the weekend since trees and limbs continued to fall, along with huge chunks of ice. We did not start to thaw out until late Sunday. I wish I could have walked around on Saturday to document more of this. The sky was sunny and blue and the ice was just brilliant but I was only in town for a few minutes on my way out to an engagement shoot. Finn and I stayed at my parent's all weekend where we could enjoy heat, electricity and water. Tim "roughed it" in Hartland by himself. He likes to complain about it, but I think he kind of liked it. Playin' like he was Jeremiah Johnson or something.

We lucked out in this deal. Many of our neighbors had to literally cut their way out of their driveways,littered with fallen trees and broken limbs. And while it took days to get our power back, I have to give props to the utility workers--they were out there in their hard hats just working their way from house to house putting things back together.

I had been meaning to try out the macro setting on one of my more neglected lenses and this just seemed like a perfect opportunity. I grabbed Tim's ring and my own and set them gingerly on this ice covered leaf.

I got a number of nice shots and was just starting to have fun when I decided to put our rings on a really cool icicle that curled down from a nearby branch. I put Tim's ring on first. The ice broke off and, in slow motion, Tim's ring fell to the ground. Never to be seen again!

I wish I was kidding but I really did lose it! I know it's out there somewhere but after an hour of searching methodically in the icy leaves I still have not found it. (And let me tell you--all of those little pieces of ice that littered the ground look an awful lot like a wedding ring!)

Shoot me an email if you have a metal detector I can borrow!

Random Favorite #1: Best Buddies.

2008-12-10T21:34:00.005-05:00

Okay. Sometimes life just gets in the way of blogging! I am way behind and it's starting to stress me out. So I have decided to start a new series: Random Favorites. When I have no real chunk of time to devote to a big post, I'll just grab a random favorite and throw it up here!

This one is of Finn and my nephew, Nathaniel. They are 9 months apart and the best of friends. Most of Finn's cousins live far away but luckily N. is just a few hours' drive from our house. Nathaniel is the older one and Finn told me yesterday, "I gotta hurry up being four cuz I don't wanna miss being Nathaniel's age before he changes. I hate being three."

This shot is from Thanksgiving.

Making a Difference...

2008-11-29T19:46:00.005-05:00

Bringing an End to World Hunger Through Unimaginable Blessings

Today, millions of people who were once hungry will be nourished by milk, eggs and fresh vegetables.

Families who for generations knew only poverty will be building new homes and starting businesses.

Children who once headed out to the fields to do backbreaking work will be heading into schoolrooms to learn to read.

And people who never thought they’d be in a position to help someone else will be experiencing the joy of charitable giving.

How is this possible?

With Heifer’s proven approach – almost 60 years in the making – to helping people obtain a sustainable source of food and income.

-------------------------------------------

This Christmas the adults in my family have decided not to buy presents for each other, but to give the money we might have spent on one another to Heifer International, a wonderful organization whose mission is to end world hunger. If you have not heard of this group, please take a moment to visit their website. It is amazing what a difference you can make for a family with a gift as little as $20! And if you can pool your money with others' you can buy a goat or a sheep or a llama for a family in need! Check out their gift catalog to see what your money can buy for a family in need.

If your office does a Secret Santa or a Grab Bag, consider suggesting instead that everyone donate the $10 they would have spent on a candle or a gag gift to an office pool that could actually change someone's life! Seriously--how many hand lotions or candles do you really need?

Check it out. It's pretty enlightening.

Karen and Chris: The Slideshow

2008-11-25T22:22:00.006-05:00

Thought for the Day...

2008-11-20T22:05:00.007-05:00

" Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile." — Franklin P. Jones

Snap-Happy

2008-11-10T22:20:00.026-05:00

Boy, did I have a busy Sunday! In the morning I visited with two of my closest friends from high school and their beautiful little children. I hope they don't mind that I spent most of our time together behind my camera, but with faces like these all around me, how could I resist?

Here's Jake. Frankly, I'm surprised I got this many of him. He was all over the place and would not give me the time of day!

Ella. What a doll. I don't think you can take a bad picture of this face.

Baby Teya. Another sweetheart. She slept through much of our visit, but I was able to grab a few shots of her while the older kids ran around outside.

After my visit with them I headed over to my grandmother's house where I hung out with my cousin, Alexa:

And to top it all off, my adorable niece, Mazey, showed up and dazzled us all with her imitation of The Gerber Baby.

And, because sometimes I have the humor of a 7th grader, here's a shot of Mazey flipping me the bird. She thinks she's pretty cute, huh?

How could I leave out this lovely face?

Yes, We Can

2008-11-05T23:16:00.007-05:00

An amazing day. An amazing future.

And if you have the time:

Edit: Make the time.

To watch his victory speech:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/04/obama-victory-speech_n_141194.html

Wake Up Call

2008-11-05T21:53:00.004-05:00

This is copied from a chain email my Mom sent me over a week ago. I have been "too busy" to read it until now. It's not the most beautifully written piece, but an important message nonetheless. And I am behind on my blog and a new post was "on my list" so why not let this be my post?!

Will You Dance With Me?

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Survivor' on television?

I can't count the times I called my sister and said, 'how about going to lunch in a half hour'? She would choke up and stammer I can't because; 'I have clothes on the line', 'my hair is dirty', 'I wish I had known yesterday', 'I had a late breakfast', 'it looks like rain' and my personal favorite is 'it's Monday'. She died a few years ago and we never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves of things we'll do when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain guests when we replace the living room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. Then one morning we'll awaken to find that all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to', 'I plan on', and 'someday when things are settled down a bit'.

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas and her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller Blades and skip an elevator for a Bungee Cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years and yet I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the entire digestive process. So the other day I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home I would have died happy.

Now go do something on your "WANT TO" list and not something on your "SHOULD DO" list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And what are you waiting for?

Make sure you read this to the end and then you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a Merry-Go-Round or listened to the sound of the rain? Have you ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun as it fades into the night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask someone 'How are you?' do you hear their reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Have you ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow' and in your haste, not see the sorrow in their eyes? Have you ever lost touch or let a good friendship die? Then you need to pick up the phone, call them and tell them you just called to say 'hi'.

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift.... thrown away.... life is not a race so take it a little slower so you can hear the music before the song is over.

'Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we might as well dance!

Michael and Cecelia: Do They Come Any Cuter?

2008-10-27T23:17:00.066-04:00

I love my job!

I had the best time last Thursday hanging out with Michael and his little sister Cecelia. They are the children of an old friend from my childhood, Irene. I've know her since she was in kindergarten! Her children are not only beautiful but they have such sweet personalities.

When I arrived, Irene greeted me in the front hall and asked me where I'd like to get started. The light in that space was perfect, so we spent a good chunk of our time in the foyer playing and shooting.

Michael is a natural. I think he could be the next Gap model. Am I right or what?

Cecelia is on the move! It was a challenge to get a shot of her that wasn't blurry since she was always coming or going! Just look at that face. Those big, beautiful eyes!

We headed outside for a bit to grab some shots with the leaves.

We tried to get the two kids together but they were so not interested! If one stayed put, the other took off! But I really like this shot of Cecelia climbing on her big brother.

We wore Cecelia out! She actually fell asleep with her head on Michael's hip. No kidding!

How cute is that?

I had the best time hanging with you and your sweeties, Irene! I loved looking through the photo albums with Michael. He is such a doll. Just like his Mommy.

What Matters Most...

2008-10-19T21:56:00.022-04:00

I had the long overdue opportunity to spend some quality time with my boy this past week. The poor little guy has barely seen me for the past 8 weeks as I have been slammed at work and with weekend events since August.

It was not as much time as I would have wanted since I had to leave him for the weekend to host a shower and bachelorette party in Boston. But the time we had was pure fun and love and laughs. Not only is he the Cutest Boy I know (yes, I know, I am biased) but he is also a remarkably kind, funny and inquisitive little man and it is so amazing to watch him grow and learn.

I was also pleased to be able to get some nice shots of Finn with my Dad. This is on my list of 101 things I plan to accomplish in the next 1001 days. My parents have been watching Finn for 3+ days a week since he was 3 months old and the relationship he has with my father is truly incredible. He worships Grampa and Finn is the light of my dad's life. They are the best of friends. It makes me so happy and proud to see them together.

Finn latest favorite: Hide and Seek. He was sooo proud of this awesome "hiding" spot. You can barely see him, right?

Sweetness:

Finn loves looking at maps and wanted to help Grampa find the best route to the beach.

Finn wears Grampa's glasses. (Is it just me or does he look like Simon from Alvin and the Chipmunks?)

Life is good:

This is what life is all about:

I've Been Tagged!

2008-10-13T21:41:00.007-04:00

I went to Eric's blog just now to enjoy some rockin' photos and lo and behold--I found I'd been tagged! Doh!

Here's how it works:

- Grab the nearest book.
- Open to page 56.
- Find the fifth sentence.
- Post the next two to five sentences in your blog with these instructions.
- Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one - pick the CLOSEST.
- Tag five other people to do the same.

Okay. So I am sitting 3 feet away from an entire wall of books. I was going to just close my eyes and point but then I remembered the handful I had recently taken off the shelf to donate because I had either already read them or I finally admitted to myself that I would probably never read them. I grabbed the one on top. Insomnia, by Stephen King. I have not read this book, though I love me some Stephen King. But let's be real. This one is a "mere" 787 pages. When in the world am I going to have time to read 787 pages?! And once I start a book I am like a hermit until I finish it. I stay up all night reading. I bring it in my car and read at red lights. (It's true.) I bring it to the dinner table and try to steal glances while my husband cuts his meat. I am ridiculous. Investing in a 787 page book right now is just not good for anybody.

The title is oddly appropriate and perhaps some kind of cosmic joke since I have not slept much in the past month! Okay--enough rambling. Here it is:

A little farther down the street, a little girl in jeans and an oversized white tee-short had been skipping rope and chanting in the growing gloom.

"It means you're looking folded, spindled, and mutilated," McGovern said. He used one thumb to tilt the Panama back on his head and looked more closey at Ralph. "Still not sleeping?

"Still not sleeping," Ralph agreed.

Now, who to tag? Who reads my blog that hasn't already been tagged?!

Traci
Amanda
Susan
Deanna
Jaci

Have at it, Ladies!

Ten Eyck Tuesdays

2008-10-12T02:06:00.017-04:00

WARNING: Crazy, huge post! I can't help it--I had too much fun!

Last Tuesday I spent the day with an awesome group of people. Val McCormick, Claudia and I were the lucky ones to make it into Carla Ten Eyck's first session of Ten Eyck Tuesdays. What a great time we had! The lovely Robin Dini and her husband Frank were our models for the day.

Before I begin, let me say this about Ms. Carla Ten Eyck. I signed up for her workshop because I admire her work and her enthusiasm so much. I wanted to see her in action and hoped some of her magic might rub off on me. Not only is she an amazing talent, but her love for what she does is infectious and she so enjoys sharing and teaching and helping people grow.

Spending time with Carla is just good for the soul.

Our first stop was a park at high noon. Not ideal shooting conditions, but we managed to rock it. Robin and Frank are so in love and so natural in front of the camera.

How's this for a cool location? Who knew a highway overpass could be so fun to shoot in? (Carla did, that's who.)

The Frankness.

Our last stop was in a crazy tunnel near the train station. A normal person would probably just hold her breath and walk quickly through, hoping nothing would drip on her from above. (Ha, ha--private joke for those in attendance!) But, again, we rocked it!

Carla set up this cool shot using Frank's aviators.

A Couple's Self Portrait. Robin shot this photo of herself in Frank's glasses. How cute are they?!

I rest my case.

Shelby + Ryan: Part One

2008-10-05T23:30:00.010-04:00

I am so excited to be shooting Shelby and Ryan's wedding next summer. I first met Shelby a few months ago and knew I would love photographing her. Not only is she beautiful but she was so easy to talk to and when she talked about her wedding she just lit up.

We wrote back and forth a couple of weeks ago in preparation for the engagement shoot. I sent them each a "Couples Questionnaire" that I ask my couples to fill out so that I can get to know them better as individuals and as a pair. They're always fun for me to read and always teach me something important about my couples, but this time I was just blown away.

I got Ryan's answers first and they were just amazing. He is so in love with Shelby and it came through loud and clear in all of his answers. Shelby's reply came a day later and she, too, blew me away. These two could not say enough wonderful things about each other and I could not WAIT to get them together in front of my camera!

We met a week ago in Essex for our shoot. Somebody was looking out for us b/c it rained half of my drive down and much of my ride back but the weather stayed dry for our entire session!

As always, I have too many favorites to cram in one post so be on the lookout for a Part Two later this week. For now--enjoy!

Karen and Chris: Part One

2008-09-24T22:43:00.017-04:00

So last night was just a teaser.

I will be posting this wedding in a series as I make my way through my favorite images. Below is a sampling of mostly details. I have a hard time keeping these to a reasonable number because I was so into her details! The flowers and dress and shoes, the venue, the hair, the flower girls! So many great shots of her beautiful details!

The bridesmaids looked awesome in their chocolate brown dresses:

One bridesmaid was a new Mommy. She looked amazing and her sweet baby was just 4 weeks old! So cute!

Devon preps. It was so fun to see Devon--it's been years. We grew up on the same street and played together when we were little!

Just a cool shot of "The Scene." Lots of activity as everyone gets ready:

How 'bout these flowers? My sister and I were ooh-ing and aah-ing all day about these beauties. I must give props to Clementine Floral for their exquisite work:

And these?

Steph, a bride I shot last year, gets her glam on. Foxy Lady!

Her girls weigh in on the lip gloss. It's a group effort!

Nothing like a little bubbly to set the mood!

Karen sees herself in her dress for the first time. Perfection.

Karen + Chris: Wedding Sneak Peek

2008-09-23T22:27:00.004-04:00

My sister and I traveled to the Cape a few weeks back to photograph the wedding of Karen and Chris at the amazing Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster. We went to high school with Karen and bumped into her at a wedding last summer, where we first met Chris. They weren't engaged at the time, but when Karen emailed me a few months later to say that they were planning their own wedding, I was so honored and happy that they asked me to be their photographer!

The day was perfect. Well--the weather was not, as Hurricane Gustav was playing with us all day long, but other than some serious downpours and some wind, I'd say the whole affair was right out of a fairy tale.

Karen looked amazing. Her dress, her shoes, her hair--I just loved her style. I have lots of favorites to share but for tonight I am going to post just one. I know--that's a terrible thing to do! But it is the cutest image and I have to force myself to get off the computer and go to bed!

More to come soon, I promise...

Alicia and Craig: The SlideShow

2008-09-22T22:57:00.003-04:00

At long last...

Sweet Hannah...Part Two

2008-09-18T21:28:00.012-04:00

I am so busy lately that I hadn't had time before today to make it through all of the shots I took of Baby Hannah a couple of weeks back. She was just 8 days old when I visited and her Mommy says she has already grown so much since I saw her!

Here is one more batch of favorites. Such a perfect baby. Enjoy...

Boys Will Be Boys...I Guess!

2008-09-15T14:23:00.005-04:00

So. Since I often work long hours on Saturdays, Tim and Finn are sometimes on their own for extended periods. Once in a while they meet up with some of Tim's friends who also have kids. Three grown men and their offspring. What better place to grab lunch than the infamousHooters, right?

So the other day I was driving and Finn told me he wanted to go to Bruegger's.

Me: "Oh, what kind of bagel do you want at Bruegger's?"
Finn: "No, not the bagel place. The Bruegger's with the balloons."

Me to myself "What is he talking about? Balloons? OH, wait a minute..."

Me: "Finn, do you mean Hooters?"
Finn: "Hooters. Ya, Hooters. Is that the place where the ladies wear little orange underpants?
Me: "Um, ya. Those are their shorts."

Sassy Kate and Brother Charlie

2008-09-08T23:50:00.009-04:00

A week ago I spent the morning with these two cuties at home just hanging out. Kate started out all shy, but I knew she was just fakin' and in no time she was like my new best friend. I have tons of favorite shots from this visit but since a whole week has gone by and time is of the essence, I had to force myself to just pick a blog's worth for now!

Welcome, Hannah...With Love

2008-08-30T22:58:00.008-04:00

I had the privilege this past Thursday of photographing the beautiful newborn baby of Craig and Diana. They are the first of my past wedding couples to have a baby and it was the most amazing and wonderful experience to see them with their her. They are both so totally in love and in awe of her. I remember that feeling!

Welcome, Hannah! Here is a quick set of some favorites. There will be more to come next week, but I could not resist posting a preview. She is just one week old in these photos.

A Note About My Blog's Appearance...

2008-08-29T00:09:00.004-04:00

Okay. I am playing again. I was interested in making my images larger on the blog and have been fiddling with some different arrangements. I now like the size of my verticals (see post below) but my horizontals are too small! Grrr...

Please bear with me as I figure this out. I am up past midnight again "playing" on the computer so I think this will have to wait! In the meantime--enjoy my giant verticals and my miniature horizontals!

Sarah & Patrick: Engagement Session

2008-08-28T22:45:00.024-04:00

Last weekend I had the chance to meet up with Sarah and Patrick who are getting married next spring. We met up at a very cool restaurant in Simsbury called Plan B. A great burger joint, if you're interested. They make a Pretzel Burger that is to die for. The bun is made of pretzel dough and let me tell you--there ain't nothing like it. We didn't meet for food but just to grab a few drinks and get to know each other better. Sarah and Patrick were so easy to hang out with, it felt just like meeting up with old friends.

We lucked out with beautiful weather and we spent a good chunk of time shooting. In fact, I have so many photos from so many locations, I have to do their post as another series! Today's post will include just the shots from the spot where we met, Plan B.

Sarah and Patrick--it was so fun hanging out with you! Enjoy!

The basement of this building is very cool. No one was seated down there so we decided
to take advantage of its coolness and grab some quick shots:

Out behind the restaurant is this neat old train car. I think they use it as their "wait-station" but we used it as a backdrop:

Thought For the Day...

2008-08-27T10:20:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I get these emails everyday from Real Simple--the Daily Thought. And so many of them are great that I don't delete them and now my mailbox is getting way too full of Thoughts! Lots of them are just good reminders of what is important in life, but a suprising number of them apply to my photography-life in particular. I save them because I have it in mind that I will post a quote with a fitting image of my own but I never seem to get around to it.

Here's a favorite:

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."

— Flora Whittemore

So many of us just let our lives happen to us and forget that we have so much power to decide what happens in our lives...We can create possibilities for ourselves and we can choose not to put our time and energy into things that do not feed us...

Mazey One Month Old: Part Two

2008-08-20T13:12:00.002-04:00

Okay. So Mazey is way past one month old, but I never got around to posting all of my favorites from that shoot. It's crazy how quickly this summer has gone by--it's time for her two month pics and I am just now posting these! Mazey is the sweetest baby ever, and I'm not just saying that because I'm her auntie!

Daddy takes Diaper Duty:

I loved shooting through her crib:

This is actually through the bars of the changing table, one of her favorite spots! I think she likes the light by the window:

The Chair, revisited:

Daddy Time:

Okay. This series makes me laugh.

Falling asleep, with my camera in her face. "Maybe if I go to sleep she'll leave."

"Is she still there?"

"Oh, forget it."

And my last few favorites:

Alicia and Craig: Part Two

2008-08-15T09:41:00.006-04:00

So, here's my next batch! I can't wait to have more time to work on the photos from Alicia and Craig's wedding. I am loving these. This has been a particularly busy week for me so I am working on these in spurts--usually really late at night--but I am grabbing the shots that really stand out to me and playing with those first.

How sweet is this flower girl?

Alicia has great taste. I loved her details. Simple. Pretty. Pink and green.

These bags were placed on tables for their candy bar! Let me tell you--it was a hit. People of all ages were filling up on yummy treats. And going back for seconds!

This is a shot I grabbed of them just after their ceremony. Brand new married couple!

Alicia arranged for a horse and carriage to give them a ride around campus after their ceremony. It was a total surprise for Craig. There was champagne. It was perfect. I think it was great for them to have some time to themselves right after their ceremony to just soak it in and enjoy each other's company.

Here are some images of Alicia and Craig alone before we joined the cocktail hour:

I like grabbing shots when people are not looking at me. Love Alicia's "cool stare" in this one:

This was a neat little spot where we waited while they were putting the finishing touches together in the reception room:

First Dance:

I am loving black and white for this wedding. I just feel like it is really working for their images. In many cases I feel like the emotion and beauty of a moment is much stronger when the image is black and white. Is it just me?

Alicia and her Dad. This was the sweetest Father/Daughter dance. They had me crying! Alicia held on to her Dad like she would never let go. The tears just streamed down her face. It was truly a beautiful moment.

Craig and his mother. I love the second shot where she just closes her eyes and lays her head on his chest. So sweet.

I hope you two are enjoying these photos as much as I am! It's so fun to re-live the day as I work my way through the images. Enjoy!

Alicia and Craig at The Hotchkiss School: Part One

2008-08-12T22:43:00.004-04:00

Just over a week ago was the incredible wedding of Alicia and Craig. What a day! Let me warn you in advance--I have a lot of favorites! I think the best way to do this is to split my posts into parts so I don't overwhelm my viewers!

We met up with Alicia, her nine bridesmaids, her parents, her aunt and her adorable flower girl at her parents' house. It was a busy scene, to say the least. It was an assembly line of hair and make-up but everyone was in good spirits--even when the skies opened up and the thunder roared.

Alicia was the most relaxed, happy and beautiful bride.

Here are some detail shots from the Getting Ready portion of the day:

Alicia's dress was just amazing. (Wait till you see it on her!)

Something borrowed:

Okay. This was the BEST reaction I've yet to witness of a bride putting on her dress. The moment the dress was on her body, Alicia was overwhelmed with emotion. It was so moving! I think she had the whole room in tears!

Gorgeous!

Her sister, Nicole, does the honors:

Okay. I don't want poor Craig to feel totally left out! Here are a few more favorites:

Craig and his Best Man, his brother, Eric:

This is one of my favorites from the day! This is Eric peeking out from the back room of the chapel as he and the groom wait for the ceremony to start. I was pretty far away, but luckily had my 70-200 ready to grab it:

A quiet moment from the ceremony:

The Guys:

I love their faces in this shot. Such happiness!

As they walk off, the new Mr. and Mrs.:

Okay. I am tempted to keep going, but you will have to stay tuned for the next installment!

Congratulations, Alicia and Craig! Your wedding was amazing! I had the best time with you and your family and friends! Thank you so much for allowing me to play such an important part in your wedding day. I hope to see you both soon...

#91--Check!

2008-08-05T21:41:00.006-04:00

Well, I am happy to report that I have done something on my 101 List. I am disappointed not to be blogging it the way I originally hoped, but perhaps in the next few days I will get the chance.

#91 was to videotape Finn in everyday life. When he was a baby and didn't even do anything, I'd record him for hours. "Look! It's Finn sitting in his bouncy chair...Finn sleeping...Finn staring into space..." For some reason as he's gotten older I have totally "forgotten" to capture his cute little self on tape more often. And I want to be able to look back at every stage of his life and remember how he looked and sounded and acted.

So it isn't really something I can "check off" after just one time. But I am planning to keep the camera charged and with a tape in it so I can grab it at a moment's notice.

Sunday night I shot him dancing his little butt off to "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot. I had hoped to post a video clip here but I can't find the software for my video camera and for the life of me can't figure this out! I need some other kind of cable to hook it to my Mac so I'm gonna have to call it a day. Hopefully one of these days you, too, can laugh at my little spaz shaking his booty with all of his might. (BTW--the song was stuck in his head all morning and he kept singing to himself, "I like big BUTTS and I cannot lie..." My husband wants to kill me!)

A Little Slice of Heaven

2008-08-05T07:31:00.007-04:00

This time last week I was hanging out lakeside with a great bunch of folks from the CT PUG, or Pictage User Group. A bunch of photographers coming together to talk shop and just relax and have some fun.

We were hosted by the lovely and gracious Amanda Harris Herzberger of Orchard Cove Photography. Her family's lovely lakehouse:

The "backyard"

Amanda gets pensive by the water:

Nikki Nicole from Nikki Nicole Photography chills with Strider:

Strider. Seriously the best dog I've ever met! What a good boy!

This next photo is the epitome of what I wish for in life. To wake up every morning and glide around the lake in a kayak...Serenity.

Exhibit A:

That's Mr. Justin Marantz, one half of the amazing husband and wife team of Justin Marantz Photography showing us how it's done.

This is how photographers "relax" by the water:

Here's what they're shooting:

That's Jo from Allegro Photography reenacting an Australian commercial.

My girl, Julia, from Salty Grapes. She lights up a room with that smile:

Joy Moody shares her shot of Justin with Jacob Bergmeier of NoDo Photography:

Last but not least:

I thought I'd take many more pictures over the course of 2 days than I did but that's because I was so busy working on our Retreat "Assignment." On the first day we came together to do some serious thinking and soul-searching. Mary Marantz led this portion of the workshop and boy is she good at making you think!

We started off by writing the following categories on a page in our notebooks: Personal, Family, Financial, Spiritual and Business. Then we identified the things in each area of our lives that we felt were obstacles or struggles. On the next page we wrote these same categories and listed our goals for each. We followed up by writing at the top of a page "The Good Life for Me..." And then we just wrote--sort of stream of consciousness--whatever that means to us. The Good Life.

It was very moving for me. And a lot of it boils down to finding time. Feeling like I "owe" every minute of my life to someone or some task. I recognized how very important it is for me to have time to be by myself and not feel guilty or pulled in a million directions by my ever-growing "To-Do" list. And, of course, time to be with my family and forget about email and editing and washing the kitchen floor!

Then we had one more task. 101 in 1001. And while it sounds kind of cute and perky, it was damn hard to do in those 2 days! We made a list of 101 things we want to accomplish in the next 1001 days. That works out to be just over 2 1/2 years, I think. I couldn't believe how hard this was! I had to escape the group and head down to the dock to get started since I cannot concentrate around other people. There ended up being a few of us down there and every 15 minutes or so someone would break the silence to ask for ideas or share their own.

Here are a few things on my 101 List:

Have someone else photograph me with my son, Finn. I am in almost no photos with Finn since he was born! Partly because I am always the one with camera and partly because I hate myself in pictures. But I know that someday Finn will appreciate having photos of himself with his Mommy so I just have to suck it up and get it done!

Learn to play the mandolin.

Take a pottery class. (One of my oldest dreams was to live in Vermont and have an artist's studio where I would do pottery and have a darkroom. This is pre-digital, of course.)

Take Finn to the movies.

Hang a chin up bar in the basement! (Weird, I know. But I love doing pull ups. At least I used to. I am afraid I might only be able to lift myself an inch right now, but I could work myself up to a handful or more. At least I hope I could!)

Of course there are many more. We are supposed to complete and blog about at least one thing on our list by today. I did do something on my list and am going to see if I can figure how to blog this the way I want to. Stay tuned...

Mazey One Month Old

2008-07-31T21:56:00.006-04:00

Time flies! I can't believe how big Mazey is getting! I visited her for her one-month shots and that was already almost 2 weeks ago! I just haven't had the time to go through all the pictures yet.

Here is my hands down favorite shot:

Ain't she cute?

Stay tuned. There are many more worth posting; I just need to find the time!

Lady Claire

2008-07-27T08:48:00.008-04:00

My dear, sweet niece Claire. She is every aunt's dream. (Especially every photographer-aunt! She is beautiful, photogenic, and she likes to have her picture taken!) And Finn adores her.

My only wish is that we could see her more than once a year.

Without further ado:

This reminds me of a 70's album cover:

Are You Sure You Want to Cut That?!

2008-07-24T11:55:00.004-04:00

Okay. A bit overdue, but I've been busy. This cake totally deserves it's own post. It's own applause. Heck, it's own Fan Club!

This gorgeous creation was handcrafted by Ana Parzych Custom Cakes. Check out her website--you will be amazed by how beautifully she crafts these edible masterpieces. Please note: the flowers on this cake are not real! Yes. You read that correctly. These flowers are made of sugar! (I am not sure what the best technical term is for these: edible confections?)

I was right there in person and having a hard time believing it. They are exquisite. I cannot imagine the time and care it takes to make something so delicate and so perfect. If you happen to be looking for a cake for your own special event, do visit Ana's website.

Hey--when a six-year-old boy knows it's good, you must be doing something right!

I love these shots that Aimee grabbed:

Marianne and Aaron: The Slideshow

2008-07-22T14:31:00.013-04:00

I finally finished the slideshow from Marianne and Aaron's wedding last month at the Hillstead Museum in Farmington. It was so hard to narrow it down to less than 200 images! There were so many great shots! What a fun bunch of people they had at their wedding. It was a beautiful day and these two are so totally in love with each other, their happiness was truly contagious.

Thanks, Marianne and Aaron, for allowing me to document your wonderful day. And a special shout out to Aimee from Aimee Thomas Oswalt Photography for second shooting with me.

UPDATE: This show is a bit slow to load. Be patient; I think it's worth it!

Life Is Good.

2008-07-18T09:45:00.006-04:00

This past weekend I had the BEST time photographing the adorable children of a childhood friend. It's so funny to think of myself and people I've known since I was a kid as grown-ups! I just turned 35 and I still think to myself, "When I grow up..."

Kim is an amazing Mom and it was a lot of fun to hang out with her and her 3 cuties. The girls were great. They were hugging me, kissing me and telling me jokes and stories. What a treat! This was one of those days that just made me feel so lucky to do what I do. Imagine--laughing and playing all afternoon and then being able to give the family these images of their beautiful children to treasure.

There are too many great shots to post here, so here are a bunch of my favorites:

Alicia and Craig: The Engagement SlideShow

2008-07-17T10:22:00.007-04:00

Okay. Finally.

This is the first slideshow I have posted on the blog and it took me for-freakin-ever! Little glitches. I think it is finally all set. Alicia and Craig--I hope you enjoy this little treat. I certainly enjoyed hanging out with you at the incredible campus of the Hotchkiss School. I cannot believe your Wedding Day is right around the corner! I can't wait...

See you both soon!

Good Times.

2008-07-13T14:10:00.020-04:00

I have the very good fortune of having not only the BEST in-laws I could have ever wished for--but the BEST in-laws who also happen to live on the Cape! (Bonus!) So we always have an awesome place to visit and to celebrate the 4th of July. We also have some other relatives and friends down there, so it always makes for a great time. Finn has a blast playing with his cousins and exploring at the beach.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the weekend:

This is our niece, Claire. You will be seeing lots more of her in a future post as she spent an entire afternoon posing for me. It's nice to have such beautiful models!

Colton was a good sport. I don't think he was terribly excited to pose for me, but he cooperated!

Check out this cutie-pie!

Her big brother, Eli:

Ainslee, enjoying some alone time:

Lila, always laughing! (Really--she is always laughing!)

Bubbles!

Jack watches the runners at the Fourth of July Road Race:

Nathaniel at the Road Race:

Speaking of the road race, Claire came in SECOND!! We are all so proud of her. Running 5 miles is something I cannot even imagine, let alone actually earning a trophy for it. I would more likely earn a series of chest compressions, but that's just me!

Jack checks out Claire's prize:

My Boy

2008-07-12T00:12:00.006-04:00

I am working on a post of a bunch of photos from our trip to the Cape for the 4th. We have lots of beautiful nephews, nieces and friends there--wait till you see 'em!

But, alas, I am up too late yet again and so have chosen one favorite picture of My Favorite Boy--my son, Finn. That's all for now. He is my Everything. Ain't he cute?

Baby Mazey: One Week Old

2008-07-06T22:13:00.005-04:00

Last week just before leaving the state for a mini-vacation with my family, I visited my beautiful new niece, Mazey. She was already one week old! I haven't seen her since and she's almost 2 weeks old now! I am really excited to document her first year, so I hope you don't mind seeing her sweet face a LOT around here! By the way--I was very excited to discover that she has dimples. So cute!

What do babies dream about? What a face!

We have chosen this chair as our "scale location"--whenever I photograph Mazey at home in her first year, we will put her in this chair so that we can easily see her growth in relation to at least one static object. Interesting sidenote that makes this kind of extra cool: this chair belonged to my great-grandmother, Mazey's own great-great grandmother!

More Alicia and Craig...

2008-06-30T23:39:00.010-04:00

Okay. So that was a major tease to have only one photo up all day! I have another bunch ready to post.

I met Alicia and Craig at The Hotchkiss School, where they will be married later this summer. Beautiful! I am so excited to shoot their wedding! The grounds are amazing and there are tons of cool spots. In fact, I kept saying, "Okay, guys. Let's go somewhere else..." We'd walk about 3 feet and I'd go, "Wait! Stop! Under that tree! The light!" They were such good sports.

Ya, that's the same shot. Just a different treatment. I like to play!

This was taken outside the new music building. This place was awesome--very cool exterior. There just happened to be an orchestra playing classical music as we were shooting. Of course I told them I'd arranged the whole thing.

Down by the lake. We're hoping to get golf carts on the day of the wedding so we can take some shots here.

Lest you think they are perched on a mere rock. Behold! The Hotchkiss Bulls!

Gotta get a shot in the manly truck!

Alicia and Craig: Engagement Session

2008-06-29T23:42:00.034-04:00

Okay--this will have to be quick. There's a big thunderstorm happening as I type this and I am afraid lightening might not be good for my computer! I think I have figured out how to post larger photos. Any feedback? Will this be too big?!

UPDATE: Okay--the last image was too big. I have a huge monitor at my house, but I checked it from my other computer and see that my blog ran off the side. People would have to scroll over to see the items on the right. so, for now, this is as big as I can post 'em. I will continue fiddling, I am sure....

Technical Difficulties! Stay Tuned...

2008-06-29T23:36:00.002-04:00

Okay--I know.

The blog looks weird! My pictures have shifted all over the place! I am working on making the blog larger, particularly the images, but it's quite late at night and I am not sure I will have this all figured out for a day or two. I wasn't sure if the changes I am making would make "old" posts weird-looking. It did!

Stay tuned...this should be worth it in the end. :)

Sweet, Sweet Baby...

2008-06-23T22:58:00.008-04:00

She's here!!

A week late, but worth the wait! Baby Mazey was born today. She is just perfect. My sister did awesome and everyone is happy and healthy. I have a feeling you will be seeing a lot of this little face! This is from my first visit--she is just 4 hours old in these shots. Of special note: my 95 year old grandmother was there and I love the contrast and beauty of her hand with the baby's. (Mazey is her 16th great grandchild!)

Enjoy!

Marianne and Aaron: True Love

2008-06-22T21:16:00.010-04:00

Yesterday I had the honor of photographing one of the most touching and FUN weddings I have ever been to. It was truly a perfect day. The setting, the weather, the couple, the guests...Amazing.

I have been very busy with family stuff (And, no--still no baby!) so I haven't had the time to really examine and play with many pictures yet. Here are a few that jumped out at me on my first run-through:

The dress? Stunning.

Hangin' with the Cousins

2008-06-19T11:02:00.009-04:00

We spent the weekend hanging out with my sister and her two adorable boys. The kids had a blast! We happened on this old-school arcade and carsousel. Very cool.

Jillian and Ethan Tie the Knot

2008-06-10T20:05:00.016-04:00

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of second shooting for the amazing Amanda Harris at the beautiful backyard wedding of Jill and Ethan. The weather was surprisingly comfortable given the breeze off the water and the simple and elegant details made for a truly beautiful scene.

The Hillstead Museum

2008-06-03T22:32:00.007-04:00

I am very excited to be shooting a wedding later this month at the beautiful Hillstead Museum in Farmington. I have heard for years about this place and have always meant to visit, but somehow time has always gotten away from me and I never managed to visit. Until this past week.

Marianne and Aaron will be getting married here later this month and I was anxious to check out the scenery ahead of time. It is breathtaking! I can't wait to shoot their wedding here. There are so many gorgeous views...

More 'Big' Little Sister...She's About to Pop!

2008-05-29T21:12:00.022-04:00

Some more favorites from my session with my little sister. She's gonna be a Mommy!

The Countdown Begins...

2008-05-26T01:03:00.005-04:00

Baby Mazey is due to arrive in just a few short weeks! I spent the afternoon with my beautiful, pregnant sister Jen and her man, Geno. Haven't had a chance to do much more than upload the photos, but be on the lookout for a new batch in the coming days. In the meantime, here is a favorite belly shot:

Happy Mother's Day, Gramma

2008-05-13T22:19:00.005-04:00

This post is a few days late, but still worth writing. My sweet grandmother turned 95 years old this year. And, as I like to say, "She's 95, and she could still kick my ass!"

She truly is like no other 95 year old woman you have ever met. She has this spunk, this fire that is just amazing. She raised 6 children and was married to my grandfather for more than 65 years. They were a sight to be seen. Grampa was madly in love with her until the day he passed away. He used to tell complete strangers how long they'd been married, how old she was, "She looks pretty good for 94, don't ya think?"

I know she would hate this picture if she saw it. All she would see are the wrinkles. But all I see is her beauty. And a life well-lived.

Where the Wild Things Are

2008-05-06T11:46:00.000-04:00

Finn and I spent the day at Flamig Farm this weekend. Such a great place! It was nice to go on field trip for a change of scenery.

Finn had a blast. But he hates having his picture taken, so for the few nice shots I snuck of him I have about 100 grumpy ones of him telling me, "No more pictures!" Poor guy.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink...

2008-05-04T23:04:00.000-04:00

Well. That and countertops.
We demolished our kitchen 2 months ago. And it all started with a leaking faucet!
We weren't happy with the kitchen as it was anyway, but remodeling it seemed like a dream for the future. But our sink was leaking. And leaking. We "fixed" the faucet a while back, but it turns out it was leaking underneath and behind the plumbing and let's face it--we let it go for way too long. So then we had mold. And the countertop was spongey. So it went from buying a new sink to gutting the whole thing! If we have to replace the countertop, we might as well get new cabinets. If we're getting new cabinets we might as well knock down that pantry wall and make more room...
We're totally excited about the new kitchen. And so ready to be able to cook our own food again! All we have eaten for the last 2 months is take-out, cereal, and things that fit in a toaster oven! (I've gained 5 pounds--ugh.) We're washing our dishes in the bathroom sink.
Countertops come tomorrow. And the sink! We'll be almost completely done! I'll post some real before and afters once they're in. Here's the demolition:
My Dad surveys the situation.
Tim supervises while my Dad works. ;)

Finn looks oddly proud of our mold problem.

This is our makeshift kitchen in the dining room. It's a little better organized now, but no less crowded or annoying! Stay tuned...

Jami and Chris

2008-04-30T22:54:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday I had the honor and pleasure of photographing the wedding of Jami and Chris. I'll just come out and say it--I love these two! They are so much fun to be around and are clearly one of those very lucky couples--totally cool, totally fun and totally in love.

The ceremony was at the most beautiful location in Colebrook--Camp Jewell. There is a gorgeous spot built into a hillside overlooking the water. While the weather was less than perfect when we met up that morning, the clouds broke just in time for them to exchange vows.

Jami and Chris's two dogs were the ringbearers, which made for some good laughs during the ceremony. This is a classic Jami face--her beautiful smile.

Here are a few shots from earlier in the morning:

The reception was at Chatterly's in New Hartford. I haven't had a chance to get through all of my pictures yet, but here's one that jumped out at me. And no--it's not because it's a bunch of shot glasses--I just liked the look of it!

Marblehead, Massachusetts

2008-04-22T21:58:00.000-04:00

Well, Tim and I managed to get away for two nights and two days to Marblehead. Finn stayed with his Nana and Grandpa on the Cape and had a grand ol' time without us!

We stayed at a beautiful B&B called the Seagull Inn. I will post pics of the actual place next time--I haven't had a chance to go through all of my pictures yet.

What a neat town! Tim and I are both particularly fond of historic, seaside villages. We love the old houses, the history, the charm. Whenever we go places like this, we come back wishing we could move there! Here are a few shots from our first day walking around historic Marblehead:

This is the gate to a gigantic castle/mansion by the water. Some of the homes we saw there were crazy!

Another cool spot we spent some time at was this old cemetary. The oldest stone we found was dated 1690. There were likely older ones whose dates were simply too eroded to read anymore. It was amazing to note how much shorter peoples' lives were back then, too. Lots of children and young adults...

How's this for a spooky, old tree in a 325 year old graveyard? Let's just say I was glad it was daytime.

When we arrived, our hosts asked us if we had visited the world's ugliest lighthouse yet! It's pretty small in this picture. (And actually kind of cool looking.)

Tim and I on the street. Dreaming of owning one of the beautiful, old homes. As long as it is not haunted. Seriously.

Red door at Fort Sewall, 1644.

When Nature Calls...

2008-04-22T17:27:00.001-04:00

Well--we went away this past weekend. Drove to the Cape on Thursday after work. This is Finn in a church parking lot on the way. (I know, I know, a church? It was the best place to pull over, I swear! And look--we went all the way to the edge!)

Seriously, how long can a 3 year old hold it?!

Rediscovery Workshop, Part Three

2008-04-16T21:59:00.001-04:00

Okay. No time to waste here, guys. I am supposed to be packing and going to bed early, but I really wanted to add a few more workshops pics. After shooting the lovely ladies featured in previous posts, we went a little "field trip" with the sexy model-couple/photographer-duo Justin and Mary Marantz. They were crazy good!

One of the hardest parts about shooting couples is how self-conscious most people feel posing for pictures--especially for these prolonged (and often very public) engagement shoots. It is hard to get people to act naturally and to forget you are there, which is often when you grab the most authentic shots. Not so with Justin and Mary! They were up for whatever anyone could think of to make them do!

Gotta love the socks.

Rediscovery Workshop, Part Two

2008-04-15T16:42:00.002-04:00

Just a glimpse at what it is like to model for a photography workshop:

I can't imagine how it feels to have so many cameras pointed at you all at once, but these girls held their own!

Here I take advantage of a very cool, very creative pose set up by Kiva Sutton of Annandale Photography:

I usually change many more of my images to black and white in post-production, but these models had such fun and colorful "selves"--hair, tattoos, clothes, make-up--I felt much more attached to the images' color than I usually do!

We were so spoiled at this workshop. Not only did we have Carla and Steve as our world-class instructors, but we had the most incredible models to work with. Here is Nicole Frechette, a local country singer:

I still have quite a few more I'd like to share. But it's about time I wrap this post up and get to bed! Stay tuned for Part Three...

Rediscovery Workshop, Part One

2008-04-13T15:50:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending an amazing photography worksop last week hosted by the super talented Carla Ten Eyck and Steve Depino. What a day! Carla and Steve invited us all to re-examine why we got into photography in the first place. What is it about photography that first captured us? What can we do to feel inspired again?

They also pushed each of us to think about how we would like to learn and grow technically. We were encouraged to shoot in a way that was new to us--to use a lens we don't often use, to try an angle or a perspective we never shoot from. This was a great exercise. I grabbed my 85mm lens that I have only owned for a short time and have only used on a couple of occasions. I knew I liked this lens for close-up, intimate portrait shots, but I made myself use it almost exclusively that day--even when we shot our model couple, Justin and Mary Marantz. I have to admit--it frustrated me at times because I kept wanting to "go wide" and fall back on my usual lens, but I knew this was a perfect opportunity to play and to experiment.

This workshop was awesome. I feel like it absolutely inspired me and I just loved having an opportunity to work with and learn from the many other talented photographers who attended.

I must also give a shout out to my favorite hairdresser, Kerry, from Cahoots Salon in Avon. She did a superb job on our models' hair and make-up. Wait till you see these ladies! The models were such naturals--none of them are "real-life" models but they all rocked their shoots!

Here is Cara. Her expressions were perfect:

Her sister, Jamie, was also workin' it:

Okay--so this is my first blog post EVER and it has taken me way too long! My poor 3 year old has been entertaining himself behind me for just about the whole time and we are overdue for dinner! I have plenty more to add and until I post this am not sure my pictures are going to post as nicely as I hope--size and quality--so if they don't, I may re-post them later.

Anyway--this post is To Be Continued...