Saturday, May 11th at Bookworm Gardens
Session fees are $100 -- $50 of your payment will be donated to Bookworm Gardens!
Each mini-session includes:
- 20-minute shooting time for up to 4 people
- Online gallery of 8-10 final edited images from which to choose prints & files
- One (1) 11x14 print mounted on styrene with corresponding digital image file
E-mail [email protected] or call 920.645.8234 to reserve your spot.
A few of my favorites from the fall mini-sessions:
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Now fellas. You know I love you. Really and truly, I do. My house is filled with only boys (and me, obviously) and I wouldn’t ask to have it any other way.
But in this work that I do with my camera? I am for women. With rare exception, it is women who seek me out to witness and help capture their partnerships and parenting and present-moment gratitudes. Often, it is a new mama who, just a few weeks into parenthood, through her bone-deep exhaustion, already feels thisisgoingtoofastiwanttorememberwhatyouwerelike sense of wanting to pause time. It is a woman about to let someone she's watched since their first steps now make that leap into the big, wide world. It is a woman who carefully collects her family stories and wants it right there, in a photograph, to remember how you scrunched up your nose when something was funny and you still do it now, when your own kiddo acts silly.
So, in photographing babies, children, and families, I have learned to see women.
And, let me say this to you, woman: I see how you sometimes shy away from *really* being seen. You hesitate. You shrink down. You want everyone in the frame but you. I get it. Okay, you wouldn’t call yourself “ugly” but you wouldn’t say you were beautiful. Pretty, maybe. But definitely not photogenic. Does any of this sound familiar? You could be in better shape. You haven’t found time for a haircut in six months. You've never liked your chin. Well, honestly, these days you don't look at your reflection for more time than it takes to brush your teeth (uh, you do still fit that in, right? Don’t neglect your gums.) And in our world of manipulated images and unrealistic expectations, you think everyone else but you has got it together. Maybe you'll get there someday.
Now, let me say this to you, woman: You are beautiful. Just as you are. Today.
If you let me come closer, I can show you.
My photography is for women: maternity, newborn, children, family, lifestyle... and now beauty and boudoir. Authentic, contemporary portraiture for women. Women like you.
You are beautiful.
See for yourself.
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When we went back in, I tried to cheer him up by showing him the shots of his crying face on my camera. Then I let him press the shutter a few times. The last shot in this post is one that he took. It thought it has a nice feel to it... maybe we have a photographer in the making?
Thanks for inviting me to visit., friends! It is genuinely a joy to see families grow and change through this work. And thank you for sharing B's yummy birthday cake. It was a hit with my guys at home. Hope to see you in some warmer weather later this year.
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Love you muchly, M&M and Bean Burrito!
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It was apparent how much this mama adores her two dear ones. Amazingly, there was no coaxing to get some sibling love to show, either. Thanks, W family!
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Can you believe that it is nearly December and we will soon say goodbye to this whirlwind year? I will say that I am excited for 2013. So excited. I am taking some new directions in my photography work and I hope to preview some of that in the coming months. Meanwhile, I look forward to revisiting my favorite clients and seeing how their lives have changed in the past year, too. I am so grateful for the connections this work allows me to make.
So, there will be more soon. Hopefully.
For now, I will highlight some images I adore of sweet little S. I started shooting her before she was born and she is growing like crazy. Look at her enjoying the fall leaves and landscape. We should all feel like that with such a simple pleasure.
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The newest addition to the G family: another lovable boy.
Big brother sat still for a few pics but it was mostly mama and S, and then the wee newbie by himself. We had a few hijinx (boys will be boys, especially with no diaper) though he was mostly calm, dreamy, and so absolutly adorable with his big doll lips and his itty bitty toes. Can you tell I'm smitten? And especially appreciative this week of the joy these little ones bring into our world. Take care of your mama, S! As my little man says, "that's what boys do."
I met this little one's parents when they were still waiting for her, as I shot one of my first "official" maternity sessions with them. Now a toddler, she is on the move and keeping mom & dad on their toes :)
Visiting them recently for a family session, it was clear she was a bit under the weather but still wanted to bop all around the house with her toys and her lovely pooch sidekick. Poor thing, she spiked a fever shortly after I left. Not ideal conditions for getting your picture taken, but there were some really sweet, quiet images in the bunch.
So good to see you all again!
One of *the* funnest families I know is the G family. Every time I visit, I have to remind myself that I'm there, uh, you know, to take photos... since I'll just goof off and chatter away otherwise. They have such an ease about them, so you instantly relax into their space and feel welcomed by their warmth and laughter.
This time (though you can't see the belly in this shot) they just moved into their new home and are expecting a second boy to join the fun soon. Big brother Jack will eventually have to share his Thomas train set and sweet pooch Fiona will have to vie even harder for a bit of attention here and there.
I love that this shot shows how relaxed and playful they are. And I can't stop laughing at Fiona's bored, yawning expression. (Can I also admit that I do a happy dance to see that framed photo of Jack in the background, way up in the left-hand corner? It's one of my favorite shots of him from last year. He's changing and getting older so fast!)
Always a fun time, gang. Can I come play again soon?
I feel like an entire season has passed before I even looked around to notice. Having a new baby sends you into a kind of alternate universe, doesn't it?
I've been on a bit of a photography/blogging hiatus as I've been settling in on this second go-round of the mama thing. I'm slowly getting used to saying "boyS" as a plural. As exhausted as I am, I'm remembering that nighttime interruptions for feeding and rocking offer some of the most magical moments of feeling all is right in the world. And I'm already marveling at the changes in the baby's face: his expressions, his attention, his antics.
With a few remnant maternity leave days this week, I am savoring the extra mama and baby time with my little man. Everyone says it: it goes so quickly. And, of course, you just don't want to miss anything. I am grateful for my camera, because I can hardly believe that this face:
is already growing into this face:
Away from my blog for a bit with other creative pursuits (namely, adding a new baby boy to our family!), I will have to back up and feature the sessions I've been able to fit in during my day job leave.
First, I can't help but share the session from yesterday because it was just incredibly lovely -- unseasonably warm October weather, three darling sisters (and their stunning mama), and a beautiful setting at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. They were so fun and EASY to shoot, time with them flew past so quickly. I enjoyed the morning getting to know them and was grateful they could scoot up from Mequon to meet me. I hope they come for a visit again soon :)
A few images of this charming trio:
Have I told you how much I love expectant mamas? Okay, and their partners, too. There is just something about the expressions I see on the faces of parents-to-be (and something about those baby bellies) that speaks to me of potential and beauty and love in the everyday, ordinary little miracles.
I met Bonnie and Kile on the grounds of the Arts Center to start their session. They are waiting to meet their first baby -- a girl -- sometime in August (not too far off from my due date!), and we talked almost the whole time about first pregnancies, how life would change, and what an exciting time it is. I thoroughly enjoyed their laid-back, up-for-anything attitudes. After finding several spots to shoot in the sculpture garden we went down to the beach along Lake Michigan and the sun was stunning in Bonnie's hair. She is just lovely, isn't she?
I can't wait to meet the little girl they're going to welcome into their family. Thanks, Bonnie & Kile, for such a nice evening!
Only a few short months ago, I was taking Miss Sydney's fresh newborn photos. Now here she is, getting bigger and more attentive and more interactive all the time. We met up on what ended up being a pretty warm day and we managed to escape rain showers to catch some shots of this family of three. Syd was intrigued by the grass and flowers we let her play in and, of course, she responds with loads of giggles when her dad is trying to make her laugh and smile. Is she maybe, just a little bit, a daddy's girl?
Thanks, sweet Sydney! You're getting cuter all the time.
What a lovely family! They invited me to the spot that is both a constant family hub and a weekly summer getaway, right on the edge of Lake Michigan. The three kiddos had me running (as much as I can run these days) and laughing from the very beginning. I enjoyed getting to see such distinct personality traits in each of them and it was clear how much the whole group cherishes having this space to spend time together building family memories. Thanks for a great session!
I'm so lucky to have recently made my third trip to Milwaukee to visit such an adorable kiddo with camera in tow. I remember first seeing his newborn photos posted to Facebook and thinking "I just can't get over those lips!" He is an incredible mix of his mama & daddy, though his blond locks make him stand out a bit between them :) A charmer, without a doubt. Can't believe he'll soon be two!
Last weekend, I had incredibly fun sessions with three wonderful families in Milwaukee. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed each one of them--the end of the day was the best kind of exhaustion. I'm finally carving out time to get through all the images and decided to go backwards in order to blog them starting with the youngest subject first (you can see some sneak peeks of my other two sessions on facebook).
A few weeks ago, I met this gorgeous family as they awaited the arrival of their second daughter. Luckily for me, timing worked out for the baby's debut and our session to be scheduled before they move to a new home out of state over the next couple of weeks. (Clearly, I'm selfishly sad that I won't be near enough to keep visiting with my camera!)
After ooh-ing and aah-ing my hellos, I got to capture a few moments of baby M's first bath as she got ready for her big photo shoot. Following some snuggles from her mama and a quick feeding, she was simply a doll to photograph. So mellow and stunning with all of that dark hair! When big sister A was up from her nap and ready for action, we snapped away to try to catch a bit of sisterly love :)
As a bonus, I got to see another of my client families who happened to be visiting M's family for dinner. How great to see how big their little one has grown, too.
Thanks for a wonderful session -- good luck on your multiple new adventures!
Fortunate to catch some brief snippets of lovely spring weather, I was also lucky enough to meet darling Miss A and her parents to catch some family moments together. Miss A is a sweet little spitfire who kept me laughing and challenged me to keep up with her (I maybe only barely did). About to welcome a new baby girl into the fold, mom and dad are eager to greet the loving chaos of life with a pair of sisters. I hope to meet the new little one, who's bound to be as stunning as the family she's joining! I'm having a difficult time choosing favorite images but here goes a sneak peek:
It was such fun a few weeks ago to capture maternity photos for this beautiful young couple. As I was shooting, we talked about what their little girl might be like, how soon she might arrive, and how life would change.
Yesterday, I got to meet their utterly stunning girl who arrived on Valentine's Day (and, it seems, already captured more than a few hearts). She was awake and active most of the time but was cooperative and--like her parents--photogenic and fun. There are truly too many images I'm finding as my favorites, so here are just a few to share.
Welcome, Sydney Grace!
Today was an especially fun newborn session, since it was mostly catching up with friends and getting to meet the newest addition to the family. We've known them a long time and we often comment to each other what an interesting experience it is to see friends turn into parents. It was a joy to help welcome their second son and document their transition to a family of four.
Two-week-old Levi is a laid-back and content little man. He joins older brother Harrison who is handsome, talkative, and... well, a bit of a force of nature:) I definitely felt like it was a race against the clock getting him into some shots before he was off to the next thing. Can't wait to see how soon Levi will be off catching up to him.
Congratulations, J&J! Enjoy your sneak peek.
Look at these two super cuties, about to welcome a new baby girl into the world. She will no doubt be super cute herself! Stephanie and Chris and I (with the help of Steph's mom for wardrobe and some artistic direction) met up this past weekend and fought to grab every bit of winter light on a drab afternoon. We even braved the frigid air outside by the riverfront for, oh, five minutes at the end of the session.
Expectant parents are some of my very favorite subjects. The growing belly, the sense of wonder, the feeling of anticipation... it is just so fun to be a part of that. Even better when I get to head back for a newborn session and see who was hiding in there!
Who's that girl? I can't wait to meet her:)
Last week's blizzard postponed my visit to meet this much-anticipated little guy. We rescheduled as quickly as we could--his parents were eager to capture this early time, when B is already starting to change so much. Just two weeks old the day I got to him, he was alert and watchful. We definitely had to wait him out and try just about everything to get him full, warm, and ready to drift off long enough to catch some sleepy-faced images. He fought it pretty hard but his parents were patient and resourceful (I think it was turning on NFL network that finally did him in.)
It was wonderful to visit this lovely couple again and see the stunning boy they finally welcomed home. Look at that sweet face. And those new baby rolls!
Congratulations you two. Thank you for letting me peek into your lives again. B is definitely a keeper!
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A bit of the winter doldrums is setting for me. I guess that is winter in Wisconsin. It's been a little too cold to get outside in the hesitant sunshine, so I've been looking back through images from the summer to warm myself. I was happy to find this image of my son that speaks to I Heart Face's theme of innocent wonder. I love all the discoveries we get to make with our little explorers. I find myself with a sense of wonder, too.
Be sure to check out the other entries at I Heart Faces.
