52 Week Project - Week 2

This beautiful child does nothing by halves. She feels things so deeply, whatever it be from frustration or anger to joy, humor or excitement, it is without restraint. It is a trait she most certainly inherited from her Father, who is a man of passion.

The negative emotions can be hard to deal with, of course, but when she laughs it is hard not to laugh with her. There is something so real and so raw about laughter that is refreshing and contagious. Her days are most certainly not wasted as she brings joy to our household. What a gift!

Help on the journey.

In my photography journey, the internet has been an invaluable tool for learning and inspiration; without it my photography would not be where it is today. I joined a photography forum and there are numerous blogs I frequent as well as Google, when I need to find a specific tutorial or help with editing (which these days, is a huge part of photography).

I already mentioned The Creative Mama Blog as they are doing a 52 week photography challenge, with bi-weekly themes and another one I am following along with and who are providing weekly themes, is MCP Actions. Their theme this week was 'Around the House' and their week runs Saturday-Friday.

Well we got to Friday afternoon (this first week was a shorter week) and I suddenly realized that I had yet to take and submit my photograph. I was kind of lost for what to shoot, it was late in the afternoon and a dreary day, so lighting was horrible and my house (not unusual) was a mess. I decided to reach for my macro lens, which enables me to take great close-up detail shots (thereby minimizing seeing surrounding mess ;P ). I shot a couple of different things; a plate of feathers I had bought at Michaels, details of carving in my new wood bench, before I walked into the bedroom and saw my open jewelry case with necklaces hanging innocently enough.

Anyway, just thought I would share the photo I chose for this theme. Next week's theme is 'Illustrate a Song', I will have to get my thinking cap on for that!

52 Week Project - Week 1

So every Christmas, my lovely sister spends her hard earned cash and flies over from freezing England to visit us, in...very cold California. It really is not much better here at this time of year, yes we, unfortunately, have winters too. She could go somewhere hot, but instead she chooses to spend time with family. She spoils her nephew and nieces, she lets my husband and I get a night away without the kids, she hangs out with us and puts up with us. It is fun for me to have somebody to shop with, it is fun for the kids to have someone else paying them close attention and showing them love, in the way only family does.

She is kind and generous. She is beautiful, inside and, obviously, out. She is loyal, she has good taste. She is honest and she cares about others. She has so much to give and would make someone an amazing wife, although she says she has finally reached the place where she can be happy being single. She makes me laugh. She listens to me, like only a sister can...she jabs at me, like only a sister can! I cannot say enough good things about her and miss her already.

Of course with as willing a model as she was, although that is my official selection for the 52 week project, I have to share a few more.

This one was a close contender for the 1/52 place.

 Don't forget to check back by next Friday for the second week of this project and if you decide to do something similar leave me a comment so I can follow along with you too.

 One down, fifty one to go!

Happy New Year!

The first day of a new year. A clean, fresh slate. It feels right, and I am approaching this year with the anticipation of good things to come.

I want to have some challenge for the year ahead and had contemplated posting a photo a day, but I also want this to be the year that I officially start my business! (Yes here it is in writing! That means it is official, right?!) that takes time and extra work to make that happen and then, I hope, clients. So in view of all that, I decided that maybe a photo a week would be less demanding.

I trust I will post more often than that, but that will be the very least.

I have not decided if I will have a theme, or leave it wide open, but I am open to suggestions if you have any (just leave me a comment).

Over on The Creative Mama Blog, they are running a photography challenge where every two weeks they will issue a new challenge. The current theme is Growth and Change so that is my theme for this first week.

The day my son was born, a mother was born...before that she did not exist. I was forever changed. I look at him now, so big, and think back to the moment he made us a family. He was so tiny, so helpless - he fit in that onesie! How is that even possible? He and his sisters make me a better person, allow me to continue to grow and learn with them. I love them with all my heart.

Want to join me in this challenge?

What are YOUR goals for this next year? Let us encourage each other to pursue our dreams and make them reality!

Time Flies {Bay Area Child Portrait Photographer}

It amazes me how fast my children are growing up. I seriously can remember bringing this boy home from the hospital as though it were yesterday, how he completely changed my life forever. I look at him now and he is a big boy! He seems so grown up and mature and I, unfairly, expect so much from him, forgetting how young he really is. How can he be so big and little at the same time? It is very confusing.

He had my undivided attention for two whole years and we went everywhere together. Then we added some sisters into the mix and now he is in school and our times together are limited, as well as shared. It was definitely time for a little one on one photo session, with no little girls in the picture. Daddy likes his caps, so I recently bought one for my boy too and it was just the incentive he needed.

I love this wonderful little boy who likes to grow his hair long each year, whose teeth are falling out and growing in and look a little goofy. He has such a sweet heart; everybody in the whole world is his best friend he tells us, there is no favoritism here. I love that he is sensitive and that he can still be silly and have fun, like every child should.

Busch sneak peek

As a mom and a photographer, I find, probably like many of you, that I do not end up in many of our photographs. I love family photographs, a little snippet of time showing a family together through the years. I think it is so important. I think everybody should do it on a regular basis.

Our children grow up so quickly and as they look back at photographs, in the future, I want them to see us as a family as well as all the snapshots of them and their daddy :)

There are always valid reasons, and many excuses, for putting off taking family photographs; an impossible schedule, wondering what to wear, the last few pounds you want to lose, the hair that needs to be colored, bumps or scrapes that you do not want to show...the truth is none of us is perfect, but we do not need to be. It is about capturing the love within a family, precious moments that can be looked back on and treasured forever.

As in so many areas of life there is a cost, we need to make time and effort so that we do not live with the regret of wishing we had gotten around to taking those photographs, or whatever else it is that you need to do.

I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours on Saturday evening with some wonderful friends and capturing their little family, (even Grandma came along for the ride). Especially with little children it is not all about the posed shots where everybody looks at the camera and smiles, but about having fun together and hanging out and capturing moments as they happen. I love it!

I hope you enjoy your sneak peek guys, back to editing the rest of them :)

This little munchkin is named after her Grandma!

 

Yes, I really did have them climb a tree!

The magic hour...

"Just living is not enough" said the butterfly fairy, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."
Hans Christian Andersen

Sisters, sisters, never were there such devoted sisters!

I love watching the relationships of my children. They each genuinely love and adore each other, in spite of the bickering and fights that regularly erupt. They truly are best friends and it warms my heart and blesses me.

Arran is already back in school and we miss him terribly, but it does mean that the two girls get to spend more time working on their bond. Mommies and babies, dressing up, cooking in their little kitchen, these girlie activities are regular occurrences in our household (although truth be told, Arran would happily join in with any of those games).

Here are my little princesses (with a little vintage-like processing), cooperating and letting me take a picture of them together, I hope they will be this close for the rest of their lives.

Ben and Hannah Sneak Peek

This story started MANY years ago...as a young girl, Hannah and her family toured Anastasis one of the Mercy Ships. Mercy Ships, in case you don't know, are charity hospital ships, providing health care to the poor in port areas of the world. She decided back then, at such a young age that she wanted to be a nurse and one day help on one of those ships.

Fast forward to a few years back and Hannah graduated as a nurse and got a job in San Francisco. Last year though, she did it! She left her job in San Francisco and flew to Africa where she worked for six months on today's Mercy Ship, Africa Mercy. It is such an amazing ministry, providing hope and help to those who would otherwise go untreated; women who have been ostracized from their communities because of problems in child birth leaving them smelling constantly of urine, children with cancer and any number of other conditions they were faced with.

Whilst she was on the ship, she met Ben, a young Scotsman, whose family live in Holland. On Saturday, after a six week visit, he once again boarded a plane, to return to Africa, but four days before that he got down on one knee and popped THE question. She said "Yes!" and there is a ring on her finger to prove it.

With the last minute engagement, photographs almost did not happen, there were people to tell, celebrations to be shared, but we slipped away for half an hour and I am so glad we did. I know in the months ahead that they have to be apart, they will cherish these.

Congratulations to you both, we are all so excited for you and cannot wait to see how your story unfolds. Enjoy your sneak peek!

Baby H

Can you believe how good this Mama looked, just ten days after giving birth? Quite ridiculous really.

We were up at Ralston White for a women's retreat and it was the perfect time and location to take some newborn photos, before baby H started to lose his newborn curliness. The best time to take newborn shots is before the baby is two weeks old.

He has already changed so much, but what precious memories. Here is a little sneak peek for a very patient Mama.

What a sweet baby boy. It does not get much better than this. Enjoy every precious moment...they grow up too fast.

Ah - Young Love

It is hard to believe that this time last year I was back in England, without my husband or children (for the first time ever), for my brother's wedding. They were married on July 4th, 2009 so JUST got to celebrate one year of marriage! Woo Hoo!

They were out here for a visit a few weeks back and I got to take a few shots of them. So sweet.

Happy Anniversary to you both. Thank you so much for spending your precious vacation time with us...come back soon :)