She is stunning!

I am all about the eyes. They are really the focal point of most of my work. I am constantly watching them, through my lens, during sessions. Sometimes they connect and I am not quick enough to nail the shot, but more often than not, I get it!

In a post below I talk about photos of "no smiles," how they move me. This is one of those photos. No smile here, but still a very pleasant, relaxed expression. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE smiles! LOVE them! But I love this kind of photo too. A beautiful portrait of an even more beautiful girl. :)



People ask often ask what I do to the eyes. How do I make them stand out? Why are they so sparkly? There are a couple of things that I do. One is proper exposure. If the photo is too dark, the eyes will be too and you will lose that "sparkle." The other is that I use a very shallow depth of field. Often the eyes in my photos will be the sharpest thing with the other details fading softly out of focus. Your eyes naturally go to the sharpest part of a photo and in most cases, in my photos, it is the eyes. :)

So there you have it. My secret to eye sparkles. :)

A hat, a pettiskirt and a Pancake!

Oh, my goodness! I love what I do! :)

This "Pancake" is not edible. It is, however, pretty flat(read- well loved)! "Pancake" is this little sweetie's lovey. Can't you just see how much she loves her Pancake!?



And, hooray! Fall is here (well, kinda) which means I can get out my hats! I love hats in photos. I thought this white, cozy fur would look so pretty with her sweet freckles. :) Look at those crystal blue eyes! What a beautiful girl!

A brother is a friend given by nature-

Jean Baptiste Legouve

These little guys were just so cute and soooo happy! They really made me smile with how sweet they were to one another. I have 2 boys and I don't remember them ever being so nice to each other!

I guess I am on a black and white kick lately. It is just classic.

So, you know I love non-smiley faces...

Anyone that has looked at my website or blog knows that I love, love, love photos of non-smiling children. The eyes open up, the facial features are relaxed and natural. Something about this kind of photo just moves me. My "From the Heart" gallery is full of no smiles and that gallery really is from my heart. My favorite photos of my own children are like this. Real. Natural. Beautiful.

Most parents come to a session and really want smiling photos. I love those too, and always take them, but this look. This serious, soulful, still look is what gets me.

These 2 beautiful girls do the non-smiley face to perfection! Don't those eyes just pull you in?!

Important info on Portfolio Building Sessions. :)

Wow, what an amazing time I have had with all my portfolio building sessions! I have been able to fill my galleries with so many beautiful children. Thank you all for making this period so fun and exciting for me.

I will not be offering portfolio building sessions after the first of the year. I will still be offering many fabulous monthly specials, so please keep your eyes peeled for those! I will post those on the blog and try to do something fun every month (key word is "try"!). :-)

For those of you hoping to take advantage of the fantastic portfolio special, be sure to schedule your session before December 31, 2007.

More sneak peeks to come soon!

A super cute sneaky peeky! :)

Oh my goodness! How adorable is this bunch?! We met at the park on a yucky, misty, foggy day, but rain or shine, cuteness prevails!!

Take this, for example? Seriously, could she be ANY more perfect?

She was blowing a kiss here. :)

And this little beauty (sorry about my watermark on her face!)... She was so natural and sweet in front of the camera. Loving the black and white here. :)


I just had to include this one. I love silly pictures! She was very proud of her missing toofies. ;)

Would you look at those lashes? Goodness! This little guy was such a hoot! He gave me a run for the money, but he was not too fast for my shutter finger. ;) Look at this face!

A glimpse into their world... Part 2. :)

More of the wonderful family I photographed on their family farm...

It truly was a pleasure to meet and photograph every one in this bunch! They were so laid back and easy going. Made me feel right at home, even though I had never met any of them prior to this day. :)

I loved this guy's curls! He was so quiet and mellow and truly a pleasure to photograph. And wow, is he ever handsome!


This guy was really a hoot! He has 6 girlfriends! Yes, SIX! He was so sweet and funny and can actually ride that skateboard thingy really well. I don't think I could have even stood up on it. So sad. But so true. :)


And this beautiful girl was a firecracker. I think she could do ANYTHING. Really. She is gonna be President or something some day. :)

And I had to throw this one in.
It was so great to see her in her dress with her pink boots and net tromping around in the mud catching frogs! And yes, she caught several!


Thank you ALL for letting me hang out and photograph each one of you just as you are. I truly enjoyed every minute of it. :)