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Archive: ‘our family’

Light Workshop

Tuesday, March 13th, 2012

One of the things I’m passionate about as a photographer is. . .becoming a better photographer!

I might be close to falling into the category of “workshop junkie” but I have to admit that I just learn so much from every workshop I take.

For the past few years I’ve been thinking about taking the Finding the Light workshop. (You can read more about it here). I kept hearing more and more about it and discovering that more and more of the photographers I admire had taken the workshop. And then Detra offered a cannot-miss-it early-bird registration promotion and I just signed up. I didn’t think–I just did it. And I’m so glad I did. Now my kids might disagree. .. they seem to be pretty weary of the camera now that we’re in week three of eight. But I’m sure they will rally!

Here are some of my submissions for the first two assignments:

This is such a favorite of mine. You can also see it featured here with other Week One assignments.

This pretty much sums up how he feels about being my model all the time!

And even my little one had to work for it!

I just can’t get enough of those yellow flowers these days~

Well, just thought I’d let you all know what I like to do in my spare time!!!! And if you’re a photographer considering the Finding the Light workshop I highly recommend it! It’s been a great three weeks so far and I cannot wait for all we’re going to learn in the next five!

Tags: challenges and projects, child photography, Houston on-location photography, just my kids, lifestyle photography, natural light photography, our family, pearland child photography, Pearland natural light photography, pearland photographer, Pearland photography, pearland spring portraits
Posted in challenges and projects, child photography, lifestyle photography, natural light photography, on location photography, our family, Pearland photographer, workshops | 1 Comment »

My favorite four-month-old

Tuesday, March 6th, 2012

I have the best mother-in-law. Seriously, I do! Among the many reasons why is this fabulous idea: when her babies (aka, my husband and his siblings) were babies, she took them for a portrait every month during their first year. So when I married her oldest son, I flipped through his baby book and just loved being able to see how the love of my life changed during his first year of life. Of course, when my babies were babies, I was committed to doing the same thing: a monthly portrait. This monthly portrait is probably the singular most influential event (or series of events) that led to me becoming the photographer I am today. Wow. Pretty cool! So thank you so much, Gloria, for getting my photography career going 33 years ago with those inspiring monthly portraits!

And I guess that’s sort of a random way to introduce this little guy: my sweet nephew. Keeping in this family tradition of portraits, I get to snuggle on him once a month! I haven’t blogged about him lately, so I thought I would here.

He’s got the greatest hair, right?!

Already fascinated with football! Atta boy!

Just precious, if I do say so!

Love me some baby toes!

I think this is his “ferrari”

And a big belly laugh for Auntie S! Yay!

I love how they grab their toes at this age!

Ladykiller grin! Or maybe a little mischief brewing!

Dear M, thank you for letting me put you in a bucket. Again. I’m sure you will hate that I did this to you when you are in high school and your mom goes through these pictures. Probably with a girlfriend present. Or a potential girlfriend. Love you! MWAH!

Now, honestly, there is no happier baby on this planet than my nephew! Love him!!!!!

PS–can you tell there’s something different? I’m playing around with Lightroom now and exporting for web is a lot easier than in Photoshop. Except I hate the watermark. Ugh! Oh well! Learning something new takes time!

Tags: pearland child photography, Pearland family photography, pearland photographer, Pearland photography, pearland spring portraits, Pearland studio photography, studio photography
Posted in child photography, our family, Pearland photographer, studio photography | 2 Comments »

PROJECT 52: Week Eight {pretend}

Saturday, February 25th, 2012

Don’t we all like to pretend? Right now I’m enjoying pretending that my house is clean instead of dirty. (Or that parts of my blog disappeared yesterday and I’m trying to redo several weeks’ worth of posts!) That I’m invisible when I go out to the grocery store looking like I just rolled out of bed (here’s a hint: I did just roll out of bed and nevermind that it’s 4PM–I never made any improvements from that bed look). That I’m not going to have an anxiety attack when my oldest turns five this summer. It’s all good when you can pretend some of the time!

But all joking aside, my boys do love to pretend. Since my oldest never really liked playing with toys, we were so thrilled when he got into that “pretend play” stage. We have a bucket full of costumes and pirate swords and blaster guns and light sabers and masks and hats and. .. well, you get the picture. I wish I had snapped a picture the day my youngest insisted on going to drop off my oldest at school dressed as Spiderman, muscle costume and all. (My oldest very reluctantly took off the Boba Fett helmet and cape right before we left the house. I thought his teacher would find it “distracting”!)

It seems that every morning after he wakes up, he goes back into his room these days for some “Jedi training” time. I am not-so-gently shooed away from these times but today I barged in with the camera. The long exposure really didn’t work as planned–I’m not good at hand-holding even at fast shutter speeds and there was no “wait while I get the tripod out”–but they fall into the “emotionally perfect” images. These will definitely got into his annual album as just fun and “him”! So here he is: {pretend} play as a Jedi (apparently padawans do not wear shirts with their blue jeans).

And if you’re family, do you notice something new? Yes, the boys have been in bunk beds the whole week. I love it. They seem to love it. It’s great. Except for when they both wake up screaming. *sigh* They both seem to be going through a phase/growing/etc.

And here are some of him “posing like a Jedi”. I will say that I wonder if it’s really {pretend} when he truly believes he will grow up to be a “real Jedi with a real light saber” some day?

Look at Mr. Sassy-pants’ lips here. He knows he’s a hot-stuff jedi!

His “Jedi face”

I love how matter-of-fact he is in this one. “Yep. I’m a Jedi. Now what’s for breakfast, Mom?”

Again, all the ladies in this project are members of the fabulous Bloom forum. I am so thankful for this group! Now go see what

Misty Seltzer | Lubbock. TX Family Photography has in her entry for {pretend} here.

Tags: challenges and projects, child photography, just my kids, lifestyle photography, natural light photography, Pearland natural light photography, pearland photographer, project 52
Posted in challenges and projects, child photography, lifestyle photography, natural light photography, our family, Pearland photographer, Project 52 | 3 Comments »

Project 52 (week 7) AND Project 12: {LOVE}

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

Love day has come and gone. It was fun. And Pinterest-filled for all except for this slacker mom. My kids survived. Sheesh.

This week and month’s theme both are {LOVE}. Two birds; one stone. I’m all for multitasking these days.

Here’s my image:

I could post so many things with the theme of love. My family. My life as a Christian. My new camera bag. But this really touched my heart and I knew it had to be this. My big guy was so excited last week to show me how to make a heart with your hands (he learned it at school). I made the “love” wallpaper/overlay as part of the “trying something new” that I’m wanting to get out of this year of challenges. Was pretty okay with how it turned out!