More seniors!

Emily and Abby.....I did headshots....and some fun ones for them! I hope they like them!

This photo was "saved" from underexposure. Its not the best technically but the pose was so cute I had to put it up for them to see....I know they are checking here today :)
I'm making this post short and sweet. I have a session first thing this morning and a full day ahead.

Have a great day!
Kelly

My Mayberry.

In the evenings, we like to take walks and bike rides through our little neighborhood. Last night I brought my camera along to document our walk for memory sake. Jean decided to see if he could skateboard without major injury - when he was finished with his attempts, he looked at me and said "See babe, I still got it". I was just glad for no broken bones.

Branden has discovered a new fashion - tight white tank tops!

I'm so happy for Marleigh and her new found freedom of her own bike.

No more riding on the back of dad's!

Are you blogging? I've talked to lots of other moms about blogging and my reasons for doing it. I love to scrapbook but with so many irons in the fire and kids running around, I just don't have the time for it. Maybe more in the winter months (I think I say that every year) I'll find the time to organize all my stuff and actually work on a few of the many albums I have started. But for now I blog and just the bit of time it takes me in the morning to put this together, its so worth it. I gather my thoughts, I relax a bit before starting the day and because I blog daily, I pay much closer attention to things that occur in my everyday life so that I can document it here. I print it at the end of every month. I know Im going to get a kick out of reading it in the coming years - but I think my kids will really enjoy it too! My good friend Jamie is a blogger and I think she was the one who told me blurb.com will print this into a book!! It is my prediction that my blog printed in a book will be bigger than any phone book I've ever seen! I'll probably have to make it into volumes!

So, if you blog.....I'd like to know!! You can email your blog to me or comment here and link it for lots of others to read! I like to read that people are just as normal as me.

Happy Hump Day!

~kel~

It' doesn't get any better....

I had a really great day yesterday! It was just simple things that made it great...you know....the kids didn't fight much...gave my hair a little trim and it came out good (won't need to walk around with my head slightly tilted because its uneven)....had a productive day work-wise and got some nice comments/compliments from my clients :) It was just a good day. I was walking on cloud nine so I shot Jean an email asking if he was up for dinner "out" and he replied that if I was paying to count him in! So we went to the new pizza place in town, where they serve brick oven pizza! While sitting there ordering up the kids meals the waitress taps me on the shoulder and really made my day.....she said "You know, tonight is kids eat free night". I looked at Jean....you'd think I won the lottery! As a mom of four, its the small things that I get excited over these days! I NEVER hit those kids eat free nights....even if I planned it, something would go wrong! I got to watch the entire thing on instant replay when, as we were leaving, the mom at the next table who had just been seated with her three children got the good news too! Hoping today is an extension of yesterday and the good times continue to roll!

I had to post more photos from this big group I photographed over the weekend. I wanted them to see some of the individual family photos I got. I'm lovin the black and denim combination for this young crowd....its modern and the contrast on the beach is awesome.

Look at this little guy sticking his tongue out at me!
Hope your Tuesday is as good as my Monday was!!!

~kel~

Things are good!

A long post to make up for the missed days this weekend!

It was a busy one that started with another H.S. Senior! My second Haley in a week!! This one was vacationing in Maine from Rhode Island and wanted her senior portraits done at a wildlife refuge that we have here in Southern Maine. Her family vacations here every year and they found me because her mom is medical transcriptionist and chats on the same MT message board that I do! Thanks Joanne for giving me the opportunity to photograph your lovely daughter! We had fun...didn't we? I didn't get much of a chance to chat with Joanne because my focus was on Haley. I wanted her to feel comfortable with me. It was fun to be someplace different....and I was surprised at all the places we had available to take some great photos! I asked her to remove her sneakers for a few photos on this bench. She was reluctant at first but I asked her to trust me.......Haley and Joanne, I'd like your feedback on this one! Doesn't she look relaxed and "at home"!

Because she loves nature (but not ticks), I wanted to give her an image of her appreciating the environment. The way the sun was setting on the boardwalk to this spot it made an awesome setting. There are several in this series that I think are great but this one was just serene. Haley asked me for a serious photo and I told her that her face was just made for a smile - I personally think that this is a good serious pose for her :)

Next......I talked my adorable friend Jackie into doing some maternity photos of her third baby due in a little over a month. She's got two of the nicest boys and is expecting another. Her sister Jane has blessed the pages of my blog a few times with both her maternity photos and the photo of her wrapping her arms around her husband and baby son.....so if Jackie looks familiar, its because they look very much alike.

Jackie is sweet and girly.....and when I gave her maternity photos some thought, I wanted her to look as girly as possible because she's surrounded with so many males! I pictured her cozy in her room with her guys and hope to get some that are just as cozy when the baby comes!

Her hubby even let me use him as a prop for a few!

Thanks guys!

Saturday evening I had this awesome family to photograph....what a good looking crew, huh? Jeannine (center) and I met through Jackie (above) several months ago when I did Jeannine's maternity photos! They lucked out with fabulous weather as its been really strange this week with thunderstorms and a tornado not too far from here (we don't get tornados in Maine). The kids were so good - the babies are just a few days apart in age so they will get to grow up together.....what a gift!

Thank you all for choosing me as your photographer! I know there are lots of choices....it means a lot to me!

~kel~

A sad day today.....

I am updating the blog twice today to bring it to everyone's attention that a great man has passed from this world to a better one. Randy Pausch was an inspiration and if you haven't see his "Last Lecture", you are missing a great message!

The news of his death with a brief outline of who Randy was is on MSN home page: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25848017?GT1=43001 Some regular readers will remember a few months ago when I posted his lecture here. I love how frank he is about living and having fun....I personally related to him so much because it is my main goal in my own life to show my children how important it is to live, laugh and love!

He was a great man.......with an important message!

Going back.....

Going back to photos I have not posted here yet from previous sessions.

I have a few non-traditional photos from my senior rep, Chris. We were going for a look that would put him on the side of an Abercrombie shopping bag. His mom was so great, she watched us posing her "little boy" and actually helped me with shading! What do you think, Abercrombie? Chris is a swim instructor and at our last session mentioned bringing in his swimsuit for a few shots. I'm sure he was kidding with me.....BUT....I blushed incredibly and thought a long time about meeting him halfway with this surfer style photo.

On the way home from another session, I saw this amazing sky and just had to stop for the shot. It was pretty dark and I was afraid the photo wouldn't come out. I think I have a thing for lonely trees :)

This photo of my girl and her daddy helping her to learn to ride a bike.....its just one of those classic images that marks an important time in her life. Im trying to preserve these memories for my kids!

I can't believe what I am about to post.....the Vintage Diva sittings are almost all sold out! I'm delighted at the people stepping forward with interest! I have to go count but I think I have one spot left now so if you were thinking about it - you should call me right away! I have a few signed up for all three styles.....boudoir for their hubbies, the vintage style and high-fashion model style portraits! Yippy.....this will be fun! Thanks everyone who did sign up - I know you won't regret it!!!!!!

Enjoy your Friday!!!!

~kel~

Sisters.

I was working on this session yesterday and wanted to share a few more here...the girls are so beautiful and I thought my job was tough enough trying to decide how many to show the parents...mom emailed me last night stating that she's going to have a hard time choosing too! I do a little happy dance when I get an email like that! Here are some of my favorites....the baby's serious look and the two girls interacting!

A photographer friend asked me how I got the girls to pose for this last shot....really, they are such good girls it wasn't hard at all. I just needed to bring them close together and this pose is not traditional for these age groups so it's interesting to look at. As a mom, these images are the ones that I would cherish most of all...the smiling ones are nice to have but capturing the relationship is priceless.

The best part of all of this......I get to see the girls again in a few days when they bring their extended family (aunts/uncles/cousins) for a beach shoot! I'm excited to meet them all!!

SPECIAL EVENT UPDATE:

I have a few spots open for my special session with Jennifer and really wish we could fill them so she can come. She just showed me another session she did for a newlywed who wanted to make a book for her husband who is in the service....they are lovely!! So, if you know someone getting married or having an anniversary who might like to have a session like this for her hubby...or maybe you've got a few girlfriends (like mine)....this would be a great thing to do together! The deadline for this is fast approaching....I hope to fill these slots!

Have a great day!

~kel~

Our nature walk....

Cam had a great birthday. He started it feeling bit under the weather but recovered just fine and ended the day sometime after midnight!! My nephews spent the night and the four of them talk more than a bunch of women! I like to listen to them giggle together though and hope that I'm contributing to some great memories by letting them carry on.

I've been busy but I'm still carrying my camera with me as much as I can. I've been good about stopping when I see something that requires me to photograph it too! Most times I drive by and have to turn around, which typically I wouldn't do but I've started taking extra time to allow for such stops. Here's one....this is right down the street from my home. I've been driving by it for years saying Im going to stop for a photo but on my way home, the sun was setting and the hay just looked awesome all rolled and ready for winter storage.

Yesterday I took the kids on a nature stroll. We were looking for animals but didn't really see much so I stopped for "unusual" things. We walked a well groomed path and Marleigh loved the freedom of running ahead a bit and charging us a "toll" as we walked past her. Makenna taught Marleigh about taking a toll to pass as well as ducking as we drive under a bridges on the highway - something I taught them as a game I remembered from my childhood. My mom came up with some great games to pass the time on long road trips!

The kids are outside playing with Cam's new stuff and I have work to finish up.

I hope its a great hump day!

~kel~

Happy Birthday Cameron!

My Cameron - he will be the one who will always watch out for me! He loves his mom and makes it very clear. I remember his birth clearly....my mom and Jean spent the night before with me in the hospital. They admitted me early and got me all set up only to have to postpone induction to the next morning. Labor was not as long with Cam but I knew he was going to be a beast to push out. I struggled the last few months of my pregnancy with so much discomfort that I wasn't sure I'd ever go through pregnancy again. He was born with a broken collar bone, has struggled with asthma and spent a few days in the hospital with pneumonia when he was only three.

Cam is sensitive......emotionally yes, but when it comes to the feelings of others he's got a special kind of sensitivity. His teacher tells me that Cam is well liked by his peers and his coaches ask us if he ever talks because he's so quiet during practice and games. One of his hockey coaches called him "Cam the Quiet Man Roy" and wasn't convinced when I told him that Cam does talk a lot and is often the "funny man" at home.

One time when we were talking about death - his thoughts run so deeply that he worries, at his young age, about death....his and mine. I shared with him that before he was born, I lost a baby in the third month of pregnancy and that's who I was going to be able to take care of in Heaven so if I go, he doesn't have to worry about me, I'll be in good company. Just a week or so ago, we were riding together and he said something to me I'll never forget.......Mom, you know that baby that died in your tummy before I was born...if that baby didn't die, I wouldn't be here now. He made me smile through tears and asked why I was crying.....I told him they were tears of joy that I did have him right there with me and how God wanted us to meet. I used it as a lesson that everything happens for a reason and sometimes we don't know why at that moment but the answer comes later. I think it gives him peace to know that I will still be me (a mom) in Heaven. He's a thoughtful boy with a huge heart.

Our Traditions: Since my kids were little, I've always made their birthday's last the entire day. I hide small gifts throughout the day in places I know they will have to go at some point and will be surprised by a gift. I bought this banner from pottery barn a few years ago and it has become a staple for birthdays! Even when the girls are playing with their dolls and have a make-pretend birthday, they take the banner out and hang it up....And....when its my birthday, one of them always thinks to put it up for me too!

I love balloons so the night before I go to bed, I put them in their rooms for when they wake up. I think its a fun way to start the day - they do too!

I'm off to make sure he has a great day! We'll go out for lunch and have friends over for cake later. I'm feeling blessed today to have this boy in my life.

Happy Birthday my sweet Cam!! I love you, Mom.

A first for Marleigh....

I dragged my way through yesterday feeling a bit under the weather the first part of the day. The kids were sick the first part of the weekend with high fevers and Branden actually got sick to his stomach Saturday. The weather was so icky with the humidity and high temps we left them lounging in the camper. I was sure I was getting what they had but I started feeling better in the early afternoon. Jean took the older kids who were all feeling normal again to his company picnic and I stayed home and kept Marleigh so he wouldn't have to worry about chasing her around. Since it was just Marleigh and me at home, I decided to make a trek to Walmart for a few last minute gifts for Cameron's birthday (tomorrow).

While we were there, we walked past the bike section and Marleigh asked if she could get a bike. We talked about it last week when we were all going out for a ride and noticed how she's getting a bit too big to ride on the back of Jean's bike in the baby chair. She does really well at Meem's house riding a bike there so we think its time for her to have her own. I noticed there was only one pink bike left that might be just about her size but it was hanging from the rack. I asked the gentleman to get it down for me and Marleigh was nearly out of the cart before he got it to the floor. She was delighted it fit just right!

I put the bike in the cart and finished my shopping. Side note: boys, age 9 are really hard to buy for! The entire time, she played with the goodies on the bike....singing her made-up song about how she has a pink bike with princesses on it! I have to admit that as off-key as my girls sing, it is truly beautiful to me! It means they are happy....a deep down happy! I dreamed of having a girl and got blessed with two! They are as girly as girly can be singing, playing with dolls and dressing in dresses every day.

When we got to the truck to unload our purchases, I buckled Marleigh in first and unloaded the groceries into the back. I got into the truck and she asked me where the bike was. I was sorta wishing I'd waited for her birthday in August but it was the last bike and another month and I'm sure it wouldn't have been there. She chatted and sang all the way home about her new bike. My heart was so happy for her. When we got home, I left her in the truck and unloaded all the goods to the house so I could take her out for a "spin" on her bike. When I let her out of her seat, she asked me where it was and pressed her little face against the glass in the back of the truck and said "There it is! There's my bike Mumma!" Oh......so cute....her first bike!!!

I took it down from the truck and let her have a good close look at it. She played with the "purse" on the front and reported to me it had a bottle on it. I told her to get a helmet and I'd show her how to ride it. She skipped away telling me she'd find Makenna's pink princess helmet to match her bike. I wish I could always make them that happy!

I asked her to stop for just a second and show me her happy smile....this is what she gave me!

Im so happy she's happy (and out playing with it now with Makenna). She feels like a big girl and I truly can't believe she will be three next month!

VINTAGE DIVA UPDATE:

I still have openings for what we are calling the "vintage diva" sittings on August 16 & 17. It is my goal to watch and learn from Jennifer so that I can offer more to my clients in the way of makeup, hair and some really creative lighting! If you know someone who wants a fun session like this, please have them call me! We want all ages, shapes and sizes!!!!

Happy Monday!

~kel~

Ms. Haley....she's a beauty!!!!

Theresa, thanks for contacting me to photograph your beautiful daughter!!! I totally enjoyed myself and though the skies thought they'd darken our day, we showed them!!

I always take way too many photographs so going into each session I tell myself that I'm going to cut it back - but it's just impossible! I want to give the kids the best possible images so I take one pose and shoot it several different ways (crops and angles, straight faces, laughter and soft smiles).

Haley and I have something in common.............a cousin! Erin is my cousin too (left) and when I asked the girls to get together for a photo, Erin and Molly ran to Haley's side. Its obvious they are close like their moms....it was my priviledge to capture it!

I suggested a kiss for luck for Haley as she enters her final year of school.....I'm sure she will be blessed with lots of good fortune now!

Hey Theresa......this one's for you :) I told you I was gonna stop for a photo of this little farm store someday....the ride home was the perfect time!

Thanks again, you guys are great fun!!

Everyone should go relax now.....its Sunday!!

~kel~

Two too sweet and Chris is back!

Yesterday Jeannine and John brought me their beautiful girls to photograph. I have been dying to meet the baby because I did Jeannine's maternity photos and fell in love with her oldest daughter at that session and I knew the two combined would be total sweetness and I was not wrong! See for yourself!

This awesome chaise lounge is borrowed from Joanne - she brought it to the studio and I couldn't resist! (Thanks, Jo!)

Because this was my first time with the baby - I had to take a few of her alone too! If these cheeks lived in my house, I'd be kissin' them all day long! (I know Jeannine does!)

Chris is my senior rep and the last time we got together the weather was too cool for the beach so I promised him a second round. I brought my friend Melissa along and we all had a great time putting together a nice set of prints for Chris to choose his senior photo from. With two photographers following him around we looked like the paparazzi!

My thanks to Chris and his mom Lisa!!

I have more sessions coming up this weekend and with their permission I will share them here!

Have a great day!!!

The Park, Close Crops & A Show!

I decided to be a nice mom and take my kids to the park for some play time. They were suffering from extreme boredome and I felt bad watching them just kick around the yard! I got a few of my errands done and then we started to drive in that direction . I never tell my kids where we are going because if for some reason we don't get there, I dont have to listen to them melt down. I do get constant questioning from the back seat "where are we going" or suggestions on where they'd like to go but I never concur - their little lives are full of constant surprises (hear the snicker in my voice). Its like they just know by how I am acting that we are going someplace "special" so generally they are on their best behavior but there's always that time or two when I can say "well, we WERE going to a special place but your behavior got in the way" (hear my evil snicker now). I believe every parent needs to make that fake trip occasionally just to drive the point home. Its like when they are little and you are in the grocery store and they act up about not sitting in the cart or holding onto it like you've instructed...I am here to tell you, you only have to leave your full shopping cart once to drive home the point that you will not put up with that! Its worth it....just leave the cart and walk right out that door. If you can, drop them off with dad at home and return for the groceries - they get it!

When we arrived at the park, there was one car there and I couldn't see any people....it was sorta like the Twilight Zone because this is a hoppin park. Don't get me wrong...I loved that my kids ruled the park without the influence of some little rugrat who likes to push my little blondie around.......only to learn she holds her own! (Its happened before so now Im ready for it when we go there). Soon I realized why there was nobody there - 85 degrees means hot slides and swing seats. The shaded area was awesome though so I hung there and watched......

The boys tried to knock each other off the wabbly log......

The girls gave us one of their famous shows/concerts on the little stage at the park. They had a captivated audience (didn't take long for the boys to decide the park was boring w/out other kids to enjoy it with). It was nice to enjoy their singing abilities in the outside...where the rest of the world could enjoy such sweet sounds!! (another snicker)

And then it happened....Momma (me) found the sweet spot....the perfect sun/exposure and lighting to shoot a closeup and my bored.......I mean boys....were willing to be my subjects!!!! Ahhhhh lucky me.....

So glad I had my camera with me for this spur-of-the moment visit to the park!

It's Meemie day and I have a few shoots on the books so I'm off to "work".

One last thing - 5 slots left for the Vintage Divas - come on Mom's DO THIS!!!! It's a once in a lifetime thing - bring a friend!! I have to fill all the slots or Jen can't come! You can do the Vintage Divas, something more modern or the classy/modest boudoir I mentioned yesterday - you will be so glad you did it!! Call me!

Enjoy the day!!!!

~kel~