Erin and Jimmy Ring Shots

Just a few more teasers as I work on them - here are two ring shots we got with the clematis on the barn - just under these beautiful blooms is a sign I salvaged from inside the barn - a very cool old wooden store sign... and on it was a promise of "diamonds" and "watches" inside whatever store front it used to grace...I thought - "what better place for a ring shot?!" Unfortunately, my eye disagreed and these two came out the winners...

...and....Good God her ring is gorgeous! I could have shot it all day, what with all the detail and gorgeousness...

Here's the sign and the set-up - too bad the sign didn't make the cut!

Erin and Jimmy E-Shoot Sneak Peek

I was stoked. I was scared outta my mind. I was unable to sleep for weeks for both of those reasons....and now...it's over. :) And I loved every second! A big THANK YOU to Erin and Jimmy, my very first engagement shoot couple (e-shoot for short!) I had the pleasure of a session with these two adorable lovebirds - they are so cute and good together. :)

Erin is one of those extremely special people that comes along, and it may have been an accident that we met so long ago (I don't think so!), but it is definitely some kind of divine hand that made us friends. Mike and I ran a CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) at our church about 13/14 years ago and we met hundreds of kids during the 7 or 8 years we were there. The last 4 years of our involvement, we met a super special group of kids that would still be our friends to this day. Erin is one of those "kids"!

I met Erin specifically one day, on a hike to Eternal Flame Falls in Chestnut Ridge park in winter (very cool btw) - it's a long hike into a gorge, and you have to do it in the dark to get the full "fire behind the falls" effect. So, we decided to go UP to get out, cutting our time back out to almost nothing, since our cars were right above us. The only problem is that it is just that - straight UP. In the snow, in the dark - crazy, I tell ya. What I remember most is that I decided to take the rear of the group, to help, encourage or catch anyone who needed it! Erin's cousin, Kelly started to show signs of panicking - she was so worried she wouldn't make it! So, one of my first impressions of Erin was that she fell back with me and the two of us painstakingly talked/pushed Kelly up that steep hill - all the way to safety and our warm cars!!! Since then, my respect and admiration for Erin has only grown.

After CYO was long gone, Erin was a lifesaver to us the first summer after we had the triplets. They were born at the end of April and those summer months, when Mike and I were on an opposite schedule, I would go to sleep at 6pm and leave Mike with three babies that suffered from reflux AND colic. The screaming was endless! Enter Erin and our other CYO "saviors" - Kristie, Beth (and Tim!) and Kelly. Those girls were there almost every.single.night for the entire summer - or at least one of them was, to help Mike bear the constant crying. We are indebted to them forever for that incredible act of kindness. I don't know if we could have made it without them. I can honestly say that I love them all as I do my own sister - you are family now! They still come over to be with the kids and help Mike and I go out on date nights here and there, even though they are busy with their own lives. :)

Now, our kids will have the honor of walking down the aisle at Erin's wedding as the ring bearers and flower girl - I only hope they go where they are supposed to! As a thank you to Erin, for all she has done for us, I wanted to take their engagement pictures for them - I hope you guys like them!

Here's a sneak peek - I promised to show them the rest before they end up here! Jimmy was an incredible sport, even suggesting poses toward the end - you guys rock! Looking forward to the wedding!

Yep, a flash would have made this perfect. Grrr. I still like it!

Soon!

Alex in Flowers

Another preview here - this time of my little Alex, having a little fun in the purple woodland phlox that surrounds our home for a few weeks this time of year.  It smells gorgeous, it grows in gorgeous masses and when I put my pretty little girl among them?  You guessed it! Gorgeous. :) Here's a little preview!  

I am exceptionally excited this week, since I am getting the opportunity for my first engagement shoot on Wednesday. Providing the weather holds out, I will hopefully have some images soon of one of my favorite people in the world and her love. I can't wait!!! Erin - I hope you are ready for a power session!! I can unleash my excitement out on you guys, so I can finally sleep again. :)

Dominic and Sadie

When I had the pleasure of experiencing the three dog session, Sara's little nephew was there to play with us! The triplets had fun discovering a new little friend and he is just so adorable. As I was trying to get a few shots of the pups in her front room, his mom asked if I could try to get a few with Sadie and him together, since Sadie is her childhood doggie. Alas, the light was a little too low for moving kids and doggies (!) and since I wasn't using any flash, I only got a few, so here they are! I promise that right now I am learning the flash - I know I am sick of posting about not using it!!!  :O)

The little cutie on his own:

I love his little feet. :)

I love the emotion and movement in this one! So happy!

A cute one in both finishes - Sara, I'll let you decide which one is best!

A Few New Things

Well, if you haven't noticed the new blog header, I have been playing around with a few needed upgrades around here! I guess upgrades, in my opinion, means "prettier"... ;)

Though, I have been wanting to create a logo for the business, so this was my first attempt - yet another way to play around in photoshop! I do like this one and am thinking of keeping it - let me know if you like it! It's a logo for printing onto all of my paperwork, cards, business paraphernalia, etc...but it's also a way to watermark my web/blog/portfolio pictures. So, it should make a statement! Here's a little put-together of Riley and that red door again, one in color and one in black and white, both with the new logo.  I thought I'd showcase both because they are so different, and they also display the logo a bit differently as well. What do you think?!