Sweetie.

Those of you who know me know that I raised girls...two beautiful, sweet girls.  So, I don't have first hand knowledge of raising boys.  I know it's different.  More physical.  And probably dirtier.  :)

I see this little guy a few times a year (call me for information on a "watching them grow" package) and I can tell you, he is a real sweetheart!  He is getting more and more independent and talking up a storm...it's so fun to see!  And wow, what a charmer with those big brown eyes! 

Thanks Tor & Tiden for a fun evening!

Fun little guy!

Enjoyed a warm evening with this little guy and his beautiful mom...  Typical little boy, I suppose; he was eagerly distracted by cows in the field, and playing in puddles, and the opportunity to jump off a platform into mom's arms, again and again...giggling his contagious laugh the whole time.  He also had a contemplative side, as this picture suggests...what a sweetheart! 

More pictures to come, this is just a teaser...!

One of the things I love about photography...

...is that no matter what you point your lens at, in that instant, you are seeing the world in a unique way. You shut everything out, outside of the borders of the frame, and you decide, in a moment, what is important to the image and what is not. It doesn't matter if you are photographing people, or flowers, or mountain ranges, or grizzly bears, or fast cars...when you frame up an image, in your camera's eye, you instantly, and sometimes without really consciously thinking, choose, in that particular moment, in that particular frame, what is significant and what is not. What is relevant to the image you are creating, what is relevant to your story or your mood or your surroundings. And there are no rights and wrongs, just choices, just you and the lens and the moment.

So maybe, then, our choices are a reflection of who we are, at least in any given moment.

In this moment, when I clicked the shutter for this image, I was enjoying a really quiet weekend in the mountains. It was the kind of rare, unencumbered weekend when I actually got to start and finish a book! And take a nap in a hammock. And take a walk in the woods. So this image is pure and simple, and quiet...a reflection of who I was this past weekend…who I like to be, often.

What do your images say about you?

Happy Birthday to my Dad!

Hard for me to imagine, but my Dad would be 72 years old today!  He died of cancer over 17 years ago, and, those who have lost loved ones will relate, I have missed him every day. 
Sometimes it seems like just yesterday that he was playing in a tent in the yard with his granddaughters, who called him Papa.  Or taking one of them out on an early morning trip for pancakes...or chasing one of them around the dining room in their Pittsburgh home.  And there are days when I realize how much he has missed...watching them grow, go to school, date, graduate from high school and become young adults.  He would have been so proud to watch Allison graduate from college.  And of course I thought of him on both of their wedding days, how much he would have loved seeing the beautiful women they have become.
I didn't write this post to be a downer...as I sit here in tears!  I do, however, want to remind everyone to cherish every single day you have with the people you love on this Earth.  It is so important, in our busy, list-filled, chore-driven lives, to cherish, to love and appreciate...and celebrate your life!
Happy Birthday Dad!

Wow.

Okay, sure, I am a little bit biased, because she is my niece, but...wow!  She's gorgeous!  Oh...and she is really sweet, and funny and smart and athletic and...well, yep, she is the total package!  I had a great time doing some senior shots for her!  Love her, and love her family!