Our annual trek to Cape May recently ended (*sniff*), but while we were on vacation, I was excited to meet with Jess & Dave and their boys, who are all lifelong natives of Avalon, to photograph their family. The night we got together for our brief session was rather hectic and crazed with thunder rumbling in the background and overcast skies (and the radar) promising an imminent downpour and storm. As such, Jess suggested a little out-of-the-way boardwalk sanctuary right by the lighthouse so that we could run back to the car quickly just in case it started raining near the end of our session (which it did ;).
Back here at home, I got a chance to really start going through her session, and I had to chuckle a little as the portraits don’t look very “beachy” for them being taken just a few steps from the shoreline. But I suppose if you’re from the shore, chances are the sand and the surf may look just as commonplace as grass and trees to us. Ah, what a wonderful life that must be to never leave vacation! :)
Friday, July 16, 2010 Posted in kids
This is Holden, and he’s the son of a photographer. Like many photographers’ children, he has a severe case of PCS (photographer’s child syndrome). For those of you unaware of PCS, it’s a very real condition–as any photographer will tell you–which includes severe aversion to looking at the camera, and general anxiety and unsmiling-ness whenever a camera is pointed towards them, often resulting in running in the opposite direction. Amazingly, this condition–while not contagious–often does cause symptoms in parents, primarily frustration that they can’t take pictures of their own children. (If you happen to walk by my studio close to Christmas, and hear me crying, that would be because it’s the one time a year that I force my own kids to have pictures with me, and it often doesn’t go very well….. :)
The cure for PCS? Getting someone other than mom or dad to take the pictures–as well as a ton of fun on a summer morning splashing in the lake and getting sand between the toes!
(I hope you are thrilled, Carrie! xox!)
There are some kids that are just *so* darn easy to photograph that you almost feel guilty getting paid to do it. Ethan was one of those: just an adorable little guy filled with tons of smiles. I had such a great time meeting him and his family and romping on his grandparent’s beautiful farm.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 Posted in kids
So many blog posts to catch up on, so little time! :) My husband and I are taking a much needed de-cluttering and organizing our house “vacation” (I was sorting screws from nails and washers last night at 11 p.m.–jealous?) so I’m a little behind in blogging, but will be trying to catch up with sneak peeks this week. I have so many beautiful sessions to preview, including an awesome wedding, two beautiful newborns, three so-fun seniors, a boy and his family, and a boy at (er, maybe it was more like “in,” LOL) the lake. Stay tuned–I promise to catch up soon!
xox,
Jen
Friday, June 4, 2010 Posted in kids
I wonder if all moms find their children’s birthdays as bittersweet as I do? Don’t get me wrong–nothing makes me happier than celebrating a birthday (your own personal holiday, I say!) and I love seeing the joy and excitement that my kids go through at the prospect of growing another year older, but each year, I want them to just *stay.* (Going backwards may even be nice. :)
Today is particularly bittersweet. A few weeks ago, my husband and I were discussing Ryan’s birthday, and as we often do, we just exclaim the number in disbelief. “Nine!” he said. We shook our heads together, amazed at the number of years that are stacking on top of one another.
A moment went by, and I grabbed his arm and said, “Halfway.”
“Huh?” he said.
“We’re halfway there with her. In another nine years, she’ll be 18.”
What a short time we get to have our kids….
Happy halfway birthday to my amazing, beautiful nine year old, who, no matter where she goes or who she marries or what age she is, will always be mine.
Talk about pressure.
Wanna know the last time these three had professional pictures taken? Caroline was a baby. And since James, the oldest, is graduating next week from Exeter and headed off to college in the fall, chances are the next time they have their picture taken together professionally will be when he gets married.
Certainly, their mom didn’t put me under any sort of pressure, but I definitely wanted to make sure she got some fabulous portraits of her kids since this will, more than likely, be her last chance to capture all three of them while they’re still living together and before they start families of their own.
Congrats on your graduation, James–and best wishes this fall! Thanks again to everyone for a fun session (which I know one of you loved more than you’ll admit, LOL)…
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 Posted in kids
For those of you who read the blog regularly, you may remember just a few entries ago, I mentioned my son’s friend Ben (who is a redhead) when I photographed a newborn baby named Ben, who is also a redhead. A few days after that entry, I got a call from my son’s friend Ben’s mom asking me if I’d photograph him as a gift for his father’s birthday. I laughed a little and said, “Did you read my blog recently?”
“Not recently,” she replied, “Why do you ask?”
There’s nothing I love more than a very happy coincidence. :)
(And P.S. If you happen to know Ben’s dad, please don’t mention anything until after June 5th–his birthday. :)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 Posted in kids
Last week, the Junior League of Reading held its first Hunter Horse Show at the Berks County 4-H Ag Center, and I was asked to photograph competition throughout the day. It was awesome seeing so many young girls and women take part in events with such poise and grace–some of them competing for the first time. (And thankfully the rain held off for the most part, too!)
Congrats to all of the girls and women on a job well done! If anyone should have any questions regarding purchasing photographs, please feel free to call me at 610-223-9700.
I’m a *little* behind in blogging after a pretty crazy busy week last week, so my apologies to my clients who have been waiting so patiently to see glimpses of their beautiful children…
But first, some big news: This month, I am beyond thrilled to be featured in Berks County Living. It’s funny how, 10 years ago, I was fresh out of college right at BCL’s infancy: I so desperately wanted to land a job writing for them, but never sent in my resume because I was scared to be rejected due to a lack of experience (which I was gaining at another magazine, not nearly as cool as BCL–well, unless you consider writing articles about anal incontinence cool. ;) Never would I have envisioned that 10 years later, I’d be so lucky to have my photography on the cover. If you’re interested in picking up a copy, you can find them at the GoggleWorks, at Barnes & Noble and other news outlets around town.
This is Ben, who I think looks an awful lot like a Ben, dontcha think? Maybe it’s just that my son’s friend Ben is a redhead and that makes me think of Bens as being redheads, but I think he was aptly named.
(Ben also has a talented grandma who knows how to make very cute knit hats and blankets…)
(and this is Ben showing me his 2-week-old muscles… ;)
And then this is Morgan. I’m not quite sure I have any pictures of her making muscles, but I tell you this: The little one is going to be walking before she turns one. Guarantee it. She was a strong and alert little girl whenever she was awake (which isn’t in any of these pictures, but just take my word for it, ;)…
And finally, this is Caroline, who is newly blessed and simply stunning in her first communion dress (despite not wanting to wear it again to have her portraits taken–that’s what I think living with two brothers will do to a girl!) Congratulations and blessings, sweet Caroline!
