more Mother's Day sessions!

We've been enjoying warmer than normal weather for winter in central PA, which has been perfect for shooting the Mother's Day sessions outdoors. Although I am developing and indoor shooting space, I much prefer to shoot outdoors where we can fun locations and get more natural photos.

The deadline is March 19th so book soon!

The cost is just $40 for the session and inclusion into Lancaster Newspaper's Mother's Day session. I am also including a free 4x6!

CD's of your session are also available

gearing up for Valentines Day

Shh don't tell my husband...we are working on Valentines here at home!

We're going to make our own Valentine's this year for school too--stay tuned for a cute idea!

creating an indoor "studio"

Our house has a large sunroom off the family room, and this room has been many things over the years and been painted many colors. When we first moved here in 1999, it was the scrapbooking room, as I was a Creative Memories Consultant for eight years. It then evolved into the sewing room since the skylights and large window and french doors gave a lot of light.

After adopting first Olivia, then Natalie I needed the room for toys. Plus, I didn't trust the kids around scissors and pins, so the sewing machines moved to the basement and the room became the playroom.

Now, although I definitely prefer shooting outdoors on location, there are times I'd like to shoot photos indoors. And the room has great light! This weekend I reorganized the kids toys and created a more accessible wall in the bright yellow playroom to use as a backdrop. I'm considering painting each wall a different color too just for fun.

Here are the test shots of the girls in the new "studio:"

Mother's Day with Lancaster Newspapers

This year, I am one of the participating photographers for the Lancaster Sunday News special Mother's Day photo supplement. This is your opportunity for a portrait sitting at a reduced price--just $40--and insertion of your favorite photo into the newspaper. I'm also adding a free 4x6 print! I'm excited to put my creativity to work on these photos. Shooting on location allows so much more uniqueness to your family photos than formal studio shots.

So grab your kids, your mother, or both! And if the weather is too cold or inclement, I can also come to your home for a personal session. Book today as the deadline is March 19th.

what to expect

What should you expect when you book a session with Fly Away Home Photography? First, I will find out a little bit about you...how many people you would like in the session, and the theme of the shoot (family, baby, first birthday, senior, engagement, maternity). We'll talk about a variety of locations depending on what sort of look you want, urban, rural, park, etc. I love to hear your ideas! And I want you to have fun! If you have a location in mind I have never been to before, I always visit it before your session to take test shots and get a sense of the location, the lighting available and gather some ideas for the session.

Typically, we'll spend about 60-90 minutes photographing and I do shoot a lot of pictures...on average about 500. Of course, there will be photos where someone has her eyes closed or one of the kids was crying...and that is why I shoot a lot of photos! The editing process can take 5-8 hours, as I do view each and every photo to choose the very best 30-50 images to present to you in the online gallery on my website Fly Away Home Photography. Typically, I aim to have your photos available in one week. Because if you are like me, you don't want to wait to see photos! I post a sneak peak on my Facebook page within two days of your session, and you are free to tag yourself in the photos and use those for your profile picture. (Please do not crop out the watermark or otherwise copy the photos from Facebook.)

Photos are posted in the gallery for three weeks. You can also choose to come to my home to view your photos in a large-screen format on my iMac. You can order your prints in two ways, either directly through the website or through me by emailing or calling me to place your order. I offer custom collages in two sizes: you can choose the photos for a collage and I will send you proofs to approve before an order is placed. Your prints will arrive within a week after ordering!

The Human Hand

When I saw the call for entries for theme of the human hand for the TerrabellaMedia photo contest, I knew I had to enter this photo of my girls' hands.

Count the fingers!

My youngest was born without a thumb on her left hand. A few months before I shot this photo, in October 2010, surgeons at Shriner's Hospital in Philadelphia gave her a thumb by moving her index finger to be her new thumb. She spent much of 2011 in occupational therapy, or "pinch-pinch" learning how to use it and was finished therapy in just 10 months rather than the expected 12-18!

My photo won third place in the contest!

Take a look at all the winners here

Beautiful and poignant photos!

Half-Birthday photos

My youngest is officially 3.5, which meant time for new photos! Of course, I had to bribe her with a treat...the last picture has the look of "OK, I am done now where is my candy?"
The hat and coat were a great deal off Zulilly a few months ago--I love the color!

uptown girls downtown

 I had a blast shooting these fashionable sisters in downtown Lancaster. Good thing it was a Saturday and there was no traffic on the off ramp of the parking garage! This was my favorite shot of the day--and I think the girls, too.

We grabbed some coffee and walked around Central Market---I love the cobblestone street and the textures of the brick and the stones

Take a look at the complete shoot on my website: www.flyawayhomephotography.com

Light

Christmas Eve was a cloudy, dreary day to start with, but in late afternoon as I was preparing our dinner, the sun popped out giving us this beautiful light. I grabbed the camera and ran outside without shoes or a coat to capture the neighbor's trees, lit against a dramatic sky.

These photos are available for purchase, as prints or canvas. Email for details.