Fly Away Home Photography

my daughter's birthday

2012-02-25T15:49:00.001-08:00

My daughter turned seven this week!

And she had a family party and a friends party....here are a few candid shots from her parties...

She was thrilled to get an American Girl doll that looked like her!

So her friends party was an American Girl tea party. Formal attire required!

Three friends came over with their dolls for our party

Demonstrating the proper way to drink tea--pinky up!

Adorable cupcakes from our local grocery store/bakery Oregon Dairy

even the dolls had cupcakes!

Dana's maternity session

2012-02-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

I had such a great time shooting this couple, expecting their first baby in April. They chose Longwood for the session, and spring was in full bloom in the conservatory. We also lucked out with wonderful mid 40-degree weather for February and were able to get some shots outdoors as well.

Yes, it's a girl!

Thank you for the privilege of capturing this special time in your lives!

Abandoned amusement park

2012-02-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

Outside of Dillsburg lies the abandoned Williams Grove Amusement Park, a fairly creepy, and very sketchy place that local college students like to visit in the middle of the night. Technically we weren't trespassing, because there is a flea market on the grounds every Sunday--except today. Perhaps the 24 degree temps and 5 degree wind chills kept the vendors away.

The bitter cold today made this the fastest photo safari I have ever done, and my hands were so cold I could hardly hold the camera. The park's roller coaster track still stands and the coaster cars are parked in the station, as if waiting for the riders to arrive. The last trip this coaster ever took was in 2005. The park began as a picnic grove in the 1850's and rides appeared in 1928. This coaster was built in 1933. The Hughes family bought the park in 1972; later that year Hurricane Agnes almost destroyed it. But the park continued operating until 2005 when the owners decided to devote all their attention to the adjacent Williams Grove Speedway. And although up for sale as an amusement park, no one purchased the place so the rides were auctioned off and it now falls into disrepair.

Creepy paintings are still vivid at the old fun house. In fact, much of the paint on the old buildings is still quite bright. Popcorn machines and pretzel warmers still sit in the old concession stands.

Environmental Graffiti online magazine has included Williams Grove in its 10 Creepiest Abandoned Amusement Parks on Earth list! I don't think I would want to be here after dark!

I'll be definitely returning here in the spring when the weather is more conducive to exploring.
Seniors--this is an awesome setting for a senior shoot! Contact me to book at session.

soon to be seven!

2012-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

My daughter Olivia will be seven in a little over a week. We had a little fun taking some "pre-birthday" photos with her Ugly Doll Trunko hat.

(Ugly Dolls are the rage in the first grade at her school....Olivia's teacher has a collection of them, and they help her teach the class, complete with special voices and sound effects and each has a distinct personality)

Valentines

2012-02-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a look at our finished Valentines

Each girl helped to fill the treat bags with Valentine's M&Ms and they will give

them out at school on Tuesday

Yum!

I also made these wallets using a cute template from MCP Actions. We used these as a candy bag topper for family friends.

Stay tuned....

2012-02-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

I'll be sharing the love later this month with a giveaway! I'm working on getting the prizes together..what will they be??? Stay tuned.....

and more mothers and children...including mine!

2012-02-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

I finally got a tripod so now I can get in the shot once in awhile! Of course getting all four of my kids together is a challenge...one is in college near Harrisbug, one has graduated college and lives in Harrisburg--neither too far away but they aren't home much...

Here I am with half of my kids:

Had another fun session this weekend--for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day:

although we've been having unusually warm weather for central PA in January, this shoot was on a cold day so we worked in my "studio."
Now the last two days have been 60! Maybe spring is coming early!

more Mother's Day sessions!

2012-01-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

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"

2012-01-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-13T09:56:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-02T14:43:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

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.

Love you like crazy cakes!

2011-12-22T13:21:00.000-08:00

Natalie and I did a themed book shoot for a modeling magazine--our mission was to capture the essence of the cover of the adoption book "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes." What do you think? I think we nailed it!

Santa Claus and the candy houses

2011-12-18T17:20:00.000-08:00

Every year our Families with Children from China group has a Candy House party right before Christmas. Our group started back in 2006 when we brought Olivia home from China and a core of us have gotten together regularly ever since. We celebrate the Chinese festivals and the American holidays--the girls and boys invite each other to birthday parties and they have become a great group of friends.

This year we had a special guest to the party--Santa!

Leaf Piles!

2011-12-16T18:22:00.000-08:00

We had a spell of winter before I got leaf pile photos with my girls this fall. In fact, the leaves hadn't fallen off the trees yet before that freaky snowstorm on October 29th so once they did fall in November we finally got out the rakes and make some leaf piles!

Art Prints

2011-11-16T06:03:00.000-08:00

Photographs make beautiful gifts. I have a selection of art prints available for purchase on my website in a variety of sizes. Framing is also available at time of purchase. Once you select a photo, you can see it in a variety of frame styles, choose a mat color, and they arrive ready to hang. Here are just a few examples (watermark will not be present on final print):

snow in October!

2011-11-14T06:49:00.000-08:00

Alli and Kyler's mom wanted snow for her kids Christmas photos this year. And not just snow, but snow on the ground, snow on the trees and snowing! She got her wish when we had a freak snowstorm October 29th which brought eight inches of the white stuff to Lancaster County.

costume time!

2011-11-08T05:15:00.000-08:00

My youngest daughter loves her pony costumes. We already had a bay pony (used to be the next daughter's) and found the white pony at a consignment store. Natalie carries it around like a stuffed animal when she isn't wearing it! So of course she had to be a pony for Halloween, and big sis, the rider.

Chloe

2011-10-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

Recently I met Chloe and her mom up in Bowmansville for Chloe's 7 year old portraits. And they brought their new puppy!

Beautiful girl, adorable puppy! I almost took Manny home in my camera bag!

fall at Hopewell Furnace National Park

2011-10-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

About 45 minutes from us is the historic Hopewell Furnace Village. I hadn't been there for years so as last Sunday was a beautiful afternoon, I took the kids out to explore.

The furnace operated from 1771-1883 making iron.

My mother was into early American crafts when I was little and we had candle molds just like these that she did use to make candles.

One of the houses was arranged with reproduction furniture and items that the kids were allowed to play with. They tried out some early American toys and games and decided the bed with the straw tick was quite uncomfortable!

We have been reading the Little House on the Prairie series to the girls so it was cool to show them an actual Conestoga Wagon

The kids got to play in some leaf piles!

Hannah's senior shoot

2011-10-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

Of course Hannah had to have her senior photos with her best friend, Charlie! Charlie lives at Hollyhurst Farm with my daughter's horse Tucker (but I am not sure that they are friends!) Hannah plans to go to college in Philadelphia so as not to be too far from Charlie in the fall. Best of luck to both of you!

Hadley

2011-10-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

This little piggy went to market!

Is that the most adorable face?? Three month old Hadley had her Halloween costume along in her wardrobe for her shoot at Hollyhurst Farm

sisters

2011-10-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

and another brother+sister!

2011-10-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

brother+sister

2011-10-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hands entry for i heart faces

2011-10-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

this week at i heart faces the theme is hands

hands are pretty important in our family... Natalie was born without a thumb on her left hand, as well as a short arm, a fused elbow and even a pinky finger that didn't work independently. When we adopted her we had no idea anything could be done to correct her hand. But then we met Dr. Kozin at Shriner's Hospital in Philadelphia. He performed the surgery on her hand last October 26 to create a thumb by moving her index finger.

The results have been amazing and she has become the poster child for thumb pollicization :) In the last 10 months she had virtually complete function with her new thumb and we just have a few more weeks of occupational therapy to work on some strength.

I took this photo just three days after her cast came off and she really noticed her new thumb for the first time.

Dr. Kozin has this hanging in his office

Handsome boys

2011-10-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

I photographed bug brother Ben last year before he became a big brother! Micah joined the family last fall and he has just celebrated his third birthday.

The kids always like Lititz Springs Park--there's a red caboose and ducks and water to play in. Fortunately no one fell in the brook!

always fun with the Kings!

2011-09-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

I've known this family for years, certainly back before there were any kids! Grandma got the whole family together for a fun shoot in the park. We had to chase a few of the kids and it was a challenge getting them all to look at me at times! Fortunately none of them fell in the lake!!

on the farm...

2011-09-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to find a new setting for a photo session--this was such a beautiful farm for a photo shoot: Landis Farm in Manheim--a red barn, red tractor, apple trees and a tire swing. Couldn't ask for more to shoot these brothers and sister.

Rocking Out

2011-09-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter took me to a 3 Doors Down concert at the York Fair last weekend. We had great seats so I brought an 85mm lens on my old Canon Rebel (looked a little less professional as I was afraid of the security screening cameras). Going to rock concerts isn't something I do much of but Susannah has taken me to this this band twice now. We had tons of fun! Here are a few shots from the show:

three sisters and a cute puppy

2011-09-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

Three beautiful girls, a fabulous location, perfect weather and an adorable puppy--made for a perfect shoot! Here is just a snippet of our shoot. Pop over to my website to see the rest.

I'm now scheduling through November so now is the time to book your senior photos or your holiday family session. Email me to book.

at the beach

2011-08-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

i was out of commission for a couple of weeks while my computer was in the shop. But it came back right before we took a little trip to the beach last weekend, and in between reloading all my programs, I was able to edit the photos from our trip.

the Mylin siblings

2011-08-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

We headed to downtown Lancaster and Central market to shoot the Mylin kids, who were the winners of the contest I ran at Central Penn Parent Magazine earlier this summer. I picked a day that market was closed so we didn't have people walking into my shot. Downtown there are also decorated pianos placed randomly along the streets to encourage creativity. The kids took a turn with a tune. We ended up in Steinman Park, visiting with the newspaperman on the bench and tossing pennies into the fountain.

friendship

2011-08-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

Friendship is the theme this week at I heart faces. I captured this photo a couple of weeks ago when we had a reunion with a family we traveled to China with on our second adoption journey. The four kids had an absolute blast and it was as if they had just seen each other last week, not last summer.The youngest two on the right spent time together in the Beijing Children's Welfare Institute and the other girls are their "jie-jies" or big sisters.

dragonfly

2011-08-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

On the shoot with Madelyn and Megan pictured below, we enjoyed spending time in the water lily garden at Longwood. I has just visited the gardens a few weeks prior to this shoot, and there were even more lilies blooming on this visit. The colors of these flowers are so vibrant--and dragonflies were hovering about. In fact, dragonflies are particularly attracted to water lilies.

I don't have a macro lens or a super zoom lens yet, but was able to snap this shot of a dragonfly perched on a flower. I love his buggy little eyeballs!

Madelyn and Megan

2011-07-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

I've had the honor to photograph these gorgeous girls several times in the last year--we shot with their ponies last summer, and with their parents at Rocky Ridge Park in York. This time it was all about the girls as we went to the beautiful Longwood Gardens. Supermodels, beware!

Book your portrait sessions now for August-October. Spots are filling up! I have some terrific locations in mind for children, families and high school seniors. Email me to schedule.

Fashion Shoot

2011-07-29T04:26:00.000-07:00

This week we did a fashion shoot for a new boutique--the girls did the modeling and I did the photography. I found this little piece of Europe right here in Lancaster County which was the perfect setting for the them of the theme of the clothing line called French Laundry.

The website is still under construction, but the link above takes you to her facebook page where you can see some of the other designs.

Rocky Springs

2011-07-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

I knew this place existed but totally forgot about it until Susannah and her boyfriend wandered around Rocky Springs Park last week. So I had to head over there and check it out. This amusement park was closed in the 1960s. Some of the land was sold to build condos (my mother, and later my aunt lived in them), and the carousel was sold to Dollywood. What's left is a photographer's dream...

Black and White Pop action

2011-07-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

I love stuff that is free, so for you Photoshop fans, I have a few completely free actions you can download. Just click on the tab above to go to the download site.

scouting new locations

2011-07-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

The kids helped me scout some new locations in Lancaster County this week.

In Adamstown we found a village of shops with wonderful colors, wrought iron gates and a fountain

Then Natalie enjoyed running through the covered bridge at Lancaster County Park

back to Longwood

2011-07-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

With annual passes to Longwood we can run down there for a few hours to see what's blooming.

Birthday Princess!

2011-07-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

Miss Natalie turned three and got a new princess dress! Her cake also came with the tiara and wand and she would not take any of the outfit off even for a nap after the party.

Reece is One!

2011-06-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

We went to Long's Park for Reece's first birthday photos. He wasn't too sure about the crazy lady with the camera and stared me down with his big beautiful blue eyes. Once we let him start crawling around the fun began! We finished things off with smashing a cake with very bright blue frosting.

new do!

2011-06-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

Olivia had a haircut appointment today and decided to chop it all off!

So the new "do" necessitated a new photoshoot!

She loves it feeling lighter, and tossing when she turns her head!

Shipley Family

2011-06-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I headed to York County for a session with the Shipley family. Since Dad is being deployed next month, they wanted family photos and shots of Dad which each of his girls. Soon they will be adding a son to their family! They have a little guy waiting for them in China and hope to travel later this summer.

giveaway ends today!

2011-06-08T04:48:00.000-07:00

I have a contest going on at Central Penn Parent Magazine that ends later today--sign up to win a free portrait sitting and package valued at $125.

In addition, photo sessions now through July 31st include a free entry into the Central Penn Parent Magazine's cover kids contest. Last year Natalie was the winner with a portrait taken by me. She was featured on the cover of the October issue and won four tickets to Dutch Wonderland. Email me to schedule.

Cecelia and Jaime's Wedding

2011-05-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

In January, I shot Jaime and Cecelia's engagement pictures...their long engagement turned into a short one when they decided to get married in May at the Hershey Hotel! It was a lovely intimate ceremony and an honor for me to shoot the pictures.
Although it rained all week, today the rain held off for the ceremony in the formal gardens behind the hotel. Enjoy this little sneak peek of their day.

graduation!

2011-05-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

My son graduated college last week--yee haw!

at the garden

2011-05-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Olivia

2011-05-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

Prom!

2011-05-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

Will and Tina, heading off to Prom. Don't they look fabulous?

Cover Kids Contest

2011-05-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

Last year Natalie won the Central Penn Parent Magazine Cover Kids contest--I entered the photo below.

She had a shoot with the magazine photographer and was featured on the October issue, as well as winning tickets to Dutch Wonderland!

Now through June 30th I am offering special portrait sessions that will include a free entry into the contest.

Click here for details and email me to book.

a few more barn pictures

2011-05-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

There are so many interesting things and textures to shoot at a barn. I loved this old door in the bank barn and the old paint. The photo worked best in black and white. In editing I just converted it to black and white using my Black and White Pop action and increased the contrast

I liked the red of the pump against the white of the barn wall

a girl and her horse

2011-04-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

Day at the Barn

2011-04-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

We actually had a sunny day on Thursday! Unbelievable :) we have had so much rain that we really appreciate the sun when we see it. The girls and I drove up to Susannah's barn in Carlisle to watch her ride and shoot some photos.

I loved the texture in this shot of the bank barn with the branches and the shuttered window

Lots of tack hanging about

Olivia picked a bouquet for me!

This horse thought Olivia was a tasty treat!

There actually isn't supposed to be a lake behind the ring. But last week the Yellow Breeches creek flooded and now there is not only a lake, but fish swimming around behind the ring.

Cool statue of a jumper near the ring

Olivia on her "Gotcha Day"

2011-04-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

Top Chef

2011-04-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the girls were at their friend Lila's 6th birthday party held at the Young Chef's Academy. Here are a few shots from the day.

Photoshop Fun

2011-04-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

Check out the Photoshop Fun tab for some free actions to download! I will also be adding some brushes and some new actions soon.

spring is finally springing

2011-04-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

i heart faces--shadows

2011-04-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

This week's theme at I Heart Faces is Shadows...here is my oldest and youngest walking together

Check out the rest of the cool entries this week!

Cloudy Day Pop Photoshop Action! free download

2011-04-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

We all strive for the perfect photo straight out of the camera but sometimes the lighting isn't quite right. I have processed this image with my own Fly Away Home Cloudy Day Pop action for Photoshop. Here is the side-by-side of the original photo on the left and after the action is run on the right. Click on the "Photoshop Fun" tab above to download this action for free to use on your own photos.

at the park

2011-04-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

Finally we had some nice weather! Well, at least for one afternoon! The kids enjoyed some time at Lititz Springs Park, feeding the ducks and playing on the playground.

Natalie

2011-03-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

I really had a completely different idea in mind when I shot these photos of Natalie today. I was experimenting with my DIY diffuser on my Speedlite and trying to capture some soft portraits of her in with this adorable hair flower clip by Sophia Jane Boutique. But she was drawn to the piano and sat playing it with her nine little fingers and singing "A Whole New World" from Aladdin. This shot at the piano was pure serendipity

I Heart Faces...a slice of Life

2011-03-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

A slice of my life definitely involves horse shows...my entry for this week's challenge comes from last week's show, when i stole this photo of Olivia waiting for her turn to ride.

check out some of the other entries this week!

Olivia at Six

2011-03-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

oldest daughter

2011-03-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter requested a photo shoot last weekend. Normally she barely tolerates my camera unless I am shooting at a horse show!

horse show

2011-03-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

Many of my photog pals are shooting the Super Moon tonight with their super telephoto lenses..alas a 300 mm is still on my wish list. So instead, I shot pictures of my girls at a horse show.

Big brother!

2011-03-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

yes I know it is hard to believe, but I do have a son..and he is about to graduate from college! I recently subjected him to a photo shoot...
If you have a high school or college senior, schedule a portrait session with me this spring! We can go to the location of his/her choice and have some fun with photos. Email me for details.

High-four with Mickey!

2011-02-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

Natalie and Mickey Mouse have something in common--four fingers!

budding photographer

2011-02-17T20:26:00.001-08:00

soon the birthday girl!

2011-02-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

Olivia is having a birthday this weekend! These aren't the official birthday photos, but a few practice shots in the outfit she requested I make for her special day at school on Friday. This first one I gave what I'm calling the Vermeer look, after the Dutch painter...she seemed to have an old-world pose going on and it seemed to call out for an old-world vintage color treatment.

Red--this weeks i heart faces challenge

2011-02-15T06:20:00.000-08:00

The theme this week over at i heart faces is red..and I love this photo. I took this the day before Natalie had her hand surgery. She just got these new red sneakers and had to take a nap in them. The next day she got her new thumb!

(I'm maybe being daring here with this entry since her face is blurred in the background but i love this photo)

Lovely Lila

2011-02-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

winter mini-sessions

2011-02-01T07:11:00.000-08:00

I'm offering mini portrait sessions for the rest of the winter here at my home--the session includes one of my new 3x3 accordion albums filled with ten photos from your session in a cute custom designed little fold-up book. Here is an example of one:

front cover

inside front

inside back

back cover

a few new photos

2011-01-27T09:56:00.000-08:00

Just a few new photos of the girls while we're hanging out at home on snowy days. I've been playing with a white backdrop and using a few new editing techniques

i heart faces...innocent wonder

2011-01-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

During a fashion shoot of the girls today for my boutique and caught this shot of Natalie..

(did you count her fingers? She only has four on the left hand. She was born without a thumb but had surgery in October to give her one.)

from the wild kingdom..

2011-01-19T06:12:00.000-08:00

I just spent a weekend in Florida with the kids visiting friends and Sea World. Here are a few of the creatures we met there:

I didn't bring my new camera and didn't have the best lens for some of the animals but I didn't want to risk anything happening to the camera, especially as I was traveling alone with the kids. So I brought my tried and true Canon Rebel and shot with the 28-105 mm lens. One day I'll have to get a long lens. I have quite an assortment of lenses from the old days of film but they won't work on my digital cameras.

i heart faces smile contest

2011-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

i've entered one of Jaime and Cece's engagement photos over on the i heart faces contest this week

because I just love the look on their faces--so exuberent! I can't remember if Jaimie was telling a joke or something...

an engagement!

2011-01-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of shooting Jaime and Cecelia's engagement photos. We had beautiful fresh snow for our downtown Lancaster papparazzi style shoot. Jaime proposed while they were picking out their Christmas tree so our winter theme was very fitting. No snow at the wedding though--they are having the wedding in Mexico! Sign me up at the photographer lol

praying hands

2011-01-08T13:11:00.001-08:00

365--a photo a day of ordinary life

2011-01-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

Photographer folks over on Facebook and in the blogosphere are participating in the 365 photography challenge: taking a photo a day on a theme of ordinary life.

My theme is "hands." Since Natalie had her hand surgery in October to give her a new thumb, I've been photographing her hands and progress, and thought this would be a good way to continue, but I will involve the rest of the family.

here are my first four entries:

Olivia playing her guitar

Natalie playing HER guitar

Olivia and the slinky

Natalie, playing with play-doh for therapy

You can follow along for the year over on my family blog

studio and collages

2010-12-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

I've been working on my indoor "studio" since it is too cold to shoot outside right now. The studio is set up in the kids playroom, a room with a lot of light--skylights, a double window and a french door. I prefer to shoot natural light.

Here is natalie giving me her "I am a pip!" look.

If you can't decide on photos from your shoot, I can design a collage for you.

Here are a few examples

big brother and little sister

2010-12-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

I did this shoot back in November as a surprise Christmas present for a friend, so I couldn't post any of the photos until now. We went to Lititz Springs Park which is located next to the Wilbur Chocolate Factory and climbed on the caboose (I don't think that technically we were supposed to!).

Santa's Helpers

2010-12-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

2010-12-14T04:51:00.000-08:00

I'm improvising a home studio setup until such a time as I can actually do a real one. Black fabric, a bounced flash and some Yankee ingenuity helped create these shots.

Wardrobe designed by Natalie.

She did eventually decide a tutu would be a good fashion choice and tried on two

Red Shoes

2010-12-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

I recently won a set of textures from my friend Colleen of Chasing Dreams Photography.

I used two textures on this photo of Natalie asleep in her new red sneakers

Processed with "total grunge" and "white linen"

I've also been learning a new editing program, Lightroom that I've been using in conjunction with Photoshop. I really like to process black and white in Lightroom now. Problem is, I had a one month free trial and now that has expired! Santa may need to put that program in my Christmas stocking.

2010-12-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

Natalie's new thumb

2010-12-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

My youngest daughter had hand surgery in October..she was born without a thumb (as well as a few other issues like a short arm and a fused elbow). The surgeons moved her index finger to be her new thumb and this week the cast came off

Here she is checking out the new thumb

Time Out

2010-11-23T06:26:00.001-08:00

at the park

2010-11-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

Lititz Springs Park is a nice place for photos.There's a gazebo, ducks and a caboose that we probably weren't supposed to be climbing on, but it made for a nice shot!

2010-11-18T19:23:00.000-08:00

I'm still in a black and white period...I love it and I'm enjoying playing with contrast.

I recently upgraded my camera (although I don't think I can bear to part with my Canon Rebel...it has served me well!). I've been busy on some portrait jobs and haven't had much time to take pictures of my own kids. It also doesn't help that Natalie is now in the stage where she runs away from me yelling, "No pictures!"

black and white

2010-11-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

Micah

2010-11-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

2010-11-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

I don't use a lot of textures in my photos..I think they can be overdone so I tend to go conservative.

I created my own texture for this photo of Olivia.

The original photo is posted below.

unedited straight out of the camera image

senior photos

2010-11-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

hospital photos

2010-11-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

Natalie had surgery on her hand last week--she was born with no thumb on her left hand (as well as some other arm deformities). Surgeons at Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia rotated her index finger to be her new thumb. Here are a few photos from the hospital, of Natalie sleeping pre and post surgery.