Photo: Growing Family

I was so excited to hear that Steve and Melissa were expecting and excited all over again when they emailed asking me to do a baby bump shoot! Their little girl is due very soon and rumor has it that I'll be meeting them when she arrives for another photo session. If this shoot is any indication of sessions to come, I'm really excited. These two were lots of fun and up for anything, even on this hot August afternoon. We met late in the afternoon at a park in Cary where I had scouted out lots of little nooks and a fabulous bridge the day before.


perfect lighting + a great couple + the cutest baby bump I've ever seen =


Sometime around this shot, I managed to step in a hill of fire ants. I'm still applying benadryl this morning but I can say, without a doubt, it was well worth it!


Loved it when these two got the giggles!


Beautiful!

A pair of delicate crocheted booties they brought along - so sweet!



Steve & Melissa, I had a such great time with you guys and I can't wait to meet her! Congrats!!

To see more images, visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2428801&id=11817824&l=c70eb08706

Graphic: Flyer for the Fourth

One more great thing about living on a culdesac? It's the perfect place to throw party! A neighbor and I organized a neighborhood potluck for the fourth of July and needed a way to invite people on the cheap. I created these flyers to be printed in black and white, 2 per 8x10" sheet. The final cost for printing the whole lot was under a dollar! Who says cheap can't be pretty, too? We stuck these in peoples' doors a few days before.

Photo: The Three of Us

It took some scheduling and rescheduling but we knew the afternoon was right when the storms cleared just moments before our meeting time. You'll probably remember Grant from his baby photos - because who could forget those stunning blue eyes? This time he joins us with his parents for their very first family of three photoshoot. These were taken in Raleigh at the Rose Garden, a beautiful place to be right after a storm and the perfect setting for these first portraits, since Yvonne and Chad were married in a Rose Garden years before.

Happy baby!




Those eyes!

Yvonne, Chad & Grant, Thanks for sharing the afternoon with me. Great to see all three of you again!

View more images here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=43984634&l=984cb30f85&id=11817824

Photo: Prints!

I was thrilled when I found these heavy weight folders that display one image for delivering prints - I've been looking for something like this for quite sometime! It was also exciting to see these favorite images from my session with baby G in tangible form. Wallets - weeee!!!!!

Photo: The Tangibles of Digital Delivery

While my packaging for the final set of images varies quite quite a bit, you can expect something along these lines (if I'm not mailing it very far). I really enjoy tailoring each package based on the photo shoot, but the constants are the photo corners, business card, and natural colored materials. One new addition is the neutral colored cd that better complements the package. I've yet to get my handwriting up to my typographical standards - so, depending on my mood, I either label the cd carefully with a sharpie... or not at all. Often I also deliver a matted, signed photograph with the cd. If you are gifting the images/photoshoot to someone, I can tailor the packaging to the special occasion as well!

Graphic: Sylvilagus floridanus illustration

I created these illustrations to enter into the competition for this year's Eno River Festival illustration. Each year they pick a different animal to use on all of their promotional materials and t-shirts. This year's animal is the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus).

You can view past years' art here. I tried to stay in keeping with their realistic but stylized depictions. Cross your fingers that they pull one of my rabbits out of the hat... I find out next week!

Entry for the black and white illustration

Entry for the color illustration

Of course now the only thing missing is a Canis lupis Ableis chasing him.

Photo: First baby steps

While at 3 months, Grant is too young for baby steps... I took my first this afternoon. With my dining room transformed into a photo studio, I had the pleasure of doing my very first baby photo shoot. And, I think I'm hooked!

Grant was so incredibly good and agreeable. He might be the only subject so far that has paralleled Able's tireless enthusiasm for posing for the camera.

And that teddy bear hoodie.... adorable!!!


It occurred to me this morning that I was creating the very images that might show up a few decades later at this young man's wedding - such a very special opportunity.


This is just a sneak peak. More to come...

Photo: Vows at Valhalla

A sneak preview from E + J's wedding! Still editing but these are some of my current favorites from this beautiful event. I was assisted by a very handy second shooter - Marc, my husband. We really enjoyed being a part of this very special December day. The Valhalla barn is an absolutely beautiful event space and we loved how the couple was so involved in setting up every detail. A very personal touch to everything!

The couple

The vows

The ceremony

End of the first dance

Best wishes to E + J as they move to Denmark!