J & J - The Video

Well, I was going to try to think of something incredibly clever to say to preface this video...but clever eludes me today (insert joke here LOL).

Instead, I will let the video speak for itself. Love is a beautiful thing. :-) Congrats Jeff and Jenean!!!

(*note that the video is embedded...sometimes folks accessing on their phones may have trouble viewing. Go to a computer, it's totally worth it!)

Happy Birthday Katelyn and Josh!!

I am honored to have the opportunity to photograph Katelyn and Josh's birthday every year - it's amazing the changes a year can bring, and I so enjoy watching these kiddos grow. Kathleen, your children are beautiful...here is a sneak peek of the images in store for you!

11 Puppies in a Boat?

Yeah, well it sounded like a good idea at the time, but didn't quite work out as planned. I tell ya, these puppies will give the most rambunctious toddler a run for their money...and do I mean run LOL. So while we had grand plans, we ended up shooting them individually and in pairs, but check out this sneak peek (there are lots more!) - how incredibly cute are these Portuguese Water Dog puppies?




The icing on the cake is that the handler/breeder of these beautiful puppies is an old friend of mine from high school - so I had to have my sis in law take a pic of Angie and me together while she was there. I know we can't compete with the puppies, but this pic warms my heart :-) Angie, you are still the sweetest, and so beautiful - it was fun to see you again!!
And...just for fun, here are a couple of out takes from the "puppy herding" - our failed attempt to get a pic of them together LOL

Interested in Portugese Water Dogs? Be sure to check out Angie's Website http://www.swseas.com/ - hopefully some of my pics will be making their way there...

Worth the Wait

Ever known a couple that you knew in your heart would be the best parents ever? Warm, loving, kind and FUN? Beth and Jim are that couple. The first time I officially photographed Beth and Jim, it was for images to add to their adoption portfolio. The session was incredibly fun and heart warming, offering me a glimpse into their silly and love filled world. I was honored to have even a small part in the beginning of their journey. And now I am blessed to come full circle and photograph their little miracle - meet Noah...

Congratulations Jim and Beth!!

22 Years is a Long Time

I had the pleasure not long ago of visiting with a friend that I had not seen for 22 years. Sheila, you have not changed a bit, and your family is abolutely charming. Thanks so much for making time for me on your vacation, and for driving all the way to Chelsea to see me. And a big thank you to Kirstie too, for taking the pics that include me in them. Here are a few of my favorites....

SeaWorld 2010

Note: Sometimes the videos do not show up on phones and mobile devices - if you want to see the video please visit my blog from your PC!! :-)

Just when you thought you were safe, here I am uploading more vacation shots LOL. I can't help myself, we had soooo much fun at SeaWorld in Orlando and I did my best to capture the day. We took the VIP tour, and got to feed dolphins, sea lions and sting rays; we rode roller coasters and watched shows...a very good day. Some of the video clip credit must go to my dear husband (thanks Rob!) and our awesome tour guide (thank you Nicole!!), check out the resulting movie:



And if you have just 30 seconds more, here is a video of my trip with Alex (some Mommy/Allie time!) to the Calusa Nature center. Just a short clip of that day.

Old St Mary's / Mount Calvary

Well I needed to take a break from editing vacation photos, and move on to some of the other exciting things I've been doing - I'll just have to get back to the vacation photos later. :-)

I was invited by a friend and fellow photog Brian Lantis to visit and photograph an old cemetery in Chelsea, MI. I worked hard to find some history and / or a story on the cemetery, but either there isn't much on the web or my search skills are lacking as I was unable to find anything. Brian indicated that the cemetery is called "Old St. Mary's" or "Mount Calvary", and many of the graves were moved to Mt Olivet when it opened.

My Riley came with us to explore, and before we explored the cemetery itself, we walked into the wooded expanse behind it to see an old car that Brian knew was there. This ended up being Riley's favorite part of the entire trip - a neglected little piece of history out in the middle of nowhere. Who knew you once had to roll up car windows by hand with those wierd little handles? LOL

After investigating every detail of the car, we went back to the cemetery, where Riley was fascinated by the writing on the stones, the way that the stones have changed over the years and the fact that some are so weathered that you can no longer see any writing at all.

This cemetery is certainly not forgotten, as there are US flags on the graves of veterans and a few stones have been replaced with newer versions. However, there is also evidence of vandals in the form of broken and toppled stones, as well as cans and other trash in the wooded area beyond the cemetery where it appears that kids have probably been "hanging out".

As the sun lowered in the sky, I tried to add sunflare to my shots and to capture this wonderful place as it appeared to me, I wanted to photograph the site in a meaningful and respectful way. My images do not do this incredibly beautiful place justice, but nonetheless, I hope you enjoy...

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