Hannah

Oh Hannah....I so looked forward to doing your senior pictures and I was not disappointed!!  Not only are you a beautiful, engaging young woman, but our session was an adventure, right?

You are a shining star dear Hannah....here is your video:


And a few of my favorite images.

I can honestly say that I have never seen two praying mantises in such a compromising position before - on a senior session or anywhere else.

And what about the MONSTER one that we saw on the way to the field?  I will see that thing in my nightmares for years to come.  I can't believe you were poking it with a stick!  A big thank you to your uncle for letting us use his farm for your shoot - this was a perfect location for you.  Casual, carefree and fun.

And sassy.  Lets not forget sassy.  Yes, those boots are PERFECT with that dress.  :)  Maybe it was hard striking a pose in front of your mom and uncle, but girl, you were workin' it.

Work it Hannah!

Not only was the wildlife activity a first for me, but this was the first time I've shot a senior in a soybean field.  Love it!

Thank you for choosing me as your photographer, I have so enjoyed getting to know you and wish you all the best in your senior year and beyond.

What's Important

Remember what is important, and keep your priorities straight.  There is always time for an "I love you" and a hug.

My life

(Necklace by www.mommyjewelry.com)

Let it Rain

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.  ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I gotta say, there is nothing better than a client that is willing to just go with the flow and not let a little rain ruin our session.  Of course the rain didn't matter much while we were shooting in the auditorium of Jackson High School - thanks Sue, for getting permission to use the stage!

Here is Sam, getting theatrical.

It was one laugh after another as we found nice backdrops for Sam's modeling debut.  Stand here, sit there, smile, serious look....um, serious look...no pouting!  Ha.  Sam, you were a great sport, and super easy to work with - the images we ended up with are all of the awesome I see in you.

Is that an amazing smile or what?

Check these out - I love the drama.

Now THERE is a serious look :)

And the rain - oh my.  I knew that there was a chance of rain but I didn't expect it to be pouring when we walked out of the high school!  It kind of inhibited our ability to get outdoor shots, but I think my fav shot of the day may be the one with JHS in the background.  Sometimes unexpected events lead to new perspectives, always a good thing.

This might just be my favorite shot of the day!

The Francey family has always been in my list of favorite clients, and this shoot sealed the deal - thanks so much for choosing me as your photographer!  xoxo

Kusudama Fun

Sometimes I pursue artistic endeavors other than photography.  Really I do...maybe not as often as I used to, but I'm feeling drawn to crafty activities in recent weeks.  The photo at left is a Kusudama that I created.  It is made of 60 pieces of origami paper, folded into 60 petals that are glued together to make 12 flowers which are in turn glued together to form a ball.

The word kusudama literally means "medicine ball" and is comprised of two Japanese words - kusuri, meaning medicine; and tama, meaning ball.  Kusudamas originate from ancient Japanese culture, and were possibly originally made of actual herbs and flowers.  They are now generally made of paper and typically used for decorations or gifts.  The individual components may be glued or sewn together.

Having made the individual flowers before, I set out to make my first kusudama - not really thinking about how long it would take me to make 60 origami petals.  About 20 petals in I started reconsidering - this was hard work!  After 10 or so more, it became almost calming.  And with my two daughters happily making origami hearts, houses and pianos next to me, this ended up being a wonderful craft project for us to do together.

My final project is not perfect - there are some crooked petals, and a few are not glued to the opposite petals that they should be...but it's beautiful to me and I'm proud of it!!!

Interested in making a kusudama??  Here is a link to a great tutorial on how to make the kusudama flower (which can be used by itself if you like - glue a craft stem to the center and set in a vase).  And part two of the tutorial explains how to make the kusudama ball.  

"Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity" ~ John Ruskin

Happy Crafting!!!

xo

Tressie

2011-2012 CHS Boys Basketball in Review

 So the season is over, and I didn't blog a single game.  Sheesh.  I did take LOTS of pictures though, check out some highlights below.  See more and order images HERE.

Common Bond Girls

I'm a bad blogger. Here's a video. Watch it.

Time Out

Take time out to relax and do fun things and give yourself a break from worrying about your responsibilities. Everyone says it's good for you - even the internet, so it must be true. I try to take that advice, but anyone that knows me will tell you that I'm not a person that relaxes very well. I actually enjoy being busy, so I suppose my relaxation must come in a form that allows me to be busy without having anything to do with responsibility.

I love photography. I do a lot of photography for other people. A lot. 'Photography For Other People' comes with it's own set of pressures and responsibilities. I never saw that coming...because if you do what you love, everything else falls into place, right? Not always.

In an effort to bring back the love, the fun, and a little sanity in my otherwise chaotic life, I am going to reserve time to create images because I want to. I will broaden my horizons, stretch new creative muscles and immerse myself in creating images for the pure joy of it. I will take pictures of things that do not have eyes - an immense challenge for me, as portraiture is what comes most naturally to me.

With my new resolution in mind, I attended a Meetup with the Ann Arbor Shutterbugs at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Had a great time working side by side with other amazing local photographers, no pressure, just fun. Check out a few of my favorite images below!

(Ok, so some of the subjects have eyes...I can't help it)