Jumpy Squirrel

Meet "Jumpy Squirrel" - that's what we call each and every squirrel around here - some parents out there will know this furry animal from Curious George!

This little guy (or girl) was sitting on our deck the other day and was patient enough to let me run upstairs, dig out my camera, change the lens, run back downstairs, get my settings right and shoot a couple of pictures of his cute self. VERY considerate!

This shot was taken through my kitchen window and I'm thrilled I rocked it!

The Super Moon Pictures

I took these pictures a couple of weeks ago when we had the Super Moon with my Canon 5d mark ii and the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens - I know there are much longer and thus better lenses to do this with but I just wanted to see what I could do and I think the results aren't bad!

 

The Moon

The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
On streets and fields and harbour quays,
And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.

The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
The howling dog by the door of the house,
The bat that lies in bed at noon,
All love to be out by the light of the moon.

But all of the things that belong to the day
Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way;
And flowers and children close their eyes
Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.

Robert Louis Stevenson

A boy and his bike - one year later!

I just checked on my blog to see when I posted the first story about my boy and his bike at one of our favourite local parks and it is almost exactly a year ago - April 2011!

Here are some new pictures of my now almost 5 year old on his bike! We have both developed in the past year. Alex can now balance perfectly on his glider bike (it has no pedals and is meant to teach a child balance) and I've heard it said that my photography has also improved?! Just look at that face of concentration as he manoeuvres his bike - just love it!

Alex's Opa (my father) gave this bike to him for Alex's 2nd Birthday. We lost our dear Opa last November, he would be so very proud of his grandson for having mastered this skill! But I know he knows, and that comforts me.

Ssshhhhh, but Alex will be getting a 'big-boy' bike for his Birthday next week and I'm secretly hoping he'll make the transition without the necessity of training wheels - we'll see how that works out! Keep your fingers crossed.

Also, as you will see Alex has lost 2 teeth (already!!), of which he is his very, very proud! (I just adore that jagged new little tooth coming out.)

 

Maternity pictures: Ally Garrison & family

My friend Ally, whom you've all heard about from the wedding shoot, was not only my "boss" during the wedding shoot but she was also 7 months pregnant - to this day I don't know how she did it!

She is having a little girl this time around and she asked me to take some maternity pictures of her while I was in South Carolina. Her boys, Jim and James met up with us for a little while during the mini-shoot that we managed to squeeze in before I had to make my way home to Georgia the day after the wedding.

I would have loved to have had more time for this shoot but I'm very pleased with the pictures we managed to capture in the beautiful wild field and the vacant lot.

I came across this quote the other day, and though it was brilliant. 

“If John Lennon was right that life is what happens when you're making other plans, parenthood is what happens when everything is flipped over and spilling everywhere and you can't find a towel or a sponge or your "inside" voice.”

Ally, all the best for the last few weeks of your pregnancy, may everything go well with the birth and I look forward to meeting little Miss E. sometime soon! Here's hoping that things won't "flip" over too badly and for too long and the spills are small and few!

 

Dana & Jared's Wedding at Tanglewood Arboretum, Advance, NC - No. 3

This is my last post about the wedding - I've truly had so much fun putting these pictures, these memories together for Dana & Jared, I hope it shows!

The funny thing is that I've always said: "I'll NEVER shoot a wedding, never - that is way too much responsibility" - and now after my first go as the second shooter, I think I might be hooked and ready for more! Quite frankly trying to get good shots from a 2 year old is often more challenging! Go figure! After a 13 hour day shooting a wedding and pushing your every limit physically (that camera gets heavy), mentally and artistically you can fall into bed knowing you did your best to capture memories that will last a life time.

I feel like I've developed and grown with this experience and it has been extremely uplifting. Once again, thank you to my friend Ally  (http://www.thejourneybyally.com) for choosing me, I think you may have broadened my horizons in an intangible way!

And now back to the wedding day: after the ceremony we took a few more shots in the lush gardens before we headed to the Barn for the reception. There the couple enjoyed their first dance and the bride danced with her father, which I admit made me cry because I only recently lost my dear dad - it was so moving to me. The groom danced with his mother and then dinner was served.

Dinner was followed by cake and a few fun speeches by family and friends and then the party started! Whoooo!

To Dana & Jared: I wish you all the best on your journey together as husband and wife! Thank you for letting me share in your special day.

On Marriage
 Kahlil Gibran

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.


Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.


Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Dana & Jared's Wedding at Tanglewood Arboretum, Advance, NC - No. 2

Well, here I am with the second "episode" of Dana & Jared's wedding pictures. 

The ceremony was held outside under a gorgeous arbor, but before it started the bride had a moment to cool down in the Manor House where she took a few moments to reflect. I love the pictures of her peaking out the window looking at the guests arriving and mingling.

Instead of the traditional ring ceremony these two had a sand ceremony symbolizing the joining of their two families by pouring white and blue sand into a jar.

And just look at that proud look on Jared's face after the kiss!

We took the wedding party out to a secluded field that had millions of tiny yellow flowers all over - it was beautiful in and of itself and perfect for taking the formal pictures of this spring wedding.

I love the pictures of one of Dana's little flower girls, she was adorable playing and smelling the tiny yellow flowers.

And somehow the contrast of the soft green flowery field combined with the Marine Dress Blues works just brilliantly.