Baby becomes Toddler - happy 1st Birthday!

Last Saturday I had tons of fun taking pictures of my buddy baby C at our local park, except he's not such a baby anymore and now seriously on the move! This must be one of the most challenging ages to document because they are on the go, go, go and always looking down as they do so. I was running back and forth with him at times, so I got my exercise in that day! At some point I wondered if knee & elbow pads as well as a helmet would be appropriate, so that I could just fling myself on the ground to catch a shot of his adorable face.

It always surprises me how we (the Mom and I) plan the shoot meticulously, discuss props and clothing well in advance, get everything set up beautifully and then it just all happens completely differently. I have these visions in my head and in the end the result is utterly gorgeous but completely different. Just goes to show that I am at the mercy of my 1 year old subject and that keeps me on my toes (literally too!). But I have so much fun doing it!


This was my 4th session with Master C. and it has been an absolute joy to watch him grow. For me it is all about these relationships and the opportunity they give me to witness the development and change as well as seeing the joy my capturing the moments brings to those that let me be a part of the magic!

A 49ERS Fan in the making!

Last weekend I had the pleasure of taking pictures of a little man by the name of Baby N. He was about 6 weeks old and such a cutie! Even though his parents and I actually wanted him to snooze and relax, he had other plans. But we made it work and I think the results are still gorgeous!

Dad is a 49ERS fan and Mom is a turtle enthusiast, so we brought those two together and got some shots with relevant props! I had to confess to Dad that American Football with all its rules and regulations escaped me somewhat, luckily he seemed fine with that as long as it didn't escape his son.

I am absolutely in love with the image of Baby looking straight at me and his little tongue sticking out juuuust a little - I could melt! 

To the parents: thank you for allowing me take pictures of you precious little boy, I look forward to taking more pictures of and with your family and watching your sweet boy grow and develop through my lens. Enjoy the journey!

 

 

What Shall I Say About the Irish?

I'm back!

I enjoyed an all too short two week trip to Ireland to visit my husband's parents in Kinsale. We had a wonderful time together filled with great food, beautiful sights and the joy that is seeing a grandchild bonding with his grandparents. Alex was very sad to leave and I think we've already decided that we'll be back!
   
Here are some facts on Ireland:

• Official name: Ireland (Irish: Éire)
• Population: 4.5 million (UN, 2010)
• Capital: Dublin
• Area: 70,182 sq km (27,097 sq miles)
• Major languages: English, Irish
• Major religion: Christianity
• Life expectancy: 78 years (men), 83 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents
• Main exports: Machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
• GNI per capita: US $44,310 (World Bank, 2009)
• Internet domain: .ie
• International dialling code: +353

When I found the poem below I thought it was absolutely brilliant, I hope you'll enjoy it too! And those that live in Ireland might nod at a few points in recognition.

What Shall I Say About the Irish?
The utterly impractical, never predictable,
Sometimes irascible, quite inexplicable, Irish.Strange blend of shyness,
pride and conceit,
And stubborn refusal to bow in defeat.
He's spoiling and ready to argue and fight,
Yet the smile of a child
fills his soul with delight.
His eyes are the quickest to well up with tears,
Yet his strength is the strongest
to banish your fears.
His hate is as fierce as his devotion is grand,
And there is no middle ground
on which he will stand.
He's wild and he's gentle,
he's good and he's bad.
He's proud and he's humble,
he's happy and sad.
He's in love with the ocean,
the earth and the skies,
He's enamoured with beauty wherever it lies.
He's victor and victim, a star and a clod,
But mostly he's Irish—
in love with his God. 

The first two images are of Chicago, IL from the window of the aircraft - all the while the FA is almost shouting at us to put the camera off.....ha - we got the shot anyway! Across the isle a man just kept taking pictures, what was all that fuss about? We flew from Atlanta via Chicago to Dublin and then had a 3 hour car ride down to Kinsale, it was quite the trip but well worth the effort! The weather was mostly cool and cloudy (well cool for us Southerrrrners!) but that didn't worry us at all.

I won't go into any more detail but rather let the images do the talking!

For my Schatz!

Look at those colours!

A boy on his "Bubble Bum" - an inflatable booster seat!

Accommodation with a view!

For my favourite Father-in-law!

A special bond!

The stick won't sink.

Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) on my way to Germany.