Since I started this gig last  October – I have tried to stay away from stalking the work of other photographers. Outside of the fact that I was trying to establish my own personal style – I also found myself getting discouraged as it showed me just how much I still had to learn. I just joined NAPCP and this morning I was checking out some of their blog posts and  found the work of a local photorapher  ( Jenny Watts Photography)..that familiar  feeling of  ”not being up to par” soon crept up , but this time , I quickly talked myself off of the ledge. Instead of being discouraged – I decided to feel inspired. I can get better…I can be better – I just have to keep shooting. So that is what I did –  The sun had just rose so I quickly scooped up my muse dressed her in a cute outfit …threw on one of my husbands big ol’sweatshirts (so you couldn’t see that I didn’t even put on a bra yet) – and ran out the door in 5 minutes flat. In fact I was so inspired that I went out again that evening. I have to just keep shooting and someday I will be someone else’s inspiration to get better… to be better.

here are the fun ones from my evening shoot

I remember my first grade teacher like it was yesterday. Mrs. Duncan. She was tall, skinny, and rocked a Dorothy Hamill haircut. She  was so warm that you felt like she loved you with her whole heart.  Teachers don’t realize the longterm impression they have on children. Here I am thirty -somethin’  and I remember the good the bad and the ugly..( yes, Ms. Duvall, Mrs. Andrews and Mrs. Crampton- I am talking to you) – With that said –  Mrs. Soto is Haydens teacher. She is his “Mrs. Duncan” – I know that every day she is leaving a beautiful impression on my son.  How fortunate am I that I can return the favor and give her something that I hope will bring tears of joy to her eyes. Thank you Mrs. Soto .. for doing what you do with such a peaceful beauty.

Every Christmas we have a tradition where in the month of December we do something thoughtful for someone once a day. We write what we did on a popsicle stick and put it in a BIG FELT Christmas tree Advent Calendar that hangs on a closet

(you might have it at Potterbarn Kids ). On Christmas Eve, we wrap up the sticks to give to Santa and put them out with the cookies and milk. To be honest, it was like pulling teeth to get Hayden to do it. Not the kid with the most philanthropic spirit – it is something I try and encourage all the time. He is just that kid – who doesn’t get that everybody doesn’t live a life like his. So yesterday when his homework came home, I saw this… and at first I thought it was a drawing of  just a Christmas tree but then I read what he wrote. I looked at him and asked, “Hayden,is that the giving tree? ”  He smiled and said “yes” . Here we are in September and something that I thought was more of a burden at times to do had made an impact. Sometimes even though we think it isn’t sinking in, sometimes when it is harder for us to keep on top of them to teach them life lessons, sometimes when you just want to forget about it….sometimes it really does make a difference,…even if we don’t see it right away.

Disclaimer (typed right before I rushed out the door … please refer to my original post on this blog as I am not an English major)

I admit it .. I was that newbie photographer who believed that the camera made the photo. As I walked around with my Nikon D40 – I knew my photos would be better if I could just get that new camera. So what did I do but e-mail the only photographer I “knew”. I asked what  camera did she use to make her photos so fantastic and which camera should I get now that  I wanted to be a photographer. With what I am sure was met with a roll of the eyes – she sent me off to get the Nikon  d90. Luckily  by the time she had responded – I had already purchased the Nikon D300s. So the Nikon D40 was quickly thrown in the electronic graveyard and I became best friends with my new camera,only to be challenged this week to pick it back up.  With many photographers asking me what equipment I use  - Many of them shooting with the D90 – thinking that it isn’t good enough. I thought to myself. Could my Nikon D40 get the images with the clarity and precision that my Nikon D 300s could capture.  With a playdate scheduled first thing in the morning – I dusted off my D40 and attached my baby – the 70 -200 mm 2.8 lens on it , can my 7 year old camera earn back it’s spot in my camera bag.  Here is what I discovered

- While not as fast with focusing as my 300… it can get the job done.

- Shooting manual is difficult because the dial isn’t user friendly – But it can be done

- ISO is unusable for quality photos – so don’t plan on shooting in-doors with a low end consumer DSLR

Those are the main differences with my Nikon D 300s vs my Nikon D40. Now with that said – you may ask why I now feel the need to upgrade to the Nikon D700 or the 3s. I do plan to start shooting indoors and the ISO (internal sensor) capability is unbelieveable. and because I plan on shooting in smaller spaces then I need to go full frame.  I am not upgrading because I want a camera to take better photos.

One more thing – If you are finding that there is lag time between taking each photo – Go grab your SD card and look at it -no seriously go grab it – I bet it has a 4 on it right –  Make sure that you are purchasing a Grade 10 SD card – it  makes a tremendous difference!

So what did we learn??? INVEST IN THE GLASS (did I say it loud enough)-!! Do not purchase mediocre lenses because you are putting money towards a new camera.   What lenses do I have  you ask??

35 mm 1.8 – $250 appx.

50 1.4  - $499 appx.

24-70 mm 2.8 – $1600 appx.

70 – 200 mm 2.8 – $2600 appx.

Here are the photos taken with my Nikon D40 with my 70 -200 mm lens attached.

Those who know Emerson know what a little fish she is. She was “swimming” before she could walk. I still remember being in Florida when she was 15 months old – as we tried to jump , hollar, and hoot to try and get her to take her first steps – But we put her in  the pool and she refused  to lift her head out of the water. As we pulled her up to breathe – she quickly dived back down. I joked that since  Emerson entered this crazy world  she quickly wished she could go back to the womb. Let’s just say she wasn’t a big fan of a world where she wore diapers, had to cry for food, and had to have baths. Seeing her take to water the way she did- I believed that Emerson had found her “home” … her new “womb”. The crazier thing is  where I first heard the name Emerson and fell in love with it. I  was at swim school in California and  I saw this spunky little 2  1/2 year old swimming like a fish.   I stared in disbelief at this little girl while her dad yelled “Emerson, go back to the steps”. … and here I sit from the side  yelling the exact same sentence. Swim lessons have started again and my sweet little fish is sitting with the “big girls” swimming right beside them. And as I sit next to the moms – I am oozing with pride..”Yep – she is mine” .

Swimming is EXHAUSTING

Couldn’t you just eat her up she is so cute!!!

How excited was I when Melanie e-mailed me back after I mentioned I was coming into town and was opening the books for shoots. I had kept tabs on Melanie through the years because of a mutual friend – but we had lost contact – outside of Facebook.  Since I last saw her – She has married an irish man and gave birth to a little irish boy – with BIG blue eyes that can melt a heart. Thanks Melanie for allowing me to take your family photos and for believing in L.L.P! What a complete pleasure it was meeting your precious boy and seeing you again. The years have been good to you as you are glowing with happiness.

So last night  officially begins the Holiday Season… and this family did not disappoint. You know what makes a shoot?? It isn’t  me knowing the camera, photoshopping an image, or understanding lighting. It is when the family comes to the shoot ready to just love their life and love their kids…. and that is what this family did. They “brought it”.   Thank you Fantel family for showing up on time, in good spirits and full of life,love and happiness. While I don’t ever post sneak peeks / full sessions like this – (heck – I am the worst at just blogging in general) –  your images just took my breath away, so I knew it would take yours away too!

Well another milestone reached this morning as my boy learned to ride his bike without training wheels.

Learning to ride his bike is a pretty big milestone for all of us.  I have to admit this has been one of our fears, teaching our boy to ride a two -wheeler. You will notice that he is only padded down with a helmet  (not that we didn’t try to bring knee pads). As life would have it,  we ended up bringing with us 1 elbow pad and 1 knee pad. .. so they were quickly  tossed in the grass and we crossed our fingers.  While we haven’t instilled a sense of fear in Hayden – I think that he was born with an innate sense that he couldn’t live a life on the edge.This is our second attempt as we nervously tried this last year and Hayden just didn’t have the courage to ride without his Dad’s grip or was it that we didn’t have the courage to let go –  Today was the day that we chose to let go of our fear and then  convince Hayden that it was time to let go of his fear. Bright and early we headed to the greenbelt – and as Emerson cried ” My Daddy”… “My Daddy”  my sweet 6 year old little man – the one who said only 7 year olds ride 2 -wheelers – screamed “Let go Daddy” and soared.  For those of you who are wondering -no,  I didn’t cry… I BEAMED! I was so proud of all of us  - we have come a long way !!

As I relish this time in our lives,  it is not lost on me that the next set of wheels he will learn to steer will be one that will go much faster , a set of wheels that will keep me up too late and turn the rest of my hair gray as I patiently wait from him to come home from being out with his friends….now that choked me up a little bit.

apparently sharing her daddy with her Bo-Bo isn’t on her list of favorite things to do.