Photography.... The Gift That Never Stops Giving

It was a few days before Valentine's Day when I got a call from Tom, who was wanting to give a photo shoot to his wife Laurel as a gift for the special day. I was glad to hear Tom was finally wanting to schedule a shoot with me as he'd been Asher's Little League coach when my business was first getting started and he and Laurel had mentioned several times that they needed an updated family portrait. Apparently Tom was sporting a mustache and a full head of hair last time the family gathered for a photo shoot- a clear sign it's high time to make an appointment with your photographer ; )

A couple weeks after Valentine's Day, I met Tom and Laurel and their sons Ben and Sam at Larrabee State Park on a lovely pre-spring morning. The light was wonderful and the colors Laurel chose for the family to wear were perfect for this quintessential Northwest setting. Here are some of my favorite photos we created for Laurel's gift...

Such a happy, handsome couple!

This was actually the very first picture I took as we were just getting started. Tom reached out to help Laurel navigate the rocks and I got off one shot. I think it makes a very sweet picture : )

I love that even the sea worm Sam found on the beach matches the family's color scheme!

There was still a bit of snow on the ground on this February morning and, as little brothers often do, Sam went about taunting his big brother into a snow ball fight. With strict instructions that they avoid my camera, I took a chance at capturing the scene and am so glad I did... I love this action sequence- especially the way a very amused Sam runs right out of the frame just as Ben fires the retaliatory shot : )

I am always very excited when a client wants to give the gift of photography to a loved one. I personally believe a photo shoot is the best gift to give just about anyone as great photographs have a way of bringing unending joy that many gifts lack, and not only to the recipient of the gift! I also believe all gifts should be pretty, even if they are just a piece of paper representing a gift to be received in the future. With this in mind, I commissioned my graphic designer Lindsey Kiniry of Queen Bee Ink. to help me create a gift certificate that is a gift in itself. I must say, I love the final result and was so pleased to provide Tom with something so lovely to give his Valentine : )

Please contact me if you'd like to give the gift that never stops giving to someone you know!

Catching Up With Sophia aka The Great Giggle Fest of '08

I've had a few families move out of the area since I started my business and it always bums me out so much to see my clients go! Thankfully most of them return to the area now & then and they usually get in touch with me to schedule a shoot during their visit, which is the case with Sophia and her parents, Stephanie and Chris. I first met Sophia when she was just two weeks old and we have now done a total of five shoots together, our last being last September for her first birthday. Needless to say I was pretty excited to see my little friend again!

We met at Larrabee State Park and spent some time hanging out and exploring at the beach, where I learned Sophia has become *quite* the trooper since I saw her last. At first she was not too sure about the water but it didn't take her long to venture close enough to make splashes with rocks, and she was amazingly steady covering the rough terrain. Here are a few of my favorite photos of our time together...
What an adorable family... I was so excited to learn Stephanie is expecting again in September (although you can barely tell by her tiny baby bump!)
Sophia saw her first star fish on the beach that morning... which she simply referred to as "purple!"
Sophia also learned a new word during our shoot... BUG! She wasn't too sure of the creepy crawly caterpillar when Dad showed her, so she satisfied her curiosity from a distance : )At one point Sophia and I found ourselves engaged in an all out giggle fest... it was one of my favorite moments during a shoot ever- this little girl can LAUGH! Over and over, she'd throw out her hands and busted into an infectious giggle that left me with tears in my eyes and sore abs, and I found myself giggling out loud even while processing the photos. Sophia completely won my heart in those three minutes of laughter!

(Be sure to click on this image to see it in full size!)

You can see Sophia featured in my promo postcard shown at the top of my blog... that's her sucking her toes at age nine months : ) Since we've done so many shoots together, I thought it would be fun to dig out a few photos so you can see Sophia as I've seen her... from a peaceful newborn to a rambunctious, determined toddler. Aaahhh... I love my job : )

Two weeksThree months
Nine Months
One Year!

Stephanie & Chris... it means so much to me that you've kept in touch even after leaving Bellingham, thank you so much for thinking so highly of my work that you keep coming back : ) I'm so happy to have documented the emergence of Sophia's personality for you... she's quite the fun little girl!