Little princess

I continue my quest to learn how to backlight & get the ethereal look to photos that professionals do.  Why am I doing this??  Well, I guess you could say I like to compete with myself.  Also, what I've noticed is that the more expensive the photography, the better the photographer knows how to manipulate their subjects in the light to make them "pretty".  You could say this mama wants to make her babies look as pretty as possible ;)  Here are a few of my little princess wearing a tutu as a dress.  Tutu made by my mom for Jessie for her 2nd birthday, but since Jessie still would rather be naked than wear clothing of any type, Ella got to wear it during my 10 minute photo session with her.  Enjoy & have a great day!

50mm ISO 200 f 2.8-3.2 1/125-1/250 ss--pretty good results for a $100 lens ;)

Pretty good backlighting, wish her skin was a little brighter

For comparison purposes, increased brightness a little more & changed white balance

She's getting her 1st molars right now, so she's kind of a teething mess, but that light....that looks ethereal to me!

Good thing she's so cute...b/c she's a stinkweed

The beautiful Simons sisters

Recently, I got to play photog with some of our friends' beautiful daughters.  These girls are just precious & as you will see in the pics, also very gorgeous.  Kevin & Julie are some of the nicest people you will meet & their girls are adorable.  Kevin & Michael actually know each other from high school. His lovely wife Julie & I hit it off and we try to get together as often as we can when they are in the Pittsburgh area.  What can I say about photographing Kevin & Julie's girls, well, it's a lot easier than toddlers!  They were wonderful little models & wanted to actually look at me & smile...gasp, I hardly knew what to do.  Julie said she didn't mind if I posted some of their pics on my blog for everyone to enjoy.  Sweet little girls inside & out...is how I would decide these beauties.  It was a joy to help create these memories for their mommy & daddy.  I truly could put up so many of these pics, but the ones I have on here are some of my favs.   Of course my disclaimer is--I'm not a pro & will never be, so these aren't perfect, but pretty good for a mom with a camera--it helps that the girls in them are so beautiful ;) Have a wonderful day!

85mm ISO 100/200 f 2.2-4.5 1/80-1/250ss

Picked up these little pinwheels at the dollar tree...3 for a dollar

I just love this one...sweet sisters!

Childhood at it's best...just a beautiful girl & her pinwheel

I like these shots where you see the profile...just in case you're wondering I made the satin flowers the girls are wearing, this was their gift for being such good models

Gorgeous, right??  She's a doll!

I liked the profile shot for little sis so much I had to do one for her also

Total model, right??

Used the 3:1 ratio of lighting in this one....there is 3 Xs more light on her left side than her right

Sharing secrets

Giving little sis a lift--see the yellow flowers in the background, we totally lucked out with that I didn't know they were there b4 we got to the park

The reason I liked this one so much is that the girls were talking with each other & just being natural...I didn't ask them to hold hands, that's just their interaction--I think they look like a Macy's ad for Easter dresses ;)

Just loved the light in this one & the kiss--should have moved big sister's hair out of the way, but still  very beautiful moment between these gorgeous girls

Me & Jess

Here are a few pics of me & Jessie together.  I'm going to try to get some updated pics of me with each of the girls & together.  It's hard with a camera, timer, & wild toddlers, but I'm going to try so that in years to come I have pics to look back on of us together.  They certainly are not perfect or close to it, but not too shabby for timer pics.  Enjoy & have a wonderful day!

All the time I have a baby or 2 on my hip & only a few pics of that phenomenon...really wanted to get this one

B/c why not b & w??

Sweet baby Jacob

My friend Allison just had a baby and I couldn't resist visiting to meet this new little one.  Allison & I met when Jessie & her son Luke were in a music class at our church.  She really is the best mom!  So patient & it all seems to come so natural to her (unlike my OCD self ;)  Luke, her older son, is Jessie's first friend and he also likes to play with Ella.  Jacob Robert (or Baby Jake as Jessie calls him) arrived July 15th at 3:37 am.  Although Allison is a tiny girl, she has these strapping baby boys & Jacob's stats were impressive: 9lbs 3 oz and 21 3/4 inches...wow, you go girl!!  Here are a few snapshots of the newest addition, the girls & I can't wait to cuddle & play with you as you grow ;)  A big congrats to Nate, Allison, & big brother Luke!

So tiny, yet so perfect, if you can't see the hand of God in a newborn, then you may have a problem

Isn't this sweet??  A little smile or gas...I like to think it is the real thing!

Summer Sisters

Hopefully, we are through the worst of our summer weather here.  It has been a hot one!  We had several weeks of weather near 100 degrees.  Now I grant you I should be ok with this as I am from Alabama, but truly I am not.  A few days ago right before bedtime I took the girls out to play in our driveway b/c it was a little cooler & just took a few snapshots.  I tried for an elusive sister shot with both of them, but it just didn't work out.  Here are a few of the little sisters playing in our driveway enjoying a lovely summer evening.

Curly Sue

Well, I thought that Ella had some curl in back a while ago & it turns out I was correct.  Here are some pics documenting the curl in baby girl's hair! Enjoy & have a great day :)

50mm ISO 100 f 2.2-3.2 1/150-1/250 ss

Also pretty in color so I had to include it--look at those catchlights

This one was pretty in color also, so had to have it