New Growth

I got to spend this afternoon with my beautiful (and very expectant) sister, and my nephew. We decided her incredibly lush garden was the perfect place for some maternity shots. This is my favorite from the day:

In the Garden

The Dragon's Egg

I've spent much of my week so far in Connecticut - and thus a lot of time driving. Not that I mind, but I am glad to be staying home today! Yesterday, I had an appointment with one of my beautiful bellydancer friends to take some promo shots for her. We were able to use a gorgeous space - the Dragon's Egg studio near Mystic, Ct. It was actually a bit challenging to shoot with so many mirrors, but the space itself is lovely. A huge, open, nearly round room forms the central studio space. It's walls are covered in either mirrors or windows. This central space is surrounded by nooks for tea or snacks, changing rooms, balconies, and even a loft chock full of mattresses and oriental rugs, for weekend workshop overnighters. The Egg is also stuffed full of odd little items, artwork, fabric, etc. I found this quirky, somewhat bedraggled dragon kite while my dancer friend was getting into costume, and had to take his portrait.

Dragon Kite


I also had a lot of fun during the shoot. It's been a long time since I've been active in bellydance, and I do miss it. It was fun to reconnect with Katie, and play with costuming! Katie teaches classes and holds workshops galore - if you're even a little interested in bellydance I recommend checking her website out. Bellydance is so much fun, and I've made some great friends through it.

Trash the Dress

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be involved with a "Trash the Dress" photo session in Narragansett, RI. I was the unofficial organizer, and everyone who participated helped out so much. It was a great experience and well worth waking up at 5am to get to the location on time! Here are just a few of my favorite shots:

More Trash the Costume

Another favorite from my recent bellydancer photoshoot.

Trash the Costume?

Taking a cue from the "Trash the Dress" style, a few bellydancer friends and I ventured out into the swamps and streams of Connecticut to capture some unique photos. This is, hands down, my favorite thus far:

Maternity Portraits

I was honored to have another maternity portrait session recently. A mom-to-be had heard about my work via word of mouth and ended up scheduling the first official portrait session in the new house! Both mom and dad were a pleasure to work with, they had a great sense of humor and brought along some great props from home. Here are a few of my favorite portraits from our session:

Toddler Portraits

Well, we are finally moved into the new house and I have both internet and time to take some photos! This past week I did my first children's portrait session for a friend - her son is 3!

Here are some of my favorites so far (I haven't quite finished touching up all the images):







Posing is thirsty work!

1st Communion

The past month has brought an interesting mix of photography jobs, and I've learned something from all of them! Today I was brought in last-minute to take photos of 5 children at my church making their 1st Communion. This was the first time I've had such a "public" job, and boy was I nervous in front of all those people (not that any of them were paying attention to me). All went smoothly, however. The kids all looked great dressed in their suits and white dresses, and the light coming in from the church windows was bright and welcoming. Here's a glimpse, enjoy!

Maternity Photos

Today I was honored to do my first ever maternity photo portraits. Pregnant women really do glow, and the expectant mother I photographed today was no exception. It was a lot of fun to play around with different lighting, techniques, and outfits, and the couple could not have been easier to work with. They were great!

Here are two of my favorites from today:



Enjoy! Tomorrow I'll be hosting the opening for my One Yoga Center show. Feel free to stop by between 6 and 9pm, or check back next week for news on how it went!

Portraits

I've mentioned briefly in the past that I have a little home studio setup that I've been practicing with and tweaking, etc. Well, today my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew came over to help me practice! Here is my favorite shot from the day:



Aren't they a cute family? The lighting was good in that there weren't any harsh shadows and everyone's face is well-lit, but I think I need more of it. This one was pushing the limits of the camera as far as digital noise and shutter speed are concerned, and brighter lighting would help with that. It wouldn't be quite as crucial if there wasn't a wiggly little baby to capture! Overall I'm quite pleased with this portable little setup.

New Projects

I've been busy the past few weeks planning and plotting and prepping for some new projects. Today I upgraded my "portable" home studio - I now have better lighting and a longer backdrop, perfect for some portraits I'll be taking in the next few months! I've used my new flash to do some portrait work as well, including this one of my mom. She's an author and needed an upgraded photo for her "author blurb", so I surprised her at a family birthday party with an impromptu photo session.



I'm also eagerly anticipating the "mud season", as I've got an appointment to go to a local farm and photograph their operations and, of course, the mud! This will fulfill one of the last few assignments left on my list, and it should be a lot of fun. And of course, I'll also be continuing my mill project!

Aside from these photographic pursuits, my husband and I have embarked on another big project - we're preparing to buy our first house! Wish us luck, and keep your fingers crossed that we find one with a spare bedroom that can convert to a permanent home studio/office!