friend-ly faces

oh man, my skills in procrastination have never been so evident to me until the past several years when my personal life jumped up a few notches. (dating, being engaged to, marrying my husband- then major life transitions which included an unexpected home sale, first pregnancy, cross-country move, and all that jazz. nbd.) i'm just truly not willing or able to sacrifice living my own life in order to promote my business properly, and SHOOT that's a major bummer in one sense but on the other hand, this is all a new normal to me. so maybe i should just cut myself some slack? post when i can. and stop feeling the guilt of how much i just haven't shared with you all in the photos i've taken this past year. one small step at a time. 

i had fully intended to write separate blogs for all three of these shoots, they were just that good. and do you know why i think these people are so stinking awesome? because they are my friends. from time to time, i am lucky enough to shoot photos of people i care about and wow, nothing makes me happier. before my maternity leave officially starts and then oh how quickly we'll move into the prime season for new clients in 2013, here are a small sampling of shoots from three fantastic families. these people make my heart happy. have a good weekend- maybe the next time we "chat" i'll be showing off my own little love? trying my best to be patient because one never knows... :)

posting from a winter wonderland

hi there! 

merry christmas, happy new year, and yes i'm still here and still pregnant. :) didn't really expect anything different at 38 weeks, and i'm perfectly content to stay large as i am as long as the baby needs to be in rather than out. my maternity leave will start soon enough and in the meantime, i've got plenty to blog about! i'm also gearing up for the 2013 photo season for weddings and families and getting ready to (in the next 3-4 months) launch a brand new venture for my business... all very exciting stuff!

these past few weeks have been jam-packed with holidays and family celebrations. lovely, amazing times but it's a bit of a relief to have a more normal-paced life right now as we wait for baby. it's also provided us with our official introduction into new york winters and the hubs is now very good at shoveling snow. :):) i couldn't help but laugh today as we were walking outside and 35 degrees felt balmy compared the harsh ZERO of just a few days back. woooo-eee! we are not cold weather people but we're layering up and growing thicker skin. hardcore. that is what we will become. :)

switching gear from holidays and snow, i'd like to focus on some awesome sessions i had the privilege of shooting before all the green and the leaves went away this year. first, a fabulous family that i've gotten to watch grow and change over time and this year's shoot has to be my favorite one with them yet. take a peek at this foursome:

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before i sign off for now, i wanted to use these guys as an awesome example for ways to SUCCEED in having a fantastic family shoot. there were seriously so many images from this family that were knockouts- i had a really challenging time picking which ones to post! so read below and when you think about booking your shoot for this spring, summer, or fall remember these great tips:

1) coordinate (don't clash) instead of matching your outfits
check out how all four of these folks are wearing different colors! and it's OKAY. also, there are a few fun patterns thrown in there to mix it up and they all look like they're comfortable and relaxed in what they're wearing. critical! if you don't feel confident or comfortable in what you put on (or if it doesn't fit!) it's going to be the biggest thing shining through in your photos. don't stress about matching, just don't clash. matching was good... in 1994. :) not now.

2) HAVE FUN.
relax! enjoy each other! enjoy your kids! try to forget i'm there, and even when it might feel awkward to have a camera around you, just laugh it off. let's have fun together.

3) listen to what i might have to share about time of day
lighting is everything, folks! i will shoot straight with you about the best time of day to have your shoot. let's work together to get the best results- i can give your family a shoot that comes out like this, too. you just have to work with me.

4) let's work together on location
some locations have been done and overdone and done again. this just isn't super interesting! again, let's work together to figure out someplace great. even if it's at and around your home- trust me- it can be wonderful.

have a good start to your week, all! i'll post again soon.