Attention Chattertons and Marshall's!!

I am uploading some of the pics to my site now...I still have some from the end of the evening that I need to put up, but you can check out most of them now!!! www.heartandsoulphotos.net

I'll have the rest up tonight...Thanksgiving kind of snuck up on me...how did that happen????

Because I know you can't wait....Chatterton's and Marshall's Christmas Pics!

Here is a random sneek peak......the rest should be up on my site later on tonight.

Dexter

Well...I finally had a chance to pull out the studio lights and do a studio session. I am enjoying finding new ways to manipulate light and create different lighting effects.

So...without further ado....here is Dexter....

Workshops Coming!

I will be teaching a workshop at Beans in the Belfry in Brunswick, MD titled "Taking Better Photographs of Your Kids".

This is a great opportunity for me and for you!! A 5.00 donation is requested and you get to hang out at a VERY cool coffee shop!!

Topics include:

• Angles that are most flattering for children
• To flash or not to flash
• Say Cheese! To pose or not to pose
• Basic camera settings

You do not need to have a fancy camera...just come with what you have and get some great pointers!

We are waiting to hear back to confirm the dates and times, but it will be a Saturday in January and February!

The Most Beautiful Family, EVER!

I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph a family that I met at The Good Shepherd Ministries. We met at 10am on a very chilly Saturday morning...the coldest morning it has been so far, I believe. I could go on and on about this family and how wonderful and beautiful they are, both inside and out. I just hope that I captured that on "film". That is my goal and purpose...I walked away from this session feeling great and very accomplished.

This picture shows the true essence of their family. I had just finished up taking some shots of the mom and we turned around to see this...all the kids playing and horsing around....with the younger two ganging up on their big brother and he was just loving it. I told the mom that I wanted to come and hang out at their house as it seemed as though they have a lot of fun together. And her response was, yes, we do laugh a lot....there is a lot of laughter in our home. This may not be the most perfect portrait, technically speaking, but to me...this photograph is priceless! This is WHY I do what I do. I can not express in words at the moment what this family did for ME! I came home with a renewed sense of hope and peace.

REACH Caregivers- Taste of the Town

Last Sunday, October 5th, I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph Taste of the Town, a fundraiser for REACH Caregivers. Check them out Here.

I had a print in the silent auction that was sold for 70.00 (it's the flag with the cannon one) and 2 of my luminary prints sold as a set in the live auction for 150.00. It was neat to see the SMALL bidding war going on for my prints.

I am just grateful that I was able to use my talent to give back to the community.

Not the Bride of Frankenstein

I had an awesome opportunity to do an E-Session (engagement session) for a super young (compared to me) couple!! They were so much fun and were willing to appease me and some of my quirkiness.

We lucked out before we left Renfrew and got to use a bus. To you and me, it's just a school bus, but to them...it's where it all began.

Here is an out take from the session...and it will explain the title of the post. I literally laughed out loud when I saw this pic!

And a few more serious ones....

Portrait Parties

I have been toying with idea of doing portrait parties. What is a portrait party, you ask???

Well, you invite a few friends over, I come to you, set up a small portable studio in your home (or location that you choose) and every guest/family will get a 20 minute portrait session. As a host, you earn credit towards your own prints and for future bookings made by your guests.

It's a great way to combine a play date, Christmas party, or just a casual get together with your friends and get great portraits, too. AND...you don't have to fight the crowds or the rush, you get a photographer that is patient and knows what it is like to work with an active toddler/pre schooler, and you get to have fun!

I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on this...especially as busy moms!!!

New Toys!

I have upgraded cameras and some other equipment. I am super excited about this as I had "outgrew" my old camera. Don't get me wrong, it's a great camera, but with the work that I am doing now, I needed to upgrade.









Here's a snapshot of the new stuff....and it's really just a snapshot....














And, as you can see...I'm not the only one that is super excited!! LOL!!!

Jesson - Teets Wedding

I am so sad that it rained this past Saturday, as the church has some beautiful landscaping behind it. The bridesmaids had the most beautiful dresses!!! Here are just a few tidbits from Saturday.

Another Wedding

I am booking another wedding tomorrow for September and hopefully, I'll be getting another wedding booking for 2009.



I know with one of the couples, we will be doing some engagement photos...I can't wait, as it will truly tell their story!! Stay tuned!!



And I can't leave this post without a photo from the 4th of July. This was taken at Antietam during their fireworks celebration, before the rain!

More Wedding photos, just because

June Wedding

The Beautiful Bride

Her gorgeous bouquet

Two Thumbs Up!!! They did it!!

This couple is the most adorable couple I have ever met!! They were so much fun to work with! It was an absolutely perfect June Saturday.

Engagement Session

Here are a couple from today's engagement session. This couple was so fun to work with and they are just so in love!! I can't wait to do their wedding!!

Chocolate Extravaganza!

I just got a call tonight to photograph the Chocolate Extravaganza tomorrow night in Waynesboro! I'm very excited for this opportunity!! I can't wait to post pics!

A New Blog!

Well...I decided to do a blog for my photography. A little intro on why I do what I do. I believe that parents deserve to get great pics of their kids being the kids that they are and not what a photographer has posed them to be. I really don't like posing people (except for tiny little newborns) and most of the time, I won't. What good is a portrait when you can't say anything about it. I want to capture that special moment, that special look, that laugh, the true personality of my clients. I want people to look back through their pics and say, "I remember we were doing this when that pic was taken".

So, here is a shameless plug for my website.....

http://www.heartandsoulphotos.net/

Here are a couple pics from my recent shoot with 2 very special little ones....