Neutral is Not Always Best

This photo cracks me up. I see future teenager mayhem when I look at this.

What images come into your head when you think family photos? Everyone dressed the same standing in a straight line? It doesn't have to be that way. Dressing in neutrals works well for some people, but it may not suit everyone. If your kids are colorful and energetic, perhaps they should be able to show that off to the camera.

I was a little obsessed with Natalie's shoes.

Corinne and Natalie came to me on Halloween weekend, in costumes, ready to laugh and smile. There is no way I could have rejected these outfit choices! They are, quite honestly, some of the best I have ever had the pleasure of photographing. They were both going as butterfly princesses, which is quite a difference from the standard toned-down neutrals intended to blend in to whatever landscape is nearby. Blend in, or perhaps just not stick out too much. You walk down to the beach with 2 little girls wearing wings, tutus, striped socks and sparkly sneakers and there is no blending in. All eyes will be on you, and everyone will want to somehow be part of the fun, even if just for a moment.

Strangers' smiles followed us everywhere we went.

People wanted to talk to us.

Natalie wanted to pet every dog she saw.

Corrine wanted to play and run and jump and climb and and and...

The light was slipping away, the air was getting cooler. I knew I had a limited window of opportunity before the fun drained, the light faded, and the cold air started wearing everyone down. But the other side of family photos is kind of letting things happen and seeing where the pieces come together. Capture them where they play, encourage them to show mom some love, try to get all eyes in the same place, all faces happy. But when girls are wearing butterfly wings and tutus, smiles and laughter come easily.

2 years ago, almost to the day, I photographed this family only Natalie was still a few weeks away from arriving. When I look back at those photos I see the same sparkle and sass in Corinne's eyes and smile. I love how her spirit unfolds in front of the camera. How she is often so aware of the camera, while her sister could care less if it's there.

Corinne ready to pose at every chance, Natalie waving to strangers as they walk by with their dogs.

I loved watching the two different personalities come through.

This photo makes me think we should all wear wings every once in awhile.

Telling Mom a secret.

Always ready to pose with mom.

Getting Natalie into the shot took a little more work. She has a pretty strong independent streak, which I love.

These photos would have been totally different had everyone been dressed the same, had the colors been more muted. And the bright color palette suits them and their personality. People always ask me what they should wear for family photo shoots. They see their friends' photos hanging on living room walls and think they should do the same thing, that if they dress like their friends did their family photos will come out as good, or the same. But that is not necessarily the best approach.

I continually laughed at her tutu being in her armpits, and how much she didn't care. :)

First, each photographer has their own style (hopefully) so if you want photos that look like your friends' you could hire who they hired, but realize different personalities mean different images. Whoever you are is going to come through, and you should celebrate it.

But more importantly, hire the photographer whose work speaks to you and who you want to tell your family's story. The story of YOU is important, not to be trusted to the inexperienced, and will come together easier if the person photographing you GETS you, gets your kids. I always tell parents that the photos are for them now, for their kids 20 years from now. Natalie and Corinne will not remember what they were like at this age, but the photos will tell the story.

Best. Shoes. Ever.

....

Single Photo Friday:: Family Fun

I recently hung out at the beach with Mike, Maria, Ryan and Nick. Family photos are one of those things I love doing, especially when I get to see the same family members through the years. Last time we did this Nick was a lot smaller and perhaps not quite as active!

I love seeing what will happen when I tell the kids it's ok for us to do a goofy photo. The above photo is a classic example of how that can unfold.

This time of year is perfect for family photos. So if you are thinking you need them done I encourage you to act sooner rather than later to take advantage of the long summer days, great weather, and amazing light. And to give you plenty of time to use your images as holiday gifts ;-)

 Enjoy the weekend!


...

Single Photo Friday:: Sparkle

Hello Friday of Memorial Day Weekend! Today's image is one I took recently of a friend for my ongoing 'photos of real women' project. This image captures a piece of Tricia that was amplified that day as she was newly self-employed and ready for whatever adventure was next.

I hope down the road when she looks at this photo she'll remember how she felt those first few weeks of embarking on this next chapter of her life. The sparkle of things to come in her eyes, perhaps.

If you are up for being part of my Real Women Photo Project, please let me know! I would love to hear from you.

Have a safe, fun, and happy Memorial Day weekend!


...

Fresh Eyes in a Familiar Place

I think this may be the same rowboat I photographed on this beach when I was in college.

Lately I've been thinking about familiar places, and how to see them with fresh eyes. Have you ever tried taking your camera for a walk around places that maybe you see everyday, or roads you have been on all your life? It's a great exercise in forcing yourself to see the familiar with a renewed freshness, and find something interesting. It's not always easy, but it's definitely fun.

This funny dog almost seemed to be posing for my camera.

The other side of that scenario is warning against always photographing the same things, the same places. Going to a place just because it is familiar can often prevent you from growing creatively.

I took several frames of this fence, adjusting my focus in different areas.

I have this beach I love, have loved all my life. I've been going there since I was in diapers, would long for it whenever I was spending time outside of Maine, and I return to it now with my camera looking for new things and wanting to feel the sand between my toes. You'd think 38 years of going to this beach and I would feel like I have photographed it all I can, but I know I will never feel that way. There are things that have been there all my life, but still each time I go the light is different, the tides shifting, the land even taking on a different shape. I find something to photograph EVERY time I go. I never go with any agenda or expectation other than to find what strikes me. Sure enough, I am drawn to something different on each visit.

I loved the color of the grass against that sky.

I have fixated on fence posts, dune grass, my freshly polished toes, lobster boats, wet rocks, and the most recent visit I spent a lot of time photographing on orange buoy in the water. I go there when I get a new piece of equipment, want to experiment with a lens, or just want to see where the light is at certain times of the day & year.

All of these images were taken at my favorite beach in the whole wide world - Ferry Beach - all under different conditions with varying equipment. I am always looking for things like light, texture, and how different colors look next to each other.

Not every shot at the beach has to include sand or water :)

On an overcast day I spent my visit photographing the textures of the wood.

I was surprised to see this assortment of colors together at the beach. That red is from trees on the golf course behind the beach.

The favored rusty and worn fence around the dunes that I love to capture.

It's best to leave the shoes behind whenever possible.

It's interesting how a beach can have really bright colors one day, and look really flat the next. When the sun isn't shining, it almost looks as if all the colors were chosen from the same palette. What kinds of things do you notice when you look at a familiar place with fresh eyes?

...

Single Photo Friday:: Favorite Place

Boat on Ferry Beach.

Today I took a walk on my favorite beach in the whole wide world. This is what I came home with. Oh, and I also came home with a feeling of calm and happiness that I rely on this beach to deliver.

What I really needed was a technology break, and I got that and more. This beach and are like best friends. A best friend I have to share with loads of other people. It was nice to catch up.

Do you have a favorite place that feels like an old friend?

...

The 5Year Mark

Showing love to Ferry Beach with my {Dreamy} Diana lens.

Yesterday marked 5 years since my father's passing. I realize that may be a bit personal to talk about on a blog that is linked to my business, but we all have our stories and that info is part of mine. I feel like this a place where I get to share my work along with my stories.

I try to honor him in some way every year on Feb. 2. One year I went to Busch Gardens and rode roller coasters all weekend with the Weekend Warrior, one year I cut off all my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, this year I took a day for myself to enjoy a few simple things.




I ordered myself a photo book by National Geographic and another on the American Family. NatGeo was a magazine my dad always loved (and kept stacks of them in our house growing up), filled with photos I aspired to take. I took my camera and my new {Dreamy} Diana lens to my favorite beach and walked and photographed. Later, my family and I had dinner at a local chain restaurant that has Gluten-free options and animals hanging on the walls that talk every so often. This was really more for my nephew than the rest of us, but the being together part was what mattered. I topped off the night with 3 hours of LOST because I'm a nut and dying to see how the final season wraps up.



That last piece was really just for me, and not so much about my dad.

The rest however, made me think of him in good ways all day. His support in my photography endeavors was unwavering. So, it helps me to spend time working on and loving my craft in his absence, because I think of him often. Every once in awhile I might snap a photo just for him.




So, yesterday my choice was to play with my new Diana Lens - a plastic lens with a price tag around $60 and a dreamy look that could go for miles. Crisp focus is not likely to happen, but I have to say it was a bundle of fun. And always nice to step away from your normal way of doing things and mix it up a bit. One of the things that blew me away was how incredibly blue my skies were. Amazing what a piece of plastic can capture! Seriously. Please try adding something plastic/toy/fun to your camera arsenal. You will be so glad you did.




....

Another Pretty Place

Pretty.

Maine is a pretty place to live. But I love finding new places with nice views, and luckily as a photographer I get chances to do that. I spent the past weekend in Pawley's Island, South Carolina. Unplugged from technology, my weekend consisted of my camera, a wedding, watching the shoreline, and talking for hours with good friends and strangers.


Not only was there no internet, but no keys for the doors. Many of the showers were outdoors. A hammock on one of the decks took turns calling out our names. The crazy rush I went through in the airports to make all my connections was erased by sitting in a rocking chair on the porch and listening to the surf with a cup of coffee in my hand. More than once I thought how similar this coast looked to Maine, and yet I felt like I was a world away. And with my camera I often feel like everywhere I photograph is just an extension of my own back yard. Another place to find pretty stuff.

Another gem to add to the 'Go Back There Someday' list.

South Carolina or Southern Maine?

..

The California I Saw

The blog has been sitting silent for a little while. This seems to be a common theme on many photo blogs, followed by apologies and often promises to do a better job updating. I'm not sure any apologies are needed. Sometimes life just happens and things get busy. I had hoped to update roughly once a week, but that doesn't always happen. And for the most part, that's ok.







What I have been doing is lots of photographing and some travel and general life busyness, all in the name of photo goodness. Not to mention it's FALL! The best time to be living in Northern New England. But I decided to leave my favorite place during my favorite time of year and spend a few days out west. Los Angeles, to be exact. While I was there I took a few photos...








I love that feeling of being in a new place. Seeing things for the first time makes my creative energies come alive and my photographic eye go into overdrive. I had been down some of these streets earlier this year, but still had that excitement of being in a new place. Several of these were taken on my morning walk to find coffee. Sitting and watching, while consuming the necessary caffeine doses, gave me a chance to take in what was going on around me and make some images of the California I saw.

I'm starting to believe that 4 days away is the answer to any lack of inspiration or motivation. We all hit those points, no matter what we do for work or with our lives. Disappearing for even a small amount of time is often just what we needed to get back on track /recharged / ready to start anew.

What happens to you when you go to new places?


...

Sick Day

Higgins Beach after the latest snow storm

Even photographers get sick. Today I sit in my pj's surrounded by tissues and battling up and down body temperatures and low energy. There's no one who needs calling with a report that I won't be heading in to work today. And there certainly isn't someone who will pay me to sit home sick. I had already forgotten that many people in our country have that option.

So, I sit surrounded by the many tissues and almost empty cups of liquids and just get to work. Build a new page on the website, contact a local magazine, spend time with the blog, work on some photos. The news shows slowly turn into soap operas (nice to learn Bo and Hope are still on TV...) and I wonder where the remote is and how much effort it will take me to get up and change the channel. Maybe I should make some tea, which will require more effort than finding the remote, but might be more rewarding. Sounds like a lot of things in life.

There is something funny about telling myself I need to take a sick day, and then still finding ways to get things done. Funny I guess, because I am still getting used to being my own boss. I like that I can stay home, feeling far below 100% and still accomplish something. Don't need to look nice to work on the computer. Plus, there are so few distractions for me right now.



Yesterday I left the office after only a few hours. I drove to Higgins Beach in Scarborough and took a little walk with my camera. I hoped the fresh air would make me feel better. I also thought if I wasn't feeling up to getting work done in the office, then at least I could put the camera to use. The air wasn't the right answer, it just made my nose run even more. But using the camera, as always, was a good recipe to make me feel better. Even if it was only temporary.

..