Sometimes… | Rhode Island Photography
Sometimes…
I don’t think it’s possible to love him more.
And Belly Makes Perfect | Rhode Island Maternity Photography
I can honestly say that I don’t think I have looked forward to anyone being pregnant and having a baby more than our friends John and Rachel. (Well, obviously I was more excited about *our* pregnancies and babies.) But in terms of friends they are right up there at the top. You have these best friends in your life. Sometimes they are the people you grew up with (as my husband did with John and Rachel) and sometimes, like I have spoken about before, they are the people you inherit through marriage, like I did with them. And when these people start to go through huge things like engagement, marriage, pregnancy you cannot help but be absolutely thrilled for them!! John and Rachel got married three weeks after us. John was Matt’s best man and Matt was in John’s wedding. They have had a great six years of marriage, traveling, doing all sorts of things those of us that had kids quickly did not get to do. 😉 But now, they are ready to welcome their first child, who is going to be an absolutely beautiful little girl, into their lives. So last week when they came to visit us for the day, I took them out for some maternity pictures to document this amazing time in their lives. Rachel is absolutely stunning, as we knew she would be. And they are just as goofy as ever 🙂 And we are so, SO very excited for them and cannot wait to meet their little girl!
(John I know you hate this sweater but I actually really love this photo ;))
Mine on Monday | Rhode Island Child Photography
She is certainly getting more interesting as she gets older. She is expressing opinions. Strong, strong, bullheaded, strong opinions. No clue where she gets it from. She loves to jump off of anything and rarely lets me put her hair in ponytails, even though it will be in her face the entire day. She refuses to wear anything but leggings and and her sparkle sneakers. She loves her baby dolls and don’t dare get between her and her toys or you will hear it from her. Gone is the sweet, mellow baby girl and in her place a loud, opinionated, adorable little big girl. But sometimes when mommy comes home with something pretty like a flower headband she will go back to being my sweet compliant girl with pigtails. Even if it is just for a minute while I play with the camera.
Mine on Monday | Rhode Island Photography
I sit here in my nice warm SU snuggie because it is so freaking cold outside. But these pictures make me a lot warmer. 🙂 We (Matt and me only, no kids!) spent five glorious days in Key West, Florida for vacation last week. We stayed at the Southernmost on the Beach Resort, seen here, but we were the building on the other side of this one:
We had an oceanfront balcony room HEAVEN. It was just gorgeous and huge and peaceful and beautiful. Not to mention we had this view whenever we opened our doors, except obviously when it was night – then it was pitch black sky and tons of stars:
The hotel beach was a place we only spent one day at. Unfortunately, Key West was experiencing some cool weather when we were there. “Only” 65-70 degrees. So it wasn’t really laying out weather, even for this New England girl! But it sure was still beautiful 🙂
The only semi-frustrating thing about the trip (except for our flights down) was that every time we set foot on a boat for an event it would cloud over and rain. Even then, however, it was still gorgeous. Rain in 70 degree weather is a lot different than the freezing rain we’ve been getting here!!! And heck, it made for dramatic, pretty skies. And the water. Ahhhhh. The water. Under the cloudy skies, It was this unreal stunning blue-green aqua color. It actually matched my branding perfectly 😉 We did a wind and wine sail the first night – sunset, sailboat and 8 wines to try with appetizers. Yes, please. And then the third day we snorkeled. Well, I stayed on the boat. But Matt snorkeled. I tried really hard to pump myself up the entire way out there that I was GOING to get in the water and I was GOING to snorkel. My last attempt was on our honeymoon and I panicked because the breathing through a tube thing really freaked me out. I got the snorkel set and my fins. We got all the way out there. And I stayed right on the boat. It occurred to me that I was going to be in the middle of the ocean and I couldn’t see what was coming and the water was 35 feet deep and and and. Plus the whole tube breathing thing. GAH. But again, let’s concentrate on how pretty the water was. Even if it was rocking the boat a good part of the time…
These horrid things beauties were everywhere to be found. Meet a Portuguese Man O’War. Yup. Jellyfish. All over. In the ocean, on the beaches. Apparently along with the cooler wind, Key West was also experiencing strong winds from the South which were blowing the jellyfish up from the gulf sooner than normal. I took the first shot while we were out on the snorkel tour and the second on our hotel beach. Yeahhhh….I SO did not get into the ocean at all. These things terrified me even more than the prospect of breathing through a tube!
One thing we did get to see in some way, shape or form every day was a beautiful sunset. 🙂 The first shot was taken from the hotel hallway our first night and was definitely the most beautiful of all of the evenings we were there. The second shot is from our last night on the pier near the hotel and the last was taken at the famous Mallory Square where they have a sunset festival every evening. It was funny because when we went there
And finally, a shot of the happy, rested couple. And why yes, I may have perhaps, possibly, maybe liquified myself. Um I mean no, I TOTALLY look like that.
Now we are back to our three feet of snow and freezing temperatures, with more snow and ice expected the next two days. JOY. Let’s just say we are already planning our next vacation – but this time I think we’ll bring the kids along. 😀
Ten on Tuesday | Rhode Island Photography
1. Ahhhhhhh does it ever feel good to get back into the swing of things. This time last week I was writing about how I was still on vacation. Fast forward to today and I have done two newborn shoots and have another one this weekend. I love it. I missed it. A lot. Of course I didn’t miss the pressure (that, admittedly I totally put on myself) that comes with editing a session, getting sneak peeks up, etc. But oh did I ever miss shooting. And snuggling little tiny ones….sigh. They smell so good and they are just so squeezable and lovable. Even if they are pooping on my new white shirt which I just bought… But I digress. I am BACK, baby. Okay. Kind of. I go on vacation in two weeks and only have a few newborns on my schedule. But I am back. It’s a new year. And I am SO ready for it.
2. I want a new camera bag. And i know somewhere, if Matt is reading this (which he totally isn’t) he is rolling his eyes. I just got my gorgeous Jo Totes bag which I love love love love love. But that is my pretty bag. My take-it-to-my-clients-house bag. And it’s occurring to me that we are moving out of the phase slowly (very slowly judging by the 12-16 inches of snow we are getting tonight/tomorrow) and I will need a bag for running around the park. And my equipment has now outgrown my beloved Lowepro Slingshot 200. The mindless easy way would be to go to the 300. And I’ll probably do that. But I’m only 5’4″ and that bag might be half as tall as I am…perhaps I should look around some more. Any thoughts?
3. I love love love this shot from last week. Yes, that is a soothie in her mouth. She wouldn’t give it up. But I love the little curl of eyelash. She had the most gorgeous curling lashes. And I just love capturing that little teeeeeeeny tiny detail.
4. My favorite time of the year has started. Big East basketball season. If you know me, you know I love sports. Especially college basketball. LOVE it. And I am a Big East girl so it is very close to my heart. We may suck in football but 7 teams in the top 25 consistently in basketball, we will take your conference on any time. 😉 But every night, I sit on the couch with my laptop working and I have a game on in the background. So exciting!!!!
5. I have a new website that I have a feeling I will be addicted to shortly. Pinterest.com. I started seeing it appear on my Facebook Feed and didn’t know what it is. But then other friends started talking about it so I joined. Oh My Gosh. A virtual pinboard of inspiration. Anything you see online you can “pin” it to your board. I have one for inspiring photography, one for food and recipes, one for house decorating ideas, one for clothing and another I am blanking on. But it’s a giant inspiration board and I love love love it. Right now I am just loving looking at all of the people I am following on there and their boards – some of my friends have AMAZING taste. But check it out. And then ask around for invitations from people. I guarantee you will be addicted, too. 😉
6. One extra. I have made it a personal goal to get to 2000 fans by June on my Facebook Business page (click HERE!!!!) That is roughly 420 more fans between now and then. It’s ambitious, but I hope think have no doubt I can do it. (I think I can, I think I can!!) So go fan me, tell you family and friends to fan me. I provide pretty pictures and funny commentary. Really, what better way to brighten up your Facebook feed?? 😉
And this week’s questions:
7. How did you get into photography and how long have you been doing it?
I started taking pictures when I was young – probably under ten? My dad had a film SLR that I thought was just amazing. And then of course my mom had the long skinny 35mm camera. The one that looks like a flat rectangle – I think we all had them in the 80s. I started then and just kind of kept taking photos! I have been in business for 3.5 years now. 🙂
8. How do you archive all of the photos you take – for clients and personal ones?
Everything goes onto two separate external hard drives as well as a DVD. Then I print as needed from there which, for my family photos, I admit is very rarely.
9. How did you meet your hubby?
When I was at Syracuse I was in the marching band in the colorguard (flag). Matt was also in the band at UConn (trumpet). I belonged to the sorority associated with the band, Tau Beta Sigma and Matt was in the fraternity at his school, Kappa Kappa Psi. The two had conferences together several times a year and we were in the middle of nowhere in Clarion, PA when I saw him across the room in his plaid flannel. (It was the 90’s, remember) I said to myself “I want to meet HIM.” So when he showed up at a party a few weeks later in Syracuse I made sure I did 😀
10. What’s your favorite day of the week, and why?
Thursday!!! I know for most people it’s Friday but Thursday is Matt’s day off of work so I get to spend the day with him at home and the kids are guaranteed time with him. We try to have breakfast together after the kids have been dropped off at school. Our original goal was to try a different diner each week since Nolan is egg allergic and we never ever get to go out to breakfast, but I keep scheduling sessions on Thursday that prevent us from going. Oops! Then when Nolan comes home in the afternoon I have extra work time because Matt is home!
11. Do you have an all-time favorite photo?
You know, I really don’t! I have a few that are special to me but nothing where I am like “wow, this is my favorite EVER.” I think I suffer from the same thing a lot of photographers do – I love my work when I shoot it. And then when I look back on it in two weeks or two months I hate it. Not hate. Hate is a strong word. But I don’t like it as much and I can only see what I did wrong. I guess for that reason if I had to pick a favorite it would probably be a landscape photo because I could find the fewest things wrong with it that bugged me 😉
