Something a little different today.  We have a spider living basically right outside of our front door.  It has spun it’s scary beautiful web between the end of our mailbox and our brick.  It’s a popular spot – we had one there last year as well.  I have been looking at it for a few days now and rather than kill it like I really REALLY want to do (I am not a spider fan in the slightest), I decided to attempt to conquer my fears and get some cool photos of it instead.  I have this macro lens that I use for my newborns, so why not on something different?  I had used it to capture a baby bee a few days prior and got a really nice shot…so I set off to get the spider.  This involved me getting about six inches away from the spider.  Looking back, I must have been really focused on “getting the shot.”  Because I don’t know that I would get that close again.  And thank goodness the thing didn’t move because you would have heard me shriek wherever you are living.

Let me tell you, macro shots are a lot more difficult than I thought they would be.  (I am going to drift into photographer speak here for a minute so bear with me)  The depth of field is just SO so shallow shooting that close that to get the entire spider in focus I found was almost impossible.  Especially when the wind would blow the web.  Even the slightest little breeze would throw everything off.  I finally ended up shooting at f/16 for the last shot and even then I still didn’t get the entire thing perfectly focused.  Ah well.   I am still pretty pleased.  And I could have gotten closer and gotten even more detail but yeahhhhh.  Wasn’t happening.  So enjoy something different for a minute…starting with the baby bee to not freak people out right away.

I saw a friend post hers today and realized I should really do the same!  Due to travel sessions and weddings, between now and September 1 my only remaining availability is:

July 10 and 11

July 17 and 18

July 31

August 28

Please note that as of August 1 I will no longer be accepting sessions on Sundays in order to have more time with my family.  I might open a few Sundays when we get into holiday season but that will be decided later.  I will be accepting a limited number of weekday sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.  And because I’m a photographer so I should include some kind of photo – some newborn sweetness from earlier this week!

The winner of the $25 gift certificate to Cucakerie (and a whole lot of delicious cupcake!!) is Alicia!!  Congratulations Alicia!  Email me at amy@amyrophotography.com with your address and I will send out the gift certificate to you!

Oh and to both Alicia and Elizabeth, I think I need recipes for those delicious sounding cupcakes!!  🙂

This past Saturday I did a few hours of shooting for the Education Department of Roger Williams Park Zoo.  I had four hours to shoot a few of the various program offerings but before we started in with the kids (who you won’t see here for release reasons) I got to photograph just the animals.  LOVED it.  Sadly, they wouldn’t stay still and look at me when I quacked like a duck or sang my Elmo song (okay, okay I didn’t *really* do that but thought about it)… But I did get to photograph about a dozen different animals.  Some were beautiful, others, okay, not so beautiful – but all were amazing.  Every time I got to get close to them and take their pictures, I could just hear the voice in the back of my head going “this is SO COOL!!!  It’s like Jack Hanna but without the training and mucking out of animal cages!!”   I will admit, I get a teensy bit jealous when the kids get to touch the animals and I can’t because I am documenting it.  It is the inner kid in me.   BUT I did get a very special treat – the kinkajou, which is the brown cute animal with the little ears and big eyes, climbed all over my head and neck and gave me kisses.  How many people can say that they’ve been kissed by a kinkajou?  🙂

So enjoy something a bit different.  And when you get to the animals that aren’t so cute and cuddly, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Well, we are back from vacation.  Not without adventure, however!  We were supposed to fly home Saturday from Raleigh and get in around 9:15.  Our first flight out of Raleigh was so delayed that we were going to miss our connection in Baltimore.  Our airline told us that they would be glad to put us up in a hotel, but only if we traveled to Baltimore on the 8:20 flight out, not in Raleigh overnight.  So we took our two kids, our three carryons, our stroller our two car seats our (Matt’s) golf clubs and our two suitcases and checked in for the 8:20 flight.  Keep in mind, our children go to bed at 7 or 7:30.  We get to the gate and the restaurants that are open are only serving appetizers.  So we had takeout premade sandwiches from a stand.  On the floor in the airport.  We flew to Baltimore and got in around 9:30.  Had to claim all of our things – the suitcases, car seats, etc. By the time we got the shuttle to the hotel and checked in (to our one room for all four of us AWESOME but the Westin so it was at least nice) it was 11:00.  Yup.  11:00 at night was when my kids went to sleep.

We woke up at 6 in the morning for our 9:25 flight out.   Hauled on and off of the shuttle (again) and checked (again)  the suitcases, car seats, etc etc etc.  We finally got home at 11.  We had missed mass.  We had no milk.  We had no Easter dinner and we were all tired and grumpy.  I convinced the kids (Nolan) to take a nap by saying that the Easter Bunny was leaving town soon and would only come to houses where the kids were sleeping.  Then once they got up, I insisted on dressing them in their Easter outfits (which at least, thank goodness I bought last year for Layne on super post-season sale) and dragged them outside for a hastily thrown together easter egg hunt. And then we had pasta and meatballs for dinner.  What an Easter….  But at least the pictures still turned out cute even though they are the only snapshots I could get of my overtired, half-asleep, underfed children.  Ignore if you can the messy backyard, rolled up kicked out of the way all-weather porch rug, clutter on the floor glory.  🙂