Love Thursday January 31, 2008

I’m all pumped up about this new site for women photographers called Shutter Sisters. They have great contests and awesome photo sharing on Flickr. I’m such a TOTAL photography blog stalker and this Flickr site feeds my addiction a bit.

Today is a contest called “Love Thursday.” Every week sisters can post a picture to Flickr or on their blog that relates to the “love” theme.

Below is my submission for “Love Thursday.” It’s my little guy and his recently adopted cousin from Liberia. Can’t you just see how much they adore each other already? AND…are you ready for this? Her name is Love! Truly it is…..says so on her birth certificate!!!  And you can see by her smile that she’s all about the love…..

In The Good Ol’ Summertime January 27, 2008

Well, I got nostalgic with my last post and dredged up these pictures of camping last summer. We went with our good friends and their kids. It was perfect, the kids ran around in swimsuits and sneakers all day, digging in the sand, catching frogs and polliwogs, and just doing those classic kid things that remind me of those summer in the 70’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS – Did you see Obama’s speech after his victory in SC? I was practically bawling…GO OBAMA!!! It’s Change You Can Believe In!!!

 

 

 

 

He Ain’t Heavy..He’s My Brother. January 26, 2008

I was going through some sessions from last summer and I couldn’t resist posting a few of these two cutie-pies. They were the sweetest little guys and they just ADORED each other. Can’t you see it in the pictures?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh…the days of summer…I can’t wait to get out there with my camera again.

Is It Really a Competition? January 24, 2008

WELL…..Steve started his blog 2 weeks after me, at MY suggestion and now he’s getting more hits than me….I hate him, I mean, I LOVE him…….Here’s our conversation.

Steve: WOW! I got 49 hits today…how many did you get?

Me: Ummmm…..only 24 I think,

Steve: Oh….well. (long pause) Do you want me to stop? I don’t want to steal your thunder, honey.

Me: Oh Whatever! Just get some serious advertising on your blog so we can start getting some cash!

I’m secretly glad he likes this because every guy needs an emotional outlet. It’s like he’s journaling, and expressing himself under the guise of a blog (teeheehee)

Here’s a shot of Steve and Gus, actually taken by my partner Diana. My stepmother was insisting on a posed family shot for her Xmas card, so we spent an hour trying to get one. Gus screamed the whole time (see tear on his cheek), Abe kept trying to lick everyone, and Isabel kept shrugging and giving this look like,”I don’t know what’s wrong with everyone!?” I just kept pinching my kids and muttering threats under my breath…. and THAT is the reason why we don’t take posed shots of our clients! It’s all candid, and it’s all relaxed, baby.

PS Isn’t my husband a FOX?????  And doesn’t Gus look just like him?

My Husband is a ROCK STAR! January 23, 2008

See my link on the right to Steve Dreher and Friends? It’s great kid’s music….and I have to confess..it’s my husband.

He’s a completely talented musician and when we had kids, he decided to form a band that plays kids’ music – isn’t that sweet and devoted? He has written a lullaby for everyone of our kids AND for ME!!! I think you can hear the lullabies on his blog, Rockin’ the Kids’ Music World. He has recently started his blog too, so now at night, after the kiddos are asleep, we do blog stuff…..well, I do editing and photography stuff too, and since he works all day, he’s entitled not to work at night. Every night he says, ” I don’t want to sit around every night bent over our computers and not talking to each other.” I’m like, “OK……” as I watch him disappear around the corner to his little desk, and minutes later hear him giggling because he just came up with a new kid’s tune for his blog, based on some 80’s AC DC song. Anyway, he does ROCK and he’s also a great writer so check out his blog!

PS – you might find a cute picture of my family on there too….except I have a double chin (very attractive).

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! January 23, 2008

It’s freezing in NH and the photo biz is slow..I don’t know why people don’t want their pics taken in this glorious weather. But we have lots of administrative stuff to do anyway, plus my kids are really happy to PECK me to death all day. I’m serious..they have tons of toys and they have each other,but they’d rather follow me around the house trying to wipe their boogy noses on me. Gus has taken to slamming his hands on the computer whenever he can. Think he;s trying to tell me something?

Anyway, I want to share another one of my favorite photo things of late. I recently got some actions from Nichole Van and I love them! Photoshop is like magic and Nichole really knows how to work it. Check out the below pictures of the before and after actions – don’t you LOVE it??

Cute curls…..but scroll down!

Wowza!!!!

Check out Nichole’s actions at her new site. She’s also offering a discount coupon right now to celebrate her new site! Go to her blog to get it!

PS I’m heartsick about Heath Ledger. Why are all the real, true talents bogged down by a tortured soul? Remember River Phoenix?????? I loved him……..I truly did…

My Life Without Me January 22, 2008

Last night I saw my new favorite film. I haven’t watched an entire movie in one sitting for…….5 years? We get Netflix, which you probably know ROCKS! But we’re so busy and tired all the time, that it takes me and Steve at least a week to get through one movie. AND we don’t watch TV…ever….so that’s how crazy life is right now.

Anyway, we got My Life Without Me and Steve went to bed after 20 minutes. He seriously hates watching anything depressing, violent or sad – something I actually love about him. He had nightmares for WEEKS after Shindler’s List. Anyway, I was literally riveted for the whole 90 minutes – I don’t think I moved a muscle. I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s about a young mother who learns that she is going to die in a few months. She makes a list of the things she wants to do before she dies and then sets about doing them, without telling anyone that she’s sick. The thing that killed me was that her list was pretty simple – nothing like “Go to Paris” or “Write a book.”

The whole film was haunting, beautiful, simple, and gut-wrenching. I dreamt about it all night….please rent it and see it…..PLEASE!!! Oh..and Mark Ruffalo stars in it..(YES!)

In PHOTOGRAPHY news….check out these little snow bunnies that I recently took pictures of!

Check out those lashes……..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My parents are English teachers! January 21, 2008

Do you think Gus is trying to suck up to Steve and I here?!! All cozied up in his jammies with a good book…..look below, where he has his finger poised on his cheek…thinking very deep thoughts.

Steve actually took these pictures while I was holed up in the bedroom finishing a HEINOUS editing project. Don’t get me started…(how stupid can one person be????? )

My fun photo session with 5 kids was canceled this weekend because all the kids had the flu…….I am SO sorry Mrs. L, that you had to deal with 5 puking kids while your husband was out of town…..hell on earth, I’m sure.

Anyway, it’s very rare for Gus to hang out on his own like this. He usually follows me around with a blanket in one hand and a book in the other, saying, “Wanna snuggle?” Seriously. It’s cute, but it does get old. I mean, he’s been attached to me since the day they released him from the ICU at 3 weeks – which is probably why. He had a very rough start and just wanted to be on top of me ALL THE TIME. I finally weaned him at 2 years, but it didn’t matter. Oh well, one day he won’t want me within 50 feet of him, so I take all the snuggles I can get.

PS OK, for those of you who are wondering…..so we cut the feet off of his jammies because he’s getting too big and we’re too cheap to buy new ones. SORRY!

Photography Exhibition January 19, 2008

 

Here is the picture that I submitted to the Sharon Art Gallery Exhibition in Peterborough, NH. This little angel is SO photogenic…she has these perfect little heart-shaped lips and expressive eyes. Steve and I went to the exhibition opening tonight. It was fun..interesting – there were only about 8 photos among the 75 or so paintings, and mine was the ONLY portrait. I called it “Eva’s Eyes.”

Gorgeous kids! January 17, 2008

Check out this adorable brother-sister team. They were so natural in front of the camera – and who needs props when you’ve got a field of milkweed pods??!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check back for more photos this weekend. We’re shooting a family with 5 kids under the age of seven……keep your fingers crossed for us!!