Shoulder Pads & Graffiti- Oak Hill High School Senior Photographer

Meet Ricky. He is a bright, friendly senior at Oak Hill High school. He may be quiet, but you can see a wicked sense of humor lurking just below the surface.  He is also a bit reserved when you stick a camera in his face at eight o'clock in the morning on a Sunday. I will be honest and say I wasn't sure what to expect as we set out to capture Ricky's senior photos, but when he said he was open to anything, he really meant it.

I have had my eye on the field next to Ricky's house for a long time so of course that was our first stop. Some of the most gorgeous morning light filtered through the trees as we shot.

I was fairly certain Ricky's mother was going to have a slight heart attack as he scaled around the bridge support to get out to this rock, but the trip was worth it! As I looked through my viewfinder, I was shocked to see so much color in the leaves of the hillside during the tail end of August.

Being a part of the Oak Hill High School football team has been a huge part of Ricky's time in high school so I was not surprised when his one and only request for his photos was to wear his jersey for some of them.

I love the shot above, but it is my second favorite of the day. I have a thing for graffiti. If you follow me on facebook, you know I do not have a love for editing graffiti to remove the swear words.

This is my favorite from this session. 

Ricky, I had a great time with you and your mom. I appreciate your trust in me and I hope you enjoy the peek. There are a ton more photos to come, your full gallery will be available soon!

On a side note, Matt was the winner of the Bits & Pieces contest from Monday. Matt, your $15 Dunks card is on the way! Thanks for humoring me!

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Bits & Pieces: Ricky Class of 2011-Oak Hill High School Senior Photographer

Bright and early Sunday morning I met up with Ricky and his mom to shoot his senior photos. We decided to apply the "wing it plan" for places to go and ended up finding what may very well be one of the coolest spots yet! Ricky was game for everything and anything I threw at him and we got a ton of great shots.

Usually Bits & Pieces post are where I share detail photos from the session. I got home, downloaded photos and realized I didn't have the little details because we had such a good time concentrating on the big stuff!

So this is good news for you! Rather than break my own rule, I am turning my goof into a contest!  Take a look at the photo above. The first person to leave me a comment identifying where we were shooting (Town and river name!) wins a $15 gift card to Starbucks, Tim Hortons or Dunkin Donuts (winners choice). Obviously Ricky and his immediate family aren't eligible to win (and no fair calling him!) but anyone else is!  Please make sure to use your name for your comment and an email to contact you if you win!!!

I will leave you with one of the local characters we came across in our travels as well:

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Goodbye to a Ghost

I recently realized after reading someone else's words that I don't share much of myself here on the blog often.  It is something I aim to change.  I am a talker, a smart alec. Someone who finds humor in unexpected places, often inappropriate. I sometimes have the mouth of a sailor but can clean it up at will.  I am a pessimistic optimist. I am passionate about many things including love, my family, and my friends. I am stubborn and goofy, and I am still learning who I am at 36 years old.  It is nerve wracking to put my thoughts and personality out there on the line, but I am all about capturing who we are and what makes us tick, so it is time to step out of my comfort zone.  Sometimes it just takes one event to set the wheels of change in motion.

I received some news yesterday. It left me numb. I am lost. I am drained. I am confused. I want to say I am indifferent but I can’t. I want to say I am sad, but it isn’t so much about losing him as it is about losing what I didn’t have. Then I feel horrible for being self-centered and selfish. It is a circle I have yet to find a way to break.

It wasn’t a surprise, the news that he was gone. He was just over two months shy of his 90th birthday. He had beat death in the bottom of the ninth not just once, but multiple times. He knew what he wanted and what he didn’t and had told those that needed to know. But in the back of my mind, he would be like the rest of that part of the family tree and out last us all, no matter what God threw at him.

It has been years since I have seen him. The last was a quick visit through Maine. I feel guilty that I cannot remember when that was. We spent a short evening together where he met his great grandchildren then returned to his world. I sent him photos of the children on occasion. I gave him the information for my blog in hopes he might be interested in seeing part of our lives. We crawled back to our separate worlds to be connected by occasional updates from family members.

So I am sitting alone in the silence trying to pick through the minefield of emotions coursing through my mind. The tears come and go, though I am not sure why. I am saddened at the passing of any life mostly because I feel for those left behind to fill in the void. Am I saddened by the passing of my grandfather, a virtual stranger in my life? Or am I saddened because the last chance of change is gone? There is no more hoping for the someday. It is a finality of a different sort.

So I will start to make my peace with my relationship with my grandfather. I will continue to pick apart these feelings, poke a stick into the dark places to see what is there. I will find a way to reconcile my feelings of loss mixed with a bit of bitterness. I will say my goodbyes to the daydream of what might have been and find some comfort in the what is. I will find the inspiration to give my children something different so they are not left to say goodbye to a ghost.

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Sand & Seagulls- Coastal Maine Family Photographer

I have seen the sticker on the back of Tracy’s car countless times in the past few years. I always wondered what it meant and if it had any significance. Last week, I noticed it again as I headed home at the end of the day. This time it made sense.

“Salt Life” It is about the sounds of the waves crashing onto the shore. It is the sticky feel the salt air leaves on skin. It is carried with the smells carried on the wind off of the water. It is the feel of the sand swirling between toes with each step. It all about is about the tranquility, beauty and mystery overtakes us when we answer the pull of the ocean. It is about the relaxed, the comfortable, and the beautiful. It is what the Givens family is all about.

Daily life with jobs, daycare, school, sports, karate all take a toll. I watched it all slide away when Tracy, Bill and their kids arrived at Reid State Park for our session. The ocean waters aren't a daily companion, but the salt water is still in thier blood. The sounds, tastes, smells and feelings of the ocean eased those stresses for a short time and it showed.

Someone was kind enough to build this gorgeous driftwood tee- pee on the beach so there was no way I could possibly pass it by. I cannot get over what a beautiful young woman Miss J has become since I photographed her last fall. 

Remember Baby W? He is just as adorable now as he was as a newborn. He is so much fun and has one of the most expressive faces I have ever seen on a baby. He was checking out everything around us but became extremely facinated with the seagulls that surrounded us on the beach. Tracy and Bill shared with me that seagulls were what got J to walk on her own- they set her down on the beach and jokingly told her to go get the bird.  They spent the rest of the day chasing her through the sand.

I have a toss up for favorites from this session. The one above is the first one.

Oh the dimples!!!

Those moments when the camera is forgotten often yeild my favorite shots. This is my other favorite from this session.

It made my heart skip a beat to watch J with her brother. She is protective of him, loves him to pieces, and can make him giggle like no one else. They were more than happy to hang out together and I just couldn't pass up their feet together.

The idea for this photo struck me a few weeks ago. I sketched it out for Tracy and was tickled when she was totally on board with it. Bill looked at me a bit strange when I hauled the chalk boards out of my bag but then jumped in with both feet as well. 

Tracy, Bill, J & W thank you guys for being such troopers and trusting me enough to join in. I love the energy and dynamic you guys have and it is very apparent how much you all love one another. I look forward seeing you guys again soon!

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Acorns & Thunder Storms- Lewiston, Maine Family Photographer

He is her rock. He is where she is safe, loved, beautiful, and treasured. He is where home is even when he is deployed on the other side of the world.

She is his rock. She is where he is safe, loved, valued and honored. She is where home is even when she is holding down the home front on the other side of the world.

Together they have created a family from different parts to make them all whole. Together, they have created a life full of laughter, unconditional love, and passion. Together, they have created the place they were meant to be.

Meet the Whitakers.

Since I met Deb two years ago, we have become colleagues, co-conspirators, partners in crime, and at one point I introduced her to a friend by saying “we have children together” (rather than our kids are the same age). It garnered at least one raised eyebrow. She is my sounding board, my reality check, and she will not allow me to take things to seriously. Most importantly, she has become my good friend and I am so blessed to have her in my life.

Deb is the creative force behind Whitaker Imagery. Not too long ago, we both realized we had gotten so busy documenting other families that we forgot to document our own. We decided to trade family photo sessions. Deb shot our family (come see the awesome results here) a few weeks ago. Last week it was my turn to turn the tables on Deb, her husband Artie and their five kids. To say I adore this family is an understatement and once again I was welcomed in with open arms. I haven’t laughed that hard or gotten so many surprise hugs in a long time.

It is cliche, but I feel like it was just yesterday I was holding this tiny little girl in my arms while her mom coached cheering. She has grown into such a sweet little girl who has everyone who meets her wrapped around her finger. This includes me. When she asked for more candy, how could I possibly say no?

This little man is a bundle of energy. He helped mom with our family portraits and more times than not, climbed into my lap or snuggled up beside me in the middle of our shots and I loved every second of it. He is independent until he needs you, quick to catch everything around him, and has a ginormous heart. Oh, and check out the eyelashes on those baby blues!!!

When we were headed back to the cars the other night, I was lost in my own mind and trying to figure out the next steps. I felt a small hand in mind and looked down to find these gorgeous eyes looking back at me with her shy smile.  She is the quiet one. She is contemplative, loving and has a wicked sense of humor behind that beautiful smile.

This young lady has a smile that can light up not just and entire room but an entire town.  In the short time I have gotten to know her, I have seen her grow and change in some amazing ways. She is sweet, funny and has some killer dimples!

She may be mad at me for doing this, but lets take a minute to play celebrity look alike- Name the young Disney star this young lady resembles so closely. (No Deb you can't play!) This was my first opportunity to spend time with this gorgeous girl has a 1,000 watt smile, laughs easily and is a total natural in front of the camera. 

I wish I could say these guys thought I was this funny, but I had an assistant, Miss B's boyfriend.  I am considering hiring him on as the court jester for all of my shoots, he had everyone including me in stitches.

The day before our shoot, I texted Deb with a picture. I found this building and it was perfect in every way. I had the shot in my head and was so excited. I saved it until the end of our shoot. Unfortunatly mother nature kicked my plan in the teeth. Two bee stings, one deer fly bite, crazy thirst and a HUGE thunderstorm put that family shot to bed.  Deb and Artie played along for a couple of quick shots as the fat drops splatted on my forehead and the sand blew sideways. We are so going back here to play some more!

This is my favorite shot of the whole session. You guys are mighty good looking.  Just saying.

Thank you guys so much for taking me in as an honorary family member for the day. I am so grateful for your support and friendship I cannot find the words. Thank you for being such an important part of our lives! I hope you enjoy the photos, there are so many more to come!

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Bits & Pieces: The Givens Family- Monmouth, Maine Family Photographer

Sea mist rolled off the giant waves as they crashed against the sand. The stragglers of the daytime crowds were packing their towels and coolers and rinsing the sticky salt of the surf from their skin. I stopped just before the huge drop of that last stair and inhaled. I swore I didn’t miss the ocean when I lived out west but as the damp summer air filled my lungs, I grudgingly had to admit that wasn’t the truth. I was born on an island and have spent my childhood a short drive from those powerful waters. Sliding my toes into the sand still warm from the days sun felt like coming home.

Tracy feels the same pull to the ocean. When she and I started talking about family photographs, there was no question that was where they wanted to go. Late yesterday afternoon, we met at Reid State Park in Georgetown to spend some time exploring, drinking in the evening light and capturing some photos of this amazing family.

Tracy, Bill, J and W thank you so much for allowing me to hang out with you guys for the evening.  I enjoy you guys tremendously.  This is just a quick tease, I can't wait to share more with you soon!!

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One Month & One Day- Sabattus Maine Newborn Photographer

One month and one day. That is the exact count. The number of days since everything changed for Brandi & Scott because of something they created together. The hours and minutes they have spent examining this little creature. But it only took seconds for them to fall in love with Carter. I can completely understand why.

One of the (many) things I love with newborn photos is allowing parents to step back, catch their breath and just watch thier new little one. It isn't often in the thick of diapers and feedings and every day life that the opportunity to just drink every last detail in. I looked up while I was soothing Carter to sleep to see two parents just staring at this amazing little life they created. It honestly gives me goosebumps and I cannot put words to it not matter how hard I try. 

After the Bits & Pieces post of Carter, I received several comments about wanting to see his adorable face. I am pretty certain it was worth the wait.

I know I posted many detail shots before of Carter, but I have found it totally impossible to share a newborn post without at least one shot of baby feet. 

“We had an idea.” She said with a little grin. There are few words that make me happier. Fingers, toes, and ears were captured, it was time to have a little fun. Scott went diving in the trunk of the car and Carter got dressed. The four of us traipsed outside to find just the right spot. I love ideas.

When I first met Brandi & Scott for her maternity session, this photo was quickly a favorite of mine. It made me smile. So we revisited that same moment now that Carter had arrived.

I have totally falenl in love with it because it is real and because it makes me giggle.

Brandi & Scott, thank you so much for sharing Carter with me. I have said it many times before but he is just amazing.  I had a great time getting to know him and being able to visit with both of you. The full newborn session gallery will be posted soon!

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