Snowman

One more quick post, as I was driving home from taking photos of Mariah, I saw hands down the best snowman in all of northeast Ohio and I had to stop. I asked if they wanted a few photos and they were thrilled, so here they are! So to this family with awesome snow skills -  please feel free to e-mail me or call and I'd be happy to send you a CD with these photos.

Keep up the awesome snowman creations!

Mariah: 3 Months Old

I visited my friend Christine today with camera in tow and took a few shots of her littlest one, Mariah. She is the sweetest baby and is always so happy! Unless of course she's hungry, then all of that happiness bundled inside of this little girl flies far, far away and she unleashes the most pathetically sad tears and cries. Here are a few of the photos, enjoy!

Wardrobe Dilemma: Solved!

Hi everyone! Thought I would put together a quick post before the weekend begins. One of the most frequently asked questions I get and probably the most difficult part of setting up a session is deciding "what should we wear?" without being a candidate for Awkward Family Photos (check out that site, hysterical!). So after searching through Gap.com I created a few simple outfits that I would not only love to photograph, but think would make for the perfect family photo! When deciding on what to wear, I would always suggest avoiding a uniform color scheme such as all white shirts and jeans...or even worse, all matching sweaters! Accessorize, play with colors and have fun with it!

I hope that the few outfits I put together inspire your next family portrait wardrobe! I am happy to consult wardrobe ideas on any session, so feel free to ask! Have a great weekend :)

Client Lovin'

Today I woke up to a wonderful surprise on my Facebook fan page! Katie, the bride to be of my last engagement shoot, left me the nicest review that I wanted to share with you all. Thank you so much for the kind words Katie. I can't wait to photograph your wedding this June!

"The day of our engagement shoot was an overcast winter day with about five inches of snow on the ground. I had found a few sites that would provide interesting backgrounds such as the gazebo and the bridge but Kayla made everything so much more beautiful then it really was, even transforming a brick wall in an alley, a rusted door, and faded building siding into interesting backgrounds that made for fantastic pictures. She says how fierce I was for trudging through snow in heels but she was fierce for taking on every picture without qualms. She kneeled, sat, and laid in snow, and fought pricker brush and tree branches to get shots.

My fiancé has never been one to enjoy having his picture taken. Kayla took this in stride and joked and talked making him feel comfortable in front of the camera. She directed us wonderfully (good thing since neither of us had a clue as to what we were doing) but also took suggestions and ideas very easily. We never felt rushed but definitely didn’t have our time wasted either.

The pictures were more then I ever imagined them to be. I am drawn to the computer every chance I get just to look at them again. All my friends came up to me the day they went on Facebook and told me how absolutely beautiful they are and how jealous they are. My best friend is now addicted to the album and drools over them. My mother who is into photography as well has already asked if she can have a couple big prints because they are some of the best pictures of me she has seen.

This review has gone on a long time and you all are probably tired of me so I’ll just close with this: The day was wonderful, laid-back, fun, and easy-going. And the pictures? Well there is really only one word for them…exquisite. (Well that and treasured, captivating, darling, wonderful...)"

Nick & Katie: Part II

Here are a few more of the photos that I took yesterday during my engagement shoot with Nick and Katie (to view the full album of any of my shoots, join my fan page on facebook!). Katie, as stated below, is seriously fierce - and not just because of the hot pink stilettos. She is a pre-vet major and was one 1 of 5 at the University of Findlay who got accepted into the Veterinarian program at OSU which is a huge accomplishment by any standard. She takes way more credit hours than is required per semester, works sometimes 20 hours a week, does chromosomal lab research and is involved with a few different extracurricular activities...I now feel SO lame when I complain about how busy my life is! She and Nick are so cute together and even though Nick hates having his photo taken he was a good sport about it and made it through :). Hope you enjoy!

And I'll leave with you two more of the killer pink heels -

Nick & Katie: Sneak Peek

I just wanted to quickly post a few photos from my engagement shoot today with Nick & Katie! Expect the rest of them early next week - she was SO fierce in her peep toe, hot pink high heels in the snow.

52 Weeks - Favorite Color

Week 2 of my 52 week challenge was titled "Favorite Color". This is so fun to me because anytime anyone asks me my favorite color, I always - always reply with grass green. I love the color of summer grass. When it's gone un-mowed for two weeks and it starts to get soft and so cozy to lay in. I love the color of summer trees and lily pads. Living in Cleveland, Ohio makes you fall that much more in love with the greens of summer because we have so many winter months of white. So because it is the middle of a snow storm right now, I found the "grassiest green" in our apartment and photographed it.

This is a little bottle that I bought at the annual Tremont Sidewalk Sale for 25 cents and it sits on a shelf above our kitchen sink with 6 other colorful shaped jars, all different sizes and colors....Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Lovin'

I had to share the wonderfulness that I came home to after a long day of work yesterday. Anyone that knows my fiance Rick, knows that he is uber romantic and thoughtful. We celebrate any and every holiday marked on the calendar and we get each other pumped up for the holiday for at least a month prior to its arrival. Many would probably gag at our super cuteness but, I thought I should share this with you all:

And to make you all incredibly hungry - Rick went to the Westside Market in Ohio City near downtown and bought everything fresh! The orange-y sauce that is the border of the heart is a red pepper sauce that he made himself by roasting the red peppers for over an hour, the inside of the heart is some creamy mushroom goodness with a new york strip steak topped with portabella mushrooms and an arrow made of asparagus - Yum! He also bought home made spinach pierogis which are our favorite pierogis in the whole world. Delish!

I thought this little diagram that he drew was so cute and shows just a bit how thoughtful he is :)

Now, for the reeeeeeal good stuff. He hand dipped strawberries into Ghiradelli milk chocolate and wrote rick <3's kayla on them, drizzled chocolate all over the plate,  and he bought a piece of the yummiest  forbidden chocolate cake ever from Westside Market to put in the middle of it all. 

So there it is - my wonderful, romance filled 2 day early valentine celebration!

Giggling Like a Little Girl - Part II

This is Part II of my "Giggling Like a Little Girl" post and am SO excited to share it...Okay, "SO excited" doesn't really cover it, not even a little bit. Even as I write this I am smiling from ear to ear and just by looking at me typing, Rick knew what I was writing about.

A few weeks ago Jay Kossman from Digital 504 Photography contacted me because he was looking for a second shooter for his weddings and a few other events that he has scheduled this year (check him out at the link above, he rocks!) so we scheduled to meet at a coffee shop this past Thursday. When I drove up to the coffee shop and parked, I peeked inside and watched him meet with his clients. He had his 3" hard bound, book of images that he'd taken over the years (seriously, they rock!), brochures and most importantly...smiles. I could only see the back of his head but I had a clear view of the client's faces and they smiled and laughed the entire meeting. As I sat there being nosy, all I could think was - I can't wait until that is me! I can't wait to meet up with couples who are in love and happy and so excited for one of the biggest days of their lives. I can't wait to be the photographer that they choose to capture their day for them...when they walked out of that meeting, they were holding hands and practically skipping back to the car all smiley and sweet.

Anyway - the meeting. Meeting with Jay I thought would be incredibly nerve wracking for me,  but it wasn't. Doing what you are passionate brings a certain type of confidence you don't usually have otherwise and I completely embraced that. After talking business it was fun to talk about photography with someone who is as talented and passionate as Jay. After all was said and done he booked me for 10 events throughout the rest of 2010. Thrilled doesn't even cover it - all I can say is that I can't talk about it without my cheeks hurting. I could not have dreamed of a better opportunity to come along for me and my "blooming" business (no pun intended) and I couldn't have asked for a better person to work with. He is passionate. He has built his business into something I dream of every day and he is so willing to not only hire me for some shoots but also take me under his wing and teach me what he knows.

So here I am - I'm working with a graphic designer and should have my "brand" completed by month's end, Full Bloom Photography will be an LLC by the end of March, I have 10 shoots scheduled between now and August on my own and am hired as a second shooter for an incredibly talented photographer.

Rock on 2010, rock on.

And because a post is always better with a picture, here is my beautiful niece: