bitting, party of eight | nappanee family photographer

this summer i did a very quick (30 minutes or less) photography session with my brother's family. my sister-in-law needed a few photos for a local magazine article she was writing, and here are some of the shots that we got.

we didn't have much time, but i love the idea of "poses" that bring out the personalities, and even with eight people in one photo, i think this one comes pretty close...

although she didn't get to use her headshot for the article, i have to post it because, as my youngest once said while he watched me editing her photos...

"she has such a cute face!"... and a beautiful smile and heart to go with it.

thanks guys - it's always a pleasure♥

nothing like a good book | nappanee photographer

one thing that i am a strong believer in is kids & books.

we started reading to ours when they were babies & we have never looked back.
my boys both loved being read to & became big readers as soon as they could read for themselves.

so, we appreciate a book lover here at our house & could just eat this one up when she pulls out the books....

completely enthralled.... absolutely precious.

love her ♥

can't get close enough | nappanee photographer

one of my favorite quotes regarding photography is:

if your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough.
-robert capa

so it makes it very convenient that i love a good close-up! i actually have to think outside my own little personal "box" to back up and take something other than a close-up.

i generally shoot with a prime lens, so there's no zooming for me.


at first it might seem weird getting so close, but soon it becomes second nature. i've always got about 3 feet to work with, so i'm not exactly on top of my subject.... but i am pretty snug...


(yes, there was a moment i thought this one might take a bite out of my camera...)


i nearly always frame my shots in camera. i rarely plan to "crop creatively" in post processing. so if this is what i want, i get in there....


i've just come to love getting really close. there's something about framing a face & gobbling up those eyes...


and that nose and those lips...


so if you want your photos to capture the heart & soul of your subject, get in there! get close, forget about those background distractions and fill up your frame with those wonderful faces!

musical men part 2 : the composer | nappanee photographer

my youngest child is a composer. in my head, i always think of him as "the maestro".

he just loves to make music.

and i think it's especially delightful that he goes at it, all decked out in his red, plushy, "like rich people wear" robe.

somehow, it just works for him. ☺

at any given time, he can be found at the piano, experimenting, putting new tunes together.

and when he gets really serious, out comes the staff paper

i'm glad that he enjoys this part of music. while i have never even considered writing music, it just streams out of some people naturally... what a blessing that must be!

musical men part 1 : the guitarist | nappanee photographer

my house is full of musical men... uh... boys.

both of the guys are in their 4th year of piano lessons & this winter we got the big boy a guitar for christmas.

now, he didn't particularly want a guitar for christmas, but sometimes mom has a vision and children need a little fire lit beneath them.

the guitar is totally new territory for me.

i can safely say i know nothing about guitar.

so i called up uncle brad (who's been playing "for forty years") and asked if he could help get the boy going.

i had no idea how different guitar would be from other musical instruments (my experience being with the piano & clarinet).

i had no idea that pain & calluses were involved!

but i think it's safe to say that the boy is enjoying his lessons & getting to know a lot about his uncle brad all at the same time ☺

so now we have a guitarist in the house & i can't wait to see where he goes with it!

long hair, revisited | nappanee photographer

i take a lot of photos. (understatement)
right now i'm trying to get organized, sorting, deleting, editing. repeat.

it's time consuming and not my idea of a good time.

what i do appreciate, though, is what i find.
images i've totally overlooked or forgotten or been too busy to stop & savor.

recently i did some serious hair cutting around here.
this boy really had some long curly locks!

while sorting through photos, i found some gems.

like this one... i like the subject.
i like that his hair wasn't in his eyes at the time.
i really like the rim light... it's icing on the cake.

this i just love. then end.

mmmm.... i'm a catchlight junkie...


and i'm equal-opportunity as far as hair's concerned.
i like it short just as well as i like it long!

love a clear path to those wonderful eyes☺
-a

too fast | nappanee children's photographer

my guys are growing up so quickly.
school has started & i have an 8th grader & 5th grader.

whoa.
i ask myself, "where has the time gone? they're growing up too fast!"

all you mama's with little ones out there, let me reassure you:
it will be gone... all too fast.

so i savor these moments today.

secretly, my oldest son blows my mind.

he chews gum. all. the. time.
he's into ac/dc. his father is so proud☺
he's officially taller than me - over 5' 11".
his new bike is the big deal in his life right now.
he plays "gaga ball". it's an actual physical game, not a video game. bonus.
he bought a $15 computer from his cousin. you'd think it was state of the art.
he is a quite the piano player, which makes me really proud!
he's a super speller & loves all things science.


my youngest keeps me sharp. he makes me work for every last bit.

he's imaginative & creative.
he likes all things egyptian.
he is the most thoughtful kid i know.
he loves history, which makes his father proud.
he's a self-professed author. he's always writing & that impresses me!
he loves to play gaga ball, even though his brother normally pounds him.
he wants a pet desperately. even if it's just a mouse, he needs one.
he got 5 milk duds for helping me work on my backlit shots. i love the results.

i love these boys so much.

god knows what he's doing when he grants you the desires of your heart; that he surely does. ♥

summer hiatus is over...

if you haven't noticed, i took a little break this summer.
and by break, i mean break from blogging.
i didn't plan on it... it just worked out that way.

and seriously, i don't think it was that big of a deal, seeing as how my husband & 10 yr old were the only ones who noticed!

this summer has been typical of the last year and a half or so... very weird, lots of ups & downs... mostly i've dwelt on the downs. i truly haven't been "me", but i'm pulling myself back up there and getting back into the normal routine of things.

it feels like i've accomplished little, but actually i've achieved a lot.

often i've felt as if there isn't much to show for it with the disappearance of my camera for an extended period in july (depressing... emphasis on the depressing)

but i have survived☺

my youngest & i survived his time in casts. i'm so glad that experience is over with. i can't imagine this hot summer with casts on... lord help us!



my oldest turned 14 in july. i look at him (almost looking up at him, actually) and cannot believe i have a 14 yr old man-child. nope. just can't.


i have tried new recipes. many. maybe too many. i spent a crazy amount of time copying recipes from library books in a quest to find new salads, new summer dishes, new things to get me out of the hum-drum that is cooking.

i have to tell you, i had many strike-outs. most of our summer has been just me & my boys at dinner time & i think my husband has spoiled me. he happily eats anything that he's served and doesn't find a need to tell me that it's not really great, even if he feels that way. my boys... that's another story. my youngest would eat his first helping and be done. that was clue #1 that it's not too good. my oldest would flat out critique the dish as if he were an expert chef. a simple "i didn't really care for it" would suffice for me.

so... we're pretty much back where we began but i did find a few things that we liked & made their way into my recipe binders.

there seemed to be no problem devouring this peach berry cobbler, pretty much in one sitting.


yes... i caved to peer pressure & had mine with a little ice cream... i'll admit that it was pretty good.

so don't give up on me... my mind's just flowing with ideas for my next post☺

excitement | part 2

as you know, i have piano players at my house. this is something that really thrills me as a mom and as a music lover. i played piano (and not especially well) most of my childhood & into the teen years. as my youngest showed interest in the piano, we searched for something we could afford & since bringing a piano into our home, i have renewed my love of the instrument and for learning with it.

both of my boys are finishing their 3rd year in lessons and they both have done very well. this past sunday was their spring recital.

a bit of a wrench was thrown into the whole situation this year because of "the broken arms". as luck would have it, the 2-casted boy broke his arms 5 days before recital. weeks of practice & hard work and he wasn't going to be able to play. this was truly a bummer, probably more for me than for my boy. it was so nice of their teacher, mrs. stichter, to play his songs on his behalf during the recital. it was really a special moment & i was proud, even though he wasn't able to play.

as for the big boy, for the first time since he's started playing he was really nervous about performing. as a kid, i hated recitals. a deathly-type of hate, i tell you. put me almost anywhere, but don't ask me to perform in front of people. i hated to have him feel this way and really want him to be confident. plus, he can really perform his work well & i didn't want that to be diminished by nerves.

so i had to hope & pray for my big boy. hope that he would do well & pray for his nerves to calm down. i have always been so proud of how well both boys have done performing... always.

at the recital he had 2 songs to perform and i could hear his nerves in the first piece, but the second song went smoothly. i was very proud of him!

little did i know, the really proud moment was yet to come.

each year at recital, mrs. stichter gives out 3 awards for different "bests" in her studio. when she started to describe the recipient of her "best technique" award, i listened intently. as she went on, she talked about how much improvement she saw in this student's technique, how diligent he was in working hard to do everything that she asked of him & how prepared he was every week. she described this student as being a lot of fun to work with and as growing up & getting so tall, and having to grow into his "man-sized hands".

my heart almost pounded out of my chest as i knew this had to be my son! (there aren't too many big boys in the piano studio)

when she said his name, i was brimming over with pride & so excited that my boy was being recognized for the work he's done at the piano. i'm sure most parents think so, but i truly believe he works hard (with a few nudges here & there from me) and is capable of going as far as he's willing at the piano.

if you know me, you know i'm not a gusher. but right now, i'm gushing!

i love ya dude & i'm so proud!

you can really work that piano if you want to☺

keep up the good work!

xo

mom

i ♥ faces week 13 "dramatic b&w" photo challenge | nappanee photographer

this week's theme at i ♥ faces is "dramatic b&w" photos. "b&w photos that are dramatic, sensational and/or moody in the way they are presented".

wow, that's intimidating! i don't normally look at my own work & say 'whoa... that's sensational!'

personally, capturing a good photo of my 13 yr old, in itself these days, is sensational!
so i'm going for it ☺

it's not like i'm going to win or anything... but the guest judge this week is none other than my very favorite photog out there, the fabulous tara whitney. her work is one of the reasons i constantly strive to get better at this picture-taking thing!

and this kid... he is so darn handsome.
any reason to post another photo of him *sigh*

so here's hoping that my entry's not deemed as just "a typical portrait photo that has been converted to b&w".

i'd love to have it passed along to be judged by one of my greatest inspirations in photography. ♥

this guy

i'm completely psyched out of my mind about...

this 13 year old, 5' 10 1/4" tall, spore crazy, always hungry, mythbusters loving, piano playing, star wars fanatic.

yep, that's him. he's the lucky one.
the one his mother is always after... always honing this one she is.

it's all because i love ya boy.
l.o.v.e. love.
don't forget it ♥

xo
mom

table talk

discussion at the dinner table last night as follows:

{in the background you can here the national news, talking about a tsunami warning}

troy: where's the tsunami?

me: i don't know, i thought they were talking about the earthquake in chile

big boy: did you know it's t-sunami

me: like o-possum... like k-nife

big boy: like g-naw

me: like g-nat

little boy: like dog-canine (get it, k-9)

troy, me, big boy: ***hysterical laughter***

LOVE that little boy☺

just for laughs

"we ain't 'ad nothin' but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days!"

this means absolutely nothing, in case you're wondering.

it's just a quote from lord of the rings: the 2 towers.

it pops into my head rather frequently, and it's just darn fun to say (so long as you use the proper rough and grumbly voice to say it in).

i recommend fitting it into your regular speech wherever you can.

come on, i know you want to☺

he's a keeper

i've come to the realization that god uses this child to work on many of my issues...

• not everyone thinks like me... even those i gave birth to
• maybe i don't have to understand... that's just the way it is
• i have more faults than i'd like to admit
• sometimes others won't conform for me... i might have to conform for them
• i don't have it all figured out... yet!

"be who you are and say what you feel,

because those who mind don't matter

and those who matter don't mind." ~dr. seuss

yup, he's a keeper ☺

the boy keeps it real

this one is the one that makes me think twice.
he keeps me hoppin and i guess that's good for me.

i completely delight in the funny things kids have to say. the really unexpected off the wall stuff. love. it.

for example....

last night he was drawing in the kitchen & the tv was just sort of "on" for no reason & when i turned it off he looked at me & i said, "it's just the news".

"the news is a very important part of my life!" he says.
really, you've got to be kidding.
the news is depressing. i'm still trying to find out why the news is so very important.

what do you bet there are ulterior motives here?

and then last week, this boy was looking through some library books of famous works of art. after looking, he quietly told me that "one of those books has something disgusting in it". oh no. now i'm worried. i had gotten the books from the children's department, but i should have looked them over thoroughly. sometimes they put a "masterpiece" in there that show a little nudity. you know, the special parts. my kids are pretty sheltered & there are still parts they really haven't seen.

so i looked through the book in question to find michelangelo's "the creation of adam".
you know, the one where god's reaching out touching adam in all his glory. and there was another work that i'd never seen that showed a naked rear end of a youngster, a toddler i'd say.

so i explained the "adam" painting & being that the parts showing were boy parts, i didn't think it would be that big of a deal & adam was probably naked when god created him, right? and the other painting, it was news to me, but i didn't see what the big to-do was.


so later that evening, i brought up the subject of painting nudes and told him that in art schools and colleges, there were classes were you could sit in a room with other students and a model would come in and pose nude for everyone to draw/paint.

you should have seen the look on my innocent 10 year old's face. all he said was:

"O. M. G. .... & i mean the bad G!"

literally. OMG.
what in the world?
i don't even know how he knows what omg means!
(seriously, my kids are not literate in that stuff)

so, i say keep it up kid. mom can always use a good laugh☺

holiday photos

this year i learned one thing... that before the holidays next year, i'm going to work a bit more on my technique with the christmas photos.

but for now, i thought i'd post a few of my favorites this year....

i like this star...


and this silly kid....


yep...it's a klingon ship...☺


the bigger silly kid....

it's glowy under the tree....


ahhh.... the bokeh.....

and a new christmas ornament this year....


all in all, we had a wonderful christmas & i'm happy to say i'm looking forward to a great new year!

fingerless glove love...

he's all smiles -
somebody loves his birthday mitts....


another thing i love about knitting.... i can get an idea in my head at the last minute & whip something up that's going to be cherished by the recipient.

score one for mom☺

double digit birthday | nappanee children's photographer

as of today, both of my boys are in the double digits.
man, i'm not as young as i used to be☺

he's 10 today and doesn't he look awfully grown up & serious? and he's looking so much like his dad... i'm betting that chin's going to be killer when he's all grown up.☺

and this boy loves the birthday. like, reeeeally loves it. talks about it ALL year long! so we're kind of bummed because he's under the weather today & not feeling his best, but we're making the most of it.

so happy birthday my little boy!
promise me you'll slow down just a little for your mama, won't cha?

xoxo
mama

i am thankful

in all of my inability to deal with the holidays closing in on me, it has occurred to me that i need to focus on what the holidays are about, whether i'm really ready or not.

i've always got a lot to be thankful for. i could make a big long list of all the "things" i'm thankful for, but i'm going to focus on what's dearest to me.

this man & our marriage. he's the center of my world & i'm blessed by how much he loves me. we've been married 17 years & this spring will mark 20 years together. yee-OWza...☺

this boy...the firstborn...the apple of my eye. we have entered a new dimension with a teenager in our home & lucky for both of us, i'm liking it☺

and last but not least, this one...the baby...the spice in our lives. he keeps it lively around here and we love that about him.

right here are the greatest blessings in my life. i'm so thankful for them. god granted my heart's desire with these 3 and somehow, i could not ask for more☺