Can you believe it? Before we know it Summer will be here and then Fall and then … I won’t even say the “W” word. I’m still sick of the last one.
Yesterday I was bemoaning the fact the our magnolia which bloomed last week was already losing its flowers. They leave so soon. Then this morning I was pleasantly surprised by new blooms from our plum tree. This is what is so great about this time of year. Everything appears to be continually refreshed. It gives me an unheard amount of energy. Look out world!

Over the past few weeks I’ve received a few emails regarding whether or not I would be doing mini sessions this year. The short – no, I’m not.
The long – I had planned on doing mini sessions last year, but I booked up faster than I thought and then my pregnancy complicated things. It simply never worked out. I apologize to anyone who was anticipating these sessions. At this time, I don’t have any plans for 2008 mini-sessions.
There are still some doubts in my head about having these types of sessions in the future at all as I’m not entirely sure they fit into the way I shoot. I thoroughly enjoy developing a connection with your wonderful children through the course of an hour or two. I think that’s what gives my work that extra bit of “heart”.

I’ve photographed adorable “N” three times since he turned 1. It is so amazing to be able to witness a baby turn into this fascinating little person.

And if you think this session looked like fun, you have no idea. There was running, jumping, peeking and booing. I was in desperate need of a nap afterwards. Where do these kids get the energy?!?

This door is famous … I photographed it so many times. That deep green and urban texture is irresistible.

Went location scouting today for an upcoming high school senior portrait session. Very excited! I’ve had these spots in mind for a bit, but I’ve been holding them in my back pocket for the right session since they aren’t necessarily toddler friendly.



Nearly forgot to mention my location scouting accomplices, Mr. Dawn M:

And, our little darling Mini Me (she already has two cameras, toys but still!):

Somewhere between late night feedings, frequent diaper changes, going back to work and thinking I couldn’t take one more day of Winter, Spring sprung! Just in time too. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve been feeling cabin feverish for far too long.

The other day I took a few minutes to photograph some gifts from Spring in our backyard.

One year olds are among my favorite age group to photograph. They take a healthy amount of energy to shoot right, but the rewards always outweigh the effort. These were shot on a very cold day in February, so we stayed indoors and played for a few hours.

I fell in love with her tousled hair. So fun and playful just like her!

Most of you know that I work out of my home office or car depending on the day. What you probably don’t know is that I have an extremely loyal and trusty assistant. Right now her number one job is to make me smile first thing in the morning. She hasn’t missed a day yet, so I’m not too worried about the 3 or 4 nap breaks she takes everyday. She’ll come around eventually.

Ok. This one is for photographers. I’ve amassed quite a collection of photoshop actions, but I tend to use the ones I’ve created myself the most. Why not share’m? There’s nothing crazy impressive going here, just a simple color and contrast boost.

This action creates two layers one to increase contrast (without affecting color) and the other that boosts overall image color. I often use it on my color images to add a bit of pop. The default setting with the opacity of both layers set to 50% adds a nice subtle contrast and color enhancement. In my humble opinion, that’s really all a well exposed image needs. Looking for a little more pop? Simply increase the opacity of either layer.

Download the Action

If you like this action, please say it out loud by either leaving a comment or noting as such when you use it. This will help me decide if these “shares” are worthy of being shared!

Here are a few samples with the action applied, color set to 75% opacity (maybe a bit too much, but I wanted to show the effect). Mouseover to see the image straight out of camera.

This action was created using Adobe Photoshop CS3. I think it will work with most modern versions of Photoshop, but I’m not sure. Remember this action is complimentary and consequently I won’t be providing any support for it. That means if you don’t know how to install actions or use them, please don’t email me for help. Try a google search instead. Google is your friend.

There are two types of toddler portraits that hold a special place in my heart. The exuberant tot running towards the camera showing full motion. Or, shown here, the inquisitive little one caught in the act of curiosity.

I imagine parents of toddlers see this expression everyday, multiple times a day and I bet it can be an exhaustingly difficult time. Nonetheless, it is an undeniably adorable expression, yes?