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Friday, September 24, 2010

Baby Portrait Session :: Afternoon in the Park

It's hard to believe that a little over a year ago I photographed this sweet little girl as a newborn~ she's back for baby portraits, but, as is the case with all toddlers, this was not a laid-back and sit-around kind of session... at 15 months old, this girl stays on the move! We chased, ran (in circles, at times), climbed, slid, picked up acorns, and occasionally~ for just a moment stopped. but then~ off again!

I was especially excited about these images because Baby K's daddy & mommy, Matt and Kristy, love black and white images; as I was going through the session I realized how many of the images just lent themselves to a black & white conversion~ it doesn't work with every person or every session, but in this case, it works! I love the texture of the sweater that this little one's Nanny knit just for her (and don't worry Nanny, there will be color options :-) Here are a few of my faves:

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babyGap casting call perhaps?

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Monday, September 20, 2010

Baby Portrait Session :: First Birthday Portraits

Another sweet one year old! All of the baby girls this year have just stolen my heart~ such sweet personalities, and this little doll is no exception. I just love her range of expressions~ she is a girl who "talks" with her eyes... from joy to tears to 'you have got to be kidding me', she expresses it all! My absolute favorite image is the one of her pouting~ can she possibly be any cuter??

And for some fun~ her mommy & daddy, Tara and Shaun, ordered a special cake (and birthday hat!) to photograph at the end of her portrait session, so we let her dig in. No one was sure what to expect, but again her facial expressions were too funny~ she was not liking it one bit! That's okay, this was just a test run~ she has a few weeks until her birthday party for the real deal :-) Here are a few from the session...enjoy!


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Friday, September 17, 2010

Senior Portrait Session :: Aaron {Hershey HS ~ Class of 2011}

Typically when I photograph seniors, we meet prior to their portrait session and go over clothing, what to expect and it gives me a chance to interact with the family while checking out the location if we are photographing at their home. So this was a first for me~ due to some conflicts in our schedules, I photographed at a location I had never seen, with someone I had not yet met! But Aaron (along with his sweet mom, Deb) is so easy going and likable, any thought of being concerned quickly disappeared. We had a great evening to photograph, Aaron was a natural in front of the camera and I think we came away with some great images.

Aaron was telling me a little bit about his thoughts post-graduation~ he would like to attend an ALERT basic training, in which he would receive initial training in search and rescue, diving and aviation, in preparation for Emergency Response Training. I had never heard of this before, and after reading more about it, I think it sounds amazing. I am so grateful there are people like Aaron who are gifted in this way! Aside from working and school, Aaron loves to kick around on his skateboard and hang out with his brothers and the family dogs, Sam and Annie :-)

Here are a few of my faves from Aaron's senior portrait session~ I especially love the second to last one of him (b&w with the skateboard.) What do you think?

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Monday, September 6, 2010

Senior Portrait Session :: Megan {Palmyra HS ~ Class of 2011}

Yet another senior portrait session I am so excited to post! Occasionally we need to reschedule portrait sessions due to inclement weather~ and I was somewhat tempted to reschedule Megan's senior portraits due to the 20 mph winds passing through the area, but am SO glad we didn't! It was definitely a challenge, and though we were limited with where we could photograph to avoid the major wind gusts, I just love how the images turned out with her beautiful wavy hair. (Megan's mom was so glad her new hair straightening product didn't arrive in time for the session, and after seeing how these turned out, I was too... use what God gave you, girl~ you are beautiful, inside and out!)

Megan is a senior at Palmyra High School, and although she doesn't know exactly what her plans are following graduation next June, she knows she wants to have a job working with animals.  We were blessed able to photograph right around the corner from Megan's house, on a beautiful property with some fun spots and lots of pretty greenery. It was tough narrowing these down, but here are a few of my faves from Megan's session:














Sunday, September 5, 2010

Senior Portrait Session :: Rachel {Manheim Central HS / Class of 2011}

The first week of school craziness and 95+ degree temps didn't deter us from having a great time photographing Rachel's senior portrait session. She chose the Back2Basics senior portrait session, which is typically a shorter session, with 12-15 images in private online gallery, and is geared for mainly purchasing Gift prints (8x10 and smaller) and wallets.

Rachel is thinking of pursuing actuarial science as a major in college, and is keeping busy filling out those dreaded college applications. She spent part of this summer in Germany, attending two weeks of school there with her family's exchange student (who spent a month here last year), and the rest of her time there relaxing and touring parts of the country. Now it's back to school and band! Here are a few images from her portrait session~ love the warm light and those bright blue eyes!








Links

Photo gallery website for proofing and additional info: www.mycirclephotos.com 


Circle of Life Photography's page on Facebook~ Click HERE to add this page to your favorites!


Michelle Miller allowed me to link to her brilliant post about the art of photographing ... I simply cannot say it better myself! Click HERE to read the post.

Giving Back~ Organizations supported by Circle of Life Photography

In giving back, Circle of Life Photography's main goal is to help those experiencing extreme poverty and nourishing them with food, shelter and spiritual guidance. Education is a big part of helping people learn how to help themselves and change the downward spiral of poverty for a better future for themselves and their children. Locally, a more tangible way of giving back is through using my photography gifts to serve others who are experiencing crisis (see NILMDTS and Pillows of Love.)


Compassion International~ Haiti's Child Survival Project

http://www.compassion.com/contribution/csp/default.htm

In 2011-12, Circle of Life Photography makes a monthly $30 donation to the non-profit organization, Compassion International, whose goal is to change Haiti through the rescue, nuture and discipling of children during the critical early childhood years.


Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation

http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation (NILMDTS) gently provides a helping hand and a healing heart for families overcome by the grief and pain of the death of their newborn or infant. Offering gentle and beautiful photography services in a compassionate and sensitive manner is the heart of this organization. The soft, gentle heirloom photographs of these beautiful babies are an important part of the healing process. They allow families to honor and cherish their babies, and share the spirits of their lives. I am an active NILMDTS volunteer photographer for Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Lancaster Women & Babies Hospital.


Joni & Friends Family Retreat

http://www.joniandfriends.org

I am honored to be a volunteer photographer at the Joni & Friends Family Retreat in the Poconos (Spruce Lake Retreat) for a week each summer (click here for past blog post.) Joni & Friends seeks to serve as a ministry of outreach to people with disabilities and their families across the US and around the world. Families from around the country attend Family Retreats seeking relaxation, encouragement and a time to strengthen their family.