Circle of Life Photography

Welcome!

2011-12-03T12:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks for checking out the Circle of Life Photography blog! I am an on-location portrait photographer specializing in capturing artistic portraits of newborns, babies, children and teens. I mainly work in the Central PA area, but love to travel too! This is the place for sneak peeks from my latest photography sessions, occasional news & stuff about my life and love of photography (that's our chocolate lab, Henry in the image at the left.) So feel free to grab your favorite beverage, put on your fuzzy socks and stay awhile!

If this is your first visit, then you can find a little more info about me and my work in the links above. (Sometimes firewalls at workplaces block the images~ so if you can't see them, email yourself the link and check them out at home.) If the images you see here resonate with you, please email me at "info 'at' mycirclephotos.com" with questions about sessions or pricing information~ my availability is very limited and I do pre-session meetings for all portrait sessions, so if you are a first-time client, please call at least four to six weeks ahead of the time you wish to book your child/ren's session. My goal is to post weekly, so be sure to check back again soon! Do you Facebook? Check out the Circle of Life Photography page on Facebook here and add it to your page~ you'll be the first to know about blog updates and I'll post additional pics from sessions seen here.

This isn't my favorite part, but I must mention that copying, scanning, downloading, or in any way reproducing the pictures of Circle of Life Photography is a violation of federal law. Clients may use images that are watermarked (like the ones on this blog) for their Facebook page. Please respect my work and instead bookmark Circle of Life Photography blog on your browser to refer to whenever you wish! Please email me if you have any questions. I appreciate your cooperation and hope you have a blessed day!
~marci

Fall Mini Portrait Sessions :: Elizabethtown PA Children's Photographer

2011-12-03T12:39:00.000-05:00

The holidays are officially upon us! Here are sweet images to share of a few of my favorite two-year olds during a sunny fall afternoon of mini sessions~ their families donated the session fee to Haiti Partners, and together this year, we have donated nearly $500 to this organization alone. For more images, check out our page on Facebook. Enjoy!

Twins Are Two! :: Children's Portrait Session :: Elizabethtown, PA

2011-11-17T07:25:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love about living in Central PA is being able to experience all of the seasons~ each has its special qualities, but fall is the one season I enjoy most. Woodsy picnics, campfire s'mores, boots and sweaters, apple cider, changing leaves... and beautiful light. I was so tickled to be able to photograph the twins again and since we've done portraits in the summer, Robin and Eric thought it would be fun to have the boys' portraits done in the fall this time. These sweet, curious boys never stopped running, jumping and throwing leaves... there were leaves everywhere~ in their hair, eyes, even teeth! And the best part was their parents calmly telling them "Okay, enough jumping off the tree stump now, I thinking you're making Miss Marci nervous!" Here are just a few from their session where they were doing what two year olds do best~ play with abandon!

Senior Portrait Session :: Brooke {Palmyra HS ~ Class of 2012}

2011-10-28T21:47:00.000-04:00

I am so very far behind on blogging, seems this time of year it always falls far behind on the list of things to get done!

Brooke is a senior at Palmyra High School and we had a wonderful time walking around her family's home and nearby woods~ finding her childhood hideouts and spending a little time with her horse, Lakhota. It was a good thing we photographed Brooke's session when we did~ less than a week later this same area would turn into a soggy mess after tropical storm Lee moved through our area. I love that these images are special to Brooke and her family since they were taken at her home, a place with lots of good memories. She enjoys playing volleyball and soccer for fun, and plans to attend Bloomsburg University to major in nursing. And, a girl after my own heart, she likes to shop! :-)

I think her choice of outfits worked well with the natural background colors and I have a bunch of favorite images, but here are a few of this beautiful, brown-eyed girl:

Senior Portrait Session :: Cassie {Elizabethtown HS ~ Class of 2012}

2011-09-20T23:48:00.001-04:00

Even though I love photographing kids of all ages, over the past year or so high school senior girls have become my favorite group to work with... putting together clothing, shoes and accessories is one of my favorite aspects of the shoot. I want the images from each session to reveal her unique spirit and personality so you feel like you might already know her.

Beautiful Cassie (with that gorgeous red hair!) is a senior at Elizabethtown Area High School and has plans to go to school to become a nurse (apparently the majority of senior girls I photograph have this same plan... not sure if that's a coincidence, but they are certainly some of the sweetest and kindest people I know!) Cassie is active in her youth group at Elizabethtown BIC church, and loves to ski. She brought her best friend along for the session and we had a blast, despite the August heat, a random creeper, big spiders, and fears of poison ivy (rational fears... as in my husband can point it out to me and I will still say "but I don't see a red stem... and lots of plants have three leaves!" Yep. But no worries~ no poison this time :-)

Here are a few images from her session~ we started out in a beautiful butterfly garden and ended (with some of my faves from the session) in a patch of weeds off the main road. Love it!

ahhh that beautiful, long red hair~ seriously jealous!

Liz + Weston = Engaged! :: Elizabethtown Portrait Photographer

2011-08-27T17:13:00.000-04:00

Even though my first love is photographing high school seniors (girls), then babies, kids and families~ I was so excited (like jump-up-and-down-giddy excited) when our good friends daughter, Liz, contacted me about portraits~ engagement portraits! This was a first for me~ it was fun to try something different and since Liz also has an eye for photography, it was extra sweet to collaborate on a few ideas.

These high school sweethearts are such an amazing couple and everyone who knows them, adores them. Liz currently attends Millersville University, majoring in social work and minoring in photography~ she has a huge heart for kids and helping those in need. Weston is finishing his last year at IUP and will have a degree in music education with plans to return to Central PA and teach. Their wedding date is set for next July, and one thing about their future together is guaranteed: they will be an absolute blessing to the people around them in the years to come. Here are a few of my faves from their session~ please leave them a love note in the comments section at the bottom :-)

Summer Fun :: Lebanon County Children's Photographer

2011-08-22T23:02:00.000-04:00

Children's portrait sessions are so much fun, and this little six-year-old girl happens to be my god-daughter and totally has my heart. With her sweet voice, infectious laugh and charming manner, it's useless to resist! I was so tickled that she still likes her fairie costume and she's not 'too grown up' to enjoy wearing it. We had to wait out a little rainstorm before heading over to a local playground, and ended the session with a slice of summer fun~ watermelon! These are some of my favorite shots from the evening~ such a blessing to watch her grow and change over the years. These images will be priceless memories as she grows up!

Darling boy :: Marietta Baby Photographer

2011-08-19T14:08:00.000-04:00

Oh, this summer is just getting away from me! We are enjoying every moment of these wonderful days when the kids are still young~ our oldest turned 12 this summer and I feel like time is on warp-speed... wasn't she just a kindergartner last year? I look at this little guy and just know how short the time is between him being a baby and turning into a little boy... and can see it happening already!

Our dear friends, Jen and Stacey, have been blessed with caring for this precious little guy who has the greatest laugh and eyes to melt your heart. And don't get me started on his precious pout! Stace is a chef and fabulous stay at home dad, and Jen is an artist whose every waking moment is spent thinking about her son! It's been a long, precarious road to get to parenthood for these two and they are relishing every moment~ some times God allows us to go through challenging times even though we don't know why and can't see the end of the journey... and this time, the gift He gave to Jen and Stacey is a darling little boy was more than worth every mountain and valley they had to travel. The best part is, their son will only remember happy days filled with love, laughter, baseball and looking for the moon (his very favorite activity :-)

Here are some images from his one year old portrait session, and more recently at eighteen months. Enjoy!

Happy 2nd Birthday Miss B! :: Lebanon County Children's Photographer

2011-07-14T22:34:00.000-04:00

Nothing is more sweet and special than the opportunity to photograph a little one's first years... this was Miss B's third portrait session and she is getting to be a pro~ just being herself and doing what she does best~ being a bright, curious, sweet little girl! I love hearing her mom and dad tell stories about her funny expressions and antics.

Recently we had a fun morning playing at Coleman's Park~ playing at the playground, singing songs, see-sawing and blowing bubbles... and the occasional ~~meltdown~~ "I want THIS dress" moments... all the things that make being two so such an adventure! Her latest activity she loves to talk about is learning to swim, and this weekend her family and friends will help her blow out those candles~ Happy Birthday Miss B! You are so much fun to be around.

Here are a few images from our fun morning together~ just love those big blue eyes!

Commercial Portrait Session :: Ramona Ndlovu

2011-06-24T12:52:00.001-04:00

This year, I have really been enjoying work in commercial portrait sessions for local business women. For these business owners it is an investment in putting together a complete professional look~ a first impression that counts when someone is deciding to approve a press release, schedule an interview to talk about their business, and overall adds credibility to business websites and online social sites.

I had the privilege of working with my good friend, Ramona Ndlovu, whose business Sage Heart Studio is just getting underway. She is looking to combine her artistic talent with her counseling background to help others in their spiritual growth. While Ramona's latest art project is rughooking, she also enjoys gardening, reading, and traveling with her husband and two children.

This December, she will be leading a one day retreat for Oasis Ministries at the Palmyra First United Methodist church. For more information about the retreat (and to see one of Ramona's images in action) click here: http://www.oasismin.org/Advent-GodwithUs.htm Below are a few of my favorites from her portrait session~ she has such natural beauty, both inside and out!

Being TWO is Fun! :: Camp Hill Baby Photographer

2011-06-16T15:58:00.001-04:00

One of the best things about being a children's photographer is getting to watch these little ones grow and change. I photographed this sweet baby girl several times last year, and it was such a joy to see her change from a baby to a toddler. I could spend all day just listening to her chatter and marvel at simple discoveries like picking dandelions and watching ants. I met with her mommy and daddy to spend a fun spring evening evening walking around and capturing who she is at this stage of her life. From her pipsqueak "I do it, MYself!" to her adorable way of calling me to follow her "you come, Miss Marshie?" she has me wrapped around her little finger, as I suspect most people in her life would be as well. Here are just a few images from our evening together~ enjoy!

these next two are from her album (a great way to showcase your favorites when it's hard to decide!)

Giving Back :: Joni & Friends Family Retreat 2010

2011-05-29T22:34:00.002-04:00

Sooooo... somewhere in the chaos of last summer it seems I posted the images from Joni & Friends Family 2010 Retreat to Facebook, but missed putting them on the blog~ hence, a post of last year's JAF Retreat at Spruce Lake Retreat in the Poconos, just a few weeks away from my upcoming return to capture another week filled with fun, laughter, and an indescribable love that envelops this time. The theme for 2010 was "More than imagined" and truly, it was!

For the families, it's kind of like a cruise, but on land~ all of the activities are planned out, they just show up and enjoy the food and festivities without having to plan all the parts of vacation in addition caring for a loved one's special needs. Sometimes the camper is a child with mental or physical challenges, and others are adults with disabilities resulting from an accident or disease.

In trying to choose some images to share here on the blog, it was tough because I have many favorites as I got to know the people in these images.... some carry burdens that are mostly lifted during a week that looks a bit like I picture heaven to be~ everyone coming together and being included in fun activities and not being viewed as limited or different~ but being loved and cared for... it is true that by the end of the week it is hard to tell who is a camper and who is a volunteer~ it becomes a cohesive community of Christ which is just beautiful to watch and be part of.

I tried find images that could best tell the "story" of the week~ to see more (and get a better sense of what Joni & Friends Family Retreat is all about) click on this link: Circle of Life Photography on Facebook

Below, staff members wash and bless the Short Term Missionary's hands to go and serve:

Families are greeted with their choice of a "loud" or "soft" greeting upon arrival:

JAF Retreat Program Director, Sib Charles, started off the retreat popping out of the storybook:

Much to the surprise of Program Manager, Joan Barton :-)

Happy times like these abound~ water fun during the hot days~
and much patience and humor from the Short Term Missionaries!

Almost everyone is able to enjoy the water tubes down the hill~ the smiles from children
who spend most of their time in wheelchairs is just priceless:

The talent show is a huge hit~ everyone is involved and has a blast. From musicians to skits and everything in between, it is a memorable night~ below the girls do a skit to the song "Car Wash":

Another talent show wonder: this young boy below is a true miracle~ for a child with many challenges including speech, he clearly sang the verses to "How Great Thou Art," which his father sang to him every night in the NICU. Needless to say, there we few dry eyes in the house!

Finding the hangouts of young campers and seeing their joyful faces was a fun part of my week~
one of many touching stories was a young mother, who at the end of the week spoke in front of the camp about how her family had been blessed by attending the JAF Retreat~ she was just amazed at the outpouring of patience and love for her child, that no one blinked an eye when her child ran onstage during worship~ and, in her words, "you actually LIKE my child!" Everyone laughed, but at the same time everyone 'got it'~ it's challenging living in a world that expects perfection and has little patience when things don't go according to plan. Here, everyone fits in.

Making friends~ even with social challenges, strong bonds between campers and their Short Term Missionaries are formed by the end of the week:

If these pictures leave you wishing you could find out more about attending or serving
at a Joni & Friends Family Retreat, please click on this link:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/family-retreats/for-families/
Trust me, your life will never be the same!!

Commercial Portrait Session :: Whole Wide World Toys

2011-05-24T15:00:00.006-04:00

Sometimes God puts some of the most interesting and fun people in my life ~ meeting Laura Barta, owner of Whole Wide World Toys, was another one of those times when I realize it's more than just a business relationship, I am blessed to make a friend in the process. Laura has lived and traveled abroad, and recently published her first book, My China Travel Journal, aimed at teaching kids about everyday life in China. She is currently working on creating additional toys and games to enhance the book, and has a vision for future multi-cultural books and toys as her company grows.

Last year, Laura bid on (and won!) a Circle of Life Photography portrait session silent auction at the Hershey Playhouse annual fundraiser dinner and decided to use it to create portraits for her growing business. Together we chose clothing and accessories that would be professional and represent her company. The session itself was relaxed and fun, and Laura's personality and warmth just really comes through in the images.

Commercial portrait sessions are a valuable investment in creating a professional look for any business~ these digital images are for use in marketing, business cards, websites, submitting for publications, etc. Even though Laura's images were taken at her home in Hershey, PA, they have a timeless, classic look that could be anywhere in the world, which works perfectly for her business!

Giving Back :: Pillows-of-Love 2011 Derby

2011-05-18T23:33:00.000-04:00

Clouds and raindrops could not stop another Pillows-of-Love Pillowcase Derby~ each year the weather seems to pose a bit of a challenge, and with all the rain the Northeast has been having the past few weeks/months, prayers were answered when the rain held off just until the end of this fun event :-) The derby was held at the Milton Hershey School grounds on May 1, 2011 and it was great to see such a wonderful turn out of kids and their families.

The Pillows-of-Love ministry is beginning it's 8th year~ founder Kimberlee Jerrehian had a vision that developed into a non-profit organization which now provides beautiful pillowcases and Bibles to women and children who are displaced, in a recovery shelter, a pregnancy center, or an international orphanage. Each pillowcase is handcrafted by a caring volunteer and embellished with the message of Psalm 4:8~ "The Lord will give you sleep, peace and a safe place to dwell." A gift of The New Testament or a children's book about Jesus is included with each domestic pillowcase.

The derby is held each year to raise money for materials and distribution of pillowcases & Bibles. Children hop, skip, walk or run around the track and earn punches on their card. Donated prizes such as stuffed animals, gift cards and items from local businesses were given away to participants throughout the event. Kimberlee created five beautiful quilts to be raffled off at the event. Face painting, balloon creations, paper making, and a cake walk were all part of the festivities.

More on the story behind the ministry can be found here: http://www.pillows-of-love.com

as well as images from previous years, and more images from the 2011 event will be added soon.

Please note that all images here are copyright protected and may not be copied or downloaded without permission. You are welcome to bookmark this page, or email me for information on purchasing images. All proceeds from image purchases from this event are given to Pillows-of-Love ministry.

Baby Portrait Session :: 3 months & growing!

2011-03-31T16:10:00.000-04:00

I photographed this little sweetheart's big sister exactly two years ago when Circle of Life Photography was still in its infant stage... my how things have changed since then! Sometimes it's a good reminder to me to see how much my photography business and skill has grown and changed~ God has been so faithful, as have my amazing clients, friends and family. This sweet baby girl is the daughter of Carolyn & Derek~ we photographed her at three months and she is as adorable and smile-y as she looks here~ I keep reminding Carolyn to label all those baby pictures... she looks so much like big sis that someday they might be a challenge to tell those baby pics apart! Enjoy!

Newborn Portrait Session :: Precious Details

2011-03-18T23:56:00.000-04:00

I'm sure everyone is feeling it, but I just can't believe how fast this year is going~ I think 'oh yes, I'll blog this or get to that" and ZIP a week goes by, then another... and here we are with a newborn cutie born back in December, who will soon be ready for his next portrait session! This adorable little guy is the son of Megan and Kraig, and much loved by his Aunt Amy~ as well as his grandparents, cousins, friends and church family :-)

Around the time of his arrival I was considering upgrading my 35mm 1.4 lens to a 1.2 and decided to rent the lens before making the purchase~ I rented it for this newborn portrait session and absolutely fell in love with how it perfectly captures the details~ every little wrinkle, baby fuzz, the creases in his little feet.... all the elements that make up a new baby and are soon changed and outgrown. Hard to believe that one of my "little" guys just turned 10 years old this week... they literally change and grow in a blink and I soooo wish I had some images like these to remember the details of those tiny fingers and toes! So here are a few images of this precious new life, one that God already knows all about~ who he will become, where those now tiny feet will walk, and whose lives he will touch. May your days be blessed, little one!

and p.s. YES, I got the lens! Hasn't left the camera since :-)

Bits of Life :: MCP Project 52 Week 8

2011-02-25T10:33:00.000-05:00

It's week #8 for the MCP Project 52 and this week's theme is "The view from here..."

Our youngest is definitely "dad's helper" and was so excited to help reattach the plumbing after some home improvements were made. It was evening so I used the available overhead kitchen lights and a light across the room that somehow put a spotlight on the wrench at just the right moment. I love this because it really captures who he is, what makes him happy, and this would be a favorite "view."

Applied a preset action in Lightroom, settings adjusted, and then minor finishing touches added in Photoshop to brighten and sharpen.

For my MCP Project 52 images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48520968@N03/

and the entire group of images submitted: http://www.flickr.com/groups/mcp-project52/

Bits of Life :: I Heart Faces "Fix-It Friday" #88

2011-02-25T09:22:00.002-05:00

It's time for another "Fix-It" Friday from I Heart Faces~ these edits are so fun! This was a another quick and fun edit~ I love testing new presets and trying to take an already great image to the next level. This week's image (below) was taken by Angie:

original~ image by Angie Arthur Photography

Circle of Life Photography "Fix-It Friday" edit

How I did it: I started in Lightroom with a just-released Pretty Preset "Undo Overcast Day" to brighten and warm up the image, made some minor adjustments and overall brightened the image. In PS5 I ran Portraiture, MCP's Touch of Light/Dark on the eyes/face, and sharpened, cropped~ that's it!
I cropped out the barrette~ it's cute, but I think it distracts and cropping allows you to focus on her face~ love her wistful look~ dreaming about spring perhaps? Or maybe Justin Beiber...? hmmmm, anyway, have a GREAT Friday!

www.iheartfaces.com

Circle of Life Photography on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CircleofLifePhotography

Bits of Life :: I Heart Faces (#86)

2011-02-15T16:50:00.004-05:00

www.iheartfaces.com

Last week I had a few minutes to hop over to the I Heart Faces site and was excited to have a chance to participate in editing one of the Fix-It Friday images (okay, so this was the 86th Fix-It Friday and the first time I actually got to do one... better late than never I guess?!) This was a fun edit and didn't take much time. This week's image (below) was taken by Rachel:

Details on how I edited:
I started in Lightroom with Pretty Presets "Orange Wallflower" to brighten her pretty red hair and warm up the image, making some minor adjustments and overall brightening the image. In PS5 I ran Portraiture, MCP's Touch of Light/Dark on the eyes/face, and MCP's Mini Fusion, again making minor adjustments. Sharpened, cropped and rotated the image and that's it! Love her wispy curls and the how the colors pop in this sweet image.

image © I Heart Faces, edit by Circle of Life Photography

Bits of Life :: MCP Project 52 Weeks 6 & 7

2011-02-15T15:28:00.001-05:00

Weekly submissions for MCP Project 52~ can't believe it's been 7 weeks since this started! It has been so much fun to try and come up with something creative to relate to the weekly topic~ even the kids are into it :-) All of my images are photographed using only available window light, with a preset action applied in Lightroom, settings adjusted, and then minor finishing touches added in Photoshop to brighten and sharpen. Enjoy and feel free to post a comment on your favorite!

For my MCP Project 52 images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48520968@N03/
and the entire group of images submitted: http://www.flickr.com/groups/mcp-project52/

Please do not copy or download these images~ all images are copyright 2011 Circle of Life Photography. Thanks!

Week 6 theme: Words

in honor of a special day this month :-)

©2011 Circle of Life Photography ~ Do not copy or print.

Week 7 theme: Open Your Heart
Our oldest kiddo and I collaborated on this one~ we both loved the saying in the wrapper! She was disappointed to have missed the oreo cookie session the other week, and today her brothers weren't around, so guess who ate the candy heart?

Bits of Life :: MCP Project 52 Weeks 1-5

2011-02-01T15:48:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, Jodi from MCP Actions announced that she would be putting together a flickr group for photographers and enthusiasts to post one image each week, based on a proposed theme. I've seen a lot of photographers start (and sometimes complete) 365 projects, literally taking and posting an image every. single. day. Um, I don't know about you, but I find that a tad overwhelming!

I know myself~ that would last about two weeks for me~ mayyybe three, and I'd ditch it altogether. But once a week seems very do-able, a nice break from portrait work, and I have had a lot of fun thinking up something unique for the weekly topic.

All of my images are photographed using only available window light, with a preset action applied in Lightroom, settings adjusted, and then minor finishing touches added in Photoshop to brighten and sharpen. After today I will begin posting the weekly image as I create it~ but here is a recap of the past five weeks~ enjoy and feel free to post a comment on your favorite!

For my MCP Project 52 images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48520968@N03/
and the entire group of images submitted: http://www.flickr.com/groups/mcp-project52/

Please do not copy or download these images~ all images are copyright 2011 Circle of Life Photography. Thanks!

Week 1: Something Around the House
...and how I start most days :-)

Week 2: Illustrate a song~ I chose "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies
Inspired by my kids' candy jar~ placed in the sink and using only natural light.

Week 3: Shades of Grey
Our chocolate lab Henry's favorite spot. Was originally trying to do something with the snowflakes in the window when he plopped down to check out what the squirrels were up to. Perfect timing with the natural light coming through~ can hardly notice those kid finger streaks on the window!

Week 4: Soothing Repetition
Week 4: Amazing how quickly my kiddos offered to be a part of this photography session!
And asked to repeat this over and over and over... too bad they won't cooperate any other time :-)

Week 5: Muse
Muse is defined as a guiding spirit and a source of inspiration. My trust in God's plan for my family, my life and business is something I muse about daily~ I am blessed beyond measure and am learning to give freely and know He will always provide. I listen and find direction/meaning in the Scriptures and music, and am energized by the expression of Christ's love from amazing friends and family who surround me.

If you are interested in participating in MCP's Project 52 feel free to jump in!

Children's Portrait Session :: The Gerbers

2011-01-31T12:42:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows this family knows just how much fun it was for me to spend a few hours with them. Jenny is one of the sweetest, most lovable people God created and it is evident that this character quality runs in the family! She teaches 2nd grade in the Elizabethtown area school district and pours everything she has into helping 'her kids' acheive their best~ students from her past classes always come back to visit her and get their hugs. Jenny and her hubby, Dan, have two very active, handsome boys who love their sports. Their younger boy reminds me so much of our middle guy, they played soccer together and are two peas in a pod, always smiling and silly (what we call 'squirrelly') but very serious in competition!

With all of the snow lying on the ground right now (and more coming!) it's fun to look back on this beautiful fall day when the leaves were just changing color around their property. Below are some of the images Jenny chose for her home~ including a framed print of the last image (my favorite) to put on their mantle. It really captures the fun they have together and how much love they have for each other! Enjoy!

Giving Back :: Thirst Relief International Fundraiser

2011-01-28T11:04:00.002-05:00

Thirst Relief International is having a fundraiser https://secure.thirstrelief.org/momentum/fundraising_page/19
that supports Thirst Relief and ends on Sunday, January 30th~ if they reach the goal, they will pick one person to go on a cruise with Photog Retreat 2011!

It is a fantastic cause and certainly can't hurt to donate even if the goal isn't reached. We live in culture where $5 for an extra large latte appeases us for a few minutes~ but imagine if that same $5 could be used to give a child clean drinking water for the rest of their life? Even if you aren't interested in this fundraiser, please check out the site and donate to help build a well in India, or build a water filter system in Haiti.

https://secure.thirstrelief.org/

Info on the fundraiser (also on the blog links above):
Donate $25 or more to Thirst Relief through this Fundraising Page to be entered to win a trip to The Photog Retreat 2011: 7 Day Cruise out of Los Angeles, California!*

Join Mike Larson, The Bui Brothers, The Youngrens, Gray Photography, Shaun Austin and Kevin Swan along with other amazing photographers for the second annual Photog Retreat- a one of a kind cruise that you will not want to miss!

With an emphasis on networking, building relationships, informative workshops, exotic photo shoots and so much more! Enjoy a much needed vacation, build your portfolio, network with top industry professionals and receive some awesome deals, discounts and prizes from our sponsors!

*All donors of $25 or more will be entered to win a trip to The Photog Retreat 2011 once we reach $1,250.

Participants may enter multiple times with multiple $25 donations from January 18th-30th, 2011.

Prize has no cash value, is non transferable and may not be sold. Not applicable on previous registrations. Winner is responsible for taxes.

For more information visit https://www.photogretreat.com

Children's Portrait Session :: One Happy Family

2011-01-06T17:34:00.002-05:00

I have been so excited to post this family's images and also want to share a little background into what goes into a portrait session~ first, a little about this sweet family who also happen to be wonderful friends of ours (make sure to go the scroll down to see the slideshow at the end!)

Cindy and Scott celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary in 2010 with a trip to Italy to commemorate this special time and when they returned, Cindy also wished to capture their family in images at this stage of their lives. (Too bad I wasn't invited to photograph in Italy! haha just kidding... kind of :-) Last fall, their daughter started middle school and their son had just begun his elementary school career, so between school, work and activities this family keeps a busy pace! Throughout the craziness, I love their sense of peace and truly caring for one another and it was my goal to capture a bit of who they are personality-wise and to overall capture a little vision of God sees them. We photographed in Hershey on a gorgeous fall day~ what amazing light! It's my favorite time of year to photograph. Here are some of my favorite images from their session:

For the planning of a custom portrait session, many details are decided before I ever pick up a camera~ a pre-session consultation helps us to determine a location, what clothes and accessories to bring, and what products you are looking for in finished images. A large framed print or a canvas gallery wrap would highlight the ones you love ~ or if you have a hard time deciding on just a few, a keepsake album featuring all of your images is a new option starting this year. It is an investment in the history of your family, and one to share with generations to come! Photographing kids and their parents is also one of my favorite things in the world to do~ to capture the love you and your family have for each other, well, there's really nothing better! The video below gives a sense of the types of images captured in a single custom portrait session. Of course, each session is different, depending on the children's ages, as well as what location and clothes are chosen~ but you get the idea! I had so much fun with them~ Enjoy!

Children's Portrait Session :: Fun Day @ Messiah College

2011-01-05T10:35:00.000-05:00

Happy 2011! I am taking a couple of weeks off in the new year, but will start blogging some of the fall sessions now that the holiday cards have been sent and special gifts given :-)

Oh my, this little guy was my very first newborn portrait session and I can't believe how quickly he has grown up! It is sad that we no longer refer to him as "Baby O" because, well, it's clear he's no longer a baby! He has quite the expressive (and impressive!) vocabulary and he still is as cute as can be. He was VERY excited to show me around his mommy & daddy's alma mater, Messiah College, and make sure I knew where the soccer and lacrosse fields were located. We played in leaves, found a fun playground and ate yummy snacks on a perfect fall day. My favorite images are of him playing in the leaves~ so much fun! Enjoy!

Christmas Blessings!

2010-12-24T14:09:00.000-05:00

Wishing you and your family a joyous Christmas! May your heart be filled with happiness and cheerfulness and your days blessed with the company of good friends and family. A special thanks to all the wonderful people who have made 2010 an amazing year for Circle of Life Photography~ I feel continually blessed by each one of you! Praying for God's continued guidance and direction in the year to come~ may I honor and glorify Him in the images of his people!

Giving Back :: Celebrating Adoption {Fall 2010}

2010-12-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

Hello again! No, I did not drop off the face of the earth, but blogging has taken a back seat to portrait sessions, editing, ordering and family life the past month. I had no idea what I was in store for this fall! But I loved every minute. Some days I feel a little like I went back to college (I LOVED college!) ~ the late, late nights, lots of coffee to keep going, lots of work interspersed with fun times with family & friends over the holidays. Now I am SOOO ready for a winter break, but can start to resume posting some of the fabulous sessions from the fall.

The first one up is the adorable Miss A~ this was a giving back/baby portrait session to celebrate her recent adoption. I always love finding out the stories of families who are created through adoption~ her mommy & daddy, Lisa and James, were thrilled to find out they were going to be parents as they received a call saying a baby girl had been matched with them~ and she had not only arrived, but was waiting for them at the hospital! I can't imagine the scramble to get everything needed for a newborn and literally transform a room into a nursery overnight. This little sweetheart has been a blessing and a little lovebug for her family, with a smile that is so endearing. We met at a local park on a beautiful fall morning~ here are a few from her session! Enjoy!

Children's Portrait Session :: The Dinse Sisters

2010-10-28T11:36:00.000-04:00

The end of October! How these days are just flying by. I don't know how the rest of you are doing but around here, it feels a bit chaotic this time of year with all the kids' activities, school projects, sports, church, fall parties and, well, those ~~boring~~ necessary things like grocery shopping, laundry and cleaning. I have been photographing some amazing kids and parents lately and I wish I could get them on the blog ten times faster!

Here are a few of my favorites from a recent session with the Dinse family. If you know this beautiful family, chances are good you love them too~ they are funny, kind, compassionate and thoughtful. Dan owns Dinse Dental Care in East Petersburg and Ling works as a personal and marriage counselor. Over the past couple of years around Christmas and Easter, Ling has organized several pajama, coat and clothing and toy drives to share with Harrisburg BIC church families and nothing stops her group from getting the items to the kids~ last year's event took place during a huge snowstorm! Thankfully for the girls' portrait session, we didn't have any weather concerns~ it turned out to be a beautiful fall day and we had fun walking around their property and the Masonic Village gardens. Enjoy the images, the girls did a fabulous job (and their parents behaved pretty well too!)

Children's Portrait Session :: Autumn in Hershey

2010-10-22T14:46:00.000-04:00

This fall I have had fun with some of the very first families I photographed two years ago~ it's so neat to look back and see not only how the kids have grown and changed, but the improvements in my photography skills as well! This family is dear to me~ Kathy and I have been friends since grade school and we have been blessed with an amazing group of girlfriends. She was my assistant for the fall mini-portrait sessions and she was so helpful that I think I will have to hire her next year for extended family portraits!

Her husband Chris, is also special to us too, not only as a friend, but as our family's dentist! He owns Sicher Family Dentistry in Hershey, PA and he and his staff do an amazing job (slightly embarrassed to admit this, I am not a big fan of dental visits, but every six months I still hear my mother's voice in my head saying I need to go. My kids ask all the time when it's their turn to go~ the entire staff is awesome!) Kathy & Chris's two beautiful kids did an amazing job and have the sparkliest (is that a word?) blue eyes ever. Here are a few from our session together~ I had fun, and hope you did too!

Children's Portrait Session :: Sweet Sisters

2010-10-15T20:51:00.000-04:00

When Carrie called to ask about a children's portrait session for her two young daughters, I could understand her hesitancy about whether the girls would cooperate~ her older daughter, at age 4, can be shy, and the baby is 21 months and full of *energy*... enough said! So we picked a location just minutes from their home in a beautiful gardens owned by Jim Showers of Elizabethtown~ one of my favorite locations to photograph~ to let the girls run around and have fun. It was one of those days when the older didn't nap and the younger didn't want to stop for anything, but despite the odds, there were no melt downs and I think we came away with a few special images... so I decided (with the beautiful lighting and the girls' classic look), to try something new with adding textures to some of the images. I think it gives them more of a storybook feel, and for my first try, I'm pretty happy with the results!

At these ages, it's tough to get images of them sitting in the same spot and smiling, so I think images of 'who they are right now'~ running, moving, (i.e. being kids!) are the ones their family will look back on and love in the years to come when they've grown out of these stages. The first three images of the sneak peek are traditional finish and the rest are with the artistic texture finish~ what do you think?

little charmer

sweet big sister

Tim & Carrie~ beautiful couple!

...and the images below are the ones with added texture:

Feel free to post a love note for the family below~ thanks!

Children's Portrait Session :: Definitely Unique

2010-10-12T18:51:00.000-04:00

I love this family. I bet if you've been following this blog for any amount of time, you are probably thinking "she says that about every family!" That is probably true, but I can't help it! Our family has been truly blessed with incredible friends, and amazing people who start out as clients and become our friends. As I spend time getting to know them and learn the stories of their lives, they all just melt my heart into a big mush of goo. And as I work on their images, I am thinking 'wow, if I adore them this much, imagine how much God loves each of one of these precious people??'

The short story with this family is that Tony and Wendy graduated with my husband and we have loosely kept in touch over the years through the adoptions and births of our children. We had originally planned this portrait session for May, but changed plans once they found their dream property and rescheduled for the fall~ and am I ever glad we did! Tony is a professional chef, and mom Wendy is a nurse by day and blogger by night with her family's heart-warming blog, Relatively Unique (if you enjoy family stories, decorating and repurposing items, and/or cooking, you absolutely need to check it out!)

They have three amazing kids who were simply a dream to work with for their children's portrait session. As a family they are caring, down-to-earth, and a little bit silly. Add in a beautiful fall evening with yummy sunset lighting and, there you have it~ the perfect recipe for amazing images to fall in love with~ so much so that I had a really hard time choosing! So here are a few of my faves~ more than I normally post, but can you blame me??

Extended Family Portraits :: The Messicks'

2010-10-06T14:09:00.000-04:00

Another amazing family on the blog! I photograph extended family sessions only two or three times each year and the Messick's is the first extended family session I have photographed involving a two year old boy. Let's just say that I typically spend an entire hour and a half chasing toddlers for a baby portrait session, and the result is mostly action shots, so I was thrilled to get a few images with this little guy holding still and looking in the direction of the camera (well, at least his head is still, but his hands are moving!)

Ken and Marian are blessed with a wonderful family including three sons, two daughters-in-law and one adorable grandson. Ken is CEO of the family-owned Messick's Farm Equipment store in Elizabethtown, and works with two of his three sons. Marian has a talent for creating a beautiful artistic piece each week with flowers and natural materials for the front of the sanctuary at Elizabethtown BIC church. I suppose I should not have favorites, but I am a little biased toward a certain member of this family~ yes, it's their grandson Garrett, since I get to hang with him in church every other week and build block towers :-) Here's a peek at some of my faves~ I especially liked the couples' images and the series with Garrett and his toy!

Ken & Marian

Neil & Kristin and...

their little-bundle-of-energy, Garrett

Kevin & Janelle

Lucas

love this one of mommy & son:

Garrett just LOVED his Curious George pop-up! lots of giggles:

In a two-year-old's world, having a couch outside was just plain funny~ and although
we had wrapped up the session, I had to get the camera out again just for this:

Thanks again for a fun day!

Baby Portrait Session :: Afternoon in the Park

2010-09-24T10:45:00.000-04:00

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:

babyGap casting call perhaps?

Baby Portrait Session :: First Birthday Portraits

2010-09-20T20:29:00.000-04:00

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!

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

2010-09-17T18:53:00.000-04:00

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?

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

2010-09-06T19:25:00.000-04:00

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:

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

2010-09-05T21:02:00.000-04:00

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!

Senior Portrait Session :: Paige {Elizabethtown HS ~ Class of 2011}

2010-08-30T19:06:00.000-04:00

What a blast these senior portrait sessions have been! And Paige's session was no exception. She has a fun, outgoing personality and great expression. We traveled down to Lancaster Central Market area on a beautiful summer evening and simply had a great time walking around and finding all kinds of interesting little spots to photograph. Oh, and since apparently portrait sessions with me often end up with interesting things happening, we were also pretending not to watch some guy get busted for something or other. Ah, yes, the joys of city life!

Paige is a senior at Elizabethtown High School, and has been busy the past few weeks in her role as drum major for the high school band. She stays active year round at school with diving over the fall/winter and track in the spring. Her household will change a little this fall as her older brother heads off to college, but her younger brother is still around to keep things interesting :-) Here are a few sneak peeks from her portrait session~ if you know someone who needs senior portraits this fall, my year-end schedule is filling up quickly~ I have about six spots left for senior sessions. My personal faves are the last two~ stunning!

TWO Spots Remaining for Fall Mini Portrait Sessions! (click link for more info)

2010-08-23T22:29:00.004-04:00

Who: Circle of Life Photography + you
When: Sunday afternoon, October 3, 2010
Where: Elizabethtown, PA
What: Your session fee = a donation to Joni & Friends! and you get a few great images of your kid(s), your family or YOU for holiday cards and gifts!
Click link for more info: http://mycirclephotos.blogspot.com/p/fall-family-mini-sessions.html

Senior Portrait Session :: Malorie {Elizabethtown HS ~ Class of 2011}

2010-08-23T17:46:00.001-04:00

Wow, Malorie totally ROCKED her senior portrait session!! Her main request for senior portraits was that she wanted something unique and I hope we accomplished that here. As I am working with seniors, I am realizing that going through their closets to find combinations of colors, layer, accessories, etc. that will work together later in a collage of the images is vital to making a session work. (Um, yes I am going to confess that I really like going through people's closets~ kind of like retail therapy in some way.) Malorie had everything laid out for me and I didn't have to make many changes~ just added some accessories and she was good to go!

I was so excited that one of Malorie's college visits from this summer was to my alma mater, Clarion Univerity~ she is thinking of going to school for elementary education and special education and has more college visits planned in the coming week. It was kind of a reality check for me to think that when I first met Malorie's family at our church, she was about the same age as our daughter is now~ which means this high school senior thing sneaks up pretty quickly! So here is a sneak peek of my faves from her session~ with so many fun ones, it was hard to choose:

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

2010-08-21T16:56:00.000-04:00

So excited to post this great senior portrait session with Julie after we've had some internet issues this week~ I couldn't post her images and the wait was about making me crazy! Julie did an amazing job and has a phenomenal smile to go with her equally beautiful personality. At one point I was trying to get see if she could do a 'serious' look and she, her mom Donna, and I were all cracking up... it just wasn't her~ anyone who knows Julie would agree that she is a truly smile-y girl! So I think these images really reflect her heart and inner beauty as well as the outer.

Julie is a senior at Palmyra High School, and although she isn't exactly sure what she wants to do after graduation, one possibility is to become a nurse. Nursing as a career seems to be a common theme among the seniors I photograph this year and I am excited that so many young people are considering it~ it is definitely needed and it takes compassionate and caring hearts (like Julie's :-) to give back to others in need. Julie has had a busy past month of travel~ her family just spent two weeks out in the western United States and she also spent a week in Kentucky on a mission trip with her church youth group to help families in need of home repair.

Here are a few of my favorite images from her session~ it was Julie's idea to pick the flowers from her mom's garden just before we left~ love how the colors pop~ enjoy!

Senior Portrait Session :: Sarah {Elizabethtown HS / Class of 2011}

2010-08-18T17:12:00.000-04:00

Here are two things you normally don't associate with a senior portrait session: chicken poop and a ridiculously huge garden spider! You'd think I would not be surprised by things like this when photographing on a farmette... but (hopefully) no clothing was ruined and no ~~people~~ spiders hurt during Sarah's portrait session. After nearly a week of random rain and thunderstorms, we were blessed with a beautiful evening and stayed long enough to capture every ray of warm summer light. I love working with seniors because each session is different, like when I asked Sarah's mom, "umm, Sue, can you chase that chicken out of the way?" (nearly a hundred chickens, and one wants the spotlight :-) We also had plenty of options on this beautiful property~ including a funky little door, which housed the said spider... Sarah and I were ready to run if it popped out from under the rock!

Sarah has the most beautiful hazel eyes and LONG eyelashes~ she did an amazing job and was so patient~ she (and her mom) also did a great with selecting colors and textures for her clothing that will really look amazing when the images are put together in a collage.

This Elizabethtown Area High school senior is thinking of attending nursing school after she graduates next spring, and I think with her sweet, caring attitude, she would make a wonderful nurse wherever she works. Here are a few of my faves from her session~ seriously, how gorgeous is she... ???

Senior Portrait Session :: Stefanie {Elizabethtown HS / Class of 2011}

2010-08-13T19:40:00.000-04:00

I am so excited for this post! Stefanie is one of those beautiful people whose smile just makes your day~ we occasionally serve together in our church nursery, and I can't think of too times when she isn't smiling. Stef did an amazing job during her senior portrait session, especially because we were literally m-e-l-t-i-n-g from the heat that day~ unbelievably hot! But she was such a trooper, even in layers of clothes and jeans!

Stefanie is a senior at Elizabethtown Area High School, plays volleyball and recently went on a mission trip to Harlan, Kentucky for a week with SWAP (Sharing with Appalachian People) and her youth group. They primarily did construction projects on homes in the area but had the opportunity to interact with the families~ this trip had a profound impact on a number of youth, including Stefanie, so be sure to ask her about it!

Here are a few images from her portrait session~ she was such a natural in front of the camera, it was hard to choose!

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

2010-08-12T16:58:00.000-04:00

Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE working with seniors? It is so much fun working with these amazing (not-mentioning-the-word-'young'-here-because-that-would-mean-I-am-'old') people who have the whole world to navigate over the next few years and figure out where they fit in. It's such an exciting time filled with a lot of different emotions, both for teens and their parents. Sometimes high school seniors aren't exactly sure what they want to do post graduation~ but Cory, a senior at Manheim Central High School, knows without a doubt that his future involves working with computers~ he already has two summer jobs... one with his school's IT dept. and the other in the pharmacy at Giant in Elizabethtown, and plans to continue studies in a computer-related field after high school. So far Penn State, Carnegie Mellon and RIT are on his list of schools to check out.

I met with Cory and his mom at their home for his senior portrait session on an afternoon where the sun couldn't make up it's mind to stay behind the clouds, so we would photograph... then wait for a cloud... then photograph again. He did a great job being patient with me, and I think we got some great images of him with one of his (three) guitars... here are just a few from Cory's portrait session:

tried something new here by adding a texture to the background:

And I should mention, if you are looking to have senior portraits taken, please don't wait!
There are a few spots open in mid-September and when October fills up,
there will be no more senior sessions available until next spring.

Baby Portrait Session :: Twin Boys = Twice The Fun!!

2010-08-08T18:19:00.000-04:00

Or is twice the RUN?? These adorable boys can MOVE!! Their mommy, Robin, forewarned that this portrait session would be much different from the one last summer, when they were six months old~ but of course I am thinking, really, how fast? but I should have been asking, how many directions at once? (the answer is any direction away from the camera and all directions at once!) We had a gorgeous, warm summer evening to spend together for the boys' 18-month portrait session and all of the right elements came into play: a relaxed and unhurried Mommy & Daddy, who let their boys be boys; a new playground location for the boys to explore; a great surrounding location with the perfect trees filtering the sunlight, green space and beautiful evening light; boys who were happy, well-rested and free to run, jump, run, slide, run, play, do somersaults and run!; a prepared Mommy with snacks, drinks and toys; and a photographer wearing running shoes. Yes, it was all around the perfect opportunity to capture these little ones just as they were and we had a lot of fun doing it!

Robin and her husband, Eric, take the boys to the beach during the summer and play a game on the sand dunes with them, where they countdown and the boys run to them~ it was the only way to get the boys in one spot at the same time and made for some of the cutest images~ priceless! Thanks letting me spend some time with you and your precious family~ Love you guys!!

okay, so there are a lot of images for this post, but I had a hard time choosing... twice as many makes sense, right?

Children's Portrait Session :: Time for a Tea Party!

2010-07-29T19:22:00.001-04:00

I really do have the best friends and clients. And I love it when they appease my 'vision' of creating something special for a children's portrait session. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I love the option of using this creative freedom and having it spill over into revealing something special about a child or family. After all, God created each of us with something special in mind! This sweet four year old loves dressing up and playing with her animals so we broke out the tea set, a blanket and had ourselves a little party!

Admittedly this little girl has my heart in more ways than her sweet smile, blue eyes, curly hair and funny antics. She also happens to be our God-daughter, so time spent with her is always a little extra special. I think maybe the best part of the evening was a trip to the ice cream shop for a cone~ not much sweeter than a kid and ice cream!

A tea party with some special friends!

a convincing Sleeping Beauty

love the joy in her face while catching bubbles

and of course, while eating ice cream!
(a vintage finish to these images below~ what do you think?)

Baby Portrait Session :: Baby N's 1st Year~ Happy Birthday!!

2010-07-28T14:41:00.000-04:00

Wow~ time really flies! When Baby N's mommy contacted me last fall for baby portraits, at that time, this tiny little girl's birthday seemed so far away~ but now it's here! As a part of the Watch Me Grow! baby portrait plan, we photographed this adorable little one at 3 months, 6 months and now 1 year. What a great 'documentary' of her first year of life~ I especially like the one of her pouring 'tea' for her daddy~ so sweet. Happy Birthday Baby N, you are truly loved by so many people in your life!

Baby Portrait Session :: Six-Month-Old Sweetie

2010-07-13T11:10:00.002-04:00

This week I am feeling a little nostalgic/sentimental/sappy with the realization that my sweet little baby girl is headed to middle school in a few weeks. Looking through the images of all the beautiful baby girls from this spring really hits home with how quickly they change and grow up~ people tell you this all the time, but it's hard to grasp until the time has zipped on by. Looking at this sweet six month old baby girl, I see so many of the hopes and dreams her parents, Melissa and Aaron, have for her and and a bit of mystery as to who she will become.

This little one is truly the apple of her mommy and daddy's eyes~ but how can they resist? I love the creases in her wrists and the dimples in the back of her hand and on her elbows. She had her Mommy working hard for this session~ Melissa admits her little love is usually quite serious but also gives the sweetest, heart-melting looks and grins which is, of course, what every mom wants to see in print! So it's neat that many of these cute looks are directed at her mom & dad. And although her schedule was a bit off on this day, she was quite happy to go along with whatever we did with her despite the heat and juggling of her, her baby stuff and all of my equipment. Thanks again for a wonderful time, and enjoy every hug and snuggle with your little blessing!

Newborn Portrait Session :: Precious Little Boy

2010-07-09T18:43:00.000-04:00

Today I got to spend time with one of the sweetest, most content newborns I've ever met~ seriously, this little guy made me think "maybe that newborn stage wasn't as difficult as I remember it"?? But he really is a gem. His mommy, Jamie, contacted me last week and I was expecting her call~ she had received a Circle of Life Photography gift certificate for a newborn portrait session at her baby shower from her friend Morgan. What I wasn't expecting, and apparently neither had she, was that her baby boy arrived 15 days early!

So a little rearranging of the schedule and we had a lovely morning enjoying this little one's funny faces, grimaces and occasional squeaks. I don't think he cried once! Here are a few of my favorites~ thanks for being a patient mom and helper Jamie~ you are blessed with a beautiful baby!

Senior Portrait Session :: Brynn {Manheim Township}

2010-07-06T13:37:00.001-04:00

Sometimes clients have interesting stories of how they came across Circle of Life Photography~ this one starts with a corn field! Several years ago, Brynn's father was contacted to see if a field owned by the company he works for could be turned into a corn maze as a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network. Every year since that time, her parents attend the annual CMN Ball fundraiser held in Hershey, PA and last fall they came across my silent auction for a high school senior portrait session and won it (lucky me, and them!) The total raised from that one Miracle Ball totaled $139,000 ~ giving back rocks!

Brynn attends Manheim Twp. High School~ she was so easy to work with, and to make it even more special it was her birthday! (Just can't help but smile when it's your birthday!) Her mom, Elaine was a great 'assistant'; we had a fabulous time walking all over Mt. Gretna on a gorgeous summer day, finding spots with good light and fun places to photograph. Here are just a few of my favorites from Brynn's senior portrait session~ love her choice of colors and those beautiful blue eyes!

Children's Portrait Session :: Cutest Farm Boys

2010-06-15T08:45:00.000-04:00

When Heidi mentioned wanting to update her boy's portraits, I was so excited~ after all these guys were my original models from when I first started photographing and beginning a business! Let me tell you~ looking back at those original images I could just cringe! But thankfully Heidi tells me she loves them because they are her boys~ and it's a good reminder for me to see how far I have advanced technically and visually in just a couple of years...God has blessed me in many more ways than I can explain!

These little guys are so funny and cute and remind me a lot of our boys~ they are VERY serious about what they like, but also a bit silly at times. Their dad Eric is a local farmer, and farming definitely runs in the family~ these two boys are completely enthralled with anything relating to farming, farm equipment and construction. I got a few lessons in farm equipment terminology during their portrait session and several stories about events happening at their farm. We had a blast playing at their great-aunt's home just down the road~ skipping stones in the pond, chasing balls, playing on the swingset and sharing wagon rides up the lane. I have to say, our evening photographing was so much fun~ they did a great job just being themselves, we got some great images, and they wore me out!

Heidi~ this is the image I was envisioning...

but this is definitely my new favorite~

Giving Back :: InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

2010-06-14T07:54:00.000-04:00

The past few weeks have been packed full of events for our family~ including the end of school year 'chaos' that seems to leave every family piled high with stacks papers that mysteriously appear in kids' backpacks (even though they are clearly dated from the winter months) and multiple requests for supplies for those special end of year parties. The Grosh family can relate~ with four growing girls plus their own busy schedule, they were all a little restless for summer to start!

We planned the family's portrait session to update the images for Tom's work with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's Graduate and Faculty Ministries~ some of these images will be used on his blog and in a monthly newsletter. Much of Tom's energy is currently focused on encouraging and equipping faculty and young scholars (Emerging Scholars) to grow in their faith. He also partners with the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) in ministering with medical students, graduate students, nurses, and faculty at PSU-Hershey Medical Center. For more information please visit: http://www.groshlink.net/static/about/

Of course this time I could not resist photographing each of their beautiful girls~ and for fun, a chicken or two. Yep, they also have a coop of hens and a couple of (crazy) roosters. And if you're not careful, they'll steal your seat and want a picture themselves!

These girls LOVE their chickens!

and I wasn't kidding about losing your seat...

a fabulous family! So blessed to know them.

Baby Portrait Session :: First Birthday Wishes

2010-06-03T08:30:00.002-04:00

Sometimes wonderful things happen if you wait~ and our rescheduling Baby S's one-year-old portrait session certainly was worth the wait and then some! We had a beautiful morning to run around and enjoy this little one's cute way of walking and talking. Kari and her husband Jason wished to celebrate their little girl's first birthday with a portrait session, and she was at a great stage~ just beginning to walk well on her own, but not able to get away too quickly! She LOVED the balloons and the look on her face when she saw them across the parking lot was priceless. Thanks for a fun time, little munchkin and I know you will have a very happy birthday!

Senior Portrait Session :: Phillip [Elizabethtown]

2010-05-18T12:47:00.000-04:00

Last weekend's sunny warmth was a welcome relief amid a few weeks of uncertain weather here ~ and Phillip's family homestead was a wonderful location for his senior portraits. This 2010 Elizabethtown High School senior is currently a member of the lacrosse team and looking forward to the team's first-ever district playoff this later today (GO BEARS!) Besides playing lacrosse, he also enjoys creating music~ playing guitar and more recently, piano. Phillip will be headed to Lock Haven this fall to major in geology. Here are a few of my fave images from his portrait session... even though he has amazing green eyes, I found a new b&w post-processing preset that I love with some of the images, and his hair and skin tone was a perfect fit.

I am also booking portrait sessions for 2011 area high school seniors for June and July~ I have limited openings, so don't wait!

Elizabethtown Family Portrait Session :: The Johns'

2010-05-07T16:01:00.000-04:00

A good number of the people featured on this blog are either friends of our family, or soon become so~ we met our good friends John and Donna Johns through our church. For several years, Donna has been our daughter's Sunday school teacher, while John and our boys have a weekly catch-up conversation about sports while thumb-wrestling. Donna and John's sons, Kenny and Ryan, have also been involved in helping with our church youth programs and our kids just love them. Daughter Amy is getting married the end of this month~ and her fiance, Ben just fits in perfectly with the rest of the crew.

We had a great session this past weekend on a rather muggy day~ I had a particular image in mind (in a field) and had been praying all week for the weather to just cooperate... the day of the session we were literally watching the weather radar to head out between storms. The first rain had passed, so I knew time was limited and yet needed keep things low-stress and fun. The boys (including John) are all avid frisbee players and were happy to throw frisbee as we went along.

Sometimes it really is work though, both for me and the people I am photographing. At one point we were in the field and these swarmy fly thingies were all around my head (eeew, yes gross) and we soon realized that they would swarm to the tallest person. So we literally formed a fly diversion by passing the swarm of flies to Ryan who stood there in the field with his arms up. Covered in flies. This process was repeated several times with different family members until I had all the images I needed...we surely looked ridiculous... the lengths we will go to for great images! And the best part was at the end of the session... no more than 30 seconds after we started driving away huge raindrops started falling... what a perfectly answered prayer!

Here are a few of my faves:

Baby Portrait Session :: Little Starlet

2010-05-04T19:12:00.000-04:00

I met Kim & Jared with their beautiful 9-month-old daughter in Harrisburg on a warm and muggy Saturday morning for her baby portrait session. Anyone who was out and about last weekend may know just how buggy it was~ apparently we hit the 'swarm' time for little flying things~ thankfully we found some areas where it was not too bad and all three were real troopers!

As I was editing these images, I kept thinking how pretty Kim is and what a great couple she and Jared make~ I have truly been blessed to meet awesome people through my work. I guess it's possible that I become a bit biased about my clients~ I just love them all! And I love the dynamics of personalities within families. Kim is a self-professed non-girly girl, but her daughter already prefers things glittery and stylish (check out her shoes~ yep, she picked them out herself!) When Kim was putting on her makeup for the session, this sweet little one protested until her nose was 'powdered' too! She is just a darling, and certainly has daddy wrapped her finger already. With those gorgeous blue eyes, how could she not?

Giving Back :: Pillows-of-Love 2010 Derby

2010-05-03T14:52:00.001-04:00

A rather cold and blustery April Saturday could not stop kids and their parents from coming out to participate in the 2010 Pillows-of-Love Derby held at the Milton Hershey School gazebos a few weeks ago. The Pillows-of-Love ministry was started in 2004 by Kimberlee Jerrehian to provide beautiful pillowcases and Bibles to women and children who are displaced, in a recovery shelter, a pregnancy center, or an international orphanage.

Each pillowcase is handcrafted by a caring volunteer and embellished with the message of Psalm 4:8. A gift of The New Testament or a children's book about Jesus is included with each domestic pillowcase.

The derby is held each year to raise money for materials and distribution of pillowcases & Bibles. Children hop, skip, walk or run around the track and earn punches on their card. Donated prizes such as stuffed animals, gift cards and items from local businesses were given away throughout the event. Face painting, clowns, fun games and a quilt raffle were all part of the festivities.

More on the story behind the ministry can be found here: http://www.pillows-of-love.com
as well as images from previous years, and more images from the 2010 will be added soon.

Bits of Life :: Sweet Miss Sunshine

2010-04-15T18:40:00.001-04:00

Time sure does fly when you have kids. It's hard to believe that our sweet little girl is soon finished with elementary school and is literally (gulp) just a couple years away from becoming a teenager. She has been such a blessing to us. I love our boys dearly but there is just something special about girl time and having someone of the same gender to relate to. Our girl's weekends (just mom & daughter) are always exciting and fun times, and something we both look forward to each year. God has certainly blessed her with the gifts of empathy and compassion and it's neat to watch her grow and change and become her own person. She loves to help younger kids~ they take to her so quickly and she is a natural teacher.

Last fall, I let her pick out her own design for a fun skirt from etsy's Boutique Mia and she asked me to photograph her at Jim Shower's garden in Etown with all the spring blooms. In addition to having a green thumb, Jim is also a very talented artist, using texture and splashes of color~ there are some interesting architectural elements in the space. To say our daughter is an avid reader is an understatement, and these images reflect how her friends and family know and see her, and where she is happiest~ buried in a book!

We both loved the hanging blown glass creation~ very Medusa-like
and looks like something out of a Percy Jackson book!

(Striped sweater from Matilda Jane's new Hammond Bay Collection)

Baby Portrait Session :: One-Year-Old Cutie

2010-04-13T22:02:00.003-04:00

One of the great things about being a mom and a photographer, is that I can totally relate to moms when kids do the opposite of what she was hoping for, especially in the case of portraits. You'd never know it by these images, but this little cutie was not having the best day~ and she was letting us know (and I will definitely have to post some of those images at another time!) This was not expected from a baby who generally is happy and rarely fusses, so something was definitely up. Turns out later that evening she did have a slight fever, so I say blame it on the teeth~ right?

Our time together wasn't a complete loss, of course. She recently celebrated her first birthday and I was so impressed with her signing "more" for more snacks, more singing Elmo, etc. It was also cute to watch her handing any speck of dirt to Mom to take care of. Though we tried pulling out all the stops, she decided to be done, but that's okay, because I'm secretly rejoicing that I get to see her again sometime soon!

Circle of Life Photography :: Take a Spring Break!

2010-04-08T19:59:00.006-04:00

Spring is in the Air:
Time to refresh your look, your wardrobe
and your home!

You are cordially invited to join us for a Spring Renewal:

Refresh your skin, your closet and your home with products from
Mary Kay Cosmetics, Matilda Jane Clothing, Gold Canyon Candles,
and Circle of Life Photography.

Just stop in at The Playhouse Cafe (directions below)

on Friday, April 16, 2010 between 10:00am~1:00pm

Enjoy some cookies and coffee, chat with friends
and fill out a Circle of Life Photography entry form~
One lucky person will receive a FREE
Children's Portrait Session + $100 Gift Print credit!

The Playhouse Cafe is located at 1 Lemoyne Square, Lemoyne
It is a fun place for kids to play, while you cafe!

Not familiar with Matilda Jane Clothing? Eclectic patterns, fun combinations

and endless mix&match possibilities. They even have adult pieces
from casual to funky~ all very fun!! Local trunk keeper Cathy Yohe
will have the Hammond Bay Collection available on Friday.
Looking forward to seeing you there!

Baby Portrait Session :: Baby N's 1st Year (6 months)

2010-03-15T14:48:00.001-04:00

This little sweetie is part of our Watch Me Grow! first year series...she has been growing like crazy since I last photographed her at three months~ and somehow, in just a few short months, she has gotten even cuter with those pig tails~ over-the-top cuteness! She loooooves her bunny and kept a close eye on me the whole time... and let me know when she was ready to move on! Her family recently moved to a new home about two weeks ago so they are just getting settled and we had lots of new spaces to explore and beautiful window light to work with on an otherwise gloomy, rainy day. Nothing like an adorable baby to make those rain clouds disappear!

The Watch Me Grow! series captures babies at newborn or three months, again when they are sitting up and a final session around their first birthday and includes an album.

Baby Portrait Session :: Better late than never!

2010-03-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

Last summer little B's mom scheduled with me to photograph him just after he was born in the fall, but as we all know the best laid plans are sometimes not of our own choosing. So here we are a few months later for a baby portrait session~ and this little cutie is just a joy and blessing to his mom, dad and big brother. His big smiles definitely came from his brother's silly antics, although really big bro only had to walk by to get the biggest, sweetest grins. I have know this little guy's mommy for a long time and she is a dear friend. It has been neat to see her transition from a single girl to a married woman with a great husband, to a wonderful mom of two boys. I love when God matches me up with just the right friends, near and far. I am so grateful to be a part of their lives and watch them and their families grow and change.

Newborn Portrait Session :: God Is Gracious

2010-03-01T08:57:00.002-05:00

This little one is blessed to be born to Kristin and George, who are both doing an amazing job caring for their newborn. He is already filling out 0-3 month clothing, has beautiful skin and perfect wisps of dark hair. I was so lucky to be able to hang out with them for a few hours and hold him!

This adorable little guy also reminded me today just how hard motherhood can be. Not because he's an overly challenging baby~ he just does what all new babies do: eats a lot, poops a lot, needs held a lot and intermittently sleeps. New moms must gauge each action and consequence and are instantly transformed from a life of independence and freedom to one of being needed at any moment and required to learn a baby's language with no translator~ a tough adjustment.

Thankfully in most cases it does get easier, and because they change so quickly, capturing images of newborns is really the best way we can remember them at this stage, even a few weeks later. It took a few hours to get these images~ we had the room nice and warm (honestly the adults were melting!) and he still wanted to be wrapped up and held, so we adjusted the plan and went with what worked for him. Maybe I am a little biased, but I think he's just precious and perfect. And that's just how God sees each of us~ we may be a lot of work, but we are worth it to Him!

Share A Little Love :: ...And Dinner!

2010-02-11T16:02:00.000-05:00

Post a comment below sharing a few lines about what you LOVE about your special someone and we'll draw a name on Friday for $25 gift certificate to Passage To India restaurant in Harrisburg! (note~ certificate needs to be used by March 11th and is not valid on Saturdays or holidays. But surely, a belated Valentine's dinner would still be appreciated!!) Please send an email with your contact info to: info@mycirclephotos.com Happy Day!!

Maternity Portrait Session :: Kristin

2010-01-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

Yikes! How can it be the last week in January already?? And this is my first blog post of 2010? Well let's get things rolling with a session I did a couple of weeks ago for my husband's cousin, Kristin. She and her husband George are expecting their first baby (a boy!) in a few weeks and she was happy to model for my first maternity session. I don't think I am biased even though she's like a sister to me; she is simply beautiful and I can't wait to meet their little guy. Enjoy!

And of course, kitty had to get in on the action

Grandma made the bedding! Just beautiful

Bits of Life :: For the Love Workshop

2009-12-30T23:30:00.002-05:00

So when was the last time you got REALLY excited about something? Not just "ooh, that would be nice" but jumping up and down, twirling-whirling, giddy with anticipation kind of excitement? That's what I am talking about and hoping/praying for with a chance to win a free (yes, that is FREE) spot at the For the Love Workshop in Tennessee in February. (shamelessly, this post earns me five "drop my name in the hat" chances to win this...FIVE!!)

www.fortheloveworkshop.com

This workshop is currently open to any photographer who is looking for a unique experience that blends their faith with their work. The difference between this session and others out there is that it is spiritually focused, with special times of worship in addition to offering great business strategies and a gorgeous setting in which to photograph. I know it's a long shot, but it's important to me to seek how God can use me to bless others through photography beyond taking people's portraits (which of course I love to do!) For now I will dream a little, continue seeking God's will for this business, finish making plans to attend the Imaging USA event coming up soon and and be giddy for whomever is blessed with this extra-special gift that is sure to take their business to a new level.

May your 2010 be a year full of blessings, interesting challenges, and finding out where God wants you to be!

Merry Christmas :: Celebrating the Gift of Love

2009-12-23T18:43:00.009-05:00

Unto us a son is given, as the greatest gift of love.

And his name shall be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

In the weakness of a baby, they knew that God had come to earth.

Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and remembering that, in the words of Mother Teresa,

"It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you."

Product Share :: Custom 5x7 Album

2009-12-18T23:57:00.002-05:00

Time for another quick post! I had just a few minutes to snap some images of this wonderful 5x7 custom album with lay-flat pages that I created for this little one's grandfather before he came to pick it up~ I used "A Little Bird Told Me" album template from the wonderful designers at Design Aglow*... the colors and layers can be changed, but I left most 'as is' for this album because the colors worked perfectly for a boy and complimented the colors in the images. I also added some quotes picked out by Grandpa and created a custom cover with a metallic sheen. A great keepsake to have all the images from your portrait session beautifully printed and bound to enjoy for years to come. Love it!

*Design Aglow link was removed on 1-08-09 in response to a blog post on their site that does not reflect my style of photography or business model.

Product Share :: Simply Canvas Gallery Wraps!

2009-12-12T15:24:00.000-05:00

Finally the chaos and craziness that is holiday orders is coming to an end and I can blog again! Seriously it has been a fun year and I have really been blessed in so many ways by all the sweet babies, awesome teens and fun families I've gotten to know this year through photographing. Here are a couple of canvases that are ready for delivery, but I just had to share before they go to their new homes~ Simply Canvas rocks... the color and detail is just incredible considering the file size they are working with! The great thing about them also is that you can specify any size to the inch~ something you can't do with traditional portraits. So if you have a funky width or shape wall space, you can create unique wall art featuring some of your favorite people.

Check back later next week for some more collages and a very sweet album~ have a great weekend of holiday shopping, and if you're like me, um, that might mean *starting* your shopping.
Blessings,
~m

from this:

to this:

from this collage design (outer edge wraps around sides to back):

to this gallery wrap:

Senior Portrait Session :: Catherine's Mini Session

2009-11-27T22:26:00.001-05:00

When Catherine's mom contacted me with a request for senior portraits a few weeks ago, I was ready to apologetically say my portrait session schedule had been filled for November~ but then she said something that quickly made me change my mind. Catherine's father has been struggling with serious health issues and since the summer her mom has been consumed with traveling back and forth to Johns Hopkins for appointments. We worked out a plan to meet for a mini session to ensure Cate would get a great image for the yearbook, and plan to complete her full portrait session in the spring before graduation. This girl has a natural beauty that just radiates from within her. And I love the color of her shirt...really brings out her eyes! She rides horses and plays violin, so there should be lots of ideas between the two of us~ I can't wait to see what we dream up! Check back in the spring for more...

Baby Portrait Session :: Baby O. @ 1 year

2009-11-17T21:28:00.001-05:00

Wow! It's hard to believe little more than a year has gone by and Baby O. has gone from a teeny, helpless babe to an on-the-go, all-boy, catch-me-if-you-can toddler. Looking back over the past year I think it has been amazing to see the transformation in his images, both in his physical changes and in my photography. We are both moving out of the baby-step stage as we continue to change, learn and grow! It has been such a privilege to photograph this little guy's first year of life for my friends, Joy and Doug. This was an unusually warm November afternoon, as we laughed and enjoyed this little one while he explored... I love his newly found wonderment of the world~ checking out EVERY leaf and twig with such curiosity and hearing his definitive, deep-voiced "No" response to any question he was asked made me giggle (including when he really wanted something.) For those of you with little ones this age, enjoy these fleeting moments while they last!

Family Portrait Session :: The Jerrehians

2009-11-12T21:51:00.000-05:00

The holidays are soon upon us and these blog posts are going to get shorter and shorter as I try to keep up! Here is another great family~ if you've been following this blog since the spring, you may recognize Kim from an April blog post about a fundraiser I photographed for Pillows-of-Love. Kim and her staff are very excited about a new development~ they recently opened a volunteer center in Palmyra. After juggling schedules a bit, I caught up with Kim, her husband Greg and their two sweet kids for a portrait session in Hershey on a lovely November afternoon last weekend~ here are a few of my faves from their session. Check out the kids' beautiful eye color!

Family Portrait Session :: Ritter Family

2009-11-10T13:13:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we finally had some beautiful weather for photographing outside after many weekend washouts. I am trying to get caught up on blog posts while processing orders and finishing galleries from the sessions the past few weeks. The holiday season is truly in fully swing here!

Here is another family I just love~ Heather is a dear, dear friend of mine (we have been friends since the 7th grade!) and she holds a special place in my heart for the many ways she blesses others. Although she has been a person of faith as long as I've known her, recently she has felt challenged to really turn her life over completely to the Lord~ body, mind and spirit~ and it has been awesome and inspiring to listen to and watch her transformation. She and Dave have three wonderful boys who are, well, ALL boy! The older two are involved in sports and the little guy is just plain happy to tag along and discover whatever adventure lies ahead. They are a fun bunch and we had a great time hanging out at a park near their home. Here are few of my faves from their session!

Senior Portrait Session :: Molly

2009-11-05T22:53:00.000-05:00

I have been having entirely too much fun lately with these seniors. I'm trying to pace myself but it's hard not to work on images when everything works out perfectly~ the setting, the lighting, these teens who are 10x more beautiful than I remember any of us looking at 17!

Molly is a senior at Palmyra High School and we were blessed to have use of a beautiful property where her dad has done much of the stonework with his masonry business. And to top it off, our prayers were answered with the ideal kind of day for this location~ overcast and calm. Molly has a sweet, gentle personality and I think it's fitting that she is considering pursuing a nursing degree after high school. I loved her choices of clothing, especially the houndstooth jacket and the bright blue tee with the colorful scarf... fun accessories like these add something special to a senior portrait. I think there are a few images here that might be my new all-time faves~ feel free to leave a comment on your faves too! Enjoy!

Family Portrait Session :: New Kids in E-Town

2009-11-04T21:12:00.002-05:00

Nicky and Christ moved here this summer from the Chicago area with their three active kids and two dogs. These kids were a lot of fun to work with~ (maybe it was all for show, you know~ how your kids behave better for everyone but you?) but really, they just seemed to get along so well and were just plain enjoyable to be around, with some silliness and teasing thrown in. Nicky contacted me several months ago with some specific images in mind, and we were all set for the session a few weeks ago when she called a few hours before the session with an accident report~ the youngest kiddo had tripped into a wire and narrowly avoided a serious injury to her eye. Thankfully she was okay and we still had a perfect day last weekend~ complete with gorgeous sunset light. Here are a few of my faves of the kids' images and I promise, Nicky, there are some great ones of the whole family that will be in your online gallery. Enjoy!

and my personal favorite~ check out that sunset light~ love it!

Senior Portrait Session :: Reed

2009-11-02T23:39:00.000-05:00

Photographing seniors has quickly become one of my favorite types of portrait sessions. Reed, a 2010 grad-to-be from Palmyra High School, and his mom met with me for the first part of his senior portrait session and we had fun tromping around one of my favorite rustic locations near Elizabethtown on a nearly perfect fall morning. Rustic, as in I was pretty sure the cows we could hear just over the hill would be showing up to join us any minute.

Reed plays soccer for Palmyra and his team is currently in the district playoffs. Later on the day of this session, he assisted the game-tying goal against Northern High School that lead to Palmyra's 22nd win this season (no losses.) I asked him if he ever gets nervous before a game, and he thought for a second and said, "Um, no. Not really." Reed plans to continue his soccer career beyond high school and has Drexel on his list of possible college choices. Check back in a few weeks for some more images of Reed as we plan to meet and capture some soccer pics as well.

Pet Portrait Session :: Bosco

2009-11-01T22:27:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, I got an email from Kari asking for information on family portraits. At the time, I had already decided to limit my fall schedule~ but something she wrote caught my attention and I knew I'd have to make an exception to fit this session in to a full schedule.

Kari and her husband are new parents of their now four-month-old daughter, but their first 'babies' are their two dogs, Ellie and Bosco. Bosco is a Jack Russell terrier, and he had recently been diagnosed with cancer~ they were told they have a limited time left with him, so I met Kari one morning last week to have a mini portrait session just for her and her furry little buddy. It was a calm, beautiful fall morning and Bosco was trying to figure out why we were allowing him to go beyond the normal backyard boundaries...but as long as there were treats nearby, he was more than happy to comply! Thanks, Bosco for being a super-cool puppy model, and Kari, I can see why he's so special to you.

If you have a special pet (or pets) in your life, be sure to give them an extra hug or scratch-behind-the-ears today.

Baby Portrait Session :: Baby N's 1st Year (3 months)

2009-10-26T11:07:00.000-04:00

This precious little one was so much fun to be with and just spending a short time with her it was easy to sense the sweet spirit she has been blessed with. She is already holding 'conversations' and gives the cutest, cheeky smiles for anyone who wishes to pay attention. I love capturing the little kissable details of this age...the crease in her wrist, dimples in her hands, those tiny toes. Seems they are all gone far too soon. I also enjoyed getting know her mommy, Ong, and look forward to seeing them again for her 6-month session. I can't wait to see how much she has grown and changed!

She LOVES her crib mobile...every time it stopped she'd look away and
then kick when it came back on

Baby Portrait Session :: Celebrating Adoption III

2009-10-13T20:21:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I met with Lyndell and Ben's wonderful family for a Celebrating Adoption session~ not only do they have five beautiful children, but they are on their way to becoming a family of eight in just a few months. Yes, that will make six children~ and six adoptions. They went from couple to instant family just a few short years ago with the placement and subsequent adoption of their oldest three children. The two youngest, now two and half years old, and 17 months, each came to them as infants. Just last week they received a call from an attorney in Florida for a baby due in November, which would make even the count of girls and boys. Lyndell shares this quote on which their family is based:
"If you've ever thought about adoption, there's only one person who would put that in your mind - the Father to the fatherless. Just having the idea indicates God's inviting you to something….God doesn't necessarily call everyone to adoption, but I believe everyone's invited to care for orphans and widows. I know from our experience that when we accept that invitation, God blesses it." ---Steven Curtis Chapman

I often feel I am blessed by the special people I get to meet through photographing and this family is no exception. I have to admit spending just a little time with them stirs thoughts of what children are out there right now who need a loving home. They aren't kids who care about what kind of cars we drive, how many toys or what size house... they simply need someone to call Mom and Dad, to love them through the good and bad times, and be part of something special~ a family.

Here are few images from yesterday's session~ the kids did great despite the chilly weather (and Lyndell did a great job with their clothes~ I loved the coordinating fall colors and the boys' vests):

If you know someone who has recently adopted a child,
please have them contact me for more information on this special portrait session offer.

Senior Portrait Session :: Morgan

2009-10-05T12:32:00.001-04:00

Before I had even met Morgan, a senior at Palmyra High School, I had scouted the location for her session and was really excited to find a patch of long, dried, practically dead grass~ I know, you're thinking this doesn't sound too exciting, but seriously I could envision the finished image of her standing there, playing her violin. At our pre-session meeting, my heart did a little leap when I saw her beautiful long hair and again when she brought out her homecoming dress~ there it was! the black dress...her gorgeous, long flowing hair... the sun setting just beyond the hill... it was bound the perfect combination.

Thankfully all the elements came together (including that sunset) and this vision literally came true. Certainly I am not the first one to create an image like the one below, but it is a first for me! This is one of the reasons I absolutely LOVE what I do and working with seniors has been so unbelievably fun...to create a unique piece of art, an image that truly represents who they are right now and a glimpse of who they will be in the future.

Morgan plans to go to college to major in physical therapy and is thinking of starting at Lebanon Valley College, so it was the perfect backdrop for her session. I really enjoyed getting to know her and her mom a little more and we had fun walking around the beautiful campus garden, which was a new addition since I attended LVC oh-so-many years ago. Best wishes for all you do, Morgan! Thanks for being so sweet and patient.

Bits of Life :: My crazy-but-wonderful life!!

2009-09-23T13:48:00.000-04:00

What a crazy few weeks we've had here! For several years every fall, my husband and I would plan a weekend getaway to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Then the kids came along, and well, it was simply too much work to go away together, so we started taking vacations with friends so one of us could stay home with the kids. So imagine my surprise one summer day when my hubby calls and says "I just got us tickets to see U2 this fall....in Boston!" Yes, we just back from a long, wonderful weekend in Boston...and aside from the crazy concert traffic, it was just perfect! I always forget the insane amount of packing, laundry, cleaning, errand-running and emailing there is before getting away and this year the last minute finishing-up-work stuff just put it over the top! But it was definitely worth it.

Today Bob and I celebrate 14 fabulous years together (just typing that number is kind of freaky...I am thinking, 14? I remember BEING 14...how can we be married that long already?) He's my best friend, the love of my life, an amazing dad and I can't imagine my life without him or our relationship without Christ as a part of it. Our wedding itself was a little non-traditional~ we had a small church evening ceremony and opted for a post-wedding day reception at his parents' farm. A beef roast, tons of good food and desserts, decorations with hay bales, tractor rides, and even a pony for the kids to ride. We certainly had a wonderful time and were blessed with so many family and friends to share that special time.

Speaking of families...just a quick note to share that I am officially booked for family sessions for 2009~ BUT will make room to take a newborn, baby or senior session before the end of this year. Since I typically only photograph 4-6 sessions per month, I definitely recommend booking portraits well in advance due to my limited schedule. Please contact me if you have any questions~and happy first days of fall!

Giving Back :: Family Portrait Session

2009-09-14T21:48:00.016-04:00

Today I got to have fun hanging out with Kristin, Neil and their adorable little guy to capture just a snippet of his fleeting first-year moments. Earlier this summer, Kristin & Neil had bid on and won a special package by Circle of Life Photography for a family portrait session~ the youth at our church (Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ) were holding a fundraiser to help fund their mission trip to New Bloomfield, New Mexico, in July. They worked to assist the Navajo people on contruction projects and led a Vacation Bible school at the BIC Navajo Mission for the children.

Winning the portrait session was especially exciting because Kristin was looking forward to portraits where their now 7-1/2 month old son could sit on his own. Thankfully we were able to squeeze the portrait session in just in time~ before he starts crawling (which looks to be any day now) and is able to get away on his own. We were blessed with a perfect end-of-summer afternoon at Neil's parents home and just enjoyed playing with and getting some giggles out of this little ham. Apparently whenever they try to get a picture of him crying or fussing, he sees the camera and breaks out in a big toothless smile. So enjoy a few images of this little cutie and his many expressions!

I think this one is my favorite...it's like he's saying
"hey, do you know my mom? Isn't she the greatest?"

a little 'hang time' with dad

wait... is that a tear??

No way!!

Baby Portrait Session :: Celebrating Adoption II

2009-09-08T10:51:00.011-04:00

What a busy-but-fun week this has been!! Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of hanging out with this adorable two-year-old boy and his parents, Pamela and Justin, at a local playground for a special baby portrait session (although he's pretty much past the baby stage~ I guess I need to start calling these toddler sessions? ...or maybe 'hey lady, come on and chase me' sessions??) Anyway, as you can see from the first image, this boy likes to move and I thought for sure I would be exhausted at the end, but it turned out he's a very easy-going kind of kid and was very willing to go with the flow and stay close to mom & dad.

Everyone who adopts has their own special story with some interesting twist~ just like pregnancy/delivery stories, no two adoption stories are alike. I think of the paperwork and agonizing waiting as being somewhat like pregnancy and labor, and if it's an international journey, the mix of emotions, worries, and concern of how your child will react/behave on the flight home and is multiplied in direct proportion by the number hours of the journey home. But the end of the process and the beginning of a family starts the moment you hold your child in your arms~ and you realize this dream of having a child of your own came true.

Pamela, Justin and I got to talking about their journey of how their family came to be, and we compared similarities and differences of the adoption processes from our childen's birth countries. Their son was born in Vietnam and the process to bring him home took about two years. Pamela and Justin both agree their favorite part of the process was the time spent in country~ they actually extended their stay to be there longer and take in more of the beautiful country, culture, and its people. Very recently, they found out that their little blessing is going to be a big brother! They are expecting their second child next spring and are looking forward to experiencing a new story as their family grows and changes. Here is a little visual recap of our morning:

Family Portrait Session :: Celebrating Life

2009-09-07T09:16:00.018-04:00

There are a lot of families on this blog that are special to me, and this one is no exception. This family is typical in every sense of being a loving, happy threesome~ and meeting them you would never know they have been challenged recently in a way that would undo most of us. A few months ago, Karrie (mom) was diagnosed with a form of cancer is currently not curable. This same cancer is no stranger to Karrie's family~ her father, who passed away a little over a year ago, also lived with it. Fortunately, we live in a time of amazing medical accomplishments and she is now in remission following treatment. Karrie's husband, Mike, is both her biggest supporter and comic relief~ they both have an amazing upbeat and optimistic spirit that shines through in everything they do. Though their faith has been tested, it has also been strengthened and they can't imagine going through this trial without boundless love and support of their family, friends and most of all, God.

So onto the portrait session~ I met Karrie & Mike and their adorable three year old daughter yesterday at a beautiful property owned by Jim Showers in Elizabethtown. While the setting was lovely, with many unique "nooks" and creative displays of texture, lines and art, I had to remind myself that, well, we were chasing a three year old! At this age, facial expression and close-up cuteness trumps the background, period. So we explored the gardens, fed some apples to the deer (well, one deer, the others apparently were too far away to hear the apples dropping) and just ran around having fun and listening to a little girl squeal with laughter. Here is a little recap of our evening celebrating joys of childhood~ enjoy!

Senior Portrait Session :: Kayla W.

2009-09-05T09:18:00.013-04:00

One of the things I love about photographing seniors is finding out what they are passionate about. And many of them get to do things I would have only dreamed of in high school...like traveling internationally for sports, student exchanges, and missions trips. Kayla, an Elizabethtown senior, contacted me earlier in the summer to talk about her senior portraits but we needed to wait until she returned from a month-long stay as an exchange student in Australia to coordinate our schedules for her senior portrait session. I asked her if she was missing her "Aussie home" and she gave an enthusiastic 'Yes!' and mentioned that toward the end of her time there she missed her family and wished she could take them back there to live. One of Kayla's passions is painting, and she has plans to pursue art beyond high school with applications at several colleges.

Kayla's family has a special connection to the Mount Gretna area (Kayla's mom grew up there) so I was excited to explore a new area for photographing...and although our first date was rescheduled, yesterday we were blessed with an ideal mix of clouds and sun which allowed me to play with light and shadows and just plain have fun. Kayla chose to wear some great colors and fun prints that also worked perfectly to complement and contrast the surroundings. I know I probably say this every time, but I have some new all-time favorites from this session~ and I just love her beautiful green eyes!

Bits of Life :: Harrisburg Kennel Club Dog Show (August 09)

2009-08-30T22:22:00.024-04:00

It's quite possible that some day I may become a dog show addict. Don't know what it is about the atmosphere of dozens upon dozens of dogs of all breeds competing to be the 'best of show' ~ but it's better than any reality TV show for me. (Of course if you know me, I don't watch much TV so maybe that's not an accurate comparison.) Anyway~ the owners are excited, the newer handlers sometimes a little nervous, the judges show confidence in spotting the best of the breed, fur is floating in the air and everyone is more than willing to share the wonderful traits of his or her particular breed of dog with anyone who simply asks.

Back in April I posted some images from the All-Breed Dog Show in Harrisburg and a few weeks ago we returned to the Farm Show Complex to attend a second dog show. Just for fun, my husband and I tried taking four kids and that excitement lasted all of ten minutes for the five year old. Unfortunately, we got there at the end of the day and the dogs were just plain tired out, which made for some mellow images. I learned my lesson and next time we'll just stick to me taking the oldest, who is now ten, since she just plain loves all dogs and is really into learning about the different breeds. We are already planning our trip in November to the Kennel Club of Philadelphia show! Hope you enjoy a few images here from our short-but-sweet dog show experience.

Just plain tuckered out...

Awaiting some final grooming touches

By default, my sister-in-law owns a pug so I must photograph pugs

I liked her "comb carrier"...can you find it?

Show time!

Another time 'round the ring

These dogs are HUGE and stunning. This one's just plain handsome.
Love the marble coat.

Contrasted by the starlet.
Couldn't get a good image but she was attentive to the handler!

Another in "the price of beauty" series I might start.

Senior Portrait Session :: Katie

2009-08-25T23:08:00.012-04:00

The third try was a charm for Katie's senior portrait session~ on our second rescheduled date last week, I was just minutes from her house when the sun was blotted out by clouds and literally put a damper on our plans. Thankfully tonight's weather was exactly what I had dreamed of for this location at her family's charming farmette~ the perfect evening sun with the occasional cloud to create multiple areas of gorgeous light. It didn't hurt much either that her mom has an amazing green thumb, which gave me multiple locations to work in! And with Katie's natural beauty and sweet demeanor, it was just heaven from a photographer's point of view. She will be a senior at Lower Dauphin this fall with plans to major in art after graduation. Thanks for your patience, Katie~ I hope the wait was worth it!

Senior Portrait Session :: Zach

2009-08-24T10:35:00.011-04:00

The August weather here has been so unpredictable~ seems downpours occur any time of day and a string of thunderstorms last week wreaked havoc on any type of schedule for photographing. Finally, this weather 'tide' has turned and yesterday I met with Zach and his mom, Shawn, on a sunny but warm afternoon. Shawn is a wonderful friend of mine and I graduated high school with her and Zach's dad. I could not get over how I kept looking through the lens and looking at his dad as a teenager! Zach plays soccer for Palmyra High School and, though he's just beginning to contemplate college choices, he plans to continue playing soccer in college and possibly study finance. For his senior portrait session, in addition to the more traditional images, I wanted to try something a little different for the images with his soccer jersey. What do you think?

Senior Portrait Session :: Brittany

2009-08-11T12:15:00.011-04:00

When Brittany, an Elizabethtown 2010 grad-to-be and her mom met with me a few weeks ago to talk about location and clothes (something I like to do with clients before their portrait session) I was overjoyed that they both shared my love of "old" things like run-down barns, old stone houses and locations with rustic charm. With Brittany's looks and great choice of clothes, I just knew in my heart this was going to be a match made in heaven. We could not have picked a hotter day of the year, with temps in the 90's but feeling like 100~ and yet we were having so much fun exploring this property that we barely noticed. The lighting was just amazing and the images turned out exactly how I had dreamed they might be. Thanks, Brittany (and mom, Robin) for being a little adventurous~ and indulging in this idea with me!

Senior Portrait Session :: Kayla

2009-08-09T11:51:00.011-04:00

I am always excited when seniors contact me and tell me they want something unique for their senior portraits (and even more excited when Mom is all for it too!) Kayla, an Elizabethtown 2010 grad-to-be, loves art and music so we tried to incorporate a little of each into her portraits to show her personality~ she has a sweet and beautiful spirit which shines through in everything she does~ I hope these images reflect the beautiful young woman she has become. Blessings to you, Kayla, in all you do!

and just for fun...

Baby Portrait Session :: Twin Boys @ Six Months

2009-08-02T00:04:00.012-04:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hanging out with the two of the most adorable little men I have met in some time. Baby boys C & L are the sons of Eric & Robin, who were given a Circle of Life Photography certificate as a gift from friends for a baby portrait session (this is an obvious hint/reminder that gift certificates make awesome baby shower gifts!! okay. done plugging now ;-) I am still in amazement at the boys' sweet dispositions and their ability to nap anywhere at the drop of a hat (I saw it happen~ seriously they can fall asleep anywhere, with very little fuss!)

While the boys are identical twins, I was happy to find out that they have enough physical differences for someone with a trained eye to tell them apart~ which helped me a lot in figuring out who-was-who after I got home and started going through the images. After a little dilemma over which ones to post...and trying a few different processing effects, here are the ones I was particularly tickled with... feel free to post a comment if you like one (or more) in particular and I hope you enjoy these little guys~ check out the adorable hats Mom found for them~ accessories like this make a world of difference in portraits and take super cute to over-the-top adorableness!

I know most Moms don't like pics of their kids with Nuks, but this stage
really is so short that it's wayyy cute~ both now and years later!

Baby Portrait Session :: 9 Months and Growing

2009-07-16T22:56:00.012-04:00

Baby O. is back and cuter than ever~ sporting more new teeth which make him seem even older with that charming smile. We met at a local park this morning for some fun images of his very first summer. I know I say it all the time, but it's almost astounding the rate in which these little ones grow up. I remember when my three were babies and toddlers I would think people with kids in elementary school were soooo far ahead of me...that the toddler and preschool years would never end. Now my youngest starts kindergarten this fall, and I am thinking I'll need to quickly get adjusted to this new perspective!

Lately I have been photographing seniors in high school alternately with newborns and babies and my emotions get so mixed up when I hold these tiny people who seem to grow and change entirely too fast. This little guy is actually ten months old now (yes, we're a little behind~ life moves quick-- remember?) and his age is one of my favorites for babies in general. They are often content to hang out, don't mind trying new things and are just starting to learn how to keep Mom on her toes, but usually can't get too far too fast. I had a hard time narrowing down images for the blog~ he has so many great expressions and he and his mommy were having so much fun together as you can see. Enjoy!

This little guy is part of the "Baby's First Year" series which captures little ones at every important stage in their first year~ from newborn through their first birthday. The year ends with an album highlighting all your favorite images from the previous sessions and your choice of an 11x14 gallery wrap or 50 custom-designed 5x7 flat greeting cards.

Baby Portrait Session :: Celebrating Adoption

2009-07-09T23:42:00.022-04:00

Well, he's not exactly a baby anymore~ at nineteen months he's a full-fledge on-the-move, I'm-all-boy toddler! But these little ones grow up so fast that I'm all for calling them babies as long as possible. Today's session was part of my Celebrating Adoption series~ a gift to good friends of our family who officially adopted this sweet little guy nearly one year ago. He joined their family just a few days after birth and has been a delight to his big sister, family and friends. Adoption is close to the heart of our family too, because our youngest child (ahem, the 'baby') joined our family in this same special way.

It has been a while since I have photographed someone between the ages of one and two. Let's just say he had a fantastic time this morning running, climbing the steps (over and over and over), and popping bubbles while we were waiting for that magical moment when he would stop and sit for a minute, or ten seconds... but, he didn't... (he's a boy, and I have two of them~ what was I expecting??) So there are plenty of action shots, which I love to see anyway. My absolute favorite images came at the end of the session when his daddy arrived, and you can just see this little guy's face light up and know that genetics don't make a family~ love does.

If you know someone who has recently adopted a child,
please have them contact me for more information on this special portrait session offer.

Senior Portrait Session :: Caryn

2009-07-07T09:58:00.005-04:00

What gorgeous weather we have been blessed with lately~ and what a perfect evening we had to photograph Caryn for her senior portraits! This beautiful senior girl is from Elizabethtown and has a busy summer ahead~ interviewing for a job where she can continue working in her last year of school and helping with the planning of her older sister's wedding, just two months from now. She will attend Lancaster Co. Career & Technology Center this fall for cosmetology. Her sister also graduated from this program, so who knows~ maybe there will be a sisters salon opening in the future? So onto the images~ thanks again, Caryn, for a fun evening and best wishes with all your plans for the future!

Giving Back :: Joni & Friends Family Retreat 2009

2009-07-04T23:27:00.030-04:00

This will definitely be my longest blog/image post e-v-e-r....this past week I spent three amazing days at the Joni & Friends Family Retreat at Spruce Lake Retreat in the Poconos trying to capture the spirit of this event in images. This retreat is a week-long, jam-packed amazingly fun vacation for families with special needs members. Volunteers, a.k.a. short term missionaries, are matched with a family member affected by a disability and spend the week helping them with activities and creating a friendship that often lasts many years. Parents and siblings also have special activities, meetings and worship times. This year the retreat theme was "Down on the Farm" and along with the popular annual events, like the talent show and water slide, there were wagon rides, a country fair, a hoedown and other farm related activities.

Some things are difficult to describe, and 'Joni Camp', as it is affectionately known, is really impossible to describe properly so about the best way to say it is "you just have to be there to understand." But knowing that many people will never get the chance to attend Joni Camp, the best way I can think to explain it is this: once you are there, you experience this other-worldly, overwhelming sense of peace, comraderie, patience, love and kindness that makes you forget about the rest of the world (and all its issues) and just relish in the fun activities and events planned by the Joni Camp staff, enjoy the wonderful food and simply spend time getting to know people. I was able to take our youngest and oldest kids with me, and was informed by the elder that we simply MUST attend the entire week next year, because this was the best vacation of her entire 10-year-old life!

So that is my text portion of this post~ now onto the images! Due to the passing thunderstorms last week, many of the events were moved indoors, so I was definitely feeling challenged in learning my equipment quickly in different settings and poor lighting conditions. I was pleased with how the images came out despite very little post-processing and came away with some images I will cherish because of the wonderful personalities that I can connect with them. I will post more images on the Circle of Life Photography page on Facebook since this series on the blog just barely touches the surface of what all goes on over the course of several days at camp. Please feel free to post a comment on what you think, or if you have been to Joni Camp, add a note about your experience to share with others just how special this time really is~ thanks!

The day starts off with some relay games for the teens

The water slide is always a huge hit...sometimes literally

Professional services, such as hair cuts, massages and painting nails are provided, and appreciated

Painting pots and planting herbs

Getting her turn on the "power swing"~ very popular with the young adults along with a rock climbing wall

Everyone looks forward to talent show night

Special friends

Adult morning worship

Doing the marshmallow prep for a mass making of s'mores...yummm

Children's Portrait Session :: A+DORABLE

2009-06-26T11:26:00.016-04:00

Last evening my good friend Jen and her almost 3-1/2 year old daughter joined me to scout out a new location and little did we know we'd end up on a hike in the process. I have been excited about photographing this little munchkin for many months for a number of reasons as she is a very special little girl to our family~ she happens to be Goddaughter to me and my husband. She loves dressing up in princess costumes (and has quite a collection, as every princess should!) but we decided to add the fairie wings for some fun images. I don't think I am being biased in thinking she is absolutely gorgeous and thank goodness her mom has the same curly hair, so she will know what to with it when she gets older! I hope you enjoy these pics of this little one who brings joy and laughter to so many people in her life.

Newborn Portrait Session :: Pure & Beloved

2009-06-18T21:03:00.014-04:00

This month has been just chock full of birthday celebrations, day trips, baseball games...the only thing missing are days of swimming, because lately the cold and rain have put a damper on that! A very special birthday celebration happened just seven days ago, when this cute little bundle arrived into the world. She is a darling little thing, with hardly a complaint or whimper except when it's time to eat...then she'll be heard loud and clear! Sweet baby K is the daughter of Matt & Kristy, and cousin to another baby I photographed in January: see Sugar & Spice. Our family is overjoyed with the arrival of these little ones and their older girl cousins are even more delighted to have some new playmates. I found myself getting a bit sentimental today, hardly believing that it has already been 10 years since the birth of our oldest daughter and reminiscing what it was like to be a brand new family as I watched Kristy & Matt just be in awe of their baby girl. Here are a few of my favorites from today~ thankfully the sunshine started peeking through the clouds near the end of our session, giving us just the right lighting for these special family portraits.

Extended Family Portraits :: The Bordner's

2009-06-07T00:20:00.018-04:00

Yesterday turned out to be a much-needed gorgeous day after the many days of rain that left most of us feeling like we just stepped off the ark. But, what wonderful green color everywhere as a result! I met the Bordners at Nissley Winery near Elizabethtown for an extended family portrait session that was organized by granddaughter, Tara. At Christmas this past year the family had decided that the last family portrait had been taken nearly 18 years ago, so it was time for an update! We enjoyed walking around the lovely grounds and I had fun getting to know this wonderful family a bit better as we also took time for some mini portrait sessions with individual families. They were very forgiving with me mixing up names (and occasionally children) and were quick to joke and sometimes tease one another, all in good fun. When we were finished they all headed back to Elizabethtown for a picnic. There are more pics than usual in this post~ it was hard to narrow down; a few are from the main session and then some of my favorites from the mini sessions. Enjoy!

Bits of Life :: The McGough Kids

2009-06-02T19:17:00.015-04:00

This past weekend my husband and I took our annual trek out to Pittsburgh to visit with our friends, Rich & Tricia and their three children, who happen to be the same ages as our three kids (each within a few weeks or months of one another.) This tradition got started four years ago when we attended our youngest son's adoption agency reunion, held at the Pittsburgh zoo each year, and now it has become our family's favorite weekend of the entire year. The McGough kids are anxiously waiting by the curb and the van is barely in park before the Weidler kids tumble out, everyone gives hugs and tears up the stairs of the McGough's lovely home. Normally they all disappear and we hardly hear from them for the evening, giving us a chance to catch up on the past year, but this year they were LOUD and had some wild game going on that had them whooping and hollering all around the house. Needless to say, we parents still got to catch up over dinner and had a fabulous time together. This year we also got to meet their newest family member, Goliath, who at four months old weighs in at more than 50 lbs.(!) He is as sweet as a lamb, but thankfully with a lot less energy. Here are a few pics of the kids from a mini session we did at their nearby church grounds and the last one, of course, with Goliath- while they can still hold him. Enjoy!

And this post wouldn't be complete without a pic of the whole, crazy crew,
who amazingly will do just about anything for 30 seconds if it involves the promise of a lollipop:

Family Portrait Session :: Sisters Make The Best Friends

2009-05-23T20:39:00.013-04:00

Getting amazing images of these girls was the easy part~ trying to make arrangements between their school, sports, work schedules and social lives to make it happen has been many months in the making! So today we headed to Lancaster and were blessed with some amazing mid-morning light on this perfect spring day. These two belong to a family that is very special to me and they have such an awesome relationship it makes me kind of wish I had a sister too (even though being the only girl does have its perks!) Liz has a natural talent with a camera, and plans to add photography classes to her social work courses in college this fall~ it has been fun for us to talk photography. Meghan just finished up the soccer season is headed away this summer on her second international missions trip before starting her senior year in high school. It was wonderfully fun hanging out with them today~ hmmm maybe it helped that they are both gorgeous and needed very little direction? ~ but in any case they certainly turned my work into play and I hope you enjoy these images as much as I have!