franny takes us out on the portland town

i have two separate but equal points to make regarding this blog post. 1. the mom in these photos is named posy (yes really! i know, i love that name so much).  she is one of the most special human beings i have ever met. she loves, and she gives, and she uses her probably at least 78%brainpower trying to think up ways helping others. i've been one of the people she has helped. the best part is, she's not even annoying nice. she just IS nice. i am so grateful that after our session i can now call her a close friend.

2. the little girl in this blog post is named franny. (i know, just when you thought it couldn't get better than posy!) and franny did not accept a single one of my tricks as a photographer. so you know what happened? instead of clowning around and screaming at franny (which is not beneath my usual antics). i got quiet. and i watched. because franny didn't really need my tricks. everything she was and where she took us was so lovely. it gave me the chance to shoot the session in a new way. to do things i never would have thought of if i was going according to MY system. and by the end of the session instead of franny hating me for me trying to bend her to MY photographic will, i felt like we had established a mutual respect for one another.

see what you think. xoxo, thanks for looking.

the curry family at home in washington d.c.

this mama got brave. and decided to stop avoiding being in the photos. and decided to hire me to help her make her "i'm not going to hide from the camera anymore," debut. i am so so grateful. in general i find it annoying when photogs say this--but man, i can't not say it -- my clients are the most spectacular people ever. EVER. (ever). these image are also featured on Let the Kids tuesday. my very favorite photo blog. along with a big ole giveaway of one of my 4 hour online mentoring sessions. maybe you wanna take a gander?

p.s. special thanks to my talented friend aileen reilly for assisting me at this session, and also taking some behind the scenes shots.

 contax 645 canon e0s 3. film. lots.

welcome to the world

"welcome to the world." does it not sound like a super sweet name of a tuff calssic rock album? (wait, is it????) it also happens to be the theme of a pretty cute (who am i kidding, it was mega cute!) baby shower put on for melanie blodgett, that ever charming blogger from you are my fav --  

and you're not going to believe this next part--but you know who planned this cuter than ever psuedo classic rock gold album potential baby shower? this awesome lady--right here--who i was able to photograph--who is named mykol, which happens to be the name---okay, just read about it here, i'm getting way too carried away. ;)

valerie's heart in new york city

this session is dear to me for so many reasons. the best way to sum it up though is to repeat what i said on my facebook page about this beautiful woman: i secretly believe every "pro" photographer has them. the people who believed in you before you actually knew what you were doing. i'm not talking about your spouse or your family, or someone who loves you and knows you in real life. i'm talking about those strangers out there who somehow noticed your work when you were still mostly messing around. they believed in you before you even believed in you. then the thing that makes them more amazing---is that they continue to do so. they actually stick around--and they get behind every thing you do -always encouraging, always supportive. and even though you know you don't always deserve it, you are so so grateful, because without the kind words, you may not have kept going.

valerie was/is all that and more for me. then she had to go and become a way more amazing photographer than i am

(http://www.colibriphoto.com/project/)

awhile back i had the huge honor of photographing her family in NYC. it was so hard for me to choose an image from our session to fb preveiw because there were so many lovely ones---but i think this simple capture does a great job of showing the inner and outer beauty of my good friend valerie. xoxoxo canon eos 3, tri-x.