For this session, we first went with an Easter theme since it's that time of year and we also wanted to get some pictures of the little man with his brother and sister! What we didn't plan, was the last part of the session. I knew that M's birthday theme is "Where the Wild Things Are". I love that book. When I walked into M's house and saw all of the amazing things M's Mama had done to prepare for his upcoming birthday, I just knew that we had to get ready for it now! And it couldn't have gone any better! M was rocking his photo session and we were able to get through the first two rounds perfectly! We held our breathe and gave Mr. M a little break in hopes that we would get the perfect shots for this and WE DID! I could not love these photos more and can't wait to see how the birthday invitations come out!
I have enjoyed this year with M and his family! I'm going to be so sad come May when our year is over. Those of you who have done the Watch Me Grow sessions know how attached I get to you!
Until then, enjoy this little Wild Thing!
♥ - Kristi
“He’s just a boy, pretending to be a wolf, pretending to be king” - Maurice Sendak
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My backyard in the snow. (If you look closely you'll see Eve running through)
And of course there was more basketball!
We did some volunteering! (This is Maria with Ben. He really wanted to bring her home, but she was meant to be adopted by another family!).
Ben learned to do laundry! And then there were the cutest Army Guy Valentine's ever!
My niece turned 9!!!
My little reader, reading.
A peak inside my camera bag! I don't normally carry kittens in there, but maybe I should!?
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Til' then:
♥ - Kristi
]]>Check out some of the highlights!
This clever little baby escaped her crate upon arrival. Here she is rolling over and getting belly scratches and kisses!
Hounds!
Hello sweet kittens!
This guy looks just like our Timmers!!
Channel 6 ABC was there to capture it all!
Those eyes!
It really does take a village! And we're a really good one!
Kids from South Carolina made cards for the dogs and cats and sent them along on the flight! How sweet is that?!
Thank you BVSPCA for not only helping me cross this huge bucket list item from the list once, but TWICE!
♥ - Kristi
]]>In January, a few big things happened. The first was that we adopted two kittens from our foster litter of four. These little babies came to me weighing just 0.70 pounds at 4 weeks old. They were just around 10 weeks old when we adopted them and now weigh approximately 3.5 pounds. While they are still so tiny, they've grown so much! When we took on the important roll of fostering these tiny beings through the Brandywine Valley SPCA, we did so knowing that our cat, Monkey, might not like having new little cats in her house. We were hopeful that she would like one so we could keep one. What we didn't expect was for her to fall in love with all 4 of them openly and willingly! Now that she has them in her life, she finally realizes she is a cat and not a dog and she has been so loving and cuddly! It was so hard not to keep all 4 of the little babies, but I honestly didn't know how to have 5 cats in the house! Going from 1 to 3 seemed more sane manageable. So be prepared for an overwhelming amount of cat photos in 2018. I'll be documenting McPuff and Timmers as they grow and we'll also be fostering more kittens come spring!
We also fostered an adorable little yellow lab puppy from Jax's Lab Rescue! Little Holly came to us from a breeder in Ohio who turned her over to rescue because they did not want to fix the entropion of the eye. She came to stay with us shortly after her successful eye surgery happy as could be!
I'm currently on day 45 of my Project 365 and happy to report that I beat my previous record!
Enjoy the January photos! Check out my Instagram feed for more photos!
♥ - Kristi
I've set aside 3 dates for mini sessions: April 21st, 22nd and 29th. Please contact me to schedule a time. I'll be hosting these sessions at West Chester University again!
If you would prefer to use your church for these sessions, I'm all for it and I'm happy to schedule an alternative date with you. Please do check with your church to make sure that we are welcome to use this location. Most churches have been open and welcoming!
Not ready for Communion portraits prior to the big day?! Not to worry! I'm happy to set up a date in late May for mini sessions if I have enough interest. Please don't hesitate to let me know what you're looking for!
Here's a peak back at some of my favorite portraits from 2017!
This is his brother's special memorial bench at Pope John Paul II Catholic School.
I look forward to this event every year! A member of my family has joined me each year and I love that they can come and volunteer with me! This year Finley joined me as my assistant! It was interesting to see her make the connection between Tay-Sachs and the children that it affects. I have no doubt it made a very strong impression this year as she asked many questions about the little girl, Kenzy, and her family who were the guests of honor this year. Kenzy is just 18 months old and affected by Tay-Sachs.
Drive Fore Dylan is held at The Honeybrook Golf Club in Honeybrook, PA. It's a gorgeous course set amongst farmland. The day starts early (about 8:00 a.m.) with registration and a warm welcome from Brian, then the golfers head out to the course! Me and my assistant travel around the course and capture memories and images throughout the day. I don't play golf and don't understand too much about the game, but I do LOVE photographing golf! One of these days I'm going to take lessons and learn to play!
Once the last club has been swung, the golfers head back to the clubhouse for lunch, prizes and an award ceremony! This year's best score was a 43! That's pretty darn good I'm told!
The award ceremony was really special this year. Sherri, the recipient of the very first "Moments" award last year, was given the honor of choosing the next recipient for this award. She chose sisters, Liz and Becky Warren from Massachusetts who have been coming down and volunteering for this event for years! Sherri told the story of how they met many years ago at a baseball game where the girls became very interested in Dylan and wanted to learn all about his disease and how they could help and get involved. Having their own disabilities did not stop these two extraordinary ladies from not only spreading the work regarding Tay-Sachs and raising money for the cause. Dylan also inspired them to succeed in their own personal lives. They've become more like family to the Manning Family. They were the perfect choice for this award.
Drive Fore Dylan also has some of the best raffle baskets! These are so much fun! Finley won 3 baskets this year!!
Thank you Manning Family for having me come out and photograph this awesome event! I look forward to the 15th year of Drive Fore Dylan, capturing more memories, seeing faces that have now become familiar after a few years of attending this event, seeing an old family friend and also catching up with a cousin of mine who golfs in this event!
♡ - Kristi
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And this little guy is a cutie! He was such a good sleeper and a sweet snuggler! My favorite kind of baby! I still can't get over how much he looks like his big sister, who I photographed in 2015! I adore shooting siblings this way and seeing the similarities! These two were practically identical! Take a look:
{Little Brother is the top picture; Little Sister is the bottom}
I love that they both gave me a smile too! It totally makes my day!
Take a peek at this sweet baby! Enjoy!
I hope your 2018 is off to a great start too!
♥ - Kristi
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I was honored to be asked to photograph the Light the Night walk benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society this past weekend. Light the Night is a series of walks benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s funding of research to find blood cancer cures. It is their aim to bring light to the darkness of cancer through research and cures.
What a fantastic event to be part of! Through the hard work of many LLS staff and volunteers, Light the Night, Chesterbrook was a wonderful success! It’s wonderful to see so many people come together to love and support those affected by cancer. I love that this group supports those individuals currently going through treatment and celebrates the survivors while at the same time lifting up those individuals who have lost loved ones to cancer.
Thank you for having me capture these memories LTN! It was a pleasure and I look forward to another great walk with you later this month!
♥ -Kristi
Her sister saved her life by donating her bone marrow! When I asked if I could get a picture of her, her face lit up with a smile and she asked me if her sister could be in the picture with her!
Each color lantern has a different meaning - white lanterns are carried by survivors, red lanterns are carried by supporters and gold lanterns are carried by those who have lost a loved one to cancer.
Walkers could make a button showing why they walk.
So yep - I found dogs! No surprise there!
I loved the creativity some individuals used when showing off their lanterns! This one was my favorite!
This sign breaks my heart.
PRESS ON FOR MICHAEL team.
More dogs :)
If every picture is worth a 1,000 words, this one might be worth 5,000.
This was such an emotional part of the evening. It was amazing to see this!
I hope that you're all well and having a great year so far! It's hard to believe it's October and it still feels like summertime! Even the leaves are taking their sweet time changing this year!
I still have a few fall spots for sessions in October and November if you're interested in booking! Contact me - [email protected] to schedule.
I know that I've caused some confusion by choosing to no longer post on Facebook! A little more than a year ago I decided to take a break from Facebook and it turned out to be one of the best things I could have done personally! I decided to use Instagram as my main social platform. (WARNING - I post a good number of cell phone pictures 😂) While I don't regret leaving Facebook, it does make me sad that sometimes I get asked if I quit photography too. I'm here to say - NOPE, I did not quit photography!
I also send out a newsletter 2-3 times per year announcing sessions. If you'd like to add your name to my list, please comment below or shoot me an e-mail requesting to join the newsletter list!
Hope to see you soon!
♥ - Kristi
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Enjoy the next chapter......
To be continued.....
♥ - Kristi
]]>1. The best friend you will ever have. 2. A loyal, loving companion that cares for you more than himself. 3. A special creature whose time in your heart will far outnumber its days on earth.
Meet Bo. He is an 11-week old miniature poodle-yorkie-bichon puppy. Isn't he cute?!
This is Bo's big brother, Gibbons, an 11-year old labrador retriever. Isn't he sweet?!
This is their Mama, Nicole. Many of you will recognize her since she takes care of so many pets in Chester County! Nicole is the owner and founder of Chester County Dog Walkers. I've had the privilege of getting to know Nicole and a few of her other fantastic pet sitters as well as a few of the dogs that they care for this past summer. If you have a pet and live in Chester County, talk to Nicole! Before meeting the CCDW team I probably would have said that no one can love your dog like you love your dog, however, they come pretty darn close!
I was super excited when Nicole called me to tell me that her family adopted a new puppy! It's always wonderful when we add new furry family members! I was even more excited to be asked to come and take some pictures so that they would have memories of Bo as a tiny little pup forever! The puppy stage is over before you can blink!
Since Bo had just woken up from a nap when I arrived, Nicole and I took him out for a quick walk and to play in the yard to expend some of his puppy energy! It was so much fun to capture his energetic puppy stage! At 11 weeks, he's starting to stay awake for longer periods of time.
Is there anything better than puppy kisses?!
I love looking at some of my dog's favorite toys from when they were tiny puppies! They look so big sitting next to him NOW, but in just a few weeks, they'll look tiny sitting next to him!
How perfect! There really is no better adventure than having a dog!
Big nose/little nose :-)
We ended the session with these two cuddling up together for a nap.
Well Bo - you lucky boy! Enjoy life with your family! They certainly do love you already!
♥ - Kristi
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I can't tell you how excited I am to say goodbye to 2016! I know that I'm not the only one who feels that way either. In fact, most people I know are just over it! Well friends, we can all be happy now because 2017 IS HERE!
Let's recap 2016 so we can officially say goodbye.
For me, 2016 was just, hmmmmm, well the best word I can use to describe it - MESSY! It was just a messy year. I can't say it was the worst year or even awful because overall I know that I am so lucky. There were some good parts, some bad parts, some really, really bad parts, some fun parts and tons of crazy. But I'm not crying over the fact that we're shoeing 2016 out the door!
So here goes 2016 - the quick version!
In January, my family became official puppy raisers! Cadence, who came to us from the Alpha Bravo Canine organization, is training to become a service dog for a veteran suffering from PTSD/TBI. She will be with us for approximately a year to 18 months before moving on to her new family and home to the job she was born to do.
In March, we decided to put our home of nearly 13 years on the market and it sold in just 12 days! We thought selling was going to be the hard part and were beyond thrilled that the house we loved so much was going to a young couple with two little boys!
In April, we found our dream home in Kennett Square and were super excited for our new adventure in a new town.
In May, things fell through with our dream home just 5 days before settlement. Ummmm....guess it wasn't meant to be the dream home after all. We ended up moving in with my parents. Yep - 2 adults, 2 kids, 3 dogs and a cat!
In June, the hard drive in my MAC crashed.
In July, we still hadn't found a house to live in yet and I was starting to feel a little crazy not knowing where my kiddos were going to be attending school.
In August, we still hadn't found a house and while we were on vacation in Florida, I tried to convince my family that we should just move there. (I was only kidding a little bit. They didn't bite on that one though.) I also quit Facebook which many of you know and have yelled at me for! (I don't regret it and still don't know if/when I'll be back. I am on Instagram often though. It just made more sense.)
In September, the kiddos started their new school and we love it! Everyone was so welcoming to them and they've acclimated really well. What more can a Mom ask for?
October, still no house.
November, still no house. And my external hard drive crashed. Fortunately, all of my sessions were backed up to the cloud except 1. Unfortunately, ALL of MY personal photos of my kids were NOT backed up to the cloud. It's still being worked on to recover any/all of my photos that I can get back. It's crazy how much this one event is helping me shape my photography in 2017 though.
December, still no house. We've been living with my parents for 7 months. Thankfully it's going really well and we have had a lot of fun.
So why am I telling you all of this?! I'm telling you this to thank you for your patience while a vast majority of my life this year has been messy and chaotic. To say sorry if things took longer or weren't as seamless as usual. And while I would love to tell you that things are going to be perfect in 2017, I can't. I'm optimistic though that things are going to change and these changes are going to be good!
So what's changing?! I'm glad you asked!
First, I'm going to move out of my parents house (haha)! While this initially is going to lead to a lot more messy and a ton of chaos, eventually I'm going to be more organized since all of my things will have a place and I'll be able to find them again. (Most of our things are still in our rented storage unit and I can't find most anything! We hadn't planned on staying with my parents quite this long so I didn't plan accordingly.)
Second, I'm going to be changing up my sessions a little bit. The lesson I learned from losing my external hard drive with an entire years worth of my kiddo's photos on it taught me is that I need to get back to my roots, back to what made me start doing photography as a job, in the first place, and back to what made those who gave me the push that I needed to get into this business in the first place. And that is story telling. If you look at my pictures from before I started this business, they read like a story. I needed no words (because I'm terrible at them). Every memory I have is tangible in those photos. When I was packing up my life into boxes and came across baby shoes, clothes and stuffed animals, I could remember everything about the time in life when they were the favorite things in my kiddo's lives. The tons and tons of photos I have are my storybook. Over time, I got busier and busier photographing everyone's kids but my own. Now I'm missing parts of my kid's stories and I'm never going to get that time back. They are 7 and 11 this year and the time I have left with them as kids is going to go by really fast. I don't want to miss any more of it than I have. I will do my absolute best to be accommodating, however, sessions will be a little more limited this year.
I also need to get back to my roots when photographing your family too. I want to spend more time capturing you as a family and telling your story. Backdrops and ALL posed photos just aren't going to do that. The session that will see this impact the most is the newborn session. I want my sessions to be more a lifestyle photography session rather than a posed, sleepy newborn session. I don't want to show up to your house looking like I'm moving in. I'm simplifying things and capturing what matters most - the moments, the details, and the connections in a clean, natural way.
Perhaps one day I will have studio space and I will be able to offer studio style portraits as well, but for now, and especially during this huge transitional phase of life that I'm currently in, this will not be the type of photography that I will be offering. Believe me, I too love a well-done studio portrait as much as the next mom, but I've learned that to do this well, you really need a dedicated space for your lighting and your backdrops. I'm always on the lookout for this space, but for now it's just not in the cards.
so let's get together in 2017 and capture your family Have fun and let me capture the magic that I see when I photograph your family so that it's a memory you will look back on and cherish year after year.
Here's a look at all of my 2016 sessions:
♥ - Kristi
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SEPTEMBER 27TH: Pet Photos at Camp K-9 in West Chester! It's going to be a fun event for the whole family!
OCTOBER 3RD - FALL MINI SESSIONS
NOVEMBER 21ST & DECEMBER 6TH - CHRISTMAS TREE FARM MINI SESSIONS! BACK AGAIN FOR 2015!
The event was fantastic! The committee who planned the Gala did an amazing job! The theme of the evening was Mardi Gras! The decorations and tables were fun and colorful and the masks that people wore were to die for! Place all of this in the middle of the already gorgeous Longwood conservatory and you've got amazing!
The night started off with one heck of a silent auction! This one had EVERYTHING! Amazing vacations, landscaping packages, sports memorabilia, food and baskets of all kinds. Lending to the festive atmosphere was the fabulous band, The Hoppin' John Orchestra. This lead to a scrumptious looking sit down dinner with music provided by the fun and funny, DJ Marc Hayford.
All in all, it was a wonderful night! Take a look!
To give you some background, I have 3 dogs of my own - a old, grumpy black lab, an American bulldog mix and a treeing walker coonhound. That's my herd. I can only imagine what people must think when they hear that I have 3 big dogs. Messy house? Nope. I hate dirt. Smelly house? Nope - not a fan of smelly houses either. Loud? Not typically. We've got our routine. So why on earth would I want to foster another dog?!
For me, the answer is simple. My dogs, past and present, have always been right by my side whenever I've needed them. They do not judge. They do not have an opinion. They just have love. They have gotten me through some of the more difficult times in my life. They know when I need them. I will never be able to give back what my dogs have given to me. Fostering a dog allows me to do two things - it allows me to save a life and also give to someone else what dogs have given to me. My house is just a stepping stone on the path to where that dog is meant to be. I'm happy to be the middle man. Fostering has taught me more than I ever expected to learn.
(Duke - Available for Adoption through New Leash On Life USA)
On the first day that a new foster dog arrives, I undoubtedly will want to cry and ask myself over and over, "What was I thinking?!" The new dog is unfamiliar with it's surroundings and sometimes they've never even lived inside before. It's confused. It's scared and it doesn't know the rules. You just have to get through the day and remind yourself that tomorrow is going to be a little better.
And day 2 is better - slightly. This day is spent just getting to know this new dog. It's still a bit chaotic and you are still wondering what you got yourself into.
Then day 3 arrives. I always call this the magic day! Something amazing happens on day 3. Your foster dog starts to settle in and calm down - then you start to feel calm too and you start to think "Hey! I can do this!"
Things continue to get better each day and you can feel your heart swell with love and pride because your dog has come so far. You start to see just how amazingly resilient dogs are. They can come from nothing and look like they are on the brink of death, they may have even been abused, but show them just a little love and kindness, a few rules and a good bowl of food and that dog now looks at you with love and trust. The past is in the past and you're moving towards a positive future.
I don't do this alone. My husband, my daughter, my son and even my dogs all have a role in taking care of our foster dog. We figure out together how to feed multiple dogs, the schedule, walking and cleaning. No way could I do all of this alone. I could write a short story alone on the many ways fostering dogs has bonded my family. Trust me when I say it's not all sunshine and rainbows, but when push comes to shove we are a really good team.
Once you have conquered some of the hurdles you are bound to face with any foster pup, you start to settle into a routine and you start to see that the dog is more and more comfortable every day. You start giving him nicknames and singing him songs (or is that just us?). You try not to think about the day that they will leave your home. You know they will be taking a piece of your heart with you when they go, but you push that away, you don't have to deal with it now.
Then that day finally comes. The day you have to say goodbye. I will not do this day justice with my words. But I'll try to give you a good idea what this day is like since it is one of the most frequent questions I get when people hear that I foster dogs. "Isn't it hard to give them up?" Of course it's hard, but the rewards definitely outweigh the sadness. You will want to cry every time you look at your foster dog and realize how far they've come in such a short amount of time. You'll think about tomorrow and what it will be like to have one less happy tail waiting to greet you. You will tell yourself you can't go through this again - it hurts too much (but you will). But the moment your dog sets eyes on his new family and you can actually feel the connection between them you know that it's right. You know that your foster dog's forever family has finally found him. It's the happiest sad day. Like I said, I can't do this day justice with words, but it is one of the most amazing days.
I always thought that I was doing this to save a life, to give a dog a second chance. I never realized how much this small kindness would do for me. I don't know that I ever would have learned so much about patience, resilience, adaptability, teamwork or love had I not started fostering dogs.
After sending our 3rd foster dog to her forever home, a friend sent this quote to me.
"Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love, they depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart. If you have loved many dogs, your heart is very big." - Unknown
My foster dogs {all of my dogs} will be part of me and part of my family always.
♥ - Kristi
]]>Babies truly are a gift. You can never imagine everything a child is going to bring to your life. It's impossible! But I do know that through the good, the bad, the ugly, the moments that melt your heart - you wouldn't trade a single second of it. Becoming a parent is an adventure that nothing else will ever quite compare to. I hope this little family enjoys every single solitary moment of their precious baby girl!
♥ - Kristi
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This was my second session with these two ladies, but I hadn't seen them for a few years. My goodness how big has little miss "A" grown!!!
Miss "A" 's mom contacted me back in January and I was, of course, thrilled to hear from her! She caught me completely off guard with the news that she had joined the Air Force and had just recently finished basic training!!
I have always admired the men and women who serve our country. It takes a drive and determination like no other. I know that Airman Parker's daughter is so proud of her mom already!
Thank you Airman First Class Parker for your service to the country! We are so lucky to have you! You are a tremendous role model to your daughter as well as girls everywhere - showing them that you can in fact do it all! Thank you for asking me to photograph this special time in your life! I hope that I helped to fill Miss "A"'s board with wonderful new memories!
♥ - Kristi
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Do you love the peace sign he's giving in the picture with his grandparents?! He is just too cute!
Well Baby "W" - I can tell you that you are so lucky to have so many people who love and adore you! I look forward to hearing stories as you grow bigger! I think you'll always be quite the sweet pea!
♥ - Kristi
]]>In an effort to both raise funds for one of the rescues that I volunteer for and to promote the adoptable dogs, I partnered with Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue and Kitty Junction. This first started out as pet photos with Santa back in November and December. Since the photo sessions went over so well, we decided to set up some sessions for Valentine's Day! We really had no idea if we'd get any customers in, so we were pleasantly surprised when we had bunches come on in to have their pet's photo taken!! I also got the chance to photograph some sweethearts who are available for adoption (or will be very soon)! Below are some of our Valentine's:
Look for us again in March for our Lucky Dog photos!
♥ - Kristi
]]>I met with this mom and dad to-be on the afternoon of Super Bowl Sunday which turned out to be the perfect time to go to Longwood Gardens!! It was practically empty and it almost felt like we had the place to ourselves! A true treat for Longwood! At the time, they were just about 6 weeks away from meeting their little one! Here they are:
These two are going to make such amazing parents! I can't wait to see them again when the baby arrives and hear about that amazing moment when they meet her!!
♥ - Kristi
]]>My session with Baby "S" and his big sister, "J", was a fun one! Little man was just about to turn 6 weeks old and because Dad is a big time hunter, Mom wanted to do some hunting-themed photos!
Isn't he precious?
Love their big, blue eyes!!
She is so stinkin' cute!
I know that someday this will be such a nice picture for Mom to take out and show them. It was quite funny to watch!
But everything can be fixed with lollipops! Don't worry big sister, he WILL learn to like them eventually! It was so nice of you to share!
Thanks for a fun session little ones!! We laughed, cried and all in all, had a great session!!
♥ - Kristi
]]>Don't you love a new year? It's filled with so much hope and possibility. A clean slate. It's a time to set goals, think about your dreams and reflect on the previous year.
2014 was a good year! Different that I had anticipated, but that's life right? It certainly wasn't a bad-different - it just wasn't what I imagined or planned when I set my goals for 2014 at the end of 2013. I learned a lot and I had some truly amazing moments both personally and professionally and a few very lucky times, those worlds collided! I always love when that happens!
When I looked back at 2014 this past week, a few images really stood out to me. Here they are:
"Sweet Apple Baby"
I had so much fun planning for this shoot. Little love's mama gave me some ideas that she had for the photos. Since this little miss was born in fall, her mom wanted to have fall props. I also had to buy these props twice since my kids ate almost an entire bag of apples before the shoot!
"Dancing in the Rain"
This is my daughter on the day of her First Holy Communion. We were at our location for about five minutes when it started raining. I had pretty much given up on getting any good pictures of Finley and figured I'd have to plan another day and try again, but Finley asked if she could just stay and play in the rain. Going against all of my normally tendencies of not letting her get this big, white fluffy dress dirty, I agreed and just let her go. I have so many pictures that I love from my session with her! One of them she's standing under a rainbow. It was magical. But THIS picture is my favorite. Because of her hands and her feet and she's dancing like she doesn't have a care in the world and that's exactly how you should be when you are 8. I have seen her dance like this since she could walk and I will more than likely always imagine her childhood this way. To capture and have it forever and especially on her First Holy Communion day was just pure magic.
"This is SO Madelyn and Kyle"
If you know my niece and nephew, then you understand why this is one of my favorite pictures! Because this is them being them!
"Gouda at Eastern State Penitentiary"
I started volunteering with the organization New Leash on Life this year. They are just amazing. The rescue dogs from local shelters and give them a second chance by pairing them up with inmates. The inmates then train them for 12 weeks. At the end of 12 weeks, the dog will {likely} pass it's Canine Good Citizen certification test and the inmate not only graduates the program but is released from prison. While they do have an amazing main photographer, occasionally he can't be there for some events, so I get to fill in! It's unbelievably rewarding to work with this organization. Not only are they some of the nicest people I have ever met, but the good they are doing for both dogs and inmates is amazing!
You can check out my most recent session with some of their adoptable pups here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.830367267005103.1073741862.126240007417836&type=3
My most memorable time with New Leash was attending their 10th Class Graduation at Philadelphia Prison System back in September. I was so amazed by the speeches that the inmates gave and what this program meant to them. Before attending the graduation, I hadn't given much thought to how much this program was doing for the inmates. It opened my eyes to things that I had never considered and made me grateful for some things that I had previously taken for granted.
Here are some of the images that I caught at the graduation:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.777214208987076.1073741855.126240007417836&type=3
"Shannon"
Shannon and Alex's wedding had all the makings of a modern day fairy tale. They are a couple very much in love and after spending about 10 minutes with them, you know that they were meant to be together.
Shannon was so beautiful and so graceful on her wedding day.
It's never easy to pick just a handful of my favorite photos each year. Even now as I'm writing this, I know that I could have added at least one or two other that helped to define my 4th year as a photographer. And while I have no idea where 2015 will take me, I do know that much like previous years, I will learn a lot and it will hold a few special moments that will make my heart want to melt.
Happy New Year! I hope that 2015 is filled with wonder and magic!
♥ - Kristi
]]>I remember the first photo session that I had with Fisher. He was so stinking adorable I could barely stand it! His Mom and I had so much fun with his photos! (But if he's smiling, rest assured it is not at me or Mommy, it's at Daddy - because Daddy is a funny guy! He sure knows the right ways to make his baby smile and laugh!)
Here he is at 3 months old:
Fortunately for me, Fisher was signed up for the Watch Me Grow program and I got to see him and his parents every 3 months!
It has been so much fun watching him grow this last year! He is always a happy little boy even when he has his most serious of faces on. (And he likes to make serious faces for the camera!) His giggle makes me want to have 10 more kids!
Here is our last 9 months together:
We were super lucky this past weekend and had some amazing weather! We were able to do his cake smash outside which was pretty fortunate because it got kinda messy!
I think it is safe to say that he approves of Wegman's vanilla cake! (But who doesn't?!?!)
In order to wear off his sugar high, he was then allowed to run around (yes, he is RUNNING!!) in a nice big open field! Doesn't he look so tiny here?
I have very much enjoyed visiting this family every 3 months for the last 9 months of the year! I'm bummed that I won't see them all again until this little guy is 18 months old! I can't even imagine how big he is going to look by then!!
Happy 1st Birthday Fisher!! I hope that your 2nd year is just as amazing as your first!
♥ - Kristi
First, a little background of Cystic Fibrosis. Some of you may know what it is and some may not. For those who don't know what it is - this is a brief explanation:
"Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a disease that causes the body to make thick, sticky mucus (say: myoo-kus). This causes problems in two major areas: the lungs and the digestive system."
This of course is a very simple way to explain what CF is. It is much more complex and if you'd like to read a little bit more about CF, I found this article to be helpful when I was explaining it to my daughter.
Because of organizations like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation children and adults with CF are making amazing strides towards living longer lives and finding a cure.
Feeling inspired to get involved? The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has two big walks coming up! One is Saturday (4/26) at Citizens Bank Park. The second is Sunday, May 4th (I'll be photographing this one!). Come out and walk. Donate to one of these amazing teams. You won't regret it.
Team Anna's Banana's:
Team Quinn's Quest:
Team Lynda:
Team Great Strides for Shaun:
Thank you to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and especially to the individuals and families that allowed me to be a part of this project!! I enjoyed meeting and working with all of you!
Look for photos from the upcoming Chesterbrook Great Strides Walk coming soon!!
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Nothing could describe my niece better!
I have no idea where the time has gone! Madelyn turned 5 last month! 5! Wasn't she just born?
We had a lot of fun with her birthday photo session! Typically anyone related to me sees my camera come out and everyone runs and hides! But not this time! Madelyn was ready and full of smiles for her 5 year old photos!
It's really hard to believe that in just a few short months she'll be off to Kindergarten! It seems like just yesterday she started preschool!
She's such a cutie pie!
Her favorite dress and her favorite toy - Rapunzel.
(When you are 5 you get two cakes!)
May your year of 5 be magical and full of happiness!!
All my ♥ - Auntie
]]>Meet Mr. and Mrs. "G"! Because we were holding the session in February, we decided to go to Longwood Gardens to have the option of being indoors should it rain or be freezing cold outside! We were very lucky and took photographs on one of the few warm days we've had all winter! It was so nice to be able to get outside and enjoy some fresh air.
Here are some of my favorite photographs from their session:
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. "G" for your service to our country! I had a wonderful time meeting you both and cannot wait to hear that you are reunited!
♥ - Kristi
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This quite possibly is the funniest set of photos that I've taken yet! I just love them!
I cannot wait to come see you in May little man! Your Mommy and I have some awesome 1st Birthday photo plans for you!
♥ - Kristi
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I will admit that I was hesitant to get into the photography business. Since my memories are so closely tied to my photographs I was really afraid that my own photographs and how I captured my life would change. And it has - for better and for worse! Instead of documenting my life as I had in the past, I started taking my own personal photos as if I were on a photo shoot. I have been working really hard to fix this. I make sure that my camera almost never stays cooped up in the camera bag. I try to take it with me everywhere. I ignore the stares from everyone else who is capturing the same moment with their cell phone. The Bucket List is my own personal project that I recently decided to work on. I have tried to gain inspiration from Project 365's and 52s and monthly themes but found them to be more daunting than inspiring. The Bucket List is a list of photographs that I actually want to take!! There are some that I have pictured in my head and some are images that I've seen from other photographers that I absolutely love and would really love to have of my own children. (You can check some of them out here on Pinterst!)
I'm super excited about this project. Not only will it get back in the groove of documenting all of my family memories, it will give me a new approach to capturing yours!
Some of the photos that I have wanted for a long time now are detail shots from my own wedding accessories. Here is one of the necklace and the tiara that I wore on my wedding day:
Another photo I've wanted for a long time is my grandmother's wedding ring. Being the first granddaughter in my family, this was given to me around the time I turned 16.
What is on your photo bucket list?
♥ - Kristi
]]>On our glorious December day, this family of 6 was happily awaiting the arrival of baby #5! They still didn't know if this little guy that they fondly referred to as "Baby Bean" was a boy or a girl!
Here is a picture of Mom from her maternity session:
Fast forward to January. Baby Bean arrived just 1 day before his due date! And he could not be more loved! He has 2 big sister and 2 big brothers who love him to pieces and will argue over who gets to hold him next! How sweet is that?
Introducing Baby Bean....
Isn't he beautiful?
Baby "D" may you always know this much love throughout your life!
♥ - Kristi
]]>I cannot wait until April for these sessions! Space is limited, so contact me soon to reserve yours!
♥ - Kristi
This little guy was just shy of 3 weeks when I photographed him. Isn't he beautiful? He was a very calm little guy. I enjoyed watching him taking in the world around him. But my favorite part of all was seeing the way his Mom and Dad smiled at him. It's priceless.
A few of my favorite photos from the session:
Babies = peace and love.
♥ - Kristi
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Isn't he adorable?
We had so much fun with Baby "T"'s six month photos! He was all smiles and so very happy! The perfect little model!
Even though I don't wish for time to speed by, I'm already looking forward to capturing all of these happy moments when this little guy turns 1! It will involve cake and what's not to love about that?!
Enjoy these next 6 months Baby "T"! But don't grow up too fast! Your Mom and Dad are thoroughly enjoying you being a baby! And who can blame them when you smile like this?!
♥ - Kristi
]]>On the official first day of fall, I met up with the future Mr. & Mrs. "B"! We could not have asked for a more perfect day for an engagement session. You only have to be around these two for about 10 minutes to realize that they are perfect for one another. They look at each other and their eyes light up with love. They make each other laugh. They make each other mad. Above all, they understand that this life that they have found together is a gift and they do not take it for granted.
I found this quote right around the time I took these photos and it has since reminded me of these two:
"Everybody deserves somebody who makes them look forward to tomorrow."
Here are some of my favorites from their session:
A&S - I enjoyed shooting this session so much! You two are definitely something special! May your future be full of love, laughter & friendship. Regardless of weather or how the day unfolds, your wedding day is going to be perfect because the two of you are perfect for each other. Enjoy every minute leading up to and thoroughly enjoy every moment after.
♥ - Kristi
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Here were a few highlights from the day:
To The Manning Family - I don't have the right words to tell you what an inspiration you all are. The love and support that you give to other families going through an all too familiar diagnosis is fantastic. Matt and I were thrilled to be part of Drive Fore Dylan in it's 10th year and are looking forward to coming back again next year!
♥ Kristi
]]>Ry guy's first birthday session went absolutely p-e-r-f-e-c-t! I felt so spoiled after leaving this session - that's how perfect it went! We had so much fun during this session! How can you not have fun at a photo session that includes cakes, bubbles and little boy giggles?! And I absolutely love the way that his mom and dad smile at him - their eyes totally light up when he smiles!
I hope you enjoy being one little man! You are one of the most adorable and sweetest little boys I've had the pleasure of meeting!
♥ Kristi
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It is such a honor to be asked to photograph someone's wedding. After all, it is one of the most important days you will have in life. I met Matt and Courtney last summer and loved them instantly! They are a fun and beautiful couple and they just make you laugh listening to them talk. I was so excited to be asked to capture their wedding day!
Fast forward 10 months. The big day was here! I woke up to a cloudy sky and COLD weather! Cold! It was May. It's not supposed to be 50 degrees at the end of May! Oh well - they say rain on your wedding day is good luck!
Kacey (my fabulous second shooter for the day) and I arrived to Matt and Courtney's house to photograph the guys getting ready first. Matt looked exceptional in his dark grey suit and yellow tie.
Our next stop was Courtney's sister's house to photograph the girls getting ready! I could not wait for this. Since I mostly second shoot weddings (something I absolutely love to do) I typically spend most of my time photographing grooms prepping for the big day. I could not wait to photograph Courtney, her dress and all of the details that go into a wedding day.
Courtney's dress was amazing! The Sottero and Midgley dress had layers of layers of gorgeous ruffles! You could tell that it was going to look amazing on Courtney!
Paired with the stunning Jimmy Choo's, Courtney and Matt had all the makings of a fairy tale wedding!
There were so many elegant details that went into making this day special - from the bold, stunning colors of the flowers to the tiny little yellow flower girl shoes, this wedding was well thought out and meticulously planned! {Flowers by: Village Flower Shop}
It was so much fun photographing Courtney getting ready. She of course, looked amazing in her dress! She definitely owes her sister one for lacing up the back of her beautiful gown and her nephew for helping her into her shoes.
We headed to the beautiful Meredith Manor in Pottstown, Pa where both the ceremony and the reception would be held.
Here Comes the Bride!
The new Mr. and Mrs. Chase!
Following the ceremony, Matt & Courtney took the time for a portrait session! They were full of continuous smiles!
The reception was held in a tent right outside the main building. I know that the word tent doesn't conjure up any romantic images in my mind, but some serious magic happens when you hang up tons and tons of twinkling fairy lights! It could not have looked more beautiful!
{Cake by: Baker's of Buffington}
All in all and despite the rain and the cold, it was a magical night!
Courtney & Matt - enjoy every moment of married life! May you always remember this day and fall in love all over again!
♥ Kristi
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The girl's had a very special message to share! They are going to big sisters in November!!!!
I can't wait to meet your little brother or sister this fall!
♥ Kristi
]]>This session with "A" was so much fun! I've gotten to know her a little this year since she and my daughter were in the same first grade class together. She's a sweetheart of a little girl! She's fun, adventurous and boy did she look stunning in her mom's wedding gown!
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Back in January a friend read one of my blog posts and saw the pictures I took for one of my awesome OpLove families. She passed along the information about this program to her cousin - the "W" family!! Another week or two passed and then I heard from Mrs. "W" herself!! Her husband is currently deployed so we decided to set up a photo session with her and her two kids for late February! She wanted to surprise her husband with some photos of her and the kids! I of course was very excited to be in on their secret surprise! This was also the first session I would have that I haven't met Dad prior to deployment!
The day of our session arrived! It was a beautiful day for February - I'm almost certain all of March and April were colder than this wonderful day in February! We decided to meet at Longwood Gardens for our photo shoot because being February we hadn't anticipated being able to get outside for more than a minute or two!
From the moment I arrived at Longwood until I left it was a great adventure! While I was waiting for the "W" family to arrive, a security guard noticed my beast of a camera and told me that Molly Ringwold was wondering around in The Conservatory and to be on the lookout! Fun! Photo shoot AND stalk a celebrity - don't mind if I do!
A few minutes later the "W"'s arrived and my goodness are the gorgeous! They are the type of family that you talk to for less than five minutes and you know that they are sweet and genuine. Their eyes sparkle with love for one another.
Mrs. "W" took little miss "C" to the restroom to change her into her photo clothes (because we all know that you can't put a toddler in the carseat clean and expect them to come out clean - an amazing phenomenon in the toddler world!). The most amazing thing happened in the restroom - somehow Mrs. "W" started talking to another soldier in the restroom and came to find out that she knows Mr. "W"! What a small world!
By the time we got to the Conservatory to start our photos I had been so wrapped up in getting to know the "W" family that I completely forgot that I was stalking Molly Ringwold!
Mr. and Mrs. "W" have been through two deployments together prior to this current one. This one is their first with children. Although I have never walked in either or their shoes, I know that it is not easy to hold down the fort while your spouse is deployed. I admire so much that Mrs. "W" is not only keeping it all together, but she laughs and she smiles and she lives. And therefore, so do her children. I know she worries about her husband and her kids because you can see a tiny hint of this in her eyes, but she doesn't let it rule. She is absolutely the meaning of the saying "lead by example". I really look forward to seeing their family together - complete - because I know that the happiness I will see when they are all together will by far outshine the happiness that I saw in them on this day!!
With three months left to go in his deployment, Mr. "W" is more than halfway through!! He will return right after his beautiful little girl turns 2 and just before his little man goes to Kindergarten! I look forward to this day for them! Until then, you are all in my thoughts and prayers "W" family and I am so blessed to know you!
Here are just a few of the highlights from our special session:
Thank you Mr. "W" for your service to our great country! I very much look forward to meeting you sometime this fall! I know that I will be even more captured by your family that I already am when I see you with them!
♥ - Kristi
]]>(If I was excited about these sessions this year, watch out next year! My daughter's First Holy Communion will be happening in 2014! I am already beyond excited and so is she!)
My hope for all of the beautiful boys and girls who are about to make their very First Holy Communion in the next coming days and weeks - May you always feel God beside you and know that you are blessed.
♥-Kristi
The April 27th sessions will be held at Hibernia Park.
The May 5th sessions will be held at Springton Manor.
The ITA did awesome! They ended their day by taking home two first place medals, a third place medal and a fourth place ranking in their competitions! They will be on their way to USAT National Championships in Chicago this coming July! Congratulations ITA team and best of luck to you all at Nationals!!
♥-
Kristi
First up on the mini session list - First Holy Communion sessions! These will be held on April 14, 2013 at Hibernia Park. Your 30 minute session will include 15 edited digital images, photo print release and online photo gallery!
To view more images, click here.
I look forward to meeting you and capturing your story!
♥-
Kristi
]]>-Mark 10:16
It is truly an honor to be asked to photograph an important event for a family. As a mother, some of the most important events in our children's lives are also some of the most chaotic. We put so much effort and thought into the planning of these important events because we love our children. All of the planning and the little details are one more way to show our unconditional love for our children. I love being able to freeze these moments for a family so they have them for a lifetime. I love hearing that a parent was able to just enjoy the day because they didn't have to worry about recording it also.
Saturday was a very special day indeed. Although the weather was less than beautiful, it took nothing away from the love and joy that arrived with Devon Mary and her family and friends as they all gathered together to celebrate her baptism. It was a wonderful ceremony. Devon was full of smiles and she seemed to sense that it was a very big day! I enjoyed watching her take it all in.
God Bless you Devon! May you always be surrounded by the love, laughter and joy that you were on the day of your baptism!
♥ Kristi
I had been wracking my brain for a few days trying to come up with the "right" song to add to a slideshow I was putting together. Last night I finished editing all of the photos that would be used in the slideshow therefore, the pressure was on. I started out my morning in my usual way, but kept thinking "I've gotta find "the" song!" And then it happened. While driving my daughter to school this morning, I heard a song and knew that it was the one that I wanted to use! I could not wait to get home and get working on the slides!
I finally got everything put together and the video was processing just about the same time that my daughter arrived home. I let my computer work it's magic and took the kids to the mall to do some shopping.
At the mall, we (my son, daughter and I) saw two young guys from the Army. When my daughter saw them, she stopped and waved at them. I wish I could have taken a picture of her beaming smile while she was waving at them. When I realized that she was stopping to thank them I had to bite my tongue to keep from crying. I have never been so proud as a parent. The two soldiers took the time to stop and chat with my kids and give them Army stickers.
The photo sessions that I've done through OpLove and Operation Attachment have meant so much to me. More so than I can ever convey in words. What I did not realize is that it was making an impact on my daughter!! Typically she does take an interest in what I'm editing, which I love. For my first two OpLove sessions, I was lucky enough to arrange with her teacher to go in and create cards with her class for them. I could kick myself for not taking pictures of those drawings that the kids created because they were amazing. We talk about the men and women who serve in the military, but she knows very little - that they have a very important and very special job. It sometimes takes them away from their families for a long time. She knows that they are heroes and deserve every thank you we can offer to them. Tonight I watched that knowledge come full circle and I am so proud of her. I have been blessed in life to have a career doing what I love and I am so fortunate to have found a small way to thank our military families for their strength and dedication. To know that I've also passed some of this along to my daughter - extraordinary!
By the way, the session that I had been working on this week was for a military family. I can't share their photos with you just yet because they are a complete surprise to Dad, who is currently half way through deployment. I finally did get that video to upload and I sent it Mom. A short time after she viewed the video and all of the pictures we took last weekend she sent me a text thanking me. Her words were so sweet and kind that I have to try hard not to cry!
So tonight my heart is smiling. Today was one of those days.
♥ -
Kristi
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Awww.....too sweet. (Exactly the response that my daughter and husband had when they saw this picture)
I LOVE that each baby girl got her very own picture for these shots!
Best of luck S and J preparing for the arrival of your two baby girls! I hope you enjoy every minute leading up to their arrival because I know that you are going to enjoy every minute after! I look forward to meet these two little peanuts in May!
♥ Kristi
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I'm really lucky because when Madelyn was just a few months old, her Mom went back to work a few days a week and I got to babysit her once a week. Since I see her at least once a week, I've really gotten to know her well. I know that she is one of the most loving children I've ever met. If you are sad, she hugs you and pats you on the back. She's silly and wild. She loves to play with her friends. She really loves to cook! And I'm pretty sure she loses a sock every time she comes over. (Yep - just one - every time.)
I'm sorry that this post is just a little late Madelyn! I love you with all my heart! I hope that 4 years old brings you all the wonder and joy that being four should!
♥ Auntie K
]]>-Eda J. Le Shan
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
Isn't she just the sweetest thing?
Is there anything more amazing than a baby?! On the day that these pictures were taken this sweetheart was just 6 days new! She was welcomed into the world by her sweet, sweet Mama, her loving Daddy and a very excited big sister! I don't think there is ever as much love floating through the air as there is on the day that a baby is born! The feeling is almost tangible it's so strong!
It was so much fun photographing this little peanut. I've photographed her sister for her last two birthdays and was honored when her Mom asked me a few months before she was born if I would capture this little one's newborn photos! It will be fun to see how her personality develops as she grows! Her Mom already says that she's so different from her sister! (It's always amazing how different each of our kids are, isn't it?!) I found it entertaining that she would not let me move her hands. Most babies, when they are completely asleep (and she was in this picture) will allow you to reposition them. Every time I moved her hand to rest under her chin, she took it right back and tucked it in. She knew exactly how she wanted to sleep!
{Sigh} - Babies get me every time. Holding all that sweetness just makes me want another baby!
♥ Kristi
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I also remembered why January is probably the worst month I possibly could have chosen to start a Project 365! Almost immediately after starting this project last year, one of my kids got sick and the last thing that I think about is taking out my camera! This year, I powered through it and while it wasn't a perfect month of picture taking, I did keep up with it most days. And of course this year, both of my kids got sick. We spent a lot of time cuddling on the sofa and watching movies and I did snap a picture or two of them during this time.
About three quarters of the way through the month, I found this little gem of a printable photojournal so I could keep track of why I took each picture. I have to say that taking a picture almost everyday, particularly when you're stuck in the house most days is an interesting way to keep track of your life. It felt good to capture the every day life of my kids and I'm looking forward to the inspiration that February brings!
Some highlights of January: Three fantastic photo sessions - two with newborn baby girls and my niece's 4 year photos! My family celebrated my Grandmother's 90th birthday! The very fun photo shoot for Valentine's Day that I did with my kids (check out my Facebook profile to see that craziness)!
Here are just a few of my favorite photos from January.
Finley's feet hanging off the bathtub ledge; Jade - our oldest dog; Finley learned how to play Monopoly.
This is Ben watching our new popcorn maker. You wouldn't believe the amount of entertainment this machine provided my kids in the month of January!
Ben's feet hanging off the window seat while he watches the trash truck outside.
I hope you all had a happy and healthy January!
♥ Kristi
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Is this not the most adorable baby outfit? You have just got to love Carter's! They make the best baby clothes!
This one makes me smile. I think my constant chatter was giving her a headache!
Not to worry though - her Mom and Grammy sang her back to sleep. It was amazing to watch this. She started to get a little fidgety, but as soon as she heard both her Mom and Grammy, she relaxed instantly. You could just tell that those voices were well known to her - much longer than her 9 days.
This was a special one for Dad! How cute are her little fatigues?! She's definitely Dad's little mini!
Thank you Baby "L", Mom and Grammy for helping me to create some fantastic photos! Thank you Dad for your service and dedication!
♥
Kristi
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This "concept" has been continually coming back to me for the last few months. It started when I began building my son's birthday video for his third birthday. I was adding pictures into the slideshow and I noticed that my pictures were different. They were very nice pictures, but something had changed. Somewhere in the time that I've been building my photography career, I stopped telling the story. I started focusing more on getting the "perfect" picture - you know - the one we all want hanging on our wall. However, until recently, those "perfect" pictures weren't typically hanging on my walls. My walls were covered in moments - my daughter spontaneously kissing my husband on the cheek, me kissing my newborn baby, my niece cuddling a kitten. Before I became a professional photographer, you did not see me without my camera. Now that I actually AM a photographer I carry my camera less and less. Hmmmmmm......that doesn't sound right!? Nope - it doesn't! One big reason is that my camera is a beast! When I pull all 6.5 pounds of camera out of my bag you notice it!
Since my son's birthday, I've been working on some of my other story telling projects. The three OpLove sessions that I photographed this year were phenomenal memory creating experiences. I also photographed 8 weddings this past year (most of which I just started editing in preparation to share on the blog). I was the main photographer for 1 of the weddings and the assistant photographer in the other 7. I loved every minute of the 8 weddings. You photograph for 8, 9, sometimes even 10 hours straight. You are there to capture every smile, every tear, every kiss, basically, everything. Stories do not get better than weddings!
This is also one of the bigger reasons that I ask so many questions during our session! I want to know the children and the families and the couples that I'm photographing. I want to know what your child's favorite toy is, how much your baby weighed when he or she was born. I want to know how you and your husband met and where you got married. Haha - and some of you just thought I was being nosy! Getting to know my clients is important to me. I want to tell your story. I want you to look back at the pictures we create together and remember that it was the year that your daughter could not sit still and her best smiles happened while she was running away from the camera. I want you to look back at your pictures and remember that we took those on the morning you found out you were pregnant. It's about creating memories.
The final revelation happened while I was dismantling our Christmas tree and putting all of our ornaments back into their respective boxes. Just about every ornament on my tree tells a story. My daughter is continually amazed at how many boxes of ornaments I've collected over the years. I keep trying to tell her that even though I'm (only...hahah) 35, I've had 36 Christmases. I was only a week old my first Christmas. My very first ornament is a silk Baby's First Christmas ball. A few years later (1980 I believe) my Mom started a collection that she has faithfully continued and a tradition that I carried over to my own kids when they were born. She has bought me the Frosty Friends collection by Hallmark every year since the series started. Yep - I have 33 little Eskimo cuties and their adorable little animal friends to put on my tree every year. (The collection that came out the year my daughter was born in 2005 was the Fairy series and the collection that came out the year my son was born in 2009 was the Visit with Santa series.) All in all, with just about every ornament you pull off my tree, it comes with a story. My particular favorites belong to my dogs. (Yes, even the dogs have ornaments here!) Both Jade and Bull have Baby's First Christmas ornaments. Bull's is my favorite though. His is a little bunny in a tiny blue stocking. Then there was the year that my dogs ate my sewing basket. (They are labs - they'll pretty much eat anything!) Imagine coming home to your entire sewing basket (which had been on your counter when you left for work) to find the entire contents of your sewing basket strewn throughout your kitchen!!!! I had absolutely no idea how many straight pins I had in there. I had no idea how many sewing needles were in there. I put them in the car and got them to the vet where we found (thankfully) that there were no pins anywhere to be found in either dog! The bill for that visit was not so pretty! That was the year that my Mom bought me my angel dogs to remind me that my dogs are no angels!
I could go on for hours about the ornaments on my tree. Next year I hope to have the time and patience to photograph all of them and put them into a photo book.
Since my business turned 2 in September I've thought long and hard about what I want my goals to be going into my third year in business. Last year I set my goals pretty high, almost unattainable, or so I thought at the time. I was able to accomplish all of them and even go beyond what I thought possible. This year though, I think will be all about defining who I am and coming back to my roots in photography. The stories. The memories. I have a few ways that I think will help me accomplish these goals. One is to bring the beast with me wherever I go so that my kids don't have anymore stories untold. The second (and much more difficult) is to start a Project 365. I'll post my favorites on the blog and Facebook. The third goal that I have is to blog more. I'm not certain which one of these will prove to be my most difficult as they are all challenges for me! Regardless, photographs will be taken, memories will be made and I will learn more. I hope that you will continue to follow my adventures in 2013!
Happy New Year! I hope 2013 is good to you!
♥ Kristi
]]>If you read my last blog post then you know how very excited I was to photograph my first Operation Love: Reunited session. It wasn't long after receiving my first inquiry that I received my second! I was ecstatic! I couldn't wait to meet this new family - a sweet family of three. We scheduled their session for early September and we were going to be photographing their session at my new favorite location, Hopewell Furnace.
It took me a very long time to find a job that suited me well. You see, I get very emotionally involved in everything I do. This is really tough when it comes to a job because I always take the job home with me. This is one of the reasons that photography suits me so well. After spending an hour or two (sometimes more) with my clients, they now become part of my history. I think of them after my "job" is done. I remember our conversations and the stories that their children have told me. This is especially true with OpLove sessions. Our session is specifically set up because a family member is about to deploy to a foreign country to keep our own country safe. They sacrifice their own needs and an ordinary life to ensure that our freedom remains intact. These men and women are brave and selfless and don't ask for anything in return. They have families at home who love and support them and we don't really see what they go through. So yes, I think of these families often. They are in my thoughts and prayers and I hope that by sharing this story, they will be in yours too.
This weekend Christina contacted me to let me know that her husband received the album that I sent to him. I was also lucky enough to have the help of two fantastic teachers who both had their students make handmade cards for him. I was thrilled that he had received the box and loved not just the pictures that we took back in September, but the cards that the kids made for him too! I was so happy to have been able to thank this man and his family for what they do! In my correspondence with Christina, she told me the story of how she and Trevor met and ultimately brought me to them. It was such an amazing story that I asked her permission to share it here on my blog. It was such an uplifting story that I was so grateful to hear. So thank you Christina for sharing such a personal story with me and for allowing me to share it with the world. You and Trevor are an amazing couple and wonderful parents full of love for your beautiful, sweet and funny daughter. I will never forget the pride and I love I saw in your eyes when you looked at your husband during our photo session. I look forward to the day when you and Trevor and Savannah are reunited. Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers and I look forward to the next time I get to photograph all of you! ♥ Kristi
The story of Christina and Trevor:
"We have been given so many compliments on the photos! One of those compliments came from a "gold star mom.” Military families commonly will have a service flag in their home with a blue star in the middle representing a loved serving overseas and those who had lost their lives were represented by a gold star, hence the term “gold star families,” a title that no family member wants to achieve.
This "gold star mom" is not just any mom; after her son passed away in the spring of 2006 she continued to support all of our military families and is an inspiration to many, including myself. Which is how you get to Trevor and me.....After 9-11 I was like most Americans affected by the tragedy and wanted justice to be served. When the wars started and years passed I will admit that I was once again like most Americans, heavy hearted when I heard about the sacrifices of the men and women giving their lives for our freedom and then news channel would change. It wasn’t that I didn’t mourn their loss or appreciate their services; I just had no connection to the war. That all changed on 28 April 2006. After Brandon died I felt horrible and wanted to support our troops but didn't know how...His family encouraged all of us to find ways and to let our soldiers know our appreciation. Three weeks after Brandon's funeral, I "adopted" a soldier; little did I know at the time that I would be writing to my future husband! I wrote to him for my own emotional healing trying to make sense of what happened to Brandon and bring encouragement to Trevor’s day. He continued to write to me nonstop and about four months into our "friendship" he asked if he could start calling me. I really just thought he wanted to pass time but he started calling me EVERY day which turned into months of conversations. I later found out that he would wait in line for over an hour in the hot sun and high temperatures to talk to me for 20 minutes. After he arrived home from his deployment to Iraq he purchased a ticket, leaving the day after Christmas and flew to see me. I knew immediately that I would marry this man. Seven months later my predication came true, and a few months later he deployed again, this time for 15 months to Afghanistan. I never imagined myself married to a military man living this Army Wife lifestyle but I believe deep in my heart that by no other reason Trevor was meant to be in my life. His family truly believes that Trevor and Savannah are gifts sent from Brandon above. We are grateful that you were able to capture some of these moments for our family and for theirs. Even though their son will never be able to be with them, I know it brings comfort to them knowing Brandon is still performing small miracles here on Earth!!!"
Click here to learn more about Brandon and sign the guestbook!
In June, I received an e-mail from a very sweet woman inquiring into the program I volunteer for - Operation Love: Reunited. I've said many times that I love this organization and the memories that it brings to these families and that it is a small way that I can show my appreciation to the wonderful men and women who serve our country. I've been part of the OpLove organization for a year and a half and since I don't live very close to a military base, I'd started to give up hope that I'd actually get to take part in one of these sessions. Then in June, my first e-mail came. Her husband was on the deployment list for September and she wanted to get family pictures taken before he deployed! We set up our session for early August. I eagerly awaited our picture date!
Our session day finally arrived! It was a gorgeous (and very hot) August day! We decided on the gorgeous location of Historic Poole Forge (definitely a place I'd like to go back to again!) I liked this family immediately! They were so nice and their boys were super sweet! I even got hugs before the session was through. I was hoping that it didn't show how incredibly nervous I was for this session. I wanted absolutely everything to be perfect so that I could capture some wonderful memories for this family. I think we all started to relax as we walked around Poole Forge and talked and took pictures. I got to hear the story of how this couple met {very cool story - but it's not mine to tell} and about the birth of their second baby.
I am continually amazed at the strength and love of the families who are preparing for a loved one to be deployed. It is a strength that I cannot describe. I was so honored to help preserve a moment in time for this family as they prepared for a year long separation from one another. I left their session with such pride for the country that we live in and knowing that no amount of pictures could ever be thank you enough to the soldier that I had just met and his beautiful and loving family.
One of the hardest parts about OpLove sessions is that you have to wait until the deployed soldier is overseas in order to send the pictures. The reason for this being that the pictures are supposed to lift the spirits of the person who is deployed. I get it, it still doesn't make it any easier to wait! I came home and edited this session right away. (I was beyond excited!!) And then I waited.....
Last week, I was finally able to ship out this amazing soldier's photo album! I'm so excited for it to reach him and bring him a little bit of home.
Thank you "S" family for choosing me to photograph this important moment in your life. I'm not sure you will ever know how much it meant to me to be able to get to do this. It was an honor and privilege to do this. I hope that you will keep me posted on how you are all doing because I will forever remember all of you!
♥ -
Kristi
P.S. - A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE TWO CLASSES AND THEIR TEACHERS THAT HELPED ME MAKE CARDS FOR THE SOLDIERS!! THEY WERE AMAZING!!!
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It was a close contest (with just 4 votes separating the top 2 favorites), but with 31% of the vote - Baby P takes home the trophy!
This photo was taken when this cutie pie was 6 months old. He is now just a few weeks away from his first birthday and cuter than ever!
Happy Birthday "P" and Congratulations on winning your first of what will probably be many photo contests!
♥ - Kristi
]]>This last year has been fantastic! Last year right after my first anniversary, I set my goals for the year (ones that I felt were slightly out of reach). I am so proud to say that I have met every single one of them. I have met so many wonderful families and kids. I caught baby fever every time I held one of the brand new babies I photographed. I was reminded of how quickly kids grow up (and how fast my own have grown) as I photographed first birthday portraits and parties. I traveled to many of my old favorite locations and found some beautiful new ones. I learned that I LOVE photographing weddings and was thrilled to be part of five this year! I got to thank two heroes by photographing their beautiful families.
To celebrate my second anniversary I decided to change my logo! I'm so excited to introduce the new look! I've known from the very beginning what I wanted my logo to look like and I am so fortunate that Kim at Madilu Designs was able to create for me the image I saw in my mind! In the beginning I toyed with the idea of my business name being called Shoot for the Moon Photography. I decided to use my name because it was just easier, but the vision that I had for that business name stuck with me. My logo is my reminder that I'm still shooting for the moon.....
Now for the second annual contest! Below are just a few of my favorite pictures from a few of the sessions that I had this year. Please vote for your favorite (Vote by letting me know which is your favorite picture in the comments below, comments on facebook will not count towards the vote totals. Only one vote per person.) Last year our winner was Laura Koch. She won her photo on canvas! Good luck to all of you! The contest will run from today (September 22, 2012) until Friday, October 12, 2012.
#1 (Photo Below)
#2 (Photo Below)
#3 (Photo Below)
#4 (Photo Below)
#5 (Photo Below)
#6 (Photo Below)
#7 (Photo Below)
#8 (Photo Below)
#9 (Photo Below)
#10 (Photo Below)
#11 (Photo Below)
#12 (Photo Below)
#13 (Photo Below)
#14 (Photo Below)
#15 (Photo Below)
#16 (Photo Below)
#17 (Photo Below)
#18 (Photo Below)
#19 (Photo Below)
#20 (Photo Below)
#21 (Photo Below)
#22 (Photo Below)
Thank you to everyone who made this second year possible!
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It is so hard to believe how fast this year has gone! Kyle will be one tomorrow!
Turning one just wouldn't be as much fun without having a cake smash for Kyle's first year birthday photos! My sister and I planned for quite some time the outfits and the theme (pirates)! We were really excited for this shoot because well, Kyle LOVES cake! (Who doesn't, right?) Photo shoots never really go exactly the way that you think they will. Kyle, who is typically all smiles, wasn't feeling it on the day of his big shoot. He put up with us though and he did enjoy his cake, although more icing got on Kyle's jeans than he actually ate!
(Do you not love his face in the picture with the "E"? Priceless!)
It's amazing how fast Kyle went from being a baby to a little boy! (One year picture on the left and his newborn photo in the same basket on the right)
Happy First Birthday Kyle! I love you!!
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It's so hard to believe that just one year ago, we had only made the decision to send Finley to PJP and now here we are, one year later, all done the first year. It's been a wild ride. I questioned almost every decision that I made in choosing a school for Finley. As a mother you never fully know if you are doing the right things for your child. Sometimes you just have to trust your gut instinct and follow your heart - hard as it may be.
I can't say that watching your baby get on the school bus that very first time (or the second or the third) is an easy thing. In fact, it was one of the most heartbreaking moments I've had being a mom. But, we got through the first day, then before we knew it, the first month, and in the blink of an eye, the first year!
We had an amazing year. I say we because while this was Finley's journey, I too got more out of it than I ever would have imagined. We were blessed with many new friends, tons of new knowledge and faith. I am also blessed that this school is so inviting to the parents and if you've got the time to give to them, they are so appreciative. I have never once walked in that school that one of the Sisters or teachers has not thanked me for my time. It's truly amazing the power that those two words hold sometimes. Every single time they thanked me it only made me want to give more of myself to the school that we all love so much.
I could gush for days about what an amazing girl my daughter is. And it's all the truth. She is amazing and always will be to me. I am and always will be her biggest fan. I am so proud of her accomplishments and her ability to adapt to new routines. Listening to her read is truly a beautiful sound. Watching her beam with pride because she knows that she can - well there are just no words to describe that feeling. I love that she is already excited to move on to first grade even though she will miss her two wonderful teachers terribly. It is so bittersweet to leave the wonders of Kindergarten behind.
These moments are the ones that I wish would slow down. You never really believe it before you are a parent how you continually hear "Don't blink or you'll miss it". It's just one of those things you have to experience for yourself. Taking these pictures of her and my family is my way of not blinking. I don't want to miss a moment.
Congratulations my beautiful girl! Love ♥
In addition, to help this team raise funds, I will donate 10% of my session fee for anyone who books a session with me before June 30, 2012! Just let me know when booking your session that you are supporting Relay for Life of LanChester, PA!
Please help support this great cause!
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My favorite shot of the three of them:
His face is just priceless!!
We caught some of Mom and Dad.....
Isn't he gorgeous?! I'm so jealous of all those curls!
Thank you George family for a wonderful day!
Here were my three favorite photos from today:
What made this class even better was that I got to spend it with two wonderful women who I am thrilled to call friends! (Sarah and Kacey, it was wonderful to finally meet you and get to spend an entire day with you! I can't wait until the next time!)
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! ♥ Kristi
]]>Here is a picture of my daughter, Finley, at the start of the walk......
She did 7 laps, which is pretty good considering how wet and cold she was! I was certainly proud of her!
I loved shooting in the rain! Umbrellas make for some pretty cool and colorful backdrops! While I can't include more of the photos I took that day here, if you click here, you'll see more on the official walkathon website!
Congratulations to all of the students who participated! You all did such an amazing job! If this is what you managed to do in the pouring rain, I can't imagine what you'll accomplish next year when the sun is shining! ♥ Kristi
]]>My sister and I had to reschedule our spring photos 3 times! Once due to weather and once due to sick kids! We sure did get a beautiful day today though!
Now there is no debating that my sister and I LOVE our kids! However, they are some of the MOST difficult children to take pictures of! I personally find the experience exhausting!
I know that they have no idea how important these pictures are to their mamas and their grandma! I very, very rarely am in pictures. I asked my sister to snap a few for me today because Finley needs a picture of her and I for a school project. When I came home and downloaded them to my computer and started editing I practically cried when I got to the pictures of Finley and I! Here is one:
Here are my favorites from the day:
Ben (this is what you get when you tell him to smile)
and one sweet one of the boys:
Happy Easter!
Love,
Kristi and Family
]]>This past weekend, I got to meet up with 5 new clients at the picture party! What a fantastic group! There are so many things that I love about photography - I could go on and on listing them all, but one of the best parts about doing this job is meeting new people and getting to be part of their family for a few hours. Four of my five groups were related - such a lucky family! I enjoyed them all very much! The other amazing part about this family is that they have ALL little boys - from 7 weeks old to 5 years old - ALL boys - 5 in all. That's a whole lot of little boy energy in one family!
Here is the youngest member and his mom!
Aren't they sweet?
F, K, L & S Families - I had a wonderful time with you this past weekend! I hope you all have a fantastic time in Disney World!
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But, I've got big things going on in April! In addition to some really fun family photo sessions I've got scheduled, I am photographing two walk-a-thons in one weekend!! On April 21st I will be at Sandy Hill Preschool for their 5K Run/Walk and on April 22nd I will be at PACES Walk-a-thon!
Some come out and join these two fantastic schools and help them raise funds!
]]>When my sister was pregnant with her second baby, we talked photos A LOT! We probably haven't even taken half of the photos we planned on taking of Kyle (yet), but boy, have we taken a lot! My sister and I truly have done a fantastic job at falling into that trap of having to say "Once the second baby arrived we didn't have time to take pictures anymore, so we don't have as many pictures of child B as we do of child A". If anything, we've done just the opposite. As our families grow, so does our love of taking pictures, therefore the amount of pictures grows with our families!
When planning out all of the photographs we would take of Kyle once he arrived, I asked my sister "What shots do you want?" She had one answer for me - she wanted to see her and her husband's rings on the little man's toes. I of course said, "No problem!" However, most of our photo shoots took place while Dad was at work, therefore we didn't have access to his ring! Oops!
We scheduled Kyle's 6 month photos for a Sunday and our goal for the shoot was to get the "one". Kyle is amazing. He's so good about these photo shoots. He fell asleep right in the middle of our shoot and we got both rings on his still tiny toes. I told my sister I didn't think I got it. But, I did. I held on to it and sent it to her for her birthday!
So I officially kick off my blog with the "one". It is one of my favorites and it will likely be one of the first I hang on the all when I open my official studio (hopefully, fingers crossed) this summer!