I love being able to photograph a family as it grows. Each year brings new milestones, growth and celebrations and happen so quickly it is not always easy to make sure they are documented. Therefore, it’s a huge honor to create a visual history for a family and photograph them each year. My first session with Rudd’s was a maternity session, before Michael was born. I then photographed him as a newborn, and today we get to see him at one year old! The Rudd’s are expecting their second baby so there were many reasons to take pictures. It is such an exciting time in their lives and I feel lucky to be a small part of it as their photographer. I think after three sessions, it’s safe to say I’m their photographer, right?

Can you believe those blue eyes? I brought along a kid sized wooden chair and it was perfect for Michael. He liked to play a game called “take off my hat” and it didn’t last more than a minute on his head :)

he’s going to be a great big brother.

I’m so excited both to share this news with you guys and for the reality that I have my first intern. Yes, Hannah is going to be joining me to learn the ropes of what I do – both photography and running a business and I am super excited for her help. She is one of those well rounded art majors that is versed in many different disciplines and on top of that has great taste in music & food and is fun to spend time with. I promise we will be working though, and not just having fun. Well, maybe a little of both? Since she is my first intern I know it will be a learning experience for both of us so I’ll keep you updated on our adventures. Or maybe she’ll give you a behind the scenes look at working with me – yikes!

I would go back and do it again. I don’t miss the exams, papers and student loans, but I loved college. I spent many late nights in the art studio creating, practicing, and collaborating. Sometimes I would convince a friend to come visit me in the darkroom where I was blaring coldplay, feist, or ace of base (I really went through an ace of base phase) and printing my latest project. I rocked my chemical baths back and forth and watched my floating paper slowly come to life. The image would appear softly at first and creep over like a fog until it covered the whole page. I embraced collaboration and new ideas and soaked in the surrounding energy that was created from all of us creating art.

The day to day studio work built community, and within that community a place to explore artistic expression. As we graduated and began to move on, trying to incorporate art into our jobs and daily lives we were challenged to work outside of the structure we had known. In the real world, where making art is often a means to an end, it takes a real effort to create and explore with out strings attached. It still takes discipline, support, and probably a few late nights pursing an idea to it’s end. It takes effort to connect with a community that allows and encourages you to do so.

Last week I photographed a printmaking class at Houghton College for an article they will be including in their upcoming magazine. I sat down with Jillian Sokso – who authored the article and taught the class I was visiting – and she briefed me on her main points. She spoke about process, community and the act of creating as a form of worship. It pushed me to think about the very things that I wrote about above. It reminded me that community and art is created through the day to day tasks that make up life.

It’s unrealistic to think I’ll have the same experience as I did back in college, but it’s just as unrealistic to think that experience is limited to a specific time in life. I remembered that it was not just the art studio but the network of friends I built in college that allowed me to grow during that time. I still have that network of friends and even though we are many miles apart they are still there offering a needed opinion, encouragement, or observation. They have more stories to tell about me and art than I can begin to write down… and I don’t know where I would we be without them.

Saturday was busy and Sunday was relaxing. It took me about an hour to get out of the house with two dogs and head to the track meet at U of R on Saturday morning. I packed up their stuff and spent the first 20 minutes of the drive being annoyed at them as they whined in the passenger seat since I refused to let them on my lap. If I let one the other wants to come too and that’s just too much. I need boundaries. Thankfully they calmed down and enjoyed being out in the sun at the meet and spending time with the runners. Thanks runners for playing with our dogs! It didn’t take long to realize that I was overdressed for the warm weather but happily embraced shedding layers and feeling warm for the first time in a while. I left the meet just before it was finished to head up to Ontario Beach park for Shawn and Shelly’s session. I had been looking forward to their shoot since they contacted me we started to plan what it would look like. It turns out we picked a perfect day and while we didn’t expect the wind to pick up like it did they braved the cold and it was totally worth it. Their little dog Jackson stole the show for many of the photos and was the perfect picture of obedience. It renewed my desire to continue training our dogs so that they wouldn’t embarrass us in public by barking at toddlers.

After everything wrapped I made my way home and it didn’t take long to find out I was locked out of the house. Matt was still coming back from the track meet so I spent some time peeking through every door and window to find a way in. Good news – I couldn’t break in to our house. Bad news – I was locked out. Thankfully with Matt home the problem was resolved and we didn’t have to camp out in the backyard with the deer as I had imagined. I mean, that could be fun but we at least need a tent, you know?

After waking up inside in our own bed we enjoyed a relaxed Sunday going to church, spending time outside and reminiscing about when we had a trampoline and how we really should get another one. My mom called and reminded me that she and my dad were coming today and of course I had forgotten that they were actually coming Monday. When we had talked it seemed so far of and distant and then it had arrived. We settled on doing a bit of cleaning before eating some Ben + Jerry’s to finish off the day. It was a good weekend.

I didn’t really mean to take a break from blogging but I should have expected it – I’ve spent the past five days with our runners at indoor track nationals. We piled in to the van last Wednesday and after an hour of dancing to the nationals cd they had made they crashed like a kid after a few dozen pixi sticks. Thankfully our drive was relatively short and the rest of our trips in the car were more thoughtfully paced and filled with games, stories and the like (with dancing interspersed).

Running is an interesting thing, something more along the lines of a roller coaster ride than a definitive love or hate relationship. There are challenges, triumphs, setbacks, achievements, and each day brings something new. You learn more about yourself and the kind of person you are because of the situations you are in than you probably ever realized. In my opinion, you also learn more about God and your relationship with Him than you could have imagined. While our time at nationals didn’t go as planned, there is so much more to the story and it was just one chapter, or maybe one page.

To me, running has always been a team sport. I thrive when I run with other people, and went left alone I tend to lose motivation and get away with as much as possible – a day off here, an easy run there, etc… It’s really no surprise and those people who have been a part of some kind of team know exactly what I’m talking about. So, here’s to the team – the people I spend each afternoon with, the people I suffer in the snow and rain with, the people I see at 6am on Saturdays to head to a track meet.

It’s those people that make running fun – and it’s those people that through running have become some of my closest friends.

Dana and Patti may be older but they add truth to the saying “young at heart.” Having known Patti from my days working at Houghton College, I was thrilled when she and Dana showed up at my door just a few weeks before the wedding to see if I could photograph it. Yes, they did plan their wedding in just a few weeks, but it came together beautifully and they had fun doing things their way this time around. I was privileged to photograph a part of their wedding on a sunny Saturday in September and take a look at these lovebirds

Patti looked gorgeous in her rich purple dress and Dana looked handsome with his bright bow tie.

The newlyweds exited the church and headed to Wellsville for their reception. Congratulations again Dana + Patti! Leave them a note here and head over to their gallery to see all of the images.

It was several weeks ago that I photographed the Cool family and I can’t believe how much has changed since then. The leaves have changed, temperatures have dropped, and we are officially out of summer and on our way through fall. This family of five lives nearby so I took them to one of my favorite spots for their session and as you can see it was a gorgeous day. I love shooting in the area where I live since I know all of the good places (and am always finding more) and the country is (of course) full of open spaces. Family photos are not always the easiest to arrange but when you’re outside having fun it makes them so much better. How do you like my version of a family portrait in shadows, above?

Their three boys have loads of personality and I while we took some individual images of them these are my top choices of each:

looking good boys! one my personal favorites below…

oh summer, I can’t wait to see you again.

I love the senior sessions I’ve been able to shoot lately – I know it’s last minute but if there’s anyone who still needs them let me know! Today I photographed Kristen and here’s a little preview. I love the variety I’m able to capture and I enjoy getting subjects to have fun and loosen up in front of the camera. While Kristen is probably more comfortable in the classroom than the spotlight, by the end of the session she was a pro and I can’t wait to show you the rest. Enjoy!

The early evening light couldn’t have been more gorgeous. It softly illuminated Leah who floated through the tall grasses. She talked about her senior year, the extra classes she was taking at Alfred University and the plans she had for after graduation. She is an all around artist with interests in music, art and dance – which is what she plans to pursue in college.

When we met for her senior portraits I knew two things: her school required a “standard” portrait for the yearbook (I guess things got a little out of control with submissions in previous years) and in spite of that she was up for doing something different. I took her to one of my favorite places to shoot and had her walk through the creek and stand in the midst of grasses… you know, the usual. Before we did that we captured a few more simple images and this was my favorite:

she totally rocks that haircut, which in my mind makes the picture half model / half woodland nymph… and as you can see it translated into our more natural setting.

So I mentioned that Leah studies dance, and while ballet is her background modern dance is what she is most interested in pursing. While I only saw a quick improve of a few minutes, I know she is super talented.

Leah I think you rocked these photos – but you’ll have to let me know what you think! Friends and family – did I capture her… leave a comment and let me know what you think as well. While you’re at it, head over to the proofing site to see the full gallery, just create a profile to log in. Leah it was fun to photograph you and have a great senior year!

Natural light + soft sheepskin + sleeping baby = newborn photos. It’s a simple recipe but one that works. I photographed Gabriella when she was just one week old, and she was the sweetest baby that slept so well during the session. I will add it took a little while to get her to sleep which is totally normal and all part of newborn photography – I do have some tips and tricks of course to help. I’m sure she’s grown already since the session but it was my pleasure to photograph her when she was so new and tiny.

See the full set of images in Gabriella’s gallery here which you can view and order from for two weeks. While you’re at it, visit my facebook page and join in on the coversation.