Thursday, December 27, 2012

a bit of this and that

Is it really the END of December?  The past 2 months have flown by in a blur... which is why I haven't posted here in quite some time!  The photos below are from my final fall session and a variety of family events.  

First off... Merry Christmas 2012!  Last year my sister in law took over as photographer and snapped a great shot of my family.  We decided to do it again and I'm so glad we did!  It's fun to see the 6 of us all grown up... but I still love looking at photos of us when we were little too!






My final 2012 session was with the Bayer family.  I had a great time photographing them at their family farm.  It's always fun to photograph a family in a place that is meaningful to them.   It was easy to see that they all have a deep connection to their family farm.  For me, it was just plain fun!!  




Thanksgiving brought time with family and friends.  Yes, I shop on Black Friday (but I'm more of a sleep late, meet friend for lunch and do a bit of afternoon shopping kind of girl rather than the "stay up all night, wait in long line and fight for great deals" kind of girl).   My husband and I celebrated Turkey day with both of our families (2 separate days thank goodness)!  I really like the photo of my family in the mirror (and yes, you can see me taking the photo in the corner :-).  My husband's family loves football and there was a "big" game on the day we had our Thanksgiving with them.  I snagged my niece for a fun photo session so I could escape the "yelling at the TV" (smile).  We had so much fun even though it was FREEZING outside!










I finished up the Thanksgiving week end by taking my youngest brother's Christmas Card photos.  Not only did they dress up in all their Christmas finery, they had ornaments, lights and strings of popcorn ready to use as props!  I think they look amazing... but I guess I'm a little biased!















...and before I knew it, it was Christmas!  I'm still working on photos from our Christmas celebrations so not many to share yet.  The first one is my husband taken at his family's Christmas... and he is indulging me with that little smile so I could get a picture of him.  The next shot is a collage of 4 photos that I didn't really like (I am not a fan of dealing with indoor lighting, especially in the evening when there is NO natural light at all).  I converted them to black and white and, despite the fact that they are not tack sharp, I kind of like them now.  The final photo is my nephew with a finger paint box.  The box is a little family tradition.  The finger paints were a Christmas gift from long ago... but the box keeps showing up every year!  Now, it's kind of like being the "winner" if you get a gift in the finger paint box!!  The box has to be at least 35 years old... and it's still in good shape!  Maybe I'll be the "winner" next year (smile)!









Thanks for visiting and Happy 2013!  


Sunday, November 18, 2012

Caudill Family

My friend and colleague has been trying to schedule a family photo session for quite some time... they are a busy group of people and she has teenage children which means lots of extra curricular activities.  So, we finally met for pictures last week end.  It was Nov. 11th and it could have been cold, rainy, snowy, overcast etc.  Instead, it was mild and sunny... and VERY windy!!  Originally, we planned to take all the photos at her home.  However, it was so windy, she decided we should go to the Sorrowful Mother Shrine instead.  Turns out, there were still lots of crunchy leaves on the ground and a few left in the trees to create a beautiful background for some family photos!!

I have known this friend for over 20 years!   We started teaching about the same time and have had many long chats.  I have to give her "credit" for seeing into the future and predicting who I would marry.  I can remember chatting in her classroom one night about my (now) husband who played softball with her husband.  I think her exact words were "he is your destiny".  At the time, I didn't even know him... and it took 9 years and my sister getting re-assigned to work at the same PT clinic as him for us to meet.  We've been married for 12 years... so she was RIGHT!   

Take a look at the photos below and you can see that she has a beautiful family!  I had a wonderful time taking their photos... and the light held out for me to get my FAVORITE shot (the one of the family sitting in the grass in front of their home).  

Not only is my friend beautiful on the outside, but on the inside as well.  She is one of the most kind hearted and caring people I know.  It was a joy to take her family photos!






































































Sunday, November 11, 2012

Dalton and Darin Fall Photos

Earlier this year I photographed 2 senior boys.  One is my nephew and the other is a former first grader.  You can see their summer photos here and here.

For our second session, my nephew chose to be photographed at his high school baseball field and my former first grader chose to be photographed in the woods where he hunts.  Both sessions were fun and unique!  My nephew was a good sport while his mom and I bossed him around and had him pose for a variety shots.  My former first grader had me crawling around in the woods, sliding down a muddy bank and walking around in the creek... and enjoying every minute of it!!

Both of these young men are destined for great things in the future!  I hope you enjoying seeing a bit of their personalities in the photos below.  I couldn't be more proud of how each of them has grown up and I wish them luck (although they don't need any luck) as they continue their education after high school!
























































Saturday, November 3, 2012

Fall Fun Week End 2012

Every October my husband and I celebrate a non-national holiday called Fall Fun Week End.  We pick a location and spend 2 days with my youngest brother, his wife and their 4 kids.  We ALWAYS have a great time and the kids actually think Fall Fun Week End is either an extra holiday or a vacation (even though it's only 2 days).  What I love is the quality time I get with my brother, his wife and, of course, the 2 nieces and 2 nephews!

This year we traveled to Walnut Creek, Ohio to visit THE FARM at Walnut Creek.  If you ever get a chance to visit, it is WELL WORTH the trip.  We plan to go back so we can experience it again on a sleigh ride!!  There are so many amazing animals to see up close... and I mean CLOSE!  We took a wagon ride through the animal area and the animals come running up to the wagon (mainly because they know we have FOOD).  It was incredible to say the least.  There were so many unique animals and we were feeding them, touching them and seeing them FACE TO FACE!!  My favorite was the giraffe.  I have never been so close... and able to reach out and touch one.  Needless to say, I think us adults were just as in awe as the kids.  I snapped a lot of photos but, honestly, it was hard to get a good shot because we were so close to them (and trying to navigate around a crowded wagon pulled by horses isn't the easiest thing to do either - smile).   We felt pretty lucky regarding the weather as well.  Hurricane Sandy was sending Ohio some pretty rainy, gloomy weather but, we had about a 3 hour window when it wasn't actually raining and enjoyed our afternoon at the farm.  I can't wait to see this place in the winter snow!

The 2nd day of our week end was pretty much a wash out.  No worries though, we visited the carousel museum in Mansfield, Ohio and caught a great movie in Ontaria (where the tickets for the first showing are only $1... a GREAT deal for a family of 6, one Aunt and one Uncle!!)  We all splurged on popcorn and soda (which cost more than all our tickets - smile).  As always, it was a memorable week end!

Enjoy the photos!!
Lisa




    












    
















My niece lost her tooth the night before we left and was so excited to show us what the tooth fairy left under her pillow...  her little sister was freaked out that the tooth fairy was coming and couldn't sleep in their room though (smile).