UPDATE (Dec 5th): Prints are now available for purchase, with all proceeds going to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. Please click on the "Joy's Star" tab for details.

I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season! Lots of stuff going on right now, which I'll elaborate on in a couple weeks. For now, this image: joy to the world...I'm in the process of working with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, to sell prints of an image similar to this one (this was cropped to fit my blog), with all proceeds going to breast cancer research. I've mailed the application and am now just waiting to hear back.

For those who don't know, my husband's Mom, Joy, died of breast cancer when Steve was only five. From what I've heard about Joy, she was a wonderful woman, wife and mother. She was also an amazing artist. I have a passion to keep her memory alive.

So, in Joy's memory...Joy to the world! And please keep checking back. Hopefully soon, I'll be offering signed prints for purchase, all in suport of breast cancer research.

Yes, it's back to business. I actually took a few days off over thanksgiving and we visited our dear friends--Carmen, Jim and their daughter, Melissa--in Tucson. They're really special people in our lives and we had such an awesome time.

This photo of Steve and Ryder was one of my favorites from the trip. The sunsets were *amazing*!

i'm so excited and flatttered. i'm a featured "who's that photographer?" on bludomain's website. you can check it out here.

Boy was last week a busy week...seven sessions. Phew! But it was fun. I can truly say that I have the best clients. They rock! I love my job. I love my clients. The photo I've attached to this blog entry is one of my new favs. Dad said "show her your tat" and so he did. I love it. And look at his little smirk...truly priceless. It will be in my gallery once I get a few free moments. Right now, I'm trying to get as much done as possible before we head to Tucson for Thanksgiving. Can't wait for the little break. I hope you're enjoying my blog. It's fun. Just have to figure out how to put photos in with the text. For now, I can only attach one image. Ha...another December goal for me. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

there's so much that inspires me and one thing is other photographers, especially those that are different and willing to take a risk. sally mann is one of my favorite photographers and one of her images is what inspired this photograph of my oldest, kiele. sally mann has a photo of her daughter, at about the same age as kiele, holding a cigarette. if you don't know who sally mann is, you can google her name or if in a bookstore, she has numerous books out of her work. Her work includes numerous images of her own children, other people (children and adults) and landscapes. the work of her children was quite controversial in the 70s...but truly works of art.

so anyways, i had this vision of kiele with a candy cigarette for quite a while before actually taking this photo. one day i was at a doctor's appointment and there at the hospital was a candy kiosk that had candy cigarettes. i knew at that moment that i was meant to create this image. i haven't posted this image in my gallery *yet* ...for the moment, i thought it would be perfect for my blog.

i really want to create art.
i know art can be contoroversial.
not everyone views art the same way.
i know not everyone will love this image.
it's ok that some may not like this image or agree with it.
me...i love it.

this image, of my oldest holding a candy cigarette, is one of my favorite photos to date. i've entitled it "breaking the rules". breaking the rules...from a standard child/family photographer's standpoint. breaking the rules...from a mother's perspective.

well, meet *d* with his glasses. i love, love, love them. he's so adorable in them and he's already keeping them on, after just a few days. i struggled a bit with glare but it's not like i can tell a one year old "tilt your head down just a bit then give me your eyes" [so we can try and avoid glasses glare]. so, some shots from today have glare but it's okay.

i titled this entry "it's okay to be different" b/c i so believe it. as a mom. and as a photographer.

kiele's different than all her peers at school and i've tried to teach her that that's okay. we've talked to great lengths about being different and how as kids get older, they sometimes make fun of other kids who are different than them, whether it's b/c someone is too skinny, too fat, too smart, wears glasses or wears a cochlear implant. i hope that in openly discussing this (and other issues) with kiele, she will grow up strong (not physically but mentally). I want kiele to be an independent young lady that knows what a great, great person she is. so far, so good--she's one amazing child!

i have a number of great glasses shots but i chose this one b/c
it's raw.
it's pure.
it's real.
it's beautiful!!

thanks mom for bringing *d* back by so i could capture him with his new and awesome glasses. you're doing such a great job with him...and everything!!!

this shot was from drake's first birthday session. drake is a repeat client of mine...only one and this was his 3rd session with me. i truly believe that me photographing drake was meant to be...our paths were meant to cross. when i first met drake, he had a flat head in back (plagiocephaly) and i mentioned it to mom. i felt comfortable doing so b/c i had gone through the same thing with kiele as a baby (she's now 9). funny thing was...they were going that day to pick up drake's helmet, which kiele also wore as a baby. a few months later i did drake's 2nd session, his helmet shoot. at that time, i noticed drake's eye was crossing and again, i felt comfortable enough with mom that i mentioned it to her. kiele also has a crossing eye (she's far sighted with strabismus). mom was on top of things and had already had drake to a few ophthalmologist visits but it wasn't until just a few days ago that drake got diagnosed with far sightedness and got glasses. so i asked mom if she'll bring drake back so we can get some first birthday photos of him with his new glasses...i can't wait. mom has said the same...our paths were meant to cross...and i have no doubt that i have made a lifelong friend. In closing...i wish you the happiest first birthday birthday drake!

oh MY blog...it's my new blog. for the moment, i'm just trying to figure this whole thing out and migrate all my blog entries over. i hope that you will visit my blog often. thank you for all your support and enjoy!