upcoming travel

here we go...i'm off and running.

flying. really. departing early morning tomorrow, traveling the rest of the month. i've always longed to travel. love that we move every few years. so while things are busy and a bit crazy, i'm super excited about my upcoming travels. and really... who wouldn't be excited about NINE DAYS in MAUI!

there are still sessions available in the following locations this month:

MAUI -- july 13-20 DENVER -- july 22-24

i also am looking for some older kids, to do some underwater photography, while in maui: ages 6 and older must be comfortable in the water must be willing to sign a model release complimentary session all edited images available for purchase

sessions are also still available for my september travels:

SAN DIEGO -- september 5-7 NYC -- september 9-11 CHICAGO -- september 16-19

and i'm thinking of heading to the NEW ENGLAND area september 12-14.

please email, if interested in a session at any of the above locations.

life's like a movie

life's like a movie,write your own ending... keep believing, keep pretending; we've done just what we've set out to do, thanks to the lovers, the dreamers, and you! - kermit the frog

spreading goodwill

Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. The flags do not carry prayers to gods, a common misconception; rather, the Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into all pervading space. Therefore, prayer flags are thought to bring benefit to all.

- wikipedia

when i was in wisconsin, i stayed at my dear friend, julie's house.  shortly after arriving, we had gone outside to look at julie's incredible garden and i noticed the prayer flags hanging from her front port.  later in the day, i mentioned how awesome it would be to have prayer flags at the fischer family's session (thinking maybe we could pick some up before the shoot).  the next thing i know...the prayer flags are down and ready to go with us to the shoot.

i absolutely love that we were able to have prayer flags with us at the fischer family's session.  i love it even more that they were worn from their days of dancing in the wind at julie's house.

i now long for prayer flags, to grace the front porch of my own house... prayer flags to flutter in the wind... prayer flags to bring good energy, luck and happiness... prayer flags to spread blessings and goodwill to those around.

i've been asking friends what they know about prayer flags and looking around.  while i'd love to make my own flags, i just know that that's not happening anytime soon.  so far, i've found...

these tibetan prayer flags, sold on amazon and here. or these prayer flags on etsy.  i'm a bit partial to the happiness-themed flags.

if you know a great place to purchase prayer flags or have any additional insight, i'd love to hear about it.

also, i just came across this PDF article on prayer flags, which i plan on reading later tonight.  seems like a great read.

ETA:  for anyone that might be offended because the prayer flags touched the ground, please know that at the time of these photos, i had no idea that prayer flags are not to touch the ground.  i had the absolute best of intentions in bringing them to the session and photographing them, with the fischer family.  i will never let that happen again, now that i am aware.

also, my friend, wendy, just shared this with me:

i do prayer flags with mighty girl...their flags fly to encourage the girls that come after them. i ripped an old white bed sheet into squares and give them fabric markers. http://mightygirlart.blogs​pot.com/2010/05/wind-horse​s-arriving.html

and after seeing this flag, created by nina beana, on the mighty girl art site... i'm feeling the strong need to make my own flags. a family project. designing, dreaming, gathering, creating, sewing...together as a family. my new (year old) sewing machine has been waiting for something like this, to finally make it's presence, from out of the box.  YES, our august pre-school project -- prayer flags.

i heart mr. fischer

i  think i met terri when i reached out to her about her dreads.  but i actually might have met her (pre-dreads) because of her wonderful film photography. can't really remember (because i have a terrible memory).  but i do know that we became friends on facebook.  i always knew she was special.  and then terri and julie came to visit me last year, in kansas. and our friendship has just continued to grow. yes, she really is that special...and more. a few weeks ago, terri shared the news that tom was diagnosed with a slow-growing follicular lymphoma. while slow-growing might sound better, it's actually not.  it means it's been around longer.  and often tougher to combat.  six rounds of chemo are in tom's immediate future.  he begins round two tomorrow.

as soon as i heard of tom's diagnosis, i knew i had to get out there, to photograph the fischer family.  to capture all the magic that they are.  i tried to get out there immediately after i heard but lots of factors prevented me from doing so. but last weekend, everything fell into place (much thanks to the women of the witches brew) and i was able to travel to wisconsin to photograph the fischer family.

i'm not really sure how to do justice to the amazing family that they are.  but i'm hoping that photos will show what i am not able to put into words...

I LOVE YOU FISCHER FAMILY!!

also, please check out terri's t-shirts, for sale on etsy. she's saving the money to send tom on a dream-come-true fly fishing trip in alaska...once he's in remission and has beaten this beast (like seriously kicked it's ass kind of beaten). we HAVE to believe that that is the way this will all end up, right?!!!

i'm a proud owner of both an "i heart mr. fischer" t-shirt and a goddess t-shirt.  it's obvious how cool the t-shirts are but they're also seriously great quality.  i love my t-shirts.

a special thanks to julie, who opened up her house to me, while in WI...and drove me everywhere.  you are such a magical soul.  thank you for your friendship.  thank you for everything.

p.s. cancer fucking sucks!!

are you my mother?

sweet baby bird so innocentso beautiful and wise the future rests within your sights hope fills your tiny eyes your body warmed by fluffy down shields your heart from the rain rest softly on the leaves of brown your life has much to gain. - jill eisnaugle

before i photographed the fischer family in wisconsin, i really wanted to meet tom and the kids. so sunday morning, we met at a park playground. i wasn't sure if i should, but decided to bring my camera with me to the playground. little did i know that there would be a couple of children there, with a sweet little baby bird.

while baby bird might have thought this fabulous nest of brown was the perfect fit, sadly it just couldn't be so. i'm not sure what happened to the baby bird but i sure hope he was able to make it to rest softly on leaves of brown.

more tomorrow on the fischer family and my special days shared with them.

i ♥ mr. fischer!!

folly beach * smile *

two weeks ago, i met my friend, em, and her daughter, at folly beach, SC. a mini-vacation, of sorts. we went for the break. to have fun with our kids. but it was also so much more. it was a magical weekend of sharing, challenging, reflection and growth -- as friends.  as photographers. part of our time together was my photographing em. challenging her. challenging myself.

it's not often that i have the opportunity to photograph adults.  it's not often that em is in front of the camera.  last time i tried to photograph emily (when i did her family's photos about a year ago), all she could do was stand there and giggle.  of course, we did still end up with a few giggles because laughter is so much of who em is.  but we also ended up with so much more.

i hope that i never stop challenging myself. learning and growing and...exploring what's possible.  i hope that i can always say and truly believe that my journey in photography has only just begun!

my dream is to one day hook up with a model or two, makeup artist and stylist and see what happens.  i know it will happen...some day!!

thanks em for trusting me and allowing me to capture all the beauty that you are -- inside and out.  can't wait until the next time.  xo.

guess who had a birthday

...while we were on our mini-vacation in south carolina? happy birthday sweet skyler!!!

thank you for being you thank you for being so unique and wonderful you are wise and soulful beyond your years you challenge me in the best ways and keep me on my toes you are smart and witty you want to wear makeup and high heels all the time you are an artist and a writer you are learning the joy of reading you requested ramen noodles for your birthday dinner a homemade vanilla birthday cake with no frosting and homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream you never really know what you want for your birthday because you're content with your stuffed and hard animal toys but this year you asked for cracked nail polish, makeup and dresses with sleeves (so that you can wear them to school).

i am amazed by you and all that you are.

thank you for coming into my life.

i know your birthday was the worst birthday ever because it was spent in a car for eight hours driving home, but i hope that i can make it up to you with the best sleepover birthday party ever.

happy birthday skyler! i really can't believe you're eight!!

being content

katelyn had contacted me a while back about doing photos of she and her husband. and then she saw i was coming to utah.  so she packed up for the weekend, did the six-hour drive, from colorado to utah, and met me there. katelyn's husband couldn't get away but i was able to photograph the beautiful katelyn. my hope was that i could show her in photographs the beauty, strength and peace that we all see in her in person.

and today, i received this beautiful note from katelyn...

I am writing you with tears of happiness and hope streaming down my face. I find myself sneaking looks at my computer throughout the day just to look at the incredible images you captured of me in Utah. It almost feels as if I am looking at someone who is not me- ALMOST. The person in these images looks so at peace... and strong. Two words I never thought could describe be.

For a large chunk of my life I was so concerned with what other people thought about me that I didn't think of myself and the actions I took were based on what I thought others would approve of. I felt I needed to look/dress/act/think a certain way in order to be liked. In trying to be like everyone else and fit this societal mold- I lost myself.

I've always had this idea of who I was but I was too afraid to let it show. It has only been within this last year that I have begun to figure out who I really am. In the past few months I have done so many of the things I've always wanted to do and I'm finally becoming Katelyn. I am on this beautiful journey toward being comfortable in my own skin and knowing that I am enough.

This is such a momentous time in my life and I'm so excited to have “proof” that I am content with being me.

I feel like there is no expression of gratitude that could even come close to letting you know how truly grateful I am for these images. Thank you for helping me to let go of fear and thank you, a thousand times over, for making me beautiful in my own eyes.

my wish is that every woman can make this peace with themselves. to see their own beauty and strength. to be content in their own skin...with who they are and all they have to offer. and always remember that each one of us is absolutely... beautiful and special and unique!

the entire weekend in utah was incredible. and powerful.  the land is absolutely majestic. the company was oh-so-inspiring. and hilarious (i haven't laughed as hard as i did that weekend, in a really long time). thank you girls for a magical weekend!! can't wait till the next time.

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also, please don't forget that my mini-workshop registration opens tomorrow at 9 AM CST on the bloom forum. you must be a bloom forum member to participate in the workshop. to register for the bloom forum or for additional information, please click the bloom logo below...

sometimes

people come into your life for a reason, season or a lifetime.when you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. - author unknown

the J family definitely came into my life for a reason, season AND a lifetime!!

after kiele was born, i had to go back to work (as an air force nurse) when kiele was six weeks old.  i started her at a facility day care and after many days of tears, frustration and heartache, a friend had recommended me to  the J family, an in-home daycare -- more specifically momma carmen (as kiele came to call her).

kiele was a difficult sleeper and eater.  but that was no challenge to momma carmen, who made a Philippine-style hammock in one of her bedrooms, rocked her to sleep and chased kiele around with food.

momma carmen was such a gift in my life!!  i'm not sure i can ever fully explain or thank her enough.

that was 14 years ago.  and now momma carmen's daughter (who i met when she was 12) is married with two kids and just happens to live in san diego.  so when i was on my trip last month, i was able to photograph momma carmen's daughter and her family.

i can't even begin to share how much i love the J family.  they are such a gift in my life and i feel so blessed to call them my family!!  love and miss you so!!

i almost forgot, i just happened upon this photo of M and kiele the other day (from 11 years ago)...

angels among us

most people don't know there are angels whose only job is to make sure you don't get too comfortable and fall asleep and miss your life. - storypeople

just returned from the most amazing, magical weekend in park city, utah. the kind of weekend where you laugh so hard, you cry. the kind of weekend that feeds your soul more than you could have imagined. the kind of weekend where you can hardly believe the amount of beauty that surrounds you. the kind of weekend where all you keep thinking about is how incredibly blessed and lucky you are!!

and i'm so not exaggerating!!  now...it's back to editing. through the wee hours of the night. for many, many, many days ahead. more to come but have some serious catching up to do first!

also, super excited that travel sessions are filling up, for september -- san diego, NY and chicago. please make sure to inquire soon, if interested.

upcoming travel sessions | child and family photography

just got back from travel sessions in VA, NC and san diego and am super excited about lots more traveling around the corner... salt lake city, UT -- may 7 - 8 denver, CO -- july 23 - 24 maui, HI -- july 13 - 20 san diego -- sep 3 - 7 NY, NY -- sep 9 - 11 chicago -- sep 13 - 14

session dates still available in each location (regular pricing | no additional travel fees). please email me for more information or to reserve your session date and time.

closing with a few photos from one of my san diego sessions...

upcoming travels | sessions

lots of traveling in the near future -- VA, OBX, san diego, HI, NY & chicago.  and i'm super excited about it!! VA -- april 16-17 OBX -- apr 18 san diego -- apr 23-29 HI (maui) -- july 11 - 21 NY -- august (dates TBD) chicago -- october (dates TBD) san diego -- november (dates TBD)

still a few sessions available. please inquire if interested in more information or reserving a photo session.

also, i had the pleasure of sharing on the creative mama today.  you can check out my post here.

a few photos -- all from past travel sessions:

art of photography show

i didn't make it into the art of photography show this year, which is okay...anyone who's submitted to exhibitions knows that you win some and you lose a hell of a lot more.  but how cool is it that KPBS selected my photo to use in their this year's art of photography show write-up. if you're in san diego, i highly recommend attending the show.  i will definitely be visiting the show, when i'm in san diego for my client sessions, this october.  i wish i was going to be there on august 29th, to hear natashan egan's (juror) talk.  i so loved hearing the juror speak last year.

i'm not sure i'll ever have an image quite like this one -- special, for so many reasons!!

san diego fall sessions

it's that time again to begin coordinating my san diego fall children and family photography sessions. i will be photographing in san diego october 14th - 16th.  and possibly the 17th.  please email me if interested in commissioning a session.

i can't wait to be back in san diego.  i will be photographing a few families for the fourth year in a row and...it just happens to be my birthday.

so excited!!

here and now

while in north carolina, i also had the opportunity to photograph the corey family.  emily had attended our spring wallflower friends retreat and since then, she has talked to me quite a bit about the fact that she wanted family photos, but wasn't sure the time was right -- because her family wasn't complete.  they adopted L a couple years ago and have been hoping to get pregnant or adopt another child.  but then after reading my is there a perfect time post, she commissioned a family portrait session. we talked a lot while i was visiting, especially about how blessed they are to have L. they have such an incredible and special little family and i truly feel blessed to have been able to capture it for them.  we shared how important these family photos are -- right here and now -- even if their family continues to grow (which we hope it will).

it's another reminder to us all...to be grateful and appreciate the here and now because that's all we're guaranteed.  who knows what the future has in store.  who knows what even tomorrow will bring our way.

thanks em, for inviting me into your home and making me feel so special.  thanks lee r for your patience, the amazing meal and the most awesome pineapple jalapeno drink ever.  thanks little L for being so spirited and reminding us all what life is all about.

here's a few shots of their family.

and a scanned polaroid shot i took of L.

and the same image, printed as a 20x20 print.  i so can't wait to see this framed in their house.  i seriously think i'm going to offer polaroids to every client.  they just make my heart so happy.

when the stars align

monday, i had a new coach at crossfit because my regular coach was on vacation.  she asked me what i do and i shared with her that i was a child | family portrait photographer.  a bit later, a woman walked in, ready to train, and my coach shared that i was a photographer.  the woman said,

oh, we haven't had photos done in forever.  but i don't like the way i look right now so i keep postponing.

tears instantly flooded my eyes, as i shared about kirsten. and max. and sam.  and my is there a perfect time post (which i now have at the top of my blog, hoping that everyone who visits will click and read). i don't care if she commissions me but i begged her not to wait for the perfect time, which for her was when her hair is more grown out.

there's a few things i feel i'm really meant to do in this life (beyond the obvious of being a great mother and wife) and one of them is sharing the importance of family photos -- not for ourselves but for those who love and cherish us. in this life, we just never know...and there really is no perfect time!

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also, this past weekend, i was commissioned by two incredible north carolina photographers and women -- serena boggs and emily corey.  to say that i was a bit flattered would be a huge understatement.

today, i want to share a bit about serena's story (tomorrow...emily). serena commissioned me for photographs of her family. but she commissioned me for another reason too...

serena asked me if i would also photograph her in a special dress and coat -- of her mom's. sadly, serena's mom passed away eight years ago, while waiting for a heart. she was only 49!! needless to say, serena misses her mom deeply and is very passionate about organ donation.

i flew in pretty late friday but we knew we had about 30-45 minutes of light that evening to play with. we had also checked the forecast and were blessed with a weekend of great weather. and...

it. was. absolutely. magical.

i really do believe the stars aligned and it was meant to be. i originally wasn't going to be able to photograph the boggs family because i was going to stop in north carolina, while en route to tampa...and it just so happened that the boggs family were going to be out of town that weekend. then plans changed and i ended up flying to north carolina this past weekend instead. yes, some things are just meant to be.

this morning, while surfing facebook, i came across this from serena...

deb photographed me in my mommy's dress and fur coat. these shoots i have waited for just the right artist. photographer to capture. knowing how important these were to me and my family. i have longed to meet deb for many many years now. she is one of the most beautiful women i have ever met. her art is enchanting and heartfelt. all the stars aligned for these. i am forever grateful. forever changed. and the heirlooms she has given us are irreplaceable. these are gifts for my three daughter's. a part of me & a part of their grandmother. much love to you deb. our hearts are full and thank you's will never suffice. xo

i have to say...having met and been able to hang out with serena and her family, MY heart is full and i am beyond grateful.  i am seriously blessed. thank you serena for letting me into your heart and home and for just simply being you. © deb schwedhelm | tampa family photographer

p.s. i almost burst out of my skin when serena told me that her dream family portrait was one where everyone was wearing masks.  i so love that!

p.s.s. do you see the hearts in two of the above images?  i do.