I ♥ Faces - "People's Choice - Best Face"

I seem to always take so many pictures of my muse (Dahlia) that Milana seems left out but she too seems to love being in front of a camera (how did I luck out twice???).

So here's Milana's turn.

It's People's Choice at the iheartfaces photo challenge - Best Face in January.

and...pssst........I'm #243, if you're the voting kind. Thanks!(Funny....it was 249 but the number has changed. Thanks for the heads up, girls)

Black and White Wednesday - " a softer look "

It's been a year since I've been participating in Lisa's photo challenge and though I've really enjoyed exploring all the nuances of black and white photography (and enjoying all the variations on all the other blogs) I tend to lean toward one particular style.

Which is a good thing (when you're trying to establish a business and need to be unique and identifiable) but lately I've had a craving for a softer look.

My bent is to go to the extreme. (Did I surprise anyone?) And with black and white I automatically boost the blacks, the exposure, the contrasts and shadows and highlights. See.......? That's a lot of boosting.

So, I deliberately went the other way. Not too much 'cause........somebody cue the intro to "I gotta be me"! Ahem....sorry.

But enough so I sat back and said "oh, that's just so purdy and soft" and I don't say that a lot when I look at my pictures. I usually say something like "yeah....BAM.....and Bam again!!!

Ok....maybe a bit too soft here but I was having fun!

One things for sure - I could never get tired of looking at "that face"!

I still pinch myself that she's mine.

I ♥ Faces "Innocent Wonder"

“Know you what it is to be a child? It is to be something very different from the man of to-day. It is to have a spirit yet streaming from the waters of baptism; it is to believe in love, to believe in loveliness, to believe in belief; it is to be so little that the elves can reach to whisper in your ear; it is to turn pumpkins into coaches, and mice into horses, lowness into loftiness, and nothing into everything, for each child has its fairy godmother in its own soul.”

Francis Thompson

Black and White Wednesday " Baby Shoot"

You may remember this beautiful lady whom I had the pleasure of shooting last fall as she was just weeks away from having her baby.

Meet Baby Adam!!!

Ms N. had her baby and I again had the pleasure of snatching some images of the wee one and his Mom. I'll soon be doing their "family shoot" as well with their three children.




(Tried some vintage style editing here.)

We tried so hard to get baby Adam to sleep but he was having none of it.

Could there be a lovelier sight?

Happy Wednesday!

TODAY " the many faces of....."

Dahlia

Did I surprise anyone?

I caught her looking just a little too cute in her jammies and ran for my camera.

Well......run is not really true. More like hobbled. I tore the meniscus in my "good" knee (did the same thing to the other knee two years ago and had that operated on) just before Christmas and am now waiting for my MRI and another operation. Oh yah!!

Ahhh........but looking at this face is medicine to my soul!

That's my little corner of the world.
Please share with us what “Today” is like in your part of the world and link up with Communal Global's
"Tuesdays Around the World" !

Sunday Snapshot - " Fun at the Children's Museum"

What do you do when it's grey and cold outside? Go to the Children's Musem with your best buds, that's what!


(kiddos in a real police car)

It's a place where kids can explore all sorts of career options while running wild.

(cue the music!)

(sing your heart out sweetie)



(look out below!)

(Now class.......)



(my turn)

(where to Sis?)

I need to remember to just grab the moments and not worry about the perfect shot.

This is the stuff life is made of!

Have a wonderful week.

Black and White Wednesday "Sugar & Spice"

...and everything nice!

That's what little girls are made of. Right?

Well.....maybe some of that and maybe a lot more stuff that we don't always talk about.

I know I paint a picture of sublime bliss with my girlies on this blog and I also know that most readers know that we all have good days and bad one too. But sometimes my lens only tells a very small part of the story.

And for awhile I've wanted to kind of tell it like it is. For a couple of reasons - first, if you know me and us you KNOW the real us but also, I think it's important to share what we know and what we've learned so others can be more prepared and at ease with the knowledge that they're not alone.

So....here's the dirt.



See these sweet girls of mine? (I softened the edit on purpose to really bring out the sweetness.)
Since last summer in particular - we've hit some pretty rough patches in terms of their sibling relationship. (I know - you're shocked.)

The truth is - Dahlia came to terms with her disappointment in her expectations that she was getting a buddy or playmate, close to her age, who would "perform on command". (That is what we all wanted, right?)

Well, last summer Dahlia began expressing how this was all making her feel. And for quite awhile I let her vent and explore how she was feeling. She naturally doesn't share nor is in touch with how she's feeling so I indulged it.

But, it was getting nasty. Part of me knew she would grow out of it and part of me was afraid they would never bond. I worried that the chasm would widen so much that there would be permanent damage for Milana. She often felt rejected, and rightly so but no amount of talking would bring Dahlia around.

We required civility and that's what we got most of the time - but civility does not warm the heart nor do anything for attachment - so I worried.



Well.....I'm happy to report that situation has done a 180 degrees. We had a really low-keyed Christmas holiday period and both girls were off school for 18 days. (I know - unbelievable.)

We made almost no plans during that time and many days just stayed in our pj's and played, lounged, watched TV and really had fun together.

And you know what? Before long I heard things like this around the house. "Hey Milana, come here, let's play....." and "ok Milana, I've got the puzzles out" and "quick Milana - run and hide - before they find us, giggle, giggle"

And you know who was lapping it up.

When school let out just before Christmas, Dahlia checked to see when Milana's school re-opened (a week before hers) and laid out her plan. "Mom, can Milana go back early so we can have the last week together?" Well........she must have forgotten that this was what she wanted because she never mentioned it. Each day she enjoyed her little sister more and more.

Oh, I know they'll be bumps along the road.....

....but I'm so relieved that we turned a corner and they really enjoy each others company now.

I edited these black and whites in varying degrees to kind of prove a point (I know, I'm really deep ;)

Well....that's my story. I'd love to hear yours so feel free to share.

Join with Lisa for some great black and white photography.

And I know you all will excuse me 'cause I have some grinning to do as I watch and listen to the yelps of glee....ooops.....was the a good shriek or a bad one?