I like to think I am growing better with age. I make better choices and think before I speak (most of the time). My kids are grown and for the most part, escaped my parenting experiments relatively unscathed. Paul and I are excited about the next phase of our life where we can travel more and not have to worry about college tuition. It's a great feeling - this newly found freedom. Enter into this conversation .... Kaya (below).
Our life long friends recently became grandparents for the first time. They are also in a similar stage of life - kids are through college and creating their own lives. When I heard that Kelsey was having a baby, my first thought was, "We are not old enough to have grand babies!" (Translate: denial.) After all, Brad, Jan, Paul and I went to college together. We were married within a couple of years of each other. We had our babies around the same time. Certainly, I am not old enough to be a Gigi, Grandma, Grammie or Meme!! Kaya most definitely proved me wrong. It was a super special moment meeting this precious baby girl. The old cliches were pulled out, "I remember when YOU were this big!" Okay, now I am old.
Kaya is a sweet reminder of how time flies so quickly and how we should make the most of every moment. I had the GREAT privilege of taking her first baby pictures for which I am humbled and tickled. It was surreal capturing this baby girl with her mother and grandmother. I reflected on the prospect of having grandchildren and how excited I am that (God willing) someday I will be able to snuggle my grand babies. So much for freedom and travel. I will gladly trade seeing the world for spending precious time with little human beings like the one pictured here.
Thank you for spending the morning with me, Kelsey and Janice. Thank you for this special gift of capturing your next generation. Be blessed, beautiful Kaya!
Hi All - Let me introduce you to Dan, Ashley and Rowan. I was hired by an adoring Aunt to photograph Ashley during her pregnancy. Ashley is an incredibly busy young woman who owns her own equestrian center. She instructs young men and women in everything horse. Her farm is beautiful and you can tell she is in demand for her talents. It took us many tries to set (and reset) a date. As busy as Ashley is, her partner Dan is also constantly on the run. Dan is a dedicated fireman. You can probably imagine he wasn't too keen on having his pictures taken but he was a great sport. He was very quiet and I wanted him to feel comfortable in what I would ask him to do. When I asked him about wearing his sunglasses for the pictures, he was thoughtful and I told him to do what he's most comfortable with. He decided to wear them. As we started taking pictures, he shared with me he is sensitive to the sun because of three tours he did in the middle East. He then went on to share some of his experiences with me. I was humbled and honored that he shared his story. To lighten things up, I asked his little girl, Rowan, to be my assistant. Her job was to blow dandelions while I took her picture. This little face stole my heart! She was a little energizer bunny who is excited about her baby sister arriving very soon! Thank you, Dan and Ashley for spending time with me. And thank you, Dan, for your service to our country.
I grew up in Burlington, VT and the extent of my horseback riding was rocking horse on the playground at South Park (now Callahan Park). The posse of kids that I grew up with rode bicycles, not 1,200 pound animals, so this photography event was a new experience for me. There are some things that are common to any event when children compete, and one is the presence of supportive parents. It was a bright, muddy and beautiful day, contrary to the crazy (tornado warning) storm we had the night before. The equestrians were gathering at the ring to compete and the parents were doting on both the horses and the riders. They were so friendly and helpful in educating me what to expect. I was struck by the maturity and cordiality of the young men and women. I was also moved by the unspoken level of trust between the animal and rider, and the beauty of this sport. While I have rarely been around horses, everyone made it easy for me to feel comfortable and even entertained. One horse would smile on demand. Too funny!!
Overall, it was great to meet new people and to capture competition moments for this horse loving community. Thank you, Steeple Ridge Farm and Ashley Meacham for providing me with this wonderful experience! I look forward to more shows in the future.
As a mother myself, I know how hard those last weeks of pregnancy can be. At one point or another, we all wish to have the baby a little early, especially in those late, hot summer months! Well, baby Morgan granted her momma's wish! Arriving nearly three weeks early, she showed up bright eyed and bushy tailed! Morgan is a mellow, sweet, healthy little beauty. What a dream she was was to capture - never fussing, posing easily, alert for nearly the entire session. I look forward to watching Morgan grow over the coming years. Thank you, Courtney and Nate for this precious privilege of capturing Morgan's first portraits. Wishing the Hibler family a lifetime of wonderful blessings and adventures!
At times it seems impossible to believe, but you really are their everything. And some day those photos of you will seem truly priceless to your family.
Celebrate motherhood with Mother's Day Mini Session. 30 minutes in natural location. 4 digital images with print release. $25 credit toward future appointments. $125. Limited slots are available. Contact: [email protected].
It takes a very special person to care of our babies, children and adolescents. Pediatricians are up all hours of the day and night, racing to the emergency room to care for a child in crisis or to the hospital to manage a newborn. Pediatricians not only take care of the child, they also care for the entire family. New mothers and fathers need reassurance when their colicy baby won't stop fussing. Parents need consoling, support, education and guidance when they find out their child has a terminal illness. They share in all of the emotions of raising a family. Doctors need care, too, and it takes a special person to walk alongside them. Meet Nate, Courtney's sweet and loving husband. He has a gentle spirit and you can see his love for her as he stood patiently watching his lovely wife have her picture taken. The Hiblers ... a wonderful couple -- soon to be a family of three -- indeed! Please join me in congratulating Courtney and Nate on the upcoming birth of their baby girl.
Some families are meant to be large. I knew when my husband Paul and I were starting a family, we did not have the organizational skills or patience to have more than two children. And boy, was I right. I always believed that God blesses those families with many children who can actually handle it. Meet the Oni family. One beautiful Fall day, the Onis' came out for a family portrait. They have four children, all under the age of five years. Femi is a retired marine and he musters up all of his training on a daily basis to manage his lovely children! Amy has the patience of a saint, staying at home and keeping them all in line. I have known this family for a little while and have always been impressed with the manners and maturity of the children. "Yes, ma'am's" and "please and thank you's" without prompting! They were also able to show me their fun side as seen in the last photo which happens to be candid. Kids will be kids! God bless this young family as they grow and I look forward to future sessions documenting their family's journey.
"May your belly never grumble, may your heart never ache, may your horse never stumble, may your cinch never break."
One lovely Fall afternoon, I had the pleasure of spending time with this little guy, Benson and his horse, Tanner. That's right - his horse. Benson has been riding horses since, well, before he was born. His mother, Amber, is an accomplished horse woman in her own right and is often spotted on the backroads happily clip clopping along. Benson was showing me his horse when I took this picture. I was impressed by the gentleness and trust between Tanner around this little guy. Even though Tanner had a kind and gentle spirit, I could sense his power and respect that he commanded. Benson would grab his lead and pull him around the field like he was walking a dog - and a rather big one at that. It was clear that Tanner had great affection for his little boy. While I had the privilege of capturing a glimpse of this family's life, I think I learned the greater lesson that an old horse and a young boy can be best friends starting from day one. Thank you, Adams family!
Romus stopped by today to take some Valentine pictures. Romus is a sweet, now eight month old little boy whose daddy works for the National Guard. Sgt. Hickory spends weeks and months away from his family, serving his country. I feel it is important to offer a service that helps capture memories for those who have been deployed. I can't begin to imagine how hard it is to leave this handsome blue eyed boy! Sgt. Hickory - thank you for all you do!
Ask any nurse that works nights, "What happens when there is a full moon?" they will tell you strange things happen. I can personally attest to that fact when I was a practicing nurse. Patients will act out, running up and down the halls naked. Equipment will malfunction. Major disasters happen. Women come in pregnant with triplets and they didn't know they were having a baby, much less three. One could say there is general LUNACY everywhere (pun totally intended). While there may not be any scientifically correlated studies to prove this theory, ask any nurse and they will confirm with countless stories. ED nurses will ask for vacation months in advance so they don't have to work. Even though I am now officially retired as a Registered Nurse and into my second career as a photographer, I have to wonder what wonderous things happened last night besides this glorious red globe shining brightly in the night sky. Cheers to all the nurses out there with those "you can't make this stuff up" moments! Thanks for taking a look at my galleries. Please feel free to share your thoughts in my comment section of the website.
Meet Kevn, Leah and Max. Leah is a beautiful young mother who is due in early April. They are already the parents of little Max, a fine young fiercely independent toddler. I had the pleasure of photographing Max when he was two weeks old. Leah and Kevn felt strongly about taking pictures outdoors since winter is their favorite season. "It's a warm wind, " Leah shared as we stood up on Cabot Plains Road. Kevn and Leah are so clearly in love. When I asked them to give each other a kiss, Kevn quickly volunteered, "that's how babies are made." You are correct! By the end of the shoot, we were all ready for a hot cocoa. Thank you for such a wonderful day!
Hi all. I thought I would share some of my experiences when I first got into portrait photography. Meet Todd, Cat and their son, Sawyer. This image was taken a few years ago while they still lived in VT. They were gracious and kind while patiently posing for my very first portrait session. I've known Cat for several years now. She was one of my finest nurses when I was a practicing nurse leader. There was no pressure to make sure I captured their love since Todd is a professional photographer! It was a beautiful day with perfect golden light. Photographing this family was an honor - and the least I could do to provide some warm memories of their time in Vermont. You see, Todd was diagnosed with ALS shortly after they were married. As I continue to stay in touch with Todd and Cat, his spirit is as strong as it ever has been. A sweet, beautiful and loving family, Cat is the picture of devotion and dedication and Sawyer is a thriving young man sharing a Todd's spirit and zest for life. God bless you - Cat, Todd and Sawyer!
What a fun time it was photographing a young family who was visiting Meme and Pepe last weekend. Little Nolan, who is eighteen months old, was a little hesitant in the beginning, but by time the session ended, Nolan was having a blast posing like a real professional. His older brother, Stephen clearly loves his younger sibling. He was kind, playful and most of all, loving toward the little guy. It was a wonderful experience getting to know these two little men. I look forward to photographing them again in the future.
Hello everyone,
After much encouragement, I finally created my first photographic portfolio. The images I am sharing are some that hold special meaning for me. New England images encompass special places such as the lighthouses and the coast of Maine. Maine holds a very special place in my heart - besides my sister living there, it is where I find peace and rest. Macro images are an experimentation - shooting my very talented gardening sister's flowers.
I am a self taught photographer and have been seriously interested since 2010. I pride myself on carving out time in my busy life to practice the techniques and find the beauty in the subjects I shoot.
I hope you enjoy my portfolio as I continue to grow in skill and interest. Thank you, Ali