Video/Slideshows...

For All Slideshows, If you are having trouble playing, hit pause, let it run through it's course (you will see the grey line pass through) and then hit play........

Melt's My Heart......

4 weeks ago, we had puppies. Well, we are from the groom's side of the family, and the neighbor has the bride, Bella. Bella and Reese. And look what they made. I so want to keep one! The video is sure to melt anyone's heart.....It does mine....Puppy Love......

Easter

Well, it was a wonderful weekend and very busy. Saturday, I photographed twins! Twin babies I might add! After that, I had last minute things to get, and had forgot through the week to take Ean to see the Easter bunny. Yes, he still believes, and I treasure that! After 7 in the evening, we were out swinging on "our favorite tree" and he remembered! So, he begs, can we go see the Easter bunny? Well, exhausted, I get the bright idea, "Hey, Mommy can email him!" And Ean was happy! (the Easter bunny at the mall freaks me out anyway!, so I was happy!):) Here is Ean on the swing, and the eggs we had to leave out with a note.....Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! By the way, can you tell it was final four night too? We even left out a WVU egg for the bunny! :)

Proud Mom!

This past winter, Mica has been privileged enough to be recruited to an All-Star Soccer Team! No, I don't normally take sports pics, sports are nights and weekends, and I'm a Mom! Nights and weekends (without weddings) are dedicated to family! But, I am a PROUD MAMA, so I am sharing! Mica's team won two awesome tournaments! Yeah! This has some cool video to it too, especially in the end, of course, but I'm biased. This was the most INTENSE GAME! Congrats Girls!

The Innocent

I really do miss those baby stages. The cuddling, the innocent, Bear in the Big Blue House. Nowadays, Percy Jackson and his underworld adventures, music, and sports have taken over. I love seeing my kids grow and do new things, and I love to still capture the innocent.......Here is Mica.....

Old and Forgotten....

They sat there and collected dust on the window ledge forever. For one, it had be 365 days times 9 which is somewhere around 3,285 days later......I bit the dust. I developed old disposable cameras, that I had no idea what would be on them. We got them back. Ean and I really laughed hard at 18 month old Mica. She didn't think it was so funny. :) I also enjoyed see Ean as a baby again. Well with agreement, the kids said I could post this. It is one of my favorites. ;) Ean at front, Mica in the back....Of course, Mom in front of camera! I'm guessing the year at 2005. Not bad for disposable I must say! I hope this encourages you all to do the same. My next thing will be to convert my video tapes to DVD!

Other....

Well, I have survived last week. My main computer crashed on Monday! Thank goodness, I am "obsessive compulsive" in this department and have triple back up! Two on external hard drives, and one online, just in case!

I thought I would share about my online backup. Everyone should have this! For $5 a month, www.backblaze.com backs up your computer and you don't even have to think about it. It does it automatically and here is the best part, IT DOES NOT SLOW DOWN YOUR COMPUTER! For everyone, we all have cameras, and pictures of our families, etc. Should a major disaster hit one's home, this is a blessing! Buy it today, and sacrifice a coffee or two in a month. It's worth it!

The trick to this backup is to make your own "My Pictures" folder, or any other folder and store it right on your C: drive. It will not back up things on the operating system, so don't use your computers "My Pictures" folder, etc. Make your own on the C: drive and you can't loose!

TIP ABOUT MAILING PHOTOS

Saw this tip about mailing photos, so I thought I would share!

Take the keeper of light bulbs and flatten it. Slide your photos of loved ones in it, place in envelope and send to other loved ones! Wrinkle-free photos mailed safely!

Start of Summer!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Summer! Enjoying toads, turtles and other critters are on my daughter's list of things to do! Ean, just loves to be Ean......

Photo Tips for Moms!

Well Moms, we love our kids, that is a given. And we love photos of our kids! Here are some simple techniques you can use with just your point and shoot! For all these pictures, remember to zoom in and eliminate unwanted clutter in the backgrounds.

Window Lighting or Side Lighting:

Here is Anna, a beautiful and simple portrait of her in the formal dinning room. This was taken in the late morning when the sun was coming through the window. Notice the highlights and shadows that make this picture unique. I had Anna look out the window and then played a surprise game of "peek-a-boo". She turned around for me, still not sure of me, but I clicked anyway! A beautiful keepsake!



Window again, but I waited till about dusk. This is my Mica at 18 months of age. It is with a true point and shoot and the flash made the scenery in the background darker and made this awesome reflection. I turned it into black and white. A good program to transform your pictures to black and white, get rid of red eye, and more for a general user that want's everything and simple to use is Adobe Elements. One of my very favs of her before Photos By Design began!



Here is Reese Cup, window light as well. I love his looks out the window. He tries so hard to protect the family and barks at golfers....need I say more....



YUMMIE TUMMIES!

A natural for kids is to get them on their bellies and stack them! Here is Mica and Ean in their younger years. I pretended to fart at a very unexpected moment and the both of them started to crack up!




Another favorite yummie tummie of mine! This is Anna's sister, taken a few years later. I had her in the shade to avoid any sun shadows on the face. Placed her on the tummy and waited for a little wind to pick up. Hey, btw, you can always use your fan, from the house too! I just zoomed in on the face, as her beautiful features are highlighted.



FOR THE MOVERS AND GROOVERS, TINY TOTS!

Keep them in an environment they love! Who care's if they get dirty or wet, just wait for the smiles cause they will happen if you act like you are not photographing them and just playing!



Here little Cameron and I played a game of "peek-a-boo". I love this. I think it is so funny when they are so bigger than the object yet still pop out for fun!



The best advice I can really give you is to go digital. Who cares if you take a bad shot, delete, shoot more! The more you shoot, the better the pictures will get!

Family.....

I photograph so many things throughout the year and there is nothing like family. Starting an heirloom at the beginning of marriage, having babies, growing them to young adults and giving them wings to venture out into this world. Making memories to pass on and on…..there is nothing like family…..a inter-twine of a rope, bonding everyone together.......Meet the Dubberke's. Great Job Janna and Lance!





A Second Note:

I have been really crazy with pictures and VERY thankful for that....My poor blog is lacking....wanted to share some spring time pictures of my daughter....

Happy Birthday Mike Greaver!

If you see my brother today, wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! He is 41 today!

Big Print Special!

Take advantage of the Big Print Special on 11x14 and 16x20, I know I did, and I already got my 11x14's back already!

Photos By Design Birthday Special! It will make you splash cake all over your face, in a good sort of way!

Let me tell you, Photos By Design was born through the heart of several people who believed in me. My Mom, (of course) and a good friend Debra Armes! I REALLY REALLY MISS YOU Debra! (btw, her dad was “Hook Man on Hawaii 5-O”, Really ;) ! Debra and I spent so many days in a dingy basement, working together and dreaming of things that were impossible for most, knowing it was never impossible for us…….

I can also say, Photos By Design was born with the discouragement of others, and I am thankful for their not so sought out advice, as it is with them, that made me who I am today. So to this I say, discouragement is good……..

Today, I reflect back to where I started and where I am going. Let me say, for those of you on my calendar, I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED TO PHOTOGRAPH ALL OF YOU! I have so many new ideas, and ideas I can’t wait to find! For those of you thinking about getting on my calendar, BOOK NOW!

To Celebrate Photos By Design this March 5th, 2009 I am offering:

Book your wedding for 2009/2010 this Month of March and SAVE!: (This does not apply to anything previously booked, but I have something for you guys below!)

Receive $100 off the first package

Receive $150 off second package

Receive $250 off third package

Please contact me for package information.

Okay now, I know that is not fair for brides and grooms that have already booked me, so for you guys:

Refer a bride and groom and if they book me in the month of March, you get an additional $250 print credit or album credit!

For brides/grooms, families, babies, children, and seniors and anyone else I photographed, get $25 off your order on any order over $150 in March!

Oh and did I mention the previous special going on? WOW! Big Print Special! Add that to the previous……WOW WOW WOW!

This special will only be good through the month of March, so order now or book a session and I promise to get your pictures up quickly to order if you book early enough!

I am SO INSPIRED, and INFLAMED with new inspirations! I CAN’T WAIT TO PHOTOGRAPH ALL OF YOU!

Happy 7th Birthday Photos By Design!

I am thinking specials for this birthday! Stay tuned tomorrow as it will be Photos By Design's 7th Birthday!

Las Vegas and WPPI Pictures

Here are a few pics from my Wedding Portrait Photographers International event recently.....All these were taken with my point and shoot, the canon G9.



I stayed at "The Signature of MGM" which is right beside the MGM Grand, where the conference was held. Here are the signature lions of MGM....




The next two were taken at M&M world. My Ean would have loved it here....4 stories of nothing but M&M memorabilia!



Baby, you can drive my car......



And for my Mica, I had to walk down to the Hard Rock Cafe and get her some guitar souvenirs! This picture Rocks!



Let me just say, this conference was AMAZING and I AM SO SIKED to photograph all of you this year.........The things I learned, the products to offer, just WOW.....JUST WOW.....

Our Valentine's .....Mommy Coming Home......

Let me just say, Ooooohhhh how I have missed power tools. I used to be the "maintenance department" years back...."B.K." before kids....I was a power tool freak...give me a drill, give me a jigsaw...go to Lowe's on Sunday with my pick-up truck, YES!......then, I had kids.....

WOW...Can you say "Life Change" Those things I worried about, the house, and did this look nice, and what if.....where did they go?.......Heck, where did the pick up truck go?.....Just useless stuff that really didn't matter, anyway....

Or Did it?.....It is amazing to see how kids bring a change in you, like patience, (My biggest obstacle! and I still wonder if I have).....but when the bottles, diapers, and binki stage were flowing, somehow, I forgot about me and changed....for them......

Now, this Valentines project, which was really nothing, "Just make a box and put your name on it"......changed me back again, to the one true self I knew, and gave my kids a new friend they could know.....We went on an exploration......Flamed with determination, we sought out supplies, we laughed, we learned, we almost broke blood (we had a few mishaps), we dreamed, we had fun.......My kids learned a new me, (or an old me) and I them.....HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Just a Note.....

I hope everyone is enjoying these snow days! As a kid, I remember the agony of anticipation of watching the news and waiting and waiting till we finally got our dream, A SNOW DAY! Now, I find I am still doing this today as the parent! I love having the kids home and my little Reese Cup loves it too! Reese still makes sure I work while I occasionally grab a game of Uno, or Scrabble or a game on the Wii!

Here is Reese, having "his eye on me"! This picture just makes me laugh......

Two Smiling Faces

January is a time for me to clean up files, business stuff, and just think about new things. Well, as I was doing this, I found this abstract drawing my daughter made. To be cursed with a mother who lets her play in photoshop at random! But she truly has a gift..... Mica calls this "Two Smiling Faces". I am going to make a canvas print of it, I love it!

Christmas

My favorite picture of the day.....Christmas Eve, and I did what I wanted....To see Christmas through my children's eyes.... Yes I have this photo, and one of Ean, but the rest, I put the camera down, and I enjoyed, embraced, and savored every moment. And I am thankful of that.



Ean, my toughest subject, but he is so honest in this picture.....



The Tree....



The Night Light between Mica and Ean's Bed.....



Mica.....





Ean............



Reese, hiding under Mica's bed in which he loves to chew on her bed skirt!

Holiday Cut Offs

For Albums, the latest to order is Now, Now Now, but I still don't guarantee because they are in the mercy of FedEx.

For prints, the latest is Thursday.

My studio will be closed from December 19th through January 5th.

Enjoy this link of Gloria Estefan: "Christmas Through Your Eyes"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKrkam2oESs

Copy and paste this to your browser to listen to a beautiful song......

This Christmas, my kids are 9 and 7 and still believe. I want to see Christmas through their eyes. Please respect my time with my kids and family and I look forward to photographing yours in 2009!