my family - 2014

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Cherish your human connections: your relationships with friends and family.
Joseph Brodsky

What to say about this year with the girls who are now older girls ... I cherished my human connectin so much that this year was more about the being there with them than the need/pull to document them with pictures. To be perfectly candid, I wasn't all that into it and neither were they. What's worked in the past doesn't fit any longer and so we will find a new way to explore and expand in the year ahead in a way that is a little more interactive and collaborative. This photograph conveys my sentiments - a passage through to the other side.

And yet there were these beauties which express all i could say and more about who these two are right now.

And here is the larger story - all the pages laid out in a way that tells their story this year.

a year of clients - 2014

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Confucius said "Wherever you go, go with all your heart" ... so I do. I give deeply and willingly and honestly and lovingly. Photographing for clients allows me to show them how exceptionally brilliant their life is ... the little importunate moments, the silly nothing exceptional yet magical moments and those everything in between.

As the most touching & gratifying for me, are those I get to work with year after year, I am thankful for any and all who find their way to me and am hopeful to expand and stretch my wings a little further this coming year as it's time, here's a little look back through 2014: ponds and prom and the joys of a hose on an early warm spring day; a breath and a laugh in new love, the simplicity of a chase and a typical summer morning on the porch; three little vignettes and family...

I continued on with Q & a year of life and a new first year of life - before, one week, one month, four months, seven months.

So wishing you all a Happy New Year - may it be filled with stories of life and love.

all together

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As a season often marked by gatherings around a table - to eat, drink, laugh, share, remember, it's here that our memories are often born and shaped. So when I received an inquiry for holiday portraits for an extended family of four siblings with one in-law sibling & child + two cousins along with their grandparents, I had an idea to literally begin around a table with them sharing stories of holidays past.

As I try to consider ways to cultivate natural connections, this felt like a format that would help ease any awkward tension (particularly at the very beginning of a session) and allow me to slip into the background. As it was, I found myself asking questions and listening along to their stories, looking for angles which showed the details in their grandparents home and offered insights into the larger story - particularly given grandparents in their early 90s. So my belief is that this family will remember this day as one of laughter and sharing stories along with family photographs... from the youngest with tangible views of his little self and his great grandparents & their faces filled with the love and pride and gratitude that lives in their hearts to the grandchildren who can perhaps think back to other years and other times along with this fine day.

I will end by saying that I look for ways to offer an experience that extends into and beyond the photographs. While I seek the emotion that naturally surfaces when we are comfortable, I strive to offer clients an experience that is meaningful and memorable AND enjoyable. And as the idea I used here was visualized for a book - photograph on one side, a memory story on the other - it is one I'm going to offer more frequently for extended gatherings.

the lake house

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"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
― W.B. Yeats

Where do i begin with this experience for what began as a gift card from one lovely sister to another turned into a bit of a journey.

In an initial discussion, I was left with an impression of family, of love and togetherness. And while we couldn't really make the entire family gathering possible, we opted to focus in on those more immediate. Which sounds in theory easy enough, until you try to find time in three different schedules (four counting mine!), particularly as I advocated for gather everyone together than at the lake house in new hampshire.

Though a bit of a drive for me, I couldn't resist - the location sounded dreamy, and as I'd never driven out through the winding roads that way I was eager for the scenery to be seen along the back roads and by roads that wound to an enchanting (yes, I used that word) drive up that led to a house on a lake that I struggle to find the words for. While yes, the actual house was brilliant  - the craftsmanship of wood and and light and space -  but it was much more than that. I could see cousins splashing and running ... I could hear laughter, sense the story, feel the love shared among family which on this day revolved around a certain red haired blue eyed boy who dazzled and delighted with his many expressions and silly sounds (and non stop motion).

The adoration of two sets of grandparents, remy the dog, his aunt and his own parents are evident throughout. The documentary inside was what I'd hoped for, and the portraits were exactly what I knew they'd be. And I feel the entire collection speaks to this family and their clan rather well - the lightness of spirit, the fullness of heart. I can only hope they'll have me again  - preferably in a warmer season with more of them there ... I see their story and the richness of their connections with each other.

ignite - december

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Having consciously passing on this the past three months, I had a hard time choosing something to end a year that was focused on street photography; particularly as I wasn't wow'd with what I've presented. Though seeing all the flaws and mistakes now only helps strengthen that fine art of seeing (the slowing down and tuning in) it was sobering as I long to be a little further along in this genre that I remain obsessed with. However, I am  mindful that you get out of something what you put into it and in truth, I've haven't always had the drive or commitment, that necessary "need to go out every day and shoot" which is what anything worth doing takes;  it's not the end, but rather the means, the doing that gets us where we're doing. (and while i've written a little note with links to everyone below, Susan Gietka, Susan Grace Photography, Hammonton, NJ is next)
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Days End, Salem | 2014

So in the end, I chose one that fits. And in lieu of linking to one to the other...I have a different idea:

Katie Suzanne- I eagerly await your whimsical take on motherhood (with boys); how you put all the pieces together the way you do is ever so clever and spot on. Thank you for making me laugh!

Susan Grace - I feel I've watched you take your ideas to a new level of artistry and conceptualization. Thank you for making me see more deeply ... and making me feel that this kind of creativity is possible.

January Skye- Your cinematic meanderings always read like a beautiful dark poem. Thank you for taking us under the veil.

Jan Madert - Thank you for your never ending ability to play with shapes and colors and composition and objects of meaning and memory.

Roxanne Bappe - Thank you for your textures and overlays which feel like a worn vintage lace tablecloth.

 

 

Wishing all your lovely talented beings in this little group the very best of endings and beginnings to come.

the gift of serving

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“You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
― Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

april | 2012

april | 2012

As a season with giving at its core, we are often overrun with a blur of activities that veil the real magic in the air. Between the buying and wrapping and baking and decorating & the gatherings and events,  the real gift of giving can get lost in all the have to's and must do's and need to's.  Yet the most magical gift we can experience lies in giving to others. I can't take credit for how I feel about serving others either; it's how I was raised/who I am, and it's at the core of photography & my business.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to photograph this family of four generations and when I learned that Vanessa (the mum of the little) was going to be serving in the National Guard and would need to be away from her four year old for six months, I offered her a session (and the best time for her was in December when she was back on break). And after months of following the updates and photos between she and her girl, I got to see a little video of April seeing her mom for the first time over Thanksgiving - the most impacting exchange I saw that day.

So for me, giving to one who is giving to our country, and to a little who's giving up her mom for a period of time, is one of greatest gifts I can give this season. While I have much more to say on giving this season and in the year ahead, I will end with a few photos from our last time together two years ago.

capra diem farm

about a month ago, one of my facebook friends shared a video of a nigerian dwarf kid goat and i think i watched that video like ten times. to say i have been obsessed with them since is no exaggeration. i break out in a big smile both outside and in every time i think of them. so - after a little search and compiling a list of goat farms in MA, i reached out. and was surprised to hear back from every farm i wrote. i have felt happily embraced and warmly welcomed and was able to visit the capra diem farm in carlisle ma a few weeks ago. though this is the very beginnings of what i feel will be a life long relationship, i wanted to share a few selections from my time with judy and her lovable and loving little goats.

goat tail, capra diem farm | carlisle ma, 2014

as i met judy at her home, i was also able to meet her wild chickens and a very special turkey named pee wee. judy was given a few wild turkey eggs a year ago and decided to try and hatch them with her hens. amazingly, of the two eggs, one hatched which is unusual; what's even more miraculous is that he has lived well past six months. pee wee looks out for the hens as evident when a hawk showed up and sat on the fence. he went into action and got all the little chickens underneath bushes and out of site. and then shooed them all into the pen. from there we went to the goat farm where i was surrounded by curious little faces. if i felt responsible and 'grown up' enough to take on this kind of responsibility (and could afford it) i would in a heartbeat. i loved them. i am crazy in love with them and i can't wait until the next visit.

ignite ~ september

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it was the beginning of the end of the beginning. a photograph taken the first day of the month at the end of a workshop and the beginning of what i think might be a long walk ahead. i'm thankful to have had a handful of pictures from this day that cut to the quick pretty deeply for me. this was one of those.

two hands in different poses speak to different sentiments, temperaments and personalities. hoping the boy would pull that bandana to the place he did. waiting for it to happen. seeing it all before it unfolded; realizing the space feels a bit crowded but knowing there was no other way to take it. i will leave you here at the end of a beginning and invite you forward ... to one who always surprises me with depth and grace - January Skye photography, Melbourne.

columbia county fair - the portraits

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Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, ""The most difficult thing for me is a portrait. You have to try and put your camera between the skin of a person and his shirt."  And so it is a tricky matter - for a successful portrait for me is all about trust, openness and a reverent connection.

Girl Spinning Wool | 2014 Columbia County Fair

it's an indescribable give and take of exchange and when i say i'm moved, i'm not exaggerating - i'm shaken to the core in a good way, in a grateful way; a heart swollen with tears that find their way to the surface. as i'm sensitive, i feel what's given and each experience changes me. so at the fair, what i looked for more than anything else were portraits of people that interested me. here's a sampling of those i found compelling.

twelve portraits - september

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as i look through the portraits i've shared each month to date, i am starting to see where i dig deep, and where i don't. where i take my time to really look and connect, and where i waver or shut myself off because i feel afraid of being vulnerable for the simple truth i'm aware of is this:  portraits require the photographer to be more vulnerable than the person being photographed.

jill previti, owner/artist of true north gallery  | kennybunkport, 2014

while there's still a long road ahead, i'm thankful that many of the internal blocks and barriers that have hindered my efforts in the past are melting in seizing a moment. with that, i give you this month's portrait which is definitely not a theme of 'sunflare' (this month's theme).

so i'll look forward to seeing others photographs this month as it's an element i personally favor in commissioned work starting with Linsey Stuckey.

boston harbor islands

i met my mom last week as she was visiting family who live a few hours out of boston, and it was but a train ride for us to meet. we had nothing really planned other than meet for lunch, take a walk on the waterfront and enjoy a leisurely afternoon together. after lunch, we sat on a bench watching the boats, water taxi's and ferry's come in and out and i noted that one of these days, i need to take a day and visit the boston harbor islands. my mom looked at me and said why not today ....

View of Boston from George's Island | 2014

tho we had no idea of the history of george's island (the one we visited), the fort or "lady in black" ghost story (which i may have to explore at some point) -  we enjoyed a ride filled with warmth, a mix of silence and conversation, clear skies, beautiful puffs of clouds and the island. though different from the excursions to vashon or bainbridge island in washington state, the experience of feeling lost in a different time and space were the same. so close, yet so far away. these are my impressions.

the fair

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i had the opportunity to photograph at a county fair in upstate new york a few weeks ago and the experience is one that remains in my heart. the warmth, the openness, the trust, the gentle reciprocation. photography is not a one way street - particularly with portraits.

Boy with Spiderman Inflatable | 2014 Columbia County Fair

a portrait takes a certain kind of exchange - sometimes it's a lingering exchange, at other times like the one above, it occurs in a flash. i liked the connection here and the clean simple background of the tent fabric along with the little ruffle bits off to the right. here are three others i felt were successful.

in one breath ...

In writing my newsletter this month i see how in a blink of an eye we've shifted seasons and a realization that it's been some time since i've shared anything here (my blog) or there (newsletter) or anywhere (pick your social media poison); in lieu of repeating my words in the newsletter, it's been a time to step back and take a breath. to withdraw and immerse. to reassess and shift; but, as time marches onward, here we are, one month later.

Girl with Sheep, 2014 | Columbia County Fair, NY

While stepping away for an extended time can be nourishing, for me, it can also prove a little tricky on reentry with so many rich experiences, where does one begin. How do I restart the momentum. With what?

I've chosen to begin where i left off ... the end of the beginning in every way which is how this photograph makes me feel - a beautiful longing, a deep sigh, a reverent love, a need to make photographs so filled with emotion, they linger on.

lifestyle photographs in color

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last year at this time i spent a week in Albuquerque photographing lifestyle images for a client's website with a shot list that spanned sports (tennis/golf), entertaining, cooking, food shopping, manicures, restaurants, church, four doggies, writing, home vignettes and portraits. it was an experience that brought me into the world of another and i feel helped me create a strong portfolio of photographs that reflect her personality and spirit.

inspire by michelle collage concept for homepage

inspire by michelle collage concept for homepage

the website is inspirebymichelle.com and was created by fladdap, inc. the company i'm part of with my husband.

as photographs can tell the story in ways no words or graphic illustrations can, custom photography for professionals, lifestyle writers, fitness and healthy living coaches, hair stylists, makeup artists and others who's service can be told with a story of photographs has become a growing part of our web design business.

the chase

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an evening at that time when a warm sun is starting to fall with a neighbor spending time with her daughter and grandson in the backyard. a mama who soaks up each moment as if it were stolen from the future - here, chasing the boy around the yard. something that appears mundane on the surface, yet one that's filled with divine magnificence.

ethan | august, 2014

it is pictures like these - the ones that are so much a part of our day to day -  that fill me with reverence. while i admire photographs where the lighting, the clothing and the environment are pulled together in some near form of perfection to convey a mood and/or a lifestyle, i'd take one of these over those any day of the week for they are ones i feel. and they're the ones over time imprinted on our memory.

a day of life - m&d

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in response to questions i often am asked about "day of life" sessions, i thought i'd share my notes and selected photographs from a recent session.

a day of life documentary is a story of photographs that speak to a particular time and place of one's life. while tailored to the distinct elements of each client, day of life sessions are generally set up in a way to include the activities and going's on of the day-to-day at home and in a nearby location - a park, a path, a playground - with the session lasting from a few hours at one time, to a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the early evening. and while my role is to discreetly  photograph moments and emotions as they naturally occur, i interact here and there, particularly to weave in portraits in ways that feel effortless and natural.

morgan | august, 2014

morgan | august, 2014

day of life - m&d

i prefer to meet before the session - particularly for families with little ones and pets - so they know who i am and i have the chance to observe their mannerisms and expressions. so for this session, i came by in the late morning before nap time to meet little girl and talk with mom. i was warmly welcomed by jake - a part st bernard part great dane gentle lamb that was most definitely the largest dog i've ever laid eyes on!

as we were talking, i learned that this is the last month these two will be together all day long as mom took two years off to be at home and will be returning to college in the fall and to work after graduation while little girl will be in daycare. as we were talking, she mentioned:

"it's kind of bittersweet...while i'm excited and ready for what's next, it's hard to process that two years have gone by and we only have a month left together."

it was this quote which framed it all and inspired the story i wanted to photograph - the longing to be at home among toys and tot mixed with the pull to return to the world of learning and working ... the illusion of an endless childhood and the need to linger on in each moment left.

this translated to photographing in two locations. at home - outside on the deck which overlooked a lovely pond - with little girl playing with toys, then running down to the dock to be on the boat - then a short ride to the woods nearby for a walk on the path through the trees in golden ethereal light, throwing stones in the water and climbing on rocks, and ending with lovely little portraits.

while i photographed a little during our pre-session chat to get a feeling of things, it was high noon and mid-summer which was too harsh of a light. by early evening though, it was sparkling and golden.

while i'm showing the images sequentially, most day of life sessions are finished in a book.

day of life sessions offer an experience of art and creativity and a time to just be with those you love and enjoy. it is a little printed memory of time that will be enjoyed for years to come.

interested? i hope so as these are my favorite sessions to create and  i think you'll find them surprisingly obtainable. contact me for details.

at the seashore

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how is it that three months can pass in what feels like one breath....i always shake my head and sigh at this time of year. realizing how easily i shrug off each day early on in june and into the high season of july - days that seem to linger on into the next that forge an attitude of "i'll get to the beach next week" until mid-august arrives and i find myself in a near panic of holy shit - it's almost over. maybe this is the year i'll finally awaken to the wisdom of taking in each day. and maybe next year i'll be a bit more assertive in marketing the love i have for beach documentary portraits.

quinn | august, 2013

quinn | august, 2013