My Mermaids | Underwater Photography

Living here in South Florida puts me in prime real estate for taking underwater pictures. I just can't justify the $$$ for the housing at this point. So when I realized my own daughter actually owned an underwater point and shoot...I said, "Hey, can I borrow that for about a month...or so?"

I've yearned for trying my hand with images in the pool and the ocean. The girls love going over to the city pool to swim laps and play in the zero entry. This was my chance! And I learned a few things in the process.

It was actually quite comical at first.
Tip #1: I don't recommend a dive mask...use goggles, then you don't have to deal with the fogging of your mask. I gave up and tossed the mask.

As humans, we are not MEANT to sink to the bottom...we float.
Tip #2: Dive weights would have been helpful for both me and the girls. BUT, I managed to work around that once I quickly figured out the optimal range when I held the camera out from me underwater AND that the girls were doing some VERY cool things just looking down in the pool.

You grew up in South Florida dummy...put sunscreen on yourself.
Tip #3: Don't be so concerned with your kids' sun protection that you forget to take care of yourself.
(Amateur move.)

And finally...
Tip #4: Just go shoot! I had this idea in my head of what I wanted to accomplish. NOT a single image is even close to what I sought out to shoot that day. I may get to shoot that image in my head someday, but just shooting and getting input from the girls themselves was 10X cooler.

Enjoy!
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Painting Canvas Photo Session...Capturing Moments

A field...a canvas...jars of paint...a family. 

I call it a Love Canvas.

I've had this idea for a while, but getting the planets to align with everyone's schedule has been challenging. Of all the months in the year for the planets to align...August. (insert sigh...ugh...sigh here.)

But, it is what is is and I got the girls together early one morning to laugh, paint, create and capture.

The idea in my head was one thing...the reality...more than I expected. The girls had a blast! I got quite the workout running hither and yon dodging the paint with my camera. The little girls even got to splatter paint white sneakers to keep.

The images near the end of the little girls laying on the white sheet are some of my favorites! These were done a bit later in our backyard. It was getting crazy hot and the big girls had to run off...Busy girls! Getting "real" giggling makes for some awesome moments. An added bonus...I got my fence painted!!

(Don't tell anyone...but I just might love the fence more. J )

Love now hangs in our dining room.

(Let me know if you want one for YOUR dining room!)

Enjoy!

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And I almost forgot...you know I HAD to do a VIDEO!! J

BONUS...I got my fence painted too!

Unscripted Exploring with Kids | South Florida Photographer

I love these moments. Unscripted. Childhood. Moments....Childhood happening.

I so enjoy photographing my girls and capturing beautiful moments in the process. It makes my heart swell...truly. This time we're on vacation, enjoying a great day out exploring. I was thinking, "Maybe I can get a nice portrait. All of them participating in a smile."

But, walking up and down the beach, picking up sticks, trying to catch crabs and stacking rocks...it was all we needed. Just part of exploring with your kids and enjoying your time with them.

As a photographer...and a mom, I occasionally I add some words of encouragement for YOUR own photographic efforts. Sometimes I'll challenge you (yeah, you...you there with the camera) to take a different look at how you see photos and hopefully taking pictures yourself.

I posted some of these recently on Facebook with a bit of a statement:

Yeah, I said blurry is OK.

I believe telling the story is MORE important than having "technically" perfect images. The movement of the girls digging in the sand or walking across a fallen tree. That's more important. The story of our day is what I'm capturing.

Think about telling a story the next time you pick up your camera, and maybe not so much about everyone smiling looking at the camera. (Or god forbid...saying "Cheese.")

I LOVE the first group of images...not one of them is looking at me. This was actually towards the end of the afternoon...they were getting tired.

Another favorite is the one of my youngest laying on the tree branch...oh my heart.

Her sisters were busy running over, under and around the fallen trees that were scattered on the beach. And she's simply laying on the tree.
So, I ask her, "What are you doing?"
She replied in a very quiet, still voice, "I'm listening to the ocean with the tree. I could sleep here like they do."

Like I said, oh my heart.

Enjoy!

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Hello Summer, My Old Friend | South Florida Photographer

Like most kids I spent the school year anxious to be out of school, wanting to run head first as fast as my legs could take me into the warm & wonderful freedom of summer.

I grew up in a South Florida that was transitioning to home air conditioning. I spent most of my younger summers playing in the backyard and our carport, or roaming the few short blocks from our house because it was just as hot in the house. As I got older, my bicycle transported me a world away to friends homes, the beach and parks. (OK...in actuality, only a few miles in total.)

At the end of every school year, I get that same pull and yearning to fly out of the house and head to the beach or embark on a roadtrip. I continue to be thankful that my younger girls are just as anxious to get out and experience, hot or not, the sweetness of summer.

Giggling with a towel over their shoulders, flip-flops on their feet...walking out to the summer sun.

(and yes, these adorable feet are now my Facebook profile pic and my computer screen saver!)

Enjoy!
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Capturing Childhood (While I still can)

"Who wants to go by the park?" I ask while driving back from an afternoon of errands.
A trio of resounding "Me!" booms through the car.

I'm SO thankful at 8 & 11 years old they still want, and love, to go to the park. Their heads aren't buried in electronic devices. A cell phone isn't plastered to their ears. They are aren't begging to go the mall.
Not yet....not yet.

I know that time is coming. It's right around the corner. I see it every day...little glimpses of what's to come. But...in the meantime, I'll take every moment I can to capture them still enjoying childhood. Throwing their legs forward, their heads back laughing and pushing the swing even higher up into the sky.

Enjoy!
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(Special thanks to Let The Kids Dress Themselves for featuring this first photo on their Facebook page for their May theme [Simple].)

UPDATE 6/13/2014: Another HUGE "Thank You" to Wendy Laurel and Let the Kids Dress Themselves for featuring my image on their WEBSITE!!! Huge honor to be featured with so many talented photographers.

Winter Light | South Florida Photographer

"Girls, you want to go make some pictures?" A chorus of "Yeah!" sounds throughout the house.

I was hoping for a GLORIOUS colorful sunset. Instead what we got was this odd "flat" light. I call it "Winter Light". It was a bit chilly out. The girls weren't exactly in the jumpin' around mood. (But I did convince them to do one.) The light partnered with this perfectly.

The result...beautiful, reflective, soft images. These are REALLY some of my favorite images of the girls.

The best part...it showed me that you don't always need to have the "perfect" golden light. (Don't get me wrong...I'm not going to stop chasing that light.)

Enjoy!
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The collage below is one I'm putting up on the wall.