Little girl, wee muse.

This girl is my gift in this life. She is my wee blonde muse. She amazes me every day. If you look at her quickly you might not guess that she is only 6. I believe that she really does have a very old soul. That she is as wise as she is funny.

When I took her into the studio it was with the intention to make some beautiful portraits which I knew wouldn't be hard, but what happened was really interesting to me. She led the session. She went right over and picked out what she wanted to wear from my dress rack (an adult gown of course). And then I just kind of let her do her thing. I was pretty quiet other than getting her to giggle a couple of times so I could capture her amazing dimples. ( And I intend to share more portraits from this session soon. )

I love this portrait of her. To me it encapsulates what childhood or maybe our dream childhood looks like. For those of us that grew up with that vintage rocking horse in ours or a friends house it's a real symbol of being a kid. (And maybe you can even feel getting pinched by those damn metal springs!) We all have that idea, or dream of what our childhood looked like or what we wanted it to look like. This portrait to me is about the ideal childhood.

This portrait also tears at my heart because while I see her as a tiny girl on a horse I also see so much more. Maybe it's because I am a mom and that's just how we think. But I see the fleeting moments that truly slip by so quickly. I see her in elementary school giggling with her girlfriends, I see her with her first crush, I see her in high school, I see her learning to drive, I see her moving away from me...

And again I am drawn back to being so grateful that I can do something to capture these moments for both of us. That I can stop time. Someday she will see this portrait and know that this was where she began her ride. The ride of her life, the ride away, the getting dressed up in clothes way too big, the dreaming of being a big girl...whatever this image holds for her.

I am simply grateful that I was there.

                                                                                        In life and love. - Jen

How to take better portraits in the harsh summer sun...

I wanted to share a few tips for taking portraits when you are enjoying the amazing summer weather...which means harsh shadows and bright light!

There are a couple of really simple tips to keep in mind that can make all the difference for shooting in the bright sun. 

First off there is the trick that every good photographer often uses 

#1) Run for the shade. (: It's totally true. You can see from the portraits below that at times it's just beautiful because the light is still everywhere around you. Light is bouncing off the sand, ground, and buildings to give you some "light in the eyes". 

#2) Use a reflector. This one takes a bit of forethought but will give you great results. Grab a white foam core from the art supply store. It doesn't have to be big- even a 2x2 will work great. No one wants to see squinty eyes and dark circles under the eyes. So make sure the sun is behind whomever you are taking portraits of. Then use the foam core to bounce light back onto your subject. You can see the little spots of light in her eyes....pretty!

#3) Use a flash. This may seem counterintuitive to use with the sun. But I use my flash the most in the sun. If you have someone with the sun behind them they may just be too dark. You may not have a white reflector to use. Whatever the case you can use that pop up flash (or your big guns flash if you have one) on your camera. You will be surprised how much better your portraits will look with flash in the sun during the day. 

Have any questions about details for the way these tricks work? Or have a comment on one that you tried and it worked? Leave a comment below...I would love to hear from you! 

                                                   In life and love - Jen 

Nikki and Malek get married at The Landing at Pine Point, Scarborough Maine

Nikki and Malek are truly such sweet people. I loved watching Malek's concern for his family and how everyone was doing the day of the wedding. His compassion and caring for others was clear. And Nikki spent the entire day happy with one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen! There was not one selfish moment. I truly love my bride and grooms. I always work with people who know why they are having a wedding; to celebrate the beginning of their commitment with family and friends. To have time to spend with those that are most important in their life. After eight years together they were celebrating the beginning of marriage in a fabulous way! Nikki and Malek were amazing hosts. I congratulate them on such a wonderful day.

It was supposed to rain on the wedding day and while they gathered all the golf umbrellas they could find, they had beautiful blue skies all day! Pine Point Beach never disappoints for fun beautiful beach portraits. And the Landing is a grand room for a party to be sure!

Wedding Planner Extraordinaire: Busy Bride Consulting- Kimy Wall 
Fabulous Food: Black Tie Catering 
Beautiful Venue: The Landing at Pine Point, Scarborough, Maine

I feel so lucky and grateful to have a job were I get to connect with wonderful people and give them beautiful memories of their family, their friends, and their love. Thank you Nikki and Malek for bringing me into your world.

                                                                                                            In life and love- Jen

 I always like to start with a couple shot that I love...and this is the one for sure!! You can see them both smiling under the kiss!! (: I love it.

A first look at each other before the ceremony...and a few moments alone.

Someone found a sand dollar and gave it to them for good luck! (: