more pink

We've been having fun with color this week! I took advantage of a trip up to my parents house and the pond to grab some of the magical light that hovers there in the hour before the sun sets. Rachel spent some time practicing her ballet at the edge of the pond.

outrageously pink

These images popped into my head the second I saw these boots on the shelf in the store. Off we were in search of the right fence and barn, and we found them right around the corner at the Granger Homestead. It was high noon, but we found lots of shade in the shadows from the barns and apple trees.

fun, fun family

I am just a fraction of the way through proofing last night's session with this fun family. They live out in the woods on a beautiful piece of land, and it was so great working with them. Thanks Gudrun. You have a beautiful family!

And yes, it would appear that Melissa has bunny ears in one of my favorites. A special thanks goes to Marcus for that special effect.

sweet isabella

At three weeks old, this little cutie was wide awake and simply adorable.

dark morning

And I have a newborn shoot in an hour, so Rachel agreed to let me experiment with the Speedlight.

best place to live in rural america

In the last month, as I've discovered so many wonderful spots to shoot and my eyes have been wide open looking for interesting opportunities, I have been marveling at this beautiful place in which I live. There are the stunning lakes, fields, gardens, and historic villages, along with the sites, names, and cultural traditions of Native Americans who lived here before us. Paula's shoot last week, where we covered so much beautiful ground in such a short time really brought this home to me.

So when I got an email from The Progressive Farmer magazine (as a result of my subscription to This Old House) plugging the Top 10 places to live in rural America, I though, "Hey, I wonder if we're there? We should be!" And sure enough, Ontario County, NY, came in as number 1. With a really wonderful write-up that only begins to scratch the surface of why the quality of life here is so good. Check out the 10 Best Places to Live in Rural America.

magnificent melissa

Meet Melissa at 11. She is such a great kid, with an ease and comfort in front of the camera. We had a wonderful session capturing her at Sonnenberg Gardens.

I'm very much looking forward to doing a session with Melissa's whole family next weekend!

back in the pool

And so we were back on the road. Will competed this weekend in a meet in Buffalo, giving me the chance to experiment with action shots. These were both at 1600 ISO, and while grainy on close inspection, they really are remarkably clear.

The top photo is of Will's start in the 50 free. The bottom is one of his teammates.

Also, I just realized that my last post was my 100th post since starting this blog in January. It is fitting that Paul's photos, my favorites ever, are in that honorable position.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's photos of Melissa, a very special "tween."

paula

What a wonderful session I had with Paula. From the wheat field, to downtown, to the tracks, and then the boathouses, we covered an amazing amount of territory in 90 minutes. Paula's inner beauty really shines through when she gets in front of a camera.

There are so many more wonderful ones...stay tuned for Paula part 2 sometime next week.

rocks and doors

We are indeed fortunate to live a stone's throw from Sonnenberg Gardens. I've long been partial to the Japanese Garden (2nd photo) and the Rock Garden (previous fairie photos), but now I've found this amazing door on the Carriage House.

a native walk

We took a walk at Ganondagan yesterday. This was the site of a vibrant Seneca community and is now a state historic park with a bark longhouse. It is beautiful, haunting land.

hair!!!

Meet Matthew. Just five months old and several haircuts later, this little cutie has the coolest hair! Matthew is the third child of my cousin Terri, and I had the pleasure of meeting him at a picnic yesterday.

Tech: 100 ISO, f/5.0, 1/500

nora-approved

I love the light in the evening just before sunset. It has a warm glow, and because it is low in the sky, it creates a wonderful sparkle in the eyes.

Nora is quite particular about the images I post, and this one has her approval.

Tech: 400 ISO, f/6.0, 85mm

little ducky duddle

Last night we wandered down to the lake for "scoops" and to visit with the duckies. One mama duck and her trio followed us everywhere. She was amazingly protective of her brood with the other ducks, but proud and loving as can be too.