Category Archives: Blog

Beauty in the weeds

Heading to a baseball game is as common in our life as is brushing teeth, but yesterday  something ‘new’ caught my eye as I scooted onto the hot leather seat of my SUV.  Right there  in the back yard a dandelion grew even taller than our now small jungle of  water logged lawn.  Ironic as it sounds (knowing how much money and time we spend trying to get rid of them), the sunlight made that single dandelion almost sparkle. I know, it’s a weed, but in that moment I thought it was pretty. Seems I wasn’t the only one, as I turned to put my camera back in its bag I felt a tap on my arm. When I turned around, there was the cutest little hand proudly holding up the same weed I had just taken a photo of.  Any and all doubt now removed, that dandelion DID sparkle, but this time it might have been from the teary reflection in my eyes as my little boy handed me the world on a stem.  If you would allow it, let me encourage you to stop and pull the weeds in a whole new way. Maybe you’re passing by a lot of sparkle and shine in your life because you think it’s a weed when really it’s simply a beautiful moment in your life waiting to happen. Here’s to dandelions!

 

Free Sessions? [Midlothian VA Photography]

I’m always learning hoping to improve and grow as a professional. So, I have invested in a new class with a month’s worth of challenges to help me do just that. Photography Assignments for me means the need for models. I’ll be shooting individuals and some couples. I know I’ll be looking for a grandma in her late 50s or older with and w/o her own adult daughter among other subjects. If you want the chance to be my model, shoot me an email and tell me who you have available.  All models will receive a free session ($250).

 

Who’s ready?

 

Maternity Photos at home with Big Brother~Midlothian VA

It was a fun afternoon trying to sway the “Big Brother” into photos with his beautiful Mommy. He did a great job and his mom, who I am looking forward to building a friendship with, was so excited to share this time with him.  I cannot wait to go back to their home very soon and meet the baby. Enjoy sharing our day!

Go Red Richmond| American Heart Association Luncheon Part II

RED!  A sea of red…all I could see was red.  Take a look. 

Go Red For Women Richmond VA| AHA Charity Event

The short version of a long background goes something like this: When I was young, I was a little petite girl. I remember my mom dressing my brother (who was bigger than me) and I as twins a lot, even though he was 17 months younger than me. For pictures, I would stand on a chair to be as tall, or a bit taller, than him. As time went on, and puberty approached, it became obvious that something was wrong. Only, no one would know for a coupe decades  what it was that cause of such havoc  in my body. As if middle school years aren’t bad enough on their own,  (is there girl who isn’t a self-confident mess their around their 13th  and 14th birthdays?), mine was far worse than I can even allow myself to remember. Nothing went right. My friends adapted to changes in their bodies, and I just got fat. I mean, really fat. Instead of menses starting, obesity took over my body like a ravaging disease.  Not even 5ft tall, I was too short to carry extra weight, but that  was no deterrent as I seemed to go from 100lbs to over 170lbs over night. Even the doctors had no clue, and they sent me home saying I was ‘normal.’  No. Gaining 80lbs during puberty and not starting periods was not normal.

Ah, yes, the short version-I was in my 30s when finally diagnosed with PCOS. It’s an invisible disease, for the most part, but it’s far from invisible on the inside.  When I got the opportunity to shoot for The American Heart Association Go Red for Women, I knew I had to do it.  It’s an incredible and scary fact that 1 in 3 women will be affected with hear disease. The facts are clear. More women die of heart disease than all forms of cancer combined. Unfortunately, the killer isn’t as easy to see. Heart disease is often silent, hidden and misunderstood. 

1 in 3 women.  Do the math and that’s a tough spot for us all.

Furthermore, women with PCOS are SEVEN times more likely to have heart disease.  Admittedly, I haven’t done the new math and don’t know what 7x more than 1 in 3 is…but it’s not good.

So, today I supported AHA’s Go Red for Women. Here are a few of the photos. More to come with more details of this special day!

 

A r c h i v e s