loving eyes

Some pictures immediately take my breath. This is one of them.

Stay tuned. There's more to come from these friends' very special day. . . ;) 

All the best,

Barb

P.s. Can you tell I am having a grand time editing these?! . . . Yea, me too. :)

Laura ~ It's Your Day!!

Today is my sister's birthday! In honor of her special day, I dug out the family albums and put my scanner to work.

We were two peas in a pod while growing up. Seventeen months apart in age, some people mistook us for twins. Our family members, especially our maternal grandmother, loved to dress us alike. We were so adorable together! :)    

This photo was taken by our dad (another photog enthusiast) on top of a hill at Valley Forge National Historical Park in King of Prussia, PA. {Can you tell us apart?}

A birthday blog wouldn't be complete without a baby and toddler picture . . . 

Our cousin, Stephani was like another sister to us. We spent many of our summers almost inseparable! To see a blog I dedicated to her, please click here: Stephani's birthday blog (2010) 

Just for fun ... I added one of my very first photos of my sis. As a kid, I loved to take those "sneak up on my subject (or prey), pounce into view and "SNAP"!!! Surprise!!! :) (oh, she's gonna love me for sharing this one; just about as much as she loved those surprise photos I took of her :)-

We spent most every summer vacation on our grandparent's boat on the Chesapeake Bay in Crisfield, MD. These family times together are some of my most treasured childhood memories, hence my first daughter is named Chelsea {meaning - port of ships}. Reminds me of warm, sun-filled days playing with my sister; long hours of fishing in the bay; eating watermelon on the dock and spitting the seeds in the water; pickin' crabs; listening to the lapping sounds of the water at night against the boat while we slept. Oh, I could go on and on.

Such wonderful memories.

Here we are showing off our catch after a very successful day of fishing!

Here's a fond Christmas memory to share.

Both my sister and I had gone Christmas shopping with our grandmother. She told us we were allowed to pick 1 thing to buy for the other. Without knowing, we chose exactly the same toy for each other!!

A Holly Hobby doll and purse set! :))

Skipping ahead some years. . .

At the tender age of 19, my sister began searching for a healthier lifestyle. She became a vegan, as she still is to this day. Vegans do not eat any dairy or meat products whatsoever. They also do not believe in wearing or using animal products either. (Just in case you were wondering.) 

In her early twenties she ventured about. She ended up living on the island of Kauai in the Hawaiian islands on an organic co-operative farm for awhile.

While in Hawaii, she met her soul-mate ~ a Floridian, and fellow organic gardener, Brendan. A few months after their first son, Kai was born they were wed in a beautiful, residential garden in Rose Valley, PA on a warm August day surrounded by family and close friends. 

I had the special honor of reading a few words that I wrote about marriage at their ceremony.

It was a wonderful day; one that I will never forget. 

Cutting the cake and my Chelsea is close by awaiting her slice ;)

Skipping ahead in time. After venturing about some more (including stints in Hawaii, Tennessee, No. Carolina, and Florida). They settled in Homestead, Florida where they welcomed their 2nd son, Junah.

My sister and bro-in-law absolutely love the tropics! This thirst of theirs led them to move their family to the small South American country of Costa Rica. While it was paradise for a while, she grew homesick and eventually moved back to the states.

Another reason they moved back to the states was because she was expecting their 3rd child and she longed to be with her family for their baby's blessed arrival.

Little did she know, they made it home (to Pennsylvania) just in the nick of time.

At a mere 26 weeks gestation, Laura and Brendan welcomed their baby girl, Aria. Weighing in at 1 pound 1 ounce at birth, she received neo-natal care for 2 months in Reading's finest hospital. We adoringly call Aria our little "miracle baby."

Here Laura is giving Aria her 1st bath. . .

They tried living in No. Carolina again, but eventually made their way back to Florida. And now, they have come full circle as they recently moved back to Homestead in search of a permanent home for their family.

Please say a little prayer that they find their dream home and settle down to raise their young family. I've been saying mine everyday.

 

Can you tell how much they love the beach?!

This is a Christmas family photo from 2008 (L - I need a more recent family photo). Anyhow, Aria and the boys are thriving. Kai (15), Junah (6) and Aria (3) are all doing great! The boys are looking forward to starting school very soon. Laura and Brendan diligently raise their children as vegans, and Aria's growth is astounding for such a delicate start in life. I admire and adore these people, and miss them dearly.  

I found this sweet poem by Cyndi Moore just for you, Laura.

Sister, we've been there through life's sorrow and pain

But together we have always endured the strain

We've argued and bickered and made each other mad

But if you weren't my sister, life would be so sad

We've cried till we laughed and laughed till we cried

Sometimes for no reason we didn't even know why

When we're not together our bond is just as strong

Because we are sisters we know when something is wrong

We've whispered our deepest secrets only sisters could share

I love my sister dearly because she really cares

So whether we are together or we are far apart

{Laura}, you're my sister, my friend and forever in my heart.

 Laura ~ Have a wonderful birthday!! You will always be my very first, very best friend in the whole wide world! :) I love you.

With overflowing love,

forevermore,

Barb 

Aperture Field Study

I was recently playing with a rented Sony A55 dSLT camera { that was intended to be used for a wedding shoot - but wasn't - don't ask :( } and decided to post some different images using different aperture settings. I also wanted to capture more of our neighbor's field of wildflowers before they mow between the baby trees. I love this time of year and all the bright greens summertime has to offer.

Won't you do me the honor of choosing your favorite image from the 4 below? I'd love to hear your feedback and comments. . .    

image #1

image # 2

image # 3

image # 4

Different view points, perspectives, and aesthetic tastes are always very interesting to me. As I branch out and meet new people, artists included, I can't help but be inspired by all there is to learn, experiencing new aspects of photography, including ways to alter images during the editing process, forms of photography, and preferences.

I hope to hear from you! You don't need to be a photographer to leave a comment either!! All are welcome to chime in and offer your own perspective. Thank you! :)

Happy summer shooting, friends,

Barb 

P.s. I usually shoot in aperture priority ~ it's my preferred way.

P.s.s. Thanks to my good, lifelong friend, and fellow photog enthusiast, Andrea, the wedding shoot I did this past weekend turned out GREAT! Thank you, Anj!! You saved the day :)

Little Miss Annabelle

I photographed this sweet baby girl when she was still in her mommy's tummy ;) Well, not exactly her beautiful baby face, but the 'bump' that she was creating as she grew, making her parents long for her to arrive. And arrive she did! Then I had the distinct honor of photographing her as a newborn babe. My how she has grown! Here she is ~ 8 months young and a complete joy to know. We had ( I had ) such a fun time together ~ playing peek-a-boo and making faces at each other. . . Take a look at this sweetheart's photos, but I will warn you now .. You will smile. A lot. :)

Here's a little 'inside joke' for the family to appreciate. We met at this Dad's parents' vacation retreat home on a lake just north of Reading, PA. He has plenty of fond memories at this lake as he spent most of his boyhood summers here since he was baby himself. This memory came in the form of an "old" photo of he and his mom sitting in the same spot, with a surprise guest in the distance. . . somewhat of a ghostly nature, you could say. ;)

Oh, how I love this next shot.

         She found her belly button !

  

Miss Annabelle is thriving with all the loving care she receives. I had the most difficult time while editing these photos because I wanted to share each and every one with her parents, but I had to make choices ~ tough choices, too! And I smiled the entire time I photographed her and during the editing process too! My, I love my job!! 

Thank you Angie & Chuck (and Annabelle) for another very special photo session together. My friends, you know how to spoil me!! 

And, I am very grateful to you for it.

Make some funny faces and give kisses to Annabelle for me.

Thank you again for sharing your little love with me.

 Gratefully yours,

Barb

The Web of Life . . .

Humankind has not woven the web of life.

We are but one thread within it.

Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.

All things are bound together.

All things connect.

 ~ Chief Seattle, 1854 ~

When all the trees have been cut down,

when all the animals have been hunted,

when all the waters are polluted,

when all the air is unsafe to breathe,

only then will you discover you cannot eat money.

 

~ Cree Prophecy ~

Happy weekend, my friends. :)

peace,

Barb

A Good Omen

The first time I ever saw a Luna Moth was in my own yard. I didn't even know what it was at first! But I knew it was something very special, and very beautiful. At the time, my husband and I were drawing up plans, talking to contractors, making hefty decisions about our home life. We had a small baby, and a teenager to consider. Our home was much too small to accommodate our growing family's needs. It was time to either put an addition on or move. Life's grueling decisions...

We had been sitting and chatting about our plans in our comfy tree swing that our strong Hickory houses for us, and as we began to head back towards the house, I spotted her.   

With plenty of "oooo's" and "ahhhh's" and wondering out loud "Is it a Luna Moth?!" I told my husband to stay there and keep an eye on her as I ran into the house to grab my camera! I didn't want to miss this photo op!! I remember I kept saying over and over with great enthusiasm, "It's a sign!" "It's a sign!" My husband just laughs at me and takes delight in my entertaining ways. ;) 

He took a couple shots of me posing with my 1st Luna Moth. It's beauty was remarkable to me; the intricate designs and colors, it's feathery tail wings... Needless to say, we added onto our home that year (2006). This week is the anniversary of that project in its beginning stages.   

Sometimes we need a little reason, or gentle omen telling us that it's okay to go forth ~ put your dreams into action ~ everything is going to work out ~ it's a good time to make the leap, so go for it! This little one was part of my path, and helped to give me the gentle nudge that I needed at the time. This lovely creature will always remind me of the guiding forces at work in our world.

How grateful I am.

Barb

p.s. these film images (kodak 400) were scanned and edited on Photoshop Elements 8