Itty Bitty Christmas Sneak Peek

I can't wait to start shooting tomorrow!  I love Christmas time and shooting Christmas pictures is so much fun.  The last week or so I have been setting up a "studio" for these fun up coming sessions.  Some of my besties came over to help me get organized and throw ideas my way.  We dressed up their little darlings in their Christmas best and put them in front of the camera!  I had an awesome time playing with some of my new stuff!  Thank You Ladies for your help and your support I am so blessed to have these wonderful girlfriends!

Itty Bitty Session

I had so much fun taking pictures of her little newborn sister I couldn't resist putting her in the spot light for a couple of minutes. Her eyes are SO awesome.

Sneak Peek- Newborn Session

Babies are just so much fun to shoot (especially when you are related to them)! I was so thankful that my cousin wanted me to capture the precious first days of her little girls life. There is just something so magical about the beginnings. Not only did I get to try out some of my new props, I got to cuddle and smell that sweet little baby(ness) again. After I had my third I hinted quite regularly to my husband that I think FOUR would be just great but even with my sometimes relentless efforts when my youngest turned two and was out of diapers I had to admit that this was the end having babies for me. SO now when I get a chance to cuddle one up I DO! If you want to see even more of this little angel check out my facebook page!

August 4th Photo Fun!

I had the GREAT pleasure of working with these two handsome boys and their beautiful baby sister. What fun it was to see how they protected and loved her. She is going to be so blessed to have TWO big brothers that will always look out for her! I have also been playing with some great new photoshop actions and I am super EXCITED about starting my photoshop class next week!

Where is the smile?

I'm all about smiles.  I love big happy faces.  I find smiles and faces in everything: the clouds, wood patterns, shadows in the grass, spills on my floor.  So it is no surprise that after I took the picture of my favorite flower at the Detroit Zoo that I found a face right in the middle of it.

So do you see it?  I just know that God loves to show off.  I know that he knew I would see it.  In the strangest way I knew I was meant to see this flower.  So when looking for the perfect logo for my *big adventure* I instantly went to this picture.  Even though it was taken 3 years ago (with a point and shoot camera) this flower was it.  I've always thought daisies were the friendliest, happiest flowers on this planet.  I love the simple yellow and white.  I love the soft slim fun-to-pluck petals.  I love that they grow tall and crazy.  It's like they are always good for a laugh.  The idea of this flower was everything that I wanted my photography to be: Fun, Happy, Playful, Surprising, Enjoyable, Silly, Meaningful, Interesting, Imaginative....  So here is another sneak peek of what is soon to come!

I know that it is not the fanciest,  most artistic or even practical logo but there is nothing else I would rather be using.  I love my smiling flower!

A new look, a new business, a new adventure!

I'm here to introduce Big Smack Photography! I know, I know what am I thinking! My own business, a hobby turned to ...well something. I am as surprised as you. The second my husband put my beautiful new Nikon into my hands my heart just couldn't control it's self. I felt like after all these years of "yuck" happening to us that something wonderful had just popped into my life. I was slow at using my new toy, it felt so odd, so foreign to have such luxury in my hands. I felt like I shouldn't have it. I was nervous that I wouldn't love being behind the camera any more. I was scared that all my artistic training just wasn't good enough. I felt overwhelmed by all the displays and add-ons and options. I wondered if I deserved this wonderful thing that I had ached for for so long. The first few months were weird, it sat in it's bag a lot. I'm not sure when but an explosion went off in me one day. I needed to get better and learn and return to the camera freak I once was. The passion filled me once again and I couldn't believe the joy I felt when I would take a beautiful picture. I started to share my joy with anyone who would look. As months passed it became obvious what was in my heart, what I loved to do and finally it all came to be. Once I knew what I wanted to do with "the rest of my life" I also knew I wanted to blog about my journey with everyone. I immediately went and opened up a new blog site...that's when this pit arrived in my stomach. I just couldn't get myself to design or even think about another blog. I mean I LOVE my pink scrappy blog. I love my stories and my pages and my history here. Scrapbooking is the reason I found photography. In striving to create beautiful pages I would work so hard on creating beautiful (or at least decent) pictures. That's when the question popped into my head "is it okay to use this blog?" The answer was given to me by one of my closest and dearest friends, Kristen (pictured below), she said, "of course you should it's a natural transition!" The more we talked the more I felt like she was completely right. Why leave my beautiful blog behind when it can come along with me! My doubts were lifted and I realized that it is (kind of) the end of one journey and the beginning of a new one. I am so excited, so energized and so willing to admit that I am new and I just want to learn. I invite everyone to come explore with me as I dive into this adventure! I look forward to sharing my new website and the story behind the name soon!

P.S. Thank you Kristen for being such a wonderful inspiration in my life!

Good bye summer

It is now the middle of September and even though the sun still kisses our faces here in Michigan and the warmth is still felt, the cool crisp smell in the breeze reminds us that summer is over. The hot humid days at the park are gone, the heavy smells of flowers that fill your nose during those afternoon bike rides are no more and the beach will now be walked over with a shiver instead of bath suits and sunscreen. I am having a harder time this year saying goodbye. I usually welcome fall with open arms and wrap myself up in the sunny but cool days, the apples and pumpkins and the sight of school buses filled with children. This year however I want my carefree warm summer days back. The sad reality that I will soon be packing up all the sundresses and flip flops is not settling well with me. Fall is beautiful and I can't wait to go apple picking at Blake’s and get our pumpkins from the adorable little patch at the corner of an intersection in the middle of nowhere but saying goodbye just seems too soon. The excitement of the colored leaves and the glimpses at Halloween costumes and that rich fall colored decor still stirs that pounding in my heart. I do want fall here. I can't wait for my Frankenmuth weekend with my mom, cousins, aunt, grandma and sister but still it feels like such a shame to let go of the peaceful playfulness of summer. It could be that this fall I am overwhelmed because I am back in school and all 3 kids are in school. Maybe it's because it is my last summer in my 20's, I don't know. What I do know is that I do welcome my favorite time of year with a joy of pies and cool breezes but for the first time in I don't know how long I will look forward to the return of summer.