Lisa Walsh Photography

Now They're Drinking My Pepsi, Too

2008-12-08T09:22:00.003-05:00

I didn't blog about the mouse that ate my Doritos, mostly because I'm trying to keep the blog posts without pictures to a minimum, and, well, I felt it would be in bad taste to include one. Even though I totally could've taken one.

It all started a few weeks ago when The Oldest was having a friend over. The friend was going to be here for dinner, and being the cool Mom that I am, I decided we'd have pizza for dinner. (Because it's one of the few things I can make myself, and Hot Husband had to work late that evening.) So I dragged the kids out to the grocery store to pick up the stuff we needed, and I happened to see that Doritos were on sale. 3 for $10. Nothing goes with pizza like Doritos, so we picked out 3 bags. And some Pepsi.

About a week later we were looking for football munchies, and I remembered there were still 2 bags of Doritos left in the butler's pantry, so I went and grabbed one. We'd been munching for more than a few minutes when I realized that something had chewed through the bag. Further investigation revealed that the other bag had been chewed through as well. I couldn't decide if I was more angry that I'd been eating out of one of the bags, or that I had to throw away almost $7 worth of my favorite chips. I was not a happy camper.

I kid you not, the very next morning I headed into the guest bath and found a dead mouse floating in the toilet! True story. I can't make this stuff up, people! I have no idea how it could've gotten in there, but I was happy to let him know that what goes around, comes around. The whole thing's kind of a mystery. If he could get himself into the toilet, why couldn't he get himself out? Why was he in there in the first place? Was he thirsty after eating all of our chips? Did he just want to go for a swim?

The incident was mostly forgotten about until yesterday. I was in the kitchen when Hot Husband went out to the garage to put away empty bottles and can's that need to be returned. I heard "Hon, come and see this." There, lying belly-up in the midst of a bunch of Pepsi cans, was another dead mouse. Once again, I've refrained from taking a picture, lest my reader's start to think I'm some sort of freak. I'm not, but I can tell you it's one of the most hilarious sights I've ever seen. He looks so peaceful, like he's just thankful he had a drink of Pepsi before it was his time to go.

It doesn't solve the bigger question, though. Why are our mice suicidal?

Jennifer & John

2008-12-06T11:24:00.016-05:00

While most people were dealing with crowds and long lines on Black Friday, I had the pleasure of assisting my Photographer friend Sarah at Jennifer and John's wedding in Freehold, N.J. How fun is that?

When I arrived, Sarah told me I had free reign on the details. Since that's one of my favorite parts of the wedding day, I was psyched.

The shoes.

The dress.

Her gorgeous earrings.

John getting ready.

Jennifer's Bridesmaid's helping her get dressed.

The ceremony was held at the beautiful St. Robert Bellarmine Church. Here's her Dad walking her down the aisle.

I love how relaxed Jennifer looks in this shot.

The Bride and Groom at South Gate Manor, before being introduced as Mr. & Mrs.

Their first dance.

The guests joined in at the end.

Jennifer and John, thank you for letting me take part in documenting your special day! Your wedding was beautiful, and I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness! Sarah, thank you so much for inviting me to join you! I can't wait to do it again sometime.

I Told You The Internet Hates Me

2008-12-02T14:27:00.005-05:00

Yep. I mentioned in a recent post that I'd realized months worth of pictures weren't showing up on my blog, and I'd come to the conclusion that the internet had it out for me. I guess we've still got beef, because sometime on either Thanksgiving or Black Friday my blog was hacked. Stupid Hackers.

So this morning I had an emergency meeting with myself, and I've created an IT position if anyone would like to apply. I'd be happy to pay you in coffee beans.

Can I just say right now THANK GOD FOR BLOGGER!!! I mean, I keep breaking up with it, and yet it takes me back every time. So I'll be posting here yet again until I hire someone to un-hack my hacked Wordpress blog. I simply don't have time for this right now.

In other recent news, I'd like to say Happy Belated Thanksgiving. (My Happy Thanksgiving post was on my Wordpress blog. Did I mention that one was hacked?) Anyway, we're thankful that we still had a house to come home to. Getting a phone call from ADT while you're away for Thanksgiving, telling you that the smoke detector is going off in your attic and they've sent the Fire Department over, is not how I'd like to spend future Thanksgiving's. We're (obviously) also thankful for the Fire Department, and Hot Husband had fun meeting them last night when they were here again around dinner time. (I guess I should add that nothing was on fire either time.) It seems the attic smoke detector is working a little overtime this season. I hope you all had a less eventful holiday!

NYC Boat Tour

2008-10-25T10:11:00.017-05:00

My clients can affirm that when they purchase their images from me on DVD, I let them know that the best place for them to print the images is Mpix. Mpix is a division of Millers (a pro lab) that is designed to serve consumers. Their products are top-notch, the turnaround is super-quick, and the customer service is wonderful. Even better is that, since the images on the DVD are already color corrected, my client's can upload images to Mpix and get small sized prints for only $0.19. I've invested tons of time and money into my photography, and I want my images to look their absolute best. My reputation is on the line every time those prints are shown to friends and family, and I simply don't want my client's local 1 hour labs in charge of my reputation.

Yesterday, compliments of Mpix, I was one of 60 very lucky photographer's who were given VIP passes to go on a NYC boat tour.

The trip started Thursday night, as we'd realized earlier in the week that the boys didn't have school that day and Hot Husband was going to have to take the day off to keep them occupied. So Thursday afternoon we made the 3 hour drive to his sister's house, who lives about an hour outside of the city.

Friday morning we were up at 4 am to prepare for our drive. Although it was about an hour to Sarah's house in N.J. (Sarah is another photographer I met online, who was going on the tour and graciously offered to be our tour guide), we were concerned about traffic, getting lost, and whether or not we'd have time for my customary trip to Dunkin' Donuts for coffee. Hot Husband and I decided it was better to be safe than sorry, so we left my Sister-In-Law's house around 5:15 PC. (Pre-Coffee).

I was certain there would be an opportunity for coffee in the near future, but it didn't present itself until we met Sarah in N.J. After breaking every traffic law in the books between 5 and 6:30 am, we finally arrived at her house safe and sound, with enough time to stop at the Dunkin' Donuts down the block from her and still catch the train.

Since Hot Husband, The Oldest and The Youngest are not photographers, their plan was to ride the train with us and then head over to the Central Park Zoo. The Youngest made the best of every moment he had with Sarah, though, and by the time we left her I'd nicknamed her "Aunt Sarah." We may be naming her as his guardian if anything should happen to Hot Husband and I.

The boat tour was amazing. I got to meet and hang out with a handful of photographer's I've met online, as well as a couple of the Mpix guys and Rick Sammon. Sarah, I want to thank you for being such a wonderful tour guide, a great "Aunt" to The Youngest, and for letting me play with your iPhone. I can't wait to hang out with you again! The next time you see me I will have an iPhone, too.

Rick was kind enough to seek out the perfect spot for a portrait.

I thought this was the Empire State Building, but Hot Husband informed me that it's actually the Chrysler Building. I guess it's appropriate that I took it's picture, then, since it's the dealership I head to every time I'm car shopping.

I was feeling extremely patriotic, and when I noticed this flag blowing in the wind at the back of the boat, I staked out my spot and waited for an icon to include in the picture. This image of the flag with the Brooklyn Bridge turned out to be my favorite.

I hope tilting Lady Liberty isn't considered un-patriotic.

I took some non-tilty one's, too. I love all of the people at the bottom of the image. It gives you a real sense of how tall she really is.

My wonderful city guide, Sarah, who will probably kill me for posting this.

Me being smart while Joe from Mpix (in the red) was taking our group shot.

The group shot. From left to right: John from Mpix, Dave, Risco, Me, Chris, Gro and Sarah.

P.S. I don't know why blogger isn't making my images bigger. I put the html code in. Stupid Blogger! This is why I switched to wordpress!

P.P.S. Still working on getting my wordpress blog up and running!

P.P.P.S. There. I fixed it. Bad Blogger!!

Lindsay & Pat, Part 2

2008-10-21T09:28:00.021-05:00

I first met Lindsay & Pat for coffee on November 16th, 2007, and they hired me to shoot their wedding that day. So although it's been a little less than a year since we met, I feel like I've known them forever, and it seemed like their wedding day would never get here.

Now I can't believe it's come and gone.

Thelma & I met Lindsay and the girls bright and early at New Wave Salon in Endicott for some pictures of them getting their hair done, and then headed over to Traditions so Lindsay could get her makeup done and the girls could get dressed upstairs. Thelma and I had the pleasure of riding with the bridal party in the Limo bus on the way to the ceremony at the beautiful St. Ambrose in Endicott, and back to the reception at Traditions.

It was evident from the moment I met her that Lindsay has impeccable taste, and it was reflected in the details she made, the venue she chose, and the vendors she selected. Entertainment was provided by Brotherhood, the bouquets were arranged by Scot MacLennan, and Purple Awning Pastries made the gorgeous cake. The venue itself was simply amazing, and I look forward to working there again.

I can't say enough about how awesome Lindsay, Pat and their families and friends are. Everyone was so much fun to be around that it was almost impossible not to have a smile on your face, and they had one of the most friendly and cooperative bridal parties I've ever met. Thelma & I were treated us as if we were family and not simply another wedding vendor, and it meant a lot to us.

Getting her makeup done at the spa.

The gorgeous dress.

Her older sister helping her get dressed. Isn't she stunning?

The beautiful Manolo Blahnik shoes.

The girls.

The church.

The ceremony. I love the look on Lindsay's face as Pat's saying his vows.

The kiss.

I was in love with the ceilings at St. Ambrose, and would've shot the entire ceremony while lying down on my back if I could, but I saved it for their exit.

The boys.

Yes, I'm posting this one again. I adore this image!

Lindsay worked so hard on all of the details.

She made the cake topper, too.

The first dance.

I laugh every time I look at the girls in the background!

And the rings, of course. I can't think of a better way to highlight a fall wedding than rings on a pumpkin!

Lindsay & Pat, I'm so glad you found me during your search for a Wedding Photographer! It's been awesome getting to know you both over the last 11 months, and I wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness. I can't wait to see what comes next for the two of you! Have fun on your honeymoon, and I'll talk to you when you get back.

And thank you both, again, for that beautiful Coach bag!

P.S. I'm posting this at the bottom so I don't move their post farther down the page! Lindsay & Pat's gallery images will be up Thursday evening 10/23, so that they can view them before they leave on their honeymoon. You can see them by going to my website and clicking "Clients". I'll let Lindsay send you all the password. The $4.99 digital download sale is in effect until 11/15. Enjoy!

Lindsay & Pat

2008-10-20T17:32:00.002-05:00

As I was going through the images from Lindsay & Pat's wedding this past Saturday, I fell in love with this image. I couldn't wait to share it, so I'm posting it as a preview. Tune in tomorrow to see more!

Welcome Back To The Old Blog!

2008-10-17T22:10:00.002-05:00

I apologize for resurrecting this site, but it seems my new web hosting team is really on the ball, and they have my shiny new website up and running earlier than I'd planned on. That's a good thing, but I haven't yet transferred the new blog to it's new domain. So, since I didn't want a link that didn't go anywhere, and since Lindsay & Pat's wedding is tomorrow and will require a blog post next week, probably before I figure out how to move it properly, I thought this one could get some playing time. As soon as I get the other blog moved and working properly, I can just import my posts and it'll be like it never happened! Except that those of you finding this for the first time will be missing several months worth of recent posts. You can always come back and read them another time.

I apologize for any inconvenience, and I hope to have everything back to normal soon. Whatever that is.

Where The Wild Things Are

2008-07-28T07:37:00.010-05:00

A couple of weekends ago the Walshtons got together for an evening of fun and festivities, which, unbeknownst to us at the time, lasted until the wee hours of the morning. At some point Thelma heard the distant sound of a feline in distress, and the next thing you know the four of us were traipsing around the Country Club with flashlights, trying to locate it.

Meet Friday. (Who knew it was actually Saturday when Thelma captured her, lol.)

After much discussion about her fate, (The Husband and I are both very allergic to cats) we decided she could hang around outside as long as she'd like, and we'll look after her. Providing, of course, that it was OK with her.

Because she was just a baby, seemingly dropped off by the side of the road, she was a bit skittish. (And quite hungry, it turns out.) This was a familiar site for the first couple of days, as she was so scared she hid underneath the deck. (Please excuse the state of the deck, it's a project that hasn't been started yet.)

I explained to The Youngest that it would take some time for her to trust us, and that he just had to be patient. I sat out there with him for a couple of hours that morning while Friday decided whether or not he was a threat to her.

How cute is she?!

She came a little closer...

...and closer...

...and closer...

...until he finally got to hold her.

Poor Friday!

We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties

2008-07-25T09:14:00.001-05:00

A simple website update gone wrong has left me in a lurch this week. Please bear with me while I get it figured out!

Adam & Ariel at Cornell University

2008-07-21T10:15:00.006-05:00

Last week I was contacted by a woman in PA who is interested in becoming a Photographer and is looking for someone to mentor her. When I asked her if she realized I was located in NY she said she did, and that she had contacted Photographer's locally who told her they weren't interested in training their competition.

That mentality always makes me sad because I firmly believe there is enough business for all of us. On Saturday I had another opportunity to shoot with Frank DiMeo, an amazing Photographer who shares that same philosophy. Frank has a reputation for paying it forward and helping other Photographer's succeed, regardless of where they're located. The knowledge you come away with when you have the opportunity to 2nd shoot with him is priceless.

It was my pleasure to meet Kris Kellogg and Julie Stone. Julie owns Julie A. Stone Salon in Ithaca, and Kris and her sisters did the makeup for Ariel and her Bridesmaids, along with Ariel and Adam's mothers.

I can't begin to tell you how wonderful the entire day was. Ariel, Adam and their families welcomed me into their special day as if they'd known me forever. Their joy was abundant, and you could feel the love all around you.

Ariel and Adam are both Cornell alumni and chose to have their ceremony at Willard Straight Hall and the reception at the Statler. Their day was meticulously planned out by Tara Reimer and everything came off without a hitch.

I want to thank Ariel and Adam for letting me be a part of their special day, and thank you to Frank for the experience and the invitation!

Does This Make Me A Soccer Mom?

2008-07-18T09:38:00.001-05:00

Or am I in the clear if I don't drive a minivan?

Surprise!

2008-07-14T13:20:00.002-05:00

I love my couple's, I seriously do. :) They're a beautiful, educated, caring bunch of people who trust me with one of the most important days of their lives. Because they mean so much to me I like to surprise them every once-in-a-while.

I'm a sucker for beautiful packaging, and this gift wrapping knocked my socks off. I just had to post a picture of it!

Keep an eye out...someone's expecting a package!

Rosebud

2008-07-09T12:33:00.003-05:00

Anyone who's been reading my blog for a while will recognize Thelma's oldest. I've been her personal photographer since she was 6 months old. It's amazing to watch a child grow up and develop a personality, especially when it's directed at the camera. From the moment I took the first image, she was "on".

The Youngest has nicknamed her "Rosebud", I think after some movie they watched together. The name has stuck and when I thought about it on the way home from her session (we did it on location at their house) I decided it couldn't be more fitting. She's such a beautiful girl, inside and out, and so incredibly sweet. How could we NOT call her Rosebud?

I absolutely adore these pictures. Thelma, I think our little Rosebud is becoming quite the model!

Images From The 4th

2008-07-07T12:19:00.003-05:00

I think if I was stranded on a deserted island and could only have one lens with me, it would be my macro. I love that I can get so close to my subject, and yet get longer focal lengths as well. All of these were taken in Watkins Glenn on the 4th. (You weren't expecting pictures of fireworks, were you? You know I like to do the unexpected!)

This little guy was hanging out on our picnic table when we got back from our hike. He volunteered to model for me, but then hopped off after only a few shots.

The Oldest had rescued this broken down guitar that morning, and I spent about 30 minutes taking pictures of it when the boys went swimming. I'm sure the nice people at the picnic table over wondered what the heck I was doing taking pictures of a guitar for a half hour, lol!

I just love using a shallow depth of field in these situations. (For those of you non-photographers, that means only a small part of the image is in focus, and the rest is blurry and kind of abstract.)

The sunset over the lake right before the fireworks.

Independance Day!

2008-07-04T06:19:00.002-05:00

The fam and I are heading out for a fun filled day of hiking, picnicking, lounging and firework watching. I might even take some pictures. :)

Hope you all have a fantastic holiday weekend!

Joy & Dustin

2008-07-01T15:33:00.004-05:00

Hot Husband & I traveled to Manhattan Sunday for Joy & Dustin's E Session. I was really excited because this is the first time I'd had the chance to do one outside of my stomping grounds. Hot Husband was born in Brooklyn and went to High School not far from where we met up with Joy & Dustin, so it's nothing really new for him. I, on the other hand, had never been to the city until we met, and I relish every chance we get to visit. I could wander around for days doing nothing but people watching, lol.

Since it was on their turf, I told Joy & Dustin the location of the session was completely up to them, and they chose Central Park. We had no real plan other than walking around and stopping whenever the mood struck, and it gave me lots of time to chat and get to know them. I'm pretty sure I wore them out...we were going to hop over to Rockefeller Center for a few since Dustin used to work for NBC...but we never made it there.

The weather was hot and sticky, made worse by the fact that our first train into the city was late...causing a domino effect of subsequent missed trains and delaying our session time by an hour. Joy & Dustin were troopers, though, completely understanding mass transit woes and braving the hot sun whenever the location called for it.

We had a great time hanging out with both of you, and we hope you had as much fun as we did!

As always, here are a few of my favorites!

A happy accident.

This one is Hot Husband's creation.

I Do!

2008-06-28T08:36:00.001-05:00

Happy Weddingversary!

2008-06-27T07:27:00.002-05:00

Honey, it's been the best 7 years of my life, and I wouldn't change a thing. I love you with all of my heart, and I can't wait to marry you again tonight!

We're Going To The Maslin's And We're...Gonna Get Married...

2008-06-26T10:44:00.003-05:00

As a wedding photographer I've shared my client's special days with you, but I don't believe I've ever shared the story of my marriage to Hot Husband.

We got married on June 27th, 2001, on the beach in Jamaica. I wore a white bikini, and Hot Husband wore a white shirt and his swimming trunks, lol. (It seemed like a good idea at the time.)(Thank God our photographer shot film and I don't have a scanner, or I'd feel obligated to post a picture, lol.)

Anyway, we'd always planned to renew our vows in front of friends and family, but we lost Hot Husband's parents within 18 months of our wedding, and for a while I don't think we wanted to do it without them there. We also couldn't make any decisions as far as planning went...we never wanted it to be a "big" thing, but I did feel that I wanted to wear a dress this time. That brought up more questions...should Hot Husband wear a tux? Should the boys? Should we have a cake? Where will this all take place? How many people do we invite? Who will take pictures?

Rather than answer all of those questions, we've kept putting it off. That is, until, we bought the Charger.

See, when we returned from Jamaica I tried to get a new driver's license, but they wouldn't accept our Jamaican marriage certificate as a form of ID. I was able to change my social security card, and with that purchase 3 houses, file tax returns, open bank accounts, etc., but my driver's license still does not say Lisa Walsh. Now the DMV is on my case and won't let me register the car in my married name. After 7 years I'm finally tired of it, so yesterday Hot Husband and I went down to the courthouse and got a home-grown, USA marriage license.

Tomorrow, on our 7 year anniversary, I will marry Hot Husband all over again. It's going to be slightly bigger than our last ceremony, but it will just be the boys and Thelma's family in attendance. Her father is a minister and will be performing the ceremony in her Mother's garden. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to wear...Thelma and I are going shopping tonight.

I don't have a photographer on such short notice, so I'm going to do the best I can. I'll be sure to post up pictures as soon as I can!

The Glenn

2008-06-17T08:57:00.003-05:00

Hot Husband had a list of things he wanted to do for Father's Day, and it included sleeping in, having a yummy breakfast, going hiking/fishing/canoing, a possible nap, and a yummy dinner. So while he was sleeping in Sunday morning, The Youngest and I decided we were going to take him to Watkins Glenn State Park for a hike.

We woke him up at 8 am so we could head out (Sleeping in. Check.) and we stopped at Dunkin' Donuts along the way. (Yummy breakfast. Check.)

The Youngest hadn't been to the Glenn before, and Hot Husband and I realized we hadn't been there since before we got married, which also means I hadn't shot there before.

I didn't expect to get anything spectacular since it's always so crowded, and I don't have some tools I need for landscape shots with mixed lighting conditions, but I did the best I could and ended up with a few keepers. I can't wait to go back in the evening when I can get some silky waterfall pictures!

Hot Husband had prepped some short ribs the night before, so I threw them in the oven when we got home, whipped up some mashed potatoes and baked beans, and opened up the last bottle of beer for him. (Yummy dinner. Check.)

He never did get his nap, but all in all I think it was a great Father's Day.

A Blustery Day

2008-06-16T12:25:00.004-05:00

The weather man has warned us that we may incur some damaging winds this afternoon, which doesn't seem too out-of-the-ordinary lately. It also seems to be par for the course in June. (Get it?) Last Tuesday we had a huge storm while I was working at the gym (which I missed, because the gym is in the building's basement).

So you can imagine my surprise when I returned home to see this. That's our 12x10 (or so) gazebo in the pool. See those chairs? They normally sit in front of a bar. You can see the glass top of said bar on the concrete in front of the chairs.

I'll give you one guess as to where the bar itself was.

Of course, this was also the day my peony's started to open, lol.

Please pardon the awful state of our yard, I had no intention of showing it to the world until we had it cleaned up!

Yum!

2008-06-14T18:37:00.003-05:00

Even though my weight-loss challenges are done, I've still been trying to get in shape. One of my friends and personal trainers, Marissa, asked me if I wanted to join her when she works out with Ozzy, another personal trainer at the gym. With our hectic schedules we're only able to work out together on Tuesdays.

It's been 3 or 4 weeks, and it's been an eye-opening experience! I had him do my body fat percentage the first week, (it's lower than I thought) which explained why I was having such a hard time getting to my goal weight. It's really helped me re-evaluate my priorities and decide what's more important...achieving a specific weight or just plain looking good. (It's also taught me that doing jumping jacks for 2 minutes straight is rough, lol!)

Anyway, Ozzy recommended these homemade fruit parfaits to me one week when I was hungry, and I've been hooked on them ever since. They're soooo yummy and good for you! (Plus they look decadent in the huge glasses Thelma bought me last year.) :)

All you need to make one is low fat vanilla yogurt, berries of your choice (I think blueberry is my favorite), and some crunchy healthy cereal. Layer the yogurt and the berries, and sprinkle some cereal on top. (I use Kashi.) That's it, and you have a low fat, chock full of protein, sweet and crunchy meal that will fill you up for hours!

Enjoy!

Jillian & Nate's E-Session

2008-06-12T12:56:00.006-05:00

Jillian and Nate are getting married on August 2nd, and will be kicking off my (much anticipated) wedding season. Last night we finally had a chance to get together for their engagement session. Ithaca is a great place for a session...there's no shortage of waterfalls, gorges, and parks. It's also home to numerous artists, and we decided to make use of many of the interesting murals that are painted on walls all over the city.

Nate suggested we head over to the inlet, and when we got there we found a beautiful pool of light. These are my favorites from the evening.

Making use of some harsh sunlight while we waited for clouds.

More yummy backgrounds.

I love this picture of Jillian.

I love it when my couple's don't question my crazy suggestions. Jillian knew exactly what I was going to ask them to do as soon as I opened my mouth, lol. (Of course, this was after the shopping cart race.)

Last, but not least...a couple of "Wild Things". I've been patiently waiting to use this location for months!

Thanks for such a great time, you two, and thanks for being good sports!

Grandparent's Day

2008-06-11T07:35:00.003-05:00

The Youngest's school held a performance for Grandparent's Day (I'm a little late putting these up.), and parent's were allowed to watch the dress rehearsal that morning. It was his very first performance, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world, especially since he didn't have any Grandparent's to attend. (Although we told him his Grandma & Grandpa Walsh would be watching up in heaven.)

The school had volunteer's come in for kid's that wouldn't have Grandparent's in attendance, and a gentleman named Mr. Manyano came in to hang out with The Youngest. I had the pleasure of meeting him and letting him know how much it meant to us that he was there for our child when I came to help serve refreshments after the performance.

Thank you Mr. Manyano for being The Youngest's Grandparent that day!

It's A Charger

2008-06-10T07:18:00.002-05:00

It was brought to my attention that I'd never mentioned the model of my new ride for those "non-car" people reading my blog, lol. I guess I was so excited I figured everyone would know what it was.

Anyway, the votes have been counted and it appears The Husband has named the new ride "Halle". Honey, I promise I won't steal your gift card and use it to buy myself coffee!

Thanks again to all who participated, and I promise the contest wasn't rigged!

Tie Breaker!

2008-06-09T06:26:00.003-05:00

Thank you to all of you who took the time to enter the "Name My Nav" contest! I had fun reading through all of the suggestions this weekend! A big thanks to those of you who took the time to give an explanation to go along with your suggestion.

Some were hard to resist. "Lola" (she did catch my eye), "Carmen" (what can I say? That one still makes me laugh) and "DeeDee" (yes, I do love me some D&D!) were all great entries. In the end, I was torn between the two that seemed to fit best: Tonya Arnold's "Lexie", which I would modify to "Alexis", and The Husband's "Hal-y", with a spelling change to "Halle".

Since I couldn't choose (this has to be an unbiased contest, after all) I went to the kids at different times so they wouldn't know how the other voted. It was a tie.

Why didn't I see that coming?

Now I need you all to break it. Please cast your vote for "Alexis" or "Halle" in the comments section. Whomever has the most votes by tomorrow morning will be the winner of a $10 Dunkin' Donuts gift card!

Last Track Of The Season

2008-06-07T08:42:00.002-05:00

The Oldest at his last track meet. This was the last leg of the 4 x 100 meter relay, and they came in 2nd place.

Jane Doe

2008-06-04T08:37:00.010-05:00

Last night we picked up my new ride.

That fact that we traded in the Nitro shouldn't surprise anyone who's been reading this blog for any length of time. The main reason I purchased it was because it was a standard, but after 9 months of driving it my carpal tunnel's been getting increasingly worse. Could it be from shifting? That combined with the fact that Hot Husband didn't know how to drive it was what prompted us to start looking around.

I promise I didn't head straight to the Dodge dealership this time. I actually took a Nissan Altima for a test drive, if you can believe it, but as much as I enjoyed driving it I just didn't want to make the huge payment that came with it.

Saturday, after an exhausting day of looking at every car dealership with vehicles in our price range, we were looking for a more affordable Nissan when I spotted this baby out of the corner of my eye.

I was in heaven.

"So what's with the Jane Doe", you ask? Well, she's got a navigation system that talks to us in a nice, calm voice. The voice needs a name. The boy's gave me their thoughts last night: Ann, Laura, Jane (that's the ADT lady's name), but none of them quite fit.

This is where you come in. If you have a suggestion for a name for the "Voice", please leave a comment with both your suggested name for the navigation lady and your name. Leave as many suggestions as you want..there's a $10 Dunkin' Donuts gift card waiting for the winner!

Rockin' Robin

2008-05-30T20:43:00.005-05:00

The Husband & I were trimming back a hedge last week so we could finish installing the new fence, and we found a Robin's nest nestled in the part we were cutting down. I quickly ran and got my gardening gloves so I could move it to part of the hedge that was staying, praying that she would come back to take care of the 2 eggs inside it.

Not only did she come back, she laid 2 more eggs after we relocated her nest! I can't wait to see her babies!

Rock Star!

2008-05-23T08:39:00.006-05:00

It appears that The Youngest's new hairstyle has gone to his head. Get it?

OK, I'll stop with the jokes.

Anyway, he seems a bit cocky this week, and yesterday he came home from school and told me he was going to be a rock star. It's going to be one of his "jobs" when he gets older.

Not long after I heard The Husband's iPod blaring in the kitchen, and he told me I needed to go witness the show, so I brought Junior along.

Some air guitar:

Mixed in with some break dancing type stuff. The Husband was trying to help him spin.

Then The Oldest showed up after track practice. He was invited to join in, but he's too cool for that. Plus he knows it would get posted on the blog for all his homies to see. He's not going to fall for it.

Faux Hawk

2008-05-20T17:22:00.005-05:00

"Mommy, I want a Mohawk." That's what The Youngest said a few weeks ago. As a parent I've been down this road before. Most likely 7 years ago when The Oldest was 5.

Back then I was concerned about the social ramifications of a 5 year-old with a Mohawk. Would people stereotype him? Would the other kindergarten children include him when they played "duck, duck, goose?" What would his Grandparent's say?

I don't bother worrying about that stuff now that we have a second child, which is why Hot Husband & I took him to get his hair cut on Saturday. I thought it was rather ironic when the stylist said she didn't "do" Mohawks....she does "Faux Hawks."

He's none the wiser.

Work, Work, Work!

2008-05-14T07:50:00.005-05:00

I have been sooooo busy trying to finish some projects around here so I can show you the finished product, but I just can't seem to move fast enough! The remodeling is done, with the exception of the few projects we have left to complete ourselves...and true to my HOADD (home-owner's attention deficit disorder) I can't finish one project without moving on to another.

Which means I have a ton of projects I can't show you yet.

We've been installing fencing since Saturday. After much digging on The Husbands' part (Thelma's hubby helped out), they realized they'd measured once and dug. If you own a home or have ever watched a remodeling show, you may have heard the phrase "measure twice and cut once." Unfortunately, that meant The Husband has had to re-dig the holes every night after work.

Guess who's been cooking dinner?

Yesterday I got smart and cooked some ribs in the crock pot so I could help set the posts and take some pictures, since I figured you've been missing me. :)

Here's The Husband hanging the gate, which was the whole reason I picked this particular fence. They had lots of black fencing with boring gates, but ours had to be rounded at the top.

A shot of the old fence behind the new. The old fence was an eyesore, but I would've lived with it for a while longer if we hadn't had to cut it open to install the fireplace insert.

A peek through the hole in the old chain link.

What could be better for a 5 year-old than a pile of dirt for his trucks?

Track

2008-05-07T10:49:00.003-05:00

A few from The Oldest's track meet last night.

18th Hole

2008-05-02T07:51:00.002-05:00

This was what I saw when I walked into the kitchen yesterday afternoon. I'm really paying attention to light nowadays, and I couldn't resist going out and taking a few pictures. Typically noon light is a photographer's nightmare, but it was beautiful yesterday. I can't think of anything I don't love about living at the front of the Country Club... and when the sprinklers come on it's like having our very own water feature!

I'm 99% sure this isn't the 18th hole, either...I think it may be the 17th? But 18th hole sounds better, lol!

Play Time!

2008-05-01T09:10:00.002-05:00

Last night I spent some time playing video games with The Youngest while The Oldest was doing his homework. I don't play video games much anymore, but when I do we go old school, so we agreed on Pac Man.

Finally, frustrated that my reflexes aren't what they used to be, (I couldn't get past level 2, lol) I decided to take pictures of him playing. I'm much better at that, anyway.

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

2008-04-30T07:23:00.004-05:00

Last night at dinner...

The Youngest: Daddy, this chicken is really good.

The Husband: It's pork, but thank you.

The Youngest: Daddy, can you cut up some more chicken for me?

The Oldest at dinner last night, after being given a new watch to assist in his timeliness when being picked up from school events...

The Oldest: What am I supposed to use it for?

Last week in the car...

The Youngest: Mommy, I'm going to take Mrs. Fox (his teacher) to a nice restaurant for dinner.

Me: Uh, that's great buddy.

The Youngest: Yeah, I'm going to take her to Friendly's.

Lindsay & Pat's E Session

2008-04-28T07:34:00.010-05:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of shooting another winery E Session with Lindsay and Pat. (I love my job, lol!) Lindsay's favorite winery is the Thirsty Owl, so we started off there. This time I decided to sample a few wines and chat before actually starting the session. (Did I mention I loved my job?) I can see why it's Lindsay's favorite winery!

Lindsay and Pat are such a fantastic couple, and I love the way they interact with each-other. I'm always slightly worried before an E Session that the couple is going to be nervous and uncomfortable in front of the camera (I know I would be). I need not have worried, though, because they were completely at ease, and it shows in the pictures.

I had a fantastic time you two! Can't wait for the wedding!

Their dog, Izzy.

Once I found this beautiful light at Sheldrake I couldn't stop taking pictures of them in it.

"Y"

2008-04-26T08:46:00.003-05:00

Yatzee!

"X"

2008-04-26T08:04:00.003-05:00

Xanthan Gum

"W"

2008-04-24T19:13:00.004-05:00

Workout

At the risk of looking like a freak, I took Junior to the gym on "W" day, hoping someone would let me take a picture of them working out. As luck would have it, my friend Marissa, a Personal Trainer, was just getting ready to train Lisa. She was kind enough to let me take a couple of pictures.

Thanks Lisa!

"V"

2008-04-24T06:42:00.004-05:00

Visor

I wear one of these whenever I work out.

P.S. This is my first blog post on the Mac! Woo hoo!

Earth Day

2008-04-23T07:07:00.004-05:00

I'd forgotten that yesterday was Earth Day until after dinner, when The Youngest pulled his "Litter Bag" out of his backpack and asked if we could go for a walk so he could clean up the Earth.

How could I possibly say no?

We live on a major road, and it never ceases to amaze me how much trash ends up in our front yard. Daffy and Daisy are a pair of ducks that live in the ditch that borders our property, and we decided to clean it up for them.

Here's Daffy and Daisy.

I love the look on his face here. Turns out he was convinced he'd just picked up a stick of dynamite, lol!

I swear this kid is amused by just about anything.

"U"

2008-04-23T07:06:00.002-05:00

Under Armor

Once You Go Mac...

2008-04-20T07:46:00.003-05:00

Please forgive my recent absence from the blog! Things have been crazy here! As you might have guessed from the post title, I have made the leap from PC to Mac user. Some of you may remember that I'd purchased a new notebook a few months ago....well....it turns out Vista and I are mortal enemies. While I love that little machine, I just got tired of all the headaches that came with trying to actually get work done on it. So with the advice of Peter and some Photographer friends of mine, I decided to give the Macs a try.

Which brings me to the reason for my absence. I've been brainwashed by PC. I'm honestly having some degree of difficulty finding my way around Mac Land. Some things are just...well...odd. Like the way Photoshop opens up on a Mac, and the fact that I can't seem to drag it over to the monitor I actually work on. And the fact that there's no Start>programs menu. I have applications on this thing I don't know how to find, lol! And don't even ask how long it took for me to realize there was no 'backspace' button. :) I think I'll be fine once I have some time alone with it, but this week the boys are on spring break and between that and the remodeling I haven't had much time to sit and make friends with my Mac.

Do they make "Switching To Mac For Dummies?"

Jessica & Paul's E-Session

2008-04-13T11:57:00.006-05:00

Yesterday The Husband & I had the pleasure of photographing Jessica & Paul's engagement session in the Finger Lakes area. (Yes, I did say The Husband & I took pictures. He's expressed interest in shooting with me in the past, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for him to get his feet wet.)

We started off at Jessica's favorite winery, Lamoreaux, then headed over to Wagner's brewery, and finally ended up in Watkins Glenn at the Rooster Fish Brewery . Jess & Paul are a wonderful couple, and as you can see the camera loves them.

Here are some of my favorites. Looking forward to the wedding you two!

Nifty Fifty Friday

2008-04-11T10:47:00.003-05:00

Our granite countertops are being installed today!! The Husband is stuck at work and is dying to see them, so I'm posting one picture here. I'll post more next week after I paint and (hopefully) tile the backsplash. I'm so excited! Honey, you're going to love it!

P.S. The big white blobs are the under-the-cabinet lights.

"T"

2008-04-11T07:15:00.005-05:00

Treo

Usually I'm waiting for our cell phone contract to be up so I can upgrade my phone, but not this time!! I absolutely love this thing, and I'd be lost without it!

"S"

2008-04-10T06:16:00.001-05:00

Stone Chapel

Can we pretend you haven't already seen this picture?

"R"

2008-04-09T08:45:00.001-05:00

Ratchet

I confess, I wasn't feeling very creative that day...

Flattery Will Get You Everywhere

2008-04-08T10:43:00.006-05:00

I was on the heavy side when The Husband and I met, but was working on loosing the excess weight. When all was said and done I'd dropped around 25 lbs. or so. I was critiquing my body in the mirror one morning, thinking out loud about the area's God blessed me and the one's he didn't, when The Husband (who was The Fiance at the time) said "If anything, I think you could use a tummy tuck and that's it."

Huh?

Now, many of you know The Husband, and he's really one of the sweetest, selfless individuals you'll ever meet. It's hard to think a man like that could open up his mouth and shatter his significant other's self-esteem in one sentance, but he is, after all, a man. They seem to have a knack for these things.

Last night I was cleaning up the kitchen while The Youngest was finishing up his dinner when I heard "Mommy, you're getting thin." I turned around, in shock. It seems I've done something right as a parent.

"What did you say honey?"
"I said you're getting thin."
"What made you say that?"
"Because you're getting thin. When you get thin you get taller."
(Giving him a big hug) "Thanks, honey. That was the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day."

And now I'll let you have dessert even though you didn't eat all of your dinner.

Sheldrake

2008-04-07T20:19:00.005-05:00

After meeting with Theresa & Peter on Saturday, The Husband, The Youngest and I headed up to Sheldrake Vineyards in Ovid, NY. Jessica & Paul are getting married there at the end of August and I wanted to check it out beforehand. The staff were really nice and helpful, and used to people with camera's. The girl I talked to laughed when I asked if I could take some pictures.

Isn't this a beautiful location for a wedding?

"Q"

2008-04-07T08:48:00.004-05:00

Quads

I had a dentist appointment on "Q" day, so by the time I got home all of my ideas had been taken...Q-tips, quarters, quiet. I knew it was bound to happen. Quads were the only other thing I could think of, so as much as I didn't want to post a picture of my legs, well, there they are, lol! The funniest part was me actually taking the picture. My remote wasn't working, so I had to stand far enough away to be in focus, but close enough so I could reach over and press the button.

The Lord Of The Ring

2008-04-05T22:06:00.005-05:00

This year all of my couple's are having their ceremonies and receptions at venues I haven't worked at before, which is SO exciting for me. Because I don't like surprises, it's important for me to check them out beforehand. This not only keeps me from getting lost on their important day, but it allows me to check out the lighting and decor, and hopefully spurs my creativity.

This afternoon I met Theresa & Peter at the Fountainbleau Inn before heading over to Lawrence Chapel. They're getting married at the end of September, and I'm hoping the leaves will start to change prior to their wedding day. The wooded location of the chapel is amazing, and the views of the lake from the Inn are fabulous. Some fall color would be the icing on the cake.

Here's a picture of the chapel:

When I met them last year to discuss their photography needs, Theresa was waiting patiently for her engagement ring because it was being custom made. (If I remember correctly Peter designed it. Is that right?) She was wearing it today, and it's stunning! They asked if I'd mind taking a picture of it because some of her out-of-town friends hadn't seen it yet. I was more than happy to oblige. Isn't it gorgeous?

I have to give Peter some credit for these images. He puts a lot of thought into things, and after I took the first picture of the ring on the windowsill of the chapel, he asked if I'd take one of it sitting on a mossy rock. (He has no idea that I could take pictures of this ring for an hour, easy, but he will soon. Muahhaa.) As I was taking this shot I was wondering what else I could do with the ring that would be creative. I thought about slipping it over something...maybe a twig...but decided everyone was probably ready to go. Then, as we stood near our vehicles, Peter held up this:

Great minds think alike. :)

"P"

2008-04-05T09:01:00.002-05:00

Pasta

"O"

2008-04-04T07:36:00.002-05:00

OREO'S

Pink and black one's at that!

"N"

2008-04-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

Necklace

"M"

2008-04-02T10:24:00.002-05:00

Massage Oil

You can see I buy it in bulk, lol!

Abstract Flower Macro's

2008-04-01T16:47:00.003-05:00

Just fooling around, playing with flash and wishing spring was (really) here.

"L"

2008-04-01T07:23:00.002-05:00

Lisa & A Lens

"K"

2008-03-31T09:26:00.002-05:00

Key Lime Pie Recipe

"J"

2008-03-30T08:03:00.003-05:00

Jujybees

I had a tough time with this one! I stopped at the grocery store on my way home from the gym, and would you believe they didn't have one single, solitary jalepeno pepper?? I had to wander around, all stinky, looking for something interesting that started with "J". It was either this or Jolly Ranchers!

"I"

2008-03-29T18:38:00.002-05:00

iPod

"H"

2008-03-28T06:54:00.003-05:00

Hot Husband

Lit with my new PocketWizards. Oh yeah.

"G"

2008-03-27T13:37:00.003-05:00

Gebera Daisy

Hot Husband brought home this bouquet the other day, just for my "G" shot. He's the best!

If Ever A Wonderful Wiz There Was

2008-03-26T18:24:00.006-05:00

I never used to be a gadget nerd, although I do have a brother that's one, so it may run in the family. But I've found that it's sort of a necessary part of being a photographer. I mean, not only do we have to make a million decisions when it comes to choosing cameras and lenses, but the same goes for flash heads, computers, software, tripod heads, etc., etc.

So I've gone over to the dark side. You can ask The Husband...I love it there. I couldn't function without my Treo, and I even have an electronic water bottle that keeps track of how much I drink.

With all the constant purchasing/upgrading of the aforementioned stuff, it becomes tempting to cheap out whenever the opportunity presents itself. That was how I ended up with ebay radio transmitters for triggering off camera flash.

They don't work well.

I had no other choice but to purchase the PocketWizards as soon as I saved up enough cash. I'm in the big leagues now, ladie's and gentelmen. These things work every time. I can't tell you how amazing that is when you've tried the cheap and not-so-reliable route. I've had a blast playing with them for the last 24 hours. Lighting is going to be so much fun this wedding season!

Here's some of the images from this evening:

"F"

2008-03-26T08:50:00.004-05:00

I'm starting to feel a little weird, blogging to myself every day. Is anybody out there? Anyone? Bueller?

"F" day should've been easy. I had the support of the whole fam, and we had 2 waterfalls that start with "F" on our list, but it wasn't meant to be. Saturday was a bright blue sky with no clouds, and I just didn't have the tools I need to shoot a waterfall in bright sunlight. I was bummed, but we decided to kill some time and wait for the sun to get a little lower in the sky before heading over to Fillmore Glenn.

Since we were over in Lansing we stopped at my favorite place on Earth for a burger, Rogues Harbor. If you're ever in the area, stop in and order a Rogues Burger. You'll thank me.

The light was perfect when we arrived at Fillmore Glenn, only to find the falls barricaded due to the ice. It just wasn't my day! Here's my "F" picture...my shadow in front of the barricade. Look how long and lean my legs are from all those spinning classes, lol!

Technical Stuff

2008-03-25T17:03:00.002-05:00

Just a head's up that my website will be down at some point towards the end of this week. My hosting company is moving to a new location, and they've promised to get everything back up as quickly as possible. However, it looks like it could be offline for up to 48 hours. I'm assuming that means my email won't be working, either, so if you need to contact me please call or email me at lwalshphotography@yahoo.com in the meantime.

Since Blogger host's my blog all should be fine here.

"E"

2008-03-25T10:16:00.002-05:00

Electric Toothbrush

Happy Easter!

2008-03-22T19:17:00.002-05:00

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Easter!

"D"

2008-03-22T06:18:00.003-05:00

Diamonds

"C"

2008-03-21T08:28:00.003-05:00

Coffee Maker

"B"

2008-03-20T06:46:00.001-05:00

B-a-n-a-n-a-s!

"A"

2008-03-19T05:38:00.004-05:00

Antique Camera

In an effort to force me to come up with something to photograph during this yucky, muddy time of year, I suggested to my online photographer buddies that we do a 30 day challenge again. We'd done this before, almost 2 years ago. Some of you might remember that it was a self-portrait challenge (unfortunately in a moment of psychosis I deleted the old blog so I can't link to it, but the photo of me on my website and blog is one of them.)

Anyway, someone came up with the idea of doing an alphabet challenge. That's a good thing, because I was dreading the idea of taking my picture again every day, lol! So, this challenge will be 26 days long. We've decided the subject doesn't have to start with the letter, that it's open to interpretation. For example, I could file a picture of Murphy under "D" for dog, "M" for Murph...you get the idea.

I started collecting old camera's a year or so ago, so this is my "A" shot.

I Can't Believe She's 2!

2008-03-18T06:57:00.003-05:00

Here are a few from yesterday's session with Thelma's youngest. Isn't she adorable?

Macro Monday

2008-03-17T13:32:00.002-05:00

It's been a busy day! The Husband is back to work for the first time in a week, and he had to work at the gym this morning at 5:30, so it was kind of weird waking up and having him gone. I'm hoping being back to work doesn't slow down the healing process.

I've also got Thelma's girls here, and it's a refreshing change of pace to have "All Girl's Day". Thelma's youngest just turned 2, so I did her session this morning, which is why I'm posting a little late. Tune in tomorrow or Wednesday for pictures from her session.

Today's shot is pretty obvious, so there's not really any guessing required. I took this over the weekend and just thought it was interesting. Great job with last week's photograph...just when I think I'm gonna stump you the first person to guess nails it! What do I know?

Road Not Plowed Or Sanded

2008-03-15T15:19:00.017-05:00

I was feeling a little antsy this morning, and The Husband, after leaving the house this week for medical reasons only, said he wouldn't mind riding along if I felt like searching for photo opportunities. So we decided to go explore one of our local waterfalls.

We'd never seen these particular waterfalls before, so armed with directions, some Dunkin' Donuts coffee and a movie in the laptop for The Youngest, we headed out. I didn't see our turn in time, so I had to drive down the road a bit to turn around. Suddenly there's a bunch of cows in the road, so I pull off to the side as I realize there's no actual person in charge here.

The bovine are running the show, ladie's and gentelmen. There's a photo op. just waiting to happen.

I hopped out of the Nitro and went around back to get Junior, scrambling to get some shots before it's over. As luck would have it, the first few I fired off didn't turn out because the camera had been left on settings for indoor photography, not daylight with bright snow. This was the first shot that came out, and it looks like the party's over...they've decided to head back before they get in trouble.

I'm so bummed, and getting ready to pack it up, when I see them running back towards the road. We're in business!

As the cow's get a little too close for comfort, I can't help but wonder what my city-boy Husband is thinking. This just doesn't happen in Brooklyn. I decided to retreat to the safety of the Nitro, realizing the fun's about to end.

Off they go down the road, causing confusion and delay.

The show's over. I'm laughing hysterically and The Husband's trying not to as he's taking this picture...it sends him into coughing fits.

We finally made it to our destination.

I loved how the light was shining through all of the rain drops in this picture.

You can't tell from this picture, but this hill is fairly steep. As I was working my way down it I was mentally adding up the value of the camera equipment I was carrying. There is a layer of ice in places, and we decided it just wasn't worth it to go any further. You weren't expecting to see waterfall pictures, were you?

We continued on our explore, driving down towards a lake in hopes of getting some water pictures. I completely ignored the sign that said "Seasonal use highway", despite The Husband's warnings.

You know where this is going, don't you?

Do you know how it feels to get your vehicle stuck in the snow in the middle of nowhere, with your husband getting over his (probable) pneumonia and a 5 year-old in the backseat? It's not a good feeling, trust me. Assuming there was no cell phone service, I decided to walk up the road to the nearest house, and hope someone was home to call a tow truck. I met Mr. Nelson, a man's man with 4wd Silverado. He offered to take a look.

It wasn't pretty. If I'd stayed stuck where I was the first time, he'd have been able to get me out. But in an effort to get myself out of my mess I'd driven farther down the road (since I couldn't reverse) hoping to find somewhere to turn around. It was no use...when I got this far I knew that even if I could turn around, I didn't have a snowball's chance in you-know-where of getting back up.

So Mr. Nelson took me back to his house to get a shovel and call for that tow truck after all. As luck would have it, I picked the one day to get stuck that the tow truck driver's don't answer their phones, so Mr. Nelson moved on to Plan B.

Please take a moment to notice that there's not one, but two trucks pulling us out. That's right, Mr. Nelson called in backup. We were so thankful for the help we made him take some money for his efforts, and he promised they'd have a beer on us. Somewhere tonight there's a couple of good guys laughing at my expense.

The Husband made me stop so he could further document my stupidity. Whatever.

Happy Birthday!

2008-03-13T07:09:00.002-05:00

Today is The Husband's birthday! I feel bad because he's been sick with the flu (and now bronchitis) for a week. Yesterday we spent the morning at the Dr.'s and got him some antibiotics, but he still can't breathe and was up most of the night. I've never seen him this sick and I was really hoping he'd feel better before his birthday rolled around!

Happy Birthday, honey! I hope you feel better soon!

Macro Monday!

2008-03-10T09:31:00.004-05:00

I know...it's been forever since I posted a Macro Monday shot. Now that we're between remodeling projects my life's getting back to "normal", I hope to get back into the swing of things! If you're still checking my blog for these, good luck!

Think Pink

2008-03-07T08:22:00.002-05:00

I am so very blessed to be able to make a living doing what I love! And although business is booming and life is good, I felt like there was some way I could use my photography as a way to give back.

I found Think Pink Photography through one of my Photographer friends, took a look at their site, and signed up immidiately. As a participating Photographer, I will offer complimentary sessions and 4x6 prints to women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or have completed treatment within the past 12 months. My family has been affected by breast cancer, so this cause is close to my heart. I am honored to be one of the few Photographer's in NY who are a part of this organization.

Please take a look at the site and pass on the link to anyone you know who could benefit from a session.

Think Pink Photography.

Down At The Docks

2008-03-06T09:00:00.003-05:00

A couple from the archives since I've been slacking lately.

I'm A Loser, Baby...

2008-03-05T09:12:00.002-05:00

but I'm not the "biggest" loser. The Husband and I had our final weigh-in yesterday and he lost a greater percentage of body weight than I did. (If I'd lost a couple more pounds I would've had him.)

Congratulations on winning the challenge, honey!

Snow Kidding

2008-02-28T18:02:00.004-05:00

I drive by this house on my way home from the gym, and every time there's a significant snowfall they make a huge snow sculpture. Last time it was a gorilla. As I was on my way home from spinning today I saw they'd made an elephant out of yesterday's accumulation. I couldn't help but stop and take a picture. You can't really tell from the picture, but this thing is massive! It has to be 6 or 7 feet tall. I wasn't the only one taking pictures of it...as I was out there a woman stopped her Jeep and was taking a picture with her camera phone, lol.

Phase One

2008-02-25T20:28:00.003-05:00

Woo hoo! It's my 200th blog post! I apologize for slacking lately...it's really hard to concentrate/be creative/not be a stalker during a remodel! Thank God we did this now...I realize I could never get any work done if we remodeled during wedding season. Not only is it distracting to have people in and out all day, but keeping Murph from terrorizing them is a full time job in and of itself.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a picture of the bathroom vanity area. The vanity top is a 188 year-old board that was taken out of the wall to make room for the washer and dryer. We've made it a point to reuse as much of the material from the original structure as possible. We plan on installing a beam on the ceiling that came out of the kitchen wall, and we're reusing the flooring from the dining room in here as well. Later on there will be sides and a bottom shelf added to the vanity that are made out of the same boards from the wall.

I'll have better pictures of it later on, but Bob and Matt made that moulding around the doorways to match the trim in the rest of the house. Their attention to detail and enthusiasm for doing it was wonderful. They were here every day working, and are genuinely a couple of really nice guys. I highly recommend them to anyone who is considering remodeling.

The Oldest Cooks

2008-02-22T08:52:00.004-05:00

As a way to foster some responsibility, The Husband and I asked The Oldest if he was interested in cooking dinner for the family one night a week. He was game, so the other night he picked out a recipe, Beef Bourguignonne, wrote out his grocery list, and shopped and cooked with The Husband by his side.

Junior and I documented the occasion right up until Junior's battery died. Some Photographer I am, huh? I don't have any pictures of the finished product, but it was delicious!

I couldn't finish this blog post without adding The Youngest's transformers. These were taken last week and he's very excited for Optimus Prime and Bumblebee to make it to the blog, lol.

Meet Prime:

And Bumblebee:

Some More Spring For Ya

2008-02-15T09:17:00.002-05:00

Taken last week in our yard. I just love the colors in the first picture!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T07:10:00.005-05:00

First I want to wish Hot Husband a Happy Valentine's Day. Honey, I love you with all of my heart! Thank you for putting up with me!

Now I want to petition you for help. Since we've spent sooo much money on new fixtures for the kitchen and bath remodel, we are trying to keep it simple tonight. Thelma has graciously volunteered to watch The Boys so we can go out. I want to take Hot Husband to dinner, and he wants to take me to a movie. Since we're on a tight budget, we can't do both. Anyone want to flip a coin for us?

In other news: my online photographer friends came up with the idea of doing a Vanity Fair cover shoot, with the final cover to be posted today. You've already seen a couple of images from Thelma's shoot, but here's the one I saved for the cover. I had so much fun with this, I can't wait for the next project!

Thelma, you're smokin' hot, girl! Thank you sooo much for being such a good model!

Yet Another Remodeling Post

2008-02-13T10:20:00.006-05:00

The Contractor's, plumbers and electrician have made significant progress on the bathroom remodel this week, so I thought I'd share some pictures with those of you who aren't sick of it yet, lol. If you're so over remodeling posts, you might want to check back in May...right now my life revolves around light and faucet fixtures, burried junction boxes and Saving Old Wooden Beams. I'm pretty sure Hot Husband is tired of being dragged to home improvement stores.

This is the new view from the toilet. The sink will go right about where that trash can is. The washer and dryer will be relocated across from the toilet behind bi-fold doors. (Am I spelling correctly? Ever since I got my new computer I can't use spellcheck...)

Looking in the opposite direction.

The view from the living room looking into my office. My desk used to sit underneath the window, with the washer and dryer on my right. I can't wait to have them out of my work space!

*Disclaimer* These were taken with my fisheye lens, which causes that distorted look at the edge of the frame. It's one of my favorite lenses, but obviously not one that gets a lot of use. I used it for these pictures because of the wide viewing angle it gives. Nothing wrong with the camera!

Macro Monday!

2008-02-11T13:03:00.000-05:00

Macro Monday used to be the first thing I thought about on Monday morning (besides coffee), but since the remodeling started my thoughts have shifted to wondering what's going to be accomplished at the end of the day. I didn't even think about a macro shot until late this morning.

Here it is, better late than never!

Makin' Progress

2008-02-07T07:35:00.001-05:00

Matt & Bob have been workin' hard all week, and it's soooo exciting to see our plan come together. With a few changes. And some changin' back, lol. Thank God they're patient with me!

On Monday, while we were up picking out our slab for the counters, they removed the rough hewn logs that were holding up the wall and framed out the new opening. When I got home fromg the gym on Tuesday they'd removed the outside door that was across from where The Husband is standing in this picture.

Now, the original plan was to put a small piece of granite off the end of the counter (where that chair is sitting). Monday afternoon (before the door was gone) I'd decided that we should scrap that plan for space reasons and yesterday, after picturing that long wall with nothing on it, I added it back in again. Hey, I'm allowed to change my mind!

Oh, I think we're going with bamboo flooring in the kitchen/dining and family rooms. While I've been trying as much as possible to keep things "the way they would've been when the house was built", I'm always down with saving a tree. I like them in my landscape shots. :)

Moving on to the half bath/office/laundry room...

The Husband is (again) in charge of a good portion of the demo. I took these on Sunday and wrote all over them to aid in the visual. Isn't that sink ugly? And how 'bout those jelly jars over the light bulbs? Yuck.

On the other side of that wall (where that hole is) was my coat and shoe closet. I'm a little sad to loose it, but the closet in the master bedroom is seriously a room unto itself. I'll adjust.

Here's a view from the foyer. This was the closet and will now be the bathroom. You will see the cool new sink on that wall when you open the door. If you hang a left you will see a pair of doors on your right (the washer and dryer will be behind them) and the antique toilet that was here will be in it's original spot on the left under the stairs.

My Hot Husband...

This is what I love about an old house. Those beams are holding up the wall between the bathroom and my office. (Well, half of them are now, anyway). I have big plans for one of them and the rest will be saved for future projects.

Spring?

2008-02-06T09:21:00.000-05:00

It's been raining here since last night. I can't remember the last time we had a significant snowfall...I think it was the middle of December? Late last week we had a bunch of ice, but it warmed up yesterday and most of it melted. There are puddles all over the Country Club, and if I didn't know better I'd say spring was coming.

This is one of the trees right outside of the Morning Area, as The Youngest refers to it. The rain drops on the branch's caught my eye this morning so I ran out in my slippers and took this picture.

One Hot Mama!

2008-02-04T18:17:00.000-05:00

I just love my photo sessions with Thelma! I wish we could do them every week so I could dedicate a day to her...like Thelma Thursday or something. (I know, I need to stop making up nicknames for the days of the week).

Thelma's not only incredebily good looking, willing to try just about anything, and available on short notice, she's also extremely patient with me when I try out new things. These are two of my favorties from last week's session on dramatic lighting.

Macro Monday!

2008-02-03T20:30:00.000-05:00

Parent Visitation Day, picking out granite, first offical day of construction...tomorrow is a busy day! I didn't want to take the chance that I wouldn't have time to blog, so I'm posting this as we watch the superbowl. (I'm now in my office/living room, lol).

Amy correctly pegged the last image as a wodden massage roller. (Way to go, Amy)!! I don't think you're going to have a hard time with this one, but I found it interesting this week. :)

Is it me or were the commercials not that funny this year?

Oswego

2008-02-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

One of my pictures from last weekend in Oswego. Taken from the shores of Lake Ontario.

50mm Friday

2008-02-01T18:21:00.000-05:00

Ah, I'm so thankful to my online photographer friends for these assignments, lol! I've been watching these tulips wither up for the past few days, and yesterday I decided they were going to be my subject. Again.

I've been playing around with lighting for the past couple of weeks and today I wanted to try a technique I read about on Strobist. If you're a photographer and you haven't heard of this blog you've clearly been living under a rock. If you're not a photographer, well, you may find it about as exciting as, um, watching me learn the technique.

Anyway, the technique I'm referring to allows you to light a subject in a way that will turn even a white wall behind it black. Or vise versa. If I can master this one technique I'll never have to buy white and black paper backdrops again...muahaha....muahaha.

The tulips in this shot were sitting on top of our kitchen island, with the rest of the house in the background. I was able to get it almost completely black following the guidelines they laid out. I love learning new things!

The Oldest

2008-01-30T09:15:00.000-05:00

They always say that the younger kids in the family don't get as many pictures taken as the older ones, but it's kind of the opposite here. Before The Youngest started kindergarten he was home to model for me anytime, and even though he's in school now he's got more free time since he doesn't have homework yet.

On Sunday we went for a family drive so The Parent's could unwind from all of the previous week's stress. We headed up to Oswego so I could shoot something different, and when we found this wall on the side of a skateboard shop, I couldn't help but drag The Oldest out for a few pictures.

Isn't he handsome?

Whew!

2008-01-29T20:05:00.000-05:00

That's what my desk looked like yesterday. I forgot how much work setting up a new computer was! I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon trying to get software called Intellimover to work. It's never been very fast (or reliable) and I finally gave up and decided to try a flash drive. As technologically savvy as I am, I've never used one until today. I can't believe how much easier it is to transfer files! I'm in love. :)

Saturday afternoon we worked on some of the kitchen demo. We'd been waiting until we could have the electrician move the wires that were in the wall being removed. Our recent electrical problems got that accomplished a little sooner than we'd planned and it was nice to take some frustration out on the drywall. Even though it looks like a tornado ripped through our kitchen and dining rooms, I'm very excited to see it opened up and can't wait to see the finished project!

The Youngest took this one while I held my breath and prayed he didn't drop Junior on the floor.

This is The Youngest's reaction when Daddy destroy's stuff...or anytime, really. We see this look a lot.

We left those logs there to help hold the house up until Matt and Bob can do their thing. This will be a big entry with wood casing that they'll match as closely as they can to the casings on the doorways in the original part of the house. I'm so excited this work is finally getting started!

Macro-less Monday

2008-01-28T18:32:00.000-05:00

Over the past few months my computer has gotten slower, and slower, and s..l..o..w..e...r. I did the best I could to clean it up and remove anything I didn't need, hoping to put off getting a new one until the end of the year, but it didn't work. Time is money, and in the end I just don't have the time it takes to process images on that thing anymore!

As exciting as getting a new (faster) computer is, installing all of the programs and software I use on a daily basis is a tedious process. I managed to get Photoshop and my wacom tablet installed, but I'm waiting to hear back about a couple of other programs I'd downloaded to assist in editing. Because they're a part of my workflow I'm holding off on processing images. I'm itching to get to the pictures I shot this weekend so hopefully I'll be up and running tomorrow!

Which explains why there's no picture today. Look out next week, though! The contractor's will be here starting our renovation and I'm sure there will be lots of interesting stuff to take pictures of.

A Full House

2008-01-24T13:58:00.000-05:00

This is what I saw this morning when I looked out the kitchen window:

Thank you Oldest for making me chuckle!

In house-related news we had plumbers and electricians and contractors here today. It's so funny (to me, I haven't noticed any of them laughing, to be honest) how our lazy fur ball of a dog turns into Cujo when men arrive to work on the house. He's got no memory, short or long term, so it doesn't matter how many times the plumbers have been here...they get the same snarling, barking welcome every time. They readily admitted to drawing straws to see who had to come up from the basement.

Turns out we had some pinched wires inside a wall that the electrician wanted us to take care of ASAP. I called the contractors to see when we could get that done and they were here within a couple of hours to take care of it. Here's a picture of Bob and Matt removing a built in shelf that was actually the problem.

This was the first time they'd actually used any tools during a visit since we're not on the books until February, but so far I'm really happy with them. When you have an old house it's easy to get contractors who would rather gut everything and start over than work with the existing structure. I'm adamant about saving the history and integrity of this old house and they really respect that and try to work with it. Plus they're really fun guys, and that's nice, too.

Now that the wires have been removed from the wall that's coming out, The Youngest is anxious to start demolition this weekend!

The Money Pit

2008-01-23T13:12:00.000-05:00

When I returned home from the gym yesterday afternoon it felt a little chilly inside. Sure enough, the furnace wasn't working again. The good news was that our HVAC guys were here quicker than Dominoes pizza delivery...the bad news is it looks like we're in for a new furnace.

The plumbers left and Thelma arrived for her fun rock star photo shoot. We were sitting at the kitchen island waiting for the boys to leave when the overhead light went out. Since the kitchen runs off a fuse box The Husband checked it out to see if we blew one, and suddenly sparks were flying everywhere. It's a very unsettling sight to see in your house!

So, instead of a photo shoot Thelma and I hung out with the Electrician while he tried to make heads or tails of the situation. The bad news is we have to rewire the kitchen and connect everything to the circuit breaker...the good news is we caught it before we had a fire.

I'm praying nothing else goes wrong because I can't take anymore!

Macro Monday!

2008-01-21T08:28:00.001-05:00

The Husband was correct, last week's image was a hair pick.

Good luck with this one!