In the moment

There are two things I am just as guilty of as all of you.  1) I have TWO DSLR cameras.  TWO!  And what are most of the pictures of my kids taken with?  My cell phone.  Because it is always right there, in the diaper bag, in my back pocket, sitting on the counter.   2) Worrying more about the setting, what they are wearing, what we are doing, than I am about capturing the moment as it happens.

A personal favorite "in the moment" and cell phone picture
of my kids and the world's cutest nephew.

To fix number one, I've started leaving my camera bag on my desk, camera ready to shoot and easily accessible.  All I have to do is walk in and pick it up!  I haven't quite worked out keeping it with me, mostly because I am still carrying so much baby stuff and a baby!  But it will get there.   I have quite a few nice cell phone pictures of my kids, I've printed bunches of them.  And I would definitely rather have those than nothing at all.  But having real pictures of my kids, high quality not a snap shot pictures, is invaluable.  I am lucky enough to be able to do that myself, but don't put it off because you can't do it yourself.  Not only is it great to have a beautiful picture to show off to your family and friends, but by hiring a photographer, they will capture things that you can't.  Like you in the picture.  Yes, I have to have someone do this for me too. And a true professional will get pictures of you and your family that make you see things you may not have seen, the details in a moment that were captured when you were lost in it.

Here is an example of a cell phone picture and a picture with, as my kids call it, my real camera.  These were taken about 30 seconds apart as I was writing this paragraph.  I dragged him off the couch and away from cartoons.  I tried to have him not move, but he is 10 and can't stand still!  The difference is HUGE.  Honestly bigger than I thought it would be!  But I can do more with my camera in terms of settings, more in how I hold it without making the picture blurry and more with what works for him!  There is a big difference between a snapshot and a photograph.  

Issue number 2.   I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist.  But a few days ago, Eli was playing in the kitchen so I grabbed my phone and took a picture.  But it was really just bad.  So I went and grabbed my camera.  I ended up spending half an hour playing on the floor with him, taking pictures that are very much who he is.  At the time I didn't care about what he was wearing, that the kitchen floor still hadn't been swept or that he had just woken up so his hair was crazy.  In the moment, playing with him, none of that mattered.  And now I have pictures that show off his personality, the little things he does on a normal day.

Those pictures are some of my favorite recent pictures of him.  I got lucky, he happened to be wearing his favorite shirt and his cloth diaper happened to coordinate with it.  But this morning he looked just as cute in his pirate monkey pajama top and the shorts Tyler pulled out of the laundry basket because he is pajama pants were wet.  I've had a lot of people freak out when I suggest shooting at their house, especially with babies and toddlers.  But that is their element, the place where the best of them comes out.  A familiar environment full of the things they love.  "But the cleaning!  My house is a mess!"  Mine too.   But we can make it work with just a little picking up as we go and different angles!  Don't ever be afraid to capture your life as it is, these moments only last so long!  Don't misunderstand me, on location makes for some stunning pictures.  But sometimes, especially for little kids, home will get you the pictures of the kids you know and love.  It will let everyone else see your kids how you see them!

Playing with the buttons on his high chair

Climbing.  Because he refuses to walk but will climb anything left unsupervised.

Being lured away from the stairs.  Note the floor that needs to be swept and the basket full of laundry.
It is ok to let it go!  (please don't start singing.)

Watching his brother put dishes away

Eli travels by bounce.  He gets on his knees puts his hands up like this and bounces around the house.  I would never get this picture unless we were at home.  Also note the t-shirt.  As soon as it is clean, that is the one he wants.  No idea where he gets that  particular love from. ;)

Serious and mildly disgruntled.  He is just wandering and doing his thing, another example of a picture I only get at home.

How he and Piglet told me they were done.  

So I have two points here.  One sometimes the moment really is more important than everything being perfect. Don't be afraid to capture the imperfections.  And two, don't think ok is good enough.  Have real portraits taken of your family as your life happens.  It doesn't have to be a special occasion or at a special place.  Take a moment to capture right now and have really great pictures of this moment, because it's not coming back

I also promised on the facebook page yesterday some summer discounted session information.  And here it is!

Tori and her animal friends

Hilarious title right?  Totally appropriate!  Tori's mom got an African Grey Parrot named Duke right before she was born and got a puppy named Barkley just recently!  She is crazy, but in the best way, LOL.

I'm always extremely honored when my old friends are willing to wait for me to come back to MA to visit to let me take pictures of their families.  I can't tell you all what it means to me.  But this one was even more special because Kathy was generous enough to allow my future vet Katie to come and meet her animals!  Katie loved the animals and Bryana and Tori.  Duke talks and we didn't tell her so she was in awe, and getting to pet a bird just put her over the top!

And how cool is this picture of Duke?  This is NOT in black and white!  

Tori is a lucky little girl because now her cousin Bryana lives with her and they are clearly best friends! Bryana has a shadow for life now!

Tori saved her best smiles for pictures with Mommy!

But she is clearly Daddy's girl.  And the feeling is definitely mutual!

There is also a kitty named Nacho.  He was less than thrilled to have new people invade his territory but I did get a couple of pictures of him with his mom.

And how gorgeous is the view off their back deck?  

Thanks again Kathy for working around a crazy vacation schedule and letting me come meet your family and see your beautiful new home!!

My super cool son

Most of you all have at some point met my oldest, Tyler.  He is a pretty cool kid.  He is helpful, smart, a little snarky (no idea where that comes from) but most of all thinks of others.

For the last two years Tyler has shaved his head to raise money for the St. Baldrick's Foundation.  This will be his third year and he decided to raise his goal to $700!   He has already raised $205 but he still has a good bit to raise.  The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants.  This is a volunteer-driven charity, which keeps fundraising costs low and grants high.  In 2012 alone, St. Baldrick’s granted more than $23 million for research.  Almost all of that money is raised at these head shaving events through donations!

Year One, Age 7

So to help him out, let's bust out the goodies!  For every $20 you donate to Tyler you get an entry into a raffle for a free session with a print release disc.  This is going to be the only session I give away this year, and all the money goes to a great cause.  I know a number of you have donated already, and as a thank you from Tyler, no matter what you donated you get one entry into the raffle and one for every $20 donated.  And if you happen to be one of my awesome friends back home who might be considering a donation, I will be home this summer so consider yourself entered!

Year  Two, Age 8

Every dollar helps and he loves hearing who has donated to him, especially when it is from people he doesn't know!  I am constantly amazed by his desire to do for others and the passion he feels for doing this every year.   If you can't donate please spread the word, share his page, or even consider shaving yourself!  Ty's event is March 25th at PNC arena with the Carolina Hurricanes but there are tons of events all over the Triangle this time of year and I could definitely help you find one if you wanted to get involved that way!

To all of those who have already donated, thank you from the bottom of my heart and know that Tyler truly appreciates it.  And to those of you who are thinking of donating, thank you in advance!

This year's before picture!  Shaving the mohawk!!

Here is Ty's page http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/darthtyler You can donate there, or feel free to meet up with me and give him cash or a check in person and get your thank you from him right then and there!  Ty will be pulling the winner himself the Sunday after he shaves his head, so you have plenty of time to save up some money and donate to a great cause!

The Holidays are coming!

Hey everyone!

First I want to thank everyone for all your support and love over the last few months as we've adjusted to our family's newest addition!  Nathaniel is such a sweet baby and is adored by his big siblings!  I've actually had a few of you complain when I didn't bring him to consults, which makes me smile because I'm glad you all feel the same way about my family as I feel about yours!  I love the bond I have with my families and especially my SMS kids, I've been blessed to get to work with such wonderful people!

The big kids' first day of school

But now on to the important stuff.  The holiday season is upon us!  October is completely booked and November is getting there.  The last day for 2013 (with guaranteed delivery of prints for Christmas) is Sunday November 24.  The last day to place your order is Friday December 13.  Normally I try to keep an availability for Thanksgiving if someone wants to do a big family shoot with everyone in town but with Thanksgiving so late this year, I will still offer one shoot for Thanksgiving weekend but I can't guarantee Christmas delivery (though I will do all I can!)

If you would like a shoot for 2013 please get up with me soon, and if you do it before October 15, there might be a surprise in it for you!

Speaking of holidays, Halloween is coming too!  This year my kids will be the Avengers and I can't wait to get some pictures of that!  Tyler will be Captain America, Katie will be Hulk (if you know Katie, you aren't surprised!) and little Eli is going to be Iron Man!!  So excited!  Last night I was thinking about having a costume contest for my SMS kids!  I will get you all more details on that as soon as I come up with them, so watch the blog over the next couple of weeks.

A little Halloween throwback

But back to Christmas!  Last week my wonderful friend Jessica from LilyM Boutique asked if Katie would like to model her brand new Christmas dress.  Katie was obviously thrilled because she loves her "Mrs. Jess dresses" so when it came yesterday we packed up the boys and went to the park!  First off I can't tell you how much I love this dress.  It's unique, beautiful and wonderfully made.  Plus with so much stuff, even in a size 6, looking way too old for her, it's nice to know she has a beautiful and age appropriate Christmas dress.  There are two versions of this dress the snowman dress Katie is wearing and a penguin dress.  Snowman is more Katie, but 6 year old me would have loved the penguin one!  If you are interested in ordering one, go to the LilyM facebook page (see link above) for more information.

I love being able to help other small businesses and I'm thrilled to be part of LilyM Boutique's new original designs that she will be offering in addition to her gorgeous upcycles!

April is Autism Awareness Month

It is I the great and powerful blog slacker, LOL.   But I have a few coming for you over the next couple of weeks!  And today's is extra important, so pay attention!

As you all know, last April I announced my intentions to incorporate a special needs aspect to the studio.  And I have loved every second of it.  I have gotten to know some awesome kids and their families and seen what an impact having a photographer who understands their challenges can have, not just on the pictures themselves but on their parents as well.

So this year I decided to spotlight one of my families for Autism Awareness Month.  Now you all know I usually don't make a point of saying "look a special needs shoot!"  because they are just normal kids, they don't need a label.  But some of the parents are happy to share their kids unique awesomeness with the world and allow me to highlight their kids!  Cate is one of those awesome moms.  I've been shooting Josh and his big sister Allie since 2009 (which is just crazy to me!) and I've seen first hand how challenging and rewarding Josh's struggles have been.  

Not only does Josh have autism but he also has seizures, but he certainly doesn't let any of that slow him down.  He has had more than his fair share of struggles but he is still the same silly kid I've had fun with for years now!   He has a sweet service dog named Nelson and a personality that just doesn't stop!  I never know who will show up to one of Josh's shoots, this time I got Batman!   He had his Batman hoodie and his sunglasses on when he walked up to me.

Me: "Excuse me Batman, Have you seen my friend Josh?"

Batman takes off his hood and his sunglasses "Corrie it's me."  

Me:  "Oh you had me fooled"

Sunglasses go back on and he takes off with a grin "I know."  

LOVE HIM!

And one of my favorite things about Josh, from a purely photographer stand point, I never get the same facial expression twice, I'm always surprised when I go through his shoots and see all the awesome faces he makes!  And when he ran up to me this shoot and grabbed my hand and said "Corrie come with me, I need to play and they are going to take forever." it made my day!

Josh also has a big sister, Allie, who is an all around awesome kid who I love spending time with.  Not only is she great with her brother and helping her mom, but she is smart, well spoken and happens to have an interest in photography, which is just fine with me!!

She is always up for doing whatever random things I ask her to do, including trying 50 different trees until we find the perfect one and standing on walls in front of random bushes because I decide they look pretty.  And never questions it!

But what does this all have to do with Autism Awareness?  Well 1 in 88 kids is diagnosed with Autism.  Which means odds are you know a family that struggles with some form of an Autism spectrum disorder, even if you don't realize it.  And we've all seen the kids having meltdowns in Target or a restaurant and you judge.  But it just isn't as easy as "well he looks normal they should be able to control him"  not only is that not true at all, but just because a child has a disability or disorder doesn't mean that they can't hear and understand the things you say.  It hurts their feelings, they don't like not being in control of their situation any more than their parents or the people around them like it.  Autism Awareness isn't about knowing it exists, but knowing that it effects every child differently and taking just a minute to realize the toll it takes on them and their families before saying something hurtful.  Because it isn't just the way it changes their family, having a child that needs "more", but it is the nights up worrying, the financial aspects of various therapies and tools to help them learn and progress, the constant struggle for answers and trying to find a way to keep things as "normal" as possible.   All while educating everyone they come in contact with from family, to friends and teachers about their child's particular challenges.

I'm blessed to know a number of amazing children who defy the odds of their Autism and prove their doctors wrong every day.  It's not to say every day isn't a struggle, but those little moments when you know what you are doing makes a difference, make everything else easier.  

Reach out to their parents, if they share something on facebook that seems minor to you, it may be a huge accomplishment to them, get excited!  If they are having a rough day, ask if you can do anything to help or if you can bring them a coffee and let them vent in a judgement free environment.  It doesn't take much to let these parents know that you see how hard they are working and that you know how awesome their kids are!!

2013 is here!!!

Hey Everyone!!  

I hope you all had a great holiday and spent some time enjoying your families!!  Lots of stuff to cover today, so let's get on it!!

Studio resolution #1 is to be better with blogging, so lets stay positive!!  Over the next few weeks I will be updating the website and the facebook page.  Nothing big this year just updating pictures and slideshows to show off the best of 2012 with everything else!!

As many of you saw just before the holidays we are expecting our third little one!

Well we found out this week that we are having a little boy!!!

Obviously both kids are very excited as are we!  They are also excited about the return of the NHL season and all the Carolina Hurricanes games we will be going to this year!!  GO CANES!!

But this has other implications as well, the studio will be shut down for a while and I will be taking limited sessions until that point.  

Because I will be honest, this cute little boy is kicking my butt!!

From now throughApril 13 I will be taking only two sessions a month, so availability will be very limited!! 

After that I will closing down the studio until August 10.  I hate to take out all that pretty summer shooting time but a new baby is so worth it!!   It will probably impact the amount of shoots I take through the end of the year as well, but we will see how that goes and deal with that when we come to it!

I'm excited about the things Stolen Moments Studios is doing to give back so far this year.  I have my Olivia Act selection decisions to make this weekend, to give a session to a family who might not otherwise have one in honor of all the people killed in Newtown, CT.   I will also be donating a session and full session print release disc to the Mercy for America's Children Black Tie Gala.  This is a great organization a friend feels strongly about and I love to support organization that helps children in need!!

Just a note to remember for all of you, all sessions now include a presession consult and a viewing session.  Both usually involve coffee and snacks, so its a good thing I promise!!  This gives me a chance to get an idea of exactly what you want from the session we are planning and lets me give you ideas for clothes and props and lets you actually see a few locations I have used to make your decisions easier!!  The viewing session is great because I know all of those pictures get overwhelming, and all the options in sizes and products is enough to make your head spin.  This lets me walk you through your pictures and all the choices to make it a bit easier to choose!  You still get your online gallery and now if you place a print order at your viewing session there is a little present involved!!  And everyone likes presents!!

That is it for now!!  I will be back next week (I hope, LOL) with a favorites of 2012 post for you!!  

Tiny Stars Winner!!!

After a consultation with all of the finalists they unanimously voted to leave the voting the way it ended when the poll shut down.

And that leaves us with...Logan And Patrick as our winners!!!

A huge thank you to everyone who entered and voted! This has been a lot of fun and I'm excited to see what the next year holds for the boys!!

And with that I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, enjoy your holidays and have some fun with your kids, I know I will!! See you all in 2013!!!