Heart of Hearts

A friend of mine just had this heart brought back from Mexico. It's blown glass and in the sunlight creates the most beautiful patterns on my wall. I think it's supposed to hang outside, in a tree possibly, to catch the light and cast a colorful hue over someone's garden... but I didn't have the heart to hang mine outside. It would surely be pummeled by a run-away football or someone recklessly swinging a bat. So it adorns one of the three windows in my dining room. If you only knew how happy it made my heart... to see this heart... you'd want one for yourself.

More Great Families

Another Saturday - and for me - another opportunity to meet and photograph some great families. Here's a sneak peak from four sessions I shot today. I'll let each family know when their full gallery is posted... and I'm still taking sign ups for my next two shooting days, October 3rd and 24th!

Nature Hill Fundraiser

It's my pleasure to be working with the families at Nature Hill Intermediate School in Oconomowoc on a new fall fundraiser. I'm offering mini photo sessions and complimentary 8x10 mounted prints! What a great way to get a new family portrait and help your school at the same time!

If you're interested in signing up - there are plenty of spaces available for Saturday September 19, Saturday October 3 and Saturday October 24! Contact me by phone or email... both can be found on my website www.smileoutloudphoto.com!

Here's a preview for one of the families I photographed this past Saturday... what great kids!

Wedding: B+R=LOVE

It doesn't get much better than the wedding I shot last weekend.

Everything was perfect - the lighting - the setting - the flowers... all of it. Surrounded by dozens of their closest friends and family, the bride and groom tied the knot facing each other and the amazing bluffs along Lake Michigan.

I would love to share each and every image from the big day... but this couple will have to remain out of the spotlight - sounds mysterious, right?

Thanks for everything, it was a pleasure to witness your special day both as a photographer and as a friend. Congratulations!

First Day of School

If you're the kind of person who loves taking photographs, it can be hard to see the line between just the right amount of pictures taken of someone... and that one too many. This morning - the first day of school around here - Jackson hit that one too many mark. Caitlin may never hit it, which is great for me because I'll always have someone willing to stop and smile, but Jackie Boy had other plans today. Here are a few I snapped, well, while he snapped.

The morning was not a complete bust. I caught my beatiful 4th grade girl in some pretty great light in the kitchen window.

So, off they went, my 9 year old and my newly minted 6 year old... on to the great, wonderful, exciting world of knowing things. I will miss spending time with them each and every day they're out in the world without me. But that's my job, isn't it? To give them everything I can so that one day they can go out there - and stay out there - without me?

Oh how I hope that day is a long, long time from today.