Two month old talker • Seattle Baby Photography

This little guy is so social, if I didn't know better I'd say I caught him mid-sentence, don't you think? I love this image so much that I have to post it both in color and black and white. For some reason it really tugs at my heartstrings!

If you looks closely, that's my white shirt reflected in the bottom of his beautiful big brown eyes :)





I wish I had time to sneak peek a few more....but we're getting ready to head out of town and I have an awful lot to get done.

Mom and Dad, thanks for such a fun morning, I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with all of you!

Putting a newish lens through it's paces with a S-WEET little boy • Seattle Child Photography

Elliot's Mom was kind enough to reply to a very last minute casting call earlier this week. My husband Brett had to be knocked out to have some dental work done, and since I had to stay within 15 minutes of the dental office for 3 HOURS that morning I had some serious time to kill! I decided to try out one of my lenses and see if I liked using it for toddlers/preschoolers. I love the lens for older kids and adults, but after giving it a workout with Elliot I think I like being closer to younger kiddos when I photograph them.

What a great sport Elliot was! It was pretty chilly out, and the University Village probably isn't all that interesting to an almost 4YO at 8:30 in the morning, but he was a pleasure to spend time with. Thanks so much Mom :)

He's got the most gorgeous brown eyes and sparkling smile:



Loved the window display in the Apple Store. Lots of fun pictures of the Apps to look at:



This one says "DUDE!" to me:



By the way, if you aren't already a "Fan" on Facebook (link is over there -----> about 2/3rds of the way down) check it out. When I do make casting calls, especially last minute ones, that's the first place they'll be posted!

Patience pays off • Seattle Child Photography

This particular session was a long time in the making, but boy our persistence paid off! We had an incredible morning for shooting in Pioneer Square, and Cameron was so much fun to hang out with! I love the toddler/preschooler age, they are little bundles of energy and so excited about things that we older folks take for granted.

He sat for, oh....about 2.5 seconds, but isn't the result stunning (thanks Dad for being goofy behind me):




Looking for the streetcar (which never did come):


I have to mention his outfits as well. I thought Mom did a fantastic job with the wardrobe selections. Cameron looks pulled together, comfortable, and absolutely adorable, modern yet at the same time classic, and when the family looks at these images hanging on their walls in 10, 15, or 30 years from now, they won't think "these look so 2010." ;)

Sometimes you've just got to roll with it • Seattle Baby Photography

There are times when kiddos are just having an off day, and then setting them in front of a camera can occasionally be the straw that broke the camel's back. If you can believe it, this sweet little cherub was having one of those tough days, and once we got a few family photos she was so over the whole photo shoot thing. She really tried her best, and while we tried everything we could to help her out, it became crystal clear it just wasn't going to work out on that particular day.

While rescheduling can be an inconvenience for all (especially Mom and Dad) I will not push any child to perform for the camera, the resulting images simply will not shine. I want your session to be as stress free as possible, and your images to be stunning and treasured for a lifetime! Mom, Dad, and I decided that another day would likely be a better choice for Miss Sophie, so we'll have fun with the camera in a few weeks.

She is such a little doll and has the most darling face, I can't wait to capture some amazing images for Mom and Dad! Isn't this beautiful:

7 month old cutie • Seattle Baby Photography

This little guy had just dozed off in the car and was all comfy and cozy when he arrived and was woken up to have his pictures made. Even though he was a little tired, he totally rose to the occasion and was a joy to spend time with! Just a little sneak peek....

Look at that sweet smile:



He's [this] close to sitting on his own, and barely needed the basket for propping:



He is quite the "talker" and made the BEST cooing sounds I've heard in a long time! Caught one of them right here:



Thanks so much to mom, dad, and grandma for spending part of your day with me. And mom especially, your championship drool wiping was very appreciated!

In case I forget to say it over the weekend...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I've been meaning to shoot conversation hearts for the last couple of years but never got around to it.

I hope in your lifetime that you find:



....and that that person adore you (well, not me, but you....but finding a heart that says "adore you" is impossible):



And lastly, will you:



Do you have any idea how difficult is is to find conversation hearts that are actually legible and on which the words are somewhat centered? Go buy a box and see for yourself!

Cheaper than therapy • Macro floral photography

Shooting and editing macros is just a great way for me to relax at the end of a day...





Can't resist posting this gem. Her eyes say: "Lauren, I am so over this whole photo thing. If you don't mind, I'd just like a nap now please!"

Ray of sunshine • Macro Floral Photography

This is for those of you who are snowed in these days! If this doesn't look like a ray of sunshine, I don't know what does. Boy, I can tell the growing season is early this year, my allergies are kicking up already {sniffle, sniffle, achoo}. I suppose it's better than a couple of feet of snow on top of a couple feet of snow though - insert evil grin.

Hellebores


f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/160s


f/4, ISO 250, 1/160s

Love how a different angle and aperture as well as processing can make one flower look so intense in one image and very dreamy in another.

Artsy Fartsy • Macro Floral Photography

Brett picked this pot of miniature irises out, he liked the pattern and colors on the petals. Hopefully I've done it justice.



Handheld (I know, I know) I get lazy about using my tripod. f/10, ISO 400, 1/80s.

Manually focused as close as the lens would allow, then I very slightly rocked back and forth until the focus landed where I wanted it.

More samples, this time gorgeous GALLERY WRAPPED CANVAS!

I love these, and I do mean LOVE them! I've been wanting to update my studio sample for a while now, and I think this image of my son Colin is perfection on canvas.

Your images are printed directly onto fine art canvas and stretched over 1.5 inch deep gallery stretcher bars These striking pieces of art arrive ready to hang with no need for framing. Fine Art Canvases are finished with a UV protectant so you can expect these images to be proudly hung on the walls of your home for generations to come.








Gallery wrapped canvases are available in standard as well as in custom sizes. They are a marvelous option for those locations where you want to make a beautiful statement with your portraits! While sizes begin at 11x14, I highly recommend that you go BIG with canvas, they truly are a brilliant piece of art for your home!

As always, I am happy to recommend which of your images would look best as canvases, and can help you determine the perfect size for your wall space.

Free time this week!

I was supposed to be out of town this week, but a couple of weeks ago our plans changed and we rescheduled for March. Ended up that I still kept this week light on commitments, and as of right this moment I am caught up :) I know come tomorrow that probably won't be the case. But I am savoring this moment! Ok, on second thought, I do have a bunch of paperwork that needs doing, but it can wait, right?

Yesterday afternoon I had to go up to Woodinville, so I (of course) had to make a stop at one of my favorite nurseries, Molbaks. I'm just loving these colors!





And I have a little secret about yesterday's photo. I wish I had done a pull back shot of where I was, hopefully I can describe it adequately. One of the things I LOVE about macros is how well you can isolate your subject.

Yesterday's shot was from a small pot of crocuses at the nursery. All the crocuses were potted in dirty white plastic containers, so they were definitely not going to provide a nice backdrop. But, on the opposite side of the nursery table were some taller yellow plants. So, I took my little pot of crocuses and propped it up on 3 other pots below (that were set up as a triangle). It got my pot high enough that that delicious yellow complimented the purple of the crocus very nicely. And that yummy light from above? Just light filtering in through the corrugated plastic roofing. Typically I'm not a big fan of light coming in from above, but when a bloom opens upwards as a crocus does, I think it catches the light nicely! Lastly, I positioned myself so that the pistal had a purple petal behind it, otherwise the yellow would have been lost in the yellow background. That's it :) Not sure why I typed that, but hopefully it'll help someone!

Crocus • Seattle Flower Photography

I can't believe they are starting to bloom :) Seattle officially had the warmest January on record, and boy does it show. I'm actually going to start pruning this week which is early for around here! Today is a no jacket day, sunny and upper 50's, woo hoo!

Love, love, love the light falling into this crocus, isn't it yummy?



I'm going to teach a macro class at an online photography forum this spring. There is so much info to cover with macros that fitting it all into one class is going to be impossible. If anyone would like to make suggestions on what I definitely should talk about I am ALL EARS and would be very appreciative! Thanks so much!