Day 9 Gratitude Project - Following My Bliss { Columbus Ohio Child & Family Photographer}

A little sprout - taken during a recent portrait session.

Today I feel blessed:

That I can make a living doing what I love, & that people love what I do.
That my clients often become friends.
That I finally learned to give my love, time & energy to those who love me and support me.
That I learned not to allow negativity into my life, including those people who tell me to get a “real” job. They just don’t get it & never will.
That I have wonderful friends.
That I can see the beauty in each moment.
That it rained today helping recharge my newly planted perennials.

Strangers 15, 16, 17 & 18 {31 Strangers Project} Columbus Ohio Portrait Photographer

The North Market in Columbus, Ohio is a fabulous place to visit for wonderfully diverse foods. And it's a great place to people watch! These "strangers" were kind enough to take a moment out of their day to be photographed and talk a moment!

Meet Brittany ~ Stranger 15. Brittany works at Brezel Pretzels. I was drawn by her creative look and focus on her work!

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Strangers 16 & 17 ~ Tabitha & Anthony
This couple has been engaged one and a half years. They were at the market exploring and trying different foods.

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And Stranger 18 ~ Andrew
Andrew was quite interesting to talk with. He works at the Green Grocer and is an aspiring paleo-anthropologist. We might see his face again one day on a Nova or Nature program about a new discovery in Australia or Africa!

I realize how much I love doing this project - slowing down & taking a moment to really connect with people.... & watching them smile back - no longer strangers!

How do I Process? / Central Ohio Photographer

Photographers are often asked about how they get their images to look the way they do. Each professional photographer has their own special "look", and process to achieve that signature look. My look starts with my lens - I love my 50mm lens. The framing it gives is beautiful and I love the light that pours into it. As I child, I hated the "formal" stiff poses I was put in. Now, as a professional, I strive for natural poses that lend themselves a fun & relaxed session. In addition to signature processing, photographers have their own style in posing and settings for portrait sessions. When selecting a photographer to take your family portraits, it's important to be familiar with a photographer's signature look and feel and make sure it fits with what you want!

The images below are an example of my "post processing". The image on the left is SOOC (straight out of the camera). It is unretouched. On the day these portraits were taken, it was rainy and quite overcast. The images were taken between 9:30AM and 11:30AM. I wanted to give a bit of a sunlit or warmer tone to the images. I always use Adobe Lightroom to process my images. (Try the FREE download for 30 days!) I find Lightroom easier and more intuitive than Photoshop. Often, I will start with a preset and then tweak it for my needs. I have created a few presets of my own, especially for landscapes, to create my own signature look and tones. In some instances, I pull a texture over the image to give it a little more depth or edge. Some of my favorite presets came from Jenn. Her presets are geared toward those who shoot in jpeg. And I will often use my own textures (check out the menu on the right side of my blog), those from Flickr groups or Beth Armsheimer. I hope this has given you some helpful insights and resources!

Emily & Jamil / Central Ohio Wedding Photographer

It was a soupy afternoon yesterday, but we managed to dodge the raindrops and have a fun engagement session at The Park of Roses in Clintonville. Enjoy Emily & Jamil! I'll see you at the wedding!

Happy Spring! /Central Ohio Photographer

My fine art photography is being featured at Ohio.gov for the 3 months of Spring! This is such an honor and so very exciting! To see more of my fine art photography, or to purchase, head over to my ETSY SHOP! I've been busy, busy, busy during this normally slower time of year! I've been working on revamping my session offerings, & my pricing structure. I think you will like the new sessions and pricing. Click HERE to get the latest info! And speaking of sessions, my sessions are filling quickly and I'm full through May! Currently I'm booking into the summer months, so call or email me if you are thinking of a session!

I hope you are enjoying the signs of Spring that are sprouting all around us!! Happy Spring! Happy Easter!

Welcome Rowan! [Columbus Ohio Newborn Photographer]

It was a day filled with the glow of ordinary things & we passed them quietly from hand to hand for a long time & someone said he had picked a perfect day to be born & I think all of us felt the same.
~ Story People









From day to day, and week to week, nowhere are changes more apparent than in the faces and bodies of babies and children. Moments really do go by so quickly. One of the many reasons I love photographing babies and children, is being able to freeze these precious moments and times & remember them forever. Welcome to the world little Rowan!

Welcome Benjamin! {Columbus Ohio Newborn Photographer}

for a long time,

there were only your

footprints and laughter

in our dreams,

& even from

such small things, we knew we couldn't wait

to love you forever.

~Story People

FREE SESSION! {Columbus Ohio Family Photograher} {Columbus Ohio Pet Photographer} Columbus, Ohio

It is that time of year again… the hustle and bustle of decorating, holiday parties and searching for perfect little gifts. For me, the season has been about wonderful memories, traditions and giving. I believe giving has a domino effect… one kindness, smile or act of giving somehow has a ripple effect. It reaches out with wonderful effect.

So, I would like to give you a gift. I will be giving a free classic session ($150 value) for a family (up to 5 persons) or pet (up to 2 pets) to a lucky soul to use in 2010. This offer is good in Central Ohio or Benzie County Michigan for a weekday session. Prints are extra. What do you have to do? It’s simple – just leave a comment on this post! I will be randomly picking a lucky winner who will receive a gift certificate for the session! This offer is good for NEW CLIENTS ONLY. Spread the word… and post a comment! Comments must be made by 10PM Saturday night (December 12, 2009). Winner will be selected & notified by Monday, December 14, 2009!

Happy Holidays

Holiday Gift Certificate Special! / Columbus Ohio Family Photographer

Well, it's official... the holiday season has begun! My holiday music is back on my blogs and the decorations are coming out!And since I'm getting in the holiday mood, I wanted to give a little something special to put you in the mood as well! My rates will be increasing in 2010, as the costs of business have increased. But... I am offering a special beat the increase promo! In the first two weeks of December, you can purchase a gift certificate for portrait sessions in 2010 - for only $100!! That is a 33% savings over current rates. Have I lost my mind? No! It's the holidays and I appreciate your wonderful business and want to give a special offer back. Simply call or email me. And if you would like to give the gift of memories to a friend or associate, gift certificates are available in any denomination!

Happy Holidays!

Meet Gracie! {Columbus Ohio Pet Photographer}

Autumn and early winter are great times for pet portrait sessions. The cooler temps make it easier on the doggies (and the owners), and you can still have beautiful backdrops at this time of year! Gracie, the Newfoundland was quite pleased with the cooler temps we had for this mini session the other day!

Inniswood Maternity Session {Columbus Ohio Maternity Photographer} Central Ohio Maternity Photographer

We had the most beautiful day for a late fall portrait session at Inniswood Metropark. The sun was shining. There were still some colorful leaves clinging to the trees. It was Indian Summer... a great day!

Class of 2010! {Columbus Senior Portrait Photographer}

We had a couple days of cold rainy weather, but finally a gorgeous Indian Summer appeared, and lent the perfect backdrop for senior portraits! What will the future hold... lots of possibilities!