JFP photo blog

For the Love of All That is Soft & Sweet

Last week I was lucky enough to meet this lovely little one.  She was a dream.  She was already sleep when I got there, and she just kept right on snoozing as I moved her and changed her...with only little, tiny squeaks when I was disrupting her sleep just a little too much.  And her parents were fabulous too....so welcoming and warm and friendly and trusting.  I truly could have stayed all afternoon!  I'll say it again, I have the BEST job ever!  Here she is, the fantabulous Miss V on day 12.....

Squeak!  I love her little finger on her cheek!

How about a few sweet back wrinkles?  More schoolgirl squealing from me!

An adorable little grin...must be some good dreams going on in there!

Love that hat!  Thanks to my mom {aka Super Knitter} for that one.   

She just tucked in there ever so nice....what an agreeable baby!  More like her, please!

And then when she started to wake up a little, we rounded up her parents for a sweet new little family shot.

 Aren't they just the cutest?! 

Thanks for such a wonderful afternoon guys.  More photos coming your way soon!

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.  Brown paper packages tied up with string.

Alright, those really aren't any of my favorite things but I'm guessing you're singing by now!

Here are a few of my actual favorite things though....all photography related this time.  Nary a child of mine in sight.  Might just do a personal favorites post next week though.

1.

 
  

My new sample album and photo box came last week!!  Whee!  I love them!  And, just so you know, they are way better in person....my product photography skills don't do them justice!  They are 2 of the newest additions to the "Products & Prices" list.   (Hmmmm....looks like I managed to sneak my little darlings in here anyway!)

2.

That's right.  Vegas. 

 Alright, I don't actually know if I'll like it.  I've never been before.  BUT this year I get to go to the ginormous photography convention there.  Best part = some of my very favorite people happen to be photographers too & will be going with me.

3.

Between my mom, Etsy, and myself, my stash of soft newborn goodies is rapidly multiplying!  Can't wait to get them on some tiny people!!  (Tomorrow!  Yippee!)

 

4.

Comments on El Bloggo just make me all warm and fuzzy inside.  You guys are the BEST!

Happy Friday!
 

Virtual Hand Holding, Please

I am in desperate need of some virtual hand holding, maybe even a pat on the back or a tissue or two.  My baby is going into Middle School next year.  This is only becoming a reality for me now as I had to attend the Middle School parent tour last night.  Boohoo. 

He, on the other hand, went on the tour during the day and is completely ecstatic...

He actually couldn't stop talking about it all afternoon and evening...(which is unlike him, to say the least!).  

Come fall, I am sure to be posting photos of him as a wee tot, with his sweet, shaggy curls and goofy grin....wait, I'm pretty sure that's all still the same!  He's just WAY taller now.

The Mad Hatter

I was going to call this post the Yarn Harlot (that's the name of a book, for all you non-knitting-readers) because I am in the middle of a yarn buying/knitting frenzy...mostly hats though, so Mad Hatter works too.  Anyway, most of them are the teeny, tiny newborn size so you & I will have to wait for one of those, but I was forward thinking enough to knit one the right size for my smallest buddy.  Best part of it all, he was actually a willing model...well, sort of, at least he didn't rip the hat off immediately.  I call that a success!

 He does (still) have the best eyes and checks on a little man ever!

His expressions kill me.  I'm pretty sure he is contemplating my sanity at this point.  Hopefully I haven't scarred him for life.

Totally amazing lashes. 

 

Giving me some good grins at lunch...eek...he's so cute I just want to squeeze him!!  Oh, and I like the hat a little too.  Thanks fabulous supermodel baby!

PS  There is still voting going on 2 posts down....don't get left out of voicing your opinion!

The Eyes Have It

WARNING!

I am suffering from absolute lack of thought or brain mush.  My darling son has decided to extend his musical prowess to cover the drums.  Now, don't think for one minute that I even remotely entertained the idea of getting drums at our house.  No.  And since I am the meanest mom in the world, he has decided to torture me by using all the tupperware, pot lids, etc, in the house to create rhythm.  Therefore, there is constant noise emanating from him and I cannot form a complete, coherent thought and I apologize for whatever comes next.

I have always been intrigued by some of the fancy photoshop editing that I see around, especially when it comes to the eyes.  Though, as a disclaimer, I don't really believe in this much editing as a general rule....I prefer much more natural photos.  Well, I have been working on my editing education and finally learned some of the eye tricks out there and gave it a try.  Here's my most recent subject...and no, she wasn't particularly willing, but completely bribable.  I told her if she wore this hand-me-down-coat-with-the-furry-hood-that-is-way-to-big-for-her in a photo, I would let her wear it to school....I love free bribery.

(Also mastered a new watermarking program....love it!)

Just a little different version.

Anyway, there's my attempt at "fancy eyes"...now I'm going to find either ear plugs or a drink as I'm not sure how much more noise I can take before I loose my mind!

Don't forget to read the post below and VOTE...happy Monday and Martin Luther King Jr day!

Your Vote is Needed

(and I don't mean for the super important Issaquah School District Levies...though I'm encouraging you to vote yes on those too!!)

I mentioned in the last post that I am wanting to put a GIGANTIC canvas above our mantle and I finally have the family shot I want to put up there.  There's a whole story behind it too.  Feel free to skip ahead to the photos at this time....otherwise, see story below... 

The Story

This past summer, I got a bee in my bonnet that Henry should have the grass green converse.  I thought that would be super cool and work really well with what I had planned for their holiday card photo shoot outfits (face it, I only buy them stuff that I think will photograph well.)  Well, he didn't think they were all that cool and I do try not to buy things I can only force him to wear once.  Move ahead about a month or so and we are all at the store together, Converse happen to be on sale, one of Madelyn's BFFs happen to have a new pair.  Well, Madelyn is all about trying on the cute girly, pink, polka dot ones.  She won't even fakely entertain the thought of the grass green ones, not even just to humor me.  Hmpf.  However, Annie (and I'm still not sure why I didn't think of her first...duh!) was all over the green ones!  Victory was mine!  Amusingly enough,  Henry decided he wanted some too, though the more traditional and manly navy ones.  This of course immediately inspired the idea for these photos...I mean when will we all have the same kind of shoes ever again??  So with some gentle encouraging, I convinced John he needed some.  Luckily, I already have some and they were on sale or I might not have gone for it...but I'm glad I did.  You'll note that these shoes were purchased months ago and the photo has only just been taken.  Getting the photo is always a whole other story....luckily for me all the snarly, grumpy faces aren't in these photos!

The End of The Story

Anyway, after all that, I am looking for input on which version of this photo you all think should be printed on a GIGANTIC canvas and go over my mantle (see previous post for the before and hypothetical photos).  Please leave a vote in the comments....

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

This one is actually a different photo (so technically I could process it like any of the previous ones...)

 

Let the voting commence!

Go Big or Go Home

Actually, go big and then stay home and enjoy it!!

So one of my goals for this year is to help everyone get their art on their walls so they can see it and enjoy it everyday.  I know it's nice to have those digital files, but it's also super nice if you use those images to make your house a comfy, home-y place.  I am also a firm believer in the bigger is better school of thought.  That being said, throw out the idea that an 8x10 is big.  It's not.  It belongs on a desk or on top of your nightstand or in a big wall collection....here, I'll show you my new favorite wall display....

Hee hee! I love this!  Any guesses what size these are?  (I know, I only gave you the light switches for reference, sorry!)  Well, they are all 16x20...I'm pretty sure the shot of the girls is almost life size...

Here are a few more walls in my house....

going up the stairs....

those are 20x20 frames (thank you IKEA) with 12x12 prints

in the living room....we have a smallish wall partly over the couch

a little perspective with the couch arm....

1 -11x14, 3 - 8x10, 3 - 5x7....most matted to the next size bigger frame

(can you tell yet that I am completely enamored with my children??  well, they're gorgeous and I'm not biased at all!)

 

and now, my dream....I've photoshopped this together so you can see what I want to do next....

current art above our mantle...beautiful painting by John's grandfather in a 26x22 frame

I love the painting but it's a little small for what I've been dreaming about....

My new favorite family shot (more about that in the next post) on a giant canvas....that's about 24x36...I almost want to go one size bigger....still debating.

Anyway, I have also been working on a Wall Display Design Guide to help inspire you along while you figure out what you want to do with all your fabulous images.  You can find it over at the website in the Client Galleries section.  The password is walls...I know, I know, I'm pretty tricky! 

I know some of you have great wall displays...I've seen some of them!  Would love it if you wanted to send me a photo and let me post them here for everyone to see....

  

 

Communication

So this little girl has a few words (plenty for her age!!), but, oh my can she tell you just what she wants without them.  She has the most expressive face and there is never any question about what she is after.  I love that!!  It was almost like she was carrying on her own full blown conversation with me.  Lots of gesturing and faces and sentence-like sounding chatter....totally hilarious!  Anyway, here are a few of my favorites....

 

She's just such a happy kiddo and to totally rat her out, she has the best mischievous grin when she is doing something she maybe shouldn't be doing!!

So serious...

I LOVE the polka dots and just how goofy and full of grins she is!!

Love those lashes and lips!

  

I'm working on some fun wall display stuff right now, so check back later this week and get inspired...besides I'm figuring out some contests and giveaway type stuff and you don't want to miss that!

Mr. Grin

 Just a little something to make you smile today..and remember, it's FRIDAY!!

So I got a fancy new giraffe stool for Christmas....thanks Trish!  And when the Jamster was here on Wednesday he just went right into the studio and said he wanted his picture taken on it!  Yay for me!  Usually I have to beg and bribe to get me some subjects and then this is what I get....

Really?  Pleasant and delightful are not the first words that jump into my mind...

Now that's what I'm talking about!  I LOVE this boy!!

and just one little one more...the girls finally decided they didn't want to be left out...

   

LOVEY!!! 

 (That's Jam speak for "love you!" though perhaps one of his parents will verify the spelling?)

Happy Friday!!!
 

Bliss

Talk about following your bliss.  I have the best job in the entire universe.  I spent this entire session squealing and giggling like a school girl on Christmas....of course, I was super quiet about it because you never want to wake a sleeping baby!!  (Hee hee!  That's me squealing with glee a little right now just remembering her fabulousness)   This sweet little bundle wasn't sure she wanted to miss out on the party going on at her house, but once she sacked out she was out.  And talk about adorable and dainty and cooperative and, and, and....I could go and on.  Did I mention how much fun her parents are yet??  They were so welcoming and calm about me taking over their baby for awhile...though their fabulous dog wasn't so sure I should be so near his new little friend.  Anyway, enough of my babbling....I know you are here for photographic evidence of her adorableness, so here it is...Miss {J} at 2 weeks....

 

Isn't she perfect?  I mean look at her little pouty lip!!

I absolutely adore her arm behind her head...

Doesn't she look completely peaceful and relaxed?  I think babies love the pod because it is such a familiar position/feeling...I totally imagine her being a squinched up like that when she was still on the inside.

And, as usual, I have saved my favorite for last....this one makes me a little giddy.

 

A big thanks to her parents for trusting me with their new little bundle of joy. I can't tell you what a hard time I had choosing the few to share here...there are about a million that I LOVE.  More photos coming your way soon!