Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Trick or Treat | Halloween 2012

Wishing you a safe and happy Halloween! We are buzzing with excitement as we head out for a fun night of trick or treating! bee1 bee2 bee3 bee4 MHP4072

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

NH Photographers Blog Circle | Favorite Local Haunt: Rattlesnake Mountain, Holderness

It's been a while, but here I am again joining in on the NH blog circle! This month we are posting about our favorite local "haunt". Wonderful local places we each frequent. I will admit I am a bit of a recluse introvert. When I go out, I prefer to get away. For the purpose of solitude and to bring myself closer to the amazing world around me I take to the woods. One of my favorite local hikes is West Rattlesnake in Holderness, NH. It may not always offer the solitude I prefer, but it is beautiful just the same. The other afternoon was a dreary but dry one and the trees in the area offered some great foliage colors. I headed up the small mountain with camera in hand. My ears were flooded with the music of Mumford and Sons and my eyes with a sort of determined eagerness. Though the trip was short I managed to snap a few photos along the way that I really enjoy (normally I don't take too many shots on this particular hike as I see it so much. It was really great to take the time to notice some of the things I generally fly by when I am there). I highly recommend this short but amazing hike to anyone (it offers some good cardio on ascent, but is in no way difficult). Be sure to watch out for roots and if you head up in the spring keep your eyes on the lookout so you can spot some pink lady slippers. Enjoy my perspective of Rattlesnake and then be sure to head on over to Kristen Reimold's blog to see her favorite local haunt! (and don't forget to follow the circle all the way through, you won't be sorry you did!) Thanks for stopping by! haunt1 haunt2 MHP1580 haunt4 MHP1586 haunt3 MHP1595 haunt5 MHP1610 MHP1611 MHP1615 MHP1616 MHP1631 MHP1623 MHP1637

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Amanda and Greg: Engaged | Ashland, NH Photographer

Many fellow photographers can sympathize with gear envy. We've all had it at one point or another, even if we try our hardest not to (and not to admit it). It stinks, it brings you down. Especially after you have rented some kick ass gear. A couple weeks back I rented the D800 (FANTASTIC, it did everything I told it to and the images were exactly as I intended them to be). It was hard not to cry when I had to send it back and return to life with my now dull crop sensor consumer level camera with only one lens that I really love that is really designed for full frame cameras. After a good chunk of time spent pouting and feeling sorry for myself and my sad little two-piece (well, to be fair, I do own more than one lens, I just don't really care for the others much) show I finally pulled myself together and got ready for my next session. And I rocked it. And rocked my gear. I shot this entire session with my consumer level crop sensor camera and a 50mm lens. It was nothing short of amazing and beautiful and it is one of my favorite sessions yet.  

Now about this fantastic couple..... 

 Amanda and Greg are recently engaged. They came to me through a myriad of mutual friends and clients (thank you guys, you all know who you are!). Though we've met before in passing at parties here and there, we have never really spent any time together. I had a great time getting to know the both of them. Greg is a firefighter and Amanda is very close to being a nurse (so close, like, less than a year!) so they already have a special place in my heart. I obviously appreciate those in the fire service and especially those who stand by them. And of course, I have a profound respect and admiration for those in the medical field. They are both super easy to get along with and be around and I had so much fun photographing them. I really hope that our paths cross again soon and that this time, we actually get to spend some time hanging out. 

 Many congratulations to Amanda and Greg on their engagement!
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Early Morning Family Session | Meredith, NH Family Photographer

It was a slightly chilly morning, I was exhausted from a late night wedding adventure, and I could barely describe what I needed to relay for posing/positioning/etc. Apparently that all worked to my advantage because these images ROCK. We had the dreamiest light and this little grotto of willow trees to hang out in. Stella was super cute and her parents didn't look to shabby either (LOVE mom's sweater - ok, the whole outfit was awesome.....). I cannot thank this family enough for being wonderfully accommodating, fun, friendly, welcoming, and understanding (they didn't seem phased by my inability to speak in proper sentences or know left from right that morning).

I had such a great time playing around in the early morning light......


gul1 gul2 (Now, whenever I see someone rocking a super short hair cut such as this one I always think I should too, and then I remember I would probably look like some sort of love child of a mouse and elf - however, look at the highlights and cool almost chunked airiness of it..... kinda jealous)
Stella seemed to enjoy the idea of the picket fence as much as I did, but she had her own plans for how to incorporate it... MHP9588 Of course, with little girls, you always want to try to have them wear some cute accessories. And it always goes the same way in three....... MHP9694 two...... MHP9697 one..... MHP9698 MHP9636 gul4 gul6 gul5 gul3 MHP9840 Many thanks to the wonderful family!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

The First and Last Heath Hurrah for the Summer of 2012

I have a feeling many of you can relate to the idea of this summer having not gone as planned. So many unexpected things came up this year and all of them were incredible time hogs. My husband was fortunate enough to be able to take on some overtime shifts this year (which we typically don't pass up and being that we would LOVE to have a little more room to stretch out for those few moments when all three of us are home at the same time, the more we can try and save the better....). I found myself being far busier than expected at all of my little jobs and of course, with my own business. Unfortunately as a result Emma often found herself overcome with boredom. Thankfully, I have a very dear friend that has provided Emma with a little bit of summertime blues relief (thanks Lori!). 

After feeling the wrath of life as adults Aaron and I decided to make sure we took at least one day to hang out as a full family of three away from home. No pagers, no phone calls, no emails. I had a fantastic day planned out to the minute (literally, Aaron particularly loved my "coffee/gas/etc - 20 min" note on my itinerary - he actually laughed out loud and sat down on the couch still laughing with his hand to his forehead that was shaking back and forth in that "I can't believe this is my life" motion). 

As fate would have it, none of that worked out. Some of us woke up late, others were fretting about the weather (I may have a small issue with being stuck in the woods during thunderstorms - thank you Mt. Moosilauke). We did not leave the house at 0800 sharp. Lunches, snacks, and waters were not packed and since I run both hot and cold all the time I was having some attire anxiety (you can bet that is a very real thing that I suffer from regularly - I often pack extra clothes for even the most mundane trips). Somewhere around 0840 the three of us piled into the truck. Our little family complete: one quiet tired dad, a frustrated mother, and a rather sullen nine year old girl. If that doesn't sound like an awesome cohesion of individuals ready for a fun-filled day together I don't know what does. 

We arrived at the parking lot for Cannon Mountain sometime after 0930 and after a much needed trip to the restroom (remember, we had a coffee break scheduled in there.....) we boarded the first available tram car up. We were fortunate enough to catch Ketchup, Emma's personal favorite (and probably Aaron's as well...). Seven minutes and twenty seconds later we arrived at the top, bombarded with a fast moving misty fog. Now, given the weather conditions and temperature at the bottom I was expecting to be far colder at the top. I had my fleece and rain coat on which seemed appropriate down in the parking lot and immediately ripped them off. We walked the short rim trail and despite our lack of a view Aaron really enjoyed being up there (Emma and I are both veterans of Cannon Mountain and have been lucky enough to visit on some very clear days). I have to admit, it was a really cool feeling to not be able to see anything beyond the trees directly in front of you. 

Upon arriving at the base again we decided to head into the gift shop, my dear husband being the last to exit, of course. I enjoyed watching a little elderly lady trouble him for some sizing help with a shirt she was purchasing for someone of a very similar size. Too cute. Meanwhile Emma and I sat outside and waited patiently (well, not so much, I can't stand people who dawdle in stores and Emma can't stand not being in them herself) for his return. For the first time ever I was dragged over to the ski museum (which was neat, but I am more for being in the woods). I have to admit, it was really neat to see Bode Miller's Olympic medals too. Again however, Aaron lingered and Emma and left quickly to sit outside and watch the tram cars. 

We took off to head to Crawford notch a little later than originally planned and decided to stop for food along the way. We were skeptical of finding anything decent in Twin Mountain (which looks a little like a small third world country as you drive through....) but came across Catalano's Pizzeria just in time to order..... we were followed by an enormous crowd. The pizza was delicious, hot, and flopped when you picked it up (which I love). It was definitely loaded with pepperoni and covered in grease, but family outings often involve a few risk taking adventures. 

We finished the day out by heading through Crawford Notch where we welcomed the downpours while driving and were happy they parted in time for us to stop at the Willey-House site for a bit. Aaron took a hold of the adventure reigns and instead of stopping in North Conway for a snack before driving the Kanc, we took a short cut straight from Bartlett to the highway. We enjoyed stopping and seeing many Monarch butterflies along the way even though the views were taken over by some much needed precipitation. Back in Lincoln we decided to hit up the mini-golf course. There were no photos of our time there as I was far too busy concentrating on my fantistically awful short game. famday1 famday2 famday3 famday13 famday24 MHP8529 famday14 famday12 famday10 MHP8637 famday11 famday4 MHP8579 famday6 famday5 MHP8592 MHP8596 famday9 MHP8610 famday7 MHP8684 famday8 MHP8639