Food Fun Family

Carefree Summer Days #PSF

Lolli — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 02:42:30 +0000

I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot this week, despite the fact that I don’t usually do that anymore.

It was a nice change of scenery.

The nature park and botanical gardens where I’ve taken so many pictures before was more vibrant and alive and colorful than ever. Or it least it seemed so this week. It was a gorgeous day…too early to be too hot or muggy.

The family that I photographed is one of my favorite long-term clients (again…I don’t do this for just anybody anymore) and there was something rejuvenating about walking around the beautiful gardens and capturing as much beauty as I could in an hour. I mostly took pictures of their little 4 year old girl…but I couldn’t help snapping pictures of the mama goose and her goslings or the bird I saw in a tree.

I’m ready for a little bit MORE change of scenery. June and July are full-time travel months for me. I’ll be hitting everywhere from Chicago to Florida to the Grand Canyon in the next several weeks. As much as I’m looking forward to it, though, I have an equal amount of anxiety. There is SO much to do between now and then!

Oh! To be carefree and be able to enjoy these early days of summer for the beautiful, warm, sunshiny weather, the afternoons at the pool and the evening walks on the weekend.

Soon. MY carefree summer days are coming soon.

What have you been up to this week? Now it’s time for YOU to show me your best shots from this past week. Link up below and have a fantastic weekend!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

To play Give Me Your Best Shot – Photo Story Friday, check this. Copy this code into your post and sign the link list:
<center><a href="https://foodfunfamily.com/tag/give-me-your-best-shot" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://mychaosmybliss.com" target="_blank"></a> Hosted by <a href="https://mychaosmybliss.com/" target="_blank">Cecily</a> and <a href="https://www.foodfunfamily.com" target="_blank">Lolli</a> </center>

An InLinkz Link-up

One Family Photo #PSF

Lolli — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 03:43:48 +0000

Back in the spring of 2008, I asked my sister (who was over at our house at the time) to take a picture of my family in front of our house. Even though my sister is an incredible photographer, the point was not to get the “perfect” family photo, but just to capture all 7 of us together, dressed nicely, at the same time.

I will be forever grateful that she snapped pictures through the entire photo shoot – the potentially good pictures right alongside the really silly pictures – because what she captured before and after the ONE FAMILY PHOTO that turned out is priceless, especially 6+ years down the road.

Tonight while the rest of the kids and I were out at activities, my husband and youngest son put this video together. It brought back so many memories. And I decided that it would make a much better Photostory Friday post than what I had planned.

What’s behind the one good family photo? Lots of kisses and lots of laughter, some pinching and tongue-sticking-out. Lots of “bad” pictures that show the true nature of our young family (and boy do we look young!).

Here’s the original post from March 2008. It’s hard to believe how much my family has grown since I started my blog!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

To play Give Me Your Best Photo Story Friday, check this. Copy this code into your post and sign the link list:
<center><a href="https://foodfunfamily.com/tag/give-me-your-best-shot" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://mychaosmybliss.com" target="_blank"></a> Hosted by <a href="https://mychaosmybliss.com/" target="_blank">Cecily</a> and <a href="https://www.foodfunfamily.com" target="_blank">Lolli</a> </center>

An InLinkz Link-up

A Lone Fall Photo Shoot #PSF – Give Me Your Best Shot

Lolli — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 03:57:01 +0000

Last fall, I swore off professional photography and officially closed the doors of my photography business. My blog had become busy enough, and frankly I was making more money for my time through my blog than I was for my photography. I just couldn’t do them both well at the same time.

I think the added stress of being so busy all the time killed my photographic creativity…as well as my enjoyment of taking pictures. The result has been many, many months of very few pictures. I need to turn that back around somehow, not for the business, take-pictures-of-other-people aspect of my photography business, but for the pure enjoyment and creativity that I used to have when I held my camera.

Recently, I made a little exception to my “commitment” to stay away from photo shoots. I love these girls so much (I’ve been taking their pictures since the twins were teeny babies) that I couldn’t resist a fall photo shoot with them. We have a yearly “date,” after all.

Here are just a few of my favorites from our time together:

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

An InLinkz Link-up

Best Friends Mini Photo Shoot #PSF {Give Me Your Best Shot}

Lolli — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 20:57:15 +0000

My oldest daughter, KitKat joined me at one of my photo shoots last weekend as the official Pinterest-watcher and stylist for her best friend’s senior pictures.

Even though K was not prepared for pictures (with no make up and just a t-shirt and jeans – but she looks gorgeous all the time anyway!) we ended up doing an impromptu mini photo shoot in the middle of the senior pictures.

I’m so glad we did!

It’s so wonderful when your kids find awesome friends, isn’t it?

{My daughter is the one with curlier hair, and yes, she borrowed her friend’s grey sweater for the shots by the wall.}

Check out the girls all dressed up for prom last May…

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Engagement Photos (No, not mine) {PSF – Give Me Your Best Shot}

Lolli — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 01:16:56 +0000

This week, I finally had the chance to actually use my camera for something other than so-so pictures of food.

I know! It’s shocking.

I have been looking forward to this particular photo shoot for ages (or at least since this summer, when the engagement was announced). Kat is not only someone I consider a friend, but we have HISTORY together. She babysat my babies when they were teeny and she’s watched my kids grow up as we’ve watched her grow up, too. And then we watched the Bachelorette together and bonded on a whole new level. We couldn’t be more thrilled that she is engaged and SO, so happy.

I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of their engagement photos, but here are a few of my favorites:

PS – As I was looking for suitable quotes to put on the ring picture, I found another that I thought was hilarious. It doesn’t get it’s own picture, but it does get a mention:

“Infatuation is when you think he’s as sexy as Robert Redford, as smart as Henry Kissinger, as noble as Ralph Nader, as funny as Woody Allen, and as athletic as Jimmy Conners. Love is when you realize that he’s as sexy as Woody Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny as Ralph Nader, as athletic as Henry Kissinger and nothing like Robert Redford – but you’ll take him anyway.” ~Judith Viorst, Redbook, 1975

What have you been up to this week?

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Photo Shoot Reality #WW

Lolli — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:59:03 +0000

As I finished my first of two photo shoots on Saturday, I chatted with the mom of these three adorable girls. I’ve been taking pictures of these 3 sisters since the twins were teeny – I love watching repeat clients grow up! – and it’s the same every time. The girls are active as little girls usually are. Sometimes we get a fussy one. Sometimes we get one that refuses to smile. Or sit still. Or cooperate.

For every peaceful, happy, sweet picture like this….

There are a dozen pictures like this….

Or worse.

I always tell the moms of the kids I’m photographing that every kid tends to be on their worse behavior during at least part of the photo shoot. It’s photo shoot reality. And even though we feel like there’s too much wiggling and frowning and general misbehavior, we always come away with some priceless smiles. And if nothing else, I always capture a child’s true personality!

Are you playing along with Wordful or Wordless Wednesday today? Link up!
Want to grab my button?

Newborn Baby Girl: Pink Toes and Hair Bows #PSF Give Me Your Best Shot

Lolli — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 23:50:04 +0000

I love taking pictures. I think anyone who reads my blog regularly knows that. I don’t claim to be a great photographer, though I do like some of the pictures I take and I do know my way around a camera. But it all comes back to the fact that I love taking pictures. Photography gives me a lot of satisfaction.

Some time in the last year, a client asked me what my favorite and least favorite types of photo sessions were. I told her that I loved engagement and maternity shots the best. They tend to be the easiest (and the happiest) for me.

On the other hand, my least favorite type of photo session (and I was pretty quick to come back with this answer) is newborn shots. I just can’t seem to get the lighting and the props and the positioning right. And in case it’s been a while since you’ve been involved in a newborn photo session, this is how newborn photos really go:

Babies never sleep through their photo shoot. Those peaceful sleeping baby photos? They are only caught in between cries and kicks and rocking and feeding. Newborns don’t smile, don’t sit up, and they rarely sleep when the photographer is there, which means that our work is that much harder.

And yet, I love spending time with brand new babies. I really do.

And they sure are cute to look at.

This little girl is the first born of those cousins-in-utero that I posted about a few months back.

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Photo Shoot Frenzy! Wordless Wednesday

Lolli — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 22:08:37 +0000

I’ve had three photo shoots in the last week…so you can guess what I’ve been doing with most of my time. Editing!

The three families pictured in these collages are long-time clients of mine. I’ve done engagement, wedding, maternity, newborn, and bigger kid shots with all of them, and I love to see them grow (the kids and the families!).

I really do have the best clients!

For more inspiring photos, check: High Impact Mom, The Bonafide Life, Shanamama, From Dates to Diapers, Not Your Mom Blog, The Divine Miss Mommy, Colorado Moms, Rajean Blomquist and Zensible Mama and link your own photo stories.

Linked up to Wordful Wednesday, Wordish Wednesday, and Wordless Wednesdays all over.

Are you playing along with Wordless or Wordful Wednesday today? Link up!
Want to grab my button?