Where Has Summer Gone?

Now, don't get me wrong, I know that the last few weeks of summer can feel like a lifetime (especially when the anticipation of the kids going to back to school is a big factor!). But somehow, after all the days of wishing it were warmer, sunnier, cooler, what have you - summer is gone before we all seem to be ready. I love autumn and that's a great motivator to the advent of September onward. But... there's nothing like summer and we don't ever seem to appreciate it's lazy days until their gone!

My kids have been enjoying their summer, I think! Countless playdates, pool dates, slip and slides, swingsets, BBQs, parties - it has been fun. The month of August is packed with fun stuff too and we'll be sure to soak it all in to keep us warm in the cold winter months!

Here are some quick summer memories!

We kicked off summer with participation in our town's Memorial Day Parade:

We spent one day enjoying time with friends over the Delaware between Lambertville, NJ and New Hope, PA. A treasure of a location so close to home!

Let's shut it down for today with a couple of silly faces as seen through a foot bridge:

Enjoy the rest of the summer, everyone! It's about enjoying the fleeting moments... make sure you don't sit back in December and wonder why you didn't do more in August... Carpe diem!

Time for Florals!

In between portrait sessions I really do love to get out and snap photos of nature. Some might see it as corny, but there is something to be said for something really unique that could be available for a limited time... For example, a budding flower or a bee perched on a rose. My garden is far from impressive, but you don't need to be amidst a botanical garden atmosphere to catch some really pretty shots.

I thought this little angel was particularly eye-catching amid the flowers:

Coming up for me - Gillian's 6th birthday (where did time go??). We are having a "glamour party" for her and I'm sure there will be lots of photo ops I am sure not to pass up!

The NEW bakerphotos.com!!

It is so exciting to be debuting the newly-designed website of Baker Photography! Thanks to the talents of Pstar Design (http://www.pstardesign.com/), the internet home of my photography business is really fabulous! If you weren't redirected here from there, check it out (http://www.bakerphotos.com/). And if you need a web designer - Pstar Design is HIGHLY recommended! ;-)

Photographically, I have actually been fairly busy, which is always a good thing! I have had the opportunity to shoot some really adorable kids - either in the uniform of their favorite team or their communion suits... I also took portraits of one of my favorite subjects - my son Liam. He is a fidgety little man so a trip to the park was in order. Promises of swing-pushing and throwing rocks in the lake are more than enough bribery to get him to sit still long enough to get some good shots.

Here's one of the better ones. He is just so handsome and can be very photogenic... it's just getting the timing right with him. And by timing I don't mean when to push down the shutter... I mean making sure his demeanor is just right... making sure he's well-fed and properly bribed (as explained above). At the time this particular series of shots was taken, he was full of animal crackers and juice box - he had some jungle gym time - he was waiting for a couple of friends to meet us at the park. The timing was perfect!

The others in the shoot were decent too. A few impish smiles, a comfortable hands-behind-the-head pose (his idea). Whew! I got his 4-year portraits done before he turned 5.

My daughter Gillian will be 6 in August. I may start trying to get hers done before June is over. That's right, I said "trying". You see, it is infinitely easier for me to photograph other people's kids... my kids, that's another story.

Photo ops ahead include my first game at the new Yankee Stadium... Memorial Day (including the local parade) and various fun pre-summer events. Come on back here every once in a while!

Experiencing Technical Difficulties

You know, I like to think of myself as a pretty bright person. I feel like I can learn to do lots of odd things, necessary things. I can be handy around the house, I can put together a toy with lots of pieces - you get it. But, give me the "dummy" directions to creating a new website for my business, and I am ready to whip out my credit card to have someone do it for me. I am not technically-illiterate. However, once I am given too many acronyms I tend to get lost in translation.

Web designers, you are worth your weight in gold... I am looking for the best within my budget.

Stay tuned.

Getting ready for Halloween

I have been taking lots of pictures lately... birthday parties, preschool parades, etc. I am dying to get out and take some fall foliage pictures, though. I haven't had a chance to hit the road and find the best spot. I don't have to go far. Some of the parks right here in Hamilton offer lots of color and nice views. We'll see.

As for Halloween, I have a Thomas the Tank Engine and a Cheerleader in my house. I am hoping to get their smiling mugs recorded before they fill up with sugar. Again, we'll see!

I have to get ready for Christmas too. I am bouncing around some posing and prop ideas for holiday card photos. Stay tuned!

Old Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium

On August 2, 2008 my husband and I took our last trip to Yankee Stadium... it was sort of emotional, but at the same time I was overwhelmed by so many things I didn't even think about the "last time" factor. My husband surprised me for my birthday and got these awesome tickets. I mean incredibly awesome. We sat in the first row about the visitors' (LAA Angels) dugout. I could see directly into the Yankees' dugout! And with my 200mm lens, we were in business. What made the seats even greater was that it was the 62nd annual Old Timers' Day... and the largest collection of Yankee greats! I was able to be a stone's throw away from great players like Bucky Dent, Oscar Gamble, Mickey Rivers... players from my childhood. I swear I can still close my eyes and see myself sitting cross-legged in front of my TV watching the game and listening to Phil Rizzuto and Bill White do the broadcasting.

Then there were the recently-retired great players. Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, David Wells! It was awesome to see them on the field again. Pictured is Tino at bat, Joe Girardi catching.

We had a great day and it was even better since the Yankees won. I took hundreds of pictures. I still haven't put them on my webpage because I am trying to decide which ones to put there in the interest of bandwidth!

The Stadium looked great and I will miss it when it's gone. I did get to see one more game the next day with friends... but that's it. Unless I have a boatload of good luck come my way, I have visited Yankee Stadium for the last time :(

Her best friend is getting a lot less hairy

My sweet daughter, Gillian, has a bear since birth that she has carried around with her just about everywhere. And while Bear (which is his name, of course) is a durable soul, he is looking a lot worse for the wear. A few months ago, I sat bear down for a portrait session. He was one of my best subjects - no fussing, no fidgeting. Lots of great expressions... I put together a collage for Gillian's wall since I am not sure how long Bear will have his coat. It thins a bit more each day as Gilly "picks fuzzies" as a nervous habit. Even since February when I took these portraits, he has lost a bit of fur... but he is still soooooo loved!