Tag Archives: children
365 Project Day 342: Siblings
Posted on 11. Dec, 2011 by maryanne.
Sweet Siblings
Canon 5D Mark ll, 50 1.2L, 3.5 aperture, 1/80 shutter speed, 400 ISO
I love these kids. I have been photographing my friend Kelly’s boys since her youngest son Ethan was a baby. Every year we have endeavored to gather this group of boys and pray I could get at least one shot before they tumbled off wrestling or climbed the nearest tree. We laugh that it has always been an adventure getting their annual Christmas photo done. I love them dearly. They are brilliant and funny, and so very sweet.
This year, baby Emily came into the group. You may remember her from her blog that she helped out with over the summer when she came over to swim in our pool. She has so much personality, this little baby girl. If the boys were a rock band before, now they have their lead singer. She was born for this starring role in the life of the Anderson family. Everyone is all about Emily. It is easy to see why.
If you haven’t seen Emily’s blog from the summer, you simply must take a peek at it here.
Happy Sunday. Get some rest.
Raspberry Beret
Sweet Brother
Loved
Star
Silly
Everyone Make Your Funny Face
Beautiful
Miss Personality
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365 Project Day 215: Pure Delight
Posted on 03. Aug, 2011 by maryanne.
Sweet Richelle
Canon 5D Mark ll, 70-200 2.8 L, 3.2 aperture, 185mm focal length, 1/200 shutter, 100 ISO, Canon 580 EX ll flash off camera to her right at 1/4 power using a 60 inch umbrella
Go ahead, breath again. This photo does take your breath away. This is one of my favorite shots of the day from the first of a two-day shoot with Alison Johnson and her Parbella clothing line. We did a shoot for them last spring, and had a tea party. You can check that shoot out here.
Honestly, I think this could be my job forever and always if the children’s fashion industry would have me. I absolutely love working with sweet little girls like Richelle, here. She is the daughter of my friend, Elly Simbara. Elly brought her out in the 100 degree weather today for our shoot, and I am so grateful! Richelle looks like a doll baby, and has since she was born. What a a beauty she is.
Well, it’s another full day in the heat tomorrow morning, so this a short blog. I hope to have another favorite shot tomorrow to show you!
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365 Project Day 213: Holding Onto Summer
Posted on 02. Aug, 2011 by maryanne.
Front Porch Music
Canon 5D Mark ll, 24-70 2.8L, 5.6 aperture, 1/125 shutter, 400 ISO
The summer sun is hanging low on the horizon full of orange and reds, casting a warm hue across the pasture. The cicadas are tuning up for their evening chorus. First one, then several others fall into the soft, rhythmic buzzing from the oak in the front yard. Another hot summer day lays down her head. Time seems to slow. Two of my kids sit close on the front porch swing with musical instruments in hand. She with her mandolin, and he with his guitar. I see my husband smile. He is taking it all in. We are rich beyond our wildest dreams. I take a photo with my mind before I ever click the shutter on the camera in my hand. Can I just hold this season, this time, for a while longer? Can I hold onto summer?
She has kissed the skin of my children, leaving freckles on tanned faces, softening the worried lines the school year left behind. I am not ready to let her go. Sweet summer. Can’t we rest in your soft swaying days, your afternoon thunderstorms, your glistening dew, your sticky-ice-cream-kisses, and your front porch music, a bit longer?
Sister Smile
Sitting with Daddy
Sweet Songs
I am holding on as long as I can. Let the music play on.
Psalm 126:1-3 ~ “When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
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365 Project Day 179: No Worries
Posted on 28. Jun, 2011 by maryanne.
Peekaboo Smile
Canon 5D Mark ll, 50 1.2L, 2.2 aperture, 1/1600 shutter, 50 ISO
This face says it all. He is not worried about whether he is doing everything right, or if there will be enough food or clothes for him. He is full of joy. He is here, and happy. He is two.
Got this lesson served up fresh for me today as I walked over to our pool. There they were, two two-year-old boys, (under the care of a watchful mommy), living the good life; splashing, laughing and playing until they were too tired to keep their eyes open another moment. My day had been heavy, as I once again concerned myself with things that should have been God’s alone to carry. This will happen every day if I do not reign it in. Today, I was grateful for the joy and freedom that little Carson and Tripp demonstrated for me. Sometimes the best lessons are learned from children. Life is sweet. Put it in your sippy cup and soak it down. 
Matthew 6:25-27 & 33,34 ~ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Just Do It
Sweet Smile
Happy Boy
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Simple and Plain
Posted on 20. Aug, 2010 by maryanne.
I feel so out of it, not having blogged my world in the past three weeks. Life has been moving at an incredible pace, as I have experienced new challenges as well as dealing with old ones. Hmmm, this may be a long blog.
In the past month, Chris had knee surgery, which took much longer to heal than we anticipated, I shot a kids clothing line with over 10 ten little ones, was asked to do a shoot for a large company out of California, got my two older ones back to college, and finished a wedding album. I feel like I am just now coming back to myself, having been stretched beyond my experience in the photography world, and feeling deeply the grief of watching my birdies fly again after a brief respite in our home.
There is so much to say here, and yet I feel like there is a stopper in the drain, not allowing any of it to flow out onto the keyboard. Going to give it my best effort.
I have a few photos here, to document our time in the past couple weeks. First, Annie and Johnny and I got to work on a project together where I actually got paid to photograph one of my own children. Annie got to model for a large company, the details which I will omit for privacy reasons, and Johnny was my tech assistant on the shoot. It was so exciting and scary for me. I got to hire a hair and make up stylist for the first time, (yes, I am a newbie), find a location and go make it happen. We went to Seabrook Island close to Charleston, SC . We hired the fantastic Ashley Brook Perryman as our hair and make up stylist. It was a weekend of firsts. My first time working with two of my kids on a professional shoot, my first time hiring a stylist, and my first time getting two tickets in the same weekend. Evidently you really can’t park in a handicap space at the beach, and my tag had expired. Ugh!
We stayed at a wonderful friend of a friend’s house and took care of their sweet dog. It was a great experience, and there are so many parts of the trip where I felt God was so for me and with me, like the fact that the thunderstorms came all around us that day, but waited to fall on us when we closed our car doors to leave. Or the fact that I had gotten permission from the one security guy who would have given it to me to come on the island through a phone call I made earlier in the week. Thank you Officer Kreinbrook. Sorry if we got you in trouble.
Here are a few of Annie getting made up for her day. I did not shoot many other photos of the trip. Finally got most of the sand out of my gear.
It was a good experience overall. We have yet to see what comes of it. But I have made friends with some incredible people in the process and am so thankful for that.
This next section is the part where my heart breaks every year at this time. It is the time of endings, and beginnings. That place where it feels like it is all over and you dangle helplessly over that divide where the bridge runs out, and you don’t know if there is an invisible step just beneath you, like in the Indiana Jones movie, and he remembers it is a “leap of faith”. Then he steps and all is well, and let’s just say, that’s the movies.
It was time for Annie to head back to the Olgefort at Oglethorpe University where she has spent the last two years, making wonderful friends and becoming more independent. (As if that last part were possible.) We were having a family night and as I set the table with five plates, I began to cry. Okay, weep. You know those tears that come from the deepest reservoirs in you. Tears that bring a sigh and relief with every drop. I had been carrying them around for weeks. I couldn’t stop. Set the table. Cry. Turn over the meat for the fajitas. Cry. Ice in the glasses. More crying. When the kids got to the table I was a mess. I think they all made a decision right there and then that it was their mission to cheer me up. There is nothing worse than a blubbering mom at the dinner table.
After dinner we were trying to decide how to spend our family night and the subject of playing games came up. We were bantering back and forth about what to play when Johnny blurted ,” Let’s play Texas Hold’em and dress the part!”. I hardly knew what happened when everyone flew out of the room. Now, mind you, we don’t play with real money, (we don’t have any!), and we really don’t play at all, but Johnny and Chris love to watch the World Series of Poker, with all it’s interesting characters.
It wasn’t long until Jim Dawson entered the room.
After him was Susie May, with her jean shorts, cowgirl boots, and (fake) cigar.
She was followed by Cassandra Maria Martinez.
Luke was next. ( he’s a hottie):)
I was Wylene, Luke’s old lady,tattoo and all, that said Chris, or uh Luke, with a big red heart. I didn’t make the photos but I did make the video. Maybe I can post that one later.
Here is the whole motley crew. I love these people. They are a light in my life.
It was a good night, with a full on dance party in the kitchen and den, as is our custom, and my heart felt lighter.
The next day, I took Annie Bug back to the fort, and the tears came again.
I ended the day with a movie by myself, something I haven’t done in ages. It was definitely a chick flick, and I loved the mini community I felt with the other women in the theater.
As I was reading my Bible about three weeks ago, before all of this happened, I came across a scripture that brought me much peace. I cling to it now, amidst all of the changes, not knowing which direction some of these ventures will go.
It is found in Isaiah 66:2 The Message Version, “But there is something that I am looking for: a person who is simple and plain, reverently responding to what I say”.
I think I have the simple and plain part, and I am thankful that God loves that and is even seeking it. I pray I can get the part where I reverently respond to His words. He holds me tight in a world that moves so quickly and wants to take me off my feet. He never changes, and for that I am grateful.
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A Tea party with Parbella
Posted on 05. Aug, 2010 by maryanne.
This photo shoot was pure joy, and you are about to see why. This is the much anticipated shoot for Parbella Childrens Clothing, a beautiful line of clothes for girls. We decided on a tea party for the scene of our shoot. We had 12 beautiful little girls and their parents here last Friday. It was 99 degrees that day, but I hardly noticed. Seriously, I don’t think I felt the ramifications of the heat until that night, and my body fell into a heap into my bed. It was just so much fun. The girls seemed to enjoy themselves, and those that didn’t even know one another became fast friends over the course of the day. They sat there, tea cups in one hand and a cluster of grapes in the other, talking like little women. I was so impressed with them all.
When you see these photos, I hope you will get a glimpse into the fun we all had. Such stunning little beauties, dressed up in Alison Johnson’s designs, feeling so pampered and special. It was any girl’s dream day. I heard several of them say more than once that it was “the best day ever”. This of course blessed me beyond belief. It is my joy to help precious little girls on their journey to feel beautiful and treasured. Alison also shares this conviction. I think that is why we work so well together! I hope you enjoy a few of the photos of the day. I had such a hard time choosing which ones to put on the blog!
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Favorite Photo of the Week 10 … Freckles
Posted on 15. Jul, 2010 by maryanne.
How could this not be my favorite photo this week? This is my freckled-sunshine-Annie girl. Those Hydrangeas were just begging to bring out the blue in her eyes. She begrudgingly posed for this. I was in the middle of another shoot, and she was in the middle of working on one of her two summer jobs. I held the soft petals against her face and said a name of someone she holds dear. We won’t say whom. All I can say is she lost her resolve to make me stop, and gave me a soft and pensive smile. She told me I cheated. Maybe I did. Look what I got? Magic. My summer girl.
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Favorite photo of the week 2
Posted on 20. Apr, 2010 by maryanne.
I love this photo of my Annie. She will be twenty this week. Although this photo was just taken last year atop our horse Jackie, you can still see the little girl in her. My little girl. The little girl that loves to come home and ride horses, sit and read on the porch swing, dance in the kitchen and make me laugh. Annie. Only one.
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Can I do this all the time?
Posted on 19. Apr, 2010 by maryanne.
I got to go play at my friend Kelly’s house last week. There was no agenda, except to get a couple shots of her for the Veterinary Clinic where she works. She is a vet, and I secretly envy her. I wanted to be one when I was a little girl. I brought home every struggling animal I could find as a kid. My poor mom. Every spring I would bring home a baby bird that had fallen from the nest and do my best to nurse it until it was ready to fly. Don’t think I ever succeeded.:( Anyway, when I hit Chemistry in high school, I assumed God had other plans for me. Therefore, I have deep admiration for anyone with the brains and skills that Kelly has. She is also an artist, so she got both. Not sure how fair that is, but I love her anyway.
Here are some pictures of her and her two youngest boys just playing on her farm. She has baby chicks right now and I loved just walking around observing and photographing all of it combined. Joy, sunshine, laughter, innocence and just sweetness. Wish I could do that all time. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did shooting them.
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Eli
Posted on 17. Apr, 2010 by maryanne.
We had a wonderful day photographing Eli and his mom and dad last Saturday. We had baby sheep to play with as well as some sweet chicks on loan to me from my friend Kelly. I think Eli thought he was at the zoo or the park. I am not sure who had more fun, but I am pretty sure it was me. Eli is the apple of his mom and dad’s eyes, as you can see from these photos. Photographing children is so much fun as they are in a world of their own, and not worried about how to smile or behave. We just let him play and the magic came through.
Enjoy the photos of sweet Eli. ~
