52 Faces-Week 4: Mollie

After working with Samantha for months, I’d heard  her mention her dog Mollie on several occasions. So I was anxious to meet Mollie and photograph her (if she was willing).  Mollie turned out to be a perfect model. She was patient, photographed well from all angles and (as it turns out) full of character. See for yourself …

• What is your favorite food? Beggin’ Strips – preferably bacon flavor.
• What would your perfect day look like? It would start with a trip to Tim Horton’s Drive-thru. The employees usually give me a TimBit because I beg with the saddest eyes possible. Then I would go to Antrim park to swim and play with the other dogs. The day would end with a really long nap in my mom’s bed.
• What makes you really happy? Playing in the snow.

• What makes you really proud? I chase my neighbor’s cat up trees then whine really loud to show everyone. Unfortunately the cat climbs really high and no matter how long or high I jump, I can’t get to it. The cat usually sits in the tree for hours, terrified. If my mom would let me, I would sit there until the cat got down but that never happens.
• What is your favorite way to spend your time? Either playing with my friends at the dog park or sleeping. My mom got a brand new chaise-style couch and as soon as she put it in the family room, I jumped on it and made it my “spot”. Now no one else likes to sit on the new chaise because my fur sheds on it – lucky for me

• Where is your “happy place?” The chaise chair or dog park.
• What is your favorite movie? All dogs go to Heaven.
• Describe your best day ever. One time I got to go to my grandparent’s camper. The neighbors gave me lots of leftover hot dogs and there was even a river for me to swim in at the bottom of the lot. My mom trusted me to be off my leash and I had the time of my life running up and scaring a family across the campgrounds. For some reason, I don’t think my family was pleased with me.

• What is your favorite book? Rin Tin Tin
• Who is your role model or mentor? Balto. I’m part Husky just like him, but not quite as smart or brave.
• Name one thing you’d really like to see or do. Go to the ocean. The waves look like fun.

 

 

52 Faces-Week 3: Samantha

Although I’m still running a bit behind on timeliness with my 52 Faces of 2013, I’m showcasing our faces for weeks #3 and #4  as a “Two-fer.”  Our beautiful faces are Sam and Mollie.  Samantha is a co-worker with a bright smile, a great sense of humor and lots of creativity.  Mollie is her beautiful dog. But I’m getting ahead of myself.  It’s time I introduced you to Sam:

• What is your favorite food? Asiago Cheese bagels with plain cream cheese from Einstein Brothers.
• What would your perfect day look like?  I would be somewhere warm with lots of sunshine and surrounded by friends and family.
• What makes you really happy? Listening to live music, watching or playing sports, sunshine, my dog, being around funny people. Lots of different things.
• What makes you really proud? Anytime I work hard to accomplish a goal – big or small. My next goal is to run the Cap City half marathon in May. Also, I must say I’m really proud that my dog, Mollie, behaved so well during her photo shoot. : -)

• What is your favorite way to spend your time? Traveling and spending time with friends and family.
• Where is your “happy place?” My cozy apartment, the beach, or Antrim Park on a nice day.
• What is your favorite movie? Remember the Titans.
• Describe your best day ever. My last vacation to Florida consisted of the best day ever, every day. I would wake up and go running on the beach, then lay at the pool or on the beach and read until it was time for happy hour and dinner. It was tough being me that week.

• What is your favorite book? It’s a tie between Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.
• Who is your role model or mentor? My Dad.
• Name one thing you’d really like to see or do. Visit all 50 States.

52 Faces-Week 2: Don

Note: We’re only a few weeks into the new year and I’m already falling behind with my “52 Faces of 2013″ project! Yikes! Good thing I have a plan : – )  Stay tuned to meet two more beautiful faces later this week.

One of the fun things about this photography project is getting to know some acquaintances just a wee bit better. Case in point: Don, this week’s ”face.”  Don is the fiance of my BFF. The Don I’ve come to know (mostly through her) is fun-loving, likes to be outdoors, is a kid-at-heart and has a great smile. But I have to confess that I had a little bit of an ulterior motive when I selected Don to profile this week: I wanted to learn more about him to make sure he was going to measure up to my standards for my Bestie. (Or else I might have to sick the Mimi Mafia on him   )

So, here’s what I learned about Don:

• What are your favorite foods? Hot wings, master burgers, tilapia and Lay’s potato chips
• What is your favorite thing to do? Roller skate, fly my remote control airplanes & helicopters
• What makes you REALLY happy? Giving bear hugs!
• What would your perfect day look like? Warm. Not a care in the world. (Dreaming)
• What’s your favorite song? Just My Imagination (Boyz II Men)

• Where is your favorite place to visit? Hawaii, Puerto Rico
• What do you want to be when you grow up? A Jazz artist
• What is your favorite movie? Book of Eli, Battleship, Battle: Los Angeles, Avatar, Appleseed
• What is the BEST thing about being you? Being silly, goofy and down to Earth.

                                                                    *          *          *          *          *

Okay, Don. You pass : – )  Welcome to da famalee!

52 Faces-Week One: Sweet Caroline

Meet Caroline. (Her name is pronounced like the girl’s name in that famous old Neil Diamond song, but I tend to think that maybe her name was inspired by the southern part of the country that her family has long loved.) She is eight years old. Caroline is the daughter of a friend and it’s already evident that she’s inherited her mother’s graceful southern charm and ladylike elegance. There are so many reasons why I chose Caroline to be my first subject in my “52 Faces of 2013″ Project, but mostly because just looking at her has always made me smile. But enough about me. It’s time you became acquainted with this precious young lady.  

I ran a few questions by her in an effort to learn more about her:

• What is your favorite color?  HOT pink
• What is your favorite food? Steak.
• Do you have any nicknames? Pumpkin.
• What is your favorite thing to do? Go swimming.
• What makes you REALLY happy? Thinking about friends.
• What’s your favorite song? Round and round.

• Where is your favorite place to visit? The beach.
• What are you REALLY proud of? Straight A student.
• What’s your favorite movie? Hotel Transylvania.
• What do you want to be when you grow up? Aesthetician 
• What is your favorite book? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

• What would your perfect day look like? Sunny at the beach.
• What is the BEST thing about being you? That I have the greatest friends.  

*****

You’re smiling now, too–right?  See why it’s so easy to like Caroline?!

2013: The Year of 52 Faces

So, where have I been? Good question. I’ve been here, working and doing LOTS of photo shoots … which is food for my soul! (Thank you, God!!) But I’ve been a slacker with the blog posts for some reason I can’t really explain. SO … we have some catching up to do!

During 2012, I photographed babies, toddlers, first communion candidates, engaged couples, seniors, families and I even booked my first wedding! (Coming in April 2013!) As a personal challenge, I embarked upon a 365 Project—photographing and sharing one image per day (on my personal Facebook page and via Instagram [@mbsz]) that represented my life. I took photos of my trips (Florida, Winston Salem, Dallas, etc.), my pets, sunrises and sunsets, changing leaves, my pasta creations, family birthday dinners, bright flowers on a gloomy day and, well … you get the picture(s). I thought about doing that for 2013. But then I thought, “Been there. Done that.”  Then I had a brainstorm for a new project.

Drumroll, please: My 2013 Project will feature: 52 Faces! Each week, I’ll post a photo of one beautiful face and a short profile about the magnificent, interesting and amazing person that goes with the face. Best of all – I’ll be posting them here … in this same blog that I’ve (seemingly) been ignoring for months on end. I can hardly wait to start this new up-close and personal study of some of God’s most important work. Expect to see all kinds of faces. Because beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, ages and expressions. Stay tuned!

Incredibly Isabelle

Baby Isabelle’s arrival into the world was very much anticipated.  Izzie’s Mom and I cross paths frequently in our jobs, so it was fun checking in with her every few weeks to hear about how she was feeling. I told her–early in her pregnancy–that I would love to do Izzie’s first photo shoot.  So it was that Isabelle was just a few weeks old when I received the call, inviting me to meet her.  And what a tiny peanut she was.

Isabelle was very alert to everything going on around her.

To me, one of the most amazing things with newborn babies is watching them respond to the sounds in their environment.  Naturally, they’ve become accustomed to the familiarity of Mommy’s voice–having spent 9 months hearing it from inside the womb. But I love to see them respond to their Daddy’s voices, too. That says so much about what kind of Dad they have–one that has already spent endless hours talking to them lovingly.  I love to watch them looking toward the sound of Daddy’s voice, seeking comfort. That kind of trust is hard earned. 

Isabelle is a lucky little lady to have two doting parents that want nothing more than to hold and touch her.

It might have been my imagination, but I think that–after the first few shots–Isabelle actually started posing for the camera. This photo was one of my favorites (and it’s currently my desktop image):

Here is another one of my favs (below). I love those chubby pink cheeks and that little 20s era inspired hat.

Whoever said, “A new baby is like the beginning of all things, hope, a dream of possibilities” was right on the money. Just being around babies makes you WANT to make the world a better place. For them.

Hello Molly

A few weeks ago on an absolutely perfect Saturday, I was introduced to little Miss Molly. At that point, she’d only spent about 8 weeks here on earth–but (between you and me) I think she has things figured out.  Molly’s loving and adorable parents are, well, gaga about her. And it’s easy to see why.

After shooting just a few frames, I learned a lot about Molly. She has more expressions than most seasoned actresses; she loves to be loved on and she likes to be held. (Not like ANYONE could resist her anyway.) She’s also extremely curious.

We took advantage of the gorgeous day and moved outside for part of our photo shoot. We placed Molly on her back on a big blanket looking up at the trees and clouds rolling across the sky. She was fascinated.

Each time a gentle breeze would blow through the leaves she would watch them intensely, momentarily catching her breath.  Then her little legs and fists would start dancing in excitement (which made our butterfly photos all the more fun to shoot!)  Being around babies has a magical way of forcing you to slow down and rediscover those little gifts that we overlook daily.

Molly’s folks could not possibly cherish her any more than they do, which works out really well since Molly loves being cherished.  In situations like these, the joy is completely contagious. (No wonder I’m addicted to this kind of photography.) This photo (below) is my favorite of the family. You just can’t buy that kind of happy.

Molly thought about napping (several times) while I was there–but her curiosity was too strong. (She would only close her eyes for a minute or two.) She could never get completely comfortable … on the thick blankets/pillows/cushions we placed her on … until we put her in the dough bowl. Yes, the hard wood dough bowl on the dining room table … which still just cracks me up when I think about it.  She just twisted sideways, threw her tiny feet over the side and went out like a light. Molly — you are already a one-of-a-kind. : – )

Hello, Little One

There’s nothing comparable to being around a newborn baby. All of a sudden, everything you were previously hurrying to accomplish has been forgotten. You stop and stare in complete awe at this tiny creature with delicate little fingers and toes that could only have been sculpted (with care) in heaven. I remembered all this when I met Connor.

Connor was not quite two weeks old when I saw him.  Like most newborns, he was sleeping–and not making a peep. I found myself catching my breath as I watched him. You just can’t help but smile when you see him. 

Connor wears the most adorable little furrowed brow most of the time — like he’s got a lot of serious contemplataion to do about this new place.

There are so many things to love about babies … the way they stay all curled up in a ball most of the time (who can blame them?) … the way they love to snuggle … the cute way that it seems almost painful for them to open their eyes. 

I also remembered what it felt like to be a new parent that morning … the overwhelming feelings of love, responsibility and amazement. But Connor is a lucky guy. He couldn’t have picked more loving parents. And he’s got a great big ole Lab who’s seen enough of the world to already have figured out that Connor is going to be his charge.

Towards the end of the photo shoot, Connor’s mom happened to mention that I was one of the first people (outside of immediate family) to meet Connor.  He had not yet ventured out into the world. It made me realize what a gift that morning was–for so many reasons. Welcome to the world, Connor. You are still making me smile.

We are Family

You’ll forgive me, in advance, if I overindulge in the number of pictures I include in this post. Not only was this a great shoot with lots of precious faces, but this group is family. My step-daughter and her precious peeps were overdue for some new photos–and we lucked into a perfect fall morning.

With four little moving targets, this shoot provided me with some good practice for photographing little ones. We began with some strategy: meet at the park, start by the bridge–and THEN move to the playground to let them run. Then we closed the session with one more attempt at a group shot. (I believe there was an after-picture-ice-cream deal in place, too.)

While some might see this family as a modern day take on the old movie, “Yours, Mine and Ours” … I love that it’s really just all “Us” to them.  These kids love being together. And they love each other. 

Lelu is the big sister–and loves posing for the camera. She’s a girly girl with a killer sense of style. (I’ve been shopping with her on occasion only to overhear high school and college age girls stop and remark on her cute outfits.) Lissie is the baby of the bunch and is 100 percent sassy. She rules the roost … and is just cute enough to get away with each and every last little mischievious situation she gets herself into.

This blue-eyed boy holds a big place in my heart.  I’m not sure I’ve ever known a little person with such a big heart. He’s always putting everyone else first. (Last year when we ran out of Halloween candy, he grabbed his bucket of loot and started distributing it to trick-or-treaters.) We’ve had many an entertaining dinner with him as the featured comedian.

Jack is a Daddy’s boy. I probably spent the most time photographing him (of all the kids), chasing real smiles. Then, I paired him up with his Dad and everything fell into place. Funny how another person’s love can make you feel more you.

I guess it’s true that love is like a blanket, evoking warmth and comfort. It gives you confidence no matter what your age. I don’t think there is anything that defines that better than family love. You can see it in little people.  In their behavior. In their laughter. In their trust. And the best thing about family is that it’s a “relative” term. Family isn’t limited to those who share your DNA … but those who share your life –and WANT to be there for all of it. God is so good.

Ladybug and Family

One of my best friends on this planet is Ladybug. She is the mother of three amazing, intelligent, articulate, well educated and faithful young men.  The walls of Ladybug’s beautiful home are covered with family photos … of when the boys were young. But I haven’t noticed any recent family shots.  So, when she found out recently that one of her boys was (really) moving south, I proposed that we do a family photo shoot. Soon.

It turns out that coordinating her busy family’s schedules so that they would all be at one place at one time was something akin to moving an entire army division. Not so easily done.  Then we finally had a date: it was their (early) family Thanksgiving celebration.  Since Ladybug is a wicked good cook, I was pretty sure this date would be a sure thing.

One of the things that amazes me about Ladybug is that –despite the fact that she has had more than her share of challenges in life–she is a pillar of strength (although she hates when people say that). She’s invested her heart and soul and then some in her boys–and, somewhere along the way, God decided to bless her with a bonus for that: an angel of a daughter-in-law.

Even though I’ve known Ladybug for years, I’ve only met her boys on a couple of occasions–and I don’t know that I’ve ever met her daughter-in-law. So, seeing them all interact was new to me.  And that’s my favorite part of photographing people. You learn so much about both the individual and a family when you study them through the lens of a camera.  

What I noticed in shooting Ladybug’s family is kind of what I suspected in the back of my mind … she is the heart of this family.  They love her beyond words. I could see that–and an ease among them all–in every shot where they were gathered around her.  In reviewing these photos, and thinking about that, I guess it comes as no surprise that she was wearing red that evening.