Oh my word. It’s been MONTHS since I’ve posted, entered, or had ANY blog presence at all. Between shoots, homework (my boy’s) and other “stuff”, blogging has been low on the list. BUT… I Heart Faces now has a monthly photo contest instead of weekly (last month, I was in Dallas TX visiting family and missed it), and I am SOOOO happy to participate again! This month’s theme compliments Mother’s Day with a “Hey Girl!” theme; there has to be a female face in the photo, and she needs to be the focus of the photo. I love this pic of this precious girl; she is well-loved by her forever family and was celebrating her 2nd birthday with a photo shoot. Hey sweet girl.. you are special, beautiful, and loved more than you even know!

Make sure that you head on over to I Heart Faces and check out the other entries; I know there will be some AMAZING ones!!!

Theme for I Heart Faces this week is “Oh So Silly!” And, as luck would have it, I have just the photo for that. My awesomely wonderful shoot with the gorgeous gaggle of teen beauties back in the fall mainly consisted of pure gorgeous giggles. BUT… girls just gotta have fun, and good friends tend to make each other laugh. Capturing those moments was a priceless part of the shoot. These two were vying for the “Biggest Eyes” award, I think. Who won?

Don’t forget to check out I Heart Faces and all of the entries; bet they’ll make you laugh!

Do you love family photos?  I do.  I love looking back through the photos that my dad took of us at my grandparents’ house, or on vacation.  And I love to take family photos, but not so much the “everybody sit just this way and say “cheese!” ones.  I’ll do it, but my very favorite captures are the unexpected, REAL moments.  The theme for this week’s I Heart Faces challenge is “Family Fun”, and the description is  “Let’s put the focus on all the beautiful families in our lives this week!  Enter a creative photo of a family (that includes at least three or more faces in it).  Please make sure that a human face is clearly showing in your photo entry.”  I knew exactly which photo I was going to submit for the challenge this time; it’s SO nice when I don’t have to try and figure it out. I loved doing this shoot; it was mainly a senior shoot for the guy, but I told his mom and sister to come along so I could get some family shots, too. We did posed shots, but this painted wall was so cool that I wanted to use it. I told the brother and sister to act like they were playing tug-of-war with the bottle of Coke while the mom looked on. They weren’t used to the acting thing and looked SO stiff, so I told them to put some heart into it and really ham it up. I was trying to direct the sibs to pull against each other, to act like they were each trying to win. “Come ON!”, I said. “Who wants it the most?” And that’s when it happened. Sister PUNCHED her brother in the stomach for real, and he doubled over. Mom was laughing in disbelief, and sister grabbed HER bottle with that “I am the WINNER!” expression while brother was doubled over in pain and laughter.

This is one of my favorite shots EVER from a session… I love how real the laughter is. Families ROCK! I love mine, and I hope you all have family in your life that mean the world to you (even when they punch you in the gut!) For more family fun, check out the other links at I Heart Faces, and make sure to capture YOUR family fun!

How do I pick a “Best Face” photo out of the thousands that I took last year? There are so many factors that make a photo better than just good, and so many subjects that have their own unique beauty. But I had to choose just one, and this is what I chose. This boy really didn’t want to get his picture taken. He didn’t want to smile, and he especially didn’t want to show his teeth. I did finally get a few with an open-mouthed smile, but I like this one best. This is who he is; serious with a side of sweet. And eyes that will totally slay you.

I know there will be a ton of gorgeous pics at I Heart Faces this week; have you ever linked up? Do you like to take pictures? Do you want to get better? There’s no better place to hang out than the I Heart Faces blog and their community page. So head on over, jump on in, and have fun!

It’s a non-competition week at I Heart Faces this week. Just show your bokeh, and no limit on how many photos (btw, bokeh is a term used here to describe those “coins” of light in the background of the photos). I first learned about bokeh a couple of years ago, and now I love to incorporate it all year round. But holiday lights make the BEST bokeh, for sure! This first photo is the very first bokeh photo I ever deliberately took. I entered in Pioneer Woman’s first ever bokeh photo contest and, while it didn’t win, it WAS chosen in one of the rounds.

This year, I took pictures of ornaments:

and the Christmas tree (these are actually reflections in a big round mirror):

And I actually got my dog to lay down in front of the small tree so I could get some “Blackie Bokeh”:

And finally, I got a little bokeh in a picture of a sweet gift from some SWEET friends.. :

Now… go check out the other bokehlicious photos at I Heart Faces, and may your holidays be filled with light and love!

My boy and I were roaming the woods, as we are wont to do. He had a bug net and a collecting bag, and I had my camera. As I took photos of an old barn and he chased some six-legged wonder, we both heard a sound from the woods. “Meow”… most definitely cat. When I called “Kitty kitty!”, there was an answer on the hill above. “Meow.. MEEOOWW!!” The boy and I walked up the path a bit, calling, and the kitty answered. It sounded as if it were getting closer, but then it didn’t. We grew weary; it was late and getting on to dinnertime. We turned and started back up the path, and the voice became frantic and suddenly closer. “MEEEOOOWWWWW!!! mew mew mew MEEEOOWWW!!!” I turned and walked back a couple of steps, and from the underbrush a kitten marched out. She was cautious, but not timid. And beautiful; just so beautiful. A mackerel tabby with a distinct cross on her back and brilliant yellow eyes; she came right to me and began to rub my ankles. We carried her home, knowing that Dad doesn’t want a cat, but still.. hoping. His face told the tale; too many obligations and not enough time already, and he wanted us to find her a home. NOW. But he didn’t think we could; how many people have kittens for free and can’t get rid of them? He underestimated the power of Facebook. I took a series of photos of sweet kitty, including this one, and I posted them on Facebook, saying that she needed a home.

Within minutes, comments appeared, and in under an hour a friend claimed her. She’s living the life now, with a family who adores her. And I (and hubby) will never again underestimate the power of social media! For more great furry faces, make sure to go to I Heart Faces and click on the entries. I know there will be some wonderful photos this week!