For awhile now I've been working on an ongoing series about iconography and everyday spiritual life, entitled Women with Icons. The series is difficult; each portrait is of a completely different person, whom I may or may not have met, and the conditions under which I photograph are quite various. Each time I am forced to find a new approach to the subject--a new angle, a new conversation, a new connection.

Caroline's portrait was no different. In fact, it was probably one of the most difficult portraits I've done in awhile. I shot it on a lovely afternoon in June; she invited me to her home to meet her lovely son and husband, and we went to a few neighborhood spots to wander around and enjoy the weather. The shoot went well, and I came home with plenty of material.

But that's when my problem arose: indecision. I sat on the few portraits I had singled out as ones that I had liked--sat on them for months on end. It has only been in these past few weeks, after what feels like decades of "living with" these images that I feel I could finally bring the single image of Caroline and St. Nina to light.

I chose this image from among others for a variety of reasons. Caroline is smiling and looking outward, revealing her eager and observant personality. She is relaxed--leaning against the metal grate, which has a harsh texture, but a regular pattern. The icon stands out well against the dark background, and is cradled gently in her hands. I think it is the gesture and simplicity that drew me to this particular pose, and I hope I have captured something precious of both the saint and believer.

I photographed Kathryn and Zach's wedding when I was nearly 8 months pregnant--it was my last wedding prior to self-imposed maternity leave. It was a simply exquisite clear fall day, which accented their simple tastes and fun-loving personalities perfectly.

The women eagerly helped Kathryn into her dress.

The couple refused to see each other before the ceremony to preserve surprise, so all photography of the bride and groom had to be done in a covert fashion, constantly on the lookout for the other.

Separate sessions with the women and the men resulted in both elegance, and laughter.

After the hijinx and the ceremony were all over, Kathryn and Zach were ready for a few quiet moments together.

From there, it was on to the reception, where an evening of energetic dancing was to commence! I must say, I was blessed to meet both Kathryn and Zach, both of whom were so thoughtful and genuine; it was obvious that they had surrounded themselves with marvelous, loyal friends and family. I wish them many years of bliss!

It's January. A new year. A time to start afresh with some new studio samples!

Here, I've put together two small sample albums--a black "brag book" that parents can fill with their favorite photos from their child's wedding, and a delicious red album from an engagement session.

And lastly, a sample of the proof books that I give out. With nearly every wedding package, I print 300 of the most superb images from the day, and put them in these elegant bound albums.

Giving the couple a proof book is a nice way to have something immediate for them to look at and share with parents; later on they can come to me with their absolute favorite images and we can put together one of my nicer album offerings. (Samples and photos of those are coming soon, too!)

On December 7th, 2007, I became a mother!

This is an exciting new role for me, and as many mothers do, I have fallen completely in love with my daughter, Ruth. She's such a joy to be with and behold, in spite of all the work and change.

It's a challenge, too, to photograph her changing moods and growth. It's like they morph right before your very eyes!

Her father and I are proud parents, and we can't wait for the rest of this journey. I can't wait to photograph more babies!

Step One: Put yourself in the baby's line of vision.

Step Two: Start waving a camera in its face.

My poor children will be doomed to an endless assault of shutter-clicks throughout their lives. But oh, the memories I will have documented!

It's official: Ruthie has her first case of the sniffles. We think that Daddy may have given them to her. She gets very fussy/clingy and is sleeping quite a lot. We've used booger-sucker to save her nose from itself, which is actually kind of fun, if a little gross.

With this first cold, it's just dawned on me that no matter what I do, my little precious child will get sick and hurt. She'll probably catch the chicken pox, step on a tack and need a tetanus shot, and fall and bonk her head innumerable times. It's not what I want at all, of course--it's just the way the world is. I had kind of forgotten about that until--all of a sudden--I realized that it's my job to make sure she stays okay.

One day at a time...