Having only recently heard of the "Trash the Dress" phenomenon in wedding photography, I found myself inspired a few weeks ago. I had two bridesmaid dresses that had been sitting in my closet for a number of years, with no hope of reuse. "What ideal material for an experiment!" I thought. I simply had to find an eager subject to fill the dresses, and I'd be in business.

As luck would have it, a friend of mine, Meghan, happened to both fit the dresses and be up for some outdoor shenanigans. We arranged a date, and with the help of our mutual friend Stephanie, made our way to Patapsco State Park one hot Sunday afternoon. Then the fun began...

I simply have a weakness for dappled light. So after checking the general area carefully for poison ivy, biting bugs, and other potential hazards of the outdoors, Meghan lay down peacefully in the vibrant green of the forest.

After awhile, Meghan willingly plunged herself into the river, creating quite a show. She was playful and daring, willing to brave the slippery rocks in the service of the photo shoot.

My favorite of the in-the-river portion of mistreating the dresses was when the sun happened to hit the water in just the right way... We had timed it well, arriving about an hour before sunset, just before it gets dark in the park.

The texture of the fabric and water tantalized me, even in a black and white variation:

You can see the full set of portraits in the client gallery.

Megan and David have been married for a number of years, have three beautiful children, and love each other very much. This photo was taken after their son Adam's fifth birthday party was over, and all the kids were in bed.

It's amazing how much fun you can have with a fireworks sale.

While exploring behind one of the cabins that we stayed at in Table Rock State Park in South Carolina, we found what we thought were some abandoned fish hatcheries. The deep cement troughs had become overgrown and moss-covered, making for an eerie environment.

Later on, I made it a point to escape out there by myself to take some shots. Without having any other models available to me, I simply set up my tripod with a self-timer, and struck a few poses.

Some technical thoughts: Because I was working alone, I was able to carefully tweak the white balance and exposure to give myself the best possible RAW file to work with in Photoshop. Post-processing is very easy if you've got the in-camera capture right, and it was nice to take the time beforehand exactly the right settings--you save a lot of time afterwards!

After Paul and Shelli's wedding on Sunday, I also pulled aside a few of the teenagers who attend Holy Cross for an impromptu portrait session by that gorgeous magnolia tree.

Bethany is a friendly and engaging teenager, going into her junior year. She's sparklingly smart, and about to study her brains out at community college for the next two years, earning college credit along the way. Go Bethany!

It was very easy to get her to laugh, which makes for a great photo, since she has such a wonderful smile.

Ivan is an uber-smart senior who's pondering what lies ahead for college. International relations, perhaps? Anything seems possible, especially since he already speaks a few languages. Go Ivan!

Willingly and patiently, Ivan let me dance around him for awhile. Later on, I hope to get a portrait session of him with his musical instrument(s).

This is my grandmother, Louise. She passed away on Monday the 20th, and I am are traveling to Massachusetts this weekend to attend the memorial service. She was 96.

I took this photo in 2002. I was in the middle of college, just beginning to study photography. She loved hearing about my classes, and always asked me what I was interested in photographing. Always encouraging, always affirming, sharp as a tack, and taught me so much about kindness and womanhood.

Of course I love this portrait for its sentimental value, but it has other qualities that I enjoy--the rich texture of her hair, the slight texture in the background, and the overall pose.

I wish I had taken more pictures of her when I had the chance.

Stephanie Lewis is a friend of mine who has a little jewelry workshop in her basement where she works with fine metals and gemstones. She recently invited me to photograph a little bit of her metalworking play.

She has amassed quite a collection of tools!

Metalworking requires a great deal of patience, it seems, and meticulousness; she saves even the tiniest bit of shavings to eventually be melted down into new sheets and re-used.

By far one of the most interesting things about her workshop is that she often works in near-darkness. This photo was taken with the barest sliver of daylight coming in through heavy curtains. The darkness helps her to see the temperature of the metal and remain sensitive to her materials.

You can see and purchase her lovely work at her Etsy store!

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.

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!

Julia Lewis is on her way.

Mother Stephanie is relaxing while awaiting her arrival.

Joe, the proud father, joins her.

By far, this shot is my favorite from the session. Joe and Steph had relaxed a bit and were playfully teasing each other.

We're all very excited to finally meet Julia.

Last Saturday, my two friends (both coincidentally named "Nat") and I went out to Druid Hill Park in Baltimore to have a little fun. After a stop off at Vogue Revisited for some fun accessories, we ran around!

I learned a lot during this shoot; a lovely warm-up for the wedding season. For one thing, the overcast sky made for beautiful light bouncing from all over. And although the clouds threatened rain, they made for wonderful dramatic skies. We didn't get to spend as much time as I'd have liked, seeing as how it was freezing cold and my hands stopped working after an hour and a half. But we had a blast, and I ended up with some very nice shots.

It's always great to see old friends. Every few years, my college roommates and I get together for a week or so of visiting. Raina flew in from Washington state, and I traveled up to Harrisburg, where we met Sonja.

We met our friend Jenny at a diner to catch up.

Jerrold, Sonja's friend, wandered around Harrisburg with me and took photos of us meandering.

We wound our way through alleys and around abandoned buildings, overrun by plant life.

We passed by a dumpster where we found this amazingly decrepit couch. The sky was overcast and dramatic; the dampness really brought out the colors in this shot; perfect natural lighting.

We finished the evening off at a sushi restaurant, with an enormous selection and lovely wine.

After sushi, Sonja's band Smoke the Groove tore up an art opening. This shot, while a little noisy, has a lot of color that I really like.

This portrait was taken four years ago.

Four years ago I was newly married. Four years ago I worked mainly in film, and loved the grain from 1600 speed film so much I'd buy it by the case so I could shoot in the dark. Four years ago I graduated college. Four years ago my grandmother was still alive.

Amazing what time does to your life!

I love photographing children.

They keep you on your toes by having another agenda.

And sometimes capturing people at just the right moment...

...can be the most fun thing in the world.

The other day, while running through my stacks of old prints and negatives, I found these self-portraits I took during the heat of the Baltimore summer.

The idea I was working with was that I would take self-portraits in clothing and surroundings of matching colors, and strike poses that evoked emotions that I associated with each color.

So far, of course, I only got to red and blue. Perhaps more colors are in order this summer.

Sylvia and Mike have been married for about a year, and asked me to take their portrait this spring, while all the blooms were coming alive in Sherwood Gardens, near where they live.

The tulips were in full bloom--an amazingly varied array of color. The park was quite crowded, with tons of people flocking to picnic on the green grass. It almost looked like one of those French impressionist paintings from the turn of the century!

Their affection for each other is clear. Of course, it took a little loosening up for them to be less conscious of me, and to relax and enjoy each other. That's the toughest part about being photographed--knowing what to do with yourself or your hands. It's a bit like being an actor trying to portray one's self.

I wish Sylvia and Mike many more years of wedded bliss.

Little Zenaida got a baby brother recently. His name is Aiden.

She and mom are adjusting well to their new roles and new demands. Aiden is a beautiful pudgy boy, with his own very distinctive grunt, his hands in perpetual motion when awake. He downs a bottle eagerly.

When I visited them, Zenaida had just woken up from a nap, her hair tousled, but she was very eager to make friends.

Aiden is quite the darling; I'm sure that Zenaida will make a great older sister, and that he'll be a captive audience for her antics.

In college, I discovered a beautiful little plastic camera, called the HOLGA, which enabled me to explore medium format film without investing $500 in an expensive camera body.

Always, my photographs had to involve people. I recruited roommates, myself, my family, and friends, to take part in what would eventually make up my senior art show. This self-portrait that you see here above would go on to be displayed in the Fraser Gallery in Bethesda.

As always, children were a favorite subject of mine, too. Their innocent and unselfconscious kineticism made for great gestures.

And Stephen was a willing experimenter, too.

I love how these photographs stop time, but simultaneously feel like movies because I blended frames together in-camera (simply by not advancing the film properly).

To a degree, I am able to control the outcome of my HOLGA photographs. There's a great deal of unpredictability, of course--where will the light leaks be? what if the film gets stuck in one of the plastic mechanisms? But I have a habit of putting it all together in my head--a series of three shots--before I orchestrate what people do in the frame.

It's beautiful controlled chaos.

I hope to explore other kinds of cameras in the near future, like the Lomo.

In continuation with my old film work, I decided to pick up with the self-portraits again, and use them as a way to get me thinking symbolically about gesture and figure. I picked out remaining colors to examine: white, green, yellow, orange, black, and purple, respectively.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, WHITE:

For WHITE, I decided to whip out the ol' wedding dress. After all, what other white garments could I possibly find in my wardrobe? I love that a wedding dress comes already loaded with connotation; read into it what you will.

The setting is by a window, so the overall ambient light is diffused by the blinds in my living room. A flash (off to the right), was triggered via radio slave to supplement the light and give a little more drama. In post-processing, I added a little vignetting and bumped up the contrast.

As for posing, I chose the first shot, because it appears as though I am flying. And the second, I enjoy the dramatic, quirky cropping, which complements the strange phenomenon of "girl on the floor in a wedding gown". The strangeness is also accentuated by the wide angle of my lens, set to 17mm (normally, it's anathema to put someone's face by the edge of a wide-angle frame shot).

There you have it: WHITE.

By the end of the summer, I hope to have shot all the remaining colors. Green is complete (and forthcoming!). I have well-formed ideas for yellow, black, and purple, and even some potential locations. Orange, however, remains a mysterious challenge for me. We will see what comes from letting it simmer in my brain.

In continuation with my old film work, I decided to pick up with the self-portraits again, and use them as a way to get me thinking symbolically about gesture and figure. I picked out remaining colors to examine: white, green, yellow, orange, black, and purple, respectively.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, WHITE:

For WHITE, I decided to whip out the ol' wedding dress. After all, what other white garments could I possibly find in my wardrobe? I love that a wedding dress comes already loaded with connotation; read into it what you will.

The setting is by a window, so the overall ambient light is diffused by the blinds in my living room. A flash (off to the right), was triggered via radio slave to supplement the light and give a little more drama. In post-processing, I added a little vignetting and bumped up the contrast.

As for posing, I chose the first shot, because it appears as though I am flying. And the second, I enjoy the dramatic, quirky cropping, which complements the strange phenomenon of "girl on the floor in a wedding gown". The strangeness is also accentuated by the wide angle of my lens, set to 17mm (normally, it's anathema to put someone's face by the edge of a wide-angle frame shot).

There you have it: WHITE.

By the end of the summer, I hope to have shot all the remaining colors. Green is complete (and forthcoming!). I have well-formed ideas for yellow, black, and purple, and even some potential locations. Orange, however, remains a mysterious challenge for me. We will see what comes from letting it simmer in my brain.

In keeping with my ongoing self-portrait series (see RED and BLUE and WHITE), and in light of the glorious coming of summer, I shot GREEN at a local field near UMBC, near our apartment complex.

What I wanted for GREEN was something that felt grounded and lush, hence, a centered composition and outdoor setting. I associate green with fertility and growth, so it only felt appropriate to include my daughter Ruth in the shot, too. But like the other compositions, I preferred to keep our faces partially or fully obscured, to emphasize a gesture or stance.

I like the darkness of the surrounding greenery and lightness of the figures in this portrait. It feels very natural and earthy in part because both myself and Ruth are barefoot. My feeling is that this is one of the most successfully costumed shots in the series for that reason.

What's been reawakened in some of these series is something that I haven't practiced in awhile: dance, or being on stage. I realize that though I don't so much like my face on camera, I like the feeling of composing simultaneously behind the camera and in front of the camera. You have to visualize the space you're in from the audience's perspective, and that's a beautiful challenge.

Ladies and gentlemen, my choices for PURPLE:

In this set, I decided to take my feelings of dance and movement literally. I struck a few poses that I remembered from my 10 years of ballet as a child. The shadows on the purple wall were a part of what I enjoyed about moving my limbs in unusual angles.

I'm not sure how I feel about the color purple. It has a regal quality, and to me is neither specifically feminine nor masculine. Rather, it is generally elegant and rich. Purple has, of course, been a symbol of wealth. To me, it is a strange, otherworldly color, despite the fact that it's found in nature very easily. Something about it seems odd; unlike red, yellow, white, or green, it's not a color that you would be inclined to eat, I think.

My brother wrote me and said that he noticed this set had the most implied movement in it. He liked "the idea that each color has its own key feature like that"... which has made me have to up the ante concept-wise, and think of what possible "key features" could be contained in BLACK, ORANGE, and YELLOW.

See my other portraits: RED and BLUE, WHITE), and GREEN .

Ladies and gentlemen, my choices for PURPLE:

In this set, I decided to take my feelings of dance and movement literally. I struck a few poses that I remembered from my 10 years of ballet as a child. The shadows on the purple wall were a part of what I enjoyed about moving my limbs in unusual angles.

I'm not sure how I feel about the color purple. It has a regal quality, and to me is neither specifically feminine nor masculine. Rather, it is generally elegant and rich. Purple has, of course, been a symbol of wealth. To me, it is a strange, otherworldly color, despite the fact that it's found in nature very easily. Something about it seems odd; unlike red, yellow, white, or green, it's not a color that you would be inclined to eat, I think.

My brother wrote me and said that he noticed this set had the most implied movement in it. He liked "the idea that each color has its own key feature like that"... which has made me have to up the ante concept-wise, and think of what possible "key features" could be contained in BLACK, ORANGE, and YELLOW.

See my other portraits: RED and BLUE, WHITE), and GREEN .

My brothers and I are very fortunate to have close relationships with each other. We grew up, fighting and playing, homeschooled from middle school to high school. Kevin and I went to the same college (Messiah), and Philip found his own home at Houghton, and is halfway through his career there. The three of us now have our separate homes in Dallas, Baltimore, and Boston. It's great when we can get together.

While we were on vacation in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, I took the time to pull them both aside and take a few portraits. I had a lighting assistant for both of these, holding a gold reflector for fill light. Both shots were taken in the shade, with the afternoon sun coming in from the side. I enjoyed experimenting by lighting each of them very differently.

Kevin's portrait is the rare occasion where I think the lettering and picture on his t-shirt actually helps to make the portrait more successful. For many men his age, growing up with video games helped to form his identity and turned into one of his favorite pastimes. Some of my fond memories of him are playing networked games on our home computers back in the '90s, such as Bolo and Super Maze Wars.

One of the things I like about this portrait is that it exudes the confidence that Kevin has going on. All through his young adulthood he was poked fun of because of his curly hair (yes, it's natural); he learned to roll with the punches and be satisfied with who he is.

Philip is six years younger than me. Growing up, of course, that makes a huge difference, but these days it's nice to be able to connect more now that the age doesn't matter so much.

I like that these portraits of him capture his introspective qualities. He's an intense thinker, and has a lot to say when asked. He gives deep and earnest consideration to ideas. What's missing from these, though, is his goofy sense of humor. That, I think, is best captured in this shot:

He was pretending to nap, only to jump up and surprise me while my shutter was clicking. Needless to say, I got a little freaked out.

Just like old times.

My brothers and I are very fortunate to have close relationships with each other. We grew up, fighting and playing, homeschooled from middle school to high school. Kevin and I went to the same college (Messiah), and Philip found his own home at Houghton, and is halfway through his career there. The three of us now have our separate homes in Dallas, Baltimore, and Boston. It's great when we can get together.

While we were on vacation in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, I took the time to pull them both aside and take a few portraits. I had a lighting assistant for both of these, holding a gold reflector for fill light. Both shots were taken in the shade, with the afternoon sun coming in from the side. I enjoyed experimenting by lighting each of them very differently.

Kevin's portrait is the rare occasion where I think the lettering and picture on his t-shirt actually helps to make the portrait more successful. For many men his age, growing up with video games helped to form his identity and turned into one of his favorite pastimes. Some of my fond memories of him are playing networked games on our home computers back in the '90s, such as Bolo and Super Maze Wars.

One of the things I like about this portrait is that it exudes the confidence that Kevin has going on. All through his young adulthood he was poked fun of because of his curly hair (yes, it's natural); he learned to roll with the punches and be satisfied with who he is.

Philip is six years younger than me. Growing up, of course, that makes a huge difference, but these days it's nice to be able to connect more now that the age doesn't matter so much.

I like that these portraits of him capture his introspective qualities. He's an intense thinker, and has a lot to say when asked. He gives deep and earnest consideration to ideas. What's missing from these, though, is his goofy sense of humor. That, I think, is best captured in this shot:

He was pretending to nap, only to jump up and surprise me while my shutter was clicking. Needless to say, I got a little freaked out.

Just like old times.

This portrait was a lucky accident. While attempting to take an in-focus shot, my autofocus settings decided to take over during the time my camera was counting down, leading to this deliciously strange version of, well, me.

I'm not always a big fan of something so "pictorial," but I think what makes this shot is the interesting stripe across my chest. Of course, the photo has for me a sense of novelty, because it was a pleasant surprise. And I hope it is for you, too.

This portrait was a lucky accident. While attempting to take an in-focus shot, my autofocus settings decided to take over during the time my camera was counting down, leading to this deliciously strange version of, well, me.

I'm not always a big fan of something so "pictorial," but I think what makes this shot is the interesting stripe across my chest. Of course, the photo has for me a sense of novelty, because it was a pleasant surprise. And I hope it is for you, too.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you local Baltimore musician, ellen cherry.

ellen cherry is the stage name of Kristin Putchinski, who I met while teaching at Park School Camps. In passing conversations surrounded by the giggles and screams of excited kids, I discovered she was a musician, that she gigged regularly in the Baltimore area.

"Do you have a CD?" I asked. "Yes!" she said, and promptly told me about her latest, Heart Like a Lion. I'm all for supporting local artists, so I took the plunge, plunked down some change, and gave it a listen. It's good. I like it, LOTS. You can give it a listen yourself too, at her MySpace page.

ellen cherry blogs regularly about her gigs and exploits. Currently she's touring up the northeast coast, so visit her website to see if you can catch her!

While at Eureka Springs, I seized the opportunity to take portraits of my immediate family members. When everyone is spread across the country in four different states, you don't often get the chance to do something like that. I snagged both my brothers for a quick session, and then pulled my parents aside for a little while as well:

My parents are dedicated, loving, thoughtful, under-appreciated, and awesome. I owe so much to them, and they've been a huge support to me in my life, vocationally, spiritually, emotionally... all the "l-ly's" you can think of.

Best of all, they're still madly in love with each other.

Aside: I love the first pose, mostly because my dad initiated it, and also because it accents how beautiful the height difference is between my mother and father. The second shot highlights what I'd call my mom's "wry" grin. And the third, well... isn't it obvious?

In the back of my refrigerator, there lived a cardboard box. This box held undeveloped film, as well as scads of developed rolls that I hadn't touched in, well, who knows how long. Recently, I dropped it off to be processed at the corner store.

The rolls came from at least three years back, shortly after Stephen and I married, before my nephew Michale was born. This portrait of Stephen was taken during a period of long hair, sitting on a dock at his grandmother's house in Mandarin, Florida. I love how contemplative it is, and even though the angle's a little cockeyed, I think it suits the mood well.

Taken with Fujifilm NPH 400 film.

Remember that cardboard box in the back of my fridge? Well, quite a bit of film has returned from the lab, most of it medium format black and white work. It's been such a trip looking through it and seeing my old subject matter with new eyes. I'm a big believer in learning from one's past and reviewing your work frequently. I ask myself, what do I gravitate towards? What do I seem to have a knack for? What do I fail miserably at? Am I relying too heavily on a certain technique to make up for my own technical ineptitude or lack of ideas?

Well, one of the things I gravitate towards without fail is children. And luckily, I seem to have a knack for them. My favorite thing about this shot is that even though I obviously shot these two images from slightly different vantage points, the horizon line remains exactly the same in both frames. For me, that makes the diptych sing.

One of my dear friends, Sonja, hired me to do her headshot before she moved from Harrisburg to Philadelphia. I had a blast, not only because I love spending time with her, but also because I got to play with my then-brand-new PocketWizards, enabling me to cast light at will via radio transmission. They're awesome. And Sonja is too. So with her permission, ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Sonja Bontrager, the Music-Maker!

I've known Sonja since being in college with her and watching her grow there (in addition to many other fun times) obtaining her B.A. in music composition. But Sonja has been making music as long as she was old enough to speak, making up songs in the car and devouring her parents' record collection (where both of us independently of each other discovered the Beatles' greatness, actually). After 12 years of piano lessons (starting at age 7), four years of vocal training, and her degree, Sonja learned the business of being a professional musician while working as the Director of Education at the Harrisburg Symphony. It was great to have her just a stone's throw from Baltimore; every now and again I'd travel up to see the symphony perform and keep tabs on her latest activities.

But that was not to be forever... just recently in May of this year, she daringly decided to strike out on her own and moved to Philadelphia to find work as a musician. Cat-sitter and dog-walker by day, Sonja teaches voice and piano lessons around the city at night. She writes her own songs, and currently performs on keys and vocals with The Marc Lomax Band (a reggae-blues-rock experience), and in her Harrisburg-based band, Smoke the Groove.

With a penchant for analog synths and circuit-bending, Sonja has incorporated these electronic delights in projects for Moviate (film screenings, art festivals, and more) with the Mystery Frogmen's Orkestra (also based in Harrisburg). I had the wonderful privilege of hearing their original soundtrack for Moviate's screening of Nosferatu, which was as strange and creepy as the movie itself. Her appetite for music is as vast as her range of influences, all of which I have heard blasting from her stereo in our dorm room and vehicle -- concert music like Beethoven, Krenek, Weill and Rachmaninoff, choral music & oratorio, reggae, trip-hop, indie hip-hop, opera, musical theatre, post-rock, experimental & noise, jazz, blues, world music and good ol' piano rock all have a place in her lexicon. I can always count on Sonja to expand my musical horizons.

For this portrait, I wanted to catch Sonja's quietly (but furiously) burning energy and professionalism. She does as she pleases with her compositions, but maintains a high standard for herself, which carries through into everything she does. Surrounding her with light on all sides and ratcheting the contrast serves to emphasize her rock star hair and accentuate the beautiful mixtures of color in her eyes.

One of the things I usually try to avoid when using flash is mirrors. Not so this time! And what's more, it's all fogged up and smeared from a recent shower.

This shot was taken with my brand new fisheye camera, and the film was developed at a local one-hour place nearby. The interesting thing about this shot is that I've put colored gels on the ring flash on the camera, which creates the strange colors.

Having a cheap plastic 35mm camera feels very freeing. I can be more cavalier when taking pictures, and the ring flash and colored gels makes me more playful, less serious, less intense about things coming out a certain way. The fact that it's film helps to add mystery and novelty, but also reveals that having a primarily digital workflow has made me impatient and perhaps a little less thoughtful than before.

I'm enjoying the return to film.

Well, I'm sad to say that I missed blogging my "one a day" portraits the past few days. However, it was for the absolutely wonderful reason that my cousin Martha got married in Barnstable, MA (Cape Cod) on Saturday. I was lucky enough to be both a guest and the photographer, so you'll hear more about that later, for sure!

And now, business as usual:

Again with the "film stuck at the back of the refrigerator" trick, I've managed to find a few more interesting diptychs. I like the differences between the frames here: one on land, one in the sea. One child clinging to its parent, the other independent. Male and female, old and young. The light artifacts from the HOLGA are also quite charming, I think.

At the time, I'm certain I wasn't thinking all of those things when I took those frames. One of the happy things about analog shooting is the mystery of what you'll get in the end. And because you're forced to view the pictures in a certain order (the order you took them), the progression (or lack thereof) between each frame feels highly significant.

My husband, Stephen, is a music aficionado. Graduating from UMBC with a degree in Musicology, he's amassed quite a collection of CDs for himself. I vividly remember the day when his collection outgrew the two small bookshelves he had bought to house them. Needing a good solution for our tiny apartment, we mail-ordered a massive-but-efficient piece of furniture, with the promise that it would hold 1500 CDs--room for him to grow.

Thus, whenever I enter my house, there's a neverending stream of music coming from our stereo system. Things I like and things I don't. New things he's trying out, and old familiars. Music is such a vital part of my husband's identity, I decided to take a portrait of him in front of his collection.

I also took some time this afternoon to ask him about his collection...

Take a look at this picture. Exactly how many CDs do you own, right at this minute?
I think it's around 850, maybe closer to 900.

What genre or genres predominate?
As much as I'd like to be more of a cosmopolitan, i have to admit that rock is the dominating genre, but there is a good amount of jazz and experimental music in there.

Why did you start collecting music?
That's a good question. There are other ways to enjoy music, but gosh, I'm not sure how to answer that! I honestly don't know if I can say what got me started, just that I'm in the middle of it now.

Well, then why music?
Because I'm not very athletic, and I'm a slow reader, and I have poor penmanship. Music was the only thing left.

Name your top five latest new artist finds in the last year.
Battles--they released the best album of 2007. Robin Williamson--one of the founding members of the Incredible String Band. The last few albums he's done on the ECM label are just astounding, the most sophisticated and beautiful folk music you'll ever hear. Jaga Jazzist--a democratic synthesis of jazz and electronic music, very European. Not too long ago I fell in love with the Brandenburg Concertos. Lastly, Lyle Lovett. Just recently it's dawned on me what a superb and utterly unique songwriter he is. He can be so charmingly cocky and turn around and be equally poignant.

People seem to say you have a broad taste in music. Is it really true?
I'd like to say objectively that I have a broad taste in music, but I could never say I listen to "all kinds" of music. It's a pet peeve of mine when people say they do, because it's patently impossible to do. While I could confidently say I'm willing to listen to any music whatsoever, there are things I don't enjoy and prefer not to listen to.

For instance?
I hate to say it, because it's so cliche, but mainstream country, mainstream hip-hop, mainstream pop--anything where the commercial compromises artistic integrity. It can certainly happen outside the commercial industry, but when people complain about mainstream music, they're usually on point.

Do you have a favorite music critic?
I really enjoy Sasha Frere-Jones, from The New Yorker. He's astute, although a bit of a know-it-all sometimes. I'm amazed when I go through AllMusic.com and I see Thom Jurek's name attached to a baffling array of topics.

Why do you still collect CDs when everything is digital, and you even own an iPod?
I've thought about switching over, and I may do so in the future. Notwithstanding the argument between CD and vinyl, CD is still a lossless quality compared to mp3s, in which most music is formatted digitally. There's a lack of fidelity, and a lack of packaging and artwork, that enhances a record's enjoyment for me. Like a good book, having the tactile connection, something concrete is important. I don't think that will ever be usurped, regardless of where the digital media goes, and I'm sure it will go great places.

Closing remarks?
If you want to do something good for yourself, go out and listen to an album that you would never, ever listen to. Listen to something totally different than what you would normally listen to, and see where it leads you.

Steve currently works part time for International Orthodox Christian Charities, tunes pianos, and blogs regularly about music here.

I can feel the air cooling around Baltimore, and it's already making me miss the summer. When the seasons change, it's almost always a case of "grass is greener" with me. I dislike the intense humidity here, but I love being able to go barefoot and to have the light extend long into the evening.

Oh, and I'll miss swimming too!

This shot is unusually panoramic for me. Taken with a HOLGA, it has four exposures made to overlap in-camera. Usually I find I can only pre-visualize three frames at a time, but this one proved an exception. It helps to have the ocean as a wide open backdrop; which is why I think more exposures succeed here. In a more crowded environment, you might have too much going on to create a unified composition.

So I had some excellent luck at the thrift store the other day, and picked up a huge bolt of incredibly bright orange velveteen fabric. A trip to the grocery store for an orange and some crackers, plus a lovely felt hat from Frosting Couture made this ensemble perfect.

Originally, I was thinking that I would find an orange piece of clothing to wear for the shoot, but then realized that I would probably never wear it again, ever. So, off came the shirt (it wasn't even a complimentary color)! What I liked about this shot was that I set up the tripod so it was looking down on me, but then laid myself at an angle so as to make it seem like you can't really feel where gravity is supposed to be.

Which format do you like better--square, or rectangular? I think both work, but I can't make up my mind.

I have a collection of old things. Some are meaningful family heirlooms, others are old photographs or interesting pieces of junk I picked up at antique and thrift stores. Things that are worn and used feel loved to me. I don't think I could ever have a house with completely modern design in it because of that--I would find it attractive, but it would lack the texture and variety that I like to have in my visual environment.

Even some of my old mass-produced photographs from when I was a teenager are developing their own texture through degradation. These photos of my grandparents, for instance. It's beautiful to watch the silver oxidize and solarize the photograph.

My grandmother Louise (from the first photograph) has passed away, and watching her image slowly degrade is a chilling reminder of how people can fade from your memory. I sing her lullabies to my daughter, and tell her "I love you to pieces," like grandma used to tell me. One day I'll teach her how to blow bubbles with her hands, and I hope to pick up an old-fashioned egg-beater so that we can make suds together in the tub. Just like I did with grandma.

I had some spare time to continue my self-portrait series this month!

This shot sprung fully-formed from my brain. I had a sheet on which I had written my favorite words back in college, and I knew I had to use that in some fashion. Plastic wrap was used to create an interesting texture, and I gathered some fall leaves and colors to accent the whole thing.

It was important to me that yellow, like orange, be an up-close shot. I feel as though the shots I'm taking are pairing off into sets of colors that are linked, in my mind.

On the same day that I shot yellow, I noticed the afternoon light hitting my neighborhood just right, and ran outside to shoot brown.

I have walked by this spot many times, and always loved the way the sun moves across everyone's tiny fenced yard. Most of all, the telephone polls all line up together in a graphically interesting way. I like that all lines lead to the center, and that the center is brown and faded, or earthy. Earth as the center.

And now, I present my final self-portrait in my colors series, BLACK.

Black swallows you whole. It conceals and also accentuates edges. Black is essential and dutiful. It is both utilitarian and beautiful.

I feel similarly about BLACK as I do about BROWN. As the color series progressed, it seemed that the two of them had to pair well together out of necessity. Therefore, as with brown, I waited for a similar time of day and location in which to photograph. I had to wait, however, for the peak of winter instead of the last vestiges of fall. Everything needed to be as dead as possible. It could be as though I am grieving.

I photographed myself relatively far from the camera as well. Black can symbolically distance a person from the group, from one's friends. You can vanish in it, while at the same time sticking out like a sore thumb if you're the only one wearing it in a crowd.

I am relieved and excited that this series is complete, but as with many projects, there are always loose threads. I keep going over and over in my mind what I could have done differently, what will come next. I can see where the series is most weak, and where it is most strong. Perhaps it was an exercise in frivolity and self-indulgence, but at least it got me photographing!

I've been working on my color self-portrait series all year long, and as 2008 comes to a close, I'm happy to present one of the last two portraits in the series: RAINBOW.

My reasoning for including a "rainbow" in the series is due to a recent discovery: most of my color portraits can be grouped into similar pairs, with the exception of WHITE. After some thought and reflection on what would be the best pair for WHITE (besides BLACK, whose composition is forthcoming and will pair with BROWN), I chose a rainbow. After all, white light is merely the combination of all light frequencies at once. It only seemed appropriate.

Shauna and Mark are getting married this October! They love movies, old architecture, and looking sharp. It was only appropriate to do an engagement session at the amazing Senator Theatre in downtown Baltimore.

Mark and Shauna describe themselves as "camera shy," but I tell you, I don't think I've had a more willing and pliable couple; they were up for almost anything I suggested, including lying down on the frigid pavement in below-freezing weather!

For this shoot, I kept my lighting limited and simple. I wanted something that would feel very dramatic... at times harsh as well, to reflect the paparazzi city feel, and add a little glamor.

We also found some old movie reels and had a little fun.

What would the movies be without popcorn?

Or, perhaps, a kiss?

I had a fabulous time with these two, and The Senator was an amazing location. It's a travesty, therefore, that a "jewel of Baltimore" might not be able to stay running. After "cramming 1,000 people into its theater" to show the live coverage of the Inauguration, the Senator will host a press conference today at 10:30 AM to discuss how the theater is in danger of shutting down.

So please, show The Senator some love. Show up at the press conference, tell your friends, or better yet, call Gayle at 410-323-1989 and ask what you can do to help.

Hollis Elisabeth Roberts found me over the internet. She's a local violinist, graduated from Peabody, and was looking to update her website a bit as she breaks out into the world.

For our session, we chose the absolutely amazing Cloisters off of Falls Road. It's a gorgeous, four story historic mansion with amazing vistas and photographic opportunities.

The drama of the spiral staircase was, of course, a highlight.

Hollis' green velvet jacket coincidentally matched a beautifully painted wall.

The courtyard provided all kinds of interesting lighting opportunities.

Hollis was completely at ease with the camera, open to suggestions, and even suggested some fun things herself. She was a fantastic subject.

Oh, I neglected to mention that she can also be a goof.

You can hear some of her work on YouTube if you like, and see the full photo shoot as well.

Every now and then I like to give myself a little project when things slow down around here. This week I've promised myself that I'll shoot self-portraits every day.

I think the most challenging thing for me will be to find a portrait I like where my eyes are open. As with everyone, the first thing I notice about my face are the flaws--the very same things that add character and make me, well, me.

Today's portrait is a quick-and-dirty, reflecting the unexpected flow of my day--an emergency trip to the pediatrician. All is well now, thankfully. I like to think of this picture not only as a self-portrait, but as a snapshot of the haphazard life of a full-time parent trying to run a home business. I held the picture frame up to disguise my haggard face & disheveled hair. Flash off to camera right, on remote trigger, to cut down on reflections on the frame and on the frames in the background. I edited it out of the final photograph, but I didn't even change my shirt, which was covered with smears of graham cracker and kid ooze.

And even though it's quick-and-dirty, it manages to be meaningful. The photograph in the frame is me--a me from about eight years ago, when I had long flowing hair and more youthful skin. I printed it about eight years ago, too, on silver gelatin RC paper in my college darkroom. It was one of my first gifts to my sweetheart-now-husband, who hangs it over his desk. In the background are other college memorabilia: the giant senior show print, a portrait of Stephen from seven years ago in the upper-left, a framed letter from him beneath that, and then a small picture of Ruth, our recent history. It's a picture that looks backwards and forwards and presently all at the same time.

I promise I'll try a shot where my face is showing tomorrow, wink wink.

When I was little, when drawing a self-portrait, I always had yellow hair. Even in a box of 64 Crayola crayons, I would seek out the yellow that specifically said "YELLOW"... no other yellow would suffice.

Since then, of course, my hair has darkened quite a bit. Perhaps you could call me a light brunette, or a dark blonde. But in this photo, I decided to drape myself with a little yellow silk. Just as good as Crayola yellow, eh?

For the post-production nerds out there, yes, I did a little post-processing manipulation to bring out some saturation, but not much.

This is the week of self-portraits!

Perhaps the theme of the week should be "putting strange things on my head" rather than a week of self-portraits. I like being goofy, and try not to take myself too seriously. And sometimes I get truly fed up with the tired trope that artsy has to mean edgy or depressing. And yes, perhaps I'm not smiling in this photo, but it's mostly because I'm trying to balance that doohickey on my head while I focus my camera. It's harder than it looks!

It's been awhile since I took my daughter out for pictures in a setting other than our home. My husband and I whisked her off to a local playground where some new faces and new playthings proved to be exciting and interesting.

She's hit the 15-month mark, walking, babbling plenty, and tiny as ever. She'll be petite, just like her parents and grandparents. And, of course, that hair is inherited directly, too. Both Stephen and I were quite blond when we were little, so it's only apropos that our little Ruthie is a towheaded adventurer.

We took these photos just around sunset on an overcast day; every now and again some golden light would peek through, generally just enough to warm up Ruthie's face. A breeze kept her hair all crazy and her dress blowing. Best of all, the soft crushed rubber playground surface made for an almost haunting backdrop.

Blaise recently had a little sister. He's such a big kid now, with all the manliness that comes with it.

She's made quite an impression, and I'm sure you can see why.

Motherhood with two under the age of two can be a challenge, but there are moments of bliss to reward you.

Tara and Jeremy are getting married in the D.C. area later this year, in the fall. We met up this spring as soon as the weather started turning warm to take some engagement photos, spending some time on their rooftop garden and hanging out in the funky stairwells where they live!

They were great sports for this shot; I was wriggling around on the floor and adjusting my off-camera flash while they chatted with each other.

Plus, the two of them were so naturally affectionate; it wasn't hard to take a good picture of them together!

And that rooftop garden rocked; we had great shadows and architecture.

Such a sweet moment, no?

I wish Tara and Jeremy the best when they tie the knot this September! They have a whole summer stretching ahead of them of anticipation and beautiful weather; blessings to you both!

Nathalie and Cory braved the misty rain in Baltimore this past Saturday to join me for an engagement session that spanned up and down Howard Street, went to Lexington Market, and into the Inner Harbor for a stop at Rita's Italian Ice. It was quite the afternoon!

Nathalie and Cory are artists; Cory, a painter, and Nathalie, a designer. The two of them have been working very hard to make their wedding as green and DIY as possible, in some of the most beautiful ways. That yellow flower pin Nat's wearing? That was a find on Etsy. Nathalie designed their save the dates and invitations, even letterpress printing them herself. They have a great list on their wedding website of all the ways their wedding is going green.

Cory has impeccable taste; he picked out Nat's engagement ring with a topaz in the center. It's a deliciously wonderful teardrop shape, and the two of them were more than happy to do a few zany things with it for the camera.

I can't wait to shoot their wedding at Woodend Sanctuary at the end of April. It's sure to be a gorgeous, joyous affair! Nat and Cory have told me that instead of traveling for their honeymoon, they're setting aside a week to do all the touristy things in Baltimore that they've never done as residents; sure to be fun! I hope they find a new, delicious restaurant for me to try.

Remember Nathalie and Cory who wandered around with me down Howard Street in Baltimore that rainy afternoon? Well, I have more delectable photos from that outing; I couldn't resist posting more, since we found so many interesting little nooks and crannies throughout the city.

After visiting Lexington Market, Nathalie and I spotted these fascinating phrases painted on some of the boarded-up buildings nearby. I love the one with them hidden behind the umbrella; like I snuck up on them somehow.

Also further down Howard Street from Lexington Market, a mysteriously beautiful painting on plywood:

A tender distracted moment...

Enjoying delicious Italian ice:

And finally, holding hands, with another close-up of that fabulous ring.

Major kudos to both Nathalie and Cory for braving the chilly rain, and a big thank-you for treating me to my first-ever Italian ice in quite a long time!

Sometimes you can find love in unexpected places... and even in your own backyard. This is exactly what happened to Robert and Krissy not too long ago. Having searched--quite literally--the world over for the lady of his dreams, Robert found Krissy waiting for him on his doorstep.

We took a little trip to Downs Park the other day as the rain was clearing and the sun just began to peek through the horizon. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather.

Or a more perfect location--a deliciously old wisteria arbor.

And what with spring in the air, it's the perfect time of year for cherry blossoms, and perhaps a few kisses along the way.

Congratulations to Robert and Krissy--I very much look forward to your wedding!

Little James just turned one year old not too long ago. A sweet and happy little guy, he eagerly explored the onion grass recently, batting around for more Easter eggs.

He has quite the charismatic smile, and sense of humor too. Here he is laughing at his parents.

And can you believe those eyes? Those lashes and that gaze... it's just too sweet!

When the weather warmed up after a long week of rain, three little sisters, their mother, and I, made our way to Centennial Park. The sun was hitting the trees in the afternoon, and the air couldn't have been more perfect for a leisurely and exciting round of playground antics.

Cara, the eldest, has an easygoing and ready smile. She wasn't self-conscious around me, and I didn't have to prompt her much to try a few funny things for the camera.

Abby became infatuated with the challenge of hanging from a pair of gymnast's rings, as well as the causeways between towers on the playgrounds. She kept me quite active, chasing her from one end to the other; it was a challenge to keep up!

Megan is just plain bubbles, inside and out! I seemed to intimidate her a bit, though, so every now and then she'd see me following her from afar and then run to mommy. She started to warm up towards the end of the session, which is how I got that big grin out of her.

After some sidewalk chalk and a little jumping action, the three sisters sat down to snack and smile for the camera in the dimming afternoon light. What perfect weather!

Three beautiful sisters, indeed!

It's great to have friends who are willing to do silly things with you. This is especially true if you're a photographer. Recently my friend Melanie came along with me to a big field to pose for me, with my friend Sig as lighting and equipment assistant. We had a blast in the afternoon light (such a wonderful luxury we have now that it's springtime!).

I had gathered up some interesting fabrics, confetti, a few sparklers, and an umbrella to provide some good props and offer us a bit of fun. Melanie took to them all very well.

I think we had the most fun with the confetti, though.

Sig manned the off-camera flash, diffusers, sheets, as well as a video camera, recording our antics. Here's a little mini-video from the afternoon, showing a little of what the light looked like and introducing my friends:

Hearing my voice on video is a little disconcerting (do I really sound like that?), I must say! Not to mention that I'm such a weird-looking shape at four months pregnant.

What I learned about myself through this session is that I work best when I'm loose and a bit playful. If I think about my work as play, things spring to my mind that otherwise wouldn't. It's great to get out with friends and do this kind of thing, because it really opens up my creativity and leads me in new directions.

Recently, my husband Steve and I celebrated our five-year anniversary. We had a grand ol' time out at a Brazillian restaurant, paying the babysitter to keep an eye on little Ruthie. Definitely liberating, and definitely fun.

Of course, date nights out on the town aren't the only way we have fun; my husband is quite the big kid himself, as evidenced by these portraits. I had found a set of finger puppets at Ikea that I couldn't resist, and brought them home to Ruthie, only to have Steve bogart them and ask me to take his portrait.

Aren't these finger puppets adorable? Oh, and Steve is too. Ah yes, it's been five interesting and wonderful years so far, with many more ahead!

Did you know that for $10, plus some silly string, you can have a grand old time in a graveyard? That is, if you're willing to wear a dress, hang from a fence, and have the silly string shot at you.

That's Doanh, you see, one of my friends and wonderful model volunteers! Former dancer, now studying to be a dentist, and quite the performer! We began our session at the Baltimore National Cemetary on a very foggy and wet day; not exactly what I had hoped for our session, but Doanh was up for getting grimy. She even knew the shortcut to get there on foot!

We started with shots that used the graves as graphic elements in the background. I gave Doanh a scarf to wave around that my mother had received as a gift from a friend from India. It went quite well with the dress (found at a thrift store for $10!).

These, according to Doanh, were her favorite shots. "I thought that the light-hearted poses and playful props done with the somber setting of the cemetary all pointed to the joy of the resurrection. Thus, I am given liberty to prance in the graveyard." (Doanh is Eastern Orthodox.) "My favorite part was waving the scarf around while running bare-footed in the dew."

The fence around the graveyard turned out to be full of opportunity, too, as well as a small pathway leading off into the woods. We checked for poison ivy first, and then I had our assistant, Garth, hold a light off of camera right to light Doanh a little more in the middle of all the greenery and fencing; it was dark in the woods!

On our way back from the graveyard, we found these nifty garages with peeling paint. I asked Doanh to jump, and she added some fancy stuff that really made these shots sing. "I loved these," Doanh said, "because it looked like I was suspended in the air or levatating."

I can't thank Garth (below) enough for toting all of our stuff with us; he held a bag with the silly string, manned the flash, and also shot video of our silly string destruction for your enjoyment.

Garth actually makes an appearance in this shoot mostly because Doanh had a good question, "How does he know exactly when to make the flash go off?" she asked me. "Well, I said, "it's a radio transmitter, actually, and I'll show you what it does!" I asked Garth to light himself so Doanh could see a before-and-after comparison of what the flash did while Garth was holding it.

Thanks, Garth! And thank you, Doanh, for your willingness to get grimy!

If any of you are familiar with my work, you've seen these two before, but probably not together! I've photographed Stephanie wicked cute daughter Julia while in-utero and out, and Meghan totally humored me a few years ago when I wanted to discard my old bridesmaid's dresses in an unusual way.

This excursion took us to an alleyway in Fells Point. Stephanie and I had scoped out a few promising locations, but we ended up spending most of our time using the variety of textures within a 200 foot radius!

Part of what inspired me was that I found Meghan's at a thrift store for a grand total of $15 (not kidding). Being pregnant at the time, I knew I couldn't wear it, but had to take pictures of it, so I asked Meghan to model it for me. But that, of course, wasn't until after I purchased a parasol to match on eBay for $10 (with shipping). The result: total hotness!

Not to be outdone, Stephanie had found a gorgeous jewel-green dress at Target on the cheap, and cranked the sexy up with a lovely white floppy hat that framed her face so well. "I never thought that old air conditioner units would make for a pretty picture," Steph told me, "You proved me wrong!" Hah! I triumph!

Meghan's shots came out a little more serious, and I thought with a hint of dangerous glamour. I loved it when she fixed her hair...

I asked my pals afterward how they felt about the shot. "I felt awkward," said Steph, "but I always make up for that by being silly." A good policy, in my opinion, and she pulled it off well. She also had this to say: "It is incredibly difficult to make an attractive face when throwing confetti. Period."

Afterward, we got some ice cream as a reward for all our hard work. I especially want to thank my two models, who not only did such a fabulous job, but who also shot video for me. (It makes me self-conscious; I keep getting more and more pregnant, gak!) You can see how the alley we were in had all different colors and neat things in it; it was perfect!

Not bad for around $50 eh? (And that includes the ice cream afterwards!)

A couple years ago, I got it into my head that I really needed to do something with some old bridesmaid's dresses I had lying around in my closet. The solution? Drown them in the river.

A few pals of mine liked the idea so much, they asked me to do it with them. Of course, I had to oblige! Megan and I took an x-acto knife to her dress and tore away wildly at the fringes.

Stephanie brought along this old fur coat and decided to do some splashing.

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Megan and Stephanie make a daring appearance again, this time as two punks at Artscape! I give full credit to these ladies for their amazing modeling efforts; they coordinated their outfits, did their own make-up and hair, and traipsed all around the city with me for nearly three hours!

Did you know that portable toilets can make a good backdrop?

We snuck around behind a few buildings and made use of the blocked-off alleyways that Artscape had created, allowing us some free time to experiment in roads that would be otherwise traversed.

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Nathan and Sarah were married about two years ago in a lovely small wedding with friends and family. They didn't have that many frills, and really wanted to commemorate their anniversary with a special photo session together. So, we set out for the family farm in celebration!

Their first idea was to have a picnic. "We picked food that we thought would both taste and look good," said Sarah, after they had fed each other cheesecake and enjoyed some delicious champagne. The champagne had turned out to be a bit more dramatic than expected, but it made for a great photo!

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While waiting for Lucas to arrive, I asked my friend Patricia if she wouldn't mind goofing around in a field for me. She readily accepted, and we had a blast enjoying the disappearing light of the dog days of August.

The lighting was gorgeous; we decided to camp out in a big field nearby the airport. It was alternately loud and then peaceful and wild.

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My session with Zack and Leslie began in their artfully-decorated apartment. To start, Zack showed off his juggling skills using a nearby bowl of clementines.

And when I say that their apartment was "artfully-decorated" I truly mean it: Jim Dine, Alex Katz, the works, folks. Famous artists' works graced the walls all over. I used the Dine drawing by the kitchen for the shot below.

So romantic; Zack and Leslie were so at ease with each other, and graceful in front of the camera!

Not to mention playful...

...AND willing to put up with an odd posing/location request or two!

Later on we walked through the downtown streets and found a wonderfully-textured alleyway.

Zack and Leslie, best wishes to you both! I had a blast.

You may remember Patricia from one of the last portrait sessions I took before Lucas arrived. Not only is Patricia a lovely model, she is musically talented: a cellist!

We started off her session in formal wear--the weather was a bit on the chilly side, but she braved everything wonderfully, even playing a few notes in the chilly weather. Patricia laughed and called her playing "The Tuning Song," because the weather was slowly working her notes out of tune--curse that chill!

And my favorites: Patricia in silhouette!

After a costume change, we took a few more casual poses that reflected her easygoing nature.

And off she goes into the city, making her debut!

It all started at Centennial Park in Columbia, Maryland. Chris and Lily agreed that letting the kids have their run of the playground would make for some fun candids.

After a little warming up, we moved to a nearby field to play in the shade. Aiden took to exploring all over while devouring an apple.

Chris and Lily looked on, enjoying some quiet moments together.

Zenaida did her best to construct daisy chains and make grass confetti.

The whole affair was a beautiful success. Such a family full of fun!

It starts with two people and a ring...

Jeff and Mariko met me down by the water in Fell's Point in Baltimore for a little delightful dancing.

Later, we walked around the neighborhoods, creeping through every nook and cranny looking to have a good time.

We even stopped to have a game of Connect Four at Mr. Yogato!

I won't tell you who won. Instead, I'll show you my favorite pictures from the session, involving a blue door.

I loved that they weren't afraid to make faces for the camera, too.

At the lemonade stand, Jeff made his moves.

And as the sun set, they held each other close.

I can't wait to photograph their wedding this spring!

I've met a few new friends with young children here at our new digs. It's been refreshing to take a few spare moments to whip out the camera and capture them growing and changing.

Little Roberto is about four months old. Sometimes he looks as though he's got a jet pack strapped to his back, and the only thing holding him back is his mom's steady hands.

The story is this: Molly (a friend of mine) had a fabulous dress that inspired me to put together this inspiration board (you can see her in the dress on the lower right):

I then dragged Leah from SmittenXOXO, and makeup artist Jennifer LaVanaway into the project. Even my mom donated a few of her props--a random set of teacups, linens, and other objects that didn't make it into the final project, but served as inspiration nonetheless.

Leah sent me hairpieces that went with the feel and colors of Molly's dress, and Jennifer worked with gold leaf on Molly's face, to emulate the style of the teacups. Quite lovely!

It does help that Molly is so romantically beautiful, too!

More excerpts from the shoot coming on Wednesday!

Remember Molly beautiful?

It turns out that Molly likes to collect vintage dresses, on top of being rather dazzling. This number was actually her mother's prom dress. How wonderful that she can not only wear it, but really work it!

Of course, I like to collect a few random things myself--old lace tablecloths, antique cameras, fans, umbrellas, parasols, and other such junky items that take up space in my closet, but turn out to be really useful when putting a photo shoot together!

The fan was a gift from my mother years ago, and the teacup is on loan from her massive collection.

More from this photo shoot coming soon!

Molly Sibley, model / Jennifer LaVanaway, makeup / SmittenXOXO, hairpieces

So I know I promised you some more of this wonderfulness from Molly. Here goes!

Towards the end of the photo shoot, the sun began to set; clear, warm, and icy light all at once. I had brought with me this ancient, crusty parasol given to me by my mother-in-law; it tore when I first opened it, but it proved to be quite beautiful in spite of that!

What a lovely shade of green, yes? It was quite windy, and I think that having a torn parasol was probably a better idea than a whole one! These backlit shots have to be some of my favorites.

...and my favorite of them all.

Thank you to Molly, Jennifer, and Leah, who made all of this possible!

Molly Sibley, model / Jennifer LaVanaway, makeup / SmittenXOXO, hairpieces

Siblings can make you laugh. They can be friends, confidants, and more. I wish I had a sister so I could share the same kind of relationship that Stella and Mary have with each other. They're so obviously at ease and full of grace.

And dare I say striking?

And silly, too. My favorite moment, however, was when they were finished throwing leaves at each other and gave a big squeeze.

Now if that doesn't warm your heart, I don't know what will.

I couldn't resist posting this collage of Stella in her funky outfit.

The secret? Well, I found a bunch of clothes at the thrift store the very day I were going to photograph her. The skirt and sweater I found at GoodWill, and she borrowed my boots to match. Who knew she'd happen to have a beautiful yellow coat to match? Fun!

Spring is coming; can't you feel it in the air? With the past week of sunny and warm weather, I decided to block off a few Saturdays in the next few months especially for outdoor portrait sessions in the Greater Boston Area--wonderful for families, kids, and couples in love.

Private on-location portrait sessions can be scheduled for April 10th, May 1st, and May 15th.

Book your session with me before March 31st, and receive 20% off your session fee. Tell a friend (make sure they mention you sent them!), and you'll get a special thank-you gift if they book with me!

E-mail jocelyn [at] studiomathewes [dot] com to get the ball rolling. Happy spring!

A little while ago, a good friend of mine had her first (adorable) baby. Nathan loves to stick out his tongue and charm his parents.

Mom knows exactly what he likes; I love the moment of bliss here.

When the sun shone bright and it felt like spring was definitely coming, I dragged Molly back out with her fabulous style, and we visited the Arnold Arboretum for some portraits. Mindy, another wonderful photographer friend of mine, came along for the ride.

We started out with an authentic vintage hippy dress; one that Molly's mother had worn back in the 60s. Too awesome, right? And in with tomboy spunk, Molly wasn't afraid to make the phrase "dirty hippy" a truism.

Even though spring hadn't quite hit the Arboretum yet, we made the most of nature.

After Mindy and I had exhausted ourselves with Molly in her hippy dress, we did a costume change that left some of the Arboretum patrons gawking.

Spin, Molly, spin!

Warm afternoon light at its best. These last shots were my favorite. You can tell Molly is loose and enjoying herself. You can feel the breeze and the smells of spring.

Thank you, Molly, for a wonderful time!

It's been awhile since I've set aside time to work on Women with Icons. A longstanding personal project, I began it back in 2004, shortly after graduating college. It's sat dormant for far too long.

Danielle graciously posed for me the other day, after heavy spring rain had flooded the area. Here we are, enjoying the puddle you saw yesterday, only with St. Peter.

Here's my statement on the project:

Though the Eastern Orthodox church is very traditional in its beliefs, it has a long history of recognizing the contributions that women make to society and to their faith. Through the recorded lives of the saints, individual believers can learn about the plethora of female saints commemorated in Orthodoxy, many of whom are depicted in icons--paintings--that line the walls of Orthodox churches.

Upon joining the Orthodox church, individual believers make a connection with the saints by taking on a saint's name. This saint becomes their patron saint, protecting them and interceding for them before the throne of God.

Modern Orthodox women, therefore, have an automatic and deep connection to the women of the past. Women With Icons investigates this shared heritage and history. My goal with this project is quite simple: to photograph Orthodox women of all ages and backgrounds with an icon of their patron saint. I hope to do so in a compelling way, bringing insight into their personalities and revealing the impact that Orthodoxy has on their lives.

Capturing the essence of a person in a single image is a difficult task, and one that takes considerable time and effort. I have yet to master it.

Hopefully I'll have more to add later on.

Don't you wish that you could puddle stomp EVERY DAY?

I do!

I like how she goes from gorgeous to gorgeous-happy here, too.

Baby Matias is just over three months old, and smiling up a storm. I went to visit his parents on a grey, rainy day. He was sleepy, and a little cranky too.

Sometimes these little ones just don't know when to cooperate. But soon he perked up and gave some really big laughs when mom gave him a tickle or two.

Matias' dad has amazingly huge arms; we know that this little guy is safe and looked-after, for sure.

Many blessings to little Matias!

I had the chance to photograph two beautiful sisters--Stephanie and Amanda--in downtown Baltimore the other day.

I simply couldn't get enough of their makeup.

Or their footwear!

While photographing, the weather suddenly became super dicey. A huge gust of wind nearly toppled me over. We found this patch of unmowed grass near Mount Royal Station, and I took several frames of the girls taking something of a refuge in the quick-moving weeds.

You wouldn't believe from the photos how incredibly windy it was, or that after it clouded over and dumped rain on us, the sun came out not 30 minutes later while we were making our way home (anticipating a huge thunderstorm, of course).

What a fabulous day, and what beauty to capture!

Kaitlyn agreed to a model shoot with me down in the quirky neighborhood of Jamaica Plain. What's even more awesome is she brought this rad pink bike with her. (That's right folks, I said "rad". I know that dates me.)

I found this strange and beautiful lighting pattern behind an old building. Can't for the life of me figure out what was making that fabulous X mark, but hey, it's pretty awesome. Not to mention that she rocks the doorway.

An insurance building had this gorgeous bit of ivy growing on it, where she hid while I snapped a few through the leaves. A gold reflector bounced gorgeous light up into her eyes while she hid behind a dumpster.

Then, we were interrupted by what appeared to be some sort of Little League parade. I let my shutter drag a bit to capture some of the motion; it came out looking pretty foggy and dreamy, even with the bright sun.

Sometimes, I ask my models to jump around. I like catching mid-air moments.

And lastly, I like it when people laugh for the camera.

Oh yeah, and that green dress? I found it for $5 at Salvation Army. The End.

I met this lovely set of cousins at a playground one bright afternoon for their first set of family photographs together! These two families had just moved close to one another; it's always special to be able to chronicle families growing up alongside each other.

The little guys are hilarious scamps!

The youngest ladies are rambunctious and imaginative.

And the eldest, well, she's simply gorgeous and charming inside and out.

I look forward to photographing these guys again soon!

The cherry blossoms were blooming around Jamaica Pond--part of Boston's beautiful Emerald Necklace. Christina and Daniel met with me to create beautiful photographs for their engagement.

What an affectionate couple!

Oh, and they're also pretty silly too.

We traipsed around Jamaica Plain, enjoying the textures and colors of the city buildings.

A few quiet moments in City Feed gave them time for some coffee and conversation.

And as we settled into the greenery again, they cuddled and danced.

I couldn't resist putting these two images together; I feel as though they give the best sense of what these two lovebirds are like.

Daniel and Christina, may your wedding be just as dreamy

Julian and Emily got married in a small private ceremony at Wequassett. Julian and his mother put on his boutonniere while Emily put the finishing touches on her makeup.

When all was ready, Julian rounded the corner with the justice of the peace, and the ceremony began.

What a small group of love; Julian and his mother, and Emily with her parents. The sun was setting over the Cape.

Happy kisses all around after the pronouncement!

Afterwards, I took the two newlyweds down to the beach while the warm sun faded behind the brush and salt water grass.

It was so peaceful and exhilarating; we were the only ones soaking in the surroundings.

A champagne celebration finished off the evening!

Triumph and happiness!

This week I have a little delightful slideshow for you; my favorites from Christina & Daniel's session in Jamaica Plain. Some of my absolute favorites were taken in and around City Feed, where we bought wonderful coffee and enjoyed the bright, sunny cafe windows.

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(Music by The Woodlands.)

Athena was a willing and very able model for a quick downtown Brookline photo shoot.

We ducked behind a back alley to find this great, steep, staircase and some interesting shadows.

And of course I wanted to highlight those brilliant red shoes. (What is it with awesome shoes that makes them so photographable?)

And here is where I think Athena's posing talent takes the cake; I instructed her to make interesting shapes using the negative space around her body, and she gave me several great varieties!

If you've ever read much here, you'll know I adore Mindy Best's work and have had her second shoot for me quite a bit. Well, we traded portrait sessions this summer, and here are the absolutely lovely results.

Don't you dig their outfits?

And we'll end with my absolute favorites...