I recently spent a weekend morning with Kristine and Charles at the home of his aunt and uncle, Marilyn and John Connelly, in Belleair.  It was truly a gorgeous home: full of light and beautiful spaces, filled with years of memories and special touches.  It was absolutely perfect for our session!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you just can’t create custom photographs like these in a studio.  I will forever travel to clients’ homes for their sessions because it means I have the opportunity to give them something even more exclusive and genuine… something that is theirs alone.  A custom photograph created in a private home cannot be recreated in duplicate for just anyone else.  These authentic, honest photographs will truly tell a story with their surroundings, the environment, the family history that lies within the walls.  Thank you, Marilyn and John, for opening your home to us for this session.

Kristine is expecting their first child, who will be born later this month, and I was blessed to be the one to document this amazing ~ and short-lived, in the grand scheme of things ~ time in their lives.  What a beautiful, welcoming family.  I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing session!

I wish I’d looked this fabulous when I was carrying my own babies.  At the time of our session, Kristine was actually 36 weeks pregnant.  36 weeks glowing.  36 weeks radiant as can be.  And might I add, Charles could have been a bit on the radiant side as well, judging from the way he looked at his bride.

So grateful to Kristine and Charles for indulging me this beautiful morning.  I have so many more images to share with you, soon.  And I am eager to meet your darling boy in the coming weeks.

xo

In the above shot, Tammy and Beth’s ancestors painted the watercolor above Emilia’s chair.  I love incorporating precious things like that into sessions!

And from yesterday’s post, by now we’ve gathered that Snow White didn’t like to eat more than a single bite of her apple…. but she LOVED her grapes!

And she loved to read.  And call Mommy “Ariel” (she has beautiful auburn hair) as she read through her princess storybook.

After we read a little, snacked a little, and twirled a little….. we set off for the library to return a few books.

This is why I LOVE being an on-location photographer.  We’re not limited to a studio with the same-old backgrounds and props… rather, we can meet at your home, play with your children’s special and meaningful things, document your home and the way it looks while your children’s belongings fill the rooms and line the walls (because they won’t always), and then take off and enjoy a typical morning doing the things your child loves most.  And for me, it’s so refreshing!!  And it keeps the kids moving, too, which is especially great for the two-and-under crowd. 

And then we decided, why not just break ALL of the rules and have an ice cream sundae before lunch??

Of course, after the ice cream and strawberries, we certainly needed a bath. 

I really hated to leave.  I could have stayed there all day long if I didn’t have a sweet couple of kiddos waiting for me at home.  (And I treated them to ice cream next!)  I have said it before, and I feel it goes without saying, but again: I LOVE MY JOB.  :)  Thank you to the sweet families of Tampa Bay who open their homes and hearts to me and trust me with photographing their children over and over.  I SO appreciate you!!

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I’m starting to fill up for fall sessions, so if you’d like to have me photograph your family this autumn for Christmas and Holiday cards or for those special gifts, definitely give me a call soon to reserve your most convenient date.  I’m booking into October and November, and have a few September dates still open for those who need sessions right away.  Talk to you soon!

When I saw the field, I gasped.  It was filled with Queen Anne’s Lace (can I get a nostalgic smile from the Anne of Green Gables readers/viewers out there?) and so beautiful.  It was perfect.

If you’d like to read a little more about my journey in getting this photograph, please hop on over to The Creative Mama:  my article is featured today, entitled “The Dress.  And Other Treasures.” and gives you a little idea into why I ask my clients to bring those special loveys and heirloom items to your Stacey Woods Photography session.  Thank you for reading!!

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And a couple press announcements!
I’m so pleased to find out that, through The Creative Mama, my photograph (and referencing article regarding hanging photographs in an artful way) was published over at Apartment Therapy recently.  Go check it out!!  And try not to get lost for hours over there… I love Apartment Therapy and their fantastic ideas for modern living.  I could easily spend hours browsing their ideas and inspirational articles for home decor and living more simply.  (Oh and yes, that is my son and I making silly faces in the photobooth strip.  That’s my son in the Polaroid on the left, and my daughter in the right two Polaroids.) 

From that same TCM article on displaying photographs, my grandfather’s circa-1960’s Polaroid images (and my crafty display of them) was featured over at Creative Apples today as well, in her weekly “Crafty Connections” piece.  Go have a peek. What a fun day!!

Well, Dr. Banther’s message has stayed with me through last week and into this one.  But it wasn’t until a few days ago that I started flipping through my calendar because I had just photographed little Olivia and her parents, whose last name was also Banther.  I wondered to myself if they might be related, but casually brushed it off.  After all, Pinellas County is so large and what are the chances, right?  ;)  Well, curiosity eventually got the better of me and I clicked on my client’s website link in one of his emails to me.  And what do you know?  Little Olivia is Dr. Banther’s granddaughter.

I can safely bet that this sweet little girl will have her very own Encouragement Book (or nine), judging from the adoring way her parents beheld her (and grandparents, too, I’m sure!).  This is often why I prefer holding newborn lifestyle photo sessions in the comfort of my clients’ home ~ everyone is relaxed, they can truly be themselves, and life is real.  The photographs always reflect that, and I love the results.

Olivia has more love surrounding her than I can even describe, and it was a joy to listen to her parents softly whisper and sweet-talk into her ear as they fed her, held her, rocked her, and gazed into her eyes.

I am so happy I met this family (in more ways than one)!  And I cannot wait to watch Miss Olivia grow into a strong, confident, beautiful girl because of all the love and encouragement she will receive during her sweet lifetime.  We should all be so blessed.
Love~

Stacey

Angie Warren, the heart and soul behind this blog, has worked so very hard to organize this amazing feature for you, and I do hope that you’ll click on over for a visit, leave a comment or three, enter a giveaway, and subscribe to the blog.  Even better, grab a The Creative Photographer button and paste it to your own blog, tweet about it, share it with your friends and colleagues.  We’d be so grateful for you spreading the word!  We’re excited to invite you to be a part of this wonderful sharing community of women.

As you know, for Angie’s For The Love of Photography series last year, I was humbled and honored to be asked to write a guest post, telling my little story and exactly why I do what I do.  Soon after, I joined Angie’s newly formed group of regular contributors and have loved every minute of it!  I can’t tell you how amazing it feels to be among such talented, strong, insightful artists, mothers and women.  These girls are pretty fabulous, and I’m humbled to be able to be a part of this team.

PS… if you want to catch up on a few of my latest articles on The Creative Mama, you can read them HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.  And you won’t want to miss THIS ONE either.

SEE YOU SOON AT THE CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHER!

But I will say that there aren’t many things in this life more recognizable and powerful than a parent’s love for his/her child.  It’s a beautiful thing to see.  And let me tell you, this child is loved.  Truly adored.

We met at a natural spring in this area, and the entire park was beautiful.  I plan on going back just as soon as I can.  The fields were beautiful and the light was delicious.  Backlight is my soft spot, you know.   ;)  And so are snuggles with Mommy.  Watching them together was mesmerizing.  And I must confess that I just kept shooting, and smiling behind my camera, long after I’d gotten the images I’d intended on getting… they were just too sweet together and their connection was so obvious, their adoration so mutual.  It really was precious and hard to turn my eye away from.  Every child should be this blessed!

Daddy was only in for a short while, in fact he was leaving the next morning and would soon be on his way back overseas.  But watching him interact with his daughter was touching.  You see, he hadn’t seen since she was just a few weeks old, and she had just turned one a few days before our session.  I imagine he’d had to get to know his daughter all over again as a toddler.  And that made me realize how lucky my children are to be able to see their Daddy at home every day.  It also reminded me to be extremely thankful for those who sacrifice that very precious thing for our sakes.  I don’t think we could ever thank our servicemen and women enough.

Ami, Frank, I’m grateful that you were so willing to be in front of my lens.  Your daughter has such a sweet smile and personality.  You’re doing a great job with her, and you are both such an inspiration of strength to me.  Thank you!

I have so many more images that I’d love to share, but I have to save some lovely surprises for their gallery.  Thank you everyone for stopping by the blog.  I appreciate you being here!  And I’ll be back with more sessions to share soon.

xo,

Stacey

So whether I want her to be or not, she is two.  :)  She is fiercely independent with bouts of “holdjuuu” mixed in.  She can carry on a conversation with an adult and they can understand almost every word.  She speaks in full, detailed sentences.  She blows us all away on a daily basis.  Intelligent beyond my wildest dreams (just watch her navigate an iPhone).  She’s compassionate already, and so sweet to others.  Snuggly.  Loves her big brother.  Loves babies, whether they are real ones, “her” babies, or the children on my computer screen while I’m editing (”cuuuute bebee!”).  She has the best laugh when she’s tickled in just the right spot.  She loves music.  (Especially Justin Bieber.  Seriously.)  Loves to color, and always hands me the crayon and then asks me to “dwah a hawht.”  (translation: draw a heart.  Or a silly face.)  She is full of light.  My Lila.

This isn’t the birthday photo I’d envisioned including in this post.  In fact, we haven’t even done her two year photos yet.  Those are planned for next week.  However, when I came across this image in my folder it would not let me leave it alone.  I decided that it is perfect to convey my feelings about her turning two.  About my secret wish to smooth right over her birthday and pretend it didn’t happen.  That she’s not growing up this fast.  That the past two years have not been such a blur.  Although I’ve hung onto every moment possible, there are some that still slipped through my fingers.  Things that I missed, laughs I didn’t hear, naps I didn’t see her take.  But that’s alright.  She runs into my arms every afternoon.  She snuggles with me every night, and wakes up to me every morning.  She is joyful, and amazing, and perfect.  And now I can choose to wipe aside those tears that burn my throat and make my sight blurry, and recognize the raw beauty that lies within her.

My sweet girl.  I love you so.  xxoo  ~Mama

Heather was very recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  She called me within a few days of receiving the news with an urgency and a desire for a photo session to celebrate her body and respectfully honor it at this time.  I was grateful and humbled that she chose me to help create these photographs for her, and my hope is that they will uplift her during this time, and years from now.

I was so proud of her strength and grace throughout the session!  We talked about being comfortable with our bodies and the strength within them; how life takes you on a journey and your body is the vehicle that carries you…. you go from being 100 pounds soaking wet when you get married, to pregnancies and births and the changes each milestone brings to your body.  You spend months or even years loving and hating the skin you’re in, your weight, your shape.  But after a while you gain confidence in your body and accept and cherish it for its amazing capabilities to not only carry you through life, but also to perfectly nourish your babies, to help you work and walk and move and do and be.  Heather has finally accepted her body, complete with flaws and miracles, however with her diagnosis comes the reality that her body with certainly change again in some way, depending on which treatment option she must undergo.  It is my hope that these images will make Heather smile and be hopeful ~ if not today, understandably, then maybe next week, next month, or next year.  That’s the wonderful thing about photographs.  They last forever, even when your life seems to change and evolve and leave those times behind.

In the same vein, I want to make you aware of a very important local event happening here in Tampa tonight, benefiting All Children’s Hospital and Moffitt Cancer Center through Cure on Wheels (which has donated more than $50,000 to cancer research in just two years!).  The 4th Annual Crack up Cancer Comedy Show will be held at The Improv in Ybor City.  Taken directly from The Improv’s website:

“The 4th Annual Crack up Cancer Benefit comedy show benefits that innovative research and 100% of the profits made from the event will go directly to that end.  The benefactors of this fundraiser will be Cure on Wheels.  The 4th Annual Crack up Cancer Benefit will take place on Wednesday June 16th, 2010 @ 7:30pm.  The event will feature three local and regional comedians, including Master of Ceremonies, Mike McCarthy (The Comedy Barbarian) and a performance from the BILL OHSE and AL ROMAS.  The bar will open at 6pm, and show seating begins at 6:30pm. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the night of the show.”

You can purchase tickets in advance by visiting www.improvtampa.com or you can purchase them at the door. Can’t wait to see you there!

While you’re at the show, make sure you enter the raffle to win a free session and 8×10 print from Stacey Woods Photography. It’s a $415 value, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to make some beautiful memories of your own.  Several other fine local business and organizations have donated all sorts of amazing items to CUC’s raffle as well.

The founders of Crack up Cancer are also some of my very favorite clients.  Jack and Brittany Bevilacqua are very passionate about finding a cure for cancer in our lifetime.  They strongly believe in everything they’re doing to help aid cancer research and awareness.  And so do I.

Heather, we’re doing this for you too!  My prayers are with you this week.  Know that you are not alone, and that you have many people pulling for you and believing in you and that we have faith that you can beat this disease.  It was an honor to spend the morning with you, and getting to know you a little better.  xxoo

And a few taken at his home. . .  what sweet love surrounds him.

Thank you, Billie and Doug, for waiting so patiently for your sneak peek!  I hope you love the images.  I’ve got lots more where these came from, but of course we have to leave some surprises for your gallery.  ;)  I’ll have the rest of your photographs ready for you to view this week!

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I also have a quick bit of info to share:  I am holding my first-ever “casting call” for newborn models, preferably under 3 weeks of age.

The requirements are as follows:

~newborns with dark skin

~model release must be signed, and images will/may be used for local gallery display (inquire for details)

~singletons and multiples all welcome

~shoot must take place within the Tampa Bay area at your home or other location of Stacey’s choice

If you and your baby/babies are selected to participate, you will receive a complimentary photo session and print credit.  Sessions are limited.  Please inquire for further details if you are currently expecting or have a brand new baby, or if you know someone who fits the bill.  Feel free to pass this link on!  You may call 727.698.0344 or  email me at stacey@staceywoodsphoto.com for more information, or to be considered.  Include a snapshot if you like.  I can’t wait to meet you!

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Thanks as always!  And stay tuned for lots more images from the pier.