It doesn’t seem like it was too long ago that this little guy… was well… little.  And, oh boy… he was mine, all mine.  These last 5 and a half years, he’s been my buddy, my rascal, my tester of patience and wills.  But he was all mine.  I tried my best in teaching him right from wrong.  That “To Have a Friend, You Need To Be a Friend.”  To listen and obey.  I hope he’s ready.

Because, he’s not “all mine” anymore.  Now his teacher, Mrs. H will have him for 35 hours or so a week.

My first baby started Kindergarten.  Amidst my tears, he climbed that bus, and he had a great day.  Seth is growing up, and I hope and pray that he’s ready for this world.

Warning… Photo Overload!  Like I mentioned before… I took over 400 photos, so how do you narrow it down to just a few for the blog?!?!  I’ll try my best….

We had an AWESOME time in Avon, which is near Hatteras Lighthouse. Very laid back and relaxing…. here are some of my snaps and seascapes (taken with a rented Nikkor 14-24mm 2.8)

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:2

please be respectful and don’t take my unwatermarked photos… my children do bite.

sun, sand, surf, and each other.  This is just one snap out of the 410 I took last week.  Be certain this will be printed HUGE on canvas somewhere in my house.  I’m totally in love with it.  More to come….

The Burns family will be out of town and away from the internet until Monday the 16th. I’ll be playing catch up with email and blogging when I return to Maryland next week.  Those of you who have emailed about holiday sessions – thank you!!! I’ll be getting in touch with you with scheduling options soon - promise!  :)   Love, me

I often have clients ask me… “what should we wear?”  My answer is always, “something coordinated, but not too matchy-matchy.”  In an effort to help you, as a client, and  as a reader, I’d like to share some tips in how to dress for your Custom Portrait Session.  I’ll be using my own clothes, that I have purchased for portrait purposes to help illustrate my advice.

I often tell clients and friends to find a nice bright patterned piece of clothing and put that on one person in the group.  Then you pull the colors from that pattern and dress everyone else around it.  I, personally, like a blend of brights and neutrals.   The following two photos represent two family-type outfits with a boy and a girl.  Now, I’m also *that mom* who matches her two boys.  So I have no problem with doubling up on the boy’s outfit, or possibly in your case, the girl’s outfit.

This top collection is perfect for a more natural-type setting of tall grass.  The colors are what you might find in nature.   The second collection is more suited for an urban-type setting.  I know for a fact that there will be some All Star Converse shoes with that collection.  ;)

One pattern, the colors pulled from it for everyone else.  Please feel free to get funky with accessories and shoes.

The next two photos show just samples of sibling session possibilities.  The first is more winter, the second more summer.  The first would be great with a third child in chocolate brown.  The second, I think that a third child can match and duplicate the polo or dress again.

Now I’m going to show you the above principles/ tips in practice with my own family photos from last year.  One pattern, the colors pulled from it for everyone else, a blend of brights and neutrals.

Coordinated, but not too matchy-matchy.

Now where do I find these clothes?  Everywhere, I shop around.  But I have the best luck at Gap, Old Navy, Gymboree, CrewCuts, and Anthropologie.

Hopefully this helps you.  I’d love to hear if it does.  :)

Sixty years ago two of the most beautiful people in my life, met and married and started a long lasting legacy**.  My grandparents “Granny & Goodaddy.”  They met at Toccoa Falls College in the late 1940’s.  They courted, and on a choir trip, my Gooddaddy asked Grannie to marry him.

Two daughters (plus spouses), five grandchildren (and three spouses), and four great-grandchildren later, we all gathered in North Carolina to celebrate sixty years of wedded bliss.  I love how they love each other.  They tease each other, he calls her his “Sweet Baboo.”  They hold hands, they pray together.

Happy 60th Anniversary to the sweetest and gentlest people I know and cherish.  I love you both so much.

***************

**Out of the above mentioned 14 adults, Ten are Toccoa Falls Graduates, Three more having attended at least a year.

Last week my husband and I were in Louisville, KY with 9 teens from our Youth Group at Church.  It was five days of worship, sessions, seminars, concerts and playtime! It was the C&MA (Christian & Missionary Alliance) LIFE 2010 Conference.

One of our favorite musicians is Trace Bundy.  We’ve had the pleasure to see him in concert quite a few times, and get to hang out with him at a few different seminars over the past few years.  He really is a treat to hear and watch… in fact watching him play is key to the full Trace Bundy experience.    Here’s Nate, Trace & myself at the conference….

And in case you’re interested… because I *know* you are… You can see a video or two of him on Youtube.  You won’t be disappointed!

“laugh often, long and loud. laugh until you gasp for breath. and if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with them.”

-unknown

and with this photo, marks half the year gone.

experienced.

enjoyed.

lived.

I will seek out and make more time for moments like this.

And PS, exactly 2 years ago….

My family spent Memorial Day with Grampa & Gramma in Ohio. They have a quaint log cabin, in the woods, away from any noise and hustle and bustle. We relaxed, we picnicked, we antiqued. It was a good rest! Memorial Day was a big indoors picnic, as it decided to thunderstorm in the middle of our cookout, but it was still tasty and a good visit with family. All the children got wild and dirty playing in the mud… even miss Audrey, which leads to my week 22 submission…. Puffy Pants Princess~

I just can’t decide which version I like best!  How about you, which is your favorite?

finding moments in life worth capturing.

loving and embracing those moments just as the subjects do.

caring for and respecting those moments like they are your own, because just for a split second, they are.

having the knowledge and practice to know where to move, how to adjust your camera, consider the lighting, the subject, the emotion…

and snap the shutter at the exact. right. second.

thanking your subject for allowing you to catch a glimpse into their life, their soul, their love.

selecting the perfect images to proof.  the ones that most perfectly portray the expirience.

proofing in a way that reflects the subject, the day… proofing in a way that you’re sure to not only make the viewer feel deep in their heart what it was like to be there,

but also in a way that makes the subject remember, deep in their soul what it was like to be.

looking back on images once taken and recognizing how you’ve grown, knowing that as an artist, though you may reach your “happy place”,

you will never truly finish growing.

remembering that the steps you take in your career are not steps of mistakes and imperfection, but rather building blocks that fit perfectly together

to create a windy stairwell of experience, emotion and love.

knowing that the first thousand steps are just as important as the very last.

being a photographer is really important.

trust me.

(Thanks Katie Davies, from Claire Alyse Photography)