Day 13 of 30. WHS 10th Grade. Maine Photographer

For those of you just joining me, the title of this post shows where I stand with my self imposed blog challenge to blog every day for 30 days straight...and has little to do with the subject matter.

Last week my son's class (WHS class of 2014) had a fund raiser.  If you are a parent, you are all too familiar with your kid's fund raisers.  I will give them credit for their creativity.  "Are you smarter than a 10th grader?" brought in $1000 to their class bank account.  Real 10th graders, real teachers, real audience contestants, and some pretty real hard questions. 

For me, a night out, a chance to enjoy my kid, and a chance to play with my camera in the dark.

   

Day 12 of 30.Southern Maine Photographer

There are no words today...just two photos.

David and Jessica's Wedding Day

If you can't view above, try this link.
http://video214.com/play/IWfEjnsSTmS4HjCMFtXa0A/s/dark
Weddings are my favorite posts to make.
So much prep goes into a wedding, and then I have the best job of all, to capture it in photos for a lifetime of memories.
Weddings are both so personal and emotional, it's pure joy for me to be included in these events...and when it's all over, I usually feel like I'm part of the family...now that's a perk! 
My favorite moment of Jessica and David's wedding?  When the priest pronounced them husband and wife and invited them to share a kiss, David put Jessica's face in his hands and kissed her with all his love and admiration visible for us to share in.  After that he faced his friends and family, smiled, and immediately turned back to Jessica, took her face in his hands and shared another kiss.  Wow.  Smiles for everyone.
Congratulations David and Jessica, on your beautiful day, and on your beautiful future.

Day 10 of 30

Hello...I'm going to cheat on my blog post today...I'm totally swamped with work and personal deadlines.  Today is my Mom's 79th birthday, so I spent a good portion of the day with her.  We had a nice lunch together and spent some time shopping.  She bought herself a Dirt Devil for her birthday.  I guess I'm a bit more like her then I sometimes recognize.

Here is another photo from David and Jessica's wedding...I hope to be posting a slide show tomorrow.

Day 9 of 30.Maine Wedding Photographer

I had the great privilege of photographing a wedding at the Three Chimneys Inn on April 14th.  I do make every effort to complete my editing work on the photos and have them available for the Bride and Groom within two weeks of the wedding...
So with that said, there is much work I must do today to meet this timeline.  Have a wonderful day, and please continue to follow my blog...much more to come on this wedding next week!

Day 8 of 30. Maine Dog Photographer

Two years ago I took a great photo of my Chloebutt in the tulips.  The photo is so great, I had my personal checks made into it.  It was time to try and recreate it...but I guess it's not going to be this year.  With our busy schedules we attempted to try the shot again this past Friday...before the weekend rains would destroy the tulips...but even at the 5:00 hour, the sun was just too harsh.  I might also add, Chloe hates to ride in the car...and even though she starts in the back seat, we are not even out of the driveway and she has crawled between the front seats and fastened her claws into my thighs. 

Day 7 of 30.Maine Photographer of Cats and Dogs

I thought today's post would be a continuation of sorts of yesterdays post.  Yesterday I photographed seventeen adult cats at the Animal Refuge League. Seventeen "new" cats to the shelter.  Their ages range from 1 years old to 14 years old.  Their personalities differ as much as their range in age and the color of their fur.  There is a fit for any home who wants one.  Next Monday I will return to the ARL and photograph the faces and paws of another average of 15 cats.  The photos I take are used on the ARL site, so that you can search for a friend from any corner of the state without leaving your home, but today I'm going to share some of the faces I photographed yesterday.  Feel free to contact the ARL at 207-854-9771 for any information on the following personalities!

Day 6 of 30.Maine Photographer of Tails and Veils

OK, I will admit, this 30 day challenge is kicking my butt...but I'll squeak this one in with a few minutes to spare before the stroke of midnight! 
Every Monday morning I photograph any "new" cats available for adoption at the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland.
Every week I photograph an average of 15-20 cats...but sometimes up to 30 new cats.  I've always been amazed at the amount of cats who come to the ARL before finding their forever homes.  Many people ask me if it's sad.  No, it is not sad.  Occasionally I will be there when someone comes in looking at the cats, and a few times, someone has started crying, different reasons, either they were looking for someone they lost, or they have just found someone they don't want to live without.

Something you may not know is, I do not photograph the kittens...or any cat under a year old.  That is because kittens don't usually stick around long enough to need a photo on the website...they are just too darn cute and in demand.  So...today...there were three kittens in the lobby...and all was pretty quiet...so I thought I might take a few photos just for fun!  Here they are.  Their names are Granite, Shadow, and Willey...and I took these photos over 12 hours ago...so I'm not going to say whether they are still available or not...but you can always contact the ARL and ask!

Day 5.Peaks Island Maine.Portland Maine Photographer

Day 5.  Once again a day late.  I shall not give up. 
Today was a great day. 
I accompanied my son's scout group to Peaks Island, for a day of biking and fresh air. 
The group does this trip annually, and even though I have lived my entire life in Maine, it was just my second trip to the island...my first trip was with this same group three years ago.
This is a great day out in Maine.  Our state has so much to offer when it comes to spectacular natural views...and I had every intention of taking advantage of this opportunity to capture some of these views for my own personal photography portfolio. 
It's a pretty relaxing day.  We meet at Back Bay in Portland, bike from Back Cove to the Casco Bay Ferry (approx 3.5 miles) then get on board the ferry for a short trip to the island (approx 20 minutes) then ride around the island (approx 4 miles around), stopping for a short period of time at a World War II bunker to enjoy our bagged lunches. 
With a group of boys, fun includes adding air to bike tires, playing on the rocks, playing at the bunker, playing with your lunch, and of course, a bit of ice cream.  The day was so laid back, most of us made the island tour at least twice...some even more. 
Total mileage on my bike...personally...around 20 miles.  (...and no, I made no attempt to get in shape for this adventure...)
My faithful sidekick took me out to dinner when we returned, bought me two Margarita's, let me soak in a hot bath, and let me crash into bed long before dark...thank you dear!  As for Josh, he seems to be holding his own. 
The weather forecast predicted an overcast day, which it was, but the appearance of the sun for our return ferry ride home added a moment of perfection to the whole day.
I did put together a quick slide show of today's views...we all know...that is how I speak best.  Yes, I did snap as I biked, however, it wasn't without a price...I am sporting a few extra bruises today for the mistakes I made yesterday...learn from my mistakes...don't shoot and drive.

Click on this photo to view the slideshow.

Day four of thirty.Maine Photographer of Tails and Veils

As I laid in bed last night curled up in the fetal position with a heating pad on my belly, I realized I had not done my daily post.  I contemplated getting up to do it, but felt I wasn't in the right frame of mind to post anything that would be worth reading.  Sorry, just wanted to share that I haven't given up on my latest challenge...just dealing with other challenges at this time...hope to get back real soon!

Thought I would share this photo.  This woodpecker was making quite a racket on my neighbor's satellite dish...wonder how their reception was...

Day three of Thirty. Maine Photographer of Tails and Veils

As promised, I am sharing my cousins' blog today.  I did ask her permission first...and it was granted.
What Catherine is sharing, is very personal.  She started the blog so she wouldn't have to tell her story over and over again...but what started out to be a vehicle of communication, appears to have become a form of therapy, for her, and for those of us who love her.

I believe it was Catherine's second trimester carrying baby girl Battley, that she learned her baby has Trisomy 18.  Her blog has a link "back to the beginning" which is right after she found out about the Trisomy 18.  Catherine explains what Trisomy 18 is, her fears of how this will change how people react to her, and more than anything else, her blog solidifies to her readers, her faith in God.

I'm not going to even pretend I have been through anything like this, or how I would behave if I were going through anything like this, but I do know, as a mother, I would have made the same choices as Catherine.  Catherine's goal was to carry her baby to term, and to see her, hold her, love her, and enjoy her, for whatever amount of time God gave her. 

Catherine's blog has been a joy and comfort to those of us who live far away, to be able to share in this very special time of her life...but I know for certain, that somewhere down the road, her blog will be a source of inspiration and hope and faith for others who will travel down the same path of uncertainty.

Catherine's trust in God is an inspiration, if not a lesson, that miracles occur everyday.
If you pray, please pray today for Catherine and her family.
http://candturkey.blogspot.com/

Day Two of Thirty Maine Photographer on Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

We all go through times in our lives where we may wonder "why me?"  Sometimes we know someone who is going through one of those times, and we wonder how they will get through it and if WE could, if the roles were reversed.  Sometimes we realize, we are not alone in these rough times.  Sometimes, when we share our stories, we can help others who may be wondering how they will ever make it through whatever it is they are struggling with.

I have a cousin who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl three weeks ago.

More specifically, a miracle baby girl.

I hope to share my cousin's blog with you tomorrow, but for today, I will share another photographer's blog entry, about my cousins' miracle baby girl.

The photographer is part of the organization "Now I lay me down to sleep"

Not even two months ago I was watching an online training class with the founder of this organization.  She talked about the request she received from a mother who's baby was being taken off of life support and how the family wanted photographs of the baby, without all the tubes and wires.  I went through a half a box of tissues just listening to her story, and how she and that mother then went on to build this organization.  NILMDTS is in 25 countries, and serviced by over 7000 photographers who volunteer their time to provide families who are mourning the loss of a child with free professional portraiture of their baby.

Back to my cousin's blog, she mentioned her checklist for the babies birth included a photographer from nilmdts and as a photographer, this overwhelmed me with emotion again.  Sandy Puc, the founding photographer is a women not afraid to share her emotions, and if I remember correctly the mother of eight children.  She certainly captured my attention in the video I was watching, and encouraged all photographers to not write themselves off of being a nilmdts photographer. 

I should mention, my cousin is in Mississippi, so photographing her new baby was not an option for me, but I'm happy to share the link to the blog of the photographer who did photograph her.
http://rutledgephotographyblog.com/?p=842

...and if you do offer up a prayer tonight, please share one for miracle baby Battley, and for Jennifer Rudledge, the photographer who captures these legacies for families going through one of life's most difficult journeys.

The 30 day blog challenge of a Maine Photographer

A fellow photographer posted that she is doing a 30 day blog challenge.  She also mentioned that she had been thinking about it for a while, worried that she wasn't interesting enough to pull it off...but decided nothing ventured nothing gained...so she tossed out the suggestion to anyone interested in joining her.  I read the challenge, and without giving it a second thought said "I'm in!"  Yes, I too wonder how interesting I can be, and I don't have a huge following here either, but I've been feeling a bit blue lately, so I thought this challenge to myself was coming at the right time.  Last year, 2011, I challenged myself to blog once a week, and I succeeded at that challenge, and that was a great feeling.  This year I debated doubling that goal, but I didn't commit, and therefore, I haven't followed through.  So, I'm putting it out there, to all my blog friends, I'm taking the 30 day challenge...a blog a day for 30 days.
My posts are not complete without a photo.  Todays' photo is of Moo.  Moo is 10 years old, and available for adoption at the Animal Refuge League ,but that's not what this photo is about.  I'm still in search of the perfect cat eye photo.  Every Monday I have the opportunity to capture it...I haven't gotten it yet, but I'm getting close!