Spring Things

May 4, 2019May 4, 2019 / Summer D. / Leave a comment

Well we might be late to the party here, but I am happy to report that Northeastern Maine is finally getting with the program and it’s looking as if Spring is officially here. To celebrate we cleaned off the side porch, which also happens to be our front porch for all intents and purposes due to it’s proximity to the driveway.

A certain ten year old in a turban joined me on the porch to just breathe it all in.

Oh, and to steal my phone…..

The sight of a bird perched atop a tree across the street had me reaching for my cellphone to take a photo, but wanting more , I dashed inside and grabbed my camera to get a little closer.

Satisfied I turned back towards home (I may or may not have alarmed my neighbors by traipsing into the street) and I just couldn’t help but grab a few more shots.

And apparently neither could a certain little junior shutterbug.

Speaking of bugs, now that the hummingbird feeder is up and filled, that shouldn’t be too big an issue and you’ll soon see more pictures from our porch. Maybe. We might be too busy snoozing in the pair of rocking chairs…..

Until next time, this is Summer D saying take it easy.

The Stevens Family in Black and White

April 19, 2019 / Summer D. / Leave a comment

If you’ve been following along this past week then this adorable family will now be familiar to you. If you’re new (hello!!! Welcome!!!), then this and this are apart of well…this. Go ahead, don’t be shy slide that cursor over there and give it a little click….

Now, scroll down and enjoy the third and final set of photos from our “spring session”.

We had so much fun that it was only inevitable that we’d end up with so many good shots. A majority of them are in color, but I couldn’t help but do a few in black and white, I mean how gorgeous are these two close ups of Mama Stevens?

Some of us enjoyed the session a little more than others….ahem…while a certain Little Stevens wasn’t as impressed with the romance of the moment.

Thank you again for going on this journey with me and sharing in what was a very wonderful day with new friends.

Falling into Family Fun

April 18, 2019 / Summer D. / 3 Comments

Meet the Steven’s Family.

You may recognize the youngest of this terrific trio, Little Stevens, from my previous post Finding Friends in Maine, but you haven’t yet met Papa Stevens and Mama Stevens.

I met Mama Stevens earlier this year when she hosted a coffee date for a bunch of ladies from a group we both belong too. Within the span of a few hours, we discovered that we were peas in a pod. A very sarcastic, snarky pod. We’ve been friends ever since and my life is the better for it.

This session just took place this past Saturday, April 13 and oh look, snow. What was meant to be a rainy day photoshoot involving puddles and umbrellas (curse the weather reports) quickly turned into a snow day full of laughter, snowballs, and oh yeah- icy plunges. There was a lot of falling.

A lot.

Thankfully Papa Stevens was along for the fun (I mean, what’s a family photoshoot without the whole family?) He spent the majority of his time towing the rest of us out of that sneaky white stuff that makes paths look solid….

Yours truly succumbed to winter’s delight more than a time or two, and Papa Stevens was there to save the day…..except when he was too busy laughing as I literally plunged into the snow after stepping back to capture a picture of the smiling couple.

As I sank into the ground, the smiles turned into laughs. Then the laughs became contagious when Karma came knocking on Papa Stevens door. You see, the moment he started to laugh at me sitting there in the snow, he stepped back and got sucked into the snowy vortex too. And yours truly managed to capture the entire hilarious episode.

This was by far one of the best moments of my life. A tiny, brief moment if you will, because man that snow was cold. But oh, a hilarious one. And I got it on “film”. I know they say vengeance is a dish best served cold, but when you’re waist deep in it….I’d say warmer would be better. We shook it off and kept snapping away until it was time to say good-bye.

Let’s just say I’m glad I have heated leather seats.

Double Trouble

April 15, 2019April 15, 2019 / Summer D. / Leave a comment

Meet the Twins. They’re fun, five, and full of sugar.

No, literally.

Note to self- when babysitting your friend’s twins, do not – I repeat- do not. For. All. That. Is. Holy….do an impromptu photo session after they’ve just consumed what had to have been the world’s largest chocolate chip cookie.

It started out as a noble idea. You see, with Mother’s Day less than a month away I thought I’d be the coolest friend ever and surprise my dear, sweet friend with a gift.

Yeah, I know. In my defense, I’m pretty sure my siblings dropped me on my head a time or two when I was little……

Here’s a few of the photos. It was in the midst of this sugar induced shoot that my flawless plan became flawed. I forgot one very important fact about five year olds.

They can not keep secrets. Ever.

Me: camera in hand “Remember, don’t tell mom. It’s a secret”

Twin 1: squeals with excitement….or sugar high spiral “I can’t wait to tell her!!”

Twin 2: equally sugared up “Yes!!! We’re going to tell her!”

So….I beat them to it. Once I got them calm enough to sit still I went to work and here below you’ll find a few of the calmer ones. And if you’re wondering “Summer is constantly doing black and white photos…why?” Well, because I like them. And I hope you will too. Especially the last one. That’s a favorite of mine and their mom’s.

Finding Friends In Maine

April 15, 2019April 15, 2019 / Summer D. / 2 Comments

Passed by for almost a year on my monthly grocery shopping trips to Presque Isle, Aroostook State Park holds the distinction of being Maine’s first state park. Home to Echo Lake and Quaggy Jo mountain, it’s been on my Places to Go list since last April. Can you believe we’re just a few days shy of our first anniversary since we moved across the country? I can’t either.

With any big move there’s sure to be big changes. Most are good: slower pace, gorgeous colonial home where everyone gets there own bedroom (well except me, I have to share….. thankfully I like him. Wink wink. Nudge. Nudge.) Making new friends. And so many more things that I can’t even list. Well I could but you’d eventually just skip all of my blah blah blah and just scroll on down to the pictures (if you haven’t already.) In short, a lot of good things have come from moving here.

There’s two sides of the coin though and with the good you get the bad. You know it. I know it. That’s just life. We had to say some teary goodbyes and one year later, our eyes are still suspiciously wet when we think of them. Like tacos. Oh and more importantly, and hardest of all – saying good-bye to old friends and working up the courage to make new ones.

Not only have I been blessed with new friends, but my youngest has found a few too, including the youngest of the Steven’s Trio. And that’s why this post is only one of three that will be posted this week from this past weekend’s photo session.

Practically a halfway point between us, the park was the perfect place to meet up with our newfound friends. When I asked my youngest if she’d like to go with me and see her friend I had to dive out of the way as she practically flew into the car. I didn’t even have my boots on yet. Yes, boots, because it might be Spring everywhere else in the U.S, but we’re in a whole other world up here and Winter up here is like that party guest who stays just a tad bit longer than everyone else….. (That’s usually me by the way- I’m that guest.)

Among the many moments captured were a few candids of a fantastic duo and I can’t help but smile when I look at these.

I think you will too.

Join me as we walk through the woods and get a glimpse of the joy of youth and new beginnings.

The Old Covered Bridge Photo Session

April 7, 2019April 13, 2019 / Summer D. / Leave a comment

A few of my favorite pictures from a photo session with friends last summer.

Moving Forward

April 4, 2019April 13, 2019 / Summer D. / Leave a comment

This past year has seen a lot of changes. One of those is that I’m no longer able to see these smiling faces.

At least not in person.

That’s the beauty of photography, am I right? Capturing moments, that no matter where you go, will always be with you. This photo (and a few others on this post) was taken just a week or so before we loaded up the moving truck and headed up to (a currently) snowy, blustery northeastern Maine. A far cry from the dry heat and almost constant sunshine of southern New Mexico.

We traded in a view of the Organ Mountains for flora, fauna, and Fall. A fact that is currently lost in translation, since everything is still slightly covered up by fresh snowfall…. (Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love it. In fact, the townfolk are beginning to wonder if I’m demented or just a few fries short of a happy meal….)

My view outside my window might be one of winter but I only need to click on this pic below to be reminded that in some areas of the world the sun shines in Spring.

Just a few short weeks after this weeklong photo shoot, I arrived in Maine. Within a month, my camera was aimed and ready to capture the world. And yet for the past three months, my camera has been sitting untouched in the dark; just waiting to be picked up to for moments like this one below.

And others like these from the handful of family sessions I did this past year.

We managed to capture some truly magical moments and I enjoyed every single person I’ve worked with, but I’m just not a family photographer.

And I’m learning that that’s okay.

My pace will be set at my leisure. My time spent shooting those moments that capture me in their awe and beauty.

Not confined by the rigors of necessity or priority. Dictated only by serendipity and fate.

We should always be moving forward, but it’s good to look back and remember the moments. After all, each and every one- whether big or small, have a part to play in the evolution of All. All that we are, all that we believe, and all that we want to be.

In the wilds of art, that’s where you’ll find me.

All Is Merry And Bright

December 10, 2018December 10, 2018 / Summer D. / Leave a comment

As a beginner photographer I can honestly say one of my biggest nemesis’ is lighting. They say practice makes perfect and I don’t mind practicing one bit.

Especially when each family has been crazy fun and super cute.

And this family was no exception.

To battle my nemesis, Bad Lighting, I showed up late morning when the sun shone bright through a magnificent wall of windows.

We started our Candid Christmas photo session with that quintessential tradition that’s been bringing families together for longer than I know.

The Christmas Tree

And what a gorgeous tree they had, indeed. Standing a glorious thirteen feet, she was a beauty to behold and the perfect backdrop for their family photoshoot.

Okay, and sometimes the perfect umbrella…you know, for that adorable baby!!!!

Obviously the bulk of our morning was spent pouring over family ornaments and finding space for them on the tree.

And posing for the camera of course.

Tree decorating, especially a thirteen foot behemoth, is no easy feat. So we rested our feet and settled down to regroup with a storybook that’s close to this sweet family’s heart.