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.

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.

The tree and story were done but we weren’t.

I had with me a bag of fun and oh the fun we had.

Garland

And Snowballs

And Candy.

Oh My!

The candy was camera shy, but the kids weren’t.

Thank you for sharing in this little photographic journey and may I wish you a very merry (and bright) Christmas.

Summer -1

Nemesis-0

Hello June, We’ve Been Expecting You

June 1, 2018December 10, 2018 / Summer D. / 2 Comments

It’s the first day of June, and our first June in Maine.

The sky is slowly filling with heavy-laden clouds promising rain later in the day. Until then, we headed outside and had a bit of fun. And cooled off too. Note to self, buy a few fans for the house.

It’s so stuffy inside, that even the Grace ventured outside.