Fall Sessions: Miss M

There is no question, I love children. I always have. My mom always told me that even when I was four years old, I wanted to be a mom. That love of children flourished when I had the pleasure of being a daycare teacher (working with toddlers) for almost six years. When I became a mom myself, I finally felt complete. I have the great opportunity to stay home with my son and teach him important values, life lessons and academics. 

I became a photographer mostly due to the fact that I wanted to capture all of those little moments of childhood. Kids have such honest views on life. They are fearless. They don't care if anyone thinks that their dancing is strange. They love picking out their own outfits however bizarre they may seem. And when it comes to taking their pictures, it can be a satisfying challenge to get those smiles that make you melt. It is my job and blessing to get those smiles for my clients. 

Be prepared to see some of the sweetest expressions ever...

Meet Meghan. She and I hit it off right away.

When I saw her Dora shirt, I knew that this was going to be a fun session. This was her first time having professional pictures done, so I'm sure she was thinking "what is that strange lady doing?" Well, one thing I pride myself on is relating to the kids(and adults too). I don't just want to be a photographer, I want to be more like a friend or family member. So naturally...I start singing Dora songs. How cool is that? I know all the Dora characters!

We talked about Dora, dance class, you know...the things buddies talk about. I asked Meghan to show me which prop she wanted to use. She took my hand and showed me the rocking chair. P.S. when a child takes your hand, doesn't that make your heart flutter? It's a little sign that they trust you.

The next two images proves just how quick moods can change. The one on the left is a mixture of apprehension and a little sadness. But then the one on the right is all silliness!

We played a lot of peek-a-boo and Red Light, Green Light. Most of my frames she ended up upside down and so was I! 

Here are some of the cutest images ever to grace my camera.

Meghan is a little girl with great ideas. She directed a lot of the shoot, which is fine by me, because it means she's comfortable and content. If she's happy, I'm happy! This last shot was at the end of our session. Again, Meghan takes my hand and says "Let's go over here". She brings me over to a little tree and climbs underneath. With apple in hand, she was poised for the perfect picture.

Thanks to Meghan and her family for a great day! Hope to see you all again soon! XOXO

Fall Sessions: The K Family

It's been a long time since I've written. From the last post (in March), I was in a different space personally. I took a step back and focused on myself and my family. I recharged, found faith and now...I'm back. So, it's only appropriate that my first post in months be all about what's close to my heart, families.

Since fall is my absolute favorite time of year, I decided to host some special family sessions at Ipswich River Park in North Reading, Ma. My first session of the day happened to be with a childhood friend and her family. I was so excited to see them, especially their beautiful little girl Alyssa. I photographed her when she was only a few months old and now she is 2! 

When I work with children, I like to give them choices, it must be the parent and former teacher in me. So, I had a few options for them to choose. A hay bale to sit on surrounded by gourds and apples, a cozy blanket with pumpkins and flowers and a rocking chair that was just the right size. Alyssa saw this and knew she wanted to try it out.

Another thing I've learned over the years with kids, food equals happy smiles! Having a 3 year old boy at home always keeps me prepared. I never leave my house without tons of snacks in the car. So for the day, I had plenty of apples as treats and even passed out Halloween pretzels for those that wanted them. Alyssa did not want to give up this yummy Cortland!

This image is so precious to me. I love the honesty in the face Alyssa is making. And how she is reaching out to her parents. It shows she feels safe and loved.

The first thing I noticed about Alyssa immediately was her beautiful hair. In my opinion, it is literally princess hair. Perfectly curled and blonde. Her hair matched with her soft voice and sweet demeanor just could make anyone melt. 

You wouldn't know it by these images, but this little one was battling a nasty cold. She was so good until, like most kids, needed to move. So we decided to just take a little walk (and swing) down the nearest path.

We wrapped up our session and were starting to walk back to our cars (I promised pumpkin and bat pretzels to Alyssa), when I noticed this gorgeous light hitting her hair. I took my lens cap off quickly to grab this. It looks like there is a halo around her. 

Thank you guys for coming out that day, with colds and all! I hope you like the images as much as I do. Lots of love to you.

Letter to My Child

This past week was not easy. March 10th,2013 would have been your due date. I have been waiting for this day with a lump in my throat and a hole in my heart. I knew I wanted to make this time special for you and show you how much you mean to me, but I wasn't sure how to go about doing that. So, I did the best thing I could. I will show you my love in pictures.

Here you are. The very first time we laid eyes on you. We called you Baby Bean.

This is your house. It's not much, but it is filled with love.

This is your family. P.S. Your big brother talks about you all the time.

Here is your bed, Daddy made this for you and your brother.

This is the book I was meant to read to you every night. I love you to the moon and back.

                 

This is the song I sang to you while you were in my belly.

                                             

Words that helped Mommy find strength and peace.

I wrote your story in my own words. 

A charm that lay close to my heart, always reminded me of you.

On what would have been your birthday, we lit a candle for you and a dear friend brought us flowers.

                             

We walked out to the Dogwood tree we planted for you to bring you a present.

I have no doubt you are beautiful. I know that you are with people that love you and they can take care of you until I get to meet you someday. I know that you send me signs and guide me in the right direction. Through you, I am becoming a better person. I am forever thankful to have had you for just a moment in the belly. You have left a hand print on my heart.

You will have two homes. One with us and one in Heaven. I love you baby girl.

Reflection 2012

2012 started off with a bang. I had a brand new beautiful camera. This was going to be a game changer for the way I approached photography.  I thought I would share with you some of the highlights of 2012, mixed in with some personal recounts of what proved to be a roller coaster of a year. 

In the beginning of the year, I really wanted to push myself, to be a better photographer and person. I learned about the Inspire Photo Seminars that were taking place in Sturbridge, Ma. There I learned some great information about the business I was slowly getting into, the art and met some great people. You can read about my experience here http://kristinesoares.blogspot.com/2012/04/inspire.html, if you'd like.

That learning experience wasn't enough for me. When I got back from my trip, I learned from another incredible photographer, Spring Smith(now McKenney congrats on the wedding! http://www.springsmithstudios.com/) that she was hosting her first "Newbies" seminar, in North Conway, NH. I of course, needed to jump on that opportunity too. There, we not only got to have hours of her mentoring, but we also got to practice our skills at a styled shoot. I absolutely love her style presence and all the little touches she puts into making something beautiful. 

Next up, I had the delicious (literally) job of photographing food for Tavern in the Square, in Salem Ma. http://kristinesoares.blogspot.com/2012/04/tavern-in-square.html

This is just a sample of some of my favorites.

Next, I was asked to work the biggest job I've ever been asked to do. I got to shoot at Fenway Park. This was such a honor, that I had to bring along a special "assistant". This job easily became a highlight of the year for me, because it created an amazing memory/moment for me and my Dad.

In 2012, I started a little project called One Love. I wanted to showcase different couples and draw some inspiration from them on what makes a relationship work. Here are some of the images I absolutely love!

In addition to some awesome couples, I got to photograph some awesome kids! I decided to take on my very first mini-session marathon, called "The Places You'll Go!" In just a matter of a few hours, I managed to grab some incredible shots (and totally had a blast doing so) of some really really cute kids. 

A few weeks later my family got exciting news, that we would be adding on to our little family of 3 (not including our cat!). 

Ironically, after that big news, I had a wedding to 2nd shoot with my good friend and mentor Kelly Mintz of SEE Shore Photography (http://www.seeshorephoto.com/index.html). This would be a big test, shooting while battling morning sickness. Once I got to the wedding, my game face was on and I had a blast photographing a beautiful military wedding. 

One thing I really try to do as a photographer is to show true beauty. A lot of women, including myself, have a very skewed perception of how they look. Before my own wedding 3 years ago, I decided to be daring and have a very tasteful "unwrapped" shoot done with the lovely Leah Haydock (http://leahhaydock.com/). This boosted my confidence and now I want to pass on that same feeling of empowerment by creating what I call "Dare to Bare" sessions. Here, two brave models(my close friends) were my guinea pigs. The second shoot went on to appear in Pretty Pear Bride magazine!(http://prettypearbride.com/)

During the year, I had the chance to meet a number of new families that turned into friendships. One, family included a set of infant twins.

What was an eventful, fun year, took an expectant turn for the worse. At my 18 week appointment, we received devastating news. Our little baby was sent to Heaven before she was born. This shook my world upside down. I had to explain to my 2 year old son, that our little "baby bean" went to be with God. I spent what felt like ages, grieving. I tried to be strong for my little boy and keep busy, because he needed his Mommy. 

And time moved on. I became determined that through this tragedy, I would be a better wife, mother and overall person. I was not going to wallow in the dark forever. I needed to be a strong person for my daughter, who is looking down on my every move. I need to make her proud. I picked myself up and started eating even healthier and started an exercise routine. Before I knew it, I had lost over 12 pounds and counting. I am determined that there is hope to grow our little family when the time is right and my body will be the healthiest it's ever been. 

In memory of our little girl, we planted a Dogwood tree. In the spring, when she would have been born, we will watch as her tree spreads beauty at our home. She will always be a part of my family and forever in my heart. Olivia, is my Angel baby.

I will not say that 2012 was a terrible year, or that I am happy that it is over. I look back and am proud at the work that was accomplished both professionally and personally. I will continue to challenge myself and overcome any struggles that are thrown my way. I count my blessings every day. I have a beautiful support group of friends and family. I have a passion for creating art and hopefully touching lives. And most importantly, I have a new found strength in myself.

With all the pictures that I have taken over the past year, I will leave you with a few of my most treasured. And those are of the ones I love. 

Matthew's best buddies. And both of their moms are my best friends too!

Matthew's humor blossomed over the year. And he continues to make me smile and laugh every day. 

He turned 2!!!!

We saw Grammy (who lives in Portugal) for the first time in 2 years. This was such a great moment.

Here is my own little family who mean the world to me.

So for 2013, I wish all of you the best of luck. Maybe you'll want to follow along in my journey. Maybe you too, would like to create more memories and I would be happy to capture them!

Most of all, I hope you find magic in every day. Try and find one thing, one little blessing to make what appears to be a bad day, into a good one. We only live one life, so we have to make the best of it. Every day can be a good one, if we just close our eyes, open our hearts and believe.

With Love,

Kristine