On the porch

My smart, funny, and beautiful friend Kristen with her rockin' family. We did a shoot last Saturday and they have one of those porches in Rockridge that I always walk past and imagine how great it would be to have a house with a porch. They use it as their other living room, so I was so glad to get their "family portrait" in this wonderful spot. More and more I am attracted to photographing in people's homes, because for a family the space you live in is such a integral part of their life.

More to come... and Kristen, there are TONS of Paige smiling. What do you know...

P.S. Kristen also write a great blog: http://www.motherloadblog.com/
Grab a glass of wine, or cup of coffee- it IS still morning here, and enjoy.

The Storybook Album

Introducing the Storybook Album! This is a wonderful way to document where your family is right now. It is designed in a clean, modern style with lovely personal additions like the Show and Tell page and special notes to your child. The Storybook is a rich, visual journey that will no doubt become a family heirloom.

Details...

The album is 10x10 in size with 30 sides. (15 pages)
You will have approximately 60 images from your shoot included.
Each page is custom designed by yours truly with your family's style and story in mind.

Please send me an email if you would like more information and pricing!

Favorites Album

Ohh... I am excited to introduce two new albums. The first is called the Favorites Album because it was created as a place for all your favorite images from the shoot. I know you can't hang up 30 pictures (or maybe you can -you go, girl!) so here we have this sweet little album to do the job of preserving those great shots that you don't want to loose on that sad day the web gallery comes down...

The albums are 8" x 8" and the images are 5"x7". They are beautifully constructed with smooth, thick paper that lays flat- not like those flimsy albums floating around. (Sorry iphoto!)

You choose your favorite 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 shots and I'll do the rest! You have the option of funky, colorful borders or no borders at all for a more clean and modern appeal.

Whatever you go with- I know you'll love them! I sent one to my mom as a gift and it brought her to tears. Points for Mary!

If you are interested, shoot me an email and I'll send you a little description with pricing.

Check this out:

If you've had a shoot with me in 2008, then you have also received one of the Portrait Display Guides.

Recently a client asked for some ideas for displaying her 5 favorite photos. I played around with this Gallery Display and inserted those photos into the frames! Cute, huh? If you are also in need of some inspiration, send me an email with some favorites and I'll see what I can come up with!

Ol' bluish-greenish eyes

Some more from Owen's shoot:

It has been a crazy week, so I am only 1/4th of the way through editing these, so I'll just throw them up as I go.

We went to Diamond Park for these- I've somehow never made it there with my own son and so finally brought him there today. I totally felt like I had been cheating on him with Owen, seeing all these wonderful spots where we shared such good times.

It is funny editing these shoots with little people the same size as Will. He wanders into the office and sees these happy little faces, having such a ball and is like -"What's the deal, lady? Why do you spend so much time staring at pictures of kids we don't know?"

Owen

Today I had a shoot with this little man and his wonderful parents. Thanks for that fun morning, Randy and Jenna! Did he nap well? Did I do my job? :)

Here's a "teaser" while I process the photos...

Happy Honeymoon!

Have a great trip, Diane and Hans ~I'll have an album waiting for you on your return...

Happy Birthday Little Man!

On Friday we hosted our first Birthday party for Will, who turned three. We had over the usual suspects, which made for a happy, messy scene. Thank you wonderful friends for celebrating with us!!!

Skylar, apprehensive in the party hat but always wanting to please:


The man of the hour:


ADORABLE Eden, trying out the cake:


Will's cake- I made it but it looked like he did:
(Barefoot Contessa Chocolate with Peanut Butter frosting, if you must know...)


The Feast: Thank you amazing Drew for pulling this off:


I finally caught Paigie's smile:


The various "Put the baby in that" contraptions:

Eden, working the sun screen:

Will, escaping the fun for a quiet train moment:

Owen, mid-bite:


The Twins! (All hail Megan, their indomitable mother...)

Ella in contemplation:


Baby angst:

Sacha serving it up:

Thanks again guys; I am so lucky to have these amazing "mom" friends. And the best part is I'd want to hang with them even if we didn't have this crazy child-rearing thing in common.
Who else would sneak wine into the movies and drink it out of sippy cups with me?

xoxo
Mary

P.S. Will- you are incredible. And we did it -we got through the 2's. Your mom and dad love you more than words could ever say. xoxoxoxo

Oh. My. God.

I'm dying laughing- here is the photo of me eating cake.

Atta girl, Mary... way to inhale carrot cake.

Thanks Diane, I needed a good laugh at the end of my day!

Diane and Hans

Last Saturday I photographed the lovely weddding of Diane and Hans. So many good people and good feelings... It was one of those events that I had a little smile on my face the whole time. :)

(And great cake- apparently there is a shot of me wolfing down a slice of cake with my fork in one hand and camera in the other... Nice McHenry. Reeaaaal professional. He he)

Here are a few, more to come.

More from the Fabulous Grippandos

I loved going through these photos- it was such a loose, happy scene...

Butterfly Exhibit

Last Friday my mamma friends and I ventured out to SF for the Butterfly Exhibit at the Conservatory of Flowers. We should all get props for that, because we are most comfortable sitting on someones porch while our kids play icecream parlor with the sunscreen.

There were too many to post here, so feel free to check out a little slideshow!

Splayed

I like how his limbs mimic the branches in the painting...

Blue Hill Mountain

This was the 1st summer that Will hiked up our little town's mountain in Maine. Drew and I were fully prepared for the worst from our 2 year old- protest in the form of a sit-in halfway up, bad trip on the granite rocks, "mountains are bad," etc. ect.

As children will do, he surprised us and ROCKED the hike. Here he is, emerging triumphant from the woods with Blue Hill Bay rising to meet him...