We’re baaaaaaack! It’s a new year, and I am so happy to be continuing the “one” blog circle with some of my favorite people. A circle of friends posting one shot each month. Maybe it’s one that was overlooked, maybe it’s one we loved from the second we saw it on our viewfinder, maybe it almost went into the delete pile – but there was something about it that we couldn’t let it go. Maybe technically imperfect, maybe out of the normal realm of our own style, maybe shot on an iPhone, “one” was made to be a place to post one from the heart, imperfections and all.
This project started in January 2013, you can read more about it’s origins by clicking here. Follow all around the links to complete the circle and visit some talented photographers from all over the country 🙂 We post our “one” shots at the beginning of each month. We’d love to have you along for the ride! If you click the “subscribe” tab on my website, you can receive automatic blog updates by email.
This month, for me…can best be described as living in Antarctica. The “polar vortex” has hit Chicago hard. Around here, we’re used to a decent amount of harsh weather, and lots of snow. But this is unusual even by Chicago’s wacky weather standards. Even my very furry, snow-loving dog doesn’t want to go outside anymore. Let’s just say we are all a little tired of being stuck inside right now. You can find a lot of really cool (and some funny) shots of frozen Chicago by looking through the #Chiberia hashtag on Instagram.
So back to #Chiberia, here is a shot from New Year’s Day, snowstorm #124: the starting lineup at our local little sledding hill in La Grange Park. My boys are getting set up in the middle in the gray jackets…and after your visit with me, please continue around the circle by clicking the link below my picture.
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Click here and follow me to beautiful (and also snowy and cold) Golden, CO, to see what my talented friend Sarah has been up to in January. I’ve seen a few sneak peeks of her work lately, and she’s definitely taking advantage of her picturesque surroundings!
Now that the temperature has been hovering in single digits for a while now, I definitely have cabin fever. I have been looking back over my summer shots, both film and digital, and finally I am editing and organizing them. I miss summer! I can’t wait until it’s warm enough to get into the lake again!
We had such a blast “up north” in Michigan last August. We stayed in Cabin #4 at All Seasons Resort, an adorable little old school Michigan lake resort, owned by family friends. Nothing more relaxing than spending some time by a lake. I actually was sick that entire week (cabin fever?), but there’s no better place to nurse a cold than near the water. My mother in law got me some great tea, and I drank it by the gallon and just relaxed all week while the boys explored and played. They got such a kick out of staying in our tiny cabin.
Here are some shots from our fun week off the grid, with more to come (still making my way through the film…)
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I took these shots near the end of summer up at the lake. Our neighbor Alexis asked me to do a shoot of her and her handsome boy, T. He’s just a tiny bit older than my boys and we are so excited the boys are all finally playing together up there (and not just next to/around each other!). It’s so cute. It was such a pleasure for me to get to shoot up at the lake, a place that is so special to me and my family, and I know it’s very special to them too.
Alexis wanted to grab some shots of them together, and we were hoping for some snuggly shots since T is in that sweet phase of wanting to snuggle with his mama. Such a special (and fleeting) time. We were shooting out in back of the house and I suggested that we go inside really quick to try to get some good snuggle shots. I am so happy I got to capture it! Aren’t they gorgeous?
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Meet Miss E. Her aunt, who also happens to be one of my dear friends from college, got this session for E’s mom as a gift. What an awesome gift to give! The best baby gifts I received were photo sessions – when you are a tired, busy new mom, who means well and wants to capture a bunch of pictures/schedule a photo session but doesn’t really have the time or energy? It’s the best.
We had a lot of fun just following this sassy thing around all day. She’s full of personality, as you can probably tell – she was all over the place, and even jumped into the tub which I loved. It’s hilarious to just follow toddlers around and see what happens. And now, she’s a big sister! So I am happy I got to capture her in this fleeting moment of time, where she was the only child – something she won’t even remember as she gets older. .jpg)
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I can hardly believe we are closing out our first YEAR of our “One” blog circle! And I cannot wait to continue this tradition with these fabulous and talented ladies. We are excited to keep the circle going in 2014. Our circle of friends has had quite a year. There have been a lot of ups and downs in our group, and I am happy that we have been able to support each other, even from afar, through all of it – good and bad.
A highlight of 2013 was finally meeting *everyone* in our group in September when we traveled to Colorado. The only downside to that trip was that it was much too short! I am excited for more meet-ups next year!
So for my last post of the year, I thought what better way than to kick off the new year than with a brand new baby? Meet the newest member of my extended family, Cooper! He was born in early December, and was just a week old when I snapped this. This generation of our family is ALL boy. Cooper makes seven of them, to be exact! And all of these boy cousins are a whole lot of fun. My brother, cousins, and I (and our numerous boy children) all live within a few miles of each other and we get together often. I love that the boys will grow up together.
I kept circling back around to this shot because the first time I met Cooper, just a few days before this picture was taken, the kid would NOT open his eyes. For anything. He just slept right on through everything (which is a fabulous feature for his parents, of course). So I thought, great! He’ll sleep through the entire shoot and it’ll be a piece of cake! Well, guess who was just Mr. Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed through most of the shoot? Maybe I didn’t get a lot of those sweet sleepy newborn shots, but it was such fun to see his eyes and hang out with him one on one for a little while. He kept actually making eye contact with my camera which was so much fun for me to capture.
Happy 2014 everyone! I hope you continue to follow me and my friends as we continue journaling our lives, and the lives of others, with our cameras. Click here to follow me to Georgia to see what my friend Kim has been up to in December. Kim is a great storyteller who shoots both digital and a variety of film formats. Then continue clicking through the links to travel around the US and see the posts from all of my talented friends. Until next time – see you next year!
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Going through some rolls of film I got back from summer, and it’s really making me wish it were still warm outside! This summer when we were in northern Michigan at All Seasons Resort, Charlie learned how to fish, sort of. He got the hugest kick out of it and spent a lot of time on the pier practicing his casting with this kiddie practice rod and reel. Maybe next year he can fish using the real deal.
Canon EOS3 + 50mm + Fuji Pro 400H + developed and scanned at Indie Film Lab
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Kim - I love this!! Love the perspective, and colors of childhood against that beautiful white snow. So glad your boys get to experience this.
Adele Humphries - Fantastic! Such a fun experience, and wonderful capture!