NEW WEBSITE AND BLOG! | Annapolis, Baltimore, DC Maryland photographer

www.frecklephotography.com

New website launched! | Maryland photographer

Hello! So, after 4 years in business, I had decided that it was time for a new look. Things have changed so much since I first began my business. I started with a focus on newborn and child photography, then I moved into weddings and special events. As busy as these have kept me over the past 4 years, I am slightly changing directions and moving back into the photojournalism world where I came from. I miss “getting the story” and I wanted to travel more and tell other peoples stories…

So, welcome to the new Freckle Photography, a locally run business with ties to the rest of the world. This year is a big year for me, in just a few days, I am hopping on a plane to travel across the world to India…and I couldn’t be any more excited than I am at this moment. I will be there to build my portfolio and work with a few non-profits for one month. I could go on and on about this trip, but you will have to just read the blog that I will be keeping while I am over there. The blog can be seen and accessed from the new website (www.frecklephotography.com) Then, this spring, I am going to travel to Paris to photograph a wedding. I’m already envisioning shots near the Eiffel Tower and eating yummy bread and cheese in an outdoor cafe.

My goal this year is to expand the business from documentary lifestyle to more documentary/humanitarian work for non-profits and NGO’s as well as some travel photography. This does not mean that I will not be documenting newborns, children and weddings, so please, keep those calls coming to book your personal session! Also, my private photo classes are really taking off and I would love to come to your home to teach you how to use that awesome camera that you bought last year (and are still trying to figure out how all those buttons work).

So, all this being said, welcome to the NEW and IMPROVED Freckle Photography. I’m here, ready to document those moments in life that pass by way too quickly and to give back to organizations that are constantly creating moments for those less fortunate.

New website/blog: www.frecklephotography.com

A BIG thank you goes out to my good friends at Grayhood Design and Humid Design in Philadelphia for designing and creating this awesome new website! Dan at Grayhood designed the new logo and look for the website and Josh and Corey over at Humid made the website happen. Thank you guys!! Check out their other projects they are working on at:
http://grayhood.com/
http://www.humiddesign.com/

It’s good to be the king | Annapolis Maryland children’s phographer

Happy 1st Birthday Angelo!

A very chilly Christmas | Annapolis, Maryland family photographer

They braved the cold, they braved the ice, they braved the snow…

Jessica, the oldest daughter of the Huggins family from Westminster, surprised mom and dad on Christmas with a gift certificate for a family photo shoot…unfortunately the weather had other plans for the day that we had scheduled it…the day after Christmas. The snow came, then the wind…as I spoke to Jessica on the phone, we reluctantly cancelled the shoot and planned on meeting in Annapolis the next day to give it a try. I was so stressed out…how was I going to pull this off….the wind alone was pretty brutal and the streets in downtown Annapolis covered in ice and snow. BUT to my surprise, this family was all for it…maybe not right away as the wind whipped around the State House for our first group shot. Hats had to come off and the looks of “oh my god, I am so cold” had to stop for a brief moment while I clicked away. This family of 7 were troopers and I can’t thank them enough for it! We trekked around downtown for about an hour before making our way into Hard Bean Coffee and Booksellers to warm up over some nice steaming cups of hot chocolate and some chill time before heading back out for a few more shots.

Besides the fact that they all toughed it out and remained in good spirits during the entire shoot, I just adored this family. The three boys, Evan, Brandon and CJ, who are all in college (Elon, Duke and American) and Jessica who just graduated and is living and working in Florida and the youngest sibling, Brianna were all a pleasure to be around. Not to mention the fact that they all are beautiful/good-looking. John and Julia (mom and dad), with their calm and cool personalities rounded out the hilarious group. It was really fun getting to know a little bit about them and seeing how they all interacted with each other. Typical brother and sister behaviour was present as I snapped a few shots of the siblings getting goofy with each other.

Thanks Jessica for setting up the shoot for your family. I’m glad that you chose me to photograph your whole family for the first time since Brianna was little and that you will have these photos for a long time…or until we meet again in warmer weather 🙂

Happy New Year Huggins family!

he he he…ha ha ha…ho ho ho| Annapolis family photographer

There was much laughter in the household of my friend Lara and her beautiful growing boys Sean and Alex the other night when I stopped by to do a last-minute Christmas photo shoot with them. It’s always so nice to visit with Lara and her boys, there is always a nice BIG cup of tea, great conversation and laughing involved when I am there…and I am so thankful for that.

I noticed something during their shoot that I am very happy to acknowledge…I’ve been trying too hard to “pose” my subjects when I don’t know them very well. While, I do think that most everybody wants at least one or two posed shots to give to their parents and grandparents, it’s the candid ones that everyone LOVES and ends up using in their holiday card….and just happen to be the ones I enjoy shooting. So…after trying to pose Lara and her boys in front of the nice white fireplace and then again in their dining area of their kitchen (which has great color and art), we moved into her cozy bedroom where the three of them lay down to read a Christmas story and what I captured there was so pure and true to who they are as a family.

I wish that I could walk into every clients house and know who they are so that we could just skip to this part of having fun and documenting their personalities. Maybe I need to start asking more questions before heading out to a photo shoot. Or maybe I just let go a bit and see what happens. It’s a bit nerve-wracking to suggest to a family to do something that you think might be so fun and worth documenting but they might think that it’s the weirdest thing ever…kind of like how I would feel if I had my photo taken at a Sears Portrait Studio…awkward!

Well, either way, it’s nice to be reminded sometimes that letting go and having a bit more fun and creativity in a photo shoot produces shots that they can look at for years and years to come and talk about that moment instead of just saying, “wow, look at how ugly my hair was in 1985!”.

Merry Merry Christmas Lara, Sean and Alex and to all my awesome clients and followers this year. It’s been a very rewarding year! Much love to you all.

Christmas comes to Annapolis | Annapolis, Maryland music photographer

I’d like to take a moment and give a shout out to Annapolis Musicians For Musicians (AMFM). AMFM is a local non-profit that is a supporter of professional musicians in Annapolis. If for some reason an artist cannot work due to illness or other event, AMFM is there to help financially. This week Rams Head On Stage hosted AMFM’s yearly Christmas show, a two day event showcasing local musicians performing Christmas songs. I volunteered to photograph the second night, and am so glad that I did! I have not had the opportunity to make it to one of these shows in all the years that I’ve been living here…what a disgrace! It was a very fun night and I suggest that you plan ahead for next year’s shows since tickets go fast! Here is a selection of photos from the night.

click here to visit their website to purchase a live CD from past events or to make a donation

I am lucky in so many ways | Maryland documentary photographer

This past Friday I had quite an awakening. I hosted a fundraiser for my upcoming trek to India where I will work with a few non-profit organizations and provide them with photographs and hopefully some multimedia pieces that they can use to generate awareness for their causes. The fundraiser was a success in so many ways. I raised enough money for my flight to India, which was my goal and takes some pressure off being able to afford this trip.

I’ve always known that I live in a very supportive community and have so many incredibly supportive friends, but Friday night really humbled me and made me realize that I am one lucky girl. It’s one thing for your friends, family and community to come together and donate money to your cause…whatever it is, but the thing that really made me giddy and extremely confident that I am doing the right thing was that they all came out and showed me that they supported me and my passion. I can’t quite put this feeling into words…I went home that night and just stared at the wall as my eyes welled up with tears, I looked at my boyfriend Ruben (who also had an amazing night playing a most wonderful gig with an old friend) and said, “I can’t believe this is happening”…I am so fortunate to have such great friends and such an aware community that understands that what I am trying to do is not only important to me, but to those that I will help.

I am going on this adventure (hopefully the first of many) to solidify my story-telling skills, to beef-up my photography skills, to become inspired, to learn about another part of the world, to make new friends, to discover more about my individual creative goals and to give love to those who aren’t as lucky as I am. I will come home and use my improved skills to help the non-profits in my own community as I continue to operate my business.

I know that the moment I step off the plane in India that I will be transformed in a way never thought possible.
After my experience on Friday night, I feel like I have a crew of great people behind me every step of the way as I travel through a region that is completely foreign to me. It’s as if they are my little guardian angels that are yelling, ” you go girl” as I walk through the crowded streets and meeting people and telling their stories. I can’t tell you how awesome that makes me feel. I am going to work so much harder, be an great representative for my community and bring back so much love for all those that are my supporters.

So, I thank each and every one of you who came out Friday night and donated, whether it was an item for the silent auction, your time, your money or just love and encouragemet. I also want to thank those old friends and new friends who have made donations online for this trip.

I will be doing regular blog enteries as much as possible during my trip (Jan 26-Feb 26), so if you want to follow along,you can subscribe to get notices or just check in now and then.

Much love to all of you.

I’m going to India!

Hi everyone…As many of you already know, I am a photojournalist based in Annapolis, MD. I have an amazing opportunity to travel to India for one month so that I can photograph for a couple of non-profits and give my work to them to use so that they can promote their organization and raise money.

For the first two weeks, I will be traveling with an amazing workshop out of DC called Momenta Workshops (http://momentaworkshops.com/). They are pairing me up with 1-2 non-profits that I will work with over the course of two weeks. During that time, my mentors from Momenta will guide me through the story-telling process, critique my work and teach me new multimedia skills to further enhance my work. One of the small non-profits that I will be working with is a girls ashram. I will be documenting them using still photography as well as sound clips to create a body of work as well as a multimedia presentation. (More details to come about the other non profits I will be helping.)

After the Momenta workshop ends, I will continue to travel through India and work on another personal project as well as some work with another non-profit (still planning, more details to come as I solidify the end of the trip).

Your donation would help offset some of the many costs that I will be paying for out of my own pocket, so every little bit helps. I will be donating all my work back to the 2 non-profits that I will work with while I’m there and will not be making any money back home during that time, so anything you can give to help, is very much appreciated!

Your donation will go toward these expenses:
flight: $1300 (approx)
workshop (includes, food and lodging for 2 weeks) $4500
immunizations/medicine: $1200
two weeks after workshop expenses: $1000+
passport & visa: $300
supplies/camera gear needed: $1000+
So total cost for the whole trip ranges anywhere from $8000-10,000

You ask why the heck am I doing this…well:
I have a love of documentary photography that I’ve been feeding with little projects here & there over the years…but now I am ready to jump right into the world of humanitarian documentary photography and take my career to another level. Momenta workshops is my ticket toward achieving that goal so that I can continue to travel and do more projects like this all over the world (and hopefully make a living doing it!)
I am passionate about using my photography and multimedia work for good so that others can benefit from it and in turn have a better chance at a wonderful life.

When I return, I plan on having an open slide show discussion in Annapolis, MD to share my stories and photos with the community.

Please understand that I am not a non-profit organization, and neither is Momenta…so this donation can not be written off as a non-profit donation.

December 10th from 6-9pm I will be having a fundraiser in downtown Annapolis with great Indian munchies, wine, music, henna and a great silent auction…so if you would like to come support me in that way, I’d love to have you! There have been some awesome donations by local businesses including private yoga, pilates, and massage sessions, hand-crafted jewelry, art supplies, art and much much more. Come join me and have a glass of wine and soak in a bit of Indian culture.

Please email me for any questions or for more information about the fundraiser:
alisonharbaugh@gmail.com

Pretty in Pink | Annapolis, Maryland family photographer

I simply adore this family! This was my fourth shoot with Jenn, Chad, their daughter Lexi and Chad’s kids Sara and Kayla. They are always so much fun and the kids are always so darn cute. It’s been so cool to watch them grow. Last time I photographed this family was for Lexi’s first birthday…now she is walking and giggling and developing quite a personality. Lexi definitely has a mind of her own and seems to have limitless energy to explore the world around her. The twins, Sara and Kayla are growing up to be adorable young ladies. I always enjoy watching how they act around each other. They are getting pretty used to having my camera around so without any prompting, they go into a “pose” and hug each other or hold hands without me ever having to say a word….love it.

We spent a beautiful fall afternoon at Kinder Farm Park in Severna Park. This was my first shoot at this park but it most certainly will not be my last. I love this place! I forgot how great the scenery is here! From beautiful natural backgrounds to fun rustic buildings and farm animals around every corner to entertain the kids, we were kept busy until the sunset.

We spent some time doing a few posed types of shots then moved on to have a bit of fun…petting the rabbits (which Lexi giggled at every time she touched one), visiting the chickens and goats and the most interesting animal there…a GIANT pig…I’ve never seen a pig so large…he wasn’t very pretty. Then we had a little fun swinging and playing at the playground before calling it a night as the park ranger came through and closed the park.

Jenn and Chad thanks again for choosing me to document your lovely family. It’s always so nice to see you guys! Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

A day at the park | Philadelphia child photographer

Center Stage Baltimore| Maryland music photographer

Last night I flew home from Mexico after a wedding I shot and a much needed vacation from reality. The moment I landed, I was picked up by my friend Becca and taken to Center Stage in Baltimore for the Stoop Story Telling series where our boyfriends, Ruben and Joey (also known as Swampcandy) were opening the show with their 1920’s style Delta Blues. I got there just in time to hear them play and snapped off some photos because the venue was so cool. After they finished playing, the story telling series began. This was my first time at one of these events, I’ve been intrigued by them before but never went so I was glad Ruben was playing which forced me to go. The theme of the night was “hauntings” and 8 invited guests were asked to tell their 7 minute story on stage as well as 3 audience members who told 3 minute stories. The stories were awesome. I was sucked in immeaditaly as each presenter had their own style and pulled you into their world for 7 minutes at a time. I’ve never been able to focus during a show, my mind is always racing and I get antsy just sitting in my seat. Not this show…it keeps your attention and you will laugh, cry and be awed by what some people have experienced. I cannot wait until the next one! Everyone should go to check out this awesome event!

city love | baltimore engagement photography

I’m gonna be brief about this engagement session because I am actually shooting this awesome couples wedding this weekend! I’ll have so much to say about them and the weekend so I’m gonna save my blogging energy for later. The wedding is a “camp away” wedding, the newest trend in weddings….stay tuned for the photos and some good stories from the weekend. Until then, enjoy the engagement session!

Evening on the beach | Annapolis, Maryland family photographer

Last week I spent the evening with a wonderful family from Annapolis and Delaware. Grandma, Grandpa, their son and daughter and their spouses, kids and even the dogs all met me on the beach in Bay Ridge for a family shoot. The little ones were great sports as the shoot went about three hours long! Enjoy the photos from the shoot!

I’m baaaack!

I just returned from a wonderful little vacation to Colorado. In the midst of all the craziness that wedding season brings me as well as all the other jobs that are happening, I found myself with a free weekend and a boyfriend out of town (he’s touring in the UK) so I thought, “hey, this is the perfect time to go visit an old friend and clear my head.” So I did it, I booked a trip to Colorado and was off (well, it wasn’t that easy…let’s just say that I won’t be dealing with US Air anymore and I love United).

I arrived on Thursday and my long-time friend Heather picked me up in Colorado Springs. We drove the 35 minutes back to Pueblo, CO where she and her boyfriend Josh just bought the cutest little house. Heather and I have had a long history…growing up together in New Oxford, PA and then both going to school in Philly where we ended up living together for awhile. She moved to Denver and then back to Philly and now is back in Colorado so I don’t get to see her as often as I’d like.

Heather and Josh made my trip one I will never forget and one that my brain thanks them for. For the first time all year, I didn’t think about work or anything that has been clogging up my mind since deciding to own my own biz. I honestly don’t know how anyone gets any work done out there…the scenery is just too beautiful and mesmerizing that I coudn’t complete a thought except for “wow!”

I won’t bore you with all the details of my adventure but here are the highlights and some photos for your viewing pleasure.

1. Bishop’s Castle: The photos will speak for this place. I was blown away by the scale and detail of the place. It makes you think about how awesome something can be if you devote your whole life to it. Passion is becoming a lost art.

2. Boulder, CO: We drove up to Boulder for the night and got a hotel room so that we could take in another area of the state I was interested in seeing. That night we went to the Mountain Sun Brewing Bompany which I enjoyed very much. I am a beer drinker, so I enjoy trying all kinds of new brews when I travel. This place did not dissappoint. I was happy to see that they had two offerings that night with a nitrogen tap…yee haw! Later that night we went to an awesome bar called The Sink…it was near the University of Colorado in an area they call The Hill. This place had so much character! The entire bar was painted up in murals that dated back to the 20s and the ceiling was full of names of people who have passed through and signed it.

3. The next morning we toured around downtown Boulder and came across a parade of sorts with dancing dragons and drumming…a Chinese festival was taking place in the main plaza.

After some browsing through shops, we drove up into the mountains for a view unlike any I’ve seen. The area was called Lost Gulch and the views of The Rockies were just fantastic. Being from the East Coast, I guess I never really understood or appreciated how beautiful The Rockies were. I was speechless and instead of saying anything I took hundreds of photos.

One the way home we stopped by Red Rocks…wow! is all I can say about that place! I can’t wait to actually see a show there one day!

4. The Great Sand Dunes National Park: This place was recommended by a friend, so we had to make the 2 hour drive east from Pueblo. It was a beautiful drive out to the sand dunes and well worth the time. I don’t really know if the photos do it justice, these things were massive and my friend and I managed to climb to the top of one of the larger ones. Hiking up the dunes is no easy task, especially with the altitude difference and my lack of exercise the past few months. Once at the top, the view and the satisfaction of completing the “hike” set in and I was elated.

5. The last day, Heather took me to the cutest little town outside of Colorado Springs called Manitou Springs. The weather decided that it wasn’t really our day and poured and poured, so we decided to duck into a little falafel place and have lunch. Then we browsed around some of the little shops until we came upon…..an arcade! This was not just any ordinary arcade. This was a throw back arcade that had every vintage game imaginable…fortune tellers, pinball, skeeball, and even the little penny peepshow viewers. I was in heaven! I love things that light up and I love vintage finds, so my camera was going crazy while I was in there…I didn’t even play any games I was so into the visuals I was capturing. I did however have my fourtune read by an animated fortune teller…and my fourtune began “you’ve been wondering if you’ve spent your time wisely…” I’d like to think I did. Those 5 days away from work, bills and all the stresses of life were very wisely spent in my book!

Two little handsome men | Maryland newborn photographer

Happy First Birthday Ethan! | Annapolis,MD newborn and baby photographer

Aren’t first birthdays the greatest?! I think so! You might remember little Ethan’s newborn shoot that I posted almost a year ago…he was so tiny! Last Saturday I got to go back to Alexandria, VA to follow up with the family and document his first birthday. I showed up before the party because the family chose to do a standard shoot instead of the birthday party shoot. It was a beautiful day along the water in Alexandria as we walked around and looked for some fun places to shoot as well as grab a few candid moments. Ethan was a good sport, thanks to a bowl of Cheerios…I’m starting to think I should always keep a supply of these tasty treats in my bag for those moments when the kid wants nothing to do with sitting still 🙂 Then we went back to the house where I grabbed some beautiful shots in the main bedroom (thanks to the amazing light that was coming in the windows).
Lauren and Brad…thank you so much for having me back! It’s so wonderful to get to follow up after a newborn shoot and see just how quickly these little ones grow! Enjoy your little man!

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Mother’s Day is just around the corner | Annapolis child photographer

Don’t forget about your momma or a soon-to-be momma! Their big day is coming up in May and Freckle Photography is a great place to get that special gift. We have lots of great packages that you could buy a gift certificate for OR if you have recently had a shoot with Freckle Photography, why not buy some prints, a wall canvas or an album. If honor of all the wonderful moms, mention that you are purchasing a gift certificate for Mother’s Day and we will take 15% off all standard packages (normally $250).

4th Birthday Imagination Party|Annapolis, MD Children’s Birthday Photographer

Enjoy these photos from my first ever Imagination Birthday Party. Crystalooney’s Creative Arts provided face painting, story time, lots of glitter and fun for a 4th birthday celebration.

Hey Little Abbey Mae | Maryland newborn photographer

I had the pure pleasure of taking two days off this week to drive up to Bucks Co. Pennsylvania to visit my best gal Heather and her husband Craig. Heather gave birth to her first child, Abbey Mae just two months ago and I was itching to get up there and see the new addition to their family. Heather and I have been friends since 5th grade, so this was quite a milestone in our 20 year friendship!

It’s always amazing to see new parents with their child, but when you’ve known someone as long as I’ve known Heather, it’s just awesome to see them as a parent. She and Craig are naturals and quite the team when it comes to parenting. I guess it helps that Heather has several nieces and nephews that she’s had a little practice with 🙂 I never quite imagined Heather as a mom when we were growing up. We were the tomboys in school, played several sports together, sang loudly in my car as we drove around our little town and had dreams of being independent women. Now though, the role fits her so well and my heart warms up just watching her mother little Abbey.

Unfortunately it rained the entire time I was there, so we couldn’t enjoy the outdoors with Abbey. We did make it out once for a late lunch of sushi…and Abbey slept through the whole thing! Abbey is the sweetest little girl with some of the greatest facial expressions. She laughs, smiles, sticks out her tongue, throws her fist up into the air as if declaring something big and is already making some interesting little conversational sounds.

I am so happy for Heather and Craig and can’t wait to watch Abbey grow. Thanks guys for letting me hang out and document your day! I am already looking forward to our next visit!

Welcome to the world Jonathan!|Annapolis baby and newborn photographer

As a photographer I get to do a lot of really cool things, things that I would normally never get to experience. I’ve flown an airplane, experienced zero gravity, sailed the Chesapeake, photographed two presidents, and even hung out a helicopter door to get aerial photos of downtown Annapolis.  Recently I got to have an experience that touched me in a way I never could have imagined. I had the opportunity to photograph a birth.

I met with the soon-to-be parents Yary and Steve at Special Beginnings Birthing Center in Arnold, Maryland just two weeks before her due date. I felt so comfortable with them from the moment I met them. They were both such open and warm people that my excitement for this shoot doubled right then and there. After the meeting, I was walking home (I only live 2 blocks from the birthing center) and I couldn’t stop smiling as I thought about how wonderful it was going to be to be a part of this momentous time of their lives and document something that I have never experienced before.  It was then that it hit me, “Oh my god, just because she is due on Thursday doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen on Thursday!” This is something that I am not familiar with…I am used to an assignment or job having a set time and date, I show up, the event happens and I go home. Not the case….I was on call.

As the due date approached, I became slightly obsessed with having my phone with me and charged every second of the day. I realized what a big deal this was and I didn’t want to miss it for the world. I talked about it all the time, all my friends kept asking, “Has the baby been born yet?”. It became my focus and I couldn’t wait until the big day. If this is how I felt, I can’t imagine how Yary and Steve felt.

Well, the due date passed and I waited and then I heard from Steve on Sunday that Yary had been having contractions since Saturday and that this was going to happen either Sunday night or Monday morning. So now, I was officially on alert. At midnight on Sunday I forced myself to go to bed, so that I could get as much sleep as possible before the baby came. Monday morning at 8am, the phone rang, I jumped up and was immediately awake as I answered the phone I heard Steve say, “It’s time. We are leaving now and should be there around 9. I awoke to find her pushing in the bathtub so hopefully we will make it to the birthing center in time”.

I arrived at the birthing center at 8:45 and met with the midwife who was so kind to brief me on what was going to happen once they arrived. Right on schedule, Steve and Yary arrived. After a quick examination of the mom-to-be, they reported that she was fully dilated and moved her into the bathroom where she was going to give birth in the large tub.

Everything moved so smoothly, Yary was so strong during the entire birth, as was the rest of the “birthing team”. I was in awe the entire time. I’ve noticed that when I photograph something in which I might get emotional, I tend to turn off that part of my brain and just focus on documenting whatever is happening. I did this during the birth and not until I got home and edited the photos did I really understand what I had just witnessed. I actually was brought to tears when I went through the photos and saw the one of Yary’s expression when she first saw baby Jonathan Miguel. It was a very moving moment for me…

After the birth, they moved Yary into her bedroom where Jonathan was weighed and measured and wrapped into a little blanket and placed back into his mother’s arms. The connection that happened between the two of them blew me away. His eyes never left hers as he held his little hand up to touch her face. The bond was instant. This really brought it home for me. Seeing the whole process and then seeing this bond really made me think for a moment about who we are…as adults we tend to forget about how precious our lives are and take for granted how amazing and strong mothers are.

I could go on and on and on about this experience, but since this is a blog and I know I should keep this short, I am going to stop now and just let the photos tell you the rest.

Thank you Yary and Steve for including me in this awesome time of your lives and for trusting me to document the arrival of little Jonathan Miguel. I will never forget this experience!

I also want to thank the wonderful staff at Special Beginnings in Arnold, MD. They were so welcoming to me and were so attentive during the birth. What an great place for women to be in a comfortable environment.

I now look at all mothers in a new way, I am amazed by how strong you are. Thank you mom for going through all that to have me…this Mother’s Day you will definitely be getting a little more attention than usual. I love you.