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.

Thank you!|Annapolis baby photographer

Thank you to all my loyal blog followers…as of today, the blog has over 5,000 hits and as promised, I am going to offer $50 off any standard session during the month of March. So, shoot me an email and book a session in the month of March and mention that you follow the blog and you will get $50 off for being such a cool person 🙂

Support you local photographers|newborn, baby, child photography Annapolis ,Maryland

Recently I became aware that a national photography company had signed a contract with our local hospital to provide a photo service to new parents. Basically what they do is have a photographer that is contracted by their company “on call” at the hospital so that when you have your baby, they ask you if you would like to have a photo session and then that photographer does a little photo shoot for you. They say on their website that they use local photographers and that the setting is comfortable. Now, don’t get me wrong…I think this is a great idea to have photographs taken of your newborn. But I have a few gripes with this whole arrangement. After being asked to interview to be one of their photographers, I looked into the company and came up with some conclusions of my own…

So, I want to make a few points why you should support your local photographers who are doing this very thing for their clients on a much more personal level and creating relationships that last a life time instead of some large company who is looking at the quantity over quality aspect of one of the most important moments in your life:

1. The photographers that are hired to do the shoots for the family through this company are not paid for their time, they have to use their own equipment and only make 40% from any items that are sold. This makes me sick as a business owner who has worked so hard to create relationships, build a great business and provide great product to my clients. The amount of money we spend on our equipment and the time it takes to really perfect your style is just looked over here. All this company cares about is selling product.

2. The company says that photos are ready to view  just minutes after your session. This is rushing a craft that should be treated with care. Photography is an art form and to just take a bunch of photos in a mini session and throw them up into a gallery is wrong. All the professionals I know in this business put lots of time and love into editing their photos for their clients, giving them an amazing product that they are proud to call their work.

3. The company says that they provide this service in the comfort of your hospital room. I don’t know about you, but last time I was in a hospital, “comfort” was not the word that came to mind while sitting in a room. I recently shot a birth a local birthing center, which was an amazing experience that I would love to do again. This kind of shoot is for a certain kind of client that wants that documentary experience of the birth of their child. When it comes to a newborn photo shoot with photos that you will want for life, birth announcements and gifts why wouldn’t you take the time and schedule someone to come to the comfort of your own home?

4. There are many different photographers contracted through this company. You never know you will are going to get. It could be an amazing photographer, but it could be someone whose style and vision doesn’t quite fit with yours. Why not do a little research prior to the birth and schedule a local photographer whose work you love and admire?

5.In today’s world of big box companies constantly coming into our towns and taking over all the small businesses that pride themselves on great customer service and quality product, we need to stand up to these big companies who come in and take advantage of the little guys who have put in all the hard work to get where they are.

So, before you give in to the convenience of having a stranger come into your hospital room to photograph you and your bundle of joy, think about the things that I have mentioned.  This is not just in the photography world where this is happening, it’s happening in every industry around us. Take note of your local businesses and support them….you will be so glad you did!

BUY LOCAL!

SALE on photo books! 15% off | Annapolis photography specials

If you have been a past client of mine and would like a photo book from your shoot…now is the time! I am offering all photo books at 15% off until 1/21/10. These photo books are very affordable. You choose the cover (linen, leather or hard cover), and I lay out the photos in a way that tells the story of our session. Email me today to get yours! alisonharbaugh@gmail.com

Learn to use that awesome camera you got for Christmas | Maryland photo lessons

Did you get a new camera for Christmas and can’t seem to figure out what all the crazy settings and buttons really do? Do you want to use your camera to it’s full ability and stop using the Auto setting? Do you want a one on one lesson that will teach you exactly what YOU want to know?

You are in luck!! Freckle Photography offers private lessons in Maryland and South Eastern Pennsylvania.
Located in Annapolis, MD, Alison will travel to your home and teach you everything you need and want to know about your camera and/or uploading and editing your images. Cost is just $75/hour*  (a class is usually about 1-2 hours on average). Email Alison today to set up a session this winter!

alisonharbaugh@gmail.com

Group classes are also available. Consider hosting a learning party with your friends for a discounted price.
see website for details: www.frecklephotography.com

The smiles never stop | Maryland baby photographer

I spent Sunday afternoon with baby Lexi for her 2nd of 4 shoots as part of the “Baby’s First Year” package. Last time I was there, Lexi was about 3 months old, this time she was 7 months…I was thrilled to see that she was still full of big smiles and sparkling blue eyes. Lexi is such a pleasure to photograph…it’s not often that I get a baby who is happy for the entire hour that I am photographing them!

The weather was so beautiful on Sunday that Jen and I  immediately went outside where her husband Chad and his two twin girls Sara and Kayla were playing ball. Lexi loved watching the two girls throw the ball around but she loved the leaves on the ground even more…which made for some great shots!

Then we moved indoors to the new nursery (they just moved into a new home) where I took advantage of the cool fabrics in Lexi’s crib for some detail shots and then moved on to the “scale” shots to show just how much she has grown…I can’t wait to compare the last shoot with this one!

While Lexi had a little snack, the twins got a quick photo session sitting on their fun bunk beds and playing around with their build-a-bear creations. After that, I grabbed a few quick shots of Chad feed Lexi and then it was time for my favorite outfit that Jen had planned for the shoot…a little pink tutu. There is something so cute about a little one in a tutu…

Jen and Chad thanks again for having me document Lexi’s first year…I’m looking forward to round three!

Enjoy your photos!

a princess who wears sunglasses | Maryland family photographer

One of the packages that I offer is the “Day in the Life” shoot. It’s one of my favorites because I get to spend three whole hours with a family and can take my time documenting them. It’s so fun to get to know a family so well…such was the case this weekend when I got to spend time with Jen & Amy and their adorable little family.  Jen and Amy have an energetic and very silly 3 year old named Gracie and two very cute new additions, a set of 2 1/2 month old twins named Dory and Luke. Needless to say, Jen and Amy have their hands full but I don’t think they ever missed a beat the whole time I was there. For having three kids under age three, I was very impressed as to how smoothly the shoot went. Nice work ladies!

We started the shoot in the downstairs playroom where Gracie entertained me on her new drum set that she just got for her birthday, dressed up in a princess outfit complete with tiara, sunglasses and heels and played with some of her favorite toys. Then we moved upstairs to begin photographing the twins. They were so very cute and had such a cool little bond…one of my favorite shots is of the two of them holding hands…priceless! I spent the next hour bouncing back and forth between the twins nursery and Gracie’s purple room while Amy and Jen remained calm feeding the twins and reading to Gracie. Our last little adventure was a chilly walk down to the playground where Gracie finally got to let out some of her energy and enjoyed running around for a bit. At the end, we took advantage of the beautiful weather (even though it was chilly) and got some nice photos with the fall colors.

Thanks Jen and Amy for inviting me into your home to document your family! You are both so lucky to have such wonderful kiddos! Hope to see you again when the babies get older…I think a first birthday party shoot would be fun! Double the cake, double the mess!

Beginner photography classes | Annapolis photo classes

If you don’t know by now, I am not just a photographer, but I also love teaching…I help teach at a kids art studio in downtown Annapolis called Already Artists and I also teach private and group photography lessons.

The private lessons are $75/hour and I come to your home and teach you how to use your camera without the auto setting as well as some pointers on how to take better photographs.

The group lessons are held at different locations and the cost varies depending on whether I am hosting the event or someone else is…

So, coming up on December 16th from 7-8:30 I will be offering a beginner group lesson. Cost is $60/person. Location will be at my home in Annapolis. To reserve a spot, email me by Dec. 13th.
alisonharbaugh@gmail.com

If you can’t make that class, sign up to be a fan of Freckle Photography on Facebook and you’ll receive notices for the next class that I offer as well as deals for photo sessions.

Hope to see you there!

Cheesesteaks and Charley Mae | Philadelphia baby photographer

This past weekend I got to go to one of my favorite places…Philadelphia. I go there as much as possible to visit my friends from college….and now that most of them have babies, I go so I can photograph them 🙂

This trip, the first stop was Dalessandro’s  (which is almost always my first stop) to get the best cheesesteak  in Philadelphia. It’s been an addiction since I was in college just down the street from this establishment. If you are ever in Philly, it’s worth the drive out of center city to the Roxborough neighborhood to taste one of these delightful treats! Next stop was Northern Liberties to visit my good friends Dan and Amanda and their 6 month old Charley Mae. You may remember the photos of her I took when she was just 4 days old…she was such a little cutie (and still is). I was once again greeted at the door by Dan holding little Charley, but this time she was grinning ear to ear…man how they change so much in 6 months! She had a personality! The best part was that when she smiled, she had the same smile as her Dad which made me chuckle. I woofed down my cheesesteak and imeadiately began taking pictures of Charley before the good light was lost for the evening. After a nice little session with Charley and Dan, we went for a little walk and then it was jam time in the basement for the boys and a nice glass of wine and conversation with Amanda while little Charley hit the sack…

 

Sunday funday | Philadelphia family photographer

The next day in Philadelphia, I had a meeting with an old friend whose son’s bar mitzvah I will be photographing in February (which I am super excited about). Then it was off to the Art Museum to meet up with my college buddy Adam and his wife Jeanette along with the two kiddos Chase and Kellen. It’s still funny for me to think of my college buddies having kids…I still remember all the crazy antics from Philly U so it’s funny and wonderful in the same breath to see them “all grown up”. Adam makes a wonderful Dad…which I always knew he would be…he comes from a large family and had his fair share of nieces and nephews before having his two kids, so to say he had plenty of practice is an understatement 🙂

The weather was amazing that day…it was actually a bit hot! The sun was shining brightly…which I’m not a big fan of for photo shoots, so I stuggled a bit with the light. We spent just over an hour shooting at the park behind the museum while doing our best to keep the kids happy and entertained.

Then, a short trip over the bridge to NJ to their home in Cherry Hill where I took some more photos of the kids…this time in their world, which they seemed to like alot better 🙂

Adam and Jeanette…it was fun hanging out Sunday-wish we could have had a chance to talk…seems like I got a bit distracted with picture taking that I forgot to socialize! I’ll be back in a month or two, so pencil me in for some hang time!!

Two babies are better than one | Annapolis newborn photographer

Monday morning I drove over to Stevensville on the Eastern Shore to meet up with Laura and her new little munchkins Grace and Brooks…twins who had just turned two months old. I had been looking forward to this shoot since I booked it. I have never had the opportunity to photograph twin newborns so I was psyched! Grace and Brooks were so tiny and sweet…it was a pleasure to photograph them in their green nursery complete with a blue crib for him and a pink crib for her. I kept wondering to myself how cool it would be to have a twin brother.

Laura was a pleasure to work with…I spent a good portion of time with she and the twins, but the time seemed to fly right on by. I never knew it would be such a challenge to photograph two newborns together, but Brooks and Grace proved me wrong. They seemed to have a yin and yang quality to them…when one would stop crying, the next one would pick right up in perfect timing…it was fascinating, but made for quite a challenge when photographing them together. It didn’t bother me though, I had a blast visiting with Laura, helping her feed and change outfits during the shoot…it’s nice to be able to do that once and awhile.

Thank you Laura for letting me be a part of Grace and Brook’s first year…I hope I can come back for another session when the babies are a bit older so I can see their progression…it’s a beautiful thing to be able to witness.

Finding my inner Pippi

Halloween came this year again and I didn’t know who to dress up as. Last year was easy, my boyfriend and I went as Ricki and Lucy…which was a pretty easy costume to pull together. Having red hair, I like to pay tribute to my fellow redheads and go as one of them each Halloween. So, I asked around this year…”what should I go as?” My heart was set on an old 1920’s movie star…but I waited too long and couldn’t pull it off. Then my Dad chimes in on facebook and says, “go as Pippi Longstocking!” Huh, now that’s a thought…I am 30 years old and have NEVER been Pippi for Halloween…how on earth could that be!?

When I was about 10 years old, our second exchange student, who was from Sweden, gave me a Pippi Longstocking book by Swedish Author Astrid Lindgren. I feel in love with the stories immediately! Pippi and I have alot in common…ok, maybe not that much…I am not the daughter of a seafarer, I don’t create tales of my “adventures”, I’m not a very good sailor , BUT I have been known to wear some pretty mismatched clothes in my day (just ask my mom about my persistence with wearing an orange baseball t-shirt and red sweatpants to school…alot) and I do have a sense of whimsicality to my life 🙂

So Pippi it was! And I was glad that was the choice…it made the night that much more fun….here are some photos to prove it! (Photos taken by my good friend and great photographer Piper Watson)

love those chubby cheeks | Annapolis Baby Photographer

Halloween morning I arrived at the home of Ryan and Berry and their little baby girl Nora. Nora was a hoot from the start…sticking her tongue out, staring curiously at the camera and trying to eat her toes…she was a joy to photograph.
We had a fun little family session in the living room since it was raining outside then moved on to Nora’s room to let her crawl around, sit in chairs, play with her stuffed animals, and continue to crack us up with her funny facial expressions. I just love when a little on has a strong personality at such a young age…I love it even more when I can capture it. Berry had a cute little outfit, complete with a little tutu that worked as such a fun element to the shoot…nice work!

Berry and Ryan…thanks so much for having me over to document Nora’s fun personality…hope to see you again on her first birthday!

 

Portraits by the river | Annapolis portrait photographer

Just wanted to share some portraits I did last week…

Happy First Birthday Emilie | Maryland Birthday Party Photographer

I had the best time last Saturday. I got to hang out with a wonderful family from Ellicott City and take pictures! Lora (the mom) hired me to do some family candids since she is usually the one behind the camera…Lora takes great photos of her kids but there are none with her in them, so I was honored to be chosen to be their photographer for the day. It was a pretty blah day weather wise, lots of rain in the forcast. As I drove to Ellicott City, the rain was coming down in bursts and I was wracking my brain trying to come up with an alternate plan. When I arrived, I checked my radar on my iphone and saw that we had about a 20 minute window of no rain, so we hurried outside across the street where some beautiful trees were showing their best fall colors. The session was very candid….as most sessions with two little ones are…but we made the most of it and I got some really fun shots of the family just having fun together. 3 year old Lily is great in front of the camera…she is so adorable and giggled almost the whole time.  Emilie, who was turning 1 the next day, was such a joker…she has the funniest personality I’ve ever seen someone that young have…I just loved it!

After our quick outdoor adventure, we went inside and took a few more shots and then it was…..BIRTHDAY TIME! Lora and her husband Seth were having a group of friends and family over for Emilie’s 1st Birthday party, which I was also hired to shoot. There is so much cool stuff to write about that I think I will just do a top 10 list of the party, so here it goes.

Top 10 things that rocked at Emilie’s Birthday party:

1. face painter-almost all the kids (and one adult) got their faces painted with bright colors and fun designs
2. amazingly cute kids in attendance-the photos will tell you that!
3. those amazingly cute kids were also VERY well behaved…way to go parents!
4. “Where the Wild Things Are” monster craft station created by Lora
5. Emilie’s “Max” costume that Lora bought on Etsy….so freakin’ adorable!!!
6. PIZZA and more! Seth owns a pizza shop in Ellicott City so they had quite the spread…all the food party foods…wings, pasta, pizza, shrimp…..
7. Lily being an awesome big sister and helping Emilie open her first present
8. A fun “Where the Wild Things are Cake” made by Emilie’s aunt
9. Emilie’s silly cake eating style…at first she wasn’t so into it, but then began smashing her face into the Max cake and licking off the icing….priceless.
10. Lora and Seth…being the awesome parents they are….great job guys!

Thanks Seth and Lora for letting me be a part of the fun and thank you for the food, it was exactly what I needed when I got home!

Enjoy the photos!!

grinning from ear to ear and jumping for joy | Annapolis Engagement Photographer

I love that my job allows me to enjoy beautiful days outdoors…last weekend in Annapolis we had incredible weather and I had two engagement photo shoots with two wonderful couples…what better way to spend a Sunday then taking in the fresh air and photographing people in love. I love engagement shoots, they always start out a bit shy and quiet and end up acting silly in the end. I guess having a camera pointed at you for an hour and having someone keep telling you to kiss can either begin to annoy you or just make you giggle.

Giggling is exactly what my first couple had going for them…and I loved it!

Justin and Kristy, a great looking couple from Annapolis who are getting married this spring in Minnesota. We decided it would be best to avoid the boat show craziness last weekend and opted to meet at the Annapolis Meritime Museum in Eastport. I love this spot. It has so many cool places to shoot. The sun was shining brightly so we had to find some sweet spots to avoid the major squinting that was bound to happen 😦

Justin and Kristy were great to work with. They are naturals in front of the camera and Kristy’s smile lights up the shot…I have a feeling that Justin and she will have many happy days together-everytime she flashed a smile his way, he lit up…and I have the pics to prove it 🙂

We had quite an active shoot…they climbed on boats, sat in the dirt, and endured the smell of bait while some locals fished from the piers-thanks for being such great sports Justin and Kristi. I had so much fun with you guys.

Later that day, I met up with Rachel and Garrett. A young couple from Davidsonville. I met Rachel a few months ago when we sat down at a coffeeshop in Eastport to talk about she and Garretts upcoming wedding. We hit it off right away, so needless to say, I was excited to meet her fiance Garrett. Rachel had such a warmth about her when I first met her that I knew Garrett would be one cool dude when I met him…and he was. I loved the colors they chose and Garrett’s shirt choice and glasses made me very happy…I love that look! Nice job guys!

We had an awesome early evening walk around the upper section of downtown-Visitor’s Center garden, alleys along West Street, & Amos Garrett Park (how fitting!). Rachel and Garrett were great subjects as they were goofy, sweet, loving and beautiful toward eachother at just the right moments.

I have to say, the highlight of my day was at the end of Rachel and Garrett’s shoot, I had them do some fun jumping photos. Knowing now what I wish I knew at the beginning of the shoot, I should have started with the jumping pictures. Garrett LOVED them…and so did I. It was awesome to see him light up and really get excited about an engagement shoot…no guy ever does that!  Since we were having so much fun with that jumping scene…Garrett decided that he wanted to run and jump over Rachel who was sitting on a bench…of course I said “let’s do it!” I used to be a sports photographer, so whenever I’m given the opportunity to shoot something fast instead of portraiture, I jump at it!

Thanks so much Rachel and Garrett for such a fun night…I can’t wait to shoot your wedding!

Jack attack | Annapolis newborn photographer

I’m so lucky to have so many beautiful friends having beautiful and adorable babies all around me. This year has been quite busy with all the new babies my friends have had…I love it…they keep me busy and they are great advocates for Freckle Photography!

This week I finally got to meet little Jack Stone. I usually don’t use last names in my posts but with a name like that, how can you resist…this boy is bound for fame! Jack’s mom Heather and I worked at The Capital Gazette newspaper together about two years ago. When I first met Heather, she had just moved to MD from Las Vegas, so she quickly became “Heather Vegas” around the newsroom. Heather is one cool chick with a great sense of style so naturally I was drawn to her. She and her husband Tom are wonderful friends of mine, so wonderful that one year for Thanksgiving when we all weren’t able to be with our families, Heather, Tom, my boyfriend at the time and I made our own little Thanksgiving dinner…and it was quite impressive I may add. I don’t think we had enough room on my dining room table for all the food we made! Since then, I’ve had a special place in my heart for Heather and Tom…even though we don’t get to hang out as much as we’d like to…it’s always a wonderful time when we do!

When I found out that Heather and Tom were expecting little Jack…I was so excited…I knew they would make some awesome parents….and after what I witnessed the other day…they do! At Heather’s baby shower, I gave her a gift certificate for a newborn photo session (and a lullaby CD of the Rolling Stones…I couldn’t resist!) After Jack was born, I started bugging her to set up a time when I could come and photograph him…before he got too big. It’s those early months that are so cool to photograph…they pass by so quickly! Lots of schedule conflicts later, I finally got to go over and spend a couple hours visiting and photographing Jack.

Jack is quite a character. I don’t think he was a big fan of me that day (maybe is was the camera). As you’ll see in many of  the photos, Jack is one serious dude…but I still managed to grab a smile here and there. The funniest thing to me about Jack is that in so many of the photos he has his hands up like a boxer…and with a name like Jack Stone, he just might be a pro one day!

I could go on and on about this family, but I will let the photos tell the rest!

thank you heather and tom and jack! love you guys!

Yes, it’s that time again…time to think about Christmas!

Oh no! Is it really almost fall! Well, the weather has provided a wonderful warning to all of us sun lovers out there that fall is fast approaching…and that we need to start thinking about the holidays that seem to always sneak up on us in the winter. I love fall, it’s a beautiful time to photograph outdoors. It’s nice and cool, the colors are beautiful and I can finally wear my favorite blue jeans all the time without being too hot 🙂

The one thing that bugs me most about fall is that it seems that as soon as the pumpkins and candy are put away at the end of October, we start seeing the elves of Christmas out decorating all the malls and telling us “only two months of shopping left until Christmas!” Gosh! I am not one to plan ahead for the holidays…I am the one freaking out the week before making gifts for my family (luckily they all love my photos!) and wrapping each one at the very last minute.  I don’t have any kids, so I guess for now, this practice is ok, I don’t have any wee ones to disappoint on Christmas morning because I forgot to go out and buy that new toy that came out in November and is now gone from the shelves of every store on the East Coast.

So….what I am saying is…NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO BOOK A PHOTO SHOOT FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS CARDS! 1: you won’t have to worry about it later when you are in hyper-holiday mode 2: you can choose from one of my custom designed Christmas Cards (exclusive to Freckle Photography customers) 3: the weather will be perfect for candid outdoor shoots with your family 4: you can save money!

I am currently offering two packages for the Christmas Card photo sessions….go to the website to see the special! http://www.frecklephotography.com/frecklephotography/news.html

Spaces are filling up fast, so email me today to reserve a spot.
alisonharbaugh@gmail.com

this won’t hurt a bit…

I think about this saying alot when I do engagement shoots…mostly for the guys sake…they always seem like this is the worst thing in the world…but after about 15 minutes of me joking around and them realizing that all they are doing is spending some cool quality time with their soon-to-be bride…they start to ease up and realize…”yeah, this doesn’t hurt a bit”…

I bring this line up because it makes me think of the first time I met this soon-to-be bride. She’s my acupuncturist…and a great one at that. I worked for a brief time at Meadow Hill Wellness, a holistic health center in Annapolis. I loved working there and learning about all the ways alternative medicine could help me…especially acupuncture. For all you photographers out there with shoulder and back pain from lugging around your heavy equipment…go see Tracy…see is a miracle worker 🙂

I digress…
I met Tracy and her fiance Eric at Quiet Waters on a VERY hot and humid day with horrible sunlight working against me. This is a photographers nightmare…bright glaring sunshine with water in the background. I did my best to find the patches of shade throughout the park, ducking into the woods now and then and ended up with some pretty cool stuff.

I had poor Tracy and Eric climbing on stumps (oops, was that was rotted?), treking up hills in her nice shoes and standing out in the sun…gosh, am I mean or what!? Thanks guys for putting up with my “ideas” 🙂 Don’t worry, I won’t be such a pain on your wedding day…I promise!

Tracy and Eric…I’m looking forward to your wedding in Ellicott City in April…sounds like a great venue!

new kid on the block.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of working with Amy Raab and her associate David Spence. I have been following their work for some time now and have always been very impressed by their amazing weddings. After meeting Amy earlier this year she asked if I might be interested in second shooting for her sometime. Of course I said YES…

Fast forward to this past weekend…I was actually the second shooter in training for this wedding. Amy and Dave had me tag along to the wedding of Kirsten and Ryan at The Oaks in St. Michael’s, MD to shoot and learn.

This wedding was awesome…the bride and groom where SO in love and their love for one another was infectious throughout the day. I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched them together and I have to say, I got a bit teary eyed a few times…you just don’t see love like that very often!

Three moments from this wonderful day stick out in my mind.
1. The moment when they first saw eachother…Kirsten walked up from behind and put her arms around Ryan…what happened then was pure magic and a wedding photographers dream. Seems like I am always directing the bride and groom to kiss and “act like they like eachother”…but Kirsten and Ryan..it was natural, you couldn’t tear these two apart…awesome!

2. The ceremony…I loved how personal the ceremony was. Not only did they write their own vows, but they had 3 couples come up and talk about what love meant to them…what these friends and family had to say to them was perfect…I can only hope that on my wedding day I am surrounded by half as much love as they had on that day!

3. The dancing! Man, this couple knew how to party! With passed hors d’oeuvres instead of a sit down dinner, the dance floor was open right away and went on all night. Usually at weddings people get up for a few dances and mill around at their tables or the bar most of the time…not this time…just about everyone in the place was shaking a tail feather and loving every minute of it. It helped that the DC band Millennium was rocking the place!

So…I have to say THANK you to the bride and groom for such an amazing and intimate ceremony and a kickin’ reception! Thanks also to Amy and Dave for showing me the ropes. I’m looking forward to my first official second shooter gig with Amy in September!