Baby Bonanza Was A Success

If you've followed this blog, you know that the Baby Bonanza was held this past Saturday. As usual, it was a lot of fun and we had a blast. Also, as usual, we were completely beat at 4:00 when it ended. Having a complicated booth, we were the last ones out of there. We had a lot of framed portraits in our double booth. Here's what our booth looked like (with our wonderful helpers):

And from the other side.

We passed out over 200 gift certificates ranging from $10 to $75 and they were pretty evenly distributed. Our "lollipop" game was a hit with both the kids and their parents.

There were some games for the dads. The object was to strap the baby (doll -- not a real baby!) into the stroller:

Then race through traffic cones to the other side, where they had to change the baby's diaper:

This one was a close race:

And then race back to the starting line.

There were also three "diaper derby" races. The lines on the racetrack are just for show. The babies didn't stay in their lanes very well.

Here's one winner:

And here's another. Each winner received a trophy!

Some of the babies got a slow start -- even after the winner had been announced:

Then there was a fashion show:

Even some of the dads walked the "runway" with their model kids and babies.

Another diaper derby later in the day:

The heat is on!

And another race for the dads:

A princess stopped by to give a tea party for whoever was interested. I was bummed that I had to work -- it looked like a lot of fun.

And, finally, some gymnastics on stage.
There were even more events than this.

Thank you to all the folks who came out to see us -- and the other booths, too, I suppose ;-) We'll see you at next year's show.

Ethan at 1 year

Ethan just finished up his year in portraits with us and we all had a great time. It's so fun to watch these kids grow from tiny newborns to one-year-olds (and beyond).

He loved the rocking horse:Mom and Dad got in a few portraits, too:
Ethan loves to be flipped over like this:
Sometimes you have to get them in motion. That's just how they are at this stage of life.Don't forget to see his slideshow for more images. Leave a comment, too.

Baby Bonanza this Saturday!

The third annual Baby Bonanza is coming up this Saturday, the 14th. It's a big show for "everything from pregnancy to preschool" at the Aladdin Shrine Center (directions) over by Easton. We've been a part of it for the past two years and we're excited about this third show.

This year, we'll be giving out bookmarks, lollipops, gift certificates, and having prizes drawn every hour. We'll also have a bunch of new samples for everyone to see.

Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for grandparents, and children 12 and under are free. If you go to the Baby Bonanza web site, you can get a dollar off coupon.

I couldn't finish this without some pictures, so here you go:

Aaron and Audrey

You might remember Audrey from her previous portraits, but her baby brother is brand-new! Aaron is about two and a half weeks old right now. Mom and Dad brought him for his newborn portraits with his big sister.

This first image is adorable. Our tea set has seen a lot of use lately.Here's one of the whole family:
Aaron was very sleepy, but we managed to catch a few with his eyes open.
Look how high he's raising his head.
Of course, when we wanted him to sleep (or at least close his eyes), he was wide awake. He's pretty cute.
Audrey loves giving Aaron kisses.
But she also loves lollipops.
I love it when kids stick their tongues out.
Don't forget to check out the slideshow to see more. Leave a comment below and I'll make sure they see it.

Valarie's Newborn Portraits

Here's Vivian's new baby sister, Valarie. She has a lot more hair than Vivian ever did and she has these wonderful expressions. If you could hear her, she saying "You Rock!" in this one:Vivian sneaked into a few with Mom and Dad, too.I love the newborn look -- but it's fleetingBe sure to check out her slideshow, too.

Alex at 3 Months

Alex was here for his three-month portraits a few weeks ago and brought along his parents. He also had a ribbon tied onto him. I think he was a birthday present. Something like that. ;-)

He let Mom and Dad get in some of the photos:
But mostly the day was about him -- as it should be. He's on his favorite blanket here:
And look how high he raises his head. I think he'll be crawling pretty soon. We'll see if I'm right when he comes back for his 6-month portraits.
Be sure to see Alex's slideshow. Leave a comment, too, I'll be sure to let Mom and Dad know about it.

Katie at 3 months

Katie is our latest addition to our "Baby's First Year" plan and she started out with a Christmas session. All images link to a short slideshow with a few more portraits.

I really like how this one looks in brown-tone (or sepia-tone, if you like that better).
Here's what her Christmas dress really looks like. Bright red!
And another Christmas dress. How fun is that?
We also did a quick "Little Parts" session on black. Aren't her feet just adorable in this next one? Makes you want to squeeze them.
Her blue eyes are amazing.
Don't forget to check out Katie's slideshow and leave a comment below.

Jacob at Three Weeks

Another newborn baby stopped by the other day with his parents in tow. Meet Jacob -- he's only three weeks old in these portraits. Isn't he sweet sleeping on the towels? Mom really wanted a sleeping baby image and here it is!

This next one has Dad in there, too.Newborns have such an interesting look to them. Kind of like someone just getting used to the idea of looking around -- which I suppose they are.Kissing Jacob.I thought this one was especially tender.This next one is fast becoming my favorite baby picture. I love seeing all that hair.Make sure to see Jacob's slideshow, too. Leave a comment below for his parents, if you like.

Ivy at 7 days

Yes, you read that right. Ivy was seven days old when she had her newborn portraits done.I'm pretty sure this is the youngest baby we've had come into the studio. She was also one of the, ahem, messiest babies we've photographed. Let's just say it's not safe to hold a baby without a diaper. And you'd think we'd learn after the first time. ;-) Mom was a great sport about it and it didn't bother us at all. Everything went so well.Ivy took several breaks to nurse and we got some incredible images with Mom. This next one is precious.Isn't she tiny?
Sleeping on the towels. She was completely zonked out.
And in a little rocking chair. There are other portraits in the slideshow so be sure to check it out.

The Miller Family

I met up with the Miller family on Saturday for their family portrait. We walked around the lower part of Scioto Park (Leatherlips) and got some great images.They have a slideshow, too.

Emma's 9-Month Portraits

I met Emma's parents over at Scioto Park the other day for her nine-month portraits. She is amazingly cute.
She wasn't very smiley, which was odd for her. We found out that evening that she had been cutting a tooth and was probably in a bit of pain. Poor girl. I was able to get several smiling pictures, though, which is always a good thing.
This next one is one of my favorites. She wasn't too keen on feeling the sand and rocks on her feet, but it was novel enough that she didn't mind too much. The river is really low right now. There hasn't been a whole lot of rain this Summer and it shows.
Don't forget to see her slideshow.

The Schultz Family

Remember Ellia Schultz? She's the little girl with Treacher-Collins Syndrome that we've been following for about a year, now. Every so often I do some new portraits to show the progress with her many surgeries.

A week (or so) ago I had the opportunity to take some family portraits.
This next one really seems to catch her personality.
Of course, her brother and sister were photographed, too.This next one shows what he's like. He was always trying to pick things up and play.
I love the way the wind caught her hair and the sparkle in her eyes.
She loves to swing.
Don't forget to see the slideshow. Leave a comment below, too.

Ethan at 6 Months

Ethan was here for his six-month portraits the other day.
His Indians uniform was just the right size
Make sure to see his slideshow, too.

Shannon and Matt

Shannon and Matt had their wedding reception a couple weeks ago. The wedding was a little earlier in the month -- in Alaska! Typically, destination weddings are in Hawaii, San Diego, or someplace like that -- places a bit more tropical than Alaska. But then, Shannon and Matt aren't all that typical.Since they didn't have their friends and family around for the wedding, they had a reception here in Columbus. We started out with portraits at Highbanks Metro Park, and then moved on to dinner at Hyde Park. There was a surprise fish cake (no, not that kind of fish cake) and some other great moments.
Take a look at the slideshow for more images and leave a comment below.

Zachary at 6 Months

Take a look at Zachary. What a cute 6-month-old.His hands are so precious and his smile so infectious. Hey! That rhymes!Don't forget to see the slideshow, too.

Mason at 11 days

Newborns have such a unique look that they lose after the first two weeks of life. Mason had actually been in once before, but you couldn't see him -- they were maternity portraits! ;-) It looks like he filled out a little in his first eleven days of life.Take a look at all that hair!

Connor at Five Weeks

Connor's Mom was fortunate enough to win one of the door prizes at the Baby Bonanza in March. At the time, she looked like the big day would be real soon! He was born near the end of March -- you can do the math.
Anyway, the family came in on Saturday morning for Connor's first portrait session. At first, he didn't seem too excited about the whole process, but he calmed down to let us capture some great expressions.
Take a look at the slideshow and leave a comment below.

Cruising the Bahamas

This is another personal post. We went on a cruise at the end of March. It was a great break from reality and tons of fun. I had never been swimming in the Atlantic and I have to say -- it's much warmer than the Pacific! And the water (at least where we were) was so clear. I always thought those pictures you see in travel magazines had the colors pumped up. That's really how it looks.
We saw a bunch of fish snorkeling, learned about Pirates in Nassau, ate a lot on the ship, won some prizes (nothing big, though), and basically had a great time with the family. We didn't take any way to check e-mail and our phones didn't work, so we were really on vacation. I took one of the big cameras, but should have left it home. I only took a few photos with it. Almost everything was with a point and shoot.
We ended up staying a couple days in Ft. Lauderdale since our plane was way overbooked. They made us an offer we couldn't refuse. ;-) The airline was great about the whole thing. They were so desperate that they looked through all of our baggage on the plane and got it off. Then they gave us two rooms in the Airport Hilton for two nights. And they covered all of our meals, too. So, it was like another mini-vacation tagged on at the end.
Take a look at the slideshow of snapshots from our trip. Remember, these are just fun, sometimes goofy, vacation memories. They're not our normal, portrait-quality images. But you knew that, already. ;-)

Sarah and Jenna

Sarah and Jenna were here a few weeks ago for some portraits. Sarah is only a few months old and already has a great personality. Jenna is a great big sister -- she loves to help out with what she can.
See their slideshow and leave a comment below.

Carson is Two!

Carson came back for his two-year-old portraits the other day. He's gotten so big. I hadn't seen him in a while. It's really cool when kids start answering your questions and they make sense.
Make sure to see his slideshow. Leave a comment below if you want.

Lexie at 6 Months

Yes, I'm trying to get caught up on my blog posts. Can you tell? ;-)
Lexie looked adorable for her six-month portraits. She was in a couple weeks ago and brought Mom and Dad with her for support (or something like that). Her mom found us at the Baby Bonanza last year and remembered us. Lexie was also here a few months ago for her 3-month portraits, but I don't think I blogged about that one. [Stay tuned -- I'll try to get a slideshow of her 3-month session up here soon]

Be sure to view her slideshow for more pictures.

Isabel at 2

Isabel was in a few weeks ago for some updated portraits. She has a great personality and so smiley. Be sure to see her slideshow for more pictures.

Portland Portrait Party

OK, it wasn't really in Portland but I like the alliteration. Last week I flew out to Hillsboro, Oregon (which is really close to Portland) for some baby portraits. She was 8 weeks old and a real cutie.

She smiled a lot for me. At least that's my story. ;-)

Some fun Baby Parts that'll be made into a collage.

Isn't her smile contagious? I know you're smiling. Just admit it.

Yes, she has three older sisters!

They wanted a picture of me with the girls, so here you go.

Isn't she so cute?

It was great traveling for these portraits but I'm glad to be home.

And now, the first contest question of the year: take a guess where the parents met. First one to answer correctly gets a free tote bag -- with little windows that you slip prints into. Post your answer as a comment below. Some people aren't eligible to win, you know who you are.

Remember to check out the slideshow.

Nathan at 3 Months

You all remember Nathan? He came in a couple weeks ago for his 3-month portraits. He's filling out and has lots of personality. This time Mom and Dad and his sister came along for a family portrait afterwards.

Take a look at the slideshow!

Gavin and Ava at 3 months

Remember Gavin and Ava from a few weeks ago? Well, they're now three months old and are filling out nicely. Be sure to see the slideshow for more photos.

The Anzelmo Family

The Anzelmo family came in for their Christmas portraits the other day. Their little girl is so cute. Check out their slideshow for more pictures.

Gavin and Ava

We had the privilege of going over to Gavin and Ava's house last week for their newborn portraits. Yes, they're twins! They're both so tiny. They're not allowed to be around too many people and we had to wash up and disinfect our hands before we got started. But once we started, they were a joy to work with. We ended up staying later than we thought because, well, that's just the way newborns are. They have their own schedule.
The family dog even got to be in a few!
Of course, you couldn't expect me to not put a slideshow up, so here you go.

The Schultz Family

Earlier this year, a friend gave the Schultz family a gift certificate for some family portraits. Their newborn (at the time) daughter had some medical issues so we weren't sure when they'd be able to use the certificate.

Last month a day worked out so we all met at Highbanks Metro Park over in Lewis Center. There are only a few hours each day when she's able to be out of their house, so there was a narrow window of time for the portraits.

I am so happy with how they turned out. Take a look at the slideshow and leave a comment below.

Tea Pups

Once again, we're photographing a new litter of White German Shepherd puppies. These are just three-and-a-half weeks old. They had just started hearing that morning and their eyes are now open. It was fun using the teacups again.

We're planning on doing another set of portraits in a couple weeks so stay tuned for that.

Here's the slideshow. Leave a comment!

Emmett

You may remember one of the first babies up here was Owen. Well, his little brother came in for his three-month portraits. The similarities are incredible. In some of them they look almost identical.
Check out his slideshow and leave a comment below.

Callista at 9 Months

We've had a bunch of babies coming into our studio lately. Callista's nine month portraits are as cute as ever, and I can't believe how big she's getting. Standing on her own in a dress. She was trying to crawl in her dress, which of course didn't work, and had the funniest expression on her face. Like she was thinking, "I know this should work, but something's different somehow."

Callista's 9 month slideshow.

The Klein Family

This was a tough one. The dad has leukemia. It was in remission but recently came back and he's in the hospital again. As soon as they found out, they scheduled the portraits. That's all I'm going to write. Like I said, it was really hard to do. Here's the slideshow.

The Knull Family Portraits

First of all, I just have to say that I love my job. This afternoon we went over to the Knull's house for portraits of their 6-week-old daughter. It turned out to be a fun time for everyone getting their pictures taken. At first the six-year-old was a little shy, but she soon came out and was dancing, jumping, and giggling along with everyone else. Everyone was having fun right up until the end. And yes, we did get some images of the baby.

We ended up talking for almost an hour afterward. It seems we have similar backgrounds for where we've lived and things. Oh, and for those who've been following, these kids are Dalton's and Carson's cousins. Scroll down (or look through the archives) and you'll find some pictures of them elsewhere on this blog.

Of course, there's a slideshow of them. Enjoy!

Ruby at 10 Months

You might remember when Ruby came in a few months ago. Here's her first slideshow to help you remember.

Well, Ruby's Mom wanted some more portraits so I went out to their place to get some more personal images. She really wanted some pictures of Ruby falling asleep on her shoulder and they turned out wonderfully.

Check out the slideshow and leave a comment.

Callista at 6 Months

Baby Callista came in again -- this time for her six-month portraits! What a cutie. This time her big sister was ready to have her pictures taken, too. Have I said how much I love my job? This is great! Here's the slideshow.

Baby Callista

Baby Callista was so much fun yesterday. She was a perfect angel -- the only time I heard her cry was when she was getting in the car seat to go home. She wore an adorable bright pink polo dress. There were so many good photographs to choose from that I just put a whole bunch into the slideshow.

They had gone someplace else for their 3-month portraits and weren't all that happy, so they were thrilled that we could schedule them in so quickly. I'm so glad they came in, too. Enjoy the slideshow!

Family Reunion

Yesterday morning I was thrilled to photograph a large family gathering. It was to celebrate the 70th birthday of the grandparents. We set everything up in the huge church where the grandfather preaches. I love photographing in that church because of all the cool beams in the rafters.