Arielle Langhorne Photography

New Blog

2008-05-31T12:25:00.003-06:00

Hi there,

Woa, it's been a very busy week, with lots of "end-of-the year" parties at school for the children. They are so excited about the summer.

A little change here: I have a new FANTASTIC blog. So come and visit me:

http://www.ariellelanghorne.com/blog/

I'll tell you more an other time, as I'm being assaulted by my girls, who went into my make-up drawer and are covering me (as I'm typing, I'm all about multitasking...) with bright colors! On paper, we're having trouble with staying within the lines, I'm afraid to look in a mirror after 7 coats of different flashy "rouge". I can feel the make up!!!! My hair has about 25 bows in it?!!

Come check my blog, if I'm brave I might even post a picture of my make-over....I'm told I look very fancy...

Coco-Mo

2008-05-22T22:01:00.004-06:00

A little Coco update:
Our new baby is adjusting fine to her new home. Puppy school is going great, she's making me very proud, can still improve her house training though ... But overall, she's a bundle of joy for the whole family. As you can see, I had to have a "baby session" with Coco, it will be as close as I'll have get to having a picture of one of my babies in my hands (the others, the real babies are way too grown up now...)

I had lots of pictures of Coco, and I did worry a bit that I might bore you with 13 or so, so I made this quick collage. It would also be nice with people pictures.. or cute children, and babies with baby parts...
There's an other big dog: Indies, our very first baby, she's now an old lady, 13 years this summer! She's tolerating the new arrival, but isn't too thrilled with her, I think all the energy is just exhausting her.

Lacy

2008-05-18T13:00:00.005-06:00

Back to blogging, I'm catching up this weekend, still more pictures to post. Today, Lacy's pictures, first baby, in fact she's due tomorrow, I'm so excited for them. Delivering a baby into the world is such a VERY important day in our lives, so much emotion, happiness. This little one (boy or girl? it will be a surprise), is going to be blessed with beautiful loving parents, I had such a nice time during our session, it was great meeting you, and I'm looking forward to photographing your precious baby.

I felt so at home in their house, it has a french feel to it... Lacy is a very talented interior decorator, they just recently moved back into town, but I hope she will put her skills to practice here...

One of my favorites,

Katie

2008-05-17T09:49:00.006-06:00

Blogging again, so soon...
Katie is a little "cousine". Her dad, Paul is my mother's cousin, and he married Amy from Pensacola, they live in Wyoming, and I was hoping that we would see them often, now that his in-laws all live here, but he's still pretty busy, and hasn't traveled much our way. Still I got to see Amy and meet their beautiful little girl. She's 2 days shy of being 3 months on these pictures. I also put together for them a birth announcement card.

Front,

Back,

She's just so sweet,

I thought this was funny,

Love those rolls,

Enjoying some "sugar" as they say around here (I'm becoming soo american..)

Jane

2008-05-16T20:43:00.008-06:00

Jane is graduating and we had a little senior session. I love those, they're so much fun, a treat every girl should have, wonderful memories for parents... If you haven't yet, it's time to book one...
I haven't blogged for a little while, Coco is keeping me busy (house training is not yet accomplished, we're trying hard, which means going out & play very often..), the kids are getting out of school (Yikes!), lots of really cool pictures to process (and will soon be on their way here)...
Onto Jane, she is just stunning, beautiful, amazing blue eyes, full of charm, see for yourselves:
Love that dress,

beautiful legs,

We had to take the fun street picture,

Those eyes.. in America there are lots of "deep blue ocean" eyes.. (I grew up around the Mediterranee, where we all had brown eyes, no blue)

I love this shot,

OK, now she fits right into some fancy fashion magazine with this image,

Thank you Jane for contacting me, I had a great time. Best of luck in college.

And thank you so much for the comments, it's so nice to get some feedback.

Coco

2008-05-11T13:47:00.005-06:00

We have a new baby!!!
I've been talking about this for a while, and last week, without much notice, I surprised my family with Coco (as Chanel....). It took us a few days to come up with her name, 5 of us to contend... finally we choose the same name as my cousin's dog, but it fits her so well. When I walked in the house with my tiny surprise the kids were ecstatic, they love her. And she's such a good dog, she's fulfilling her role of "baby-substitute" perfectly. She very cuddly, very affectionate, will stay this perfect baby size for ever...( she's a lap-dog, a king's Charles Spaniel), so soft, playful, keeps her teething to her chewing toys (and occasionally my fingers..), we're smitten with her. The children are being very responsible, house training is going well, we're starting puppy school next week ( proper education is a must!).
Isn't she sooooo cute?

She's so good to the children, who just can't resist picking her up,

I bet you're all saying "awww", just so that you know, she still has a twin sister waiting to be adopted.... Let me know, and I'll put you in touch with their breeder.

You can leave me a comment (click on the comment link, right below this post), you know how proud mamas love to boost about their babies, and how we love to hear compliments... I would love to hear what you have to say about my "cocotte"

THE Boston Matathon

2008-05-01T07:56:00.004-06:00

We're back!!! I had some work waiting for me and wasn't able to post right away. The trip was wonderful. In the days preceding the race, the town was invaded by runners (you could spot them easily in the crowds, wearing their fancy running shoes, and running clothes), there was a frenzy kinda of atmosphere...

We were with a running group from Pensacola (including Paul and Cherie Epstein from running wild, Brian and Crystal Spencer). There were several very nice meals, all organized by Crystal (thank you so much) and listening to the athletes I couldn't help but feel like a sorry couch potato!!! You should hear the kind of training they go through, it's a wild regimen of intense exercise. Of course, many of them have also accomplished the iron man race (something like 2 1/2 miles of swimming, than 100 miles of biking, and to finish it off a marathon!! as if the first part wasn't enough?) Like I said they're athletes, not just "in shape". I was defenetly intimidated by their endurance, but listening to them I was also motivated to get back in shape, so this past week I've put my running shoes back on, my ipod, and I'm hitting the road... We'll see how long that last.
On to the pictures, here is Henry, so close to the finishing line.

I must thank Dan, the manager of the Lenox hotel, he kindly gave me his office with prime window view of the last stretch of the marathon. Thanks to him I was able to get some great shots of our group without fighting the crowds.
But mostly, I would have never been able to record any of this fantastic event without the help of Brian's cousins: Martin and Linda. They're from the area and drove us (I was with Crystal), from our hotel, to the starting line, through traffic to the crossing line at the end. I had the best time in their company and am so grateful they took me along, because on my own, I'm not sure I would have seen a thing.

With a best personal record time of 2 hours and 57 minutes, Brian Spencer on the left, with Paul Epstein and Mike Tapia.

Yes, this is Lance. 7 times winner of the Tour de France... I really wish that maybe soon a fellow frenchman could get the title..

And here, for my friend Patsy Brown, the very inspiring team: Dick Hoyt and his son.

At last, right after the finish line, most of our group from Pensacola: (left to right) Erika Smith, Mike Mc Comb, Meri Asmar, Cherie and Paul Epstein, Henry, Mike Tapia, and Brian Spencer.

From my view point, up in the beautiful Lenox hotel, the finishing line. The cheering crowds never thinned through out the whole 26.3 miles!!!

For those who wish to see more of my coverage of the event, here is a direct link to my website with a slideshow:
http://www.markerwin.com/arielle/proofs/boston_08/
Or go to my website: www.ariellelanghorne.com, choose "client login", the password is: boston_08

Silhouettes

2008-04-19T16:04:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone,
I have something exciting to share, something new and different. Well, I say new, but it's been done for centuries. It's a modern and fresh look on silhouettes with good use of today's technology. I have lots of original ideas and ways to incorporate this very elegant and timeless art form. Today are 2 examples of expecting mothers portrait of recent pregnancy sessions I shot. I'm very happy with the outcome and think these would look lovely in the new baby's room. And wait until I show you what I have in mind for children, graduation, couples... can you tell I'm giddy with enthusiasm?
I'm out of town at the moment, in Boston, to cheer my husband who will be running in THE marathon on Monday. The weather is just splendid, and I'm hoping it will stay the same for the race. I hope to find a great spot towards the finishing line to get some good pictures of my man and his running buddies. If I'm successful I will share some here, and possibly the Pensacola News Journal!

Parker

2008-04-17T04:16:00.007-06:00

Oh, he is so cute!
I love taking baby pictures, but I want to take the baby home with me each time!

This little guy is the fourth child in his family, and he's receiving as much attention from his mother as a first newborn. As you can tell, Ashley is madly in love with her little boy. I so much enjoyed photographing that connection. And jumped on every occasion to hold cuddly, sweet Parker.

He's just as mesmerized by Ashley as she is fascinated with him,

So gentle,

Now, that's a deep slumber,

Kade

2008-04-14T19:41:00.004-06:00

Sorry, it's been a little while since my last entry. I've been a little busy and the children were out of school, so I traded some computer-time for family-quality time...
Today I was working on some baby pictures of Kade. I love his name, and he's the sweetest baby, an other one who really makes me wonder if we shouldn't have just one last little Langhorne.
His family is very involved with Football, I wish I could have taken a picture of him in a helmet, but none were around that day. We did find the football, and he hugged it in his sleep, looks like he's going to fall right in his father's steps.

Amazing how they can be comfortable in the oddest positions,

Too cute, soon he'll be dragging that bear behind him, and it will always be fun to have this picture, where the bear is holding him.

I love their expressions,

That's it for today, soon to come more adorable babies.

A big thanks to Laura for her nice comment, and to "celulite" (where did that come from?).

Please if anyone feels compelled to leave a comment, a nice note is always very welcome, and it's great to get some feed back. All you have to do is click on the "comment" link at the end of each post.

Surfing...

2008-04-04T06:30:00.008-06:00

I hardly ever blog about us, but yesterday was so much fun, I couldn't resist sharing a few pictures. I say a few, but I might have gotten carried away as these are my favorite people in the world, I have a very hard time with making a small selection.
My son, Will is now 10 years old, and I swear that only yesterday I was in the hospital holding him a newborn in my arms. It's true, there is no time to blink, they grow so fast. He's now probably 5,2, comes up to my nose and wears a size 7.5 man shoes!!! He's on his way to be taller than his dad..
We've been enjoying my family, who's been visiting from France, and have been spending time with them at the beach, as it's spring break.

For a couple of days there was a purple flag raised, warning beach goers from dangerous critter, following are pictures of a Portuguese Man-of-War. Many had washed on the shore and my children stayed real busy popping them and burying them deep in the sand.

They are highly venomous creatures. Somehow they're a colony of species, not just one. It was interesting to read about them, kind of creepy, mostly scary to know they were all over and so dangerous.

Burial process,

Mission accomplished, we spend a good part of the day digging holes for them. They looked like water bottles scattered on the shore.

And yesterday, Will was one lucky boy: he had his first taste of surf, with an hour lesson taught by surfer legend Yancy Spencer the third. It was so much fun watching him having the time of his life. He managed to stand on the board on his first try, and many more times afterwards, and had the largest grin stuck on his face. It was Will's idea to get a lesson, before I signed him up for a week summer camp. Very wisely, he suggested to try and see if he liked it first.

Well, it was such a success, we headed straight to Innerlight (the big local surf store), to buy his first board. There, we realized who Yancy is and the magnitude of his authority on the sport, and feel very privilege that he introduced Will to surfing.

The board went flying in the air, I'm not sure what happen to Will then..

I bet he will be sore today.

Magalie was dying to try it, and Yancy took her out too, just far enough.

Here's the happy bunch,

Beautiful sweet children

2008-04-04T04:06:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone. Once again I had the privilege to photograph this beautiful family. They're all soooo sweet! I was greeted by huge smiles, and when the session was over I received the biggest hugs and kisses. They just melted my heart...
David, with always a grin on his face:

Anthony, busy and inquisitive little man,

Precious little Yana,

And Flora,

We did some dress up, I love Yana's flashy Boa's crown

Anthony was superman, and soon he was climbing up the tree in the background,

I wonder what was in Flora's mind at that moment, and I love her expression in this image.

Around that building, David found some rolly-poly bugs (I'm sure they have very scientific name, but that's the only one I know) he carefully kept one in a hallow acorn, and gave it his best care. As it was time to leave, I noticed he had turned his cup holder in his mother's nice car into a natural habitat for his new friend.

Heather

2008-03-30T18:48:00.004-06:00

Soon I'll have a very sweet little girl to photograph... Heather is due by mid April, and she just has the pregnancy glow. I couldn't wait to post a few pictures from her session

Cute belly picture,

Anne & Jimmy

2008-03-30T10:52:00.008-06:00

A quick sneak peek of your E session. It's spring break here, my parents are visiting from France with some friends, and we're staying with them at the beach. I'm no beach bum, and the water is not warm enough for me to even want to try to dip my feet, but my children are having the best time swimming! ( while I watch wrapped up in towels).
Back to the pictures, I was warned that Jimmy was somewhat camera shy. Not so, I had a great time taking pictures. These 2 are so much in love that they glow, they're a beautiful match and it shows in every picture.
I'm working on my laptop, so I hope the colors won't be too much off.

While Anne changed dresses, I made a little friend, I tried my best feline approach, but he didn't really care for me to get too close. I love how they do that big red goiter.

Jessie & Rachel

2008-03-27T16:18:00.009-06:00

Here I go again posting too many pictures. I tried selecting only a few, but then I gave up, these sisters are just stunning beautiful. The session was a lot of fun, driving downtown, looking for "urban" decor, going through the clothes they had brought and tying it all together...
Gotta run out the door, but I just wanted to have these up.

Mister Mac

2008-03-27T15:58:00.005-06:00

An other angel. My friend Lisee, is now a mother of 4!!!! And so cool about it. Girl, you're making it look easy, it's tempting... but, probably not for me, I think I'll just be content with a puppy later in the year.
Mac was very agreeable to all the poses, he sure is cute. Thanks for letting me record this very special time in his life.

Prom night

2008-03-25T10:58:00.005-06:00

Sometimes I wish I grew up in the US! Watching this group of friends all dressed up to go to their prom, I feel I missed out some..
It was a beautiful evening, and the guests were pouring into Mallie's backyard, all looking amazing in their gowns and tux. The parents were like a group of paparazzi snapping their cameras at the happy couples. Finally after all the pictures were taken, the seniors were able to enjoy their delicious meal (catering from Skopelos), and I hear the dance was a blast.

Just a few portraits,

Grier had an amazing dress,

What a wonderful group of friends, I think they would make a great spread page in a vogue magazine,

Handsome bunch, indulging the cameras,

the whole crew,

It smelled and look delicious,

Mallie

2008-03-12T20:50:00.008-06:00

A knock out senior! She's beyond beautiful and so nice, I had a great time photographing her.

This past weekend was her prom, and her mom had a group of her friends over for a seated dinner (mom wins the best mom award, with such a beautiful and fun event). I got to take a few pictures of the young crowd in their evening gowns and tuxedos, they all looked amazing!

I hope parents will allow me to post a few images.

Those big blue eyes!

Experimenting with textures...

And such a radiant smile

Perfect skin...

These high school girls are a photographer's dream, they don't take a bad picture.

Babies!

2008-03-11T20:11:00.008-06:00

Oh my! It's been almost a month since my last entry. It's not for lack of work, I've had some real cuties as models... We also had a fantastic family vacation, skiing in Big Sky, Montana, beautiful conditions and weather, a blast for all. Time to share a few of the beautiful newborns. First is Jackson, a sweetheart. I love his parents, his dad is a great tennis pro around here, his mom and I used to play together in the tennis women's league. Feels like a long time ago...

It took us a little while to get Jackson to sleep, but then we got some great shots. He just loved to stretch.

And here is Lennon, whom I first photograph while still in her mommy's belly, then as a newborn and now already 4 months. Time flies. She is just adorable, love those little rolls...

And last, miss Ellison soo cute! Her parents drove 4 hours for this session, that is the best compliment ever, I was VERY flattered, and I hope they will enjoy these pictures.

The dad is definitely what I call a "modern man", totally at ease with the baby and knows what to do, how to handle his beautiful little girl. There are more like him, and they absolutely amaze me, although my husband is a wonderful dad, he had no clue, maybe that's harsh, he just wasn't all that confident. Mothers always seem to have that innate caring, but I love to see it in the fathers too.

Baby Andrew

2008-02-07T22:02:00.001-06:00

And here is the latest in our family. I hear Andrew has been keeping his parents up all night, and might have some cow milk intolerance. That's either becoming more common or the doctors are better at detecting it.. I feel for you cousin, it's hard to function without proper rest.

I always try to get this shot, but it's not an easy one on the parents. I think the baby feels unbalanced in our hands that way, and it's complicated to pose them just so. I think Matt managed pretty well.

I recently went to a really nice home and garden furniture store in Pensacola, called DUH, and purchased several baskets, containers, specifically for the new born sessions, Andrew is all curled up in one of these.

I just love his little hand here

Is that not sooo cute?

Good luck Matt and Laura on those sleepless nights.

Laura

2008-02-07T11:05:00.001-06:00

These are pictures of my cousin Laura, pregnant with her fourth boy!!!
And soon, I'll post pictures of her new born, Andrew. He looks just like his 3 brothers, as Laura put it when she first saw him, she delivered the same baby 4 times.
Since the age of 7, my parents sent me every other year to the US during summer break to my uncle and aunt's to learn english. I owe it mostly to Laura to be now bilingual, we share many childhood memories and are as close as sisters. I am for ever grateful to her father, oncle Michel, to have played match maker successfully some years ago, and to now have my precious family. Here's a portion of hers:

She's beautiful, always

This is her oldest, Christian, he didn't want me to take his picture, and only agreed for a 2sec hug. I love what we got out of our limited time!

This is sweet BJ, until Andrew came along, he was enjoying his position as youngest of the family, but he's thrilled with the arrival of the baby.

And last is Patty, they are all super smart, good looking and nice...

BJ, he's just so gentle.

Bonnie & Jacob's "E" session

2008-02-02T22:59:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to share a few images from a recent engagement session. Bonnie and Jacob requested to take some of the pictures at the "goofy golf", and others at the bluffs. I had never been to either place, and I was a little dubious about our first location, but I think the result is fun. I felt I had a little room for spunk and originality and had a great time editing these. The bluffs was a little more of a traditional approach. I think they make a lovely couple and I'm looking forward to their wedding.

Stephanie

2008-01-31T10:40:00.001-06:00

Again, I might be posting many pictures, but there was so much to choose from. And Stephanie is so beautiful, it makes the choice very difficult. We had a good time scouting downtown for our "urban session", it was mighty cold that day, and she was a trouper. I hope to get more highschool teens to photograph, they're always a lot of fun, come up with the coolest clothes, and are usually comfortable in front of a camera, it all makes for beautiful pictures. I was going to say: that the teen years/ highscool is a very important time of our life, so it's really crucial to recording it with pictures, but I pretty much feel that way about everyday of our lives... Ask my poor children, they probably think my camera is part of my body!
Still, there's a lot going on during that precollege time, big changes, lots of growing, and then they're off to college, so make sure you get plenty photos.

Colton

2008-01-30T22:23:00.001-06:00

Meet Colton, a beautiful baby. As if having a new born wasn't enough excitement in their life, his parents had to move across the country shortly after his birth, all that right around Christmas! I would have lost my mind, but I'm sure they're doing great.

We tried fitting him in the tin box, but he was already out growing it.

I love this feet picture, in his dad's hand.

So cute!

An other Noah!

2008-01-30T21:49:00.000-06:00

This Noah came with his parents, and his big sister, Sydney. I just had to post one of her pictures too. Her baby brother was so sweet and posed like a charm. I love baby time, and like I've said before these infant session awake in me a maternal rush.
We might be getting a puppy pretty soon, it's not the same, I know, but it might just do the trick!
Wishing you the best,

Look at this cute little dimple he has!

Noah

2008-01-30T16:53:00.001-06:00

OK, maybe this is too many pictures, I hope not. He was just so sweet, I couldn't resist. Noah came to my home with his parents and grand parents for his "infant" session at just 2 weeks. We tried to get the shot where he could fit in his parents palms ( which, even though he was a big baby, would have worked since his father has such big hands), however, Noah wouldn't hear of it. Although he passed his 2 weeks visit with flying colors, his perceptive mother insisted on an other exam, and his hip dysplasia was finally diagnosed. I praise his mother's instincts, and persistence, Noah's condition is easily fixed at this stage of his life, where it would have been a much bigger problem later on if unnoticed. This little fellow has a beautiful and loving family, I wish you all the best, after a rough start.

Christmas cards

2008-01-23T18:38:00.001-06:00

3 more examples of Christmas cards,
I've been photographing Walton since he's 8 days old, he is just precious and I love his parents.

Here is Walton's whole family, on his mother's side. I was afraid that 5 dogs would be a bit of a challenge, but not so, they are quite experienced in the art of posing as they perform every year for the family picture. It was a breeze, and a lot of fun to be around the whole clan.

It would be hard not to take a good picture of these beautiful children, I know them well as their mother is one of my very best friends. Aside from their good looks they are also smart, kind and very cool. Harrison is in charge of setting my phone's ring tone to the latest song, helping me to stay somewhat "hip", and hanging around the girls I get a sense of fashion, they are very much up to date on the trends.

Catching up

2008-01-23T17:21:00.000-06:00

I thought I would share some of the cards I put together this past Christmas.
This first group is of an amazing family, who just recently adopted their fourth child. As the card says, Yana joined her new home just a few months shy of turning 3. She's an adorable little girl, now loved by wonderful parents and silblings. Wishing you the best for this new year and on this latest parenting adventure.

Just wonderful kids here, our families have been friends for generations, and I love that friendship being carried on. I had a great time taking their pictures, their mom wins best funny mom award, she definitely kept the mood relaxed (usually moms tend to be a little stressed out on "picture day", feeling the pressure to have everyone at their best). Jane had no such concerns, I think at one point she even threatened to moon her children to give them a good giggle, I was too busy catching their cute smiles to see if she actually did it.

Fallowing are just a few pictures of a beautiful baby girl:

Bonne Annee 2008

2008-01-16T21:18:00.000-06:00

Back in business, not that I ever stopped, it was quite crazy around Christmas time. Then it was enjoying the holidays with the children, and finally thankful for school to start to get some things done!
I'm once again a student at PJC, in graphic design, I believe that will come in handy when designing wedding album. I also plan to offer soon a new approach to photographing children at home, make it more a day in your life, carrying on as usual, while I document all those details that will be so dear to you in the years to come. Then I will design a beautiful "coffee table" book with all those important moments.
I'm also thrilled with a new wedding photography workshop I signed up for October 2008, taught by some of the top world renowned photographers, Anie and Yervant from Australia, and Jim Garner with his wife (from the US) to assist. It promises to be a terrific learning experience. I'm really looking forward to it.
In photography, like in many other fields, there is always more to learn and I just love to improve and take great pride in my work. Like all the top photographers say: I just want to take it to the next level, and I don't think there's ever a finishing line, so I plan on taking more classes and workshops, indefinitely...
All right, enough with the chitchat, I have so many pictures to catch up with.
Here is a beautiful, in all meanings of the word, family.

alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156480876753576642" />

border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156480889638478562" />

Grier

2007-12-22T06:56:00.003-06:00

Grier is a senior and just gorgeous. We had a great time scurrying for different locations that would suit her different styles. I loved that she came with many sets of clothes and shoes. This was fun, I look forward to photograph more of her age group.

Sweet Family

2007-12-22T06:34:00.000-06:00

This was such a nice family. Max, the youngest only knows how to smile, while his brother Spencer was a little more reserved but such a handsome boy.
I love the picture of the children playing in the back, with the focus on the parents. We had to watch little Max carefully, he's in that stage of discovery through the mouth, and he was trying it all!

Family pictures

2007-12-22T06:13:00.000-06:00

What a beautiful family, and wonderful people. This last spring they brought in a new member to their home, adorable Saddie, from Russia. The whole process of adoption is so much harder than a pregnancy, I'm in awe of my friends who go through that painful and emotional journey. What a reward it must be to return home with the new little loved one!
Saddie's big brothers are just crazy about her, and I believe she owes her lovely name to them. She is thriving in her new home, finally with her family.

A new baby girl

2007-12-09T07:16:00.003-06:00

This baby was just adorable! And the parents so sweet. I love seeing first time parents discovering how much love we feel for our children. I'm pretty sure we all think that we've topped the "love index" when we first see this precious new life, that no one else in the world can possibly be so much in love with their baby.
This is a dangerous business, photographing newborns... just this morning I was wondering...about a fourth baby..
Here is sweet Findley,

I love this picture, it's just innocence and peace.

Didn't I say they were sweet?

Some say babies see angels when they smile...

Last of DC

2007-12-09T06:52:00.001-06:00

This is the last of DC, a beautiful family. I love the colors of the fall there.
We are just a few days from Christmas ( I don't dare counting exactly how much, I could have a panic attack!) and it's hot and muggy in Pensacola. We are buying our tree in shorts and T-shirts! I don't think we get much of a season change in this part of the world, and somehow every year I forget that and hope for one... I must be conditioned from my childhood in France with true seasons, just expect it, and it's not happening! Oh well, we can always travel.

More of DC

2007-11-28T21:36:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've had a chance to upload a few pictures. I'm very busy these days with Christmas orders, I want to make sure everyone gets it all by that special date...
So, not much time for chit-chat, but here are a few pictures from 2 beautiful families:

Best friends

2007-11-10T08:50:00.001-06:00

A few more pictures from my mad weekend in DC.
Two stunning and so sweet girls, who have been best friends since preschool.
After the first day of constant rain, the skies finally cleared up, and we were able to take advantage of the beautiful fall colors outside, something I really miss in Pensacola.
It was hard to choose just a few pic for the blog, I find them beautiful in all, so it was a bit of a random pick.

Playful

2007-11-10T08:05:00.000-06:00

Just a few of my favorites from these happy kids. It was a rainy day, but we still had a good time taking pictures all around their house.

So Handsome

2007-11-06T16:47:00.001-06:00

This little boy was so cute!
At 6 months old, he loved the attention we were giving him with the camera. And his mother is just beautiful.

Isn't he the happiest little guy?

What a smile!

I love his expression on the following 2 images,

Busy weekend

2007-11-05T06:22:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, I stayed very busy and photographed 8 families in Washington DC.
I will try to post this week a few pictures of each.
Today, a sweet little boy, 10 weeks old,

Lennon Sage

2007-10-22T21:13:00.000-06:00

Just a few weeks ago I photographed Ashley pregnant. And now, she holds this precious little girl, with whom I'm in love. She is adorable, I held her and felt that warm spot where her little body was against mine and this flood of memories just invaded my heart! There are times when I long for a baby, (briefly, then my senses come back to me, and I realize that I probably would repeat the experience every 2 years... not!). Ashley is one of those natural mothers, she handles Lennon with ease and knowledge. She was, they were, the best models. They are both beautiful, Ashley definitely has the glow.

Laura, Joe & Cannon

2007-10-22T20:34:00.000-06:00

What a beautiful family and fun session this was!

Cannon was just a few days shy of his first birthday, and although he didn't feel much like giving me lots of smiles, he sure was sweet and patient with me. Laura and Joe have this amazing chocolate lab, Bailey (hope I have the spelling correct), that they have trained to do the most incredible tricks: for one she's very obedient and would parade behind me to entertain Cannon, and she knows how to retrieve a beer from the refrigerator and bring it to you, she can also dump things in the trash... I plan to get them to train our next puppy! Or at least give me some good tips, our sweet dog has perfected the art of sleep and rest, but not much more:)

Stealing his grand father's glasses!

I love how children hold on to the ears,

The neighbour's yard was just beautiful

Ah, the wonder dog,

Ariel & John

2007-10-21T08:25:00.001-06:00

Just finished working on a few pictures from this beautiful wedding. It took place on Ono Island, the day the weather channel expected a small hurricane to land on our coast, and it was an outdoor wedding! Surprisingly it was OK, it rained only while the bride was getting ready, and during the reception, the sky was beautiful, maybe a little dark.

Dorene Nash, from Mobile was the hired photographer and I was second shooting for her. The bride was just stunning beautiful, and I love her name! She goes by her middle name, which is my first name, only spelled a little differently, and her first name is my middle name, Francine.

Ariel's mother looked more like her sister, she's helping one of the bride's maid with her hair,

An other bride's maid, John's sister

Little gifts for the bride's maids,

Gorgeous, and so happy to marry John,

A lesson in ties,

The children loved it when Dorene let them go wild and jump on the bed,

Very exotic flowers,

OK, still cloudy, but beautiful sunset,

Very much in love, so cute together, just married!

The best band ever, Hip Boot Joe

The wedding party,

At the end of the reception Ariel, sang with the band and was having a blast dancing with the guests,

Walton

2007-10-16T21:17:00.000-06:00

Walton is about to celebrate his first birthday, he is growing super fast!
I first took his pictures when he was 8 days old, and he managed to fit cupped in his mother's palms. Looking at him now, that seems impossible!
Well, he's a very cute little boy, with beautiful parents:

Expecting couple

2007-09-28T21:48:00.000-06:00

Isn't this the most handsome couple?
I can't wait to see their little girl, just a few more days... Those are the longest though.
This was a tricky photo session, because I was counting only on daylight and the sun wasn't very cooperative that day, but the pictures turned out great, regardless.
I hope that soon I will be able to post images of their baby.

Baby A

2007-09-24T17:12:00.000-06:00

I recently offered a special promotion to an OBGYN practice: only 20 expecting mothers will receive a complementary newborn portrait session. I hope each one of them will take advantage of this opportunity. Fallowing are some of my favorite pictures taken during the first of these sittings. Baby A is only 11 days old here, and she slept the whole time I photographed her. She's just adorable and beautiful like her mother.

I love it when they smile in their sleep.

Little A's grandparents are both holding her in this picture, I think they try to spend as much time as they can with her.

Baby pictures

2007-09-08T08:37:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures from a baby session. This sweet boy was around a month old and his grand mother called me to take some images as a surprise for her daughter in law's birthday. It was very touching to see how caring the dad was with his new little boy, I hope next time I'll get both parents behind my camera.
Baby's grow up so fast, we're all aware that there is no time to even blink. There are a few stages that we should record with photography images, the first one being their first 2 weeks . After I delivered my children, every visitor we had would say :" Oh, I forgot how small they are!" talking about my newborn. And it's true, they'll fit in your palms during those first 2 weeks of life, then they just won't fit anymore. I regret not taking enough pictures of my children, I really wish now I would have photos of my babies cupped in my hands, their tiny feet, little fingers wrapped around mine... It's a short window of time, and it's easy to let it go by, we just had one of the most remarkable experience of our life with the delivery,( and there really isn't much of a break to get over all it's "side effects"), and then we have this amazing little person, for whom we feel the most intense love, to care for (I remember that being quite a frightening responsibility and thinking the hospital staff must simply be out of their mind to send me out after a short 3 days), there is so much to adapt to, having pictures done is the last thing on our mind. But my advice to all the new moms is to not miss that first stage, no matter how much I'm willing to invest now, I'll never get these shots of my children.
Coming soon I'll post a few pictures of newborns.

Julie et Floriant

2007-09-06T20:43:00.000-06:00

This beautiful wedding took place in my hometown, Aix-en Provence. The cermony and reception were held at Floriant's grand parents beautiful home. The ceremony was at noon, followed by drinks, then guests went home, meanwhile everyone was at work to transform the terrasse into a dinning and dancing floor. People returned later in the evening and probably partied all night long, by 10 PM dinner wasn't served yet, and the sun was on its way to set down. Marriages are somewhat different in France...

Valerie and Alexander

2007-09-04T19:55:00.000-06:00

This french wedding took place in the south of France on July 14Th (national day). The location was beautiful with an unusual view of the mountain Sainte Victoire (Cezanne's favorite study), surrounded by vineyards, the weather was so pleasant and it even became cool as the evening progressed (nothing like steamy Pensacola!).
I only wish I could have attended the workshops prior to their big day.

Bambi Cantrell and Jerry Ghionis wedding Photography workshop in Boston

2007-08-21T21:17:00.000-06:00

Time flies!
I returned home to the US barely 12 days ago and have already completed an absolute wonderful wedding photography workshop (again) with world top wedding photographers, Bambi Cantrell and Jerry Ghionis, and got my 3 children all situated with their first day of school today (big successful day for all 3!), let's not even talk about the loads of laundry and the scary huge pile of mail waiting for me after 7 weeks out of the country (although my husband did a great job of paying bills on time).
This last workshop took place in Boston, Bambi and Jerry both hold some very impressive photography curriculum and are today's wedding photographers icon. Their teaching was excellent and covered so many areas of the business, from marketing , photography technique, understanding of light, equipment, editing, to the photographer's social skills... We had some beautiful models to pose and photograph in the streets of Boston, and I met some extraordinary talented photographers who came from all around the USA.
Here are a few images I took during those memorable 3 and half days:

Coming up soon, some baby pictures and a couple weddings I was fortunate to attend to in France, in beautiful country side.

Caroline and her children

2007-08-07T00:52:00.000-06:00

Following are a few pictures from a beautiful family. Caroline's parents are good friends of my parents, they're some of the sweetest people and always so much fun to be around. Unfortunately, the dad was out playing tennis when I took the pictures. The yard is just amazing, typical of the south of France, with gorgeous flowers and lots of little areas, a paradise backdrop for a family session.

The 2 boys,

Their dog, Jack, thinks he's human, once while sitting at their dinner table, I saw him jump on a chair and stay there ready to eat with us. Here, it seemed he didn't want to be left out of the family portrait.

The youngest didn't care much to smile at my camera, she's so cute, she really didn't need to.

We managed to have the grand mother in a few shots.

The little girl is eating melon under Jack's stare, and although she knew to be careful with him around, he still got the last bite of melon.

Paris workshop 7

2007-08-06T15:37:00.000-06:00

This new blog is an exciting tool, and I find myself up late at night editing pictures and uploading new images or surfing the net to view everyone's blog!
Well, these are probably my last images to show, of the fabulous week in Paris under the teaching of acclaimed wedding photographers, Scott Robert Lim (http://www.scottrobertjournal.com/) and Kim Nodurft (http://www.kimnodurft.com/flash/main.swf), let me recommend their workshop to anyone interested in seriously improving their photography. These two will deliver. They love their art and will teach you all their knowledge with no bounderies.

I couldn't resist showing you this beautiful castle in whole, some of my dearest memories are right there on the graveled terrasse, I'm so fortunate my parents agreed to hold my wedding reception in this fairy tale chateau.

In the next few shoots, Brandon quickly caught up with Rachel and was twirling her around.

Paris workshop 6

2007-08-05T15:44:00.003-06:00

A few more pictures from Montmartre and in front of the Moulin Rouge,

We bought so many tickets to each get a ride on the carousel, and take several pictures,

Our last big "field trip" was to go to Versailles, unfortunatly we discovered they have rigid rules and it would have been impossible for us to use our cameras, beside the tourist flow would have been overwhelming. Instead we went to Maisons-Laffitte's castle, which isn't all that popular, although magnificient, and we had the place just about to ourselves. It was a beautiful day, and for me very special since 12 years ago I was married to Henry in that very castle, the place was full of wonderful memories...

Our reception dinner was in this grandiose room, our table in front of the huge mirror,

We each had 10 minutes with one of the models in the castle, again we prepared our session by practicing on other students, Chryssy (http://www.xanga.com/creativediva) helped me out a lot, I love this picture of her.

That evening, Scott taught us a few tricks with a secondary light, again Chryssy helped with the demonstration,

Paris workshop 5

2007-08-05T15:26:00.001-06:00

It's exciting to have so many images to process, but it seems a never ending task!

I took this image in Notre Dame, the candles gave such beautiful light to the people near them.

View of the gargoyles of Notre Dame,

Sherry with the beautiful candle-light,

Back to Montmartre,

Looking down to Paris from Montmartre,

Pauline and Jessika

2007-08-05T01:26:00.000-06:00

More picture of my super models,

Boy, does she have a killer smile!

I've been in France for 6 weeks now, and it's time for us to return to Henry, we all miss him terribly. I'm very fortunate to have had a long visit with my family.

That's it, I'll enjoy having these when I return to the US, I probably won't get to see them for at least a year, my brother and his family live in Africa.

Jessika and Pauline

2007-08-04T15:31:00.000-06:00

These beautiful girls are my niece, blond, and her friend, brunette. After the Paris workshop I can't stay "tranquil" and I'm constantly looking around for subjects to photograph, so I hired Jess and Pauline for some practice, they did great and I had fun. Here are some of my favorites,

My mother dressed Jess with a tunique brought back from a trip to India,

It seemed at first that Jess was a little camera shy, but she quickly warmed up,

Pauline, on the other hand was much more comfortable in front of my lense,

She looks so "reveuse",

I think they're both beautiful!

More pictures to come from Paris. Yesterday I took a break from the blog and spend all day in Aix-en Provence, it is so nice for me to walk in the streets of my home town, to anyone who desire to visit France you MUST stop and spend a few days here, it's "la joie de vivre" in France!

Paris workshop 4

2007-08-03T09:42:00.000-06:00

Sherry and Rachel on the steps of Montmartre,

The day started with some rain and when we arrived to our destination the skies cleared, we have been very lucky with the weather through the week.

We took these close to the top, and again attracted a lot of attention among all the tourist. We stayed very conscious of pickpockets and as we took turns taking pictures we would watch each others back and never ran into any problems.

One of our assignment was to photograph each other, one challenge being dealing with non-models, how to make the subject at ease, direct a good pose, and also to know what it feels like to be on the other side of the camera. It was a good exercise.

We were surrounded by beautiful architecture and sights and I felt a little disoriented to pick a good spot for taking a picture of Hassan, but he stayed very patient with me, thank you.

Paris workshop 3

2007-08-03T05:51:00.000-06:00

A few more pictures from our day at the Eiffel tour,

This is the "male" group of the workshop, with Scott Robert in the front. This picture was taken after a nice dinner in a small restaurant in the quartier latin, at about 10PM, it stays bright pretty late here.

Kim Nodurft had brought with her a lens baby, and was encouraging us all to try it, this is the picture I took with it, so I've added the lens baby to my long wish list. I really appreciated the opportunity to try new equipment.

Leaving the Eiffel tour we found a tree alley where we continued shooting.

We spend the 3rd day around Montmartre.

Paris Wedding Photography workshop 2

2007-08-01T08:34:00.000-06:00

Day 1 was quite intense, after a portrait in natural light lesson at the hotel, we all (20 of us) went to the Louvre and on to Notre Dame. We provided a good bit of entertainment with our heavy equipment, we appeared as paparazzi following 2 Hollywood celebreties! and the locals didn't want to miss an opportunity to meet our stars!
Rachel, our beautiful model. Rachel and Sherry posed for us endlessly with always a beautiful smile and grace, thank you to you both.

Sherry in front of the Louvres, we didn't really know it but you need special permission to shoot "professional photography" there, so we were kicked out pretty quick by a security guy on a bike.

A little romance.

One of the very geometrical "pond" in front of the Louvre

In front of Notre Dame, unfortunatly we arrived too late to go to the top.

This man was a pigeon magnet.

Paris workshop 1

2007-07-30T07:35:00.000-06:00

What a wonderful experience this workshop was!
Great teaching by 2 of the top leading wedding photographers, Scott Robert and Kim Nodurft, in beautiful Paris, France.
All the stars were aligned for these amazing 5 days, the weather was nice, the group of photographers was just awesome people. It was, as our British fellows were saying, brillant.
More pictures to come in the folowing days.