bubble days

It's been pretty warm here - in the evening when the house heats up we head out into the sunset to blow bubbles and cool off.

It's just heavenly with the warm summer light filtering through the trees.

Bella is content to just watch them float away or to wander through them as they drift about the yard. Then she goes hunting for the ones that caught onto a flower or are resting in the grass. These bubbles last forever! We actually found some inside the following morning, still alive. (But not for long!)

I hope you are enjoying these gorgeous afternoons as summer turns to fall -they really are the most special time of the year.

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Photography Classes

How daughter number one felt after a recent photography class:



How daughter number two felt:



Either way, you definitely don't want to miss out!

There are a few spots left for totally laid back, awesome, and affordable photography classes.

Meet Your DSLR: August 15th from 10am til 2pm ($30 per person)

Camera on the Go: August 8th from 2pm til 6pm ($30 per person)

The Meet Your DSLR class will help you get to know your camera so you don't miss the shots you want, and even better, can start planning the ones you see in your mind.

The Camera on the Go class will orient you with all the options on your Point and Shoot camera and discuss composition of great photos. Point and shoot cameras can go with you anywhere and with a little extra knowledge, you can start making every photo better instantly!


Drop me a line at sweetriverphotography@gmail.com for questions or registration!

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Back in the swing!

It has certainly been quite the adjustment going from one child to two, but I'm getting back into the swing of things. This wonderful family was my first session since having Lillia, and it couldn't have been more relaxing. We met nice and early - the light was beautiful, the yard was green, and the raspberries we picked were delicious!

And did I mention that the subjects were absolutely gorgeous? Allison's eyes (and her mom's!) are stunning, and her personality flows right out of them.

This is my favorite kind of portrait session. We got to hang out in the yard, swinging, playing Frisbee, and picking berries. What more can you expect from a beautiful summer morning?

Jessica, Allison and Eric, thanks so much for sharing your morning with me. It couldn't have been more lovely, and I had such a great time!

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Happy Birthday Thomas!

One year ago, this is how I spent my morning.

...and my evening. I was lucky enough to witness the labor of my amazing friend MJ and the birth of her son, Thomas.

It was a cool break in one of the craziest heat waves we've had here in a long time - very opposite this year.

MJ labored all day and into the night and stayed strong through hours of pushing.

I'm sure she'd agree now that every bit of it was well worth it. There is nothing like the moment a mother meets her child. It is beyond moving, and to have it captured forever is something precious.

Birth is one of the most amazing miracles on earth, and no matter how you labor, it is definitely worth documenting - for your own sake (if you think you can't remember your wedding day, try your labor day!) and for your child's. No one loves to hear the story of their birth more than kids, trust me! Happy birthday, Thomas, this one's for you!

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Emily Gets a Tooth

Do you remember darling Miss Emily? Well I have the pleasure of chronicling her growth, and it never ceases to amaze me what three more months does for a baby - I mean, it's a third of her life!

We waited and waited for good weather and good moods, but the stars never aligned for us. The rainiest May in history, a teething baby, sleepless nights. Sometimes you just have to go ahead and get the shoot done, and I'm glad we were able to - schedules get busy and nine months (and that wonderful first tooth!) only lasts so long.

The timing was just right and Emily was waking up in a good mood as I arrived. I love the nursery pictures because those moments are such a huge piece of parenthood, and yet we so rarely get to document them. Oh, the sleepy face is one of my favorites!

We moved into the living room and had a great time - we even managed to keep Emily's hand out of her mouth for a few seconds at a time to capture that brand new tooth!

Emily is so bright and alert now, crawling and goofing around. I can't wait to see how much more her personality will shine through in another three months!

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Love and cupcakes

Meet Adrienne - and yes, you'll just have to try not to be jealous at how gorgeous she is! Did I mention she's also nice, and funny, and smart (she has her own business - go check out her awesome bags and then come right back for the rest of this post!), and brings me cupcakes (see also: smart)? Yep, definitely a friend to keep around.

Well, her daughters certainly take after her, and they are a delight. Love and energy just emanate from these three, and it was a pleasure to watch.

It rained all week, and then the clouds blew away for the few hours we were together. Little did we know, that would be the last time we'd see the sun for a week. It came out for a few hours on Memorial Day, and is promising to stay hidden for another week. It has been quite the rainy spring and it was a blast to get outside and play for a change!

I can't help but love this next one since it's a drawing of my daughter! Thanks, Riley, it's the best!

As someone who brushes her daughter's hair maybe every few days, and has never even put it in a pony tail, I cannot begin to imagine what goes into maintaining these curls. I couldn't take my eyes off them!

And did I mention that Adrienne held those cupcakes hostage til the end of the shoot? They were well worth the wait.

Adrienne, thanks so much for sharing your afternoon with us - it was awesome. Tell Lauren I'm sorry I wrote all over her face with my logo - I promise I will erase it all when I send them to you. ;o) Oooh, and happy birthday, too! I think some more cupcakes are in order.

Stay tuned for a super energetic story board. I swear, Adrienne is an awesome mom, and this is a fun scene you won't want to miss. :O)

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A Little More April

Well, I have to admit, I fell off the Picture Spring bandwagon. I still took mental photos every day and searched high and low for great shots for the daily themes. Last year I took a photo every single day. This year I couldn't even keep up for one month! Of course, we had that terrible flu that knocked us down, then company from out of town, then Bella's second birthday (yay!), then a sad family event, and then my computer decided to get temperamental and it no longer allows me to type.

Whew.

So, here are the remaining shots from -gasp- a month ago, now.

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