*Posting overload- check out this adorable family here. (Yes, I'm biased.)
First, many thanks to all the people who entered the contest! There were many entries, and it was so fun hearing from people I don't know who somehow found their way to this site! Thanks for taking the time to contact me.
So all of the guesses were part of a collection of just 4 answers:
1) Wood End Lighthouse 2) Chatham Break Lighthouse 3) Long Point Lighthouse 4) Race Point Lighthouse
Surprisingly, the correct choice got the fewest answers! The answer was Wood End Lighthouse in Provincetown, MA. It's way out on the tip of the Cape, just a little ways from the very end of the curve before the ocean. I knew it was going to be a tough answer, because Long Point is the very last lighthouse on the Cape, and looks very similar to Wood End. To check out a beautiful sunset shot of Wood End, go to Yankee magazine's website, or get it off the stands. This month's issue has a gorgeous image. See it here. Plus, the magazine's excellent and has wonderful advertisers. :)
The winner of the 8x12 print is Sharon K of CT! I will get it printed and sent right to your home address, Sharon.
Because the two lighthouses are so similar, I felt kind of bad for making the contest hard. So, I drew a second prize winner, and a 5x7 print goes to Brittany Koenig of OR! Brittany, you can shoot me an email of your home address and I'll get it sent to you.
Thanks to all who participated-- from all across the country. It was such enjoyment to get all your emails!
"It was on the break--the moon shone on its crest and tipped its foam with light. On it rushed beneath the inky sky, driven by the awful squall behind it."
Head of the Meadow Beach. North Truro. Evening, right after a storm.
Wellfleet Pier
Wellfleet Harbor @low tide.
Salt Marsh. Looking out towards the bay. Truro.
Wellfleet.
Head of the Meadow Beach. North Truro. After a storm.
Corn Hill Beach. Truro. Bay side.
Head of the Meadow Beach. North Truro.
"Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds."
I don't know where to start with this one; this session was unique and enjoyed for many reasons -- because of the landscape surrounding us, the beauty after a storm, and the relaxed nature of these friends.
You know how just after a thunderstorm, there is sometimes a short window of time where everything sparkles from raindrops still on the grass, and the skies change color from gray to blue to yellow/pink? We had so many different types of beautiful light within the time of our session; it was so enjoyable to shoot through all of them.
Ann Marie & Holly made the shoot very lighthearted and easy-going. A big change is upcoming in their lives as Holly is engaged, and moving to Illinois after her upcoming wedding. (I have to interject here: far too many of my family/friends/acquaintances live in IL... :) Anyway, this session was a capture of their friendship as both living in CT. We tried to incorporate the feel of their comradeship, and they brought along some great ideas for props/backdrops.
Thank you for a nice evening, Ann Marie & Holly. I enjoyed getting to know you both a little more.
I am really looking forward to shooting your wedding soon, Holly! (And Toby, too. I promise having photos done is relaxing and enjoyable. ;) -- Paul and I wish you both many blessings as this new chapter begins!
A tribute to Holly's future in a farming community:
Holly said she was going to miss seeing trees, so we incorporated a pretty one into the shoot, with sun flare added for good measure:
Oh, this one makes me smile- the light, the light.
A pretty little sun shower came along, just in time... so very pretty-
Warning: if it's evening light, I'm gonna' try to get some sun flare. Do you blame me? :)
More sun flare... combined with dreamy, soft light:
I had an assistant for this shoot. And the comment from my assistant on this shot was: "It looks like something from 'Anne of Green Gables.' I like my assistant's line of thought. I have to agree with the statement.
Introducing my trusty assistant for this session.
Joel has been wanting to travel along on one of my shoots, but I told him it had to be someone that I knew, since I didn't want a new client to think I had an 'almost 10-year-old' second shooter. Holly and AnnMarie said he was welcome to come along. I'm glad he did. (Because it was a good excuse to go out for ice cream with him afterwards. And because, well, I love this kid.)
"When I left Queen's my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend, Marilla."
-from 'Anne of Green Gables' by Lucy Maud Montgomery
*Just a few days left for the contest. You can view it here.*
I am still post-processing all of the beautiful images from this friendship session, but when I came across this one, I had to put it up. Now.
On my way to our shoot location, it was pouring during a long-lasting thunderstorm. We decided to still go ahead with the session, though. (Thankful for willing clients!) By the time we were all set up and ready to go, this is what we got. 'Worth waiting for, no?
I know this image is such a teaser, but it made me happy. Many more to debut...
"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them." -Louisa May Alcott, author of the beloved 'Little Women'
"A low line of shore was visible at first on the right between the movement of the waves and fog, but when we came further it was lost sight of, and nothing could be seen but the mist curling in the rigging, and a small circle of foam."
-John Millington Synge, Irish poet and author from Rathfarnham, County Dublin (1871-1909)
Fun Little Contest:
*So, in this post I asked if anyone knew the location of the lighthouse in that picture. What I didn't tell my blog readers is that whoever can tell me the (exact) location and name of that lighthouse wins that picture in an 8x12 frame-quality print. To be fair, please email your (one & only) guess to me (betsyphoto1@gmail.com), so that everyone gets a turn without seeing prior answers. I will announce the winner on Friday, July 31st. Happy Researching!
Here are more of the images from the 'L' family shoot at Fox Hill in Vernon. What a beautiful night, filled with soft, warm light and lots of happy smiles. The adults and children alike were so cooperative and helpful, making the session go smoothly. After we got some shots of the whole entire family together, we took time to get individual smaller family units done-- so this post is all about the different sub-units. I'm even going to try to get everyone's name correct here. I know, I'm a little nuts. But I am going to try.
Sometimes it's hard for me to decide which pictures to showcase on the blog, since there are so many different options. But this next one made me giggle out loud when I saw it. And I'm not a giggler. So that's saying something. Can you resist these two? :)
Raymond and Mathew:
This is Liz and Bob. It looks like they have such fun together. Plus, I love the setting sun reflecting on the stone wall behind them. So pretty-
And here we add in Miss Victoria and Mr. Mathew-
Okay, now this is Marie and Joe, with Morgan & Vincent... quite the stylin' family shot:
And now their family in color, with soft light streaming through the trees:
Mother + Daughter + evening light + trees = so pretty
Speaking of mothers, I had to share these little 'in-between' shots we grabbed of two more moms and their little ones. Being the one with the camera, I have few pictures of my children with me when they were babies. So this is something I always try to get for mothers. There's something so heartwarming in images like these, showing the relationship between mother and child.
Here is Uncle John with all the nieces and nephews. The stonework and flag made me think of vintage, so here we are in sepia tone:
I just did a session with Jim and Ellen, but we still wanted to grab some of the 3 of them together. This spot was Jim's idea-- good thinking! I seem to remember he had some good ideas on our last shoot at the tree farm, too. (Remember, a tiny tree and a tiny little boy? ;)
We wanted to be sure to get some with the grandkids, too-
Thanks to all of you for a nice evening! You did a beautiful job! Your customized gallery for print choices will be sent to you soon.
"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."
See this? This is their backyard. Really.
