Happy Halloween

Well, I think all of the ghosts and goblins, pirates, princesses, wolves, turtles, pumpkins, dinos, cats, bats, gypsy's, flowers and scarecrows have gone home, we can now go out to dinner and a movie.

Can someone please tell Khalila she's not supposed move when we are doing night photography?!

Super gorgeous

My baby girl has been looking super amazing lately. Don't get me wrong, she's always been beautiful but lately she's just super gorgeous!



Today at sunset.

New look

Here is my new hair style. The first is a self portrait I took of my self using the tri-pod the other Khalila took of me with a point & shoot celebrating my "lighter" hair.

A couple more . . .

Alexis holding my camera after taking a picture of Izzy & Khalila

In this shot Dave is taking a picture of Alexis, taking a picture of me, taking a picture of Khalila & Izzy. There you can see how really trashy this location is. It really is dilapidated but it that brick and vine make for awesome background.

A grunge photo shoot

Alexis and Khalila have been friends for a very long time. I was trying to get the Fabulous Four together - 4 friends since middle school - but it was not possible. I was so glad to hear Alexis could join us. Here are just a few fabulous shots from a very creative and productive day.
They looked gorgeous!
Here's my handsome young man . . . God he's grown up so fast!

It was such an awesome day! The weather was perfect and the sun was out - what more can a photographer ask for? Beautiful models? Oh I had those too. Perfect!

Eye contact AND a smile!

Finally Ms. Isabella decides to look at my lens AND smile. It's been so long since she has done that. I was so excited. I think it was because of the new hat. LOL

A Magical Birthdal

Miss M turns 3!
By Royal Decree we were instructed to report to the High Quarters of the castle to celebrate with the princess.
Once upon a time . . . there was a princess who had a very special birthday. That being her 3rd birthday and all. Happy Birthday Ms.M
When we arrived there was the "normal" princess stuff. Trunks full of the queens treasure. Gowns and crowns and rings and necklesses. Shinny balloons and many toys.
Princess M was happy to see other princesses there. Like Princess I. and Princess L

Princess Isabella and the others had to make sure to share their powers and be careful not to excert their own powers over each other. It was indeed interesting.

Princess L had magical powers that soothed the soul.

The princesses shared and played and watched T.V. (show). They ate royal food

and what a delight

then off to the royal toy room. Which was stocked full with toys. Where a princess can lose herself to her imagination and daydream all day long.

Let us not forget the Royal Princesses Cake which was made of ice cream and what a delight that was. For it hold flowers sweet as sugar and a very nice treat for a princess.
Princess M knew it was time for entertainment for her court was growing tired. So off went the royal dress and a tutu was found. "her electric guitar and a little bit of rock should liven this place up"

And finally Princess Mommy supervised and made sure no one jump (Isabella!).

So there you have it. Thanks Angie! and thank the princesses for me!

Simply Beautiful

Just my kids
Dave and I took them Sunday for a photo shoot and this is the most amazing shot we got.

Look at this little Monkey!

I've been practicing on this baby since he was in moms belly! and he's almost walking now!!!Lucky for me his mom trust me with his sessions. I plan on one day doing his wedding!

This was a mini 15 min session after work today. Also the first time I used my light meter.
Isn't he the cutest little monkey EVER?! Thanks Jenny. (6 pictures - blogger has been hiding my pictures. If you don't see 6 pics please click on title or contact me. Thanks)

Historical Bridge

SHAMELESSLY COPIED FROM DAVE'S BLOG - HEY HE DID ALL THE RESEARCH AND WRITING SO WHY NOT! THE PICTURES ARE MINE THOUGH - EXCEPT FOR THE B/W ONE.
Today my Father took us to a very small town telling us that there is a bridge there made from some remains of a 19th Century "Ferris" wheel. When we arrived, just the look of the bridge as different, kind of Gothic. Well they say it should be a goal of every intelligent person to learn something everyday. Today I learned where the name "Ferris Wheel" came from. Here is a little history I would like to share with you:

A little piece of history is rusting away quietly where it has spanned the waters of the Kankakee River for a century. Legend has it that Dunn's Bridge, just north of Tefft, Indiana, is constructed from steel salvaged from one of the late 19th century's most audacious engineering project--the gigantic mechanical wheel designed and constructed by George W. G. Ferris for the 1893 World's Fair. The Galesburg Illinois native (who grew up in Nevada) and civil engineer was 33 years old when he scribbled the design for the world's first large amusement ride on a napkin at a Chicago restaurant. Ferris designed his great wheel in answer to a challenge by Daniel Burnham to create a monument that would rival the Eiffel Tower, a chief exhibit at the Paris exhibition of 1889.
George Ferris' great wheel drew big crowds at the 1893 Chicago fair, and again at the 1904 Louisiana Exposition in St. Louis. But even the hefty fifty cent fare was not enough pay the cost of running this behemoth. It was dynamited on May 11, 1906 and sold for scrap. Shortly thereafter, Ferris' wife left him, saying he was obsessed by his wheel. He died alone and penniless in a hotel room a few days later.

Old-timers in the area of Tefft remember that a local farmer, J.D. Dunn, traveled to Chicago at the close of the fair in 1894 and bought part of the wheel as scrap. Transported to Dunn's property by railroad and horse drawn vehicles, the steel pieces were fashioned into a bridge over the Kankakee, with John Cooper as the blacksmith and Alonzo Hilliand as the carpenter.
The area near the bridge and the present village of Dunn's was a favorite picnic area, with a dance hall, amusement park and several rustic taverns. Some of the picnic crowds reportedly remembered riding in the "monster wheel" in Chicago back in 1893.
Original Ferris Wheel

Beautiful fall day

Here I am doing what I do......
taking pictures - seeing the world from a different perspective! Yes I'm laying on my back taking pictures of the bridge.
Dave took this picture of me . . . . so I took a few of him. . . .

caught him red handed!
Just a sweet moment between my in laws. They have been married over 52 years. Can you even imagine what 52 years of marriage is? They are my heros.
With their youngest son . . .
Thanks Alex and Jan for taking us to see this amazing bridge over the Kankakee River. What a beautiful fall day.