Courtesy of my new lens



I know that I'm probably biased, considering that she's MY child...but, goodness sakes...SHE'S CUTE!

Onto other things...thought I'd put up a little "creation" that I came up with this holiday season...

What to do with all those cards and photos that you get...
...you COULD tape them to the back of your door
...you COULD put them in a cute little basket on an end table
...you COULD throw them away after you read/look at them

OR

You could buy some cheap ribbon at Joann's, along with some tiny little clothes pins...tacky tape the ribbon to
the wall and then attach the cards as they come with the little pins...

Very tasteful...very holidayish...very inexpensive!!! YIPPEE!!!


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I'm in love


Okay...so, I'm in love...

Yes...with my husband of course...

But, the image above is making the moves on my heart!  Oh my goodness!!!

I started this business (well, GOD started this business using me, actually) in October.  My goal was to be able to make enough money to purchase this little  big wonder!

My husband walked in from work a couple weeks ago and told me that I had made it to my goal...

I got all jittery...in two months???  how in the world?  GOD, that's how!

And so, yesterday, I found myself at the downtown camera store feeling like a little girl in a candy shop...only, I wasn't buying penny candy...this baby is expensive...but oh so worth it!

I'm having fun...learning the feel of this monstrosity on the end of my camera body...but, it's great...so, I get a work out to boot!!

I'll be posting more "practice pics" soon!!!
Have a great week!

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Kindred Spirits

Have you ever met someone and you just KNEW that they were a kindred spirit?

Kindred Spirit?  What in the world are you talking about Colleen?

Yes, I know...it sounds like a very OLD word...but, I come from the Anne of Green Gables era...so you're just going to have to bare with me on this...

Kindred spirit...for me it feels like an old soul....like I could have known a person for years and years, and yet we may have just met...

That's what it was like with this family...I just felt like...well, they were kindred spirits!  I'm a "huggy" person by nature...but I have learned that others are not necessarily and I usually (especially professionally) don't go that route...however, when I met the Mom of this little family...there was just a "friendship bond" that just appeared!  I just don't know how else to explain it...

The point is, I had such a comfortable, relaxing, fun time with this family...and you KNOW I love photographing little girls and watching them being SISTERS...because, well...we have a house full of little princesses too...and maybe that's another bond that I felt right off the bat...

Regardless, it was a beautiful afternoon...could not have asked for better weather or better company!!

Hope you enjoy their sneak peak...(facebook page is here with more)










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And the little dog too...

I love large families! I come from a family with 4 kids...I'm the oldest of the crew...my brother being 2.5 years younger than me, got stuck with me bossing him around a lot.  My 2 little sisters came a bit later...7 years and 12 years later from me!  Being a mom, I can now appreciate the level of multi-tasking MY mom had to do with regards to such age differences...she had one graduating from high school and one starting kindergarten...one learning to drive a car and the other learning to ride a bike...

When I met this family for our session this past weekend, I was reminded once again of my own growing up years...The mom and dad of this gang have done an incredible job with raising their 2 boys and 2 girls...Not only were they polite and kind to me...they actually enjoyed being around one another...it was refreshing to watch them and listen to them banter back and forth...I LOVED their little teasing and joking around!  It was sincere and fun!  It was a pleasure to be around them, even if just for a short time. 

Their oldest is graduating and we thought we'd try to fit in a few senior shots as well...Hope you enjoy my few favorites here...Remember to head over to the facebook page to see some more!





I had to add this last one because they just did this themselves...walkin' back to the car...do you see what I mean about a close family?  Thanks again "S" family for allowing me the privilege of capturing you all!

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Ahhhhhhhhhhh Family!

Okay, when I say that I had FUN with this family...I'm not just talking fun...I'm talkin' F.U.N.!!!

Three different family units, each with different dynamics and yet they fit together like fingers in a glove!  They LOVE each other...I mean, they actually ENJOY being around each other...the laughing, the joking, the silliness that took place on this afternoon was enough to make you burst!

You don't see that sort of sincerity all the time...people are normally gracious and kind and tolerant...but, this was more than that...this was unconditional loving...this was just the JOY of being a family and being THANKFUL that they had each other...

I felt incredibly honored to be able to photograph them...You can check out the facebook page to see more.










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How can it still be this beautiful in November?

So sorry that I've been "out" here on the blog this week.  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  It was wonderful to be with my family and my husband's family...It's a whirlwind trying to get all that "family" time in and we come back exhausted, but it's well worth it...

And to come back to this beautiful weather still...(well, minus the rain that is pelting my window...that JUST started, so I'm not going to "count" that for this weekend)  I feel like every weekend has just been incredible through the month of November...it's supposed to be bitter cold, but the sun has been shining and my girls beg me to be able to take off their jackets!

Well, with this beautiful weather comes those last minute chances to get in some photo shoots...and let me tell you...I had quite a few this weekend...I'm working my hardest to get these sneak peaks up asap so that everyone can get their "christmas card" ideas all formulating in their heads! 

First up, is the "B" family...First of all, I thought it was incredibly thoughtful and sweet that they wanted to have a photo shoot with "Mom/Grandma"...she had to catch a plan in less than 3 hours, and they did everything in their power to make sure they could make this happen...I was honored to be apart of it...

I cherish all memories, but when I see people show such respect and love towards their family and extended family...well, it's just wonderful to see..

AND...to top that off, these siblings were soooo kind to each other...I loved big brother's confidence and yet, had such a gentle reaction to his little brother...the only girl, in the middle was sweet as pie...and sooo cute!  And yes...the little guy...oh my, he was a' runnin' everywhere...I couldn't get over his little grin though!

Enjoy these few snapshots and then be sure to head over to the facebook page to check out some more!






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Inniswood but no Mr. Barry

I've been going to Inniswood Metro Park since my eldest was preschool age.  I think we attended every single nature class that they had available.  Mr. Barry is the teacher and he is GREAT!  We love that park...I love the flowers, the trees, the gazillion squirrels...and their new Sisters Garden...the bridges...

Needless to say, it's a photographers dream to photograph there too!  I was not disappointed when I came to photograph the "I" family.  Their little boys were filled with energy...and I even got to play pretend FireFighters while we were shooting...

Remember to head over to my facebook page to see even more sneak peaks...but enjoy these favorites first:)







They wanted some "christmasy" looking pictures too...so they changed into these oh so cute sweaters...I think they look adorable!


AND...you know me...couldn't resist a picture like this either!!


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My Middle Kid on a Cloudy Day

A couple weeks ago it was my eldest daughter's birthday...I documented the "story" of the party day in this post.  Then a few days later, I took my baby to the zoo and blogged about that here.  My poor middle child...that left behind one...I thought I'd share a little bit of her. 

She is often my photography buddy because she's so real!  She doesn't always pose for the camera...she's just herself.  And when I have to ask her to run for the umpteenth time because I can't figure out how to get her in sharp focus...she doesn't complain.  When the sun is shining down and it's blasting out all my pictures, she just comes up with silly things to do while Mommy keeps working her camera or moving her until I get the metering correct. 

She know her Mommy isn't perfect...she likes the fact that I'm learning something...but, she loves me wholely and wonderfully and for that I am unbelievably blessed!

I thought I'd share just a few photos...this first one, I tried metering on the sky so that I could get the dark blue color...it was almost 4 in the afternoon on a rainy day...you can see the sun behind us with that sunset glow...I think it worked!



It was difficult not to get the pink shadow from the sun flowing through the umbrella...I kept metering on different things and having her go all over the yard...she didn't mind...it's her sister's umbrella anyway!


This one is just Peanut...it's just her personality...she was done at this point and wanted me to quit with the wacky jokes and push her HIGH on the swing...


SO I DID....

have a great weekend!

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The "K" Family


Doesn't she just melt your heart?  The day was beautiful...it could not have been nicer.  It was overcast (no squinting)...it was warm (no need for jackets)...and we were at a peaceful and tranquile location...

It was my first time meeting the K family.  Their little girl was ready to go...she was up for anything...she was curious and inquisitive, sweet and happy...It was just a glorious afternoon!

Here are just a few of my favs that I was able to capture.  I couldn't resist "tweaking" them just a bit...she had the most adorable expressions that the images were just begging for some added "fun"! Remember, to see more, head over to my facebook page here.






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Changin' it up a bit...

I thought about changing the website to some Christmas colors and I thought it would be nice and festive...and then I thought, hmmmm...knowing me, I'd totally forget to change it and we'd still be seeing ornaments and candycanes in February before I got around to changing it again...

However, also knowing myself, I DO like to change things up...I like to "rearrange" things in my house about every 3 months...no particular reason...just because I get bored with looking at everything from the same angle..

Therefore...I thought it'd be fun to change out the website for a couple months...so where there once was white...you now see brown...Hope you don't mind...stay tuned...I'm posting some more photo session pictures for tomorrow morning's post!!! 

Have a great "hump" day!

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You CAN do it!

Yesterday my youngest and I went to the zoo...I don't think I"ve ever gone to the zoo with JUST her before...We had a wonderful time!

Now, when I go to the zoo by myself with my kiddos, I don't bring my DSLR camera...I'm pretty much addicted to it and I know this about myself.  I know it so well because I tend to loose track of anything that doesn't fall in front of my lens as I'm looking through it...I've been known to "misplace" my 2 year old because I'm focusing on some flower and blurring the background while fiddling with my aperature setting...

Where did she go?  Oh, about 2 houses down chasing after a squirrel?? 

Yes, so...when I go to large places without another adult present to aid me in my "lack of paying attention" issues, I just bring my little cybershot point and shoot camera.  It's a learning curve for me because I'm used to lots of buttons and sometimes I get frustrated because I wonder if I'll be able to get the shots I envision with a little camera...

I want to offer encouragement out there...you CAN get good shots...even with a little digital point an shoot.  You may not have all the range of creativity that you might hope for...but with a little practice, a good eye and perhaps little photoshop processing, you can get some good photojournalistic images! These were all taken with my little point and shoot camera...


I'm not an expert by any means and I'm not saying that these pictures or any of my pics are perfect...but they fit ME and my personality...and to me, that's what photography is about...it's about telling YOUR story! 
Focus in on what is happening on your day...

Get the details...get in close...find a cool, colorful background...or just zoom in on what's most important...

Tilt your camera just a bit to see things from a different angle...and have fun...

See, even my 2 year old has got the principle of the thirds down pat...

The best advice I can give...find a camera that you feel comfortable with and is within your price range...the worst thing is to spend a lot of money on something that you're not committed to learning and/or your afraid to learn because of the cost...invest in a photoshop elements program (around $50) to process those images in a way that can enhance them all the more...lastly, get out there and have fun...capture your "story", the "details" of your life!  They are special and meant to be treasured!

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A Beautiful Day at the Park

This family was new to our soccer team this year.  We had such a great season and I so appreciated all the girls and their awesome attitudes!  I've been doing pictures for the team ever since Sweetpea started in soccer about 2 years ago...however, this was the first year that I actually started this business.  The families on the team have always been so encouraging and supportive...this family went the extra mile and hired me to take some family and individual shots! 

We met this past weekend at a park...in NOVEMBER...we didn't have to wear coats...can you believe it?  It was the most beautiful, perfect day for taking photos...it was overcast, so no squinting, not even a breeze, but wonderful fresh air all through the woods...there were so many nature smells and things to discover around the nature center...

Their little girl is such a beauty and had some really cute ideas...Mr. ACTION, her little brother, was on the move...we did our best to capture him in his element AND try to get him to slow down for just a few snapshots of the family together...he kept us on our toes...but you can tell that this family has F.U.N. together...

Hope you enjoy this little sneak peak...remember, that there are more images posted at the CT Photo Memories facebook page here.












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Capturing a Celebration

Below is a post that I wrote about my daughter's birthday.  Special Events are ones that you don't want to forget and you want to be able to capture the memories forever.  For $250, I can come to your special event: birthday celebration, anniversary party, baby dedication, etc and spend time capturing the moments so that you can soak up the time and be in the moment fully, not having to worry whether you've got it documented for the future.  This allows for an hour of my time (more time can be purchased per half hour) and a CD with photo release on all the images.  


***Also, as an added bonus: for an additional $200 I can custom create for you a memory album to hold those images.

Whenever we've celebrated birthdays in our family, my husband and I are normally running around making sure everything is taken care of, keeping things running smoothly, getting the food out, putting the crafts away to dry, cutting the cake...IF we happen to be near a camera we'll possibly pick it up to grab a shot or two...or maybe even the camcorder...but, in the end we don't get much except the traditional blowing out of the candles and maybe a group shot or two...

One of my best friends here is also a photographer and for the past few birthdays we've been trading on and off with taking pictures during our little ones' celebrations...she takes pictures for me so that I can be the "hostess" and I do the same for her...

Today however, her little ones were sick and I had to try to figure out how to capture the day and still "run" the party...Thankfully, my MIL and husband were huge helps and did a majority of the work so that I could document the "story"...hope you enjoy just a few snippets:
















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Blog Archive

How can I reach you?

The best way to contact me is either through Facebook Messaging or emailing me at ctphotomemories@gmail.com

I can't wait to hear from you!
"Teach us to number our days, (savor the moments) so that we may gain a heart of wisdom" ~Psalm 90:12

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