Winter blues

I recently got a new backdrop for an event. Unfortunately I didn't get to use it for it's intended purpose but at least Ella got some shots with the wintery scene.

Winter is really here!

We woke up to a surprise snow storm this morning. It was very pretty and the kids were so excited - no surprise! We had some time outside and a lot of fun. It's amazing how much kids can do with a stick! Hit a tree, hit the snow, draw, poke, drag, pull each other, hit each other! The list goes on! This will be the beginning of a long season of snowy shots in the same clothes, I better get used to it!

Winter already? Ha ha!!!

Here is another one from our winter scene in the studio. They liked the sled a lot but the most fun was decorating the tree with the fake snow and having fake snow ball fights!

She's 5 now!!

I can't believe that she is 5! My first baby. She seems so grown up, having regular conversations with me about her life and experiences at pre-school. I can't stop staring at her wondering how this girl is replacing my toddler although he still is very much the same...quick to laugh, quick to hug and always wanting a little fun.

Vermont in autumn

As I was driving home from the preschool practise shoot I pulled into a dirt driveway. This view has caught my eye as I go speeding by for almost the whole year. Today I had my camera in my car - yippee!! As I'm focusing I hear clomp, clomp, clomp behind me and I turn around to see an annoyed farmer. I profusely appologize for trespassing but say I couldn't possibly pass this beautiful view without getting a picture. I butter him up by saying what an amazing place he has and how lucky he is. After I am done rambling, he softens up and says...I thought you were a hunter going after my cows!! Ha! It's hunting season (bow and arrow) and he's found some arrows in his pastures. Anyways, turns out he's super nice and invites me back any time to photograph his view and his property if I want. Here's the shot I got.

Lots and lots!

I am photographing preschool pictures next week so this morning was dedicated to finding a good spot to photograph all the little kiddos. It's a little tricky because there is barely any shade. But hopefully it will be a cloudy day. Here are some shots of my kids... they got treats when we got home for being such good sports!

Some fall posing!

I'm not going to be able to do this very often...these poor mums probably lost 15 flower buds by the time we were done. What is it with little boys and flowers? Does the phrase "smell the flowers" mean pick off all the flower tops? Ha ha!! I have a school shoot coming up next week and thought I'd put a little fall flair into the photos. I get to practise on Griffin, he was very pleased about it!

The Petti Skirts are here!

I have been waiting since MAY. It seems like forever ago but finally these beautiful handmade petti skirts are here! Ella and Madeleine are crazy about them...actually that is an understatement. I took a few pictures out in our yard before they started riding bikes and drawing with chalk. I finally had to conviscate them before they got

ruined. But I'm sure we'll be pulling them out a lot from here on out.

What I've been doing....

Sorry, no pics today. This is what I have been working so hard on for the last little while. My new website is up and running. Have a look!
http://www.louisalarson.com

First Day of School

The first day of school! Here they are walking the plank, oops I mean bridge! Griffin first all smiles as he rolls Noah's Ark across. Ella next showing off her new dress from Granny. Then Madeleine with her shy smile. It's the first day of her going to a real preschool. The only time that she will be with Ella. The last pic is of three of them walking towards the front door. Too cute!

Swim lessions

I know, I'm bad. Hardly any posts in August. The end of the season is just tough for some reason! Here's a snap from swim lessons a couple of weeks ago. Madeleine was so proud because she went off the diving board!

Family shots

Here are some snaps of the kids. I am trying to jazz them up a little with some fun borders, what do you think? I'll have to find some more I think I like them. This first picture was a little pose that Ella just threw together! I wanted to take a picture of her hair because it's getting so long. Time for a hair cut Miss Ella!

Sorry Grif, this isn't so flattering! But it's the way it really is - he LOVES his watermelon. Afterwards there is a huge mess, even with the bib and a towel on his lap but who could resist watching him go at it?!

Two sisters. They were excited because they matched! Right now they are very interested in looking the same and wearing each others clothes. I wonder how long that will last, hmmmm.

Serious sandbox games

Although he's almost smiling in these pictures Griffin was quite serious about his sandbox games! He kept loading up the dump trucks, then move them around, line them all up like a train and then finally dump them out. This went on until I had to take him in for dinner (under great protest!). Such a boy. I couldn't resist the last picture, I love catching Madeleines' fuzzy hair in front of the sun!

The real sleeping beauty

We were a little mean today, Ella and I. Madeleine fell asleep while watching Pinky Dinky Doo and whatever I did, I couldn't wake her. So we (Ella and I) decided to take her into the studio to take some pictures of her! She will never let us so sleepy time is really my only opportunity! We pretended that she was sleeping beauty waiting for her prince to arrive - it was really very sweet. We placed her on a sheepskin then on a fluffy pillow, then we created a garden of flowers around her a some rose petals. The whole time she was just slumbering away. There is one of Madeleine waking, she was not very pleased to say the least. She stamped out of the room and sat on the stairs with her arms crossed. I can't say I blame her. But later on she asked to see the pictures and I could tell that she was secretly pleased we pretended she was a princess!

Back in Vermont

I'm back from Louisianna. It was so great, what a perfect workshop to pick for my first one. The workshop was taught by Tim Babin, master of lighting and posing and was held at Kirk Voclain's training center in Houma, La. Wow...two amazing photographers. The people I met were awesome, coming from all over the country to learn the technical side of lighting and more. We started class early in the morning, got a lunch brought in to the classroom then talked well past midnight about photography - for 3 days! Talk about intensive!

It is so nice to be home though...although I did get pulled over driving home from the airport at 12:30am grrrrrr (just a warning, luckily). Since it was so late I didn't get to great the kiddos but their expressions when they saw me in the morning was priceless!

Here is a picture of Ella I snapped this afternoon (it's full size so click on it to see her amazing eyes.) She let me put her hair into braids for like the first time EVER (such a funny girl). So I just had to get a picture but this one was my favorite of the series and you can barely see her hair, oh well! Now that I have learned a great lighting technique, I can't wait to use it. I needed a reflector for this picture but just didn't have the extra hands, it's an OK pic but would be great with a reflector. Next time hopefully.

Special Shoot

These are from a shoot I had on Monday. It was so fun and the girls were adorable. Big sister led the way and 'lil sister followed suit. It was the first time they had had studio pictures taken so I hope that they enjoyed themselves. I'm still in the middle of editing but here are a few.

PS. I won't be posted for a few days. I have my first ever photography workshop being held in warm sticky Louisianna. Who goes to Louisianna in late July? ha ha!! I guess I do!

Pretty in Pink

No boys allowed in the studio today! I recently bought coral paper so we had a little session in the pink studio. The girls loved it. Here are a few.