We’ve been working hard to get through all the holiday projects for clients, and I have to say it’s been kind of fun to see which images everyone chooses for their holiday cards.

Check out the look on this one’s face. I call it “wonder.”

best outtake ever!

this makes me giggle every time I look at it.

There’s a reason I love to be around and photograph kids. They’re unbridled. Someone asked me yesterday about my favorite fall memory so far for 2009, and this moment from the October 12 mini-session came to mind. I was showing the girls how I wanted them to lay in the leaves for a photo, and then they spontaneously DOGPILED me. It was hilarious. (Many thanks to my assistant Amanda for taking my camera and grabbing a few frames of the action.)

Some more from my time with Chandler. She is the reason I have decided I’d like to specialize in 8 month olds… if that were possible. These are the images most loved by her mom and dad.

If you have a newborn now, please consider scheduling a portrait session around 8 months. It’s a delightful age where they find their toes, love to wiggle and smile, and light up when they see your face.

When we were in California for our April wedding, we took an afternoon to hang out at the Getty Villa in Malibu. Here are a few photos:

Monday afternoon was delightful. Perfect weather (sunny and 73 all day long) and a tea party in the park with my eight year old friend M.

It’s inspiring to watch her explore and create.

I have recently become interested in understanding more about lighting techniques. So when David Jackson posted about his use of everyday kitchen utensils to achieve different effects [his post here] I started realizing that there is an entire world full of modifiers that can create unique images.

Tonight in preparation for my husband’s moustache may portrait, we decided to use the steamer pot and an off-camera strobe to add some depth and shadow into the picture. Check out these cool photos!

Strobist info: 580ex2 at +2 1/3 triggered by ST-2 transmitter.
35mm lens, 1/100 s, f 2.2, ISO 640

Our little cousin Sufi came to visit us in Lowell this weekend. What a delight. Don’t you just love curly hair?

Hi, all! I wanted to take a second to introduce myself before diving into today’s post. My name is Leah Jones, and I’m working with Rachel as her Marketing Manager. From time to time, I’ll pop on here and give you an update on what I’m working on or thinking is cool (this tends to change every 10 minutes or so, so buckle up!) and see what you think. I’m loving working with Rachel, and super-excited to get to say hi!

Love it or hate it, New England winters last and last. Luckily for us, New England also likes to show off its ability to change seasons, allowing us to thaw out a bit. After a long winter like the one we’re working our way out of, there’s nothing like a series of adventures to kickstart the spring.

For the month of April, Rachel is planning an adventure a day for weekdays. Thus far, she has a handful days set aside for springtime shenanigans, but she’s missing a few days. Here’s where you come in-suggest an adventure for Rachel to take, preferably in the North of Boston area. If you’re up to it, you can take her on the adventure yourself! Anything goes, so be creative-whether it’s a picnic with your friend who works in the circus or a day spent in museums and galleries off the beaten path, Rachel is up for it!

Here’s what she has planned so far:

April
1 acupuncture- Boston Alternative Health  (04.01: surprising)
2 random antique, vintage, and thrift store shopping north of Boston (04.02: disappointing)
3 local banks in Lowell
6 Wilmington MA
7 Lowell town-ish meeting
8
9 Dover, NH
10
13
14
15 short dress bridal shoot
16 Harvard, MA?
17
20 Marathon Monday
21
22
23 Virgin Air & Disneyland hotel
24 Rolling Hills, CA fun shoot
27
28
29
30 Mr. Sister release show at Great Scott

You can contact Rachel via e-mail (rachel@decenturbanlifestyle.com) or leave a comment below with your suggestion for a weekday adventure in the month of April.

Rachel’s note: If you’re looking for some adventures of your own, I’d recommend a great place to start – look up “local flavor” at yelp.com.

The most important thing she’d learned over the years was that there was no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one. 

— Jill Churchill