Meet Katherine Lawson {seeds: a newborn portrait}

Egg before the chicken? …I haven’t posted the maternity photos yet, but I have the sneak peeks of the newborn photos ready to share from my recent visit and portrait session in Tucson with Sarah, John, and their new little life form they have beautifully named Katherine.  And in the process, they have added new names for themselves: “Mommy” and “Daddy”.   I’m truly excited for every new parent…Sarah is a special one…we were randomly matched as roommates our freshman year at The University of Arizona in Tucson, and what a match it was.  Sarah is my closest friend, and she will always have a special place in my heart.

So, time to meet Katherine:

 

Haiti: How to Contribute

Interested in helping those in need in Haiti, I recently gathered a list of some trusted organizations involved in the disaster relief efforts:

• Aidmatrix and Gifts in Kind International accept cash gifts along with donations of goods from companies and organizations.
• The American Red Cross, CARE, UNICEF, and United Way accept cash donations..

(Please feel free to comment if you have a favorite organization involved in Haiti. We’d love to hear about it.)

 

It’s 20*10, Refer a Friend, and Support Your Favorite Nonprofit

“Be the change you want to see in the world” -Mahatma Gandhi

Help me change the world

and spread the word

In celebration of our new year “twenty ten”, I’m running a portrait promotion to help our favorite nonprofits.

Here’s the scoop:

First, choose your favorite nonprofit
Second, pass the word on to your friends and family.

For all portrait experiences booked with me by February 14th, 2010
20% of all sales from that session will go to the nonprofit of your choice.

It’s 20·10, so refer a friend

When you and a friend book a portrait experience with me by Valentine’s Day, 20% and an additional 10% of both sales will go to your nonprofit

I’m excited to learn about nonprofits that you support and create a win-win situation for all. Please contact me with any questions you may have.  Nonprofits can range from your local school or sports team to the Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti to supporting a local homeless shelter.

Carolyn Wells Photography portfolio website

 

Baby Belle {a newborn portrait}

Baby Belle Godwin is the baby that really introduced my daughter, Sasha, to what a growing belly is all about.   Sasha was just about to turn three years old when her little sister was born, so she didn’t really understand my pregnancy.  She was a year-and-a-half older when her lead teacher, Ms. Carrie, started showing a little life form inside of her, and Sasha soaked it in.  So Baby Belle Elizabeth, as Sasha calls her, is a special one to my family as we watched her make a belly grow.  And she is an adorable one.

 

Newman Family {Phoenix portrait session at The Farm}

So happy to see more of and share more from the Newman family… after the focused baby portrait session at their home, we scheduled a family portrait session at The Farm at South Mountain.  I like to start my sessions with more traditional shots…

and move into the fun shots, in motion and interacting…

And, as all parents can probably relate, when Megan and Ryan changed their focus to each other rather than their new family addition, the gesture was a little foreign to all, and even baby William showed his surprise and actually tried to nuzzle between them to get their attention back.  It was adorable.

And here’s the holiday card that we put together, I provided the template and Megan provided the suggestions for some customizations that turned out beautifully.

 

Baby Jacob {a newborn portrait}

A precious new life by the name of Jacob Reynolds entered the world about one month ago. I had the privilege of capturing some of his earliest moments.  Thank you, Kathleen and Mark, he’s beautiful!  I’m looking forward to watching him grow into that wonderfully wrinkly newborn skin of his.

 

Faiza + Kamran : An Indian Wedding in NYC’s Central Park

A Muslim Indian/Pakistani wedding that was destined to be too big if held in their hometown in Georgia was beautifully located in the Boathouse Restaurant in New York City’s Central Park, the site of Faiza and Kamran’s first date (…their first date after growing up as close friends all those years…).  A wonderful love story for a strong, beautiful couple and a wedding that I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of.   Thank you, Faiza and Kamran, for allowing me to be a part of your special day and weekend.

I’d also like to thank Sonal Shah, for introducing them to me and taking care of the couple and families with your amazing event planning skills and professional team; Jane Zarzynski, for your wonderful support second shooting and exploring The City with me, and to Johnny and Lane of Life Stream Video, you were a pleasure to work with.

No photos or video are allowed during a Muslim wedding ceremony. The ceremony itself takes place mostly sitting in chairs and is inspiring with its quiet prayers and blessings.  These images below were shot after the ceremony and heading into the reception:

It had been raining all day so we were elated when the clouds dried up just in time after the wedding to grab some outdoor portraits at a place of significance for Faiza and Kamran.

 

Faiza + Kamran {Mehendi & Garba} in NYC

A sneak peek with more to come from this amazing wedding very soon…

These images are from Faiza and Kamran’s mehendi and garba event at the Vermillion Restaurant the night before their wedding at the Boathouse in New York City’s Central Park.  What a fun and colorful evening of celebration!

 

baby love : a portrait

It brings me such joy too to be able to follow families through my photography as they grow.  Megan and Ryan Newman got married over three years ago at the lovely Royal Palms in Phoenix.  As you can see in this image from their wedding, they openly show their love and have fun with life.  And they are another family in the baseball world – I hear that Ryan is the youngest minor leagues manager out there.

And their little guy, William, is one happy fellow.  Just five months old for this portrait session and so precious.

 

“…Only Small Things with Great Love”

We can do no great things, only small things with great love.  -Mother Theresa

This statement is so wonderful and powerful.  It’s something that I’m trying to embrace and wrap myself around both in my life and photography, and, hopefully, as I begin to share some new projects in-the-works, this Great Love shows through in the Small Things I’m able to do.