This time of year it’s all about the kids. Big Kids, little kids, kids without a care in the world, those who are struggling to survive.

I’ve been so fortunate this year to photograph all the above.

Newborns hardly able to focus but knowing their Mom’s voice, all the way to high school seniors. The high school kids in the area are fabulous. Full of life, ambition, talented in so many ways. It’s scary to be leaving the nest right now, but the possibilites are endless. The world is truly your oyster!

And then my favorite kids. Again, from Hole in the Wall Camp in Ashford. Struggling with life threatening illness and yet these kids had the biggest and easiest smiles, pleasant and eager to please. I keep these special kids in my prayers every night.

All the kids are mixed in this page.  Kids with studio sessions, windblown sessions, beach sessions, fashion sessions, at local landmarks. They are all just kids.

Starting it off with the reason for the season

A Birthday Celebration

and a 5×7 to remember it by.

Enter the contest drawing if you have a  birthday  in 2012

(Cake is not provided but you can certainly bring one in… Cake smashes are too much fun!

This is the only giveaway that will be transferable, so if your son or daughter or mother or father has a birthday in 2012, you may give your winning ticket to them. Session must be completed in birthday month.

Session must be completed by December 31 2012.

—————————————————–

How to Enter:

1.  Enter by leaving a comment on my blog page or beneath this entry. Doesn’t have to be fancy. ‘Me Me Me” works.   Winner randomly chosen by an independent party and announced and contacted the day following the offering. You can enter each day, but can’t win more than once.

2. Become a fan of “my facebook page”  If you are a Fan you’ll get an extra entry with your comment.  Simple!

3. Sessions will be scheduled at a mutually agreeable time. Please keep your appointment, but if you’re sick or the roads are impassible we can reschedule once.

Pesky Details:

All sessions are approximately 1 hour long and will take place at the studio, 191 Providence Street, Putnam. Location sessions may be available for additional cost.

No minimum purchase required. Your free 5×7 will be chosen at your preview session at the studio, approximately 1 week after your session. Additional prints and digital files are available for purchase with very special pricing.  Prints will be available to be picked up approximately 2 weeks after your preview session. Mailing service is available at additional cost.

Sessions have no cash value, and are non-transferable.

Unless noted, session is for 1 person. Must be 18 or older, or have parent sign session release. Enter for each session if you want, but only 1 session per person will be awarded. In other words, you can’t win every session.

Weekend sessions are very limited, especially in spring and summer, and all sessions are subject to prior sales. Weekend sessions will be confirmed no earlier than 2 weeks prior to your session.

Sessions must be completed by expiration date; no extensions, no exceptions. If your session is not completed by the expiration date you will forfeit your prize.

Entrants not selected will have the opportunity for reduced session fees.

How about some free photography sessions throughout the New Year that will provide something a little more tangible – and quieter! than those 12 drummers drumming?

And you’ll receive one  free 5×7 from your session!

Beginning December 13th we’ll offer a special session every day until December 24th.  Each session will have it’s own expiration date sometime in 2012. Each has it’s own theme, is about an hour long, held at the Putnam studio. And all you’ll need to do is comment on the blog or facebook page for the daily session and tell me you want to win. If you LIKE my Facebook page you’ll be entered twice!

What sessions are going to be offered?? Birthday, Mothers or Father’s Day, Maternity, Engagement, “For His Eyes Only” and lots more!

Come on over to Facebook,  and you’ll be reminded when the new sessions are offered.

———————————————

How to Enter:

1.  Enter by leaving a comment on my blog page or the facebook entry on the day the session you want is offered. Doesn’t have to be fancy. ‘Me Me Me” works.   Winner randomly chosen by an independent party and announced and contacted the day following the offering. You can enter each day, but can’t win more than once.

2. Become a fan of “my facebook page”  If you are a Fan you’ll get an extra entry with your comment.  Simple!

3. Sessions will be scheduled at a mutually agreeable time. Please keep your appointment, but if you’re sick or the roads are impassible we can reschedule once.

Pesky Details:

All sessions are approximately 1 hour long and will take place at the studio, 191 Providence Street, Putnam. Location sessions may be available for additional cost.

No minimum purchase required. Your free 5×7 will be chosen at your preview session at the studio, approximately 1 week after your session. Additional prints and digital files are available for purchase with very special pricing.  Prints will be available to be picked up approximately 2 weeks after your preview session. Mailing service is available at additional cost.

Sessions have no cash value, and are non-transferable.

Unless noted, session is for 1 person. Must be 18 or older, or have parent sign session release. Enter for each session if you want, but only 1 session per person will be awarded. In other words, you can’t win every session.

Weekend sessions are very limited, especially in spring and summer, and all sessions are subject to prior sales. Weekend sessions will be confirmed no earlier than 2 weeks prior to your session.

Sessions must be completed by expiration date; no extensions, no exceptions. If your session is not completed by the expiration date you will forfeit your prize.

Entrants not selected will have the opportunity for reduced session fees.

The physical plant is astounding in space and scope.  Every conceivable activity-fishing, boating, horseback riding, arts and crafts. woodworking, a theater with lighting setups straight out of Butch Cassidy’s own mind  A first class hospital so brightly painted I didn’t recognize it for what it was.

But camp is so much more than the acres of wonder that you first drive into. It’s about the volunteers who spend weeks with kids. Doctors who volunteer from all over, college kids, former campers who’ve returned to give back.

But it’s really all about the kids. Kids who suffer from serious medical conditions. I can’t even imagine the daily problems these kids endure.

Camp gives the childhood back to these kids who’ve never had one.

These are a few of the kids from the session we did earlier in the month.

I was thrilled to see many kids from last year–and how much they’ve grown and matured.

Again, thanks to Pete who kept me on track even tho he had to yell at me a couple times He’s great with the kids and knows how to talk basketball when it comes to that.

There are certain moments in your life when you know you’ve met someone who will stay with you always.

How blessed we are to have those fleeting moments with these kids.

I was thrilled to be asked by Christa and Spiros to document Anastasia’s baptism a few weeks ago at the Greek Orthodox Church in Danielson.  It’s been a while since I’d been to an Orthodox service –either a marriage, or Easter services, and had never had the privilege of been to a Baptism.  It was beyond my wildest expectations.

Walking into the Church is a spiritual experience by itself.

The details of the Baptism:

Kids are gonna be kids!

I don’t know but I think Anastasia has some idea of what is to come

It’s not quite the same thing as a bath.

And then she slept, and slept and slept.

The reception details were breathtaking. Calla lillies! Perfect for a little girl.

And a perfect little girl she is.

Thank you all!

We had a very quick bath time session yesterday

How much he’s grown in 6 weeks!

Smiles and foot grabs and drools from teeth trying to punch through.

I don’t know how Candis and Pete get anything done — the cuteness is overwhelming.

I don’t know but what the next 3 months are my favorite–learning to sit, stand, verbalize. But then the next 3 months come along and I think the same thing

I was so incredibly blessed this summer to spend one day a month with these very special kids at Hole in the Wall Camp, in Ashford, shooting for Flashes of Hope which is a non profit organization, providing photographs of kids battling serious illnesses.

Every child is special, but these kids make a smile, or shy little grin so poignant that it almost breaks my heart that they have to face such challenges at such a very young age.

The 5 minutes we had with each of them grew my heart 100x over.

Pete and I are richer for knowing them.

So I’ve got piles of images to process both from last week and the week prior when I was running around like a mad person.

Not sure if there is anything better than spending time at Hole in the Wall Camp. This particular day was one of the hottest (to date) in a very hot July, so we tried to find some shade to keep the kids cool but more importantly so Pete and I wouldn’t pass out. The kids didn’t seem to mind it at all!

Again, these beautiful kids, whether they were shy and dragging a smile from them was the biggest challenge of the day or they just came off the set of Americas Next Best Model,  are a joy to be with for the 5 or so minutes we got with each of them. They will remain in my heart always.

And again a huge thank you to Pete who kept me on track and moved me along when all I wanted to do is sit and talk with the kids

God bless them and keep them safe.

The portrait sessions are set up by Flashes of Hope who work with volunteer photographers providing families with portraits of their young children in hospital or camp surroundings.

The sessions are done really quickly so the kids don’t miss any of the fabulous opportunities the camp has to offer; each of my kids gave me a huge hug or a firm handshake after the 10 minute sessions. I am truly blessed to have healthy children, and to interact with these extra special kids is a gift. This is a session I’ll never forget-kids from all over the world, and down the road; acting goofy for those I couldn’t communicate with, and was rewarded with goofy laughing that transcends language barriers.

I can’t wait for the July session.