Internet, meet sweet Esme:

Isn’t she just the perfect little lady? It’s amazing how much personality babies acquire in the first few weeks of life! And I think she’s the spitting image of her mom… I only hope she’s lucky enough to one day have Ali’s supermodel cheekbones!

See what I mean about the cheekbones? Gorgeous!

I had such a lovely time with this, and am going to figure out an opportunity to do it again… soon! If you’re not already pals with me on Facebook, you can find me here. Come hang out on Pinterest, too… and bring your friends! The more the merrier!

xox,

annemie

Today, as I dearly hoped I one day would, I’m thrilled to share a quick glimpse of the very happy ending to that story. Internet, meet Gabriel:

Perfect, beautiful Gabe and his healthy, happy, glowing mama:

xox,

annemie

Kelli & Jeff have been together for a long time – they met in Sun Valley Idaho and have since moved to Hilton Head, SC. But did they choose either of those beautiful destinations for their wedding? No way! They pulled out all the stops and headed down to the Dominican Republic for a beautiful Caribbean beach wedding with their nearest and dearest family and friends.

The one thing about the Caribbean, as anyone who has been there knows, is that the weather can change on a dime. The ceremony was gorgeous – sunny, breezy, perfect – and we got this group shot of all the guests with blue skies in the background… but about three minutes after I took this picture, a huge raincloud appeared out of nowhere and it poured for ten minutes while the whole group took shelter under a nearby overhang:

Then, just as the sun was setting and the amazing full moon was rising, the rain stopped, and Kelli, Jeff and I got to take advantage of the extraordinary light for a short couples’ session before the reception.Kelli & Jeff, it was such an honor to be there with you on your big day, with such a fun group, and in such a beautiful location. Keep an eye on your mailbox in the next couple of days

xox,

annemie

As many of you may not know, I’ve attended hundreds – maybe thousands – of births as a labor & delivery nurse. I actually went so far as to get halfway through a Master’s degree in Midwifery, and if photography hadn’t come along and stolen my heart, I’d be catching babies for a living right now. Given my background, you can imagine how much it thrills me to photograph a birth. It’s a setting in which I’m completely comfortable, and an emotional high I’ll never get tired of experiencing. The images I have from my own births are priceless to me, and so when I’m asked to capture that experience for other women and their families, I am both honored and humbled: I know that above nearly all others, these images will be treasured.

Amy’s labor and birth was such a peaceful, joyful experience. There are so many variables that go into a delivery, and even the most experienced moms run into the unexpected, but from start to finish, Amy’s was all she wanted it to be. When I arrived, she was seven centimeters dilated… and just a little later, ready to push.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the internet, I am honored to introduce you to Asher… all 9 pounds, 2 ounces of him!!!

The above is Amy with her lovely obstetrician, Dr. Kacey Eichelberger. Below is where Amy’s dad arrived to meet his new grandson. The smiles here were not posed… in fact, no one could stop smiling

Falling in love… all over again:

Becoming a parent for the second time is, in many ways, doubly exciting – not only do you have a new baby to meet, but you get to see your first child become a big brother/big sister. Emerson had been so excited for her baby brother’s arrival… and after some initial hesitation when she first arrived, jumped right into her new role. There is no doubt in my mind that little Asher is going to have two mamas in his life

Amy & Justin, I cannot say how touched I am that you invited me to be a part of this milestone in your lives and the life of your family.

Asher is absolutely spectacular.

xox,

annemie

As you can see, this session was amazing… start to finish. Pregnancy is such a beautiful time – even at the end when we feel like we’re about to burst! And as it turned out, Amy WAS about to burst… check back Wednesday for the rest of the story!

xox,

annemie

The best part of this session? That Mike, Mandy & Silas live about 100 yards away from me… and next time I’m bringing my boys so we can get in on the fun, too! How could you not want to spend more time with this guy?

xox,

annemie

*yawn*

The good news? I have a solution for all of you… and I bet you can guess what it is

Gents: scheduling a portrait session with the one you love is a 100% sure bet. Super romantic and a total surprise… she’ll never see it coming. (Ladies, weigh in! Is this a gift you’d want to receive?)

Ladies: a little black book full of racy portraits of you trumps a new shirt by, like, a million percent, and will be his favorite gift from you ever. EVER. Guaranteed. (Gents: am I right?)

And if this holiday gets you down? Why not treat yourself to a day of being single and fabulous? Hair, makeup, and a gorgeous portrait can make anyone feel great… and infuse a little heat into that Match profile, too!

And in case you were wondering how a maternity session led me to thinking about Valentine’s Day, here’s a sneak peek:

Yowza, right?!

xox,

annemie

P.S. I know these are a bit of a departure from the images I typically put on my blog… but as always, used with the express permission of my subjects!

99% of the time, when someone chooses to invest in my work, they’re looking to capture the same complicated, profound emotion in photographs that I sought to record in my journal… whether about their commitment to a marriage, their love for a child, or their bond as a family. I work hard to convey those emotions, and am assured by my clients that I succeed, but sometimes I wonder if I could do more.When I’m commissioned to photograph a family or an event, no matter how expressive my imagery, the details of the stories I’m illustrating are known only to a few people. A mother can look at a picture of her young child fifty years later and recall at a glance the way he got the small cut on his chin, the smell of the dewy grass that early spring morning, and the intensity of her love for that wild, wondrous boy. But the boy, grown and looking at the same image, just sees a picture of himself as a young child, perhaps accompanied by a vague memory of that place or those shoes or being told he needed to smile and cooperate. And the boy’s children and grandchildren and anyone else who might stumble on the album will only ever see what is printed on the page… that and nothing more. Without explication, the story behind the images is diluted… or lost entirely.

And that’s where I think I may have something different to offer… something I’ve never seen offered anywhere else.As of today, I am very excited to introduce a new option to my portrait and wedding clients: “Written & Illustrated” is a package designed for those who want to chronicle the particulars that enrich their story, in word and in pictures, both as a reminder to themselves, and so that they can pass that story on for generations to come. It will require that clients complete a detailed questionnaire and an in-person meeting prior to our session/event, and likely a follow-up call or two as the final draft is scripted. The session will be tailored so that it best suits the story, and the end product will be a book unlike any other… written & illustrated just for you.I’m looking for two portrait clients to share their stories and help me create a couple of samples for this new body of work. Because it is a brand new process, I will waive the fee for the Written & Illustrated work for those willing to play the guinea pig (session and album pricing will still apply), so if you think that you or someone you love might be interested, now is an excellent time! Drop me an email and let me know who you are and a little about your story… I’d be honored to help you tell it.

xox,

annemie

I have always enjoyed looking at beautiful, meaningful, interesting photographs. For many years, though, I didn’t consider myself a photographer… I took pictures for fun. When my son Oliver was three days old, though, I took a picture that changed my outlook on photography forever. It was taken largely by accident – with a kit lens and the camera on auto – but something about the play of light on his tiny face, the way it lit up the downy fuzz on his cheek, the way he seemed to float in a soft cloud of blankets just like the tiny angel he was… it hit me. Hard. I looked at that image on my computer screen, and it was as if I had somehow bottled up the perfection of this small human being who was, now and forever, my son.They say that of your senses, smell is the most closely linked with the part of the brain that forms and recalls emotional memories, and having experienced that powerful link many times myself, I absolutely agree. The day I saw that picture, though, I understood that under certain circumstances, the eyes are able to tap the same deep, dizzying, complex well, and I quickly became addicted. From that day forward, I started looking at images differently, portraits in particular. What was it that made a snapshot different from a photograph? What was it about a still image that could be so transportive? And most importantly: how could I reproduce the effect?

Photography is a unique art form in that it mirrors life precisely. Other media give artists more license to create works of imagination, whereas a photographer must observe, interpret, and capture reality in a way that inspires imagination. A portrait photographer’s job is to seek out the fractions of seconds that distill the essence of their subject – like an illustrator chooses the precise frame that best embodies the substance of a story. This is what draws me; and after years of practice, it’s what I believe I do.

You might have noticed a small change at the top of the page today. A lot of photographers have tag lines, but I’d never found one that seemed to fit… until now. I’m excited for 2012: a new year, a new tag line, and a new, absolutely exciting plan for my business… which I’m DYING to tell you about… but that’s for part II.

Happy New Year, everyone… all the very best!

xox,
annemie

That said, I wanted to take the opportunity to bid 2011 a fond farewell… it’s been a really fantastic year for Megapixie, and I absolutely owe that to all of you – my family, friends, readers, and clients. Here’s a wrap-up of what turned out to be a VERY good-looking year, including five or six last-minute additions at the end! Enjoy!!!

Thank you, thank you to every single person pictured in this post. Thank you for letting me into your homes and lives; thank you for trusting me with your memories. I hope to see all of your smiling faces in 2012 (and maybe a few new ones, too!). Happy New Year, everyone!

xox,

annemie