Out of all the places we have lived during our marriage, the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania has made the biggest impact on me and my photography. In the beginning I did not plan on doing photography in PA. I joined Club Mom not long after we moved here and it seemed like everyone had a DSLR camera. This turned out to be so much fun as I had friends with the same photography interests. I went to a play date at the river and took pictures, edited them and posted them on the Club Mom meet up site. Next thing I knew I had this little sweetheart lined up for a photoshoot, and the rest is history....
Her mom Melissia is so fun. She always had new ideas for each photoshoot and came with every prop imaginable, and her girls dressed to the max. Mel would prep her girls with what kind of pictures she wanted and they were ready to smile. Thank you Mel for your friendship. I enjoyed seeing your smile each week at preschool.
The first meet up Nash and I attended was at the Emmaus wildlife conservancy. There was only one other person coming. I had no clue who she was all I knew is her son had white hair. We found each other and I have to say Christine and her family became some of our best friends. Our families did a lot together and I love her kids so much. Little E is my Nash's longest friend so far. His photoshoots were always entertaining, and we never knew what to expect.
Lil' C is so easy to photograph as she is one of the most beautiful little girls I have ever met. Her smiles come so easy. She loves my Asa and is such a great mother to him. haha. Christine thank you for being such a supportive friend. You are a friend that I never feel judged by, you are there to help me anytime and I will miss our runs, talks and laughter....now stop being such a grandma and come visit me in SC! lol ;)
This cute little red head is forever stuck on my screen-saver. :) His mom and dad are some of the nicest people I know. We have fond memories of our first year in PA, camping and hiking at Hillsboro with them and a group from Club Mom. Darin and I were looking at pictures of that trip the other day and were blown away at how much all our kids have grown in such a short amount of time. Thank you Allison and Billy for letting me take your family picture each year. It seemed like something went wrong every year but you always seemed to have faith in me. :)
I could sit and watch this cute family all day...they are so funny and their interaction with one another is so loving in a humorous way. Emma is an outstanding mother, I have always admired how she treats each of her children as individuals. She is so quick to show love and kindness to every child in the room and makes them feel of worth. This is why she is so great at what she does in her business A STORYBOOK PARTY. (check her out on Facebook!)
I don't think there is a funnier kid then little A... lol.
Most of the people I photographed were from Club Mom but occasionally I received a referral. That was fun when that happened and when they continued to come to me each year. I don't think there is a bigger compliment as a photographer. Jamie was great at seeking out unique locations. I have frequented the regular LV locations such as Lockridge, Rose Garden, Muhlenberg, Parkway, etc. so often that I can now look at peoples pictures and know exactly the tree or rock they are sitting by. Jamie broke me out of the easy and gave me a challenge...something we all need every so often! I am going to miss your sweet daughters spunk and cute ideas on where we should take the pictures. Her eyes are some of the bluest I have ever seen!
My sweet friend Kristi. I met Kristi at a race in the parkway. Kristi is one of those people who you leave feeling better for just having a simple conversation with her. For this reason I asked Kristi if she wanted to join our running group. I have never regretted that decision as she has become one of my favorite friends. Kristi I will miss our good conversations, morning runs, occasional ranting texts, as well as watching our silly boys play together...and I LOVE that your little man called Darin a "bison!" HAHA!
Not to mention our CRAZY photo-shoots trying to get this little princess to cooperate! lol...never a dull moment!
If you looked up kindness in the dictionary you would find the name KERI! She is amazing. Keri has taught me a lot about being a service minded person as she is ALWAYS looking after the needs of someone else. She has lifted me up more then once and brought my confidence as a human being to a new level. I can not thank you enough for your friendship and charitable efforts towards my family. You truly are a beautiful person inside and out!
And your daughter's mirror picture is one of my all time favorites! :)
I am really happy I LOVE to run because I have had to lace up my shoes more times then not to capture that quick smile. Sometimes I am amazed when I get home to see that I actually got anything. But I have to say I am not the one doing all the work. Each one of these kids have AMAZING parents who do all they can to help me get that smile. Bianka is one of those mothers. I am thankful I was able to get to know her. We have had our ups and downs on our shoots. :) Her son N is the pride of her life and she is always so excited about the pictures...it makes me smile how many late night trips she has made to my house so anxious to get her hands on the CD of pictures. Thank you Bianka!
I don't remember the first time I met Christine R. It seems like I have known her forever. Our boys were fast friends and even shared a birthday party one year. Christine is so easy to talk to and gets along with everyone. I love to be in her presence. I also appreciated that she understood our life of advancing in the medical field. It was nice to have a friend who had lived through it and helped me see there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
...plus your daughter has THE COOLEST HAIR EVER!
I had the opportunity to see this family go from being newly weds in love to doting parents of 2 beautiful children. What a blessing to see how this family has evolved and strengthened over the years. I am always impressed with their faith in Christ and desire to show such Christ like attributes to everyone around them. Thank you Thomas family!
Here is another family we got to see go through those beautiful stages. I am happy we were able to have Nick and Kristen in our lives not just as friends but ward members and fellow ER residents. Like I said before it is a blessing to have people close to you going through the same stage of life. You have helped us out more than once and I can't say thank you enough!!! Good luck in South Dakota, I am excited for your new adventures.
I am so happy I was able to photograph this family one last time. Our meetings seem so spread out and during the coldest times of the year but my interaction with them is always so enjoyable. It makes me realize that I have photographed the best of the best of the LV. Lisa you have some of the most gorgeous kids, their dark eyes and olive skin is to die for!
Plus your daughter's baby pictures are my favorite. I am still SOOOO happy your husband brought that white blanket. GOOD CALL!
Maria shared the same love for photography as I did and we were able to practice many techniques together. Thankfully she has a house full of cute kids that are willing to let us practice on....
I don't think Kevin and Kayla anticipated me putting their sweet baby boy in a tea-cup when they entrusted me with him for a couple of nights. He was such a good baby and so easy to care for. I couldn't resist pushing the limits of what he would allow me to do for a picture! lol. Good luck with your fellowship Kayla you will do awesome and I hope we all meet again!
I didn't get to photograph this little peanut to often as her mother is an amazing photographer. I am still kicking myself that I never got my act together to have Christine S. photograph my own family. I am hoping in SC/GA I am going to take the time and opportunity to follow Christine's example and focus more of my time and talents on my own children.
I have come to appreciate the importance of the right colors, backgrounds, lighting, etc. when working with different types of skin and hair colors. I am grateful that I have had individuals to challenge my eye and help me learn what works and what doesn't. I have really learned a lot over the years. Jess's cuties are some of those that have given me that challenge. Looking at the pictures below I think I was starting to understand the colors that are best with red-headed beauties.
Although this little guy got my number quick and by our last photoshoot he was no longer tolerating any of my games!
I love bald babies. Maybe because my children are bald until they are 2! I love this little guys smile as well. It is much like his moms beautiful smile. Amanda has such a quiet grace about her. I have never heard her complain but rather turn any circumstance around to seem like a positive. I appreciate that trait and really want to possess it!
I read this morning about how a child's behavior is a direct reflection of the parent. I agree with that to a point. However as I have sat here looking at all of these beautiful children I can see the hours that have been spent molding them into the little people they are. It is obvious that each one has an AMAZING mother! Sarah N. is no exception! Sarah is another friend that I don't remember when she wasn't. She has taught me a lot about faith and how wonderful it really is to be a mother to these blessings from God. When Asa was in the NICU, Sarah came to visit me. I was so excited to take her to meet baby Asa. She made me feel so loved. Thank you Sarah for your friendship!
They have the BEST smiles! ...Sarah worked her tail off each photoshoot to get those smiles!
The next three kiddos are truly lucky to have the parents they do. The lesson I have learned from Meg is that we can always be better. It seems like she is always striving to improve, and she is always making positive changes with her kids. I have taken note of her tactics and used many of them on my children. Just knowing Meg has given me the extra push to be the best I can be. With each photoshoot I do with this family I always want it to be so great! Thank you Meg for everything, you have always been willing to help me out and I have enjoyed your fun photo ideas as well!
A challenge we had in PA that I NEVER experienced in CA is weather! In the spring time it rains like crazy in PA and there were times that photoshoots would be rescheduled 2 or 3 times...so frustrating! With this family I was ready to bag the whole thing because of our bad luck with rain, but I am happy I didn't. I had to laugh as I went through the pictures for this cute little guy as he had so many expressions in each of these shoots....which is a highlight of being a child photographer. Thank you Marissa for being the behind the scenes clown (rockstar mom!) to get your kiddos to smile!
I believe there is nothing more beautiful then a close up portrait of a child's eyes. You can learn a lot from them. My children show every emotion in their eyes and I think that is why I seem to always want those close ups with each shoot. Melanie's little sweethearts have the most amazing eyes. We didn't always get a smile out of them but we always seemed to get that innocent happiness in their eyes. I love these kiddos. Our shoots were FINALLY starting to get "easy" as the girls were maturing and Melanie and I were learning what works and what doesn't. :) We will miss seeing all of you each week at preschool as well! Please keep in touch!
It truly has been a blessing living in Pennsylvania. This is just a handful of the people that have impacted my life, in these short 4 years. If I was to highlight everyone my blog would be filled to the max! I have learned so many valuable lessons from my interaction with each of you during our photoshoots as well as through your daily examples. I feel honored that you chose to let me watch your children grow through my camera lens. My heart would jump with joy when I would walk into your homes and see one of my photos, or I loved seeing which photo you would choose to put as your Facebook picture. My heart aches as I have to say good-bye, and hand all of you over to another photographer. I feel a bit possessive as I am not fully ready to let go. I wish I had another 10 years just so I could see how each of these beautiful children grow-up. I guess that is why we have Facebook! Thank you again and please stay in touch, you all hold a special place in my heart as I have stared at your faces for HOURS over the past 4 years! haha!
Love, Christina Willardson
3 comments:
Christina,
This valley feels a little empty. Thank you for all of your kindness, patience and awesome pictures you took through the years. Every time I look at one of the pictures you took of our family, I am filled with gratitude. You are the best, and we will miss you dearly.
All the best,
Allison
So crazy to be starting the next phase of your life. So glad you found a good fit in residency. And you are an amazing photographer. Lots of people can take good pictures but you have the gift of capturing the child's expressions and personality. Not all photographers can do that, even when the rest of the picture is amazing.
SO sweet, thank you for your kind words. We are going to miss you dearly! I'm not too sure what we'll do without you now. :( Please send me a referral if you have one! God Bless and best of luck to your precious family!
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