Hello from Las Vegas. As many of you know.. I am currently in LV attending an AWESOME photography workshop. This time.. I am coming home SOOO inspired by an incredible photographer out of Sweden. I initially wasn’t going to attend any of his classes, because I did not shoot like him at ALL. Im known for my contemporary, poppy color look.. he is super duper traditional.

YOU GUYS.. im loving his work. So.. here is what I am proposing…. I need a few models to work with when I return back to Deer Park to put this new look into action as an option. It will be a new baby plan.. and very well may replace the current one.. I may offer 2 different ones.. or I may see no interest and drop it.. but.. I want to try it. So.. I am going to be very specific about what I need: This new baby plan will reach milestones 4 months, 8 months and 12 months. The entire series will be shot on white.. with a lot of white clothing and with some skin showing. SEE.. NOT my regular look. Traditional white on white?? WHAT???? Guys.. it is gorgeous. So clean.. and modern looking in the way that he approaches it. I want to see if I can put my own style into it and implement it. So… here is what I need.

I need a 4 month old baby. Boy or girl. Either will work. mom and dad will need to bring a variety of white tops, men will need a button up, an undershirt tank.. commonly known as a wife beater (isnt that lame?), and a regular hanes undershirt fitted, not loose and with no pocket. Mom will need a fitted white top, a pretty, flattering white shirt with no buttons or color.. can have stitching adornment and then a white ribbed tank or a white camisole tank. For this session, dad will need to be comfortable shirtless for a few images that will be posted on my site/blog. So please.. only those with husbands comfortable with this apply. Mom will be either topless with NOTHING showing, baby will cover any parts.. or possible a tube tops white piece of fabric around the chest if I can not find a mom willing to not wear any top. Again.. nothing will show.. and once you see it.. you will love it. It is so intimate and beautiful.. bonding with your baby.

For the 8 month baby. Again. Dress code remains the same all throughout the series. White tops with denim pants. There will be skin on skin again.. but it is not required for mom to be completely topless in this series. I want to show intimacy with the family in this series as well. For this session.. the child must be sitting unassisted and we are asking you to bring any blankies/lovies that the child carries, their favorite toy and a thumbsucker would totally be the cherry on top for this session. So, please let me know if you have a thumb sucker when you email for the 8 month session. For girls, we also will will do a tutu image of them sitting, and for boys.. we will start incorporating a hat or two into some images. If you have favorites.. please bring them

12 months session. Mom and dad will again bring the same attire. White tops as described in the 4 month session and denim pants.. but.. mom and dad will need to be comfortable topless again. Yes.. this sounds CRAZY. But when I show you how beautiful it is done.. the intimate setting of love it creates within the family… you will love it. At the 12 month session…. It will end in a cake smash.. just as all 12 month sessions currently do. If your child (boy or girl) wears a lot of hats.. BRING THEM. Wear a lot of bows/flowers? BRING THEM. We will incorporate this into a collage so that you can easily get an image of all their favorite hats/bows and put them on 1 collage.. and you have an instant memory of all the cute headpieces your child wore their first year.

For the 12 month sesssion.. I want the family to bring their favorite book that gets read.. whether baby reads it or mommy reads it. Don’t worry about shape of the book.. or condition of it.. it is meant to be a memory of them at this time. If it has elmo on it.. that is okay. It doesn’t have to be that traditional mother goose nursery rhyme book, or the children’s bible story book. Go with what is real. We will also do a tutu image of baby standing if it is a girl.. and for boys.. and oversized 2T white button up shirt will need to be brought for him.. I will supply a tie and a hat for some images.

At the 12 month session, I am encouraging you to bring grandparents for a few shots as well so that grandparents can get in the picture.. especially if this is their first grandchild. This will become a special image.. and hopefullly create a tradition of them having their picture taken with their grandchildren so that as the child becomes an adult… they will always have a special heirloom image of their grandparents.. even after they pass. At the 12 month session.. bring a couple of outfits that you want pictures in as well.. we will do fully clothed images in this session as well. Siblings are welcome at all sessions. We will be doing family sessions through out this baby plan as well as well as just the baby. We are going to see where this leads.. like I said.. I may not see the same interest in this plan.. it will be a little more expensive.. and we may scrap the entire idea.. but I am super duper excited to see.

HOW DO YOU APPLY? Just email me at info@homeshadephotography.com Put BABY PLAN with the age/month of your child in the title bar. They must currently be either 4 months and able to hold their head up for a few seconds, 8 months and able to sit and 12 months, able to stand against a chair or walking. Please send me a picture of you guys and the baby.. needs not be a professional picture.. just a snapshot. I am not choosing the prettiest baby.. or the best looking parents.. I promise.. I just don’t want the babies to look exactly alike.. I want variety in the images. I would love at least one family to be darker skinned. I don’t care what nationality.. just darker skin. One blonde family and one dark haired family.. again.. just for variety.

The session fee will be free.. images will be discounted to 40% off, images only. This does not apply on canvas or press printed cards, or any specialty items. This does apply to the sale of ditital negatives. Only those who can supply all of the clothing suggested and willing to bare a little back/arm skin apply. I really want to show what I want to shoot… you do not have to have a perfect body. I will prefer real moms without that perfect look for these images.. to be able to show that it will be flattering despite showing skin. SO. If you relate to any of the above.. or know someone who would be PERFECT for this session.. please forward this blog post to them. I will want to shoot this within the next 2 weeks.. so please contact me soon.

I look forward to hearing from each of you.

Tasha

i have sooo many unblogged sessions.. i got so far behind last year.. and decided i would never catch up.  so, i decided to start fresh and stay on top of it this time.  that is slowly failing.. i just counted 10 edited sessions that still need to be blogged.  10.  yikes. 

so.. im going to combine this post into 4 of them.  children/family.  yeah.. so i cheat.. that is okay.. right???  at least you get to see some yummy photos!!!

this little girl was STUNNING.  simply put.   STUNNING.  when she stepped out of the vehicle.. with big beautiful eyes, porcelin skin and curly hair.. i knew we would get some FABULOUS images. 

ummm. cute much?  seriously!

i loved this image.

i was so sad that they cut the trees down all around this little cottage..   it lost so much of its charm when the trees left.  this is my last image there before the trees were removed. 

i was hired by a local photographer based out of League City to capture some images of her sweet family.

it was only like 115 degrees that day.. and even with the fogging.. the mosquitos were still intense. 
but.. they were SUCH troopers.  we got some super fun images. 

all 3 of the girls in this family have the most amazing eyes.  mom and both daughters.  i am jealous..

and.. how awesome is it when they show up wearing MY VINTAGE BABY?  …speaking of.. if you have not seen the new line.. you should RUN to your MVB rep to see the new FABULOUS catalog.  there is so much in there i want for chloye and the studio. 
you can view my rep’s website at www.myvintagebaby.net/ambergoree

ahh.. another scorching day.  i think we were out there about 15 minutes before we were all drenched in sweat.   however.. this had to be the most PATIENT dad i have ever worked with.  he just went with the flow.. sweated his rear end off.. helped wherever we needed.. and never got irritated.  not once.  at least.. not in my presence.  Jen and i were so impressed with him.

doesnt mom have great style in dressing her family? 
their outfits were FABULOUS.

but, this is my favorite image of the day.   little guy sticking his tongue out.. newborn crying.. both OVER the 115 degree temps.. and dad.. just going with the flow.. love it.

and lastly.. some long term clients.  this family was actually my very first paying client i had years ago when Homeshade first started.  cuh-razy.  they are now +1 more, and all grown up.  this guy was barely crawling when i first started photographing them.

this little guy was the biggest ham way back then.. not much has changed.

and this sweet girl just turned 2.  i have been fortunate to do her newborn, 1 year AND 2 year pictures.  soo fun! 

we ended with a big red sucker.  she is a very kind 2 year old.  she shares!!!!

so.. there you have it.  some yummy eye candy to look through. 

hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend.. and check back often.  there is so much more yumminess to blog.

to say i am stuck in a photographic rut would be an understatement.  i often wonder where my MOJO has gone.. and desperately seek to find it again….
when i first started shooting again back in 2005.. i photographed my kids.. it was fun.  i photographed a few friends kids.  it was fun.  but, definitely not something i would do as a profession.  i decided back in 2002 when i quit working for the wedding photographer that owning my own photography business was NOT for me.  then.. something happened. 

besides the fact that i was bored MINDLESS at my desk job at NASA.. and i was allergic to haircolor.. so my hair career was pretty much over.. i was in my 3 year itch of bored.. what will i do next?  Michael thought it should be photography.. i thought it should be something that should pay the bills..

all at this time.. my little man Ashton is going through some crazy things.  he is now 3 and still impossible to understand for anyone but michael, myself and my best friend Amy who speaks unintelligble speech fluently.  its a gift, i tell you!

he has some other quirks that i deem Ashton.. but the speech is the most glaring one.  so, i take him in to be evaluated and walked out with them trying to label my son on the autistic spectrum.  i know a LOT of mom’s go into denial at first when their child is labeled.. and that was my first thought… oh no.. am i one of those mom’s who wont accept my son?? but the more thought i put into it.. i refused to believe that my son was autistic.  he was just different. 

so.. after a few months of me needing direction.. my husband insisted i quit my job.. and just ‘try’ photography.  i kicked in my heels and refused.  then.. my previous women’s minister took me to lunch and flat out told me i was in direct disobedience to my husband.  if he felt commanded to tell me to quit my job.. then i was to follow his leading for my family.  OUCH.  talk about conviction.  i walked into my office from lunch.. and put in my 2 weeks notice.. scared to death.

well.. my business was blanketed in prayer.. and my now employee karen kept sending paying clients my way left and right.. and i was having a BLAST.  trying to find my style.. where i fit in to this photography realm. 

now.. 4 years later.. i look back and think.. WHERE HAVE THE LAST 4 YEARS GONE????  it has been a whirlwind.  a blur.  i think i have a case of whiplash from it going by so fast..

okay.. maybe not whiplash.. but a serious case of shoulder pain from extensive editing.. that we will just pretend is whiplash for the sake of my little story.  HA!

this summer has been a hard one.  i realized that i work TOO much.. and i am in my 3 year itch of i am bored.. what’s next?  i have looked back at all that i have done and realized that i have lost who I am along the way.. something i didnt think would happen.. but apparently did. 

so.. i decided to put a call out on FB for a fun family that will let me shoot how I wanted to.. a free shoot with no worries about which images would sell and which images would not.  unfortunately.. it is no longer about just having fun.. this is my job.. this is how i help support my family.. and supplement my husband’s income. 

i received a LOT of response for the free session.  but..this mom totally won me over by sending me a picture of the family running away from a tyrannosaurus rex.. probably taken at the museum.. or a theme park.. and it cracked me up.  then she sent me a pic of her husband carryingher.. both wearing totally 80′s getup gear.. and then one of her husband being the ‘thinker’… i was laughing at the pictures.. and knew that i would be laughing througha  session with them. 

so.. let me introduce the snow family. 

this session has been floating in my head for about a year now.  i didnt know what form it would take.. i just knew everyone would be soaking wet by the time it was over.  i thought that perhaps it would be my own family in the pictures.. but that has never happened.  so.. i am glad it was this family that it happened to.  the day of the session, i realized on facebook that the dad is the brother of an old friend that i truly miss. 

mom asked me what to wear.
she took EXACTLY what was in my head.. and spun it into fruition.  when they stepped out of the car.. i was SO happy.  i asked for layers.. some collars under tees, some on top of a tee.. oranges/greens in theme.. and then dad busts out with a tie over an orange crush shirt and a vest.. and i did a little internal happy dance.  that was all her.. i didnt/wouldn’t ask dad to dress a certain way.. because it would take a certain man to pull this look off.  he was that certain man. for sure. 

jen and i were looking through this folder earlier.. and we both commented about how much we love this image.. even though it the exact same picture i ALWAYS take.  we decided it was the clothing.. all the bright colors that make me LOVE this image so much.

when she told me she had a baby.. and i realized the baby couldnt get completely involved in the water balloon aspect.. i immediately envisioned him in a tub of water out in the field.. to tie in the water theme for him too.  to say he loved it is an understatement. 

isnt he simply adorable?

my asst. jen second shot with me and got some super fun images from a completely different angle.  i think all fun sessions should pay for an additional shooter..

this is one of my favorite images from the entire day.  Jen asked for his mad face.. if he gets silly when he is  mad.. then i am all for a tantrum.. LOL

this is what happens when you do a shoot with water balloons.. you create mud puddles all around you.  then.. when one of the children come and jump in a mud puddle just beside you.. you get the splatter.  dont i look lovely???

i didnt let it stop me from shooting though.. LOL

i hope everyone enjoyed this session as much as i did.  i am all for shooting more fun ‘concept’ sessions.. around a theme.  so.. if you have a full session booked.. and want to do something a little differently.. lets brainstorm.

speaking of sessions.. my calendar is COMPLETELY booked for family sessions for Christmas.

the only thing left on my calendar are senior sessions, newborn sessions and baby plan sessions. 

so, for those who booked early.. THANK you.

for some reason.. things come in multiples for me.  i may not have a newborn for 5-6 weeks, then i get 2-3 in the same week.  i may not photograph a 1 year old for a month, then all of the sudden i have 2 or 3; back to back.  this time.. it was a set of 2 year olds.. back to back.

for this family.. we headed out to Hermann park in houston.. i think they do a good job fogging and keeping the mosquitos at bay because we werent tormented by them there.  however.. they REALLY need to do something about this heat. 

i love this image. 

by the end of the session.. i think we were all melting.  it is just so hot.  i really do not remember summers being this miserable.  we do not get a single break in the weather or the mosquitos.  it is getting a little old…

then we had this cutie the next night.  i have photographed her quite a few times at multiple petti parties through out the year.  she just gets cuter and cuter each time.

she is one of the few two year olds who sit and pose rather than act like a normal 2 year old and bolt.  LOL
it is always nice to have the rare, calm 2 year old. 

however.. when we told her to run.. she enjoyed that too. 

so.. summer is almost over.  YEA.  i am excited to have my kids back in school.  sadly.. i have worked so much that i havent really had the opportunity to enjoy them being home.  so.. instead.. we all stay a little stressed with me having to work.. and them having to entertain themselves.
they are also looking forward to seeing their friends.  it has been a rough summer for them not having any friends here at all.  chloye and ashton have really had to rely on one another for companionship.  while i am glad it has strengthened their already close relationship.. it also has made them tire of one another often by the end of the day.  they need to be around more children. 

jax and i will have to bear throug a few weeks before his MDO starts.  that will be interesting.  LOL

anyway.. that is us in a nutshell.  busy and ready for summer to end.  once the kids are gone.. maybe i can stay on top of editing, EMAIL.. that is so far behind.. and may even get to cook dinner once in a while.  we will see.

hope you guys have a great weekend!

-tasha

we went back.. to Eagle’s Lift.  i met a fun new family.  dad told me he didnt like to smile. 
i made him smile anyway.
i think he really loved his wife.
so, he would have smiled either way.

it was hot.  very hot.
and even though i fogged, the mosquitos were out.
they intended to carry us away.
really, they did!

i love smiling faces.  a lot. 
i like emotion.  i like when a photograph captures emotion. 
i especially like when a photograph captures pure joy; happiness.
it makes me smile while i am editing. 
seeing smiling faces and true laughter.

these pictures make me smile.

my head is SWIMMING.  literally swimming with ideas for 2011.  we took a few little over night trips last week.. and in the long drive time where i was able to actually think and formulate thoughts without all of the other work things fogging my mind cause i am sitting at the computer.. realizing how far i am behind.. in those quiet moments (aside from yo gabba gabba singing from the tv in the backseat).. i was able to put to paper clear thoughts.  CLEAR THOUGHTS??  i never have clear thoughts anymore.  i talk in jumble.  it is my new language.  i think in jumble.  i write in jumble.  i think it is is ADD to the extreme in my head. 

this little guy here sums up exactly how i feel day to day!

so.. i am slowly formulating things for next year.. and am excited to share it all with you in the next month or so!