At long last!

Often, when I finally, finally, FINALLY create a blog post, I vow that I'm going to be so much better at blogging. This time. For real.  But, if I'm being honest, that's probably not going to happen. Every once in awhile I get a great burst of motivation and voila, a new blog post appears. It's just the way it is.

I'll keep this short and sweet.  I updated my website.  (big smiley face).  All new images, new design, music I really love.  Good stuff!  Take a peek.  And then, call me to grab a date for Fall family photos or to photograph a new listing or capture event photos!  If you are a past client or have seen my camera in front of you, chances are decent you might even see yourself on my site.  

Enough chatter. 

Go here.

www.timestopsphotography.com

Happy Sunday!

The beginning and the end of summer

On the day after my kids and their friends graduated from 5th grade, they threw their own graduation party.  And when I say they planned it, I mean they coordinated everything from the time to the place and who was bringing what food for their lunch.  I was so impressed (and also I had no plans of throwing a 5th grade graduation party, so this was a smart move on their part!).  The adults took turns hanging out at the park with them and I wandered over a few times to capture the day with my camera. They played at the playground, had a game of kickball and a game of baseball, along with a picnic lunch in the middl of it all!

I figured if I didn't post this tonight - the night before they start middle school - it was never going to happen.  Summer flew by in the blink of an eye and I can't even wrap my head around the fact that school starts tomorrow!  This big milestone is giving me a few mom moments as I hold back some tears. I'm not sure why.  When they headed off to kindergarten, I was more than ready - and so were they.  Maybe it's that this is the start of truly a whole new chapter in their lives, one which can be rather challenging. Maybe it's that I've realized it's only 7 more years now, until they head off to college.  Maybe it's that I know they won't want me at the bus stop anymore.  I'm not sure. I do know they are excited and ready and will be rock stars in their own right.

So, they will wake up tomorrow morning, excited to head to school wearing new clothes, seeing friends they've missed over the past couple of months and ready to have a schedule where they change classes each period.  So, before I crash for the night, ready to get up at 6:30am (UGH), I give you their Fifth Grade graduation celebration.

Sixth grade tomorrow...bring it on!!

86 Days of Summer

It's time for a new photography project.  Last year's Project 365 was great but by the time it was done,   I was DONE.  I needed a break.  Another project 52 sounded like a good idea and I jumped in with both feet in January.  Fifty two self portraits.  A good challenge right?  Well, yes, but eventually I lost my steam (after about 14 weeks) and decided it was time to call it quits.  I mean, how many times do you really want to see a shot of my face? I got some good creative ones in and then it started to feel like too much work.

I was scrolling my FB feed the other day and came across of headline of The 100 Days of Summer on the fabulous photography blog Click It Up a Notch.  That got me to thinking...and here I am with my new project.  However, as my kids so aptly pointed out, there aren't REALLY 100 days of summer. The more like 86, to be exact. So, we'll do 86 to make them happy.  And, with the first official day of summer being today, this is where we start...on Father's Day.  Eighty six days of summer begins....NOW.

A lovely Father's Day breakfast of pancakes and bacon, done completely on the grill this morning by the kids and their dad.  (So different from Mother's Day where my biggest desire is to not be required to make any food at all!).

1.86: Breakfast BBQ

Fisheye Summer Fun

This is what it looks like when there is perfect early evening light, a fisheye lens to play with and kids who love jumping off swings!

Happy Summer!!!

My project continues

As you may have seen, I've decided to tackle a Project 52 this year.  The subject?  Me.  It may sound odd, I know.  However, I wanted something that was going to challenge me and so far, it has done just that.  When I can't just pick up my camera to take a photo, it requires more planning and thought and creativity to get the shot. Heaven know I don't want to just show 52 photos of my face this year.  So, as each week ends and I think, "Now what am I going to do for next week" I rarely have the answer. Inevitably though, something comes to me or something happens each week that gives me the opportunity to capture something new and different that shows me or what my life looks like.

So, I thought I'd still post here in clusters instead of one per week.  So, here I bring you weeks 10 - 16.

Thanks for stopping by to take a peek!  Who know where this project will lead me next!

Our little climber!

Oh how I love to document life.  But, I'm going to be honest and tell you my love for that sputtered out a bit over the past few months.  Towards the end of my Project 365 last year, I just wanted to be done.  It's a wonderful project to do that provides so many learning opportunities.  I highly recommend doing one to anyone who wants to.  Jump in with both feet.  However, it's a looooong project and one where every day is not necessarily inspiring. January hit, my project was complete and I needed a break.

My break has dragged on a bit longer than I thought it would. That's not to say I haven't taken any photos for fun or that I haven't picked up my camera at all.  I have. Just rather infrequently, for me.   My iPhone has also gotten a lot more use than it has in the past.  Happily though, with the turn in the weather, some fabulous sunshine and a little girl who is doing an amazing job in rock climbing, my inspiration seems to be returning.  This past weekend we traveled to Milwaukee for her second rock climbing competition!  I started documenting our day from the crack of dawn departure through her final placement!

Warm ups and getting on her gear.

The climbing has begun!

She nailed a couple of routes and then a few got the better of her.  She kept going though!

What a great support team her brother is! He kept her company and made sure she was ready for her next route. He was a great encourager as well.  The papers you see below are each competitors score card with all of the routes listed on them. The points for each route are also noted so can keep track of you are doing and plan where to go next! To get in line, your paper gets put at the bottom of the pile.

This route.  I'm not sure I've ever seen her work harder.  She was not going to give up, even though a few times I thought she was done.  It was not easy and a whole bunch of people in the gym were glued to her ascent, pulling for her, shouting for her and encouraging her to make it to the top. She did!!

My sweet husband volunteered and belayed the climbers for almost three straight hours!  

I'm not sure how his arm didn't fall off.

This yellow route was her final one for the day. Three hours of climbing and I'm not even sure how she was still going. She did not succeed in getting to the top on this one.  It thwarted her at the same spot each time.  But, we were so proud of her as she gave this route THREE attempts.  If she'd had any energy left, I think she would have gone one more time but she was spent.

And, at the end of it all, she was still such a  happy girl!

Awards ceremony took place right at the end.  Of the 19 girls in her age group, she took 7th!  I'll be checking the official USA Climbing site on Wednesday to see how she ranks in the country.  

  After the first competition, she was ranked 23rd in the county. Crazy, huh?!?

So very proud of our girl!  Up next...a competition in Minnesota!