Tell Me a Story - May

April has come and gone, and now May is at it's end! Hard to believe that summer is finally here and the weather is finally getting warmer! The beginning part of May was spent finishing school and neglecting my camera. Finally things changed when Memorial Day arrived and I spent the whole day outside with my girls. To be patriotic, I bought the girls matching American flag bandannas. Lu loves to wear her bandannas, but Hannah would rather rip them off. Luckily they both tolerated their new wardrobe for the day and looked extra cute.

Memorial Day reminds us to thank those who have and are serving this beautiful country we call home. However, this year I saw something online that reminded me that not only are humans serving our country, but K9's are also dedicated members of the United States Military. 

One of my favorite parts about summer is having more free time to spend the day with my girls and be outside. Another one of my favorite things about the summer time is the beautiful plants that start to come up and bloom. Growing up my step-mom's garden was full of bleeding heart plants. Over time, I have grown to really love the plant and enjoy taking photos of it. Yesterday when I went to take some photos, the sun was so bright that I wasn't really a fan of how the photos turned out. I did work on one that I felt was ok.

When I went to go and switch SD cards in my camera I noticed I still had one in there. When I looked at the photos, I realized I had taken them over a month ago and never did anything with them! I do remember taking them and when I took them my camera was about to die so I was only able to get 14 photos on the card. However, I got 2 good ones out of the bunch that I thought would be good to include. This is our neighbor and Lu's best little friend. I can't really explain the relationship other than Lu is in love with her and demands to go see her when she is outside. We are so fortunate that her parents allow Lu to play with her and to have them so close by! 

Please keep the circle going by visiting: Janelle Garcia Photography

Tell Me a Story- March

Hard to believe that February passed by in the blink of an eye and so has March. On St. Patrick's day the weather here was absolutely beautiful. The sun was shining and it was a nice early evening to take some photos. The best part about the evening was that I got to my aunt's house expecting her and Hannah, the other GSD, to be there, but instead they were not and I got a little bit of alone time outside with Lumen.

The evening sun that was coming through the trees that night was perfect for playing with shadows. While Lu isn't the best model because she can't stand still for longer than three seconds, I still wanted to practice working with shadows with the perfect lighting.

I had been looking online at how photographers were using their sun glares in photos and I was really excited when I started to notice them in some of my shots. I know the one I got isn't exactly how it is suppose to be done, but I am still learning about how to get the perfect amount of glare in the photos while still making it look artistic.

I really enjoyed the hour alone Lu and I got to spend together. She even got to visit her best little friend the one and a half year old girl who lives across from us. Seeing how much Lu loves her makes me realize just how good of a dog Lu can be. After the neighbors walk, she came back and brought me and Lumen a flower. It happened to be perfect to get a couple shots of as well. I cherish the alone time Lu and I get to have together. I hope she knows someday how much she means to me.

Please keep the circle going by visiting: Balancing Bedlam

Tell me a story- January

I was really bummed to have missed last month's blog circle but with the holidays and family, I had no time to get to the camera or the blog! In the middle of last month, my sister got engaged . . . finally!! After dating her boyfriend for six years, they are finally planning on getting married! They made the trip back after the holidays to Cleveland to look at some venues and we also took a little bit of time to get some engagement photos!

We decided to go down to the local lake to take some photos. Since it was the middle of January it was definitely cold but they really were troopers and passed through it!

This is the first time I have ever taken engagement photos for someone and I was really excited it got to be for my sister. We are going to take some more in the spring in Chicago where they live, but the first round turned out really well we think! More than likely their wedding photographer will also have an engagement photo shoot for them, but part of me is curious to see how our pictures differ.

Isn't that ring beautiful?! Matt did an amazing job picking out a ring for my sister. We are looking forward to getting some photos of just the ring, but looking for ideas on how to make it pop....not that that thing needs to!

I'm so excited for you two! Congrats and let's get the wedding planning on!!!

Please keep the circle going by visiting: Sharleen N Stuart Photography / South Florida Photographer

Happy New Year

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year! May 2015 bring you peace and relaxation with a dash of adventure! Enjoy the new start to the year and push yourself to do things you wouldn't of done before.

Tell Me a Story- November

I think I say this every post, but holy crap where did November go?! I love working with this group because it forces me every month (gosh it should be more than that!) to pick up my camera and take some photos. I'm envious when I read other's blogs from the month and they have such exciting events and adventures. However, I realized that as long as I am picking up my camera it doesn't matter what I'm taking photos of. The silver lining of the whole thing is that nine times out of ten, I take photos of the dogs. While I'm sure most people are tired of seeing my dogs posted everywhere, it's nice to have those memories of them and have the pictures so we can see their growth.

Hannah Flora, our German Shepherd baby girl turned one on the 30th of this month. Hannah has taught us so much in her short first year of life. Her personality has developed into such a strong and sensitive girl. Hannah is strong willed and passionate about us as her owners. She craves interaction (and of course playing ball) and affection. We could never have asked for a better baby girl. We love you Hannah and happy birthday!!

There is not a day that passes that the dogs and I spend some time together, either playing ball or on a walk. Those moments we spend together have helped build the relationship that I have with both girls. While the relationships are so different, I don't doubt for a moment their love for me and hope they never doubt my love for them.

I think this might be one of my favorite photos of Hannah

Please keep the circle moving and visit Sharleen N. Stuart Photography / South Florida Photographer

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving might be one of my favorite holidays simply because it is over shadowed by the two holidays it is sandwich between. Halloween and Christmas take over and poor Thanksgiving is forgotten until the day approaches. While I enjoy Christmas, Thanksgiving reminds us to be thankful for the people and things we have in our lives. While we should be thankful for these things all year round, Thanksgiving forces us to vocalize what it is that we are truly grateful for.

My list of things I am grateful and thankful for would be a mile long if I would let it. The two biggest things this year I would have to say I am thankful for are my girls. Hannah and Lumen (I promise I will not be dedicating another whole blog post to them!). Both of these beautiful girls have made me grow as a person and focus on taking care of them instead of just focusing on me. They have shown me what unconditional love is and given it to me every single second of the day. I always smile when I get to come home to them. There couldn't be anything more amazing in the world than something showing you how unconditionally it loves you. I think that might be one of my favorite qualities about dogs, the realization that they only know a couple things in this world and one of those is to love you with everything they have because they do not know any differently.

Every year I am thankful for my family, they are the people in the world who love me no matter what. They have let me grow as a person and helped lead me in the right directions. They have also let me fail in a sense so that I can come out stronger on the other side. They always have my back and I will be forever thankful for each and every member. However, this year I am especially grateful for my aunt. At the beginning of this year she took me in and let me become a part of her life. She gave me the two greatest gifts I could have ever asked for, Hannah and Lu, she give me some independence while living with her and helped me grow as a person. While doing all of these things, she also became my best friend. Within the short months of her being back in my life, we grew close and opened up to each other. I will forever be thankful for the friendship we have together. I know no matter what, at the end of the day she will always be there for me, as I would be there for her.

This is the time of the year that I want everyone to be thankful for what they have around them and not what they want.  Look around you and realize that what you have is great don't compare yourself to others, because everyone has more than they know to be thankful for. 

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving this year!!! 

Tell Me a Story-October

Wow! I can't believe October is already over. In fact, I cannot believe this year is almost over. The beginning of this year brought many changes for me in my life. Besides moving, this year brought me two of the most important things in to my life. As weird as it may seem, the two biggest parts of my life these days and over this past year have been my two German Shepherd puppies, Hannah and Lumen. Much like raising a child, raising a puppy is no cake walk. We have spent long hours training and getting to know our great girls. The year started with us getting Hannah. Her personality in this last year has really began to shine through and she is an amazingly caring and smart dog. I know Hannah loves me as much as I love her. However, in April of this year, we added my baby girl Lumen to our lives. From day one, Lumen has been the sweetest, most emotional dog I have ever known. Lu and I have sort of claimed each other and have this unspoken bond. She's my baby girl.

I didn't plan on dedicating my whole blog to Lu this time around, but over the weekend, she was laying on my bed, something she does every day, but this time it was different. It was the middle of the day and there had been a lot going on in the house. Often times we have found Lumen outside or in some corner in the rooms staying almost out of the way. She's never been told to do this, just never wants to be the reason for conflict...breaks my heart almost. So, when I noticed her in my room, I removed myself from whatever chaos was around us and crept into my closet to grab my camera. Lu didn't mind, she knew what I was doing almost. I walked back into my door way and then realized how amazing the light was and just snapped photo after photo of her.

There is something special about my Lu, she's not your average puppy. While she enjoys playing, Lumen has never been one to be hyper. Instead, she wants to be your company and make sure you're taken care of. Being [almost] 10 months old, she acts well beyond her years. Lumen has been the one thing that no matter what happens in the day, always puts myself before her. Lu's caring and nurturing traits are what make us want to turn Lu into a therapy dog when she turns one. We want to share her with people and let her bring joy to them.

At the end of the day Lu, all I want you to know is just how much you are loved. We couldn't ask for a better companion through our lives than you my sweet girl. I look forward to the adventures we will take together and the times I'll need to lean on you for support. Forever my baby girl, I love you.

Please keep the circle going by visiting:
Colleen Putman | NYC Traveling Photographer