Those of you who have been following my blog for a while now know that when I’m not taking pictures of people, I also enjoy macro photography and nature.
Spring is here and so are many of the early-blooming flowers, so my camera has been out with the macro lens attached to capture nature’s delicate paintings of the world around me.
I love the fragile, brilliant colors of butterflies.
My 4 year old held about as still as he possibly could to get this little butterfly to land on his fingers. He was so excited that it worked.
Something was amiss the other day…
I was turning up an area of field near our barn to start a new pumpkin patch with my rototiller and all of a sudden, it clunked and chugged and the blades stopped spinning. I turned the tiller off and started dismantling the blades and noticed something had jammed them. Upon closer inspection, I saw this:
It appears to be the fragmented head of a cabbage patch doll… in my pumpkin patch. I’m not sure what, if anything, it means. I do find it just a wee bit creepy.
Spring is here and I’m soaking up the fragrances and sounds.
I’m celebrating the colors of spring and the warm air scented with spring buds and fresh earth. I’m welcoming the return of our recently arrived fair-weathered, feathered friends and all of their beautiful songs that fill the early mornings.
Welcome spring!
I had the pleasure of spending an evening with the ultra awesome and super sweet Kristin and Sean who are very in love.
We were lucky enough to still have some snow last week and we took advantage of it during their engagement session.
I am so very fortunate to have the chance to work with some amazing people and so many young couples who have found each other and fallen in love against so many odds. As I wandered around with Kristin and Sean, I could very much see the deep love in their eyes for one another.
We had sort of a chilly evening, but the sun was out and helped us feel warm on the inside.
I am so excited that I get to work with Kristin and Sean again on their special day–their wedding day.
Kristin and Sean, thank you so much for a fun evening. I know how valuable your time together is and appreciate that you shared it with me. Go here to see the rest of your album.
Last night we had a beautiful spring rain shower complete with flashes of lightening and a huge rainbow. The air was filled with the promise of warmer days to come.
Here are some random pictures I took of the rain:
Blue Sky inside a raindrop…
The barn inside a raindrop…
I love rusty things…
Catalpa tree seed pods…
Last fall’s berries…
While on an engagement shoot at the park with a wonderful couple (pictures coming soon), the three of us noticed a critter in the distance.
As we got closer, we could see that it was a hawk. Upon closer approach, I could tell by his fuzzy head full of new feathers that he was a juvenile. I believe him to be a red-tailed hawk, but am open to correction on that.
He was perched upon a squirrel on the ground.
I was kicking myself a little for not bringing along a telephoto lens. As it turned out, the little guy wasn’t very aware of danger. He didn’t mind me a bit as I got closer. And closer. And so close I could very likely have touched his feathery head.
I didn’t want to disturb him too much. And I could hear “mom” calling to him from afar. So, I just knelt low and snapped a picture of him and let him enjoy his dinner. The picture was taken with a 100mm Canon Macro lens. So, yes, I was extremely close to him.
My family is getting bees this spring. I am so very excited about their arrival. Beekeeping is something I have aspired to do since my college days. It’s a way for me to contribute to the environment among the dozens of other reasons I cannot wait to host these busy ladies over the years.
I have read lots of books and attended a school and purchased one of two beehives that will be started on our farm (the other my father is building). Am I ready? Nope. I think I am in the position where I need to just jump in and get started though.
My recent purchase of equipment included a beehive.
It included tools like brushes and smokers.
All of the things make a pretty impressive pile in my living room. I like having the items out where I can interact with them. I am also teaching my boys what I know so this can be a family project. The boys are very excited to help–this weekend they painted the hive parts for me.
They were very excited to be painting something “real” – not just a picture on paper.
We painted the hive yellow like the sun.
They were so careful to not get paint all over. Just a little on their hands.
Honestly they helped out a lot! So much that I’ve already told them the picket fence outside was going to be their spring project.
I still need to pain the top and bottom, but here’s the new bee home (I added the flowers). I get to pick up the 12,000 ladies in the spring and I can hardly wait to meet them.
Kim and Tyler are a super nice and very adorable couple.
Even though their engagement pictures were taken in the wintertime, the sun came out for them and made the day bright and cheery.
We wandered around Kim’s childhood stomping grounds.
The place was earthy and alive with the feeling of springtime in waiting.
I really enjoyed getting to know them both better and I loved these:
A lot of times people ask for dramatic backdrops for their engagement sessions and I love doing those. But sometimes, the best places for pictures are right in our own backyards.
I cannot imagine more drama for an engagement picture than this amazing end-of-wintertime sky.
Congratulations on your engagement to Kim and Tyler! Thank you for a great afternoon. Please stop by here to view the rest of your engagement session.
