Dear playground enthusiast, please pass this on to whomever takes you to the playground…

I LOOOOVE to swing, and climb and slide…wwwhhhhhheeeeeeee!  Sometimes I get to slide by myself, with someone holding my hand, but much of the time, I ride on a grown-up’s lap (because they think it’s actually safer that way).  Um.  WRONG!  A couple of weeks ago, I was doing exactly that, when all of a sudden, the rubber on the sole of my shoe caught the edge of the slide and YIKES, my little ankle stopped but the rest of us kept going and you can imagine how bad this HURT!  Lots and lots and lots of tears, and eventually we went to the ER.  (I will say that the Pediatric ER at AAMC is fan-tabulous so if you should happen to find yourself in an ER this is DEF the one to choose….but I digress).  So after watching a little Nick Jr, and being looked after by some wonderful nurses and docs, Mommy and I were wheeled down for X-rays of my legs and sure enough, the left one was fractured (this is a fancy word for broken for you Fancy Nancy fans).  Apparently, the spiral fracture I have is a VERY common result of sitting on a grown-up’s lap while sliding.  I’m not one for statistics (and quite frankly, neither is mommy) but THIS article she read, says it happens to a LOT of children my age.  I’ve tried to argue the point that wearing shoes causes more harm than good, but I don’t think I’m getting very far with that.  Personally, I’d rather just be barefoot all the time, but she’s not buying it.  I hope I’ve saved just one of you (and your limbs) from this injury…and can you believe swimsuit season is just right around the corner?  You’ll see in the photo though, that my cast has in no way impacted my ability to play firefly fairy princess with my sister – she’s just about to put my wings on me

Wishing you all a beautiful and happy Mother’s Day! (and hopes that maybe, just maybe, you get to sleep in)

I’ll be a bit brief with my words (because right now you’re probably actually in shock that there is a post on this blog), but as I’m watching the snow fall, I immediately thought of this beautiful session in Severna Park from last summer.  The love and dynamic energy of this family was obvious from the moment I saw them interacting and hope that you see their connection and affection for each other in their images.  Lots of fun things to come this year at Heather Crowder Photography, so watch this space (and more)….we promise to be posting and then some!  Happy snow, these days will return before we know it!

hc | severna park family photographer

. . . there is no prize for guessing the correct answer   I have had a number of family portrait sessions in Washington, D.C., lately, and it’s always fun to see the places that are most special to my clients.  You’d think I would know the City well, because it’s so close to home, but every time I go, I discover something new.  This session ended with chocolate milkshakes at Eastern Market.  YUM!

hc | washington d.c. photographer

. . . which one of them is cuter . . . what do you think?  Baby brother is on the way ANY day – can you believe this Mommy is a week away from giving birth?  Good genes.  And cute jeans.  And how much I love little girls that do cute things with their feet   Many more darling shots from this session, but just have time for one . . .

hc | severna park photographer

. . . for finally giving us a break in the RAIN!  This family traveled from Howard County to Annapolis for their session, and if I’m not mistaken, three times is a charm because that’s how many reschedules we had!  The weather was PERFECT on the day that they were here, and I would like to thank downtown Annapolis for providing what is always the perfect backdrop for my portrait sessions

Happy Weekend!

hc | annapolis maryland family photographer

. . . Each of these kiddos has a charming and outgoing personality, and I only wish I could share my nicknames for each of them . . . but they know what they are   I also wish that I could post some of the family images, just to share with you their fantastic PORCH, which upon arrival, I quickly decided was Coastal-Living-Cover-worthy.  ( Have I mentioned how much I love to shoot in downtown Annapolis?) But, since I don’t know which of their beautiful pictures will be used for their holiday card, I’ll keep them to myself and perhaps share later this winter when I’m itching to post something to the blog during winter doldrums.  Until then, enjoy these   Maximum cuteage.  Yes, I made that word up.

hc | annapolis child photographer

. . . you can see that one of these little guys was NOT a fan of the beach, but I am sure am!  Portrait sessions at the beach like this one, with a beautifully dressed, happy and loving family make me SO happy!  Ok, back to work…and more cute faces from holiday short & sweets coming soon…

hc | maryland photographer

. . . While a great number of my clients are from the Annapolis area, many people are surprised to know just how much I travel for sessions – Baltimore, DC & it’s suburbs, and one of my favorite places – Old Town Alexandria.  Shooting in Old Town is a lot like downtown Annapolis with it’s unique and historic architecture, brick and cobblestone streets, and neat little alleys that offer beautiful light.  Making this maternity photo session even more fun was the fact that it was a family session so I got to focus on the big-brother-to-be in addition to Mom and her growing belly!  She was positively glowing, and you couldn’t knock the smile off of Dad’s face if you tried!

hc | virginia photographer maternity photographer

. . . Phew! We are burning the midnight oil over here (and mid day oil, and afternoon oil, and evening oil – you get the idea).  To be honest, I didn’t think I could be busier than I was last fall, but somehow I am, and doing my best to keep the wheels on the bus.  A bug got the best of me for a few days, (I’ve never been so glad to be told I had bronchitis, because I feared you-know-what), but I’m back up to speed and ready to charge into the last few weeks of this crazy fall portrait season!

Now, onto this fabulous family – I had a great time “playing” with them when clearly the weather was a wee bit warmer than it is now…I only wish I had video for you of the little guy driving that mustang.  Words (and pictures for that matter) just don’t do it justice.  Their Mom really wanted to see their personalities reflected in their images, and without a doubt, we captured exactly that.  Each of them, so unique and talented in their own way – big sis and her mad lacrosse skills, the race car driver, the lacrosse-loving entrepreneur and the cartwheeling-tree-climbing little sister with the beautiful smile.

Thanks for such a fun morning – I can’t wait to see your portraits on your walls!

hc | howard county photographer