. . . rarely do I have to stand on something to photograph my subjects – usually I’m doing my best to get down to their level.  Not the case however, with Drew McCarl, who represents Maryland in Cosmopolitan Magazine’s Bachelor Blow-out 2009.  At 6′5″ it was obvious I needed a ladder, not just a step-stool, so I finally just asked him to sit down   He is a cutie isn’t he?  To have a chat with him, you’d realize that he’s as humble and down-to-earth as they come.  Just one more reason for his email box to runneth over…

Here’s a link to the article in this evening’s Capital newspaper

hc | commercial photographer maryland

. . . 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

. . . many more to come from the short & sweet portrait sessions . . . here are a few of the adorable little girls!

hc | child photographer annapolis

. . . some of the fellas from our marathon of minis . . . more to come!

hc | maryland children’s 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

. . . In addition to photographing beautiful families this fall, I’ve been sneaking in some time to work with the uber-talented Ellen Allen as she launches her gorgeous line – Ellen Allen Annapolis.  The minute I met Ellen I knew we would be fast friends, so working with her hasn’t felt like work at all.  But wait, my job rarely feels like work, so never mind about that.  We recently got together for a brainstorming session and a little shooting, (along with her darling assistant Meaghan who is going to teach me how to tweet) and decided that the best place to do so was The Back Porch Cafe on Back Creek.  (If you don’t know about the Back Porch, you are missing out on one of Annapolis’ best kept secrets because it is one of my VERY favorite places in town, and the setting alone will make you feel like you are on vacation.)

So, back to Ellen.  When I first saw an Ellen Allen handbag I instantly knew that I must have one.  Or several.  Our first meeting was in her workroom, to discuss her vision for some of the photography that will grace her website.  I couldn’t really concentrate because I was surrounded by beautiful fabrics, colors, patterns, and little bits here and there of what inspires her, all taking my attention in 18 directions.  It’s interesting when you see what inspires someone who is such an inspiration in her own right, and all of that just made me want to wrap myself up in Ellen Allen.  (You’ll see a glimmer of said wrapping around my neck because I’m wearing one of her scarves in this photo).

If you can believe it, the woman behind the line is even more fabulous than the bags – she is a joyful, kind-hearted, dynamo, who epitomizes gracious living.  I feel so lucky to have found her, or did she find me?  We’re not exactly sure   I’ll stop talking so you can go visit her site and see for yourself just how beautiful Ellen Allen Annapolis is!

AND if you want to meet Ellen, and see for yourself how fantastic these bags (and scarves) are, you can do so at a trunk show -  this Thursday at Chartwell Country Club from 9am – noon!

hc | annapolis commercial 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

. . . hairstyle courtesy of Auntie L.  No time for chitty chat on the blog these days – I’m slammed and hope to come up for air soon – but will say omg this is one cute baby!

hc | annapolis baby photographer