This little sweetheart has been in front of my camera almost yearly since she was a tot, and it’s always such fun to see her grow and change. The camera just loves her, and so do I! Just look at what we got this year:

Clemson SC photographer, Anderson SC children’s photographer, Mt Lebanon PA photographer

This is Alex, whom I’ve been photographing forever. He is a typical little boy, on the run and loves to climb & play. The day of our session was a little nippy, but Alex was having a good time exploring the park and was just delightfully fresh-faced & rosy-cheeked…I just could eat him up!

(Anderson SC photographer, Clemson Family Portrait Photographer)

STILL kinda cold here; 20′s in the mornings, 40′s during the day. I’m still in the mood for comfort food, so I wanted to tell you about a recipe that I used to make all of the time and then just sort of FORGOT about.  Probably because I made it too ofetn before. Anyway, it’s for meatloaf – and the special ingredient is stuffing mix. If you have never tried it, well. you simply must.  And if you have, time to make it again! And there is nothing better than meatloaf sandwiches the next day.

1 1/2 lb LEAN ground meat (or it will be too greasy)

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

1 pkg Stovetop stuffing (chicken or herb) – dry, no need to prepare

1/4 c. ketchup

Mix all together, shape into a loaf, and bake at 350 for about  1 hr 15 min.  That’s it! You can pour tomato sauce or ketchup & sugar over the top if you wish (I don’t, because I serve with gravy & mashed potatoes).  If you are really adventurous, mix together & flatten into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick, then top with seasoned mashed potatoes and roll up, seal ends, and bake.

(Anderson SC photographer, Clemson SC photographer)

Amy brought her boys to me after seeing other work of mine, and she was hoping that I could capture their personalities and spirit…as a mom, she knows that these precious growing up years are just going to fly by and she wanted to have images that capture who they are now.  These guys were like a pile of puppies, wrestling with one another and on the go, but with such genuine bright smiles! I can see glimpses of the teens they are growing into, so I’m so glad we did this now…I’ll bet the next time I see them they will look very different  How fun that they are a blonde, brunette, and a redhead! And they all have amazing eyes…

(Clemson SC photographer, Anderson, SC children’s photographer)

REMINDER:  The canvas sale ends at midnight on Saturday (actually, more like 10 pm because I will be in bed, lol!). So if you’ve been thinking about it, now’s the time to call me!

It’s been really DAMP and cold here all week – ok, not Pittsburgh cold, but still. That kind of weather really gets me in the mood for some good comfort food, and I have been cooking some of my favorites and thought I would share a few with you. Yesterday I tried a new recipe that is seriously going on my list of favorites. It’s good enough for company,  makes A LOT so you can easily freeze half for another meal (gotta love the 2-for-1 cooking time), and it’s easy. We are soup lovers, so even better. Use your food processor for the chopping & this goes together really fast!

SMOKED SALMON WHISKEY CHOWDER

1/4 c butter

2 onions, finely chopped

6 stalks of celery, finely chopped

6 small red or white potatoes, peeled and diced (2-3 cups)

1/2 c chopped fresh fennel bulb (i omitted – didnt have any)

2 c milk

2 – 8oz bottles of clam juice (in cocktail mixer section)

2 1/2 c corn kernels

1 c heavy cream

4 T tomato paste

1 lb smoked salmon, cut into small pieces (i used 8 oz – it’s expensive – i thought it was just right, but if you prefer a stronger taste use more)

juice & zest of 1 lemon

1/4 c chopped fresh dill

2 oz Jack Daniels (essential – the flavor really pops after you add this!)

salt & pepper to taste

* Melt butter in lg stock pot, & saute onions & celery over med heat till softened. Add potatoes & fennel & saute briefly before pouring in milk & clam juice. Cover & simmer on low/med until potatoes are soft, @20 min (mine took 30). Add corn, cream, tomato paste; cook 5 minutes. Add salmon, lemon juice & zest, dill, & whiskey. Salt & pepper to taste. Mine was thick, and we like it that way – if you want it a little “soupier” decrease the corn & potatoes.

Here is a great idea for those of you that had your children photographed recently by me – Photo Valentines!

Each design is sized at 2×3 inches – so that you can print TWO on one 4×6 print and cut them apart.  With the cost of 4×6 prints at your local photo developer at like 12 cents, you can afford to have fun!  The possibilities are endless – they can be pasted onto pretty cardstock for a bookmark, or tied to a pencil or lollipop if you want to go even farther.  The digital file with your child’s Casual Moments photo inserted is $20; I can email it to you as soon as payment is received. Call or email me now!

truly amazing…I gasped out loud at some of these! I always thought “lucky” was getting that perfect smile as a children’s photographer!

I’m a little behind on posting sessions on the blog, but this one just melts my heart. I’ve been photographing Ethan since he was three and I can’t believe how fast he’s growing! His mom brings him to me every year and gets a Storybook, so it’s really fun for her to have a collection of albums that captures his look and personality over the years as he grows. This year he just blew me away with how confident he is, and his new big-boy-non-fake smile is just dazzling!

I have wanted a picture of my whole family for ages. Really, I’ll bet you’re wondering why it took so long, right? How hard could it be for a photographer to snap a pic ? Let me just say, I have a real respect for the planning & commitment that is involved. It is very difficult for every single one of us to be together at the same time, and when it happens we are usually on a pretty tight schedule. Factor in trying to plan clothing choices that people have to remember to pack before they travel, trying to predict the weather, throw in a few small children, throw in some distracted son-in-laws, and well – you can start to see why this took 6 months and one previous failed attempt. But I am thrilled with what I got, it really is “us” and you can bet that I’m taking advantage of the canvas sale I talked about in my last post. This is going HUGE in a metallic canvas in my new house!