beautiful rain drops

It has been so dry around here....the grass is dying, my plants are dying....but yesterday the rains came....and it was glorious to wake this morning to the dew dripping off the fennel in the herb garden. The fog was just beginning to lift as I snapped this shot of our home in the reflection of the drop.

abstract thoughts

Learning to see with your eyes wide open......beauty is all around, if you can just take the time to look. The other morning I found myself out in our garden and I have walked by these flowers for two years.......on this morning, I took some time to look with eyes open.

The "L" family!

Love, love, LOVE this family. The girls are so helpful and really have blossomed since I photographed them at their home in the dead of the FREEZING winter for their holiday cards last year. Little "J" is too much fun-he loves tootsie pops I found out. And Miss "P"-she really warmed up this year. It just shows what time, a beautiful location, and a slow, relaxing morning can do for photos.

Really?

Is it really almost October? Did the first day of Autumn come and go??? Have I posted no pictures, shared no tidbits, laughed with you????? I know. I am a bad, bad BAD blogger. I don't know where the time has gone. I have taken pictures, I have done fun things, I have WANTED to share................but yet, I have not. I am sorry. I think I have struggled a little to find the voice again that wanted to playfully share the adventures of me while raising a family, chasing my dreams, and figuring life out. I don't want this blog to be something that you read and think how perfect my life is (it's not) or how much fun I have (some) or how wonderful my family is (they are). It is just me sharing. Sharing the trials and tribulations I experience as I go down the path of life I've chosen. And if I make you laugh a little.....or cry a little....or just FEEL a little.......then I have accomplished the goal I set for myself when I attempted to write this blog. So please, accept my sincerest apologies for avoiding you. I lost my way a little but I think I am back.

Love, love, love this image. He's trying not to smile as big bro is standing nearby and he needs to look cool.....

more photos

Another one from my "girls" session. I took three friends to some locations for shots in their dinner dance dresses from 8th grade. It was an experience to have three good friends "hang out" while I photographed them. Lots of energy and lots of fun. The giggles and laughter kept me going for the rest of the week!

This big guy was a lot of fun to photograph. Though it was nearly 100* in the sun, we managed to beat the heat and get some shots. We talked a lot about coffee ice cream, the Yankees, and the color blue......love just being in the moment!

photos

I was out shooting again this weekend and it was STICKY hot!! These girls were great though, as long as I provided them with diet coke and H2O! I will post more from this session later this week. I still have a ton of images to process.

another great model

Meet Miss "L". You've seen her before, but now she's growing up. She just joined me in a "Modern Teen" shoot. She had a lot of fun. Kids this age are really fun to talk with and she is so interesting. Thank you "L" for a really great Saturday afternoon.

my man "N"

It was a gorgeous day and we took full advantage of some after school shooting time. My friend "N" was very excited to get some "MODERN" shots......we had a lot of fun.

another beautiful day

We prepared for the worst: thunderstorms, hail, wind....we got none of that. Just fun, fun, fun and a beautiful day. I so enjoyed spending time with Miss "K". What a treasure. A great way to cap off a pretty terriffic photography week!! A super special thank you to Lauren for the awesome make up!

modern teens

It was a beautiful day and the weather cooperated with us. I feel so privileged to be lucky enough to work with these two girls. They are so lovely inside and out. I LOVE this age. They are not afraid to try anything and really had a great time scouting out some really edgy spots! I can't wait to do more of the Modern Teen shots using some of the locations we found. This is a great age and makes for some really fun, interesting shots.

new location

Recently I tried out some new locations for my modern teen shoot. Love the way the sunlight hits under the bridge. The railroad tracks were a little scary-need to make sure my schedule is correct before shooting again!

new project

I am working on a new project: The Modern Teen. Todays teens are not really kids anymore, but not quite adults either. They have personality and their own idea of what is artful. Unfortunately all too often they are "stuck" with a portrait based on locations that are more suitable for young children and families.


For the Modern Teen, I use locations and settings that create an urban, modern feel and include things that your teen feels is important. By including what your teen is passionate about I am able to tell a story in my photographs. Is it the guitar? Is it skate boarding? Swimming? Horsback riding? Using these things, I compose a photograph that really speaks about the subject: them!


To get my portfolio started, I have reserved a small number of photo sessions exclusively for teens age 14-17, within the Fairfield County, CT area. If you have a son or daughter and you are interested in a free photo session please email me. The session will last approximately 1 1/2 hours. For your time, you will receive a $25 gift card to be used for prints, gallery wrapped canvases or the latest for high school seniors: the senior announcement card-this new trend is sweeping high schools throughout the country. You can see a sample below:



To see see samples of my work please go to my website.

spring is in the air

I know it's been awhile since I've posted. There's been a lot cooking here, but I can't say I have a ton to show for it. Last year, we promised the kids that we'd get their rooms organized, painted and freshened up....so I guess that's what I've been focusing on-and getting my photography business off the ground. I have the website up and running: www.shawnkahalphotography.com Stop by and take a look. I am booking already for spring and hope to be really busy snapping beautiful, smiling faces.

back up your data, BACK UP YOUR DATA!!!

The new year came and went, and I spent the majority of January organizing all my data. Feeling very smug with my new back up hard drive and portable drives-I thought I had it all figured out. Figured out that is, until the portable drive crashed. It was less than six months old!!!!! Fortunately, I was able to recover it because I had not deleted the files from my hard drive. Duplicity is also the key. Anyway, if you are at all like me, beginning the foray into digital photography around 2006, your computer might be getting a tad old. If you are also like me, you have tons of photos on the hard drive of that old computer........hard drives crash. And if yours does, you wanna have a back up. Now Costco carries a seagate back up drive that is 1.5TB (terabytes). MOZY is another online solution. Do not count your photos backed up at such sites as Kodak or Snapfish as they reduce your images in order to store them. In addition to backing up your hard drive, you should always keep a copy of your "digital negatives" in a separate file. This file is like your negatives from the old days. That way you always have a pristine copy of your images (and if you are backing up, two pristine copies).

fairfield county natural light photographer

I love the way the light brightens this sunny face. I had such a fun time photographing this family. The natural light at this "secret" spot in our town is spectacular! I hope I get more requests for this spot.

fairfield county children's photographer/out in the snow

I'm back. I know it's been awhile. I've missed you too. And photography. While the business of the season is behind me.....I'm looking forward to having more time to be creative....and to just be. This was one of those rare times where I just took my camera and waited patiently for the image to come.






It looks cold, doesn't it? It was cold. And blustery. And I was so glad to have heated seats and a heated steering wheel. I wore gloves but my finger tips were numb as were my toes. All for my art. We haven't had as many snow days as I'd hoped. I think the superintendent is getting wise to the ways of winter. He has not been quick to make any snap decisions, only delaying once.......I don't know which I prefer, enjoying the snow days or the cold that usually accompanies it. Something to ponder I guess.

happy new year/fairfield county, CT photographer

Hello and happy new year! Where has the time gone? The holidays flew in and out and every person I spoke with felt it went all too quickly. I am happy with the slower pace that January always brings. This year I am committed to organzing my computer files, backing everything up (twice) and creating a photographic and design workflow that will make shawn's things work smoothly and easily. I am launching a new photography website linking my design studio (shawn's things) and am working on some designs created exclusively in house! This will give you the customer the ultimate control in what we design. Be sure to check back for the link to the new site!

busy busy busy

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a long time. I am finally crawling out from under the pile of work I have for which I am extremely thankful. I got three calls this week from moms in distress over what to do about "the picture" for the holiday card. While my own cards are undone-the cobbler's children wear no shoes-I did my best to shoot their families and provide for them what anyone deserves-a moment in time preserved. Thank you "L" family for welcoming me into your beautiful home and sharing your gorgeous children with me. Enjoy!

Miss "J"-her eyes are the windows to the world.

Miss "L" is so calm and serene.....being the oldest gives her a certain air of sophistication.

Mr "J" is ALL boy and mischief. See that little glimmer??? Don't blink-you'll miss him! He moves quickly.

And the family together-time goes so quickly and it is important to savor the moment especially during this holiday season.

xo, shawn

it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...........

and it's looking like it around here too. Piles of paper, computers and cables everywhere, when things slow down, I plan to......yeah, I know, I've said that before........................

I was out shooting these past weekends and the "D" family is adorable. They showed me their secret meadow here in Wilton and it is gorgeous. Though fall did not yield the usual bright colors, we found some great light!

At first "C" wasn't into getting his photo taken...........................


but then he began to ham it up!!!

Miss "C" was a delight, all smiles during the entire session. She just beams!!!

This shot reminds me that it is important for mom & dad to be photographed too!

ahhh, if only they stayed like this all the time!