Happy Leap Day!

In honor of Leap Day today, I pulled a few of my favorite client leaps from the past year. One from summer, fall and winter. Here's to an extra day this year!

Spring Launch Featuring My Image!

Our modeling group has invited a group of fabulous independent clothing designers to join us for a Spring Fling Fashion Launch. And I was very excited that my image was used for our logo. If you're in the market for beautiful handmade clothing, check out the listings here.

Pretty in Pinstripes

We continue to receive spring and summer clothes for the commerical side of our business, and when it's cold and rainy like it is today, then we really look forward to summer! I processed these images with a vintage wash just for a little fun on the blog--the ones that went to the clothing designer were more true-to-life. This gorgeous set is by Pick-a-Lily's. And the cool frames are courtesy of Jessica Dittmer.

Supermom and Supermodel!

I just love working with families who are excited about their portraits and have fun ideas. This mom/mom-to-be was so great to work with, and after we took the family photos, we had a little fashion-inspired fun. She really is "due in March"!

Musical Inspiration

I ran across a new (to me) musician yesterday named Emily Lord. I have written to her record label with hope that maybe they will give me permission to use her inspiring music on my photography website. (crossing my fingers ;) ) Here's a link to her site, and here's a sample of one of her songs called Photograph. I like her style and the feel of her music, and I love that she's a artist/mom like me (and shares my first name!).

Textures and Ice

The schools are closed and we're "iced in" today. Ice storms really aren't any fun, as they often mean loss of power and unsafe driving conditions, and unlike snow days, we can't go play outside. But for photographers the ice can be very inspirational. I just took a couple of quick images on my deck this morning. Can you guess what they are? Leave a comment if you'd like to take a stab at it!

Lunar Eclipse

I had the chance to witness the lunar eclipse tonight. What a beautiful phenomenon! Much more exciting in person, but I was happy I managed to get a quick image of it... I used a makeshift tripod consisting of a fence and a lantern to hold the camera still enough.

My Little Valentines, and a Word from the Wise

Happy Valentine's Day from Veralana Photography! As you probably know from now, I usually let the images do the talking on this blog, since I'm not the most eloquent of writers. But today I will share a little insight I received from my octogenarian grandfather in response to my Valentine's card.

“SHE’S STILL MY VALENTINE”
Charles J. Adams Jr.

Last year my wife sent me a Valentine’s Day card. It said BE MY VALENTINE...”guess who, and you better.”
Every man should have a wife. Preferably his own. I sent mine a card also. My card said, “ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE BLUE. SUGAR IS SWEET, I AM TOO!”
I married her for her looks, but not those that she sometimes gives me. But I really love being married. It’s great to find that special sweetheart you want to annoy the rest of your life.
I read somewhere; “Man is incomplete until he is married.” Then he is finished? Some wives are very clever. They know just how to give their husbands “their own way.”
That’s why I can make my wife do anything she wants to do.
Deep feeling of affection is the beneficial judgment of deficient judgment and insanity of the shrewd. HUH?
O.K., simply put; “Love is the wisdom of the fool, and the folly of the wise.”
How about the wisdom of the wise? Here’s an uncommon degree of common sense. My wife knows how much I love chocolate candy.
Last Valentine’s Day she gave me a five pound heart shaped box of fine chocolates. It only took me one day to “eat my heart out.”
By the time I got to the bottom of the box I could hardly lift my bottom.
When you are young, single and foolish, Valentine’s Day is a day of love and kisses, a day of tenderness and romance.
My ever-lovin’ and I have been married almost 65 years. February 14th is nothing more than the day after February the 13th. She did say, “There is so little difference in husbands that I’ve decided to keep you around for a while yet.”
My wife keeps telling me that she has given me the best years of her life. She is 100% right, so instead of a Valentine card, I decided to send her a receipt.
Women talk about “Women’s Lib.”
When it’s all said and done, around our house I have always had the last word. It’s “Yes Dear.”
Just think, if it wasn’t for marriage, we guys would go through life thinking we had no faults at all.
Why would wives want equality with men? Wouldn’t that be a step down? Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with their bald heads held high and their beer guts held low, and think they are God’s gift to the opposite sex.
There was time that my wife’s special Valentine’s Day meals would melt in my mouth. Now she defrosts them first. If you never loved them, you never lived.
What started this business of sending out affectionate greeting cards on February 14th?
St. Valentine was a Christian priest that lived in Rome, Italy way back in the third century A.D. He was made a martyr because of his self-denying devotion to his faith.
A feast was kept on the anniversary of his death on February 14th. Legend tells us that while he was in prison he managed to send out “Remember Your Valentine,” and “I Love You” missives to assure his loved ones that he was O.K.
Today because of him we get extra points for the slightest act of thoughtfulness on his day. At our age that’s as good as it gets. Back when I was courting my Valentine, I remember how I’d whisper sweet nothings in her ear and she’d whisper, “Nothing doing.”
Almost six and a half decades later. When my ever-loving wife says remembering Valentine’s Day is no big deal, you can bet it’s a big deal. NOTHING HAS CHANGED!
Conclusion: This is where I got tired of thinking.

I won First Prize (and third, too!)

I'm very excited to share that I won first prize in the family/groups category in the print competition I entered last week. The image I entered was of a grandfather/granddaughter pair I photographed earlier this year. I had another print in the same category which took 3rd place. The competition included photographers from throughout the US and Canada, and I was very honored to receive recognition, especially since this was the first competition I have entered. I shared the news with my parents, and found out that my father won an award for his portraits in a competition on the night I was born. So he was happy to know he has passed the torch.

Oh, and if you're reading this, leave me a comment! I get a lot of readers but so few comments. I'd love to hear from you!

Maternity +3

When this mom/mom-to-be asked me to capture some maternity portraits, she told me she was pregnant with her "4th and last" child. We had to reschedule from before my trip, and I was crossing my fingers that she wouldn't go into early labor, so we would have a chance to get her images. Well we did this morning, and we got the whole family involved. Her little daughters were just the sweetest, and the best little helpers.

The world as seen by the IPhone

This week I embarked on a little adventure and I've gone off to a photography convention. And while I have my regular camera with me I found that the IPhone has been much handier in some opportune moments. The first chance came in Atlanta, shortly after I missed my connecting flight and was sent from one side of the airport to the other to make the next flight out. I was amused to see that the world has come to--Ipod dispensing machines. Yes, that's right, where you used to be able to buy sodas and unhealthy snackfood, you can now buy an Ipod. I thought it was appropriate to take the photo with the IPhone. Wouldn't the folks at Apple marketing be proud?


Then today, when I was sitting in my conference room, one of the other photographers announced that the space shuttle was about to launch, and being in FL, we should be able to see it outside. So we all hurried outside to catch a glimpse. Well the clouds had other ideas, so here's a view of the shuttle takeoff from the view of the Iphone. Yep, sorry, no zoom, so don't try too hard to find it in those clouds, we couldn't do so in person, either ;)


And the last little IPhone tidbit is of the Melba Toast we had at lunch today. I saw it by the coup and it made me a little sentimental. My oldest child was not a very camper when we used to go to restaurants when she was an infant. The only thing that we found to placate her and keep her happy was Melba toast. So everywhere we ate, we sought out the Melba toast. And here it was reminding me of how far we've come since those days :)

So there's my little random memories captured on the cameraphone. they might not be competition quality, but the moments are captured all the same.

Out on the Town

I had the chance to get together with four other local photographers yesterday for a fun "out on the town" session. Our little models got to meet a friendly police officer, traipse around town in fun tutus and pettiskirts and play in a candy store, with real candy. I love that the custom photography business is an artistic field, where you can collaborate with your fellow photographers, rather than compete with them. It is really interesting to see everyone's unique styles, and how we took the same photo opportunities and created such different images. These are some of my images. To see one of the other photographer's takes, check out Beth's blog.

Back to the Modeling

We took a little break with our commercial work during the busy holiday portrait season, but now we're back into the swing of things and already modeling spring and summer 2008 styles. I'll share a few from some recent sessions. The Minnie and Mickey Valentine dress is by Ollie Girl!, the adorable headband is by The BowVine, and the ruffly shabby chic set is by Blu Moon Design.