pascale wowak photoblog

E.R.

(taken with my iphone)

Being in the emergency room with your child sucks.  We've had a couple trips with Ellie already but this was my first trip with Gavin and I guess it doesn't matter how many times you go through it, it feels the same.  HORRIBLE.

I'd like to point out that these "accidents" always happen on dad's watch... I was at a shoot and got home to a casual mention of a "possible" neck injury... (yes, I am pretty P.O.'d at the hubby right now if you must know).   I would also like to point out that waiting three hours to be seen by a doctor in the EMERGENCY room is a travesty.  Waiting another hour after that for XRAYS is downright unacceptable.  

It's now almost midnight and I am finally home, have just tucked in my little guy (he will be fine which is all that matters at this point) and will now tackle getting everything prepped and ready for the all day workshop I am teaching tomorrow.  I am going to need LOADS of caffeine to make it through the day.

Courtney Courtney - Part Nine

This actually isn't even an official courtney courtney photo shoot but since Ellie was wearing one of her new snazzy designs and I had my camera with me... well, it's a mini Courtney shoot!  I took the kids over to Wilder Ranch today to hike the trail along the coast and then, of course, hit the big climbing tree.  My plan was to work off some of that food coma I was still in.  It was really cold and super foggy so very hard light conditions to work with.  I had to do alot of post-processing on these to make them halfway decent.  But they are still just fun to look at!

Gavin wanted to ride his bike and even though I had the stroller for Ellie she practically ran the entire distance (over 2 miles) with only one short break in teh stroller.  How she manages to keep up with her 6 yr old brother on a bike is beyond me.  That girl is FAST and has amazing endurance, she just goes and goes and doesn't get tired.  She has a really natural runner's form and I see her really getting into long distance running at some point in her life.  Her brother is the opposite.  He hates running, walking or hiking...  Swimming is the only physical activity I can get him to do without a battle.  Also, yes, I am aware that he is 6 yrs old and still has training wheels.  I know that's unusual.  We have tried and tried to get those off and teach him to ride without training wheels but the combination of his lack of coordination and his tremendous fear of falling has stunted any potential progress on that end so we have kinda given up right now and will try again in a couple months.  

We were there about 3 hrs today and had such a nice time.  I really needed a break from my never ending to do list and have decided to really make the effort to spend more quality time with the kids away from my home office.  I am just working WAY too much right  now and miss having fun with my kids.  So this day was really great for us.  We hung out together, they had my undivided attention and with me away from my to-do list I was able to really ENJOY my time with them.  We had a great day :)

Here are a few shots...

Ellie had a lot of fun writing her name with a stick in the soggy soil :)

go forrest, go!

Because of all the divets, Gavin would frequently get "stuck in place" at which time we would all yell out "exercising!!!" as he would pedal as fast as he could and go nowhere.  It was really funny and Ellie would just laugh hysterically every time!

Everytime Gavin needed a boost up a "hill" or help getting out of a divet, Ellie was there for him.  At one point Gavin fell down and Ellie ran up to him lickety split, helped him up (he towers over her and is twice her weight), gently brushed him off, gave him a tight hug and then helped him get back on his bike, all the while reassuring him: "it's OK Gavin, everybody falls down sometimes..." My heart nearly burst.  Last week when a little baby threw a toy car at Ellie's head she calmly picked up the car, brought it back to him and hugged him.  That's just Ellie. She has her moments, don't get me wrong, but at her core, she just has the biggest heart and is incredibly thoughtful and considerate.  Gavin was so grateful for all her help and kept saying "thanks Ellie, you're the best little sister ever!"  It's been a few months since they've been able to play together so well and I know that having my undivided attention (or, precisely, not having it) is at the core of any behavioral issues we have been having as of late.  I've resolved to manage my time better and pencil in blocks of time where they have ALL of me (physically and mentally) so that we can all have more days like this :)

For a friend

My friend (and photographer extraordinaire) Amanda has a photo in a contest right now and I'm giving her a little shout out to help generate as many votes as possible!  Amanda is one of my greatest inspirations and I have gobs of respect for the beauty and ingenuity in her work.  She is gifted beyond words.  You can see her link listed to the left under the name "Amanda Keeys" under the title: Photographers who inspire me.

Her work is flawless.  Anyway, if you can take a mere second to click on this link and rate her picture, that would be really swell.  You don't have to sign up for anything or even provide your email address.  You simply rate her image and voila, that's it.

Thank you in advance!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

OCD = new blog design

Yeah, so it's a well known fact that I am slightly OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) when it comes to certain things.  I decided last night that I really wanted to redo my blog so I could have more space for my photos.  I learned this morning that in order for me to be able to go beyond the preset template settings and get to pick whatever width/height I wanted I had to learn CSS programming... I am not a computer genius by any stretch but I am nothing if not very stubborn.  I learned enough to customize my blog using geeky computer language and voila.  What you folks have now before you is my snazzy new blog!

The categories, archives, about page, website link and card designs have all been moved up to the navigation bar. Helps make everything clean and streamlined as well as easy to find.

I'll probably still look into other blog options when I am on the upcoming holiday break but seeing as I literally spent the ENTIRE day working on this and designing that new blog header in photoshop bit by bit... well, this will have to do for now!  I do realize that my blog header is quite large and unorthodox.  I kinda like pushing the envelope and doing new things and playing around with presentation so please indulge me.  If the blog takes too unbearably long to load now because of this, I will have to make adjustments.  That said, I'm kinda crazy about it.  It was SO hard to narrow it down to the pictures that I wanted to use to capture all those different aspects of life and childhood.  I could have easily added about a half dozen more themes but I had to stop...  I think that this pretty much captures the multi-facted and complex, yet intriguing and delightful, parts of life as we know it.  These are all the things I strive to capture for my clients.  So many stages and phases, so many things to celebrate and appreciate.  So much to be grateful for.

 And in keeping with that idea of gratefulness, I would like to wish you and your loved ones a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Adam & Matthew

This is my third year photographing this delightful family and it's always such a pleasure to hang out with them.  I got to meet the newest addition this time (Matthew) and had the fantastic experience of hanging out with them at the stables/ranch where they keep their horse.  I strongly encourage my clients to use a location that has meaning to them or "fits" their lifestyle.

Adam was completely at home there and happy as a clam.  So despite being at an age where taking photographs is not #1 on the list of "fun things to do", we got great shots because he was so thrilled with his environment.  He even got to drive a REAL tractor around the barn..need I say more?

Adam and his baby brother Matthew share the same stunning eyes.  It was like seeing Adam all over again from when I first met him!

It was great seeing you all again! Enjoy your images :)

that's Nadya the horse.  Which also happens to be my middle name.  Which is pretty funny because I was always called "horsie" growing up because of my very large gummy smile...

i love the vintage toning in this shot and Nadya in the background...

this next shot is a good example of why I will be switching to a completely new blog server/system in 2009 with more SPACE for my horizontal images.  The look on mama's face as she looks at her boy, full of love and adoration, is not visible in this format, but trust me, it's priceless.

Matthew's facial expression in this next one is HILARIOUS!

Although I got a ton of super super fabulous sibling shots, I also got a bunch that had me in stitches when I was editing them... these may not end up framed on a wall but they will make a great addition to the scrapbook! here is a small sample...

dude, that's my face...

uh, what's he doing....?

Cassandra, Zoe and Sabine

You all know how much I love twins and this was no exception.  Granted, twin toddlers and a preschool-aged big sister is perhaps not the "easiest" shoot but it was certainly ENTERTAINING!  The best part is that I just completely adore this family and because mom and dad share my wacky sense of humor we made it through unscathed.  There was alot of laughter, perhaps to offset the tears (real and potential), but still, alot of funny moments throughout.   

I know mom was feeling the same way I felt after my own photo shoot last month but it all worked out just fine.  Jolene and Peter, I  hope you are pleasantly surprised!  I think I managed to catch the chaos and pandemonium mixed in with their vibrant, happy, effervescent personalities.  The three girls are so uniquely different and my goal was to really capture them as they truly are and showcase the loving, lively relationships within the family unit.  That said, it would have been hard not to since they all have such BIG personalities!  I'm kinda, sorta, a tad bit familiar with big personalities (ellie?gavin?) so I felt right at home!   

ENJOY!

Sabine is daddy's girl:

Cassandra is a natural comedienne:

and zoe is a sweet, sensitive little girl with a heart of gold.  So affectionate!

it should be noted that this fantastic pose was all Cassandra's idea.  she's a riot!

watching Sabine's swagger-run is so funny it brought me to tears!

i think dad was thinking about the glass of wine he was gonna need when he got home... teehee

you can't see it in this small format but the way mom and dad are looking at each other is priceless

I am just bonkers about this  next shot!

Behold the family of five, in the same frame together...at the same time... and nobody is melting down!  Zoe is clearly impressed: "ooooooh!"

the least we can do...

 When doing your holiday cards this year, take one signed card and send it to
the address below (no inserts such as photos or mail/email addresses please).  
This goes to the American Red Cross who will distribute them to wounded/hospitalized service members and veterans . 
If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful special people who have sacrificed so much would
get. 

Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

You can read more about the program on the snopes website below if you wish.  It is valid.

www.snopes.com/politics/christmas/soldiercards.asp

gros grain fabulous!

I just discovered this amazing lady who creates these awesome clothes and then does giveaways for them!? I had to reread that part about three times before it really sunk in!  The deal is that you just link her giveaway on your blog and every time someone clicks the link you are entered in the "raffle"... She is not only an incredible seamstress, she is also a very gifted photographer.   I should be working right now but I just spent 20 mn looking over all her images and clothes!  Argh.  Must get back to work!

So, can you all do me a HUGE favor, can you click on this link?

http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2008/11/downtown-holiday-jacket-and-pant.html

image copyright Kathleen Dougherty

This outfits SCREAMS ellie to me and I'd love to win it! THANK MUCHO!

And then bookmark her site because you will just love it!

Ballet/Tap Class

A shot out to my daughter Ellie's fabulous dance teacher Annie (whom we positively adore).  If you have a little girl who loves to dance you gotta check out the Monday morning class at 11:40 am at the International Academy of Dance (behind Costco).  We LOVE it.  The director of the dance center, Shannon, is offering a free trial class at any of her classes.   Go check it out!  Ellie is happy as a clam there and I get my "OMG they're so cute!" fix for the day watching the girls do their routines :)

Samara

Samara is going to be a big sister soon!  Samara is quite the little firecracker.  She is an 'on the go' kinda girl and would much prefer to be in charge (my kind of gal) than have anyone direct her activities in any way, shape or form.  It was pretty hilarious having this tiny little thing dragging us three adults all over the place.  But we ebbed and flowed as needed and patience always wins over headstrong little toddlers!  I think mom and dad almost waved the white flag a few times, but in the end we prevailed!  We didn't do the victory dance or anything, we are mature adults after all.... :)

Speaking of mom, she is absolutely stunning and I could have taken pictures of her all day long.  Wait til you see them for yourself.  Drop dead gorgeous.

I've gotten to know this family over the years and I'm just so excited to meet the new addition.   CONGRATULATIONS and enjoy your images!!!

do you see what I'm talking about?

this is the only picture of her not somehow in movement of some sort! And I think it was just a split second pause before running off again!

i love how she is on her tippy toes on this one 

this next one cracks me up!

not sure exactly why but this one makes me all kinds of happy :)

tis the season (already!?)

My friend Vicki over at Three Wheels Designs put together this UBER cute Christmas kids' packet for your little ones (if you celebrate it) that you can download for free from her website.  It's really just so cute and includes the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe ev-ah.  She is also running a special on free shipping throughout the next few weeks on her incredible cards (of which I just re-ordered a batch).

Go check it out:

Three Wheel Designs

Dave & Kristy

These two are close friends of ours.  Dave and my hubby work together and are good buddies and, funnily enough, Dave and I actually go WAY back, although we also worked together more recently several years ago.  I did their engagement session a few months ago and was so honored that they chose me to photograph their wedding. Dave and Kristy are just GOOD peeps.  I love 'em to pieces and can't wait to see the gorgeous babies they are going to have!

There had been a massive storm for two full days prior to the wedding, including right up until a few hours before the ceremony but lo and behold as the sun rose that morning, the rain stopped and we even had moments of pure sunshine amidst the clouds.  Gorgeous day.

These two know how deeply I care for them so there's no need to get all mushy here on my blog.   I hope they love this slideshow; which is just a fraction of the images I was able to capture on that very wonderful day.

Love ya!

Click on the link below to view slideshow (it takes a minute to load, be patient!):

DAVE AND KRISTY

tee hee

My good friend Christy sent me an email this morning and all it said was: 

I got a good chuckle out of it because it was apparent her morning was going as well as mine... Where would we be without our girlfriends?! 

We decided to get together tonight after school/work/shuttling around and let the kids go crazy at the park while we chatted on a bench and commiserated.  Both our hubbies are pretty much gone for days on end so we get together as frequently as we can.  We had packed the kids the exact same "pb&j with sliced apples" meal and called it Dinner.  Ergo no squabbling over who gets to eat what, no clean up, virtually no prepping.  We basically called it a "night off of good parenting" and just hung out until it was pitch black and the kids had run out all their energy.  It was EXACTLY what we both needed tonight. I can now face the next several hours of editing with a big smile on face and a happy heart :)

Isn't it ironic?

Last week we had our own family photos done by my dear friend Liz.  And my kids were HORRIBLE.  I mean, HORRIBLE.  And because I know just how hard it is to deal with a family shoot that was as challenging as ours, I felt even WORSE for putting my friend through that.  I tried all the tricks I knew with my little rugrats but sadly for the first half of the shoot my son was in the most foul mood (completely refusing to join in) and then the second half it was my daughter's turn to not cooperate.  Liz was amazing, of course.  But I share this just to reassure you all that I do know FIRST HAND how exasperating it can be to have your kids act TOTALLY different than normal at a photo shoot.  I went home thinking what I'm sure so many other parents have thought: "there's no way that poor photographer was able to get anything..."  Naturally, she did, and I assure you that you will too!  When I get a chance to start working on my family pics I will post a few choice images to show you my holy terrors at work, I'm sure you will get great pleasure and entertainment from seeing these shots as they are very different from the "oh your kids are so adorable and sweet" comments I get when people see pictures of my kiddos on my website/blog.  Pure insanity.  But, you know what, that's our real life.  Maybe they kicked it up a notch (or two) for the sake of the shoot but that's still them.  In all their glory.   I owe my friend big time.  They put her through the wringer and she outwitted, outlasted and outplayed them in the end :)

This is the tail end with Ellie crossing her arms all grumpy and Gavin finally becoming slightly amused by my antics...  But at least they are both in the frame, at the same time, and looking cute nonetheless...

Then Ellie decides to show us her rear end, which her brother finds quite funny of course...

And this was at the very end, Ellie is covering her mouth in order to "hide' any accidental smiles that might escape (since she announced that she was not going to smile ANYMORE) and Gavin is just glaring.  I have that "why me?!" look on my face.  So yeah, this pretty much sums up my family in all its glory!

Rest assured, we did get a few really cute shots but I will be using those for our holiday card so I'm not sharing those quite yet... :)

This was a good lesson for me this year because in the past the kids have been pretty cooperative overall and so I went into the shoot this year with all these IDEAS of things and poses I wanted to try and none of them materialized and I had to go read my own form back over and re-read the part that says: don't go in with any agenda, don't go in with any preconceived notion of what will happen and be willing to accept that the photographer can and will work with whatever your kids do.  Your kids will rarely want to go along with your agenda and so it's critical to just "let go"...  Which just means I will have to try out all my great ideas on my clients!! HAHA!

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

I'm teaching a photography workshop November 30th from 11 am to 4pm.  This class is really pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.  I cover all the basics of photography (such as shutter speed, aperture, focal length, depth of field etc...) to help you finally take that snazzy digital camera you own OFF auto mode!  I cater the class to deal specifically with portraiture (I do not cover landscape, architectural or nature photography) with an emphasis on child portraiture to help you take better pictures of your little ones.  Yes, it's wonderful to have me take those amazing pictures once or twice a year but it's up to YOU to take great shots the remaining 300+ days a year!  So, sign up now.  The class is limited to 15 students max and I've only got a couple slots left.  The cost is $150 and includes a super duper professionally bound color workbook that I wrote which covers everything we will discuss in class (for future reference).  Everything is taught in SIMPLE and CLEAR language, free from all that confusing photo jargon that confounds everyone.  You will finally know what all those charming features on your camera are and how to use them...imagine that....

Looking forward to getting you on the path to taking fabulous photos of your family! 

Layla

Little miss Layla was such a cutie and just 3 days old!  I couldn't believe how a little one who was born 2 weeks early and weighed only 7 lbs could have such sweet little rolls on her body already.  I *heart* baby rolls.

Layla was quite the squirmy worm and very clear about what poses she would do and which ones she would not accept.  And this is where the individuality of each newborn comes into play everytime I do a newborn shoot.  I tend to not pre-visualize newborn shoots because so much is dependent on the baby's personality and what they like/don't like.  Layla liked being a) warm and b) on her side and c) cuddled!

She was also very alert and aware as to sounds (like my shutter) and movement (even when her eyes were closed, she could sense when someone was getting close or moving away).  Pretty remarkable.  I think she is going to be very in tune with her environment and very clear on preferences later on! A smart little cookie that one :)

We were also fortunate enough to have big sister Aliyah be uber cooperative and helpful and so we were able to get the sweetest sibling shots (those tend to be the most challenging ones).  Aliyah has the most gorgeous eyes and dreamy skin tones along with such a charming personality.  So adorable!

This was another shoot set up by an incredible grandma.  Other than the gift of your presence in your grandchildren's lives, this is the best gift ever to a new (or newly expanded) family.  So thoughtful!

Ok, enough on that, onto the pictures!

Beth and Karim, enjoy these images!!!

I just really love this next one so much!

these next three make me melt not only because she is so darn cute but because I know the backstory about how happy she was to be snuggled up in daddy's arms, warm and secure and how her body totally relaxed and voila : magic

Talyn

There's definitely a baby boom going on!  This sweet little girl Talyn (how cool is that name!?) was another rockstar model.  Dad had us all in stitches and Talyn "performed" a few firsts for me so that was certainly very entertaining!

We were able to get an amazing amount of different poses out of her and I was able to play around with several different backdrops, which was a lot of fun as well.

I had photographed mom and dad when they were pregnant so it was a treat to meet Talyn.  I just love following families as they grow and watch their children change over the years.  It's the best part and greatest reward for what I do!

Kathy & Dave, enjoy these images, you know first hand how much you "earned" them!!

smiles!

so squishable at this age!

mom had this rug in Talyn's nursery and I loved it.  I need to get a couple for my arsenal!

look at her little hand caressing her dad!

This next one is my favorite of the shoot!

there is quite the hilarious story behind the next few shots but I'm going to let Talyn's parents share it with her when they need some leverage some day in the future...

grandpa's teddy bear!

Easton

My baby cravings are back and I've got a bunch of newborn shoots this month.... Sigh....  So dangerous for me!  Everyone knows just how much I love doing newborn shoots and little Easton was doing nothing to help assuage my aching womb.  He was gorgeous, sweet, mellow, easy going and perfect in every way. A total rockstar in the world of newborn photography and cute as a button.  I could have taken him home.  

We must have gotten a gizillion different poses out of him.  Grandma was the one who had arranged this shoot.  The perfect grandparent gift if I may be so bold.  She was even there to help out and I think, based on all her adorable little sighs and "oohing and aahing", that she quite enjoyed seeing how I managed to get her first grandson to look so stinkin' cute in so many different poses.   The whole family was delightful and I'm so glad I was able to get this in for them. 

Bottom line is you just don't get a second chance at these...  I hope the whole family enjoys these for years to come!

this next shot incorporates a teddy bear that belonged to Easton's daddy when he was a baby..isn't that just so sweet!?

this next one makes me want to gobble him up...

 '

the moment I clicked the shutter on this next one I knew instantly it'd be a new favorite, and it is...

sneezing!

VOTE!

I've avoided any politically based discussion here because I do not want to offend or upset anyone.  SO, this is not any propaganda for any particular party/issue.

I woke everyone up extra early this morning.  I dropped my daughter off at preschool and took my 6 yr old son with me to go vote before dropping him off at school - 1st grade.  I wanted him to be there with me for this process.  It was a great opportunity for us to talk about (in simple terms) what voting means.   My husband and I have different political views so there have been some heated discussions in our home the past several months and the kids have become quite familiar with the candidates pros and cons as well as the various propositions.  Ellie has no idea what it all means but Gavin has been taking it in.  On our way to school we saw several people out there supporting their various positions with signs and so on.  Gavin was enthralled with this and very much enjoyed seeing me honk and wave at those who were in sync with my position.  Since he worships his mommy (smile!), he has taken all my positions as his own and so he happily waved alongside me.  One day, I know he will be an adult and have his own point of view completely independent of what mine is.  And that will be just as wonderful because the bottom line is he will have an opinion and be passionate about it and not apathetic (as I was for years) regarding the entire political process.  Being raised in a home with oppositional political discussions will give him a front row seat to both points of view.   This will give him the power to make up his own mind when he is old enough to do so.  This is, perhaps, the ONLY advantage to having parents who disagree on so many things..... :)

Until then, it was very rewarding for me as a mother to have my son by my side as we make american history and participate and engage fully in the process.  Being able to even have such discussions with him (specifically regarding props 2 and prop 8) and seeing how his mind worked and how he came to his own conclusions about it long before I gave him my personal opinion was fascinating to me. 

 We should never underestimate children.  Their innate sense of fairness and humanity is amazingly sharp.

All this to say, in a nutshell, please VOTE!   Regardless of who or what you vote for, what matters most is that your voice is heard and COUNTS.

Daily Candy

My dear friend Courtney was featured in the Chicago's Daily Candy (it features one of my images too!).  GO check it out!

http://www.dailycandy.com/kids/chicago/article/39789/Worn+Out

And thanks for bearing with me in regards to the neglected blog.  I am usually so good about updating every few days with new shoots but it's been a really chaotic and difficult couple weeks for me...

I should be posting a newborn shoot tomorrow night and another by the end of the week and I'm also sifting through all the wedding photos from this weekend's wedding. VERY busy....  so stay tuned!

briefly...

We got back Friday just in time for trick or treating, daughter's birthday + party today, big wedding I'm shooting tomorrow, several newborn shoots back to back this week... utter chaos...will check in later when I can...sorry for telegraphic post but no time for anything else....bear with me!