Castle Point Photography

Mother's Day Give Away!

Being a Mother is an amazing thing.  It has it's challenging moments or days, or YEARS... and it has it's kind rewards.  Being a Mother makes us stronger and softer.  It makes us wiser and it makes us a complete idiot at times.  Being a Mother gives you perspective and understanding.  It may come when you're child is 1 week old, or it may come when your child is 21 years old.  But once it comes, it never stops coming.  A mother's arms soothe cries and her kiss heals boo-boos.  A Mother has eyes that see beauty in her child far before others acknowledge it.  And all Mothers have eyes in the back of their heads.  Or so it seems. ;)

I wanted to honor all the Mother's that read my blog by giving something special away.  Starting today, you may leave a comment on this post with your favorite thing about being a Mother.  This will automatically enter you in my Mother's Day Give Away.  Winners will be chosen by random by a third party service.

The Grand Prize will be a free 3-hour photo session and a $200 print credit!

The First Prize will be a free 3-hour photo session and a $100 print credit!

The Second and Third Prizes will each win a free 3-hour photo session!

Yes, that's 4 (!) Free Sessions!  And, just because I hate entering a prize and not winning... anyone that enters and doesn't win a session will get a $45 print credit towards a session if they book in 2008.  I am so truly blessed to do what I love and I am honored to have such amazing Mother's as my clients.

The Small Print...

*The contest will end Saturday, May 10th at 6pm*

*Please only comment here if you would like to enter, you MUST leave a valid email address when commenting in order to be entered into the draw.  Your email address will not be displayed on this blog and will be used soley for the purpose of contacting you should you win.  If you live beyond NYC or the Hudson Valley, you will be responsible for all travel fees associated with your session.* 

Ugh.

Double Ugh.

My little guy is sick and so am I.  He's far worse off than I am with a stomach flu.  I just have the pesky cough that has seemed to follow me around since January.  I had a client cancel yesterday because her little boy is sick.  I think it's just going around. 

I do have one fabulous thing that I am announcing tomorrow that will definitely counter act the double Ugh I'm feeling now. 

Check back tomorrow.

I'll give you a hint...

Mommies are great :)

Storyboard Collections

When I was a child, I remember hanging out in my parents room to look at all the pictures on the wall.  There was one great wall with dozens of old photographs.  My father's black and white school pictures, my mother and my aunt as young girls, a news clipping of my Grandmother's golfing days, grandfathers and great grandfathers and so on for generation after generation.  It was a wall full of frames of different sizes, one huge collage that my eyes would wander over for hours.  I could probably draw you the layout of that wall, I looked at it so often.  Of course, times change and so do styles and trends.  Decor is much simpler today for most people, and a solid wall of photographs has been exchanged for simple, clean, and more "featured" displays.

A big problem my clients face after a session is choosing the images they want to display in their home.  I think it's a great problem to have, quite honestly, it means I did my job well!  I know, however, it is a REAL problem.  Often, the room you want your portaits hung in doesn't have a huge amount of wall space, but you are still looking for that simple look. 

One solution is to choose several favorites and have them printed as a Storyboard.

Storyboards are one print with several images designed into a collage.  The design possibilities are absolutely endless.  This image for instance, was designed as 30" x 30", but could easily convert to any sized square.   Visit the Castle Boutique gallery at Castle Point Photography to see some of my other designs.

do not adjust your screen :)

When I was a little girl, my sister and I were CONSTANTLY rearranging our bedrooms.  I remember being downstairs and hearing the unmistakable sounds of a heavy wooden dresser being pushed from here to there in my sister's room.  "She's at it again..." someone would say.  I think both of us loved change.  We are both very visual people and so a changing perspective was refreshing to each of us. 

Neither one of us ever outgrew this need for visual change.  Nearly everytime I visit her house, my sister's furniture has shifted into new locations.  My furniture shifts every once in a while, I have to admit!  Of course, I'm always moving and changing other things around... like my blog :)

One of the blogs I follow is that of Jasmine Star, an incredibly talented wedding photographer out in California.  I have been drooling over her images and the fact that they are so BIG.  Of course, I wanted the same for my images, but I didn't know I could do it with this blog platform.  Recently, Typepad posted a how-to about tweaking the looks of your blog using custom CSS.  I don't pretend to know what CSS is, but I was able to learn enough to get what I wanted out of my blog :)

So, I hope you like the new-and-improved look!  I LOVE it!

Ssshhh... They're sleeping!

Me: "Maybe you should get your watering can and water the daffodils."

Bodhi: "Ok, Mommy!"

Me: "Wow, they're thirsty aren't they."

Bodhi: "They're my baby sisters, Mommy."

Me: "Ohhh... well... you're taking such good care of them."

Bodhi: "Ssshhh... They're sleeping!"

The S Family

As soon as I saw Kristen and Mark's front porch, I knew I would like them.  My face broke into a huge grin... old rocking chairs.  There's something that makes me feel at home about rocking chairs on a front porch.  When the door opened, I was welcomed by a rush of fur called the family dog.  Kristen and Mark introduced me to their twin girls, Babies R & R... and by no means does that stand for rest and relaxation!  I'm always amazed at families with multiples, but throw in a two year old boy, and I bow down to thee!  Two Year old J reminded me so much of my own son, it felt even more at home as we raced and explored the woods with Mark and played ball.

I was so honored that Kristen chose me as her photographer since she herself is a photographer.  Having another creative person say she likes your work enough to trust you with their families' memories validates it in a special way.  It was great to be able to bounce ideas off one another and indulge in some wacky ideas... I mentioned I love rocking chairs, right?

Here are the favorites...

Baby D & Baby A

Graceful, magical, peaceful, serine, loving, beautiful...

These are words that come to mind when I think of Natasha and John.  When I first met them at their home yesterday, they were each dressed casually and happily introduced me to their 3 month old twin boys Baby D and Baby A.  Moments later, they both emerged dressed in flowing white and I was struck with how simply beautiful they were.  The boys have certainly inherited this beauty and seem to be filled with love and light and a peace all their own. 

Three months brings lots of changes to babies, and the boys spent  the day testing Natasha and John with a new feeding schedule, but they handled it with grace and love and laughter.  And lots of burp cloths. ;)

Here are some of my favorites from the session...

Couldn't Resist!

I usually wait until the day after a session to post the sneak peek, but this picture is just too cute to wait another day!  I'll fill you all in tomorrow about the session, and of course post more pictures!

Baby M

When a new baby is born into this world, it has a beautiful magnetism that pulls love to it, draws families together, and far away friends nearer.  We are mesmerized by tiny fingers and toes, soft downy hair, and quiet gurgles and squeaks.  Being in the same room as a newborn for me, is like stepping into a new world. 

Betty's friend Lin wanted something extra special for Betty's baby shower and emailed me from Chicago to set up a gift for her soon-to-be-born baby.  I always feel so special when a client's friend or relative from across the country chooses me to be a part of such a beautiful gift. 

When I walked into their apartment, Baby M was snuggled sweetly in Betty's arms, a full head of hair peeking out, soundly sleeping.  Betty and Darin's families each started to arrive and I began to truly understand the strength of baby M's magnetism.  Four generations of women and men, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers and grandparents all gathered around her.  I captured each of them holding her, nuzzling noses, and gently cradling her against their hearts.  It was an amazing session, and I am truly honored to have been a part of their lives in that moment.

Thank you Lin.

Busy Bee

Hello faithful readers!  I have had quite a busy week and it's not even over yet!  Monday I was in Edgewater, NJ doing a session for one of my favorite commercial clients, Whole Foods Market.  I absolutely love going there since I get to shop afterwards!  I am a 100% organic produce gal, so it's like walking into a goldmine when I enter that store.  No one can compare to the quality and the quantity of selection.  For my NYC clients, Whole Foods will be opening a new store in Tribeca this summer.  I'm not sure if I'm allowed to spill the beans on the date, but it's going to be a beautiful store! 

I had a session Tuesday with a little giggly girl, I'll post a few shots later, she had me in hysterics!  Another session tomorrow and Saturday in NYC.  I can't wait to swing by the park in this divine weather.  My windows are open and the birds are singing!  I LOVE this weather.  I've been booking alot of sessions with twins lately, which makes me super happy.  What can be better than one baby?  TWO!  I want to thank my client Annie for referring me over an over, she is such a great cheerleader.  I love my clients! 

I've also been working hard at a few new projects that I've mentioned briefly in the past.  I will post a few images on that later.  I am so excited to debut them this summer, I hope you love them as much as I do!