I have been very quiet on the blog lately as I have been doing some summer travels and busy creating memories with my own family. Of course while I absolutely love documenting special moments for families year-round, I have taken a little break to spend extra time with my kids and husband. It has been a pure joy to get away and refocus. We have been to Chicago for the weekend, visiting grandparents and long-distance friends in Philadelphia, and now here, at Bethany Beach in Delaware (our yearly place) for a week. Yes, traveling around has been a wonderful break and I’m happy to share a few photos of our favorite local beach hangouts.
The beach was wonderful, and we couldn’t believe how perfect the weather was during our stay there.
This is our favorite place to get candy and salt water taffy. I have been coming here since a little girl and there’s nothing like getting sweet treats on the busy boardwalk at night. Love it!
And here is where we love to shop for special treasures like sea shells and fun little trinkets. Again, it’s another place I’ve been frequenting for about thirty years and it still warms my heart to step into such a sweet little souvenir shop.
I hope everyone is enjoying their summers and doing some fun family activities too. On a business note, we have a few summer sessions to finish up, and then we are starting to book for the busy fall season. So, if you’d like to have a session this fall, let us know soon. Thanks!
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Mother’s day is this weekend and I just couldn’t wait to share this beautiful gift a dad of five boys ordered for his wife. He wanted to do something really special for her, and wow, did he ever! Isn’t this canvas wall gallery simply divine? It’s 7 individual canvases displayed together for a clean, modern look. I know it’s a gift his wife will treasure for years to come. I’m so happy to have photographed their family, and helped pull together such a magnificent surprise. Enjoy K family, and happy mother’s day to all the fabulous mommies out there.
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Posted in blogged: studio, • children •, • family •, • inspiration •, • photography •, • products • | Tags: canvas, cincinnati child photographer, gift, mother's day, product, wall gallery
I am so excited to share my new camera tote bag with everyone! I spied it last year online and just had to have it. Well, so did everyone else apparently because there was a waiting list. Nonetheless, my husband told me to get on the list and said he’d buy one for me as an anniversary present. It was just too perfect for taking around town, on trips, and to all those school events. And I was right, it’s absolutely divine! I used it the other day when out and about with my family and it worked like a charm. Thanks emera, and hubby! See the images below and then my more specific description of how everything fits so neat and tidy inside (and the scoop on how to get one!)
Here’s the nitty gritty on these awesome camera totes:
• the outside is a classic, yet modern black quilted material
• the top has a super zipper enclosure. it zips while still allowing you the space to shut the bag. smart design.
• the inside is made of a sleek canvas material that holds so much stuff — you’ll see I put in it my camera with lens attached on one side (protected by all the velcro padding that comes with the bag) and then my wallet, sunglasses, keys, and whatever else I needed for the day on the other side.
• the inside even comes with a sleeve for your laptop (or in my case, baby wipes and bibs) and a zippered pouch which housed all my extra batteries, cleaning supplies, and compact flash cards.
• on each side of the bag is a pocket. i found one side perfect for my iPhone and the other side perfect for a tube of lipgloss. easy access to both!
• and then I just love the little strap that fits beautifully on my arm.
Now, where to get these lovelies? Check them out at www.emerabags.com. And, Nathiya, the brilliant designer, even has them in stock. So, grab one up fast!
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Happy new year to all my wonderful blog readers! I wanted to say a big thank you for taking the time to comment on my posts and to become involved in our online creative community this past year. You all warm my heart so much! So, to kick off the new decade, I will be giving away $10 gift cards to 10 lucky winners to my favorite stores. And to enter there is absolutely nothing you have to do! If you’ve made a comment at all this past year on my blog you will automatically be entered into the drawing. It’s my way of saying thank you for all your support, love, enthusiasm, and participation. All my blog readers rock and I am super grateful to each one of you. Best of luck to you with the contest, and in the start of the new year! Check back next week to see if you’re a winner!
This contest is also to make up for the fact that my original blog contest fizzled as the busy season approached. So sorry! This has been the busiest season ever for Carolyn Bowles Photography and I’d just like to thank all my super duper clients for an incredible year.
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Posted in blogged: studio, • inspiration •, • news •, • personal •, • photography • | Tags: 2010, blog, comments, contest, happy new year, thank you, winners
I looove halloween. There’s always been something about the crisp fall air when little ghouls, goblins and fairies get to fly free in the neighborhood. The sweet stickiness of candy filling the brim of your plastic orange pumpkin. And the way everyone’s excitement lights up the dark streets. It’s all so magical. Soon the sun will be going down and our jack-o-lanterns will come alive with their silly, scary, happy, toothless smiles. Their illumination will brighten the porch, and our hearts.
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These adorable ice cream party invites and thank you note cards arrived the other day and I am so excited to share them here on the blog! Aren’t they so delicious?! These cards were specially made for Back2Back ministries to help raise financial support for a husband and wife team who are moving to Mexico to love on the abandoned children there. (You may remember our super fun photo session a few weeks ago). It’s a joy to create cards for such a special cause. This is also a good time to let everyone know that I can create special cards for any occasion — from party invites to holiday cards to birth announcements to a simple hello! So if you’ve had a photo session in the past or have one coming up and would like me to create a card for you, just ask. I am currently working on some fabulous new designs!
On another note, I also wanted to announce this past month’s blog winner. It’s the great Karie Mclain—wedding and portrait photographer of Denver, Colorado. She is a good photographer friend who I met at my very first workshop. We’ve kept in touch and I just love when I see her comments on my blog. Thanks Karie!
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Meet Darren and Hannah. They are packing up their life in America to go care for orphaned and abandoned children in Mexico. Their heart is to shower these kids with God’s love, hope and promise for tomorrow—all the while meeting their immediate needs of today for food, water, shelter, clothing, and educational supplies. Darren and Hannah have decided to do all this as part of the Back2Back team, an amazing organization that’s changing the lives of children not only in Mexico, but in Nigeria and India as well. This photo session is the beginning of their fundraiser campaign, of which I will be designing special event invites, thank you cards, and other goodies. So stay tuned for more in the next few weeks.
If you’d like to get involved or simply learn more, check out the Back2Back site and blog. And in fact, if you are a client of mine, you have already contributed to this organization with your studio purchase. Cool, huh? Read more about my passion and promise here.
I feel this first image is so telling of where they are now in their lives together—tenderly holding hands as they step out in faith on their new adventure together. The images to follow are just as endearing and are filled with much joy, love, spirit, and trust. Darren and Hannah, you will do just beautifully out in Mexico together.
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So, you’re wondering where I went last week where I had to be unplugged? Check it out:
I traveled to the most beautiful chateau where I was able to visit the spa, enjoy wine straight from the vineyards, partake in delicious meals, sink into a luxurious bed at night, and learn from the most amazing children’s photographers. It’s like a dream come true! I attended Learnfest — a workshop created and instructed by four of the country’s top photographers: Lena Hyde, Tamara Lackey, Laura Novak, and Audrey Woulard. I loved learning from each of these talented ladies, as well as the other 59 participants I was able to spend time with while there. Truly outstanding!!! (the first photo was taken by Katie Williams, one of my many new photographer friends — the others I took while taking a mini hike)
This is an intensive workshop where the focus is on classroom instruction and discussion. So, it was a nice break to get out for a mini session each day we were there to practice what we had been learning. The photo on the top left is Audrey teaching, and then on the right is Tamara demonstrating her shooting style. One of my favorite things about the workshop is how unique the four instructors are from each other. Life lesson: there are a zillion ways to do just one thing and if you get creative enough, they can all work. Love that! The bottom photo of me photographing side-by-side with Tamara was taken by my new friend Gwendolyn Waite who I met while there. Thanks for sharing Gwen! Funny to see what I look like while taking pictures.
I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to learn about photography, talk about photography, take pages (and I mean pages) of notes about photography, but to only pick up my camera a few times. It was so good for me to focus on my art, my style, and my business. How often can you take three days and nights to do that? So, while I was of course super happy to come home to my family, I admit I could have partaken in one more visit to the spa, one more walk on the scenic grounds or a few more sips of the vineyard’s delicious wines. Yes, it was that wonderful!
Now I’m back at home and ready to use all that inspiration, energy, and learning into my everyday sessions. Things are booking fast for the spring, so get ready for lots of sneak peek blog posts!
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