carolyn bowles photography blog

• beautiful family, ugly news •

Carolyn — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 22:14:20 +0000

This beautiful family got some ugly news the other day: that mommy has breast cancer. Not exactly what you are expecting to hear when you visit the doctor’s office. It’s a diagnosis that quickly turns life upside down. Yet in the midst of such shocking news, one of the very first things this brave mom asked for was to have special portraits made of her and their whole family together. To remember this time when things are as they are now—life before chemo, before the many tests, before all the doctor visits. Simply put, just life before.

So, hours later I received a phone call from one of her best friends asking me if I could quickly pull together a photo session. I said of course and the planning began. I wanted everything to be perfect for this family so I spent extra time driving around to find the absolute best location, selected the prime time of day for soft lighting, and brought some extra props like flowers to make everything just right. This family was so gracious with gorgeous spirits, and I am still just so honored that they trusted me to capture this slice in time for them.

This mama and her whole clan are strong believers in Jesus and would welcome any prayers as she combats this cancer. If you’d like to take a look at her blog and pray through this journey with her, she welcomes you to visit her daily journal at http://andersonfamilyzoo.wordpress.com.

• still working on blog •

Carolyn — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 02:22:45 +0000

Thank you readers for continuing to be patient with me as I finish my updated blog. I am still working on the portfolio piece, product details, and what to wear information. I started to get busy with spring sessions so got sidetracked a little (and yes, I have sessions I must soon blog!) so please bear with me. All will be back to normal on the blog real soon. The plan is to resume my regular posts this month. Thanks friends, and enjoy the Easter week!

• blog & site will soon merge •

Carolyn — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:15:29 +0000

If things around here appear a little out of sorts, it’s because I’m in the process this week of merging my blog and site. I have decided to keep my portfolio, session information, and blog posts all in one simple place so it’s easier for readers to navigate and enjoy. You may notice that I am making all these changes while both sites are live online. So, you may visit one hour and it will look one way; while the next hour it will most likely look and read very differently. So, thank you for your patience and understanding while I play with all the buttons, order, text, and layout.

• you make life sweeter, happy valentine’s day! •

Carolyn — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:19:45 +0000

Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s one of my favorite holidays. This past weekend we celebrated as a family with cheese and chocolate fondues, game night, and movies. We stayed in and made special Valentines for the kids to hand to friends and teachers in school. And I surprised my husband with a special sugar spoon for his daily indulgence of coffee or hot tea. It’s a little way to let him know every morning as he starts his day just how much I love him and how he truly makes my life so much better. Thank you Brady for being the love of my life and for my girls. I love you all!

To give credit for these lovely gifts, the vintage hand stamped spoons are created by:

the loose goose at http://www.etsy.com/shop/theloosegoose?section_id=10880963

And the adorable tiny valentine’s are designed by:

green apple paperie at http://www.etsy.com/shop/greenapplepaperie

We thought they would be cute tied to bags of Swedish fish, and they were! Friends have been so excited to receive these delicious delights.

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day!

• one month old •

Carolyn — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:02:11 +0000

There’s nothing quite like a sleeping baby…

or pink ruffles and tiny toes and sweet smiles….

or stretching and cooing….

or wide eyes exploring her surroundings…

or the love of family.

When this mom of four called me to photograph her new baby, she requested we get it on the calendar as soon as possible before her baby starts to change too much. I know that feeling of wanting to capture the early days and make them stand still as newborns seem to change by the hour. :) I was so happy to make a special spot for this little baby girl and have the opportunity to photograph her. As you can see from the images above, she is such a sweet baby. It was such a joy to see each sibling hold her and interact with her in such a gentle way. This baby will have lots of love in her life for sure.

• the sweetest addition •

Carolyn — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:15:24 +0000

What a lovely baby! I just adore her blushing cheeks, warm smile, sparkling eyes, and sweet personality. This little babe is the fourth child in her family, and adds so much joy to everyone. I photographed her brothers and sister last year so it was super fun to return and focus just on her. I could have snapped photos of her for hours. She is just that sweet. But yes, we did also find the time to get all the kids and even mom and dad in on the fun.

I love that the family portraits we took that day are of the kids genuinely having fun. I enjoy that they are being themselves—funny, silly, happy, and sweet. I feel we documented who they are in real life and as a family. And that makes me so happy.

Since meeting and photographing this family for the first time last year, I have grown to know them better and just think the world of them. Thanks for inviting me back to photograph your sweet baby girl and everyone together. It truly is an honor. I can’t wait to add a few special canvases to your gorgeous wall gallery!

• happy halloween •

Carolyn — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:22:02 +0000

Growing up, I have always loved Halloween. Perhaps it was that my birthday comes close after the holiday. Or maybe it’s the cool, crisp time of year that just feels so festive. And yes, it could very well be that I simply adore candy! But whatever the reason, now, as a grown-up, I still love to get into the fun. I especially had a good time this year decorating our home with little ghosts, spiders, and sweet-faced pumpkins. I thought I’d share here how I decorated the rooms for this black and orange holiday. I hope it gets you into the spirit and excitement of the day.

• playtime •

Carolyn — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 06:08:12 +0000

This family holds a dear place in my heart as they were among my first clients years ago. And, they are just so much fun to be around and photograph! This time we decided to meet at a nearby park and simply play. What plan could be better? So, the kids kicked around a soccer ball, jump roped, rode bikes and scooters, climbed on play sets, and had smiles on their faces the whole time. They even brought their big, adorable dog! It truly was a fun play date. Thank you mom for inviting me back again to create special portraits for your family. I really enjoy seeing how your kids are growing into sweet, kind, and loving little people in this world.

• brotherly love •

Carolyn — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 19:02:53 +0000

Spending the afternoon playing with these three boys last weekend was a blast. Sure, they kept me on my toes running all over the front yard, but it was so much fun. I loved their energy, their friendship, and their playfulness. They are the sweetest, most kind boys and it was an honor to document their life right now together. During our session they played football, basketball, tumbled in the grass, explored the outdoors, and simply had fun. I love seeing kids being kids and enjoying our time with each other. I really cherished this session and love the energy captured in the images.

On a side note, has anyone noticed how many sessions I’ve had this fall season with three boys? Every time I get a phone call from a mom with three boys, I just laugh. As someone who has mostly been around girls my whole life, it’s been so cool to see how loving and kind brothers are to each other. What a special relationship they share. And, it’s really fun to see how unique each sibling is from each other—allowing individual personalities to shine within the family. Thank you to all my amazing clients with three boys who have trusted me to document this special moment in life through photography. It’s been spectacular!

• happy •

Carolyn — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:49:34 +0000

I love this session because we just played and played outside. Swinging on the play set, creating artwork with sidewalk chalk, catching ants, blowing bubbles, playing hopscotch, hula hooping, riding scooters, climbing trees, exploring the yard, and yes, taking the most adorable photos along the way. But above all the fun, my favorite thing about this session is simply the way this family interacted with one another. The smiles, giggles, and happy looks tell the sweet story of how much this family just enjoys being together. And oh how I loved watching it all from behind the lens of my camera. These three siblings are so kind and gentle with one another. Mom and dad are so in love with each other and their children. Our time together was very organic and easy. All that mixed with the warm, glowy light of the evening makes me feel, well, oh so happy.