This month’s I Heart Faces photo challenge is:

Hey Girl!

I was honored to do their Wedding portraits for them on their honeymoon, no less! 

Check out I Heart Faces for MORE beautiful entries and ENTER a photo for YOUR chance to win too!

HAPPINESS!

This sweet couple are wonderful friends of ours that just welcomed their 5th child into this world….

…on the SIDE OF THE ROAD!  LOL

(News story linked, that also used MY birth photos once they got to the hospital!  Yes, I’m pleased as punch!  LOL)

But, exactly one week before she delivered on the highway, I was able to beautiful maternity photos with her and her awesome family!

I captured this photo as the husband was whispering things into her ear.  One of those really sweet moments.

 He had been discussing margaritas. LOL

Head on over to I Heart Faces for YOUR chance at $100 prize

AND a chance to win a NEW DSLR!

And when you have such a beautiful mother,

(and AWESOME friend)

with 4 beautiful children,

(and a very fiesty husband LOL)

it makes for a GLORIOUS session!

(And by GLORIOUS, I mean, lots of laughter and fun!  HA!)

And because I always suggest bringing the entire family and doing some family portraits as well….

I was able to meet Misti and Michelle at a workshop I attended a little over a year ago, and was so impressed at their KINDNESS and SWEET spirits!  And, with my busy schedule, I get behind on everything, but I am really trying to branch out and try some new things.  It was natural to visit Michelle and Misti at Love that Shot and get involved with their awesome website!

Here is my entry for their “Show and Tell” black and white image:

If your photo is chosen, it could be featured on the COVER of their magazine!  How REALLY cool is that??

Check ‘em out!

]]> http://danasuggs.com/love-shot-black-white/feed/ 2 http://danasuggs.com/epiphanie-camera-bags-picture-green/ http://danasuggs.com/epiphanie-camera-bags-picture-green/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:38:04 +0000 Dana http://danasuggs.com/?p=1398 I’m trying something just a little different.

I’m branching out a little bit and I’ve entered the Epiphanie Camera Bags PictureIt photo contest.

The theme this month is GREEN!

I have so many photos…narrowing them down is the problem!

But, I thought, what better representation of GREEN than this little bugger!

I took this photo on our vacation to Florida….I have to say, he was quite intimidating!  LOL

Shortly after this photo, he jumped on my son’s face and made him scream like a girl. 

Awesome. HA!

I am so excited for the exciting changes/additions to the I Heart Faces photo contests!  I think it will improve our photography greatly to be competing for actual prizes!  Although, I thought it was hard before to pick a photo….

…I may actually lose sleep now!  LOL

But raising 3 children, and 3 foster children, 2 with special needs….

…that cash prize could come in real handy!  HA!

So here is my choice for this week’s contest:

My oldest daughter…scruffy and winded from playing at the lake….

…and oh, so content!

I encourage you to check out the UPDATES to I Heart Faces and join along!  You don’t have to be a professional, and you don’t have to use a professional camera.  It will also make you a better photographer!

Hugs & Kisses

come by the bushel-load here!

I used a photo of my daughter before for a previous challenge, and I really thought, I’d just use another photo from that session that I loved so much.

But I thought I’d go ahead and take another one just in case I like it better….

….and of course…

I did.

The other photo is more dramatic, and the colors are just beyond beautiful,

but this one shows the hell and back this sweet, precious baby boy has come from.

The death that he cheated.

Again.

For a baby of only 9 months old, he has a testimony of mercy and grace from God that most people just don’t have.

And, still, my daughter loves this baby so much.  He is her world.

Fostering is the most incredible journey I’ve ever been blessed to do!

is obviously in honor of Valentine’s Day this week!

HEARTS!

I have to admit a little something:

I’m not one to stray from the pretty pictures.

I have a difficult time with the whimsical photos.

Oh, we can BE silly and funny, and I have a TON of laughing photos…

but to try something totally whimsical?

I’m all about the pretty picture.

This week…..I tried it.

To be totally honest, I DID take the pretty picture first (of course), and then decided to go ahead and challenge myself to try something I’ve always wanted to try!  Sometimes Brooklyn is game for fun stuff….and sometimes she is not.  Tonight, it was 50/50.  LOL

She thought I was crazy.

“You’re going to what?”

Draw a big pink heart on the ground and then you are going to pretend it’s a balloon and it’s lifting you off the ground.

“You do know I will be laying on the ground right?”

HAAAAAAA!  Oh my girl is a HOOT!

excitement

excitement for my excitement (thanks friends! LOL)

curiosity

lots of questions….mostly “WHY?”

and one VISIBLE/AUDIBLE recoil in disgust.

Let me set the record straight:

BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT LIKE THE BIRTH VIDEOS.

Let me share  a little of what I mean.

Birth photography is the story of the DAY.

It’s about the people that are there:

The FAMILY to share the emotions with you.

The SUPPORT of special people.

It tells the story of the little moments:

Belly dancing in labor…

(is she NOT the coolest laboring lady you’ve EVER seen???)

Laughing with your spouse during contractions…

and concentration and finding your inner peace.

It’s about a LABOR OF LOVE:

you would do anything for this new life…

You would voluntarily go through hell and back for this baby you love so much…

all for that ONE glorious moment…

that FIRST look

It’s about meeting your son for the first time:

And then finally….it’s all about

BABY!

So, when I say, “I’m a Birth Photographer”…

this is what I mean:  telling a story.

(Sessions are limited, so call in plenty of time!  Scheduled inductions work best for the moment, but that is subject to change in the fall.

Birth sessions start at $400 for the day which includes the edited photos from the birth.)

]]> http://danasuggs.com/molly-tulsa-birth-photography/feed/ 0 http://danasuggs.com/heart-faces-silly/ http://danasuggs.com/heart-faces-silly/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:55:07 +0000 Dana http://danasuggs.com/?p=1355 This week’s photo challenge for I Heart Faces is

“Oh so silly!”

Is it weird that I had to narrow it down?

Is it normal to have more silly photos than serious ones?

Those are my favorite.

But the photo that I had to choose is my dear friend, Liz.

She makes me smile.  She reminds me not to take anything too seriously.  She makes me believe in myself.  She makes me believe I’m beautiful.

She is good and she is Godly.

She makes me laugh.

I love my sweet friend.

To see the entire series of photo-booth style photos that she envisioned and I was lucky enough to photography,

go here.