Photo Obsessed – Page 5 – Rockland NY Mom

A Real Smash!!

Posted on August 7, 2014 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Photo Obsessed, Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as I was invited to a session with HoneyBee Photography NY. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Here’s our version of the smash cake. Again, they really reflect our personality, which I love. I also love that (A) was able to get in there and participate. It speaks to everyday life in our house. Enjoy!

At last it was time to smash a cake (kept for the last photos appropriately). Jen had this fantastic idea to do the smash right in the woods since I had a shabby-chic feel going for the props. I love it! It’s so not typical. Everyone has photos in a studio on an easily cleaned backdrop, I love that this is genuine, and right in my backyard… The cake was another amazing creation by Jolirose Cake Shop that I ordered right after I saw and tasted Gilda’s work at Gabi’s Party. I knew that she would capture the mood just right. In fact, I didn’t dictate a thing to her. I said I needed a smash cake, and that I was going for shabby chic. She had complete artistic freedom and I am so glad we did it that way. It was a surprise to me when I opened it and I am so very happy (so were the kids). I have to say (E) was so very confused that I was letting her make a mess that it bordered on hysterical… Luckily big brother (A) was there to help out!

The set-up for (E)’s smash session, right in the woods!

The Cake- another beauty from Jolirose (so yummy too)!

(E) tries a taste.. carefully!

Yumm..

Here we go…

Messy Face!

A little help??

A lot of help?!

I am so unbelievably happy at how all of these pictures came out. I have some really, really special memories of my children and that means everything to me. I also now have enough of the photos I really love to complete a new little photo project that I am working on for my living room wall ;O).

Thank you so much Jen!

To contact Jen at Honeybee Photography NY check out her website www.honeybeephotographyny.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/HoneyBee-Photography-NY/628693593813915?fref=ts

A Good Balance

Posted on July 30, 2014 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Photo Obsessed, Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as I was invited to a session with HoneyBee Photography NY. All opinions expressed here are my own.

This next group of photos that we took are really near and dear to my heart. They say a lot about my personality… In fact, one of them I couldn’t resist changing to my personal profile picture… when I did, people who I hadn’t spoken to in YEARS commented. So glad that they did because I adore them, and it was so great to see that they liked them.

We took a time out to change for our next surprise photos… and what did Jen do while I was changing poor (E)? She got my 4 year old who was not into pictures to take some amazing single shots… I didn’t ask her to, and he was being particularly non-cooperative about pictures… even with that obstacle, she captured the following beauties…

(A) riding his tricycle.

(A) shows his age…

Striking a pose… I love that face!

Back from our quick change the next photos were inspired by an awesome photo-shoot I saw on Pinterest of a little girl wearing her mother’s heels. Something about them really resonate with me, but anyone who knows me would laugh at the idea of her wearing my heels, because although my shoes are somewhat cute, they are really mostly sensible (3 knee surgeries from Div. 1 soccer). So we came up with something better….

(E) standing in mommy’s cleats.

(E) and Mommy with the cleats.

I absolutely adore the contrast of the ruffle outfit and the cleats… It’s that balance between the ultra-feminine and the athlete that I have always found so important, and believe I have kept well.

Want to see more of (E)’s First Birthday Photo-Shoot? Stay tuned!!

To contact Jen at Honeybee Photography NY check out her website www.honeybeephotographyny.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/HoneyBee-Photography-NY/628693593813915?fref=ts

First Birthday Photo-Fun!

Posted on July 22, 2014 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Photo Obsessed, Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as I was invited to a session with HoneyBee Photography NY. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I told you to stay tuned and there is a good reason. During our session we did so many different and fun things that while writing I decided each one deserved its own mini-post…

After the “One Year Later” pictures we moved on to some of the more traditional photos… (E) in the custom dress that I ordered just for her first birthday, along with the matching hat. In a balloon basket, with the letters for ONE, with her favorite stuffed animal, and also on her own… These are fantastic…

(E) in the “Hot-air Balloon” basket.

(E) with the word “ONE” and no hat.

(E) sitting and displaying her beautiful custom dress.

(E) and her favorite stuffed animal “Bunny”.

Want to see more of (E)’s First Birthday Photo-Shoot? Stay tuned!! To view the first post about this session and see the photos CLICK HERE !

To contact Jen at Honeybee Photography NY check out her website www.honeybeephotographyny.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/HoneyBee-Photography-NY/628693593813915?fref=ts

One Year Later…

Posted on July 17, 2014 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Photo Obsessed, Reviews .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as I was invited to a session with HoneyBee Photography NY. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I knew that I was going to do a photo shoot for (E)’s first birthday, it was a must especially for a photoaholic (is that even a word??) like me… I contacted Jen at Honeybee Photography NY a month and a half ahead of time. I loved what she had done for my spring photos of the kids (click here to see) and was eager to work with her again. Please bear with me as I had a difficult time choosing which pictures to include… so I be posting a lot of them…

I started Pinning ideas immediately and I have to give it to Jen, not only was she open to pretty much anything, she loved the ideas and captured all of them beautifully. Smash cake, check. Sibling photos, check. Photos with the word one, check. Basket and balloon, check. Single photos of each kid, check. Then two that were super special to me. In fact, God Bless poor Jen. I emailed her photo samples of what I was thinking, made my own props, and had 4 outfit changes for my daughter, including hair…. Jen took it all in stride, went with it and even took pictures I didn’t know about.

If you’ve read my long winded photography page, or have liked us on Facebook, you have seen my birth announcement photo of the two kids. It’s (A) reading a book (Vadar’s Little Princess) to (E), as she sleeps outside in a doll bed, wearing a ruffle jumper and crown. The caption for the picture was “Sometimes being a sister is better than being a Princess.” I LOVE that picture. So when I started brainstorming interesting ideas for the photo-shoot I thought, how fun would it be to have an updated version? Same props, a year later… Well how glad am I that we did?? I love these pictures. (E) is wearing the same exact outfit, the book is there, it’s in the same spot in my yard… it’s all there, but now it shows a different relationship between the kids. Before it was brother reading to baby, now its friends having fun…. A real treasure for us….

July 2013- Our Newborn Sibling Photo-shoot

2014 Updates which I adore!!!

I just love how this one shows how in love with my goofy (A) (E) is…

A solo Princess shot of (E) from 2013.

My Princess one year later, same outfit, same location.

Want to see more of (E)’s First Birthday Photo-Shoot? Stay tuned!!

To contact Jen at Honeybee Photography NY check out her website www.honeybeephotographyny.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/HoneyBee-Photography-NY/628693593813915?fref=ts

What’s more difficult than wrangling two small children to get amazing photos?

Posted on May 5, 2014 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Out and about..., Photo Obsessed, Reviews .

Adding a 91 lb Chocolate Lab.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as I was invited to a session with HoneyBee Photography NY. All opinions expressed here are my own.

My obsession with amazing photographs is no secret (an entire page dedicated to my photo obsession??). To that end I feel it is super important for all parents to know about the amazing opportunities out there for documenting the growth of your families, the special events, etc. Even more important to me is that everyone know that you don’t have to use a large chain to do so. Many parents are under the impression that the only way to get these beautiful photos in an affordable manner is through one of these chains, or online coupons. That is so far from the truth. Photos should be more personal than that. I am completely honest when I review or if asked about who to use for what type of photos, that is how important it is to me. I took pictures with a Groupon at JCP in the fall. The pictures were fine, very nice, would have really liked them if I had never done private photos. BUT there was an assembly line feel that I didn’t love. You are in and out and there are people waiting and distractors, and you have to choose right there and they try to upsell you. Not for me, I upsell myself without any prodding needed, believe me.

Here’s what I like about hiring a private photographer. It’s personal, you aren’t just another number, another sale…. Take my amazing experience with HoneyBee Photography NY this past weekend. I met Jen online after seeing some of her pictures and specials posted. Once we connected we decided on a date. Jen does on-location shoots. This means that she either comes to your house or you decide on a venue to take pictures. I don’t have great lighting at my house indoors for photos, and my yard is not yet in bloom (delayed spring?) so I left the venue up to Jen. She chose Peck’s Pond in West Haverstraw. I had never been there before, but will be back. It’s a great little pond with a park and its dog friendly which is great for us. Duncan (my 91 lb Lab) is like my third child, or my first if you want to get technical. Since we were working outdoors I wanted to include him if possible, so I asked. Jen was happy to oblige. She said it would be great. I was impressed right away that she was willing to take on the task, a 9 month old (she recently discovered motion and never stops), a 3 year old (who is tired of taking pictures since mommy is obsessed), and a 91 lb dog… That’s a lot to tackle.

During our exchanges I asked her what types of ideas she had and Jen emailed me samples of her thoughts right away. I loved the ideas, very organic. Then of course the day of, (A) decides that he needs to bring his Acoustic Guitar. I am panicking (planner that I am I hadn’t thought about it), how will I get it away from him, how will we incorporate it and the dog??? Is it too much? Nope. Jen was more than happy that (A) had decided to bring a little of himself along, and added it right away, earning some of the cutest photos. They really show his personality (really you should see the one where he is trying to take the guitar away from his sister). At first Duncan was difficult, new place, water, ducks, so many smells, he did not want to sit still. But after a bit he settled down and Jen was able to capture a phenomenal photo of my three children.

Jen has the patience of a saint. (A) was not in the mood for pictures that day (my mother blames my constant picture taking). She was able to get him to cooperate easily, getting him to pose for several more shots than I would have been able to get him to do. When we walked from spot to spot, he wanted to hold her hand, and she had no problem with that either. She captured so many fantastic moments with the kids together (thank goodness) that you would never know he was being less than cooperative.

Then there are the pictures; they speak for themselves (see below). They are amazing, so natural and so perfect at the same time. I can barely choose which ones are favorites. It’s so great to see the kids with each other, you can really see their relationship in the pictures. I was sent a link when the pictures were ready, along with a password. If I forget the link, I can reach them from the “client access” section of her website. I can view all of the pictures right there, and order prints at the same time. I can open them later to look at with a friend when I am having difficulty making my choices. There is no pressure to purchase and no one watching you as you choose. If you buy a few and love them and need some more, you can log back in and order again. Looking for a canvas, they are on there, as are ceramic tiles, key chains, t-shirts. A myriad of choices.

With the session you also get 5 digital shots emailed to you with a letter stating that you have the rights to those photos. You can then upload or bring a CD to your favorite place (Shutterfly, Walgreens, CVS, Snapfish, etc.) and order even more items. The possibilities are endless.

HoneyBee Photography runs specials often, different ones at different times of the year to help you to capture those moments in an affordable manner, so you have to go back often and look (also posted on our site). The icing on the cake is that for less than I spent once I was done with the Groupon from JCPenny I have all of these options and the personal attention that Jen offers. The choice is obvious.

To see HoneyBee Photography’s current specials CLICK HERE. You can also contact Jen through her website www.honeybeephotographyny.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/HoneyBee-Photography-NY/628693593813915?fref=ts

A beautiful picture of (A) and (E) on a park bench!