24Aug 2012 by Donna Chapla No Comments

9 Weeks

Babies, Uncategorized
It seems like a week ago that I  did some newborn pics of this little guy and now he's already 9 weeks, where does the time go?!  He is just learning to smile and though it took a lot of coaxing, I got a few great ones!  I loved his little monkey hat but let's just say he wasn't as fond of it as I was. I'm looking forward to another session soon, I can't get enough of this little guy.  Thanks for sharing him with me for an hour and letting me hold him much longer than necessary for photos!      
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24Aug 2012 by Donna Chapla No Comments

College Bound

Teens, Uncategorized
I met up with this adorable couple just days before they began new chapters in their lives. One is off to Notre Dame and the other to Valparaiso University. So many possibilities in their future, it was exciting to spend a little time with them as they begin this journey. You could feel the strong bond between them and it made my heart ache a little knowing they would be saying goodbye to each other in a few days. It was cold, rainy and windy when we met but these two were all smiles as they held hands and gave each other little glances the whole time, young love is so sweet to witness. I truly wish them the best of luck this fall!
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07Aug 2012 by Donna Chapla 3 Comments

Pet Faces | Photo Challenge

Photo Challenge, Uncategorized
  The Photo Challenge this month over at I Heart Faces is "Pet Faces".  This is my awesome dog,  Xander. He's a German Shorthair, a breed often sought by pheasant hunters because of their ability to "point" out a bird and then retrieve it. When Xander was only a few days old he was scratched in the eye by one of his litter mates and the breeder didn't seek treatment for him. By the time we got him at 8 weeks he was already blind from the infection that took over and his eye was a cloudy blue color. Since this breeder sells to people who want a "perfect" dog with a great blood line, no one wanted him. We were thrilled to take home our "discount dog" and couldn't…
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21Jul 2012 by Donna Chapla 1 Comment

Precious Baby

Uncategorized
It's no secret that I love babies so this shoot was heaven for me. On the other hand, I'm still intimidated by photographing babies and it didn't help that this little man came about 4 weeks early and spent 6 days in the NICU.  He was  just a tiny little peanut when we met at a mere 10 days; he was even too small for the crocheted cocoon made for him by a family member. Mom let me hold him for a few minutes and my nerves were instantly calmed, there is nothing like the  sheer miracle of a baby to put things in perspective. We had a few interruptions and a few changes of clothes/blankets (I forgot how often babies "go"!) but we were able to get some cute pics. I learned so much from…
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06Mar 2012 by Donna Chapla 6 Comments

I Heart Faces | Beautiful B&W Photo

Uncategorized
The photo challenge this month is Beautiful Black & White.  I chose this submission because I think it's one of those photos that doesn't have the same impact in color. Black and white pulls you in, causes you to linger and really get caught up in not just the image, but the moment. I look at those sweet little fingers holding the bubble wand and I can feel the sticky bubble solution. I can perceive her concentration, so focused on blowing bubbles that everything around her is gone. I can imagine the delight and joy that followed after she finally figured out how to blow a stream of bubbles. I love that a photograph not only captures a moment frozen time, but that it captures a mood, and feelings, and a story. You can…
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13Feb 2012 by Donna Chapla 9 Comments

Cupid | I Heart Faces Photo Challenge

Babies, Children, Photo Challenge, Uncategorized
The theme over at I Heart Faces this week is Hearts in honor of Valentines Day. Normally I'm not one to take photos with many backdrops & props.  Must have been all that sweet baby pudginess screaming "cupid" to me that made me pull out the fabric and craft supplies to fashion arrows, wings and a diaper. The arrows kept him busy for a few shots but his toes held the real interest. There were several cute pics from this shoot but this one with his toes was my favorite. This little cupid made me fall in love.  You can check out the other entries at I Heart Faces by using the link below.  
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14Jan 2012 by Donna Chapla No Comments

Family

Uncategorized
I had the opportunity to photograph this great family when the three daughters came home for the holidays. It was a last minute request that just happened to work out perfectly, I took the photos just an hour and a half after we spoke.  We were losing light quickly and the air was quite brisk so kept it short and sweet. A truly loving and wonderful family with one quick little guy!
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15Nov 2011 by Donna Chapla 1 Comment

Autumn Evening | I Heart Faces

Uncategorized
The theme over at I Heart Faces this week is Autumn Splendor. My little man picked the last of the pumpkins tonight and was happy to pose with one of them as the light quickly faded. It was pretty dark when I took this photo but we are trying to utilize every available outdoor moment for some fun before the cold and snow arrives.  The kids rode bikes beside me as I did a trail run, we hit a few golf balls, had a mini picnic and picked pumpkins. I don't think we could have squeezed in anything  else in the limited daylight. We truly enjoyed all of Autumn's Splendor tonight. Check out the rest of the entries at I Heart Faces.com by clicking the link below.      
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