Celebrating The Life Of Alivia

Last week, I had a life changing experience.  I was asked to take photos for a family who was preparing to send their tiny 6 month old to heaven.  When I heard about this family and their little baby, Alivia, my heart just stopped. Honestly, I can NOT even begin to imagine what it would be like to be forced to place your child into God's hands.  My emotions were running all over the place, I was angry for them, sad for them, confused as to why this sort of thing even has to happen at all... and then I walked into their home.  I saw a family of faith, a home full of love, and two parents handling the worst situation in the world with more grace than I can even describe.

Last Monday night I was blessed to meet Alivia.

What an amazing little girl.

Last Wednesday, just two days after these images were taken, Alivia passed away.

Please take time to look through these images.... appreciate the beauty of this little girl and the meaning that her short sweet life can have upon your own life and family.

See the love in her parents...

Hear the love and laughter of her sisters...

Pray for her family...

Even though you may not have known her, let her touch your soul.

 Let Alivia remind you to love your family.

 Let Alivia remind you to hug your children.

 Let Alivia remind you not to take one moment of your life or your health for granted.

I would like to thank Alivia's parents for allowing me into their home, it was one of the greatest honors I have ever been blessed with.  Meeting Alivia changed my life.  I will pray for you... your family... and your children.

Please feel free to leave a note or a prayer in the comments for Alivia's family.

Enjoy this slide show and celebrate the life of this beautiful little girl!

Olivia and Seattle Children's Hospital

This is Olivia.

Or wait... This is Olivia.

No, no, no... wait.... THIS is Olivia!

This young girl has so much personality, I love it!

When I was asked to take photos of Olivia so that she would be honored at a charity auction for Seattle Children's Hospital, I was thrilled. What I did not expect was such a resilient, charming, and brilliant eight year old!  She is simply amazing!  She is a very regular guest at Children's, but you would never guess it.  She is definitely NOT defined by her health condition!  I went along on one of Olivia's visits to the hospital to document some of the experiences she has at the hospital.

In this situation, you or I would have a squirmy stomach and sweaty palms, but this laid back little cutie just charmed her way through the entire afternoon!

She was so lucky to have amazing physicians who took the time to explain every thing that was going on around her.  Again... you or I would have maybe heard one word they were saying, but Olivia... she soaked it all up. What a smart cookie!!!

After all of the real business was over, we were able to head outside with the family and really let loose!

Olivia's family is wonderful, but I have to say, my favorite thing during this shoot was watching Olivia and her sister interact.  Her little sister is six and spuuunkyyy! It was so much fun to be around the two of them.  They were not shy... not reserved in the least... and really could make each other laugh... which made me laugh too!

These girls just fed off each other with their silliness and laughter.  Years from now, these two sisters and their parents will cherish these images!

 

What a pleasure it was to meet Olivia and her family, and what it honor it was to be involved with Seattle Children's Hospital.  The auction is coming up this fall and if you would like more information on the hospital or auction, you can email me at sara@saramontgomeryphoto.com.

The Safi Foundation

I am so excited to say that the 2009 holiday special was a smashing success! Last year I decided that I would donate a portion of every holiday session to The Safi Foundation. More specifically we chose to support a couple of projects that they are working on. First is the Safi School Project. The Safi School Project is a non-profit organization that improves and supports secondary education in Tanzania, East Africa, one school at a time. Safi is in its second year working with its pilot school in Arusha, TZ.

Second, we have chosen to support The Water Project. Currently there is no water supply for the school for drinking, cooking or washing. The water they have is gathered in buckets from a nearby ditch or stream. It is not clean and it takes a great deal of time and energy to get it. In times of drought, which are not uncommon to this area, there are times that they have no water supply at all. The well will provide a sustainable source of clean water and will also help them maintain a garden to support the diets of the students and their community.

I am so thrilled to announce that Sara Montgomery Photography and Live With Grace will be donating $700 to these two amazing projects. I would like to thank all of the families that helped us raise money for this amazing project. Here is a slide show with an image from each of the families that helped raise these funds. Thank you again to all of you! (If you would like to hear music with the slide show, click on the speaker button on the top left of the show.)

If you are interested in supporting the Safi Foundation, please visit their site. You can also follow their blog and see what they are doing right now in Tanzania! Thank you all.

Tips For Preparing For a Family Photo Session

Ok.... Can you guess what I am going to do tomorrow? I have all of our clothes lined up, the bribes have been offered, the weather... well that will probably stink, but everything else is right on track.

We are FINALLY having our family photos taken. We have not done this for over 3 years! Can you believe that?! Here I am, taking photos almost every day, and yet we do not have any images of my own family. So now... now I know how YOU feel when you get ready for a family photo session. WOW... it can be a bit stressful. Now that I am going through the same things that you go through when you prepare for a photo shoot, I am going to give you some tips for preparing for photo sessions.

Tip One: Be prepared! Think about the details of the day. What do you what to come across in your photos? You can not change the eye of the photographer, but you can and should express to the photographer what you are wanting to portray in your photos. Think hard about a location. Drive around and look at your neighborhood in a new way. Look for color... look for fields.... look for architecture.... do not be afraid to go outside of your yard!

Tip Two: What to wear.... make sure you are comfortable in your clothes. Wear something you can move around in... something you can sit, stand, walk, and move freely in. Think about color. I like a lot of color, but not a lot of distracting patterns or labels that may distract from the person.

Tip Three: Add details.... add a flower to your daughter's hair, bring along a baseball and mitt, bring bubbles, or a favorite toy. You can even bring a chair or a couch. I know that may sound crazy, but it looks great and adds SO much to an image. Bring scarfs, hats, blankets, pillows... all of these things can add dimensions and details to an image. They do not have to be used in every shot, but they will add variety and spunk to your images.

Tip Four: The weather.... now this is something that you really can not control, and honestly around here you really need to have a plan for bad weather. Do not worry if the sun is not out and shining, because actually a glaring sun is not optimal for photography. Actually you should cross your fingers for an overcast day! As long as the rain is not pouring down, you can usually make it outside, and if not, try to have an option for the rain... a covered porch, a barn, a museum, etc.

Tip Five: If you have young children try to prepare them for the day. The night before, talk to them about how much fun the day will be. On the day of your session, start your morning with a smile.... wake up happy ( or at least appear that way to your kids :) ) Oh yeah, I almost forgot one of the most important things... DO NOT FORGET THE BRIBES! If you are spending your money and time on an investment of photography for your family, go all out! For my girls, we saved up Christmas money from Great Nana and we are going to head out to Build-A-Bear right after our session is over. Now, you do not have to use a bribe that big, you can do something simple like keep a sucker in your pocket for the end of the session or have Smarties (kids love them and they are not messy). You could even plan an indoor camping night with dinner inside a fort.... any exciting reward will keep them motivated!

Tip Six: Get a good night sleep the night before the session! Not only will this help your mood and stress level during the shoot, we all look better when we are well rested! (I am really hoping this helps with my dark circles tomorrow! LOL!)

Well... I suppose I should take my own advice and head off to bed! I am surely feeling awkward preparing to be on the other side of the camera! I will let you know how it goes! Wish me luck. Cross your fingers that the rain holds off... that Olivia changes her mind and starts to like her jacket again.... that Ava does not get muddy for the first 10 minutes at least... that Zach doesn't cut himself shaving, and that I do not get a horrible blemish tonight :) !

Do You Know the People in Your Neighborhood?

There is a man in my neighborhood that I see almost every day. I see him on my way to work... I see him out for walks... and I see him sitting in the park... For some reason, I wonder about him.

Do you know someone like this? Is there someone that you see at work who inspires you? Is there someone in your neighborhood that makes you wonder what their life is like? Do you wonder what they have been through in their lives that have allowed them to end up in the position that they are in?

This is the man that I see...He is around almost every day. It is so common for me to see him, that on days that I do not see him, I worry about him. I have wanted to talk to him for some time. I am sure that my conversation would NOT go the way I imagine it would, but that is part of what intrigues me even more.

A couple of weeks ago, I was driving home from a shoot.... and there he was... right outside my car. I snapped this image of him and will continue to wonder........ I will wonder and pray. No matter what conditions or actions got him to this place, I pray that God takes care of him. I pray that he finds his way home... where ever that may be.

Today I had the day off... I was thinking about this man, so I decided to try to go find him. There he was again, walking down the street. I was on my way to the daycare, so I thought I would drop the kids off and head back over to talk to him. Of course when I went back to find him, he was gone. I drove by all of the spots I usually see him, but no luck. That is when I saw another neighborhood regular. Jinni.

Jinni sits outside Tully's almost every day. Today she was bundled up, sitting in the rain with her head slumped and not visible. She has so many layers... black plastic, clothes, blanket, more clothes... her shoes are untied, her laces were wet and her legs were swollen. I went into Tully's and asked about her.... I bought her favorite drink for the next time she comes in and headed out to talk to her.

I said her name and waited .... I said her name again and this time her head jumped up quickly. I had obviously startled her and woke her. Her face was weathered and wrinkled, and she had no teeth. She was surprised I knew her name, and at the same time did not ask me how I knew. I wondered how sleepless her night must have been like to allow her to sleep so soundly in the safety of daylight. Without saying much I handed her some money... she thanked me.... and I left. Within seconds her head was back into the safety of her layers... and her mind returned to the escape of sleep.

How is it that we so often drive by people like Jinni and as soon as we pass them, we forget about them. We let ourselves escape to the warmth of our nice SUVs with our lattes and our i pods. I am guilty of doing this as well, but I am challenging myself to change. I am going to try to keep my eyes truly open in my neighborhood and community... we all need to help, we all need to care, we all need to give back.

This Thanksgiving, I would encourage you to remember the people in your community who do not have families to care for them, no warm food for their tables, no pillows to lay their heads. Take some extra food from your cupboard and donate it to your local food bank. Let your kids donate some old clothes. Take a card to a home bound neighbor. There are so many ways we can help, both big and small.

God Bless you and your family this Thanksgiving.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I hope that you and your little ghouls and goblins have a wonderful Halloween full of tricks and treats! At our home, we have one stunning Vampire....And a little orphan Annie who is ready for Broadway! If you want some GREAT tips for taking Halloween photos of your kids, check out Me Ra Koh's blog. I love her blog and follow it regularly for photo tips and encouraging words for daily life. Check it out!

I wanted to share a few of the images from our Pumpkin Patch Photo Shoot that we had a few weeks ago at Maris Farms in Buckley, WA. First off let me say, WOW.... that is quite a farm. They had pony rides, monster truck rides, a HUGE jumping pillow, tons of pumpkins, pig races, tractor rides, corn cannons, pumpkin shooters.... we could have spent the entire day there!I LOVED watching one of my favorite little kiddos trying to pick up pumpkins. The determination, the strength, the humor.... so funny!Who ever said you can not get great portraits at the pumpkin patch. This shot of Courtney is gorgeous, and just wait, in a few weeks, you will get to see more of Courtney.... after we finished at the pumpkin patch, we headed out for her senior portrait session.Her little sister snuck in a couple photos as well. These girls are beautiful!I have known these two twins since the day they were born and now they are 7! Yikes, time flies! Here is a link to one of the photo sessions we had when they were 5.... Click Here...I love the toothy grin!
It is so hard to choose the right pumpkin! Have a wonderful, safe, spooky and hopefully dry Halloween!

Sara Montgomery Photography Holiday Special 2009!

The holidays are coming, and without further ado.... let me announce that the Holiday Special is available. Last year I had so much success with it that I am really excited to do it again! Make sure you email me, sara@saramontgomeryphoto.com, or call me to set up a holiday session today! Lets get those family shots or maybe just images of your kiddos. You will be ready to make your holiday cards in no time!

I am thrilled to announce that this year $50 from every holiday session , and regular portrait session, booked before the end of 2009 will be donated to an AMAZING foundation, the SAFI SCHOOL PROJECT. The Safi Foundation was started right here in Washington state, in Olympia, and is reaching children and families all the way in Tanzania Africa. The Safi foundation builds schools one at a time... helps children get books, sponsors children, pays teachers, provides water purification systems, builds gardens, and more. Click on this link to read more about the projects that this amazing organization does to help the people of Tanzania.

We are working with this organization within our family through our LIVE WITH GRACE program. LIVE WITH GRACE is a program we started in our family to help teach our children about the importance of being grateful and the joy in giving. It is a fun way for us to all become more aware of the situation in the world around us and even in our community. Please take some time and read more about LIVE WITH GRACE , and find out how you and your family can become involved too!

The girls will raise money penny by penny for The Safi Foundation, and I am going to do my part as well. That is why I am going to donate $50 from each holiday session (and any regular portrait session for the remainder of 2009) to this fabulous organization. The price of the holiday session is going to be $125. For this price, you will receive:

• 30 minute session at the location of your choice.
  
• 10 images on disc with copyright release.
• All of the images will also be available for you on www.pictage.com (the on-line professional developer that I use) for you to view, share or purchase prints or products.

I am really excited about this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people in Tanzania, the lives of the people in my family, and my own life! The holiday special will expire at the end of 2009, so don't wait.... space is limited and the clock is ticking! I hope to hear from you soon!

Photos of Your Pumpkins with their Pumpkins!

This time of year is so much fun. I love the brisk air, the crunchy leaves, the hot chocolate.... and of course the PUMPKINS! I love, love, LOVE going to the pumpkin patch each year. I think I may enjoy it just as much as the kids. This will be the third year that we have taken Sara Montgomery Photography to the pumpkin patch, and I am just as excited as always to see you all down there!I am going to change it up a bit this year. This year we are going to be at Maris Farms in Buckley, Washington. I will be there for two hours from 1000-1200 on the 17th of October to shoot photos of your little pumpkins! I am so excited to visit this farm. Peak through their web site and you will be too! All you need to do to join us is email me at sara@saramontgomeryphoto.com or call me to let me know you want to come. That is it!
There is a minimal entrance fee to Maris Farms, but it looks like it is well worth it. Click here to see more information on their prices and schedules. There is no session fee for the photo session. I will place all of your photos online at Pictage for you. You can view them, share them with friends and family, and order them from Pictage directly.

Come hang out with us.... come eat caramel apples with us, get lost in the corn maze, visit the courtyard for children, go on a hay ride, tip a cow, watch the pig races (which benefits St Jude's Children's Hospital).... come play! Remember.... make sure to email me or call me to let me know you will be there.

Need directions? ***Click Here***

Come get photos of your little pumpkins with us... while they still look sweet and adorable like this.....Don't wait until it is too late.... you may end up with this...One more thing..... as I say each year.... this event is weather permitting. Should we be having one of our lovely rainy, wet and muddy northwest fall days we will have to reschedule .... SEE YOU AT THE PATCH!