Betsy Jo Photography Blog

This was such a great photo shoot, with a four-fold purpose:

-Senior pics for Katie
-Sister pics for Katie and Sarah
-Senior pics for Samantha
-Friend pics for Katie & Samantha

-Got that?

These girls were so organized, willing, happy and completely, ridiculously photogenic! I remembered again why I really enjoy senior sessions. Both Katie and Samantha were so courteous and respectful, helpful and kind. And Sarah was patient enough to help out with the reflector probably more often than she expected…Plus, they all trusted me when I pulled into the ugliest parking lot in Rockville and said that the pictures would be awesome there.They were!

Girls, I had a lovely time with you, and though this was supposed to be a post of ’2 or 3 pictures’ I couldn’t resist putting up a couple more to tide you over until your full post in a few days…

Enjoy! You all did beautifully!

Samantha- and her beautiful eyes:

This is Katie- ‘love the light in this one:

Sisters- Katie and Sarah:

No, she doesn’t model for J. Crew-

All of the girls had beautiful eyes. They photographed so vividly:

Umm, I love this one. Because I love lens flare… (and because Samantha knew what she was doing!)

A little black and white for the girls:

Whoa. Speaking of beautiful eyes…

This was a wonderfully refreshing spot. It was rather warm out, and it was not difficult to stand in the middle of a cool stream to get this friends’ shot:

And just one more at my grubby spot– with random Queen Anne’s lace growing in the parking lot…) (Thanks for believing me, Pam and Sandy, too!

Best wishes as you begin your senior year, Katie & Samantha! Thanks for trusting me with the memories for such an important time in your lives!

There is an old saying about the shoemaker’s children never getting any shoes. Some version of that has rung true for us, but it goes like this: the photographer’s family never gets a group shot.Although I have a plethora of images of our children, we have very few of all 5 of us in one picture, and very few of Paul and I alone. Although I’ve put it to use, my tripod just doesn’t have the same affect as a ‘real’ photographer capturing the true moments and personality of a family group. But we set out to remedy that last week on a beautiful, warm evening, surrounded by the soft light of pre-dusk, and a field of swaying wildflowers.

My dear friend and kindred spirit, Heidi, was so kind as to spend time with our crew and happily and skillfully go along with all my requests. She even shot w/my camera and my favorite lens so that I could do the post-processing of the images. (That’s what happens when this pathetic, rather neurotic photographer gets an idea in my head…)

Heidi and I go way back. Way, way back, really. I don’t ever remember not knowing her. She gets me. Even when I can’t quite finish my sentence for lack of a real way to bring across my thoughts, she can fill in my blanks and know what I mean. She understands my rather hair-brained ideas, my love for beautiful light and the true moments that photography can capture. An award-winning photographer in her own rite, she’s starting to pick the camera up again, and I’m thrilled that she was gracious enough to use us as her subjects! She was so patient and full of unique ideas of her own, which is always appreciated.

Thanks for this wonderful gift, Heidi. We had such a nice time with you, and I’m so, so happy with what we got!– I have to admit, I have a whole new appreciation for what it feels like to be on the opposite side of the lens. It can be a little anxiety-inducing, but Heids did so well making us feel at ease. I do have to say I prefer ‘my side’ of the camera far more than the subjects’ side…

And for my blog readers, please be sure to leave a comment letting Heidi know how wonderfully she did.

Thank you, Heidi Judy… (And thanks, Doug for putting up w/our long conversations!)

I’ve had this relaxed, kind of non-traditional pose in my head for awhile– and Heidi was happy to oblige. I think this one is my favorite… except I like them all, so it’s hard to choose!

So this kind of tells the story– I love to garden. Weeding, picking flowers, getting my hands dirty, while Paul does the heavy lifting and hard work. Literally. But he’s so good at it!

My sister Kara is so creative, and gave me this ‘H’ as my birthday gift. I got it the day of the shoot, and had to incorporate it into our pictures. She made it on her own, and covered it with yummy green moss. Won’t it look great in our sunroom?

Paul liked this shot in sepia; I like it in color. So I processed it both ways. Thoughts?

Heidi took some profile pictures for use on the site, so I brought along my vintage Zeiss camera. Isn’t he cute?

‘Had to add this one to the batch. This is Heidi with her camera, working away! Thanks again, Heidi Lynn!

I love to dream. It is both the bane of my existence, and also the joy of my days. I have so many ideas and aspirations that they sometimes make my brain hurt. The good thing about it? Dreams make life even sweeter, and clearer. (Plus, my family gets it. They have the same affliction…)

Some of my dreams are too sacred to my heart to mention publicly. They’re quietly guarded, as if some secret treasure resides within that only I can acknowledge. I have a list of things I want to accomplish before I die, and every so often I go and cross one of them off. (Not often enough, probably, but I’m working on it.)

My goals also involve ‘everyday things’– travels and experiences, learning new skills, and expanding my horizons. They involve my husband and my children, and wonderful things that are not grandiose or expensive, but meaningful and heartfelt.

One of my little dreams is to use photography in a way that can help make a small difference. I’ve had the privilege of documenting memories for people who have stories of hard work and difficulty, disease and trials. Loss and grieving. Joy and hope. And in those moments, I was moved and felt both a heaviness and a compassion unlike I’d experienced before.

Lately people have asked if some of the landscape images I show on this site are available for purchase. With that in mind, I’ve created a gallery I’m calling “Prints for a Purpose“ where a portion of the sales from the images will go to a charity of choice. We have a number of causes in mind that have affected both those we love and clients who we’ve come to know, so the charity will change with each month. I also want to ask for suggestions from my blog readers– if anyone has a charity they’d like to see featured on any given month, please leave a comment with your suggestion and it will be considered.

This month’s cause is one that hits very close to home. I’m not good at typing with tears in my eyes, but I will say that we are so thankful for Paul’s health at this point, and have found so much help and information through the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. And so the start of this little endeavor is begun with his courage and endurance in mind. Sadly, we know that there are still many people who deal (and suffer) with this disease on a daily basis. Our hope is, like with so many diseases, that a cure can someday be found. Prints to benefit this charity can be purchased here.

I want to sincerely thank all those who take the time to check this site every day, and those who trust me with capturing their memories. It has been a wonderful, learning, growing journey for me, and I’m so glad to have you all along. (Otherwise, I’d have no readers…

This next image is one that means a lot to me. So much so, I couldn’t decide if I would not share it, and keep it all to myself. But that didn’t seem fair. I remember driving by this tree often when I was young, admiring its form and beauty. Then when I married Paul, who knows all things trees, I found out that it is a sycamore. And that made me like it even more. It sits on a little knoll, all by itself, strong and enduring. I’ve tried multiple times to get a good shot of it, but it’s hard to navigate and power lines made it too difficult to get a clean image. But I kept trying. Then I got my hands on the 24-70 2.8 lens, and it was just what I needed. That and the beautiful light right before sunset. And so with a little happy feeling, I share it here:

What a great group this family was! Everyone was so cooperative and compliant, making my job very easy with a group of 36 people…

‘Have to start with the grandparents:

This one below is so nice- all neat and composed… But the next one? Oh, I love the next one…

See? So sweet:

So there’s a story behind this next image. The mother of the whole crew has an image from 10 years ago hanging in her hallway. It’s a shot just like this, with far fewer people in it! So we worked to recreate history.I have it in color, too, but I had to show it in crisp black and white:

We were losing light fast, so we had to move after this shot, but I love the back-lighting here. And a beautiful family to match.

Love the colors they wore:

So nice:

Everyone looking and smiling– I meant it when I said they were cooperative!

Great outfit choices– love the white against the greenery:

Just one of them keeping it real…(Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

‘Love the coordinating colors here- and a beautiful family:

Awww…

There’s just something about sisters:

I was so impressed with the children here. They just did as they were told and worked together. Love it when families cooperate so well.

These next 2 make me smile-

Thanks to all of you– it was so nice meeting you. Enjoy your beautiful images; you all did such a great job! I will be emailing you the link to your online gallery once it is all completed.

Sometimes I get to do sessions for our own family, and it’s such fun. I try to tell the story through pictures and and show their unique relationship.

Everyone has a story. And Rob and Beth’s is a story of happiness, and laughter, and even some struggle and tears. A beautiful baby boy has been added to their life, and he already has quite a tale of his own — as he has been through many doctor’s visits and surgeries, both in the past and upcoming, for a cleft lip and palate. He is beautiful. He is loved. He is the sweetest, most placid baby, always smiling and chattering, exploring and learning.

The entire story of Rob & Beth is still being told, and where they are in their life now holds a still, quiet sense of calm. I’m so thankful for them. It’s a beautiful story. I’m so glad I could help tell it.