NPR - Walter's Dogs - Not Photography Related

                                        © 2005 www.waltershotdogs.com


My husband and I get along so well because we have lots of things in common. We have similar views on many hot topics and even hot dogs. If you've ever had a Walter's Hot Dog you'll understand the importance of the latter. Oh sure, there are tons of hot dog stands out there. But, I've never had a dog like a Walter's Dog. I could go for one right now. One? At this hour of the night? You're right, that's crazy! Make it four.

It's not just me craving this dog at all hours of the night. When you stand in line to get your fare (yes, since many others feel the same way about Walter's Dogs there inevitably is a line) you'll see postcards from all over the world. It must really stink to be floating along Semuc Champey and crave a Walter's Dog. What else can you do other than send a postcard? (well, yes, one could write a blog post as well...)

It takes me about 40 minutes to get there from Fairfield and it's worth every minute!

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APPEARING IN BORDERS - JANUARY 2006

From January 1-31 my work will be on display in the downtown Fairfield location of Borders. Be sure to stop by and take a look!

Ho Ho Ho!

Yes, Jack really did open his presents that quickly.

I hope everyone had and is having a fantastic Holiday!

If the Holidays aren't busy enough...

...then try web sudoku.






Thanks to this game I have not wrapped presents. There's still shopping to be done, cookies to be baked, children to be fed. Okay, I fed the kids! But watch out, Sudoku is addictive.

If you haven't read about it in your local newspaper, or seen it on CBS or even FOX's tv series House then you might want to click here to learn more about Sudoku.

Hey, even if you know a little about Sudoku you might want to click on that link anyway. It takes you to Wikipedia where there's tons of information about the history, mathematics and the popularity of Sudoku.

I love that every puzzle has a logical solution so there's no guessing. And I love that it involves numbers! Have fun playing!

What are we going to do with out Mr. Scribbles for the next three weeks??

                                                          image © 2005 Creative Castle

By the time my first born (and only) son was 20 months old I had two children. There were lots of diapers, bottles and sleepless nights in those early weeks. When the kids got older there were also lots of baby-and-me classes... yoga, art, swimming, music and gymnastics to name a few. I came to realize they were all a different variation of the same theme.

Not too long ago I was driving down the Post Road. I saw a bright yellow sign that read, Creative Castle.  I drove by that canary colored sign for weeks before I finally decided to drop in. A primary colored staircase led me up to the second floor where I was greeted by the founder Holly. Everywhere I looked I could see framed works of art from not-yet-famous little artists. After a short and pleasant conversation with Holly, I signed Sophia up for a semester at the Creative Castle.

                                                    image © 2005 Hadley Spagna Photography

I expected the standard mommy-and-me fare. A couple of choreographed songs, some sort of motor skill building activity and that would be the end of class. After the first class at the Creative Castle I was sorry I didn't sign Jack up too. The classes there are actually different. It's obvious that heart, soul and lots of thought, time and energy has been invested in the program. Every detail from the snacks to the moldings around the doors has been scrutinized. In one class Sophia has the opportunity to paint, glue, cut, mold, sing, dance, play, color or whatever (within reason) her heart desires. All without being rushed, with no pressure and no "right" way to do things.

I'm sure Holly, Martin and Amy all need a break. It's obvious they work hard. I understand. But, still, what am I going to do for the next three weeks? EVERY DAY (no kidding) Sophia talks about the Castle. She wants to go there and see Ms. Amy and Mr. Scribbles. She's talked so much about it that Jack is now asks to go to the Creative Castle (and he's never been inside the front door!)

To tide us over for the next three weeks I suppose I'll have to conduct the Artistic Abode.
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PS Don't worry about Jack. He's signed up for the winter semester too.

The cobbler's children have no shoes

Lots of my Holiday shopping has been online. As a result my house is filled with boxes. Before we clear them out of the house I give the kids crayons and let them decorate their boxes. We talk about what they are making (sometimes it's a house or a rocket ship and sometimes things get really wild and we make a pizza restaurant or a grocery store). It's really fun to watch the kids decorate their boxes. They can do it for what seems like hours!

Recently, Jack and Sophia were decorating a box. It was half rocket ship and half princess castle. We laughed about all the princesses in space wondering what happened to their castle. Sophia jumped in the box and I raced for my camera. That's when I took this picture.

Thank goodness I did. It's been ages since I took pictures of my own kids. You know what they say about the cobbler!

Yes, I photograph adults too

A question I've been asked a lot recently is if I photograph adults. Yes, I do photograph adults. I do lots of maternity portraits and sometimes I even photograph a couple like the two you see here.

These two were so much fun to work with. We had lots of beautiful light on our session which made it even more fun for me!

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Do you still have holiday shopping to do? How about checking out what the Oppenheims view as the seasons best toys? Joanne and Stephianie Oppenheim have been reviewing toys since 1989. Toys are played with, opened, assembled and tested with all different kinds of people and child experts. There is no entry fee to submit a toy for review and they don't accept ads from manufacturers. You can't buy a good rating from these guys! That's why when I see the Oppenheim's seal of approval I know it's a toy worth purchasing. Best of all they review toys all year long! The Oppenheims even have an ad free newsletter.



My favorite Oppenheim award winning toy is the Plasma-car. My mother discovered this car months ago and even managed to score Sophia a rare PINK one!

I've got the coolest job

I love my job. Everyday I wake up I either have a new concept for a photograph or am thinking about creative ways to work on photographs in post-production. It's borderline obsessive. Well, maybe not exactly borderline. Probably more like slightly over the line. Sometimes it's obtrusive because I should be thinking about what to make for dinner, or that I have library books to return.

Recently, a client told me that this picture of his son will "define his childhood" when he's older.

That is the kind of moment I live for. It makes the $27.00 late fees that I've incurred totally worth it.

I love this picture

One of my all time favorites.

Not just for kids: Foam Paint

Here it is, the foam paint recipe:

What you'll need

Ziploc bag (or should I be saying gripper seal bags?)
Crayola WASHABLE paints (okay, I have brand loyalty issues)
Non-gel type shaving cream (... Colgate)
*Elmer's white glue *optional

What to do:

Open ziploc bag and fold the top over to make it easier to put the shaving cream in.

Squirt shaving cream inside of the bag until it's 1/2 full or so.

Add WASHABLE (I cannot emphasize WASHABLE enough this gets messy) paint. To get the colors you see in the pictures of this post use about 1.5 teaspoons. If you're feeling brave and have a lot of sponges on hand use more paint to get a richer color.

Add Elmer's glue to the bag if you'd like to keep this project and have the foam stay in tact after it dries . Use the same amount of glue as you do paint.



Eliminate any extra air from the bag by GENTLY squeezing the bag around the shaving cream blob. (In addition to making it easier to mix the paint it also will help reduce the risk of the bag popping and spraying shaving cream all over the house.)

Mix the paint by gently squeezing, scrunching, crunching and smooshing the sealed bag.



Cut off one of the bottom corners of the bag so you can now squeeze your foamy mess (er paint) out of the bag. The bigger the cut the more foam will come out.

What to do with your foam:

If you don't mix in the glue you can put the kids in their bathing suits, give them their foam paint and put them in the bathtub. They'll love having the opportunity to wear their swim suits and will have a blast with the foam (yes, literally).

Make a foamy pizza! Mix up a batch of red foam paint with glue and white foam paint with glue. Smush the all of the red foam paint evenly over a yellow party plate. Use the bag to squirt the white foam paint on top of the red (it's the cheese). Cut out pieces of pepperoni from red construction paper, olives from black construction paper and peppers from green construction paper. Now decorate your pizza!

Make a creative pizza. Spread your favorite color of foam paint on a plate or piece of paper. Decorate with beads, glitter, pom-poms, cut up pieces of fabric or magazines, Cheerios (there I go with the brand loyalty again) or anything your heart desires.

Use 2 inch trim brushes to paint with your foam.

Use your fingers to paint with it too!

Make a bag for yourself and practice your cake decorating skills. See, foam paint isn't just for kids! Don't forget to send me pictures of your leaves (I never can get those to look right) and your roses!

As Lauren would say, watch your Monet while the kids are playing with this. Although it's relatively harmless it's an activity that needs monitoring.





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New Year New Look

Keep checking out my photography site Hadley Spagna Photograhy to see my 2006 makeover!

On display in Grand Central

Hadley's work is now on display in Grand Central Station at the Paradis Found Booth. The show started November 21st and runs through December 24th. Booth hours are Monday through Friday 10am to 8pm and Saturdays and Sundays 12pm to 6 pm.


Stop by the booth and meet the amazingly talented and friendly designer of this high quality, unique children's clothing Dana Paradis. Using chenille bedspreads, camp blankets and vintage fabrics and trims (you've got to see the buttons she finds!) Dana designs and personally sews each one of her creations. Her booth is a feast for the eyes!


To find the Paradis Found booth go to Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Station. It's in the center isle on the east side of the hall.


For more information on Paradis Found visit Hats4Kids.com

Sleeping Baby (not quite)

This is a picture of one of the most alert and mature 6 week olds I have ever had the pleasure of photographing. Her mother called me with the hopes of getting some close ups of her daughter's hands, feet, et al. for an announcement. No problem. I should have said that after I met this little girl. On the day of our session I met a wise, smart, alert, talkative six week old that was more like a 10-12 week old baby. To get the shots Mom wanted we really needed a sleeping baby. Or at the minimum a dull awake baby. This little person refused to rest even with a very full tummy. I chose to share this shot with you today because when I look at this picture I see a sleeping baby. But, remembering the moment I know it was a very awake baby that just so happened to stretch and close her eyes (for a second or two).

Tis the season!

How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was fantastic! Hosting 14 people is easy when they're all such generous helpers. We had pecan pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, brownies, cupcakes, a little champagne and some turkey too. I can't wait for next year.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, the season has begun. No, not the Holiday season (well, okay, yeah, I guess that season has begun as well). I'm talking about painting season. My two children (20 months apart in age) literally bounce off the walls when it gets dark and cold and they get cooped up in the house. My Rx? Painting! The kids love it, they'll paint for at least a half hour and I end up with some amazing artwork for my walls. It's a win-win. The best part is in case there isn't enough to do that day there's a gigantic mess to clean up and usually a bath afterwards.

Speaking of paint. Check back next week when I post my recipe for foam paint. There's no denying it's messy, but it's fun! The best part is that there are a bazillion things you can do with foam paint!

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PS That's my son Jack having at it!

Happy Thanksgiving

Rather than a photo, here's a painting today. This is titled, "The First Thanksgiving" and was painted by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris (1863-1930).

Thank you to Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale for lobbying to make today a national holiday. Thank you also to President Lincoln for declaring Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.

I better start cooking, I've got 14 people coming over later! Gobble Gobble!

Getting ready for Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving just so happens to occur during my busy season. There are Holiday cards to be designed, ordered and printed, photos to be sent to the lab and packaged, boxes to ship, clients to call and oh yes I've got to think about making some stuffing too huh?

Sophia wanted to color. I needed to make a business call. I told Sophia I would color with her after I made the call. While I was on the phone she found some diaper rash cream. I'm still trying to figure out where she found it because I'm worried about what else is there. I'm hoping that she discovered the secret location where all stray socks go to leave their partners. Who knows? Maybe socks and diaper cream like to hang out together? I've heard of crazier things.

The picture you see here is what happens when a busy photographer mom gets distracted on a business call. Like any good photographer mom my first instinct was to grab my camera and take a picture. When I look at Sophia's face in this picture I see, "this is what happens when you talk on the phone when you should be coloring with me". Lucky for me (and Sophia) it came off as quickly as it went on. Even better, she hasn't had a diaper rash on her face all day!

trust

trust
Originally uploaded by hadleyspagna.

I titled this image trust because it was taken as I was building a rapport with this sweet little girl. She had come a long way to have her photo taken by me so she knew this was a big day. During the car ride she had taken a nap only to wake up in a new and strange place. I had a feeling it might take her a little while to become acclimated to her new surroundings. What I didn't realize is that this little girl was going to make me work very hard to earn her trust. This photo was taken at the turning point in our session. Shortly after I snapped this photograph she gave me her trust.

Meet Your Photographer

IMG_1531
Originally uploaded by hadleyspagna.

A big thank you everyone who has written me with your compliments and encouraging words! I love getting your emails. Keep them coming!

Here are some of the questions I am asked most frequently:

What kind of equipment do you use?

I have lots of equipment, but more often than not I shoot with Canon digital cameras . I'm committed to bringing the latest technology to my clients. So, I'm constantly buying new cameras. The latest member of my camera family is the 5D.

Which lens is your favorite?

The 50mm 1.4! That lens gets used 80% of the time on my shoots. Sometimes I'll use it for the entire shoot. When I'm not using the 50mm, I may be using my 24-70mm or the 17-40mm. I even use a fisheye lens and a lensbaby to keep things fresh and fun.

How do you get the eyes of your subjects to sparkle like that?

I look for sparkly light and then photograph my subjects in that light.

Do you have a question you want to ask? Send me an email and you might get your question answered on this blog.

Miles and Milestones

As a member of The International Guild of Children's Photographers, Hadley is dedicated to the promotion of honesty, artistry, and dignity in children's portraiture and proudly participates in Project Miles and Milestones.

What is Miles and Milestones?

Miles and Milestones provides sessions and print packages to families that are separated from their children due to respectful situations beyond their control. So many parents, for reasons beyond their control, are missing out on their children's births, first steps, and other once-in-a-lifetime milestones. Seemingly insignificant everyday moments we so often take for granted are painfully out of reach for mothers and fathers.

If you know someone who might be eligible or think you may be, contact Hadley right away. These sessions are available on a limited basis.

Here's The Scoop On Goop!

This is such a cool thing to do. I made it for the kids and found out that I liked it as much as they did. The properties of Goop are incredible! The possibilities for the imagination are endless. Here's the scoop and have fun!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 rounded teaspoon 20 Mule Team Borax
• 8 oz. white school glue (Elmer's glue, for example)
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 15 drops of food coloring (optional - can be messy)
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

• In a glass bowl, stir together 1 cup of water, the white glue, and the food coloring.
• Dissolve all the borax powder in the remaining 1/4 cup water.
• Add borax mixture to glue mix and stir until a slimy lump forms. Stir vigorously for another 30 seconds.
• Remove the lump of slime and kneed it with your hands to dry it and complete the reaction.
• In 2 minutes or so, you should be holding a ball of wonderful slime that pulls clean from your hands.

THINGS TO DO WITH GOOP:

• Push into small kid-size cups. This will make funny noises and the giggles will last forever.
• Try sticking a straw into part of the Flubber and blowing a bubble.
• Let your hand ooze into the Flubber and watch it act like a liquid.
• Then remove your hand and punch the Flubber. It will act like a solid.

Wicked Cool.

Word To The Wise: Goop is child safe but personally, I wouldn't give it to very young children. They might want to eat it or laminate it to something priceless like your Persian rug or favorite Monet.

Confident Cami

This image is from one of Hadley's last beach sessions. It just so happens to be one of our favorite images too. I love the attitude and confidence that this little friend is exuding in the image Hadley captured.

And that smile!

Wry and controlled. Sweetly suspicious? It lights up her face just as much as she let's it. Like Mona Lisa, one can't help but wondering just what she is thinking. There is so much character in her posture and expression. A great shot, to be certain!

Welcome

Welcome to the premier issue of my new photoblog!

This is a blog you'll want to bookmark! Here you'll find all kinds of interesting information, not just photography stuff. I've got a recipe for goop that I 'll be posting soon so you'll have something to do during the dark afternoons of winter. The atmosphere here is upbeat and fun (much like my sessions!).

Keep checking in often because I might even post special invitations for my clients. For example, book your 2006 session before December 31, 2005 and get my 2005 prices! Yeah, and I may just sneak it in like that so you have to read ALL the words.

You won't be hearing just from me though. My blog partner Lauren will be helping me out (and already has helped so much!).

Lauren and I encourage you to write in with your own ideas, stories, pictures, recipes, whatever! Send us the latest news, your favorite images... Your favorite restaurant! If you’re a fellow photographer, I want to hear from you too. Send your favorite images or tell us about your latest award. Maybe we’ll dedicate a post to you!

So stop by often and dish!

The face of Hadley Spagna Photography

The cutie you see here is my daughter Sophia. This picture is what inspired my Eye-Catching Photography campaign.