Happy Mother's Day

                                              © 2006 Hadley Spagna Photography



                                              © 2006 Hadley Spagna Photography

Happy Mother's Day!

To start my Mother's Day celebration this year I photographed my children for a change. Here's Jack (almost 5) and Sophia (a fresh 3 - err.. although that is a facet of her personality "fresh" is supposed to mean she just turned three).

The picture of Jack encapsulates his sweet and somewhat reserved personality. The way his hand is perched so close to his face is one of his signature moves. I'm so happy that I was able to capture this moment.

I love this photo of Sophia because it illustrates a side of her I don't see much when I'm behind the camera. In this photo, she is still, contemplative and really looking at me. A typical photo session with Sophia involves a hip thrust (not mine!) and an impish grin.

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                                                           © 2006 J.Crew



A question I get asked frequently is, "What should my child wear?" That's when I give my typical answer, "...avoid distracting patterns and logos, try to limit clothing changes for young children and let me in your closets I'd love to pick something out." Well, next time I get asked that question I may just answer with anything from crewcuts.

Saturday was my first opportunity to visit the new crewcuts line at the J.Crew store in downtown Westport. The pint sized attire is for 2-8 year olds and the colors, patterns and logos will photograph beautifully. The best part is that the clothes are at a price point where you won't mind if your child actually plays and gets dirty in this stuff. (There's a good chance someone's going to get dirty on one of my photo sessions.)

You might not hear other photographers telling you this when helping you select your wardrobe for your shoot. But, I'll say it, "Bring on the madras!"

The Prince

                                              © 2006 Hadley Spagna Photography


When this picture was taken the parents of this beautiful boy and I were laughing and having a good time. It was hard to imagine that just five days prior they were welcoming him into the world. We were laughing because Dad suggested what we were doing was ripped from book of "What Not To Do With Your Newborn". What you can't see is that Baby Boy was at end of the bed on the very edge. Thankfully, both Mom and Dad were close by keeping a careful watch over him.


(This is the picture I described in my previous blog entry.)

Black and white picture taken with the FZ7

                                              © 2006 Hadley Spagna Photography

Here it is! A picture taken with the FZ7. This one is of my dear son who has grown tired of having his picture taken. It was taken in color and converted to black and white in photoshop.

The next blog entry will have the picture that I talked about in my previous blog entry. It's one of my favorite newborn photos from last month.

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Back to business

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Originally uploaded by hadleyspagna.

It's great to be back to business after being closed for the past week!

Okay, this is not a picture taken with the Lumix. But, I had to share this one first. I love this photograph because not only is this a beautiful subject, but I love the lighting in this photograph too. The light seems to wrap around her like a soft halo. An angel.

There must have been something in the water in May of 2005 because you guys have been keeping me very busy with newborns lately! Congratulations on the births of your new babies! I'll be posting a favorite photograph of one of my newborns soon. But, first I'll be posting that image taken with the Lumix. I promise!

Referrals Just Got Better! (and a recent session too)

Today referring a friend to Hadley Spagna Photography just got bigger and better! What's bigger? The bonus! What's better? There's a bonus for the referrer and the referree! ) Email me for more details. I can't wait to tell you all about it!!

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The picture above is from a recent session that I really enjoyed. (Okay, I enjoy all of them!) I picked this picture out to share with you because it's one of those pictures that is a little deceiving. Yes, the sweet little girl in the picture is as content as she seems. But, did you know that I was balancing on the rim of the bathtub while taking this picture and praying that I didn't fall in the tub? (If you did, please be sure to tell me!) Another reason why I had to share this picture is because it's one of my favorites from the session. This little girl really touched my heart. Just look at those eyes! Don't they just melt you?

Looking for a new camera?

                                              © 2006 Panasonic

If you're in the market for a new camera, this one is worth your consideration. Panasonic just annouced the release of the DMC-FZ7. I recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for a lightweight, high quality, compact camera. Priced under $400 this camera is an over-acheiver. It's packed with features including image stabilizer technology, a 12x optical zoom LEICA (yes, I said LEICA!) lens, an easy mode, advanced mode, pop up flash, a 2.5" LCD display in the back... You stopped reading when I wrote Leica, didn't you? I know, when I heard about this camera I almost fell off of my chair too!

Check back soon, I'll be posting pictures taken with the FZ7 soon!

Simon at dpreview wrote a great review of the FZ7. Although he didn't give it the "highly reccommended" seal of approval, I do. Simon wasn't thrilled with the amount of digital noise this camera produces. I'm not disputing the fact that there is digital noise at iso 100 and higher. When you consider the features of the camera and the price point it's a phenomenal deal. The noise won't be an issue unless you're planning on making enlargements or shooting in low light with no flash. (Hey, isn't that what you hire a professional for?)

Happy shopping! Just a disclaimer, I do not own Panasonic stock. But, if I have convinced you to buy a FZ7 be sure to send me some of your pictures, I can't wait to see them!

Has it really been a month?

                                              © 2006 Hadley Spagna Photography

I was planning on business slowing down after the Holidays. But, if anything I'm busier than ever! Thank you for your patience during the great blog drought of 2006.

The photo above is from one of the commercial projects I worked on this month. This photo was taken for an event designer that really pays attention to details. I was amazed at how she thought of everything, right down to padding the "candy shop" (that her crew made) so guests would have a comfortable place to rest their elbows.

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WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THOSE PHOTOS

My clients usually buy all the photos from their sessions. It's a great feeling to know that my clients love all their photos! After they've purchased them all, the next question I get is, "What do I do with all of them now?" Well, as some of my clients already know this year I'm offering traditional photo albums and coffee table style albums for smaller prints. But, how to you hang the larger ones?

I was browsing through Potterybarn's website and found a great page on how to turn an empty wall into a photo gallery. It's got four different layout ideas and printable templates to help you hang your photos on your wall.

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CLOSING MARCH 23-30

Hadley Spagna Photography will be closed from March 23-30th. All phone calls and emails received during that period will be received after March 31st.

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NEW SITE LAUNCED

Did you see my new website yet? I've been working on getting that launched all month. Hmm.. maybe that's why this blog post is so late! There are more changes to come and lots more photos that will be added. Check back soon.

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REFERRALS

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the amazing referrals! I'm so touched by how many of my new clients are booking an appointment because of referrals from friends and family. I appreciate your kind words and all your support!