Sneak Peek - Samuel's 1 year shoot!

Carra O'Neal September 22, 2017

My friend and I decided on a studio shoot for Samuel's 1 year photos. I have to say, the studio is not my strongest area. I always have all these lofty ambitions when it comes to studio lighting but when you add an active 1 year old they go right out the window! Why? Well, you set up some nice lighting for one specific spot and then they move. So, I try to light the whole scene as best I can. Luckily Samuel is the happiest little kid ever! He made this soooo easy on me. Plus, those big brown eyes and those curls are just to die for! This kid seriously can not take a bad photo!

Tried going for a Dr. Seuss theme, but that didn't last long... I had these ideas of him standing, holding onto the chair with the Dr. Seuss animals around him... haha yeah, right! He's 1! Way to put me in my place, Samuel! How quickly this mommy forgot what it's like to have a 1 year old.

That hair! Someone took his hat off and then tried to put it back on, resulting in the cutest hair I've ever seen!

Couldn't get him to stand holding onto the chair so Samuel's Mom suggested an activity table! Thank goodness I had one. What a lifesaver! Thanks Deanna! And can we please talk about those cute suspenders?!?!

After he had it with the studio, we let him crawl around. He went to the back door to watch my dog, Piper. He loved her! Couldn't resist snapping a few natural light shots :)

Traveling with a Toddler: Lake George Edition

Carra O'Neal August 15, 2017

As promised (albeit a little late), a blog post about traveling across the country with my two year old (and flying one way without the husband!) and kicking it for two weeks (solo parenting for one of those weeks) with my little dude.

Honestly, it didn't come without its challenges but I have to admit that it was one of my favorite trips so far. As you'll hopefully see from the pictures below, the kids had a fantastic time! My stained clothes and exhaustion are testament!

A side note: No we aren't traveling all the time even though social media makes it look like that. I'm just a busy working Mom so my photos tend to go up wayyyy after because I can never find sufficient time to sort through them right away. So for reference, this trip was taken July 1-13. Ya know, a month ago now...

Checking out the planes at the airport. iPhone photo.

I'll be the first to admit that two is a tough age to travel with. Lee is going through an "independent" stage where he insists (sometimes super loudly) that he get his way. Along with that comes the "I'm just going to randomly run away from you" phase. So how'd the flights go? Surprisingly well. I set my expectations about as low as they could go. I've seen kids throwing tantrums for up to 30 minutes on planes before. I expected at least one if not two or three of those. Luckily, we got away without any major tantrums. I still can't believe it. In the moment, every loud protestation seemed like the end of the world to me but looking back I have to laugh at myself and say "damn, woman, you have an easy kid."

First class luxury. This kid is unbelievably lucky and super spoiled when it comes to travel... unfortunately we spend many nights away from Daddy for this kind of status to be obtained. Thanks for the upgrades, Daddy! iPhone photo

Alright, so my mantra when I travel is "the journey cannot last forever." And insert whatever word in place of "journey" that you need to... like "tantrum." I also like to replace most of it with "he cannot stay awake forever." And while these help, they are also true. My other method of coping is giving up all "rules" I previously held at home and letting the kid get his way almost all of the time. Now, I put my foot down when it comes to respecting other people and being kind but rules on screen time and snack time do not apply when on an aircraft. He can watch as much Paw Patrol and eat whatever he wants on the airplane. Although I say he can eat whatever he wants, I really only bring his favorite healthy snacks... popcorn, cheese sticks and fruit. Lots of fruit is key, actually. I have a theory that he would be a worse kid if he didn't poop. A lot of times when traveling you can get a bit backed up. Not the case for this kid. He has a knack for pooping when we take off. Almost. Every. Single. Time. Super inconvenient for Mommy (yes, I changed his diaper on the seat in first class because storms wouldn't allow anyone to get out of their seat for most of the flight and I wasn't about to deal with the fallout from a diaper rash... plus, it stunk!). You do what you have to do. Most everyone I've ever encountered on a plane flight understands this. Oh, and bring dog poop bags. They are super handy to put dirty clothes in, if there's a blowout, or you're forced to change a diaper on a seat...

Living a life of luxury. #somuchlegroom iPhone photo

Now I'll give you just a few specifics on how the flight by myself with him went. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time so I didn't have to worry about that. Lugging our luggage and him to the counter was tough. I stuck him in his hiking backpack and lugged a roller bag, camera bag, his car seat and his diaper bag from the rental car garage to the terminal. I'm superwoman. I should have gotten a cart but I'm cheap...

This kid wouldn't wear pants... even in first class... oh well, not worth the fight! iPhone photo

Check in and security went smoothly. My little runner didn't allow me to get coffee or food but I had a strong feeling that would be the case so I got some food on the plane. At the gate I had to give up on preventing him from climbing on the window sill (aka the vents for the terminal) so he could see the planes. After he was up there he was super happy and we made it to boarding with no major issues. Waiting in line to board was a bit of an issue. He kept running off because he wanted to go down the "jetway tunnel." Luckily people in line thought it was amusing and saved my spot while I ran after him a total of 3 times. Once on board he was content with his iPad. We have shows and movies and games for him. He has a short attention span so he flits between all three. Then he pooped as we were taking off. Changed his diaper in the seat... I was repulsed but no one else seemed to be. The first leg to Chicago was pretty short so he was happy with his iPad and snacks the whole time.

Nap time on flight number two. iPhone photo

Transitioning to flight number two wasn't bad, behavior wise, but I had trouble keeping up with him and convincing him he couldn't ride on all the passenger carts. On top of that, there was a lot of construction equipment because of renovations that he was interested in... dragging him away tended to lead to a few loud shouts of disapproval. But we made it on the second plane and he fell asleep immediately. I got 1 hour and 20 minutes to eat lunch and re-charge. I credit a bigger seat for this. He was able to readjust mid-nap without waking up. This flight was around 4 hours. The last hour and a half he was super antsy. There were the occasional shouts of disapproval (like when I told him he couldn't crawl under the seat in front of us...) but after dozens of trips walking/running up and down the aisles, he was mostly well behaved. We arrived tired but in one piece.

Overall, not an experience I'd jump into every day but one that is worth it for all the fun we had at the lake. Please enjoy the photos of our lake adventures below, and let me know in the comments section if you have any questions!

Our trip overlapped with my cousin Shane and his family. Here's Lee with his cousins Logan and Parker and his second cousins Emmie and Molly! iPhone photo

Logan jumping into the lake with her Dad.

Playing naked on the dock at sunset with water guns. Best 4th of July ever!

Cousins! They love each other, I promise...

Exactly how I'd like to spend every day.

Miss Logan's hair catching the sunset light.

Lee and the Schraders heading off into the sunset.

Happy Fourth of July!! Lee liked these way better than the "scary, loud" fireworks.

Happiness is looking for frogs with Daddy.

Reading stories from little Echo Bay library box with the neighborhood kids.

The perils of carrying a two year old on your shoulders..

Matt took my camera so I could be in a few photos. The kids decided to take a break in the middle of the road. Thank goodness there aren't many cars...

"Carry me, Mama!" OK! I won't be able to do it long! — "Carry me, Mama!" OK! I won't be able to do it long!

This girl is trouble! Clever, strong, beautiful and kind. And her hair!

These were weeds growing next to our driveway.

There's a slight resemblence to Lee at that age... don't ya think?

Trying to shoot the water in his mouth...

Back to the frog pond! (something we did almost every day)

Finally got the nerve up to touch the frog and it natrually jumped away from him...

When I photograph kids I always try to get down on their level. After a few minutes at the frog pond I had fallen into the pond up to mid-calf and both knees were muddy. Worth it. I love these photos! The higher angle photos work best for me when the kids are looking up. For me, it gives the image a hopeful feeling - looking to the future!

As a photographer, I'm always chasing light and story. Both seem to allude me. It's like chasing down my two year old... always one step behind and when I catch up, it's a fight. Worth every second. The learning curve both as a photographer and a parent (albeit on different levels) is super steep. Keep climbing, parents and artists! There's got to be a fair number of great views on the way to the top! :)

Our beloved Echo Bay, where I (arguably) became the person I am today thanks to many adventures and awesome friends and family.

We got back from a trip to Hagerman Lake in Michigan a week ago now. I'll try to get a post up about that before I leave for Norway on Friday. Follow me on Instagram if you want to see some photos from both those trips before I get the blog posts up! I'm going kid free for this one and I'll be battling some rain on some pretty remote islands. Should be interesting... might get a lot of interesting shots or maybe none at all. We shall see!

Sneak Peek: Riley's First Birthday Shoot!

Carra O'Neal April 3, 2017

I can't believe Riley is almost one! She is such a joy! Boy was this a fun and laid back shoot! I wish more families would do morning shoots. Riley was in an incredibly good mood and the spring light just rising up over the hills in Alamo was incredible! Can't beat the green hills, either!

So while the Yahrs were totally on top of it, I unfortunately was not... forgot the picnic blanket (Bri saved me on that one!) and messed up my battery system so I thought I had 2 charged batteries when I really had a fully charged battery and a half charged battery... And for some weird reason I used the half charged one first and had to run to my car and change it out halfway through...Thankfully Justin and Megan were awesome enough to put up with my scatter brain! :)

Happy Birthday Riley!!

Absolutely in love with Megan's hair. I know this is about Riley, but I'm obsessed with the color! — Absolutely in love with Megan's hair. I know this is about Riley, but I'm obsessed with the color!

My favorite couple moment is always right before a kiss. I sort of botched this one (too low of a shutter speed) but I still love this photo! So much love!

Loved this dress! Wishing I had a little girl right about now ;)

Heading back to the helicopter in Milford Sound.

Traveling with a Toddler: New Zealand Edition

Carra O'Neal March 28, 2017

If you have small children and you love to travel, just do it! I know it seems scary but it's never, ever as bad as you think it will be. Plus, you get all these amazing pictures of your kid having a great time and discovering new things. Look, I know I'm biased and partial to my own kid, but you have to admit, the pictures below show some really great memories! And if you're thinking, "well he won't remember it, he's too young!" that's probably true but he'll always have these pictures that you can revisit and talk to him about. We've even been back for two weeks now and I'm still hearing "go to Queenstown, Mommy?" "Go to Christchurch, Mommy?" "Sheep haircut, Mommy?" "Helicopter, Mommy?" "Go on airplane again, Mommy?" When I tell him we'll take another airplane trip to Lake George in the summer he goes "Airplane again this summer, Mommy?" Seriously, you may dread a long flight but if your kid is anything like my kid, he loves the plane and I secretly suspect it was his favorite part of the trip. Below I'll explain why!

I suspect most of you want to know about the flight, more than anything. I know it was my biggest nightmare before we left. Turns out I way over-prepared for it and really didn't need as much as I brought. Lee had a backpack for his diapers, extra clothes (at least 2 pairs... between food stains and potential blowouts, you'll use them!), and toys. (Backpack pictured above on Matt). We wanted to keep it to just one carry-on, which we did. But it was majorly heavy so if I had to do it again, I'd leave a few things at home.

Throwing rocks with Grandma into a stream while waiting on our lunch in Wanaka. Any time there was an opportunity to throw rocks in a body of water, we made sure to stop and do it!

I bought a bunch of new books and a few new toys for the flight. The books were good but in reality I only needed the thin, light ones I bought (set of 5, 3 of which are pictured below). I could have left the thick cardboard books at home although when he was smaller he loved the lift the flap ones. I also bought a ton of sticker books but the biggest hit was the airplane sticker book (pictured below). It was relevant to what we were doing, had stickers, and he even asked for it as a bedtime story! It's still his favorite now that we're home! As far as toys go, I bought him some small trucks (set of 6, a few pictured below), something I noticed that he really liked at his cousin's house. I also added 2 paw patrol pups since that's his current favorite show. I did not let him play with or even see these before we left. So once he started getting cranky I could pull out the new stuff and he'd be thrilled! Worked quite well. I also brought along the mess free coloring books and markers (pictured below). This wasn't as big a hit since he's used them before but it gave him something different to do when he wasn't feeling anything else. For the next flight, these will probably be all the toys and books I'll bring.

Lee's favorite things for the plane ride!

Ok, so now you're probably thinking there's no way my 1-2 year old would be occupied for 12 1/2 hours with just that! And I'd say, yes, you're right. Our other go-to was the iPad. Not only did we find some really great age-appropriate games that he loved but we downloaded Moana and every time we needed him to sleep we'd let him watch it and he'd nod off. A word of caution, though. Lee was watching the iPad on a windy road in the car and he puked everywhere! He gets slightly car sick on really windy roads when reading or watching a screen (something we discovered when we went to Mammoth last year) so we should have kept the iPad out of his hands in the car but we didn't... lesson learned... again! After that we'd rotate who sat in the back to entertain him. Before we left we also started playing "I Spy" with him on our walks. Since it was something he was familiar with we could sometimes distract him with this game in the car. The other car game he loved the most? Taking off his socks and throwing them at Grandma like he was playing baseball. She'd throw them back and he was entertained for a crazy amount of time! Amazing what simple things can keep a kid occupied!

Another tip for the plane: let your kids walk the aisles as much as they want (when it's safe). Rotate parents (and hopefully grandparents) if you have them. If the kid is happy, no one will care that he's running up and down the aisles! In fact, Lee gets a lot of high-fives and we get to talk to a lot of new people.

Finally, my last piece of advice for the plane would be SNACKS! Bring lots and bring favorites. I wasn't about to argue with him about eating vegetables but I did pack lots of fresh fruit. I wanted to make sure he had the fiber, to avoid tummy troubles, but it also had to be something I wouldn't have to force into him. Keep in mind they will confiscate any fresh fruit that's left over when you arrive, but that wasn't a big deal for us. We just wanted to make sure he had more than enough for the plane.

Discovering new critters in the grass on our hike.

So, you must be wondering how the flights actually went. Well, the flights were the easy part! Lee had only 2 major meltdowns. One could have been avoided with better planning and the other one was completely out of our hands.

Lee slept 7 1/2 hours on the first flight and woke up relatively happy. He napped the whole 2 hours on the connecting flight and was in good spirits. Not his usual amount of sleep but enough to keep him from falling apart. He was pretty uncomfortable sleeping on our laps (and so were we!) on the plane so if you have the budget I'd recommend getting your little one a seat of his/her own and bringing along their car seat. I bet Lee would have slept more soundly. But I totally understand that travel is crazy expensive so not paying for a seat is ideal. Lee still slept pretty good, so I can't complain. His first meltdown came during the last hour of our 5 1/2 hour car trip directly after we landed. We had decided to land in Christchurch and immediately drive to Queenstown. He slept a few hours in the car but couldn't get comfortable the last hour. I felt horrible for him. With better planning we could have flown into Queenstown and avoided the meltdown. But we also got to see some pretty epic scenery driving (although that's not much of consolation for a mother thinking she's horrible for putting her kid through all this just so she could see the world and not leave her kid behind to do so!).

Secret to a smooth trip around the world: grandparents! (Other friends or family will also work... just someone else to distract your kid makes a world of difference and allows you to take a breather every once in a while!)

And now the time change... we are lucky on the West Coast because the time difference is only 3 hours. This amount of time is not that big of a deal to adjust to. We got a little screwed on the way back because Daylight Saving Time made the difference 4 hours but it wasn't too bad. My philosophy with the time differences is: let the kids sleep whenever they want, including little cat naps. They will slowly adjust on their own and if they sleep when they're tired you can avoid meltdowns and tantrums. I've found that Lee wanted to be awake when it was light out and asleep when it was dark. In fact he slept through the night every night (I couldn't believe it!). He didn't sleep his normal 10-11 hours, though. It was more like 9-91/2 but with all the distractions during the day it didn't make a difference in his temperament. And if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I would suggest that if you're having them sleep in the car or strollers almost every day, take a day every three days or so and let them sleep at the hotel or rental to get some good quality sleep. You'll know when they're hitting their limit of so-so naps and they really need a good one.

That brings me to accommodations. Get an Airbnb or a VRBO. It's been such a lifesaver for us when we travel. We've been able to afford places with a separate room for Lee (which we could not afford if we stayed at a hotel) and they usually include a kitchen and some even have washers and dryers! Not eating out every meal made it much easier to avoid public meltdowns. Especially at the end of the day when we pushed him too hard. It's a lot easier to let your over-tired kid run around a rented apartment while eating dinner than forcing him to sit still and eat at a restaurant. It's also cheaper to make a grocery store run and eat in every once in a while, especially since your group is much larger now that you have a kid or two!

View of Queenstown at sunrise from our Airbnb rental! Epic 3 bedroom for an insanely reasonable price.

Now you're probably wondering about the unavoidable meltdown. That came in the customs line when we returned to the U.S. Lee didn't sleep great on the return flight so he was tired. He kept it together on the plane and was a little angel. Once we got off he naturally wanted to run around. Unlike other countries you are shepherded immediately into the customs and immigration lines after exiting the plane (no time to let off steam or even go to the bathroom). So we had to contain our overly tired toddler. Not good. The other problem? You aren't allowed to use electronic devices in line... so that meant, no iPad. The last problem? There were only 3 customs officers for 2 international flights! We waited in line for almost an hour before a customs officer let us go ahead because of our screaming child. We endured screaming, hitting and kicking for a good 45 minutes. So, be prepared. There are just some times when a public tantrum is unavoidable. In this instance, everyone felt the way Lee was acting and no one gave us dirty looks... just sympathy looks. Everyone was pissed. So I found some solace in that fact!

Checking out the jet boat while heading around Lake Wanaka on the Outlet track. A super simple walk with ample opportunities for rock throwing (just watch out for mountain bikers!).

Another little tidbit. We've traveled to a lot of places with high altitudes. If you're staying somewhere at a higher altitude than your kid is used to and you can't figure out why your kid isn't sleeping, try a humidifier or turn on the shower for a few minutes. We found the dryness of the higher altitudes kept Lee up because he was uncomfortable. Took us 2 sleepless nights in Mammoth last year to realize this! Don't make the same mistake we did!

Last but not least, you know your kid better than anyone! You know their limits and, even if you're in denial about them like I am, you know your own. Listen to your instincts. You've got this!

Now onto our adventures! Enough words, already, c'mon Carra!

Sticks and rocks, the only toys you need out here!

Heading out across Lake Manapouri on our way to Doubtful Sound. About that pacifier... anything that brings comfort to your kid, bring it and give it to them without restrictions. You want your kid to be able to soothe himself/herself whenever possi… — Heading out across Lake Manapouri on our way to Doubtful Sound. About that pacifier... anything that brings comfort to your kid, bring it and give it to them without restrictions. You want your kid to be able to soothe himself/herself whenever possible. Even if that means you have to get looks about your 2 year old still being attached to his pacifier. Rather that than the public meltdown!

Sitting with Grandpa in the Captain's seat.

Chilly but beautiful ride across Lake Manapouri.

Checking out the view of Doubtful Sound with Grandpa. No smiles here, but still having a good time!

Enjoying the view from the boat in Doubtful Sound.

Attempting nap time with Daddy on the boat. It failed. Fell asleep on the bus ride back over the pass to Manapouri. Late nap but still worked out.

Helicopter ride! Lee was so excited about his headphones!

Landing in Mildford Sound. Couldn't have been a more stunning helicopter ride!

Boat ride in Milford Sound. Lots of boat rides on this trip since hiking and kayaking weren't that realistic with a toddler. But it's a great way to see lots of things in New Zealand!

Inside the boat, enjoying the view and a little lunch.

Helicopter ride back from Milford Sound. Detour stop on top of a glacier overlooking the Tasman sea.

Nap time was a no-go on the boat so Lee fell asleep as soon as the helicopter took off again. Slept through the glacier landing and got a solid nap on the way back. Missed a lot of sights but we've got the pictures to show him!

Hiking out to the Blue Pools with Grandma in tow.

Checking out the blue pools from up above.

Throwing rocks into the blue pools. Seriously, Lee's favorite activity.

Back to the car on Daddy's back! Couldn't survive any of these outdoor adventures without our Deuter Air Comfort backpack!

On our way to Christchurch from Queenstown we took the detour up the west coast. Stopped for lunch at a salmon farm in the middle of nowhere. Spent $1 on fish food so Lee could feed the fish. Best $1 ever spent!

On the jungle trail out to a viewpoint of Fox Glacier.

Made it to Hokitika for the sunset and some fish and chips. Lee's contimplating life in this one.

Pohatu Penguin Safari. Stopped along the way to take a picture with a view of Akarora on the Banks Penninsula.

Feeding some pet sheep at the Flea Bay farm where the penguin sanctuary is.

Penguins? Sheep? No, I'm just interested in the garden cat, Mom!

Back out to the Banks Peninsula the next day for a sheep shearing and dog herding demonstration!

Can't visit New Zealand without going to a sheep farm.

The farm had a little sheep bike. A huge hit with Lee!

For more on the specifics of our adventures, stay tuned for the next few blog posts. Please leave any comments or questions if you've got some! Happy to share my experiences and advice! Good luck to you all and may you have safe and happy travels!

New Territory: Product Photography!

Carra O'Neal February 23, 2017

I ventured into new territory recently! A client who I did family portraits for last year has her own Fair Trade earring business and she asked me to do some product photography for her site and her social media accounts. I thought, why not? Below is a small sample of the shots I took. Check out her site for more photos and, of course, to order these beautiful earrings! http://www.skyeandgrace.com/ And to see more of my photos and to stay up to date on any sales, check out Skye and Grace on Instagram. @skyeandgrace

Working with different backgrounds for some of their social media accounts. Check this one out on Instagram! @skyeandgrace

Getting the perfect white background while still maintaining shadow detail for a website is a bit of a challenge... I watched 3 different tutorials before finding the method that worked best for me!

Working with colors and different backgrounds!

I also took a crack at studio portraits for social media marketing. What a ton of fun this shoot was!

Stay tuned for more studio portraits! I will be taking a crack at a studio newborn shoot this weekend. Hopefully I can soon offer that as a regular service!

Also heading to New Zealand at the end of next week. For those of you missing my landscape, wildlife and underwater photography, stay tuned for some epic shots next month! Super stoked!

I'd love to hear what you guys think so far and what you'd like to see more of! Leave me a comment on this post or head on over to my contact page and give me a shout out! Thanks!