Her little face | Elmira, NY Photography

March 8, 2016July 7, 2017 / Lisa R. Howeler

This photo was taken by sitting the camera at an odd angle and not even looking into the viewfinder because I couldn’t get into the position I needed to get the shot I wanted. If I start Yoga up again maybe I can get into that position some day.. When I knew bending down was going to rip my back out more and give my chiropractor even more business, I put the camera on my knee and shot up because I desperately wanted that backlight around her cute little head. This shot was also edited in Lightroom to give the image even more of the feel I was looking for.

I always want to remember | Sayre PA Child Photographer

February 19, 2016July 7, 2017 / Lisa R. Howeler

I always want to remember these days. The days when you grabbed Four, the old cat at Grandma and Grandpa’s that used to be mine, and tried to carry her around the porch like one of your dolls. We were lucky she didn’t try to scratch you, since she’s an outdoor cat and your used to the ones that live indoors.

I want to remember how you took off for the stairs by yourself and reached up for my hand and then walked down those high concrete steps with only my hand as your support. At 16 months of age and already climbing stairs on your own, not crawling but actually doing your best to walk up them on your own.

What are we waiting for? | Ulster, Pennsylvania Child Photographer

December 14, 2015July 7, 2017 / Lisa R. Howeler / 1 Comment

I meet my son’s bus at an old school parking lot and usually we head home right away to make dinner and get ready for karate or to get homework started.

This past week we’ve had warm temperatures and sunny days but I’ve been too busy to enjoy it. By the time I have been ready to experience some of the warmth, the sun is already sinking below the hills that surround the small town we live in.

One day I took my daughter out of her seat as we waited for her brother and admired the golden light of the already setting sun. When my son got off the bus I heard myself say:

“Oh wow… Look at that light … It’s amazing.”

I knew we had to get home, get dinner done and get to karate. No time for photography or having fun or just cutting loose. I had to start being responsible and stop being such a goof off, as I tend to find myself being.

“Then what are we waiting for?” I heard my son say and before I could remind him we have responsibilities he took took off across the still green grass, tinted golden by the sun.

Without even thinking I was carrying the baby across the grass and watching my son climb a tree limb that had broken off one tree and fallen against another.

Soon My daughter was trying to eat dried black walnuts and I was admiring the sun flare behind her head.

I forgot schedules and responsibility and we ran down a hill and laughed and hugged each other while the sun set behind us.

Sometimes we need those spontaneous moments of joy. We need to put aside what we tell ourselves are responsibilities but are probably only things we do because someone else does and we don’t want to look like a bad parent to someone else.

My son seems to often transform mundane moments into magical ones. Watching him climb the tree limb, sitting at the top,proud of his accomplishment, I found myself admiring his willingness, maybe even his determination to seize the moment and go with the flow.

Before I had children I saw parents as the teachers and the children as students but now that I’m a mother i realize my son often leads me and where he leads me is into a world where the focus is on what is true, real and important.

Weekly Favorites: Aug. 16 to Aug. 22

August 25, 2015 / Lisa R. Howeler

Here we are at the last week of summer and I can’t even believe how fast it went by. My son is entering third grade this week and my daughter, husband and I will be figuring out how to spend our days without a crazy 8-year old to entertain us. Here are some of my favorite images from this past week.
Grace is a climber and apparently she thought she was going to climb the fence into her brother’s little haven he’s set up for himself. I took her down seconds after taking this photo, to avoid her falling on her face.

My son is growing up too fast. He also has one of the most expressive faces. I can’t remember what this one was for but it had something to do with a story he was telling me about Minecraft.

Grace likes to try to sit right next to her brother when he’s drawing and I mean right next to him.

Grace has loved exploring our backyard with our puppy this summer, especially since our mini garden of pumpkins and tomatoes has been taking it over.

Jonathan was thrilled he could finally climb all the way around this particular playground equipment.

Grace has started leaning into her brother for hugs each morning.

Our second living room has become his Lego/Art Room. Somehow. It’s where he creates now.

Mackenzy’s Senior Session | Chemung, NY Senior Photographer

August 17, 2015 / Lisa R. Howeler

Mackenzy chose the Ithaca Farmer’s Market and Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca for her senior session and wow! What amazing locations. It helped that the model was also amazing.

Summer’s End: new discoveries | Athens PA Child Photographer

August 14, 2015 / Lisa R. Howeler

This post is part of my Summer’s End photo project. Summer is a special time in my family. It’s time for us to be together without nights of homework, gaps of separation for school and school-related activities. This year our summer is even more special because we have a new member of the family to participate in all the fun.

I’ve been heading out to the towering tomato plant my dad planted at the beginning of the summer with my son every day for two weeks now, waiting for my cherry tomatoes to ripen. I’m the only one in the family who eats them. Or I was, because our 10-month old daughter decided the other day she’d try them out while I was picking some to see if they would ripen off the vine as my parents had suggested.

They’re not quite ripe and not the grapes she thought they were, but she still seemed to like them.

Mornings with Gracie | Athens, PA Child Photographer

August 12, 2015 / Lisa R. Howeler

From the moment she wakes up, 10-month old Gracie is looking to explore. Our mornings are a blur of movement for about three hours until she crashes hard for her morning nap.
She’s recently started walking so each morning is a new opportunity to see how far her feet will carry her.

Often this walking and exploring starts before I am even fully awake. Her latest delight is walking but also crawling up the stairs and then waiting for me to carry her back down so she can do it all over again.