New Blog!

Over on the new home of Lani Harmon Photography, I finally figured out how to create new blog posts! WooHOO! So, go check out LaniHarmon.com and click on over to the new home of the blog. Upcoming events, guest blog posts from some amazing women, and some posts about how clients are using their images are in store. Go here to add the blog to your reading list!

I Heart Faces - A Touch Of Light

I love I Heart Faces. The photography is phenominal, the themes are inspiring, and I'm proud to enter this image as my 2nd entry into their weekly Photo Challenge.

http://www.iheartfaces.com/

Things I love

Puppies covered in chalk from a sidewalk art project.

Holiday Jump-Start

Today is so exciting! I'm finally launching my Holiday Jump-Start packages. If you are on my email list, you've been hearing about this idea for a few weeks, and now is the time for me to share it with everyone.
For the first time ever, LHP is offering mini-sessions as a Holiday Jump-Start!! These packages include everything you need for meaningful holiday gifts. From framed prints to photo ornaments, they've got it all. 20 minutes of your time for the session, 10-12 edited images to choose from, and simple Holiday gift-giving.
Click here for more information!

Genus?

Have you seen this TED Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert? She discusses her theory about creativity not being inherent in the person, but instead the source of the creativity is outside ourselves, visited upon us by a being history has called a Genius. She shares some funny, interesting, even fascinating stories of the creative process from this perspective.

I'm not a morning person. At all. My bladder disagrees, and I typically wake between 5am and 6am, but I'm back asleep less than 5 minutes later, 99% of the time. This morning was different. I was on the edge of sleep when my brain clicked ON. It was almost audible. My brain was on fire with different thoughts - web copy, sales copy, to do tasks, ideas, pricing, staffing needs, things I'd previously forgotten... on and on it whirled for 20 minutes, until I finally gave in, grabbed a pen, and tried to write it down in the dark to shut it up.

It worked. Kinda. By then it was too late to get more rest, but I did feel a sense of peace in my head for a short time, until the edges of sleep began to curl around me once more. Having experienced this kind of visitation before, I knew that sleep at that point would simply create a crabby mommy when the boys got up in 20 minutes, so today my day started early. Wish me luck.

Here are a couple of example photos - one being my normal 'brain-dump' list-making style. The other, my 5am Genius writing. I've got about 8  pages of the 5am Genius writing. It was so dark I could see the notebook, but not the writing I'd put on it. My hope was that I was legible enough to read in the daylight. Luckily, it seems mostly coherent.

5am Genius writing:

Normal 'brain-dump' writing:

Take the 20 minutes to watch the TED Talk. The story about the poet is simply compelling.

Hope you have a visit from your Genius when you can best receive it.

LHP + Mudpuppies = Awesome

You might have met D's dog Spot (who thinks he's my dog...) Well, Spot dislikes having his nails trimmed. A LOT. I've done all the recommended steps that include treats and such - Spot still has a 'no way am I letting you touch my feet' kinda attitude. So, when I called Mudpuppies and mentioned this, their answer was 'no problem, but you can't be in the room.' Total win-win for me! The first time I took him in, I met Kimberly, the owner. We chatted for about 30 seconds - and Spot was DONE. What? I didn't even hear him barking! They were phenomenal. Seriously. I continued to chat with Kimberly, and guess what? She wanted to see about partnering together for some Holiday pet photos. How fun is that? I was in... and now we are getting so close to time and I'm getting even more excited.

I'll be at Mudpuppies Barktober event happening on Oct. 8th, where you can learn all about Mudpuppies Self-Serve Dog Washing (and everything to do with pets!) and more about how to jump in and have a great photo of your pet for the Holidays with our Holiday Paw Prints event.

Here's what you need to know to stop by:
Mudpuppies
3867 Peach St.
Erie, PA

More to come about Holiday Paw Prints, but until then, here's a short slideshow of some special pups I've enjoyed working with...

Tuesday love

A dear friend with a beautiful Inner Creative Voice started a practice of posting things she loves each Tuesday, and we can link to it! I think it's a wonderful idea, and so. Although it is unusual, I love Facebook. I was dreadfully resistant at first thinking it would simply be a time-sucker (and it is! Oh, how it is!) but without it, I would have trouble sharing our life with my sisters-in-law. I wouldn't be able to do this anywhere near as easily. So, for today, I love Facebook!

Friendship

Friendship can be a funny thing. Certainly, friends cycle in and out as our phases and interests of life change. Sometimes though, there is a friend that you simply forget how much you have in common, and how nice it always is to chat when you make the time to see each other. Do you have friends like that? For me, one of my friends like that is Amy. Every time we see each other, we have great conversations, and I so enjoy our time together... but you know. It's just hard to make that effort to see each other.
Thank goodness Amy likes my photos! Otherwise, I do wonder when we might see each other!
One of the things I like most about Amy is her desire to really capture their life and the things that they enjoy. So, one year we were outside at a grandparents house playing soccer. The next year we spent time together at Asbury Woods. Summertime this year, Amy wanted to capture one of their favorite pastimes - campfires! (Any place there might be marshmallows is somewhere I want to be!)
In honor of friendships everywhere, here's their slideshow!
Enjoy!

Music: Tim McMorris "Make It Last"

Today

Today there are so many thoughts and ideas buzzing around in my head that I'm finding it hard to concentrate. There are so many wonderful opportunities coming my way right now! I'm excited to share some of them with all of you next week... but today is all about trying to stay on task and finish up some edits.
Just for stopping by though, here's a sneak-peek at what I'm working on for next week!

Happy 1st Day of School!!!

In honor of the first day of school this year, I wanted to share some photos that mean a lot to me and my family. You see, we are a Montessori Family.

In February of this year I was able to repay the teachers in our Montessori program for all the gifts they’ve given to our boys in the last two years.

I visited the boys classrooms, and as always, I was amazed at the way the rooms function. Each room has a distinctly different feel, and it completely reflects the personalities of the teachers.

Mrs. Law is energetic and energizing. In her room, the movement is a little quicker, more colorful, more bold.

Mrs. Mulholland is dedicated, and calm. In her room, the focus is always on the children and the process, and the pace is a little more quiet.

They’re even organized differently - which at its core, reflects the Montessori process clearly. As a primary student, (grades pre-k through kindergarten) the students are invited to experience their world with manipulatives, and are surrounded by materials that involve all the senses in the process of learning. In the elementary space, there are more work tables, and spaces to work in groups. The  materials are still there, as well as some more advanced hands-on learning manipulatives, but I find it fascinating that the same tools are approached differently at each phase of the Montessori education process.

Here is a peak into the work, personalities, and processes of the wonderful Montessori program at Belle Valley.

Music: Renee and Jeremy - "Share"



Thanks so much to the hard work of our Montessori Family. Here’s to a fantastic year!

A new home

My 2nd Anniversary for LHP is coming up in October. I've been doing photography (both teaching and working with clients) for about 6 years, but the official, paying taxes and being a registered business is about 2 years old. I spent a large part of this year wondering if I was going to keep LHP running, and as I've done some sessions, worked with some great clients, met some amazing women, and learned about how to run a successful business, my heart keeps returning me to YES. This is my passion. This is the time. So, with the support of my family, we made some changes, and LHP's official home moved from a small, dark, shared space out into an open, bright, sunny spot where I can interact with my family, see the bus when it comes, and have a sweet dog sleeping at my feet.
There is more work to be done, but I'm so pleased with how this new layout has been working for me.

Here's a picture of Day One of LHP's new home.

Soon, I will introduce you all to LHP's new web-home. I've been working on a new website for quite some time, and I'm excited to be getting closer to revealing it to you! A few tweaks and changes to reflect some new ideas I've had is all that is left to do. There are lots of changes, new stuff, and products coming, so keep checking back!

Link with Love

Such an amazing idea. See that? Over there on the right side? Awesomeness. I'm so honored to know Kal, and so often inspired by her ideas, her attitude, and her art. This idea is so BIG. So RIGHT. So perfectly in line with what I believe, what I've tried to teach, and what I require. RESPECT. LOVE. INSPIRATION. ART. SHARING. Link Back.
Learn more about this new program here.
Spread the word.

Memories

Ugh! I had this whole post typed up that didn't reflect my joy in this family AT ALL. It was a total bummer of a post, because I was reminded this week that they're not permanent Erie residents... so I got all negative. None of that, PLEASE. This family is far too fab to worry about next year. Instead, let's take a look back at last LAST year first, as in 2009. Way back then...
The Garrison's were my guinea pig family. They bravely dressed their kids nicely, and let me take them to the beach to see if I could do what my heart was telling me I could do.
Here are a few from that very, very first LHP session, before it was even LHP! Thanks to my good friends for letting me experiment on them, this session even resulted in some of the pictures that are still my favorites today.

For our 2010 session, they were all about capturing some more Erie memories. We spent some time downtown so they would have some photos of that area, and I get to experiment on the Garrisons AGAIN when we do this year's session - they've already reserved my first snowfall session this coming winter, much to Beth's dismay. :) I've convinced her that she can't leave Erie next year without capturing memories of her favorite season!

 Here is the video of our downtown session.

Music: Renee and Jeremy - Is there really any wonder?



Enjoy!

I Heart Faces...

This will be my first entry in the I Heart Faces weekly Photo Challenge. This week's theme "Sun Flare" instantly brought this image to mind. I hope you enjoy it! Please visit I Heart Faces to enter your own image, or to see other amazing photos.

The Kita 5

Working with the Kita family was a wonderful experience. They had some great, creative ideas of what they wanted to capture, (hence the motorcycle!) and the things that were important to them. Their appreciation for photography was obvious when I visited their home to share their images with them, and the kids were some of the nicest, most well-mannered kids I've ever had the pleasure of working with.

Enjoy!

Lucky by Leslie Mills

Toddler and Puppy? Sure!

Working with the Kelley family stressed me out. It was early in the season, I felt pretty new at all this, and there was a toddler AND a puppy? Um. Sure! Absolutely. That's no problem at all! At the beach? Sure! (Panic! Never let them see you sweat!)

The day of the session dawned with beautiful weather, and after the first 15 minutes it was obvious that things would be fine. Having the most photogenic family ever didn't hurt, and Treasure was, well. A treasure. She calmed down just when I needed her to, and played with Nathan like a pro. Some training (both puppy and boy!) had obviously been going on!

Once I relaxed, and they relaxed, we made some magic happen. I hope you enjoy the Kelley family slideshow.

Always Home by Sound of Harris

Gus

Melanie has always shown the utmost devotion to her baby Gus. Since Gus is a therapy dog, I knew that he must be something special. In all the scrapbooking I've ever done with her, somehow I'm pretty sure I missed seeing any photos of Gus. So, to finally meet him on the day of our session, I was beyond delighted.

I have a soft spot for a fluffy dog. Our family dog as a kid was lovely and fluffy and his temperament was very similar to Gus. It was so relaxing to be with this canine bundle of love, and to see that the devotion that Melanie has for Gus is nothing compared to how he looked at her, and that their relationship was nothing compared to how Mel's PARENTS feel about their 'grandson'. Gus is one smart dog, and he knows where the easiest treats come from, let me tell you!

It's possible that Gus was easy to photograph that day because he was days before his surgery for his 2nd bum hip which made it hard for him to be energetic, but I think that calm, serene temperament is what makes him such a fabulous therapy dog, and excellent photography subject. Since we also had to reschedule because of Mel's own knee replacement surgery, you can see how this dog and owner belong together, and since they care for each other throughout their surgeries it also explains their devotion. In light of all of that, this song by one of my favorite artists seemed to fit just right.

I am happy to report that they have both fully recovered from their joint replacements. I just hope Mel's knees let her keep up with a younger, more rambunctious Gus these days!

Make it last by Tim McMorris

Baby-love

When it comes to uber-moms, the first person who comes to mind for me is my friend Melaura. We first met at playgroup, and the thing I remember most about her was how quiet and reserved she was. As I got to know her better, my admiration for her grew. I'm not sure I've ever known someone who knew exactly what they wanted the way Melaura did. "I want four kids." Which, of course, blew my mind. "Why?" says me. "I don't know. It's just what I want." So, her conviction that her family would not be complete until she had that fourth baby never wavered, and when it came time to celebrate that baby's arrival, we were all ready.

The thing I love most about this slideshow is what it DOESN'T show. It doesn't show that her husband Dan had to return to work two days before I photographed the baby, and that Melaura was almost falling over in newborn exhaustion. It doesn't show that there were two tired and hungry toddlers, and Melaura's oldest daughter also in the house. It doesn't show that it was one of the first insanely warm May days, or that the noise level in the house was extreme. It doesn't show Hobbs, who is Melaura's first baby, or how he was both serene and freaked out by the activity level in the house. It doesn't show that 4 kids = chaos.

It just shows how much Makayla was wanted, and loved, and cherished.

Better late than never.... Welcome Baby Cranford number 4.

Music: Fall by Jasmine Ash

VDay and Memories

In honor of my childhood, I give you a memory of two cousins who spent an unhealthy amount of time together. Thinking up trouble, scamming more overnights at each others houses, torturing younger (and in my case trying to torture older) siblings and cousins. Swimming until our fingers and toes were permanently prunes, our bodies shivering with cold, and our hair lovely shades of green. We shared a lot, and one thing we continue to share is a love of music.

Happy Valentine's Meghan. Hope when your day starts in CA it brings you love and contentment.

Broken Wings - Mr. Mister

Tuesday Tips

Last week I talked about the importance of batteries. Today, as the snow falls gently, and coats the landscape in beautiful whiteness, I want to talk about taking your camera with you everywhere. I'm not suggesting that you start lugging your SLR and all your lenses around with you... your camera phone will do in a pinch. Not to mention that today's camera phones and point and shoot camera's have phenomenal range and versatility, and support my firm belief that it is not the equipment that make the photograph, it is the effort and experimentation of the photographer. Let me say this again: Your Camera Doesn't Matter.

So, carry a way to take pictures every day.  Use it to document the small things, and then you'll be in the habit of having it with you to document the big things too.