Some thoughts for living a good life

beachy days!

I love New England.  Beach photos are so awesome!  And, we probably will get a couple more warm days to put our toes in the sand.  I would love to run out to the seacoast with you and get those final moments of you and your family together.  Beach photography is classic and will create a piece of art to display in your home for many decades to come!

babies

I love babies!  I miss the moments when my girls were babies.  It was so fun to sit and work with miss baby A.  She was so calm, just like her mom.  She was so well behaved, we got lots of fun pics and she got her morning nap during the session.  I am working on a baby plan, so if you have a baby, or are pregnant...or have a friend/family member who is expecting...send them my way!

More dancing!

This summer, Ballet Misha in Manchester, NH, practiced for seven weeks for the ballet Midsummer Night's Dream.  It was an fun show to be a part of and capture to share with all.  So many amazing dancers telling a great story!  Amy Fortier always does a fabulous job with her productions.  These photos are from the dress rehearsal on August 20, 2010.

Just an amazing summer!

My first job is a full time mom to two girls, 8 and 6.  This summer, we decided to forego summer camps in exchange to be together and join the local swim and tennis club.  We had a blast!  Days started with sleeping late and off to swim lessons for 10:50, lunch and then tennis lessons and more swimming.  While there was a certain amount of whining and complaining; the girls and I had fun, learned new skills (with coaxing from the lifeguards) learned to jump off the diving board and how to properly hit forehand and backhands.
Yesterday was the last day to swim at our club.  We swam and ate dinner with friends.  The summer is winding down.
The girls started school last week.  Both of my cherubs are in school full time now.  Long days for all of us.  So far, so good.  I have been reflecting on the past 8+ years in my mom career...thinking about how long the days used to seem, stressing from 4-6 when my oldest had colic and cried endlessly and into toddlerhood when she didn't walk on time.  One worry spilled onto the next but soon was resolved. Spending time with my new mom friends, the days seemed endless.  Enjoyed all the fun of gymboree classes, my first moms' group in Seattle (when my oldest was ten days old!), days walking our dog to Lake Washington in the jogging stroller and just swinging in the little bucket swing at the park.
Playdates grew and evolved.  Now they pick their own.  They have opinions and perceptions of their own. As I try to celebrate each phase, and each one is amazing, truly, I like to remember those long days at the beginning.  Driving home with just one cherub in the back seat thinking "I have the best job in the world".  I do.
I know here I am a Photographer.  But, I want people to know I am much more than that!
Enjoy your babies, the rollercoaster of parenting....soon enough your cherubs will walk on the big yellow bus.  Thank God they still come home at the end of the day!  And, I am so lucky to be able to be home with them and hear all about their day, host playdates, drive them to cheer practice, etc.  I am lucky, too, to have found and developed my passion of photography!  I have the best of both worlds.  Funny, can't write that without hearing Hannah Montana singing in my head.

The Little Mermaid at the Palace Theater

Last month over 160 dancers performed The Little Mermaid in their year end performance.  Dimensions in Dance is a quality studio in Manchester, NH.
Here are some of the high lights...

Miss Diane's Headshots

Beautiful day at Greeley Park in Nashua, NH...headshots of Diane.  She was preparing for an audition and needed an updated headshot.  What's your reason?  New job?  Looking for a job?  Actor/actress?  Professional in need of presence for your company?  Whatever the reason...even a fun facebook profile pic, I can create what you need! Contact me today.  debbie@debbieellisphotos.com

Puppies!!!

Foster parents to puppies are amazing people.  They take in many puppies, or dogs,  at a time in order to save them from being euthanized.   I was thrilled to spend time with one group of them on a spring day, we romped and played and I got lots of love and kisses from them!

don't you just want to squeeze them?  they were all so sweet!

Never stop learning!

It's been a winter of learning so much about photography!  Taking many Photo Festival classes with the NHPPA (New Hampshire Professional Photographer's Association), Winter Seminar, Mini Mondays and the New York Institute of Photography...I have been one busy lady!  Add to that a family and a home, it's been a wild time.
This weekend I am off to the annual conference in North Conway with the NHPPA; four days of learning ahead of me.

Squeezing in some practice time, here are some pictures to share:

Spring is so close...

Although I (not so) secretly hope for another storm to go snow shoeing one more time with my family, I look forward to the rebirth of all things sleeping in winter.  I celebrate all seasons, but March in New England is truly the brown month.  It's caught between winter and spring and not so pretty!  At least with some snow, some of the brown is hidden.

Soon will come the the flowy Easter dresses and bonnets, tulips and buds on all of the trees, boys in sweater vests and pastel colors all around.  If you have some special spring occasions you want captured for all time, I am available to you.  Easter, Communion, birthdays, spring...so much to celebrate!

I have chosen to immerse myself this winter in all things Photography.  It's time consuming, but worth it.  We all write our own story and I have chosen this to be part of mine.  We each have the power to create what we want our life to be, it's so empowering when you think about it and decide to take action to make it happen.

Make it great!

busy times!

This month I have been busy learning with the NHPPA's Photo Festival.  They run a series of classes in the winter and I have been attending each and every one of them.  It's exciting to be learning so much and meeting such kind business people.  This is a great group of people with amazing experience; the best part is they are so willing to share with us newbies and help us grow.  And, a lot of them have been in the business for decades and still learning.  I love that.  Never stop learning!
Classes thus far have been on lighting, posing, photoshop, business practices, etc.  Now to just put it into practice and apply!  Stay tuned for more.

A Princess turns 4!

One of the ways I want to share my services is to be your family's photographer at your events.  How many times have we run all around at our child's birthday party trying to get all the important moments with our cameras.  It really adds to the stress of the day when you are running a party.  It's nice to have someone there, like me, to act as a quiet guest focused only on capturing the moments of the day.  I am happy to do this affordably for your family while I am portfolio building.

Here are some shots of a recent Princess Party.  What a lovely party it was and I was thrilled to be invited to capture the girls.

Happy New Year

It's been a wild and wonderful month for our family.  One daughter in the Nutcracker, then off to Disney World, come home to the week of Christmas, family visiting, New Year and both girls' birthdays, separate parties this year....phew!
I have taken a large number (understatement) of pictures throughout our adventures and will be posting them soon.
I just wanted to take a minute to wish you a Happy New Year.  I love the clean slate, new start feeling.  It's a great time to come up with big picture goals and action plans.
It's going to be a great 2010!  Lets get busy making memories together.