My boyfriend Kenny C.

I am so happy to tell you about the newest division of rialee photography… tiny sprout. I have been working on this little project for awhile and hope you are all as excited about it as we are. Check out our all-new website here, and make sure to visit the tiny sprout blog for more info about our new adventure! For those of you that may be wondering, rialee photography will still be operating as normal… this is just another fun addition!

***ETA: Just a couple things to clarify due to the many inquiries we’ve been receiving… I will only be shooting for rialee photography, Casie and Lindsey are my associate photographers and they will be doing the shooting for tiny sprout. There is a different pricing schedule for tiny sprout, and we can e-mail that out to you if you are interested. Tiny sprout will not be doing newborn sessions… those will all remain with rialee photography. Many people have asked about a baby plan though… and I am excited that we will offer that through tiny sprout! Hope that clears up some of the confusion. Thanks again for all of your interest!

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A couple of other items to let you know about… I have changed the business basics workshop dates to Sept. 30th-Oct. 1st. If you were registered for this workshop, you should have already been notified of this change. If you wanted to register for the August one, but those dates did not work just give us a call and we will get you registered for this one! Also, I have added another photographerMAMA workshop for October 29th-30th and registration is now open. Call Michelle at the studio (701-478-9659) to reserve your spot!

I’ll be out of the studio Thursday and Friday this week. I’m heading to WeFest tomorrow and am looking forward to spending some time with my good friend Kenny. See you Monday!

~Ria

My kids are right in the thick of absolutely HATING me taking their pictures. (They also hate anything that involves them standing in close proximity to one another… or heaven forbid, touching each other!) Here they are staring at me while I’m explaining that I’d like them to stand together at the end of the dock with their arms around each other. I love those kids.

In case any of you were ever wondering where I got my love for decorating… here is a peek at my mom’s cabin on south Lida.

I’m off to photograph a bunch of kids in a few minutes…. enjoy the beautiful day!

~Ria

I just had to share some photos of my favorite thing that is growing in my ‘garden’ right now. I planted the bulbs for these tulips last fall, and have been enjoying their gorgeous blooms this spring. They are a combination of the “White Tacoma”, and “Angelique” variety of double tulips, and when they open up they end up looking a lot like a peony. I cut some for a vase last night… don’t you just love ‘em?

What did you do this weekend?

Have a great weekend everyone!

~Ria

I would say that this day was maybe the most challenging for our family. Magic Kingdom is so completely overwhelming, and since we had never been there before, it took us awhile to to even figure out in which direction we should start. The kids also had a difficult time grasping the concept of ALL there was to do and see there, and really just thought they would be hopping from ride to ride. They wondered why we had to wait in line so long, why we had to go to certain places of the park just to LOOK at stuff, why we had to wait while some of the kids wanted to go on rides that others didn’t, why we couldn’t get treats everytime we saw them… etc. After we got over that initial hurdle though… things seemed to go relatively smoothly. People told us that the park was really not very busy compared to other times during the year (we were there on December 16-17th) and many of the rides did have very short lines. The longest line we waited in was for the Peter Pan ride, and that was probably about a 45-50 minute wait. We soon learned how to effectively use the FASTPASS system and didn’t have to wait for long lines after that.

One of the great things about going at the time of year that we did was all of the fun Christmastime festivities. My favorite thing about our time at Magic Kingdom was watching them light up the Cinderella castle with all of the lights. We also bought tickets to “Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party”, where the park is closed to the public and reserved only for ticketholders. There is a special holiday parade, free cookies and cocoa, fake snow on Main Street (which totally did not impress us Minnesotans!), and a special fireworks show set to Christmas music. The entire event is so magical, it’s almost hard to describe. We will never forget it.

Day four of our trip was spent at Animal Kingdom, one of the 4 Disneyworld Theme Parks that doesn’t get a lot of attention but we all agreed that we enjoyed it more than Magic Kingdom. The kids’ favorite roller coaster of the trip was there… Expedition Everest. (I could only handle one ride on that death trap, but the kids went on it over and over.)

My favorite part of Animal Kindom was exploring the “Africa” section of the park. Disney has done such an amazing job to make every detail as realistic as possible. Walking through their imaginery village of Harambe is much like walking through a village in Africa. We also made sure to go on the Kilimanjaro Safari, where you travel in an open-sided safari vehicle, and have the opportunity to get up close to many safari-type animals. We ate lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe, watched an amazing live performance of Festival of the Lion King, and met all of the Disney characters. This park closed at 5pm, and we were not ready to leave. We definitely could have spent an entire day here.

The fifth day of our trip was a complete rain-out, so we spent the day resting up from the previous action-packed days and just hung out. Also, in case you are wondering why my kids seem to be wearing the SAME clothes in all of the photos, it is because we were not very smart packers, and didn’t anticipate the cool weather. They all had brought only ONE sweatshirt each!

The last day of our trip was spent at Seaworld, and all of our kids agree that this was their favorite attraction of them all. (It’s funny because when I was researching where to go on our trip, many people said that Seaworld was a place that would be okay to skip; that it was not really a “MUST SEE”, and it ended up being our kids’ favorite! Huh.) I’m glad they really enjoyed it though, because I think this may have also been the most expensive day of our trip.

Seaworld favorites were feeding fish to the seals and sea lions, (and trying not to get attacked by those huge ugly birds), eating lunch at the Underwater Grill, where you are surrounded by an aquarium of sharks, riding the rollercoasters Kracken, Journey to Atlantis, and Manta, getting to feed and pet the dolphins, and of course the Shamu show Believe. It’s quite interesting to look back at the photos I took during the show where the trainers are riding on the whales, since they no longer are allowed to get in the pool with them.

See? I told you! That was A LOT of photos. Sorry if you were totally bored, but maybe some of you are thinking about planning a trip to Florida with your family soon. Hopefully my little diary of our trip might help you in some of your planning.

One of my favorite things about our trip was the way we told our kids. We had been planning it for months, but kept it a secret from them until the day before we left. Every year before Christmas, our family has a tradition of taking the kids out to pick out their own ornaments for the year. But this year, I picked them out myself and wrapped them up as part of the surprise. We made it into a little riddle, with each ornament having something to do with the trip (Katelyn’s was a “Florida” ornament, Cooper’s was an airplane, Carter’s was Mickey Mouse, and Kennedy’s was the Cinderella Castle.)  I had visions of them figuring it out much more quickly than they did, but after a few very heavy hints they caught on.

We stayed at a place called Wyndam Bonnet Creek Resort, which was actually a timeshare, but was perfect for our family because it was a condo with a full kitchen, separate bedrooms, and even a washer and dryer. If we ever went to Disney again, I would definitely go the condo route. We had rented a car so we didn’t need the shuttle services that some of the “Disney” resorts provide, but we were still very close to all of parks and attractions.

Our first day there the weather was quite warm so we decided to spend the day at a Disney waterpark called Blizzard Beach.  We all had a great time there and would highly recommend this attraction for families with older children. We all really enjoyed the huge wave pool, and the boys especially liked the “Summit Plummet”, a 120-ft high waterslide where you can reach speeds of 50-60 mph. (I was WAY to chicken to try this one.)

Our second day in Florida was another warm one (we feel so lucky to have gotten TWO days of temperatures over 80 degrees while we were there. It cooled down towards the end of our week there, and continued to be one of the coldest stretches of months on record for Florida.) We drove over to the gulf side of Florida to spend the day at the ocean. The kids all really loved this too (after they got over their worry about being eaten by sharks) and the only thing we had trouble with this day was having sand in EVERYTHING, and trying to keep the snacks away from those nasty seagulls. All-in-all though, it was a perfect day!

That is it for today… I will post pics from days three and four of our trip tomorrow!

Throughout the trip, she told us stories about growing up in a family that valued ministering to the poor and underprivleged, especially those in Haiti. She told us about the numerous mission trips she had experienced, and introduced us to her one-year-old “son” Isaac that she was planning to adopt from one of the orphanages in Haiti. Because of the long adoption process, she had been able to visit him several times, but knew it could be years before she would be able to bring him home to America. [I find it so sad that the process is so difficult, involves so much paperwork, and takes so long... there are so many wonderful parents here longing to adopt internationally. I have heard that the wait to adopt from China is up to six years now.]

Fast forward to January12, 2010. Amanda was actually IN Haiti at the time of the earthquake on yet another missions trip. You can visit her blog and read about her experiences here. For the short version, Isaac and the orphans survived the earthquake, but their building was destroyed and all of the adoption paperwork that had been in process was lost. Amanda had to come back to the U.S. without her baby boy, not knowing what would happen to him and all the other children she had come to know and love throughout her visits. I am so so SO very happy to report that because of some heavy lobbying by a senator, Isaac was granted Humanitarian Parole and was able to fly to the United States to be with his mama. I can’t imagine the joy that must have filled Amanda’s heart knowing that her baby was safe and coming to live with her forever! I am so happy for you Amanda and so proud of everything you are doing to continue to help the people of Haiti.

To watch a quick video of Amanda and Isaac’s homecoming click here…

Now that we have a new puppy in the house though, Emme seems like such an old lady.

I think next we should have a “cutest puppy” contest… Mya would for sure win. She has to be the cutest puppy ever! (In my very objective opinion of course.)

I also need to introduce the newest addition to the Czichotzki family… little Mya. We just got her on Tuesday and I have been bringing her up to the studio with me the last couple of days. Isn’t she just the cutest?

I had seen these little figurines on someone else’s blog over a year ago and fell in love with them! I checked out Etsy, and only found a couple people who custom paint them and they had quite extensive waiting lists. I placed my order anyway, and they finally came right in time for Christmas. I set my little doll family on the window ledge right above my kitchen sink… they make me sooo happy when I look at them!

I also need to say thank you to all of the people who have e-mailed expressing interest in sponsoring a child in Uganda through Children’s HopeChest. I have to admit I have not done a very good job following up with these people, and making matches with them and the children. So I’m going to post photos of the kids that I actually have profiles for (there are many more available… these are just the ones I kept from the open house.) My mother-in-law already volunteered to sponsor the sweetest little twin boys whose pictures I was going to post…I really wanted them to be able to be sponsored together so thank you Laverne! For those of you who have contacted me, let me know which child you’d like to sponsor and I will mail you the profile so that you can go ahead with the sponsorship. Thank you so much!

Peter–five years old

Florence–six years old

Vicky–four years old    [look at that POSE!]

Regina–five years old

Anna Grace–six years old

James– nine years old

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I will be out of the studio the rest of this week enjoying many fridgid hours in the hockey rink and celebrating the new year. Have a great last week of 2009 everyone!

~Ria

And sweet one year old “B”… she had the most adorable combination of brown hair and blue eyes. I just love it!

The front and back of one of my favorite Christmas cards this year…

And baby “C” is getting so big. Seriously one of the most adorable little boys you will ever meet.

I did a session with “J’s” little sister this summer, but he was turning four in November and it was his turn for a session. Doncha just love the color of his eyes?

And sweet baby “S”… she came in for her 6 month photos, but wasn’t feeling good so we rescheduled. Mom took her to the doctor and she had a double ear infection… Ouch! When she came back she was feeling a little better, but still wasn’t too fond of me and the whole picture thing. I think we scarred her the first time by trying to take her photo while she was feeling so miserable! Poor little girl…

And these two had quite a tough fall battling bouts of H1N1, pneumonia, fevers and colds. Luckily they were finally feeling better so we could squeeze a session in before the REALLY cold weather set in!

Phew…. that was a lot of photos!

Just one more… a quick sneak peek of our trip. I LOVE the light in this image… and I also love that my girls who fight constantly at home got along [mostly] on this trip!

Anyway, my husband and I are taking our kids on a trip to Florida tomorrow morning, and we just told them last night…  Merry Christmas to them! So we are busy packing and digging out our shorts and swimsuits ( jealous yet?) We have big plans to see all the sights like Magic Kingdom, Sea World, Universal Studios, Animal Kingdom, the ocean and a Disneyworld waterpark. Hopefully there will be some time for relaxing too.

I will be out of the studio all week but not to worry, Michelle will be handling the loads of orders that are due to arrive this week. She’ll be contacting you to come and pick them up just as soon as they are ready. Me? I’ll be enjoying the 85 degree weather on the beach. (That was just plain mean.) I will have lots of photos to post when I return!

This fall…

Isn’t it just crazy what a difference a year makes? For their session this year, I met these four boys and their mom and dad (who is my cousin!) at their gorgeous home tucked way back on some of the most beautiful property I’ve ever seen. It would be any little boy’s dream to live here. They have lots of room to run and play, woods with many creatures to discover, [they even have a camera mounted on a tree so they can see all the different animals that wander by... kinda cool, but maybe a little creepy when you know exactly what's out there.] They even have their own dirt track in the back yard for racing.  Even the littlest boys get in on the fun!

A funny story about the little gray kitten from the collage above. It was a stray, and when we started the shoot the boys noticed it watching us from the edge of the woods. It kept getting closer and closer to us, and everytime we moved to a new location it followed us. So, of course when we were almost done shooting, their dad went in the house and brought the little kitten some milk. His wife just had to roll her eyes (hey, it’s better than a squirrel or fawn, right Heather?). I wonder if little gray kitty has stuck around?

Thanks so much for the fun afternoon Miller family! I want to come back again very soon, but this time I’m going to bring my boys with so they can “shoot” something in your woods!

Or possibly, it could be that the Patina White studio event is this weekend!                      

   ***photos from the Patina White blog***                                                                                                                                                                                                           

I just LOVE going to this sale… my home is filled with many Patina White treasures. Beth Schaleben normally has an adorable little store at the Shady Hollow flea market near Detroit Lakes.

But once a year, she holds a “studio event” at her home studio tucked way back in the woods. I love Beth’s style – industrial, shabby and country all mixed together. I am not ashamed to admit that I am a total PatinaWhite copycat and wannabe.  My favorite part of her blog is called “a corner of my world” where she gives a short little photo tour of her uh-MAZ-ing home.

 This got me thinking that maybe during the slower months this winter I could do something like that on my blog … a little photo tour of my home. (See? total copycat.)

Anyway… the big studio event runs this Friday-Sunday, and also next weekend… and I am super excited to go and see what great finds will be there for me this year! I think I put enough links in this post that if you want to go too, you should be able to find out all the necessary info!

One more thing I’d like to note… this Sunday, November 8th, is Orphan Sunday. Watch this video and click here for more info.

Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Have a great weekend everyone… get out and enjoy that nice weather while we have it!

If you have ever seen a performance by the Moorhead High School Theatre, you know what a top-notch program it is. This year, they are presenting    Peter Pan and tickets go on sale tomorrow! It is going to be spectacular… they even have a company from Las Vegas called ZFX that is going to supply the special rigging for flying cast members. Another great reason to go??? My 9th grade daughter is in the play this year! I, for one, can’t wait to see it.

Started by Sam Henry and his wife Wendi, HopeMongers follows a micro-giving philosophy which recognizes that ending extreme poverty is not something that any of us can achieve alone. But each one of us CAN make a difference, and HopeMongers has made it really easy for us!

Remember Katie Davis? As you’ll see in the video, she has added a 14th little girl to her family… sweet baby Patricia. This video was taped just a couple of weeks ago, when Sam and a group from Children’s HopeChest were in Uganda on a mission trip similar to the one I took in May.

Katie’s Vision for Bukaya, Uganda from HopeMongers Cooperative on Vimeo.

Find a Project. Give $10. See the Impact.

Click HERE.

My favorite little model…

Our TEENAGERS…

And I had to include this one too because it makes me laugh… we like to pretend that our dogs are BFF’s too, except that Alex wants absolutely nothing to do with poor sweet little Emme.

I know I am VERY behind on getting galleries online, but just know that I will be working my fingers off this week to get as many edited as I can! Thanks for your patience!

I spent the weekend in San Diego CA learning from none other than the super fun, and super cool Baby As Art team, Carrie Sandoval and Brittany Woodall. I have admired their newborn work for quite sometime and was so honored to be able to attend their workshop. They keep their numbers very small and only allow 6 people to attend which ends up being an awesome, hands-on learning experience. Carrie was generous enough to invite us all to stay at her home while we were there… so literally the workshop did not end for two straight days. Thanks Carrie and Brit for the unforgettable weekend!

Here is Brit working with our little models… she literally IS the baby whisperer….

And me… getting a chance to rock one of the newborns to sleep! Sorry about the disheveled appearance… we kept it VERY warm in the studio for all the naked babies, so we were all a sweaty mess!

And here are some of my images from the weekend!

Odds are, if you are not a photographer… you didn’t. But, the July issue of Professional Photographer came out yesterday and the ad for my lab, White House Custom Color features me! How cool! I was more than happy to help promote WHCC as I have always been delighted with their product, turn around time, and incredible customer service. The ad will also run in the July issue of Rangefinder.

I also wanted to show off a photo taken by my daughter at the lake over the 4th of July weekend…. looks like I might have a little apprentice on my hands!

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A few housekeeping items ….

~~The studio will be closed on Fridays throughout the summer months. If you e-mail or leave a message Fri-Sun, we will get back to you on Monday!

~~The Photographer Mama workshop for September is now sold out. There are still spots for the October 9-10th workshop.

~~The Feed the Forgotten program reached it’s goal of raising over $20,000 to feed children in Uganda! That’s 7700 meals…Thank you for making a difference!

~~We are now offering low-res watermarked digital files for use on your personal blog or facebook. They will be $10 each with a limit of 5.

~~I am considering the possibility of hiring an assistant photographer at rialee photography. This by no means is a definite plan… I’m just exploring the idea. This person would assist me on some photoshoots, and would also have their own clients. The applicant would need to be VERY comfortable working with young children and families, have an outgoing and bubbly personality,  a creative photographic and design style, a strong work ethic, and be familiar shooting manually with a DSLR and editing in Photoshop. If you think this is a position for which you would be qualified, please e-mail us (info@rialeephotography.com) your resume and  five to seven low-res images from your portfolio. Obviously, these photos should showcase your work with children and not landscapes or flowers etc. I’m very excited about this possiblity and am hoping to find just the right person!

You can read more about Issue 8 or purchase it by clicking here.

Head over to rialeephotography.com to take a look!

Also… The FEED THE FORGOTTEN program has now raised over $15,000! WOW! In case you haven’t had a chance to give but still want to, now is the TIME, because we have released $2500 in matching funds… so every dollar you give will be doubled!

“Often we set out to make a difference in the lives of others only to discover we have made a difference in our own.”
                                                                ~Ellie Braun-Haley author

Okay… so for my “photog” readers who regulary read the fabulous blog over at Design Aglow… you may have noticed something familiar in their post today.  Their newest issue [Issue 8: The Essential Issue] should be available for purchase very soon, and yep… you guessed it… the studio of YOURS TRULY is being featured. I can hardly even wrap my head around this honor. Even though I did the interview with them several months ago, I haven’t mentioned it on here before; mostly because I thought that it must have just been a dream that they wanted to feature ME…. that I wouldn’t be able to believe that it was really true until I saw it in the publication for myself!

For those of you who don’t have the slightest clue what I’m talking about, Design Aglow is an online resource for photographers that provides inspiration on all things having to do with photography and design. They publish a quarterly online magazine jam-packed with information and inspiration. Some of the names they have featured in previous articles include Tara Whitney, Audrey Woulard, Sarah Petty, Carrie Sandoval, Barb Uil [Jinky],Brianna Graham, Laura Novak, Jesh De Rox, Nicole Van, Jeff and Julia Woods and more. This issue will also feature devine photographer Jasmine Star. These are the “major-leaguers” of the photography world people! So… to be counted among them is just … well…  there are not words to describe what this means to me. I will post more photos of the article [a 17-pager!!!] when it becomes available! To see their entire article collection, click here.

He gets on my case for drinking too much Diet Coke. I took this photo before noon and there are already three lined up. I would like you to note Ryan, that they are almost all half-full. [He can't understand why someone would open a pop if they weren't going to finish the whole can.] How can I explain to him the feeling of euphoria that comes with the sound of the can being cracked? Somehow, half-way through… it has lost it’s luster and I must open a new one. Raise your hand if you think I have a problem. Nevermind… it doesn’t really matter. My diet coke is here to stay… bring on the toxins.

Also… have you picked up any of the local magazines lately? I have had so many people tell me they love seeing my photos in the magazines and can always tell which ones are mine. That is so fun to hear! Congrats to Nora, Cole, Elizabeth, Aubrey, Lola, Reece, and Liza who all had their photos featured in the April/May issues of Area Woman and Village Family Magazine.

And finally… a quick sneek peek for the mama of this one-year-old “C” who was in for her photo shoot this morning~~~Just some visual proof that YES your daughter rocked her session even if she got a little tired toward the end. There will be lots more adorable images for you to choose from in your gallery! Love her expression in this one…

Coming up this week…. photos from  my “baby week” last week… two newborns and 3 six-month-olds!

On another note… I’m totally going to pull a little “Craigslist” action on my blog and let all my readers know that I am currently looking for a nanny, bus driver, chef, life guard, and referee  for my children this summer. If you qualify for any of these (or know someone who does) please let me know! The job would be approximately three days per week and would involve lots of afternoons at the Moorhead Country Club pool… who wouldn’t love that?

In case you are curious… here is a photo of my well-behaved, polite and helpful children.

This video was played at our church service this morning and I found the song that was used so powerful. I even cried a little (which mortified my teenage daughter), but it really has been such an emotional time for everyone. I wanted to be able to watch it again, so I headed over to YouTube and typed in the name of the song ["God of This City" by Chris Tomlin] along with Fargo Flood.. and there it was. Enjoy this week of sunshine, warm weather, and a small sense of calm before we muster up our forces for the next battle.

Only 26 more days until I leave for Africa. I don’t think it has really even set in that I am actually going. Maybe after I start my shots and medication on Monday it will become a little more real. It has already been kind of a rollercoaster ride of an experience. The girls from our community that I was going to be traveling with decided not to go, so I was faced with the decision of whether or not to back out, or continue on this adventure with complete strangers. I am convinced that something very special will be happening with this trip and still feel very confident that I am suppose to go. So… that means I will be traveling to Amsterdam all by myself, and meeting the rest of the team there and flying into Entebbe Uganda with them. You know that saying that says “do something everyday that scares you”? Well, I think this trip should take care of that for me for atleast a couple of years. While I am extremely nervous about traveling alone, the long flights (from Minneapolis to Amsterdam is 7 hours and from Amsterdam to Africa is 8 hours…please pass the Xanax), finding my team in the Amsterdam airport, and making our way through the poorest parts of Africa, I also have an unexplainable peace about the whole thing.

If you’d like to learn a little bit more about the CEO of Children’s HopeChest, Tom Davis (I actually got to have dinner with him back in February to talk about this vision trip to Uganda!) you can find his blog here. He is such an amazing, giving, self-less man who is using his life to literally change the world. He is also a very busy family man who lives in Colorado with his wife and five children!  (He also has two older daughters that were adopted from Russia that are married and live on their own.)

Tom and Children’s HopeChest are also closely tied with the Red Letters Campaign which is a blogging community that is working together to reduce extreme poverty.

               “Whether you’re passionate about caring for the world’s 143 million orphans, preventing HIV from eradicating a generation of Africans or providing safe drinking water in Central America, you’ll find friends in the RLC community.  We’re here to equip you with tools and connect you with a network of like-minded people and partners that enable you to be an active part of the solution.”

Click the image below to check out the Red Letters Campaign website.

Good thing the hotel had internet service so we Katelyn could still access facebook!

The kids were very good about improvising… using luggage racks for hockey nets!

By day three I was having a small anxiety attack about getting back to work and meeting the magazine deadlines coming up and preparing for my photography workshop this weekend. But all-in-all it was a perfect way to let the kids burn off some energy, get them out of Fargo Moorhead, and keep them busy during this long week. I am glad to be back at work today… if you were notified that you had an order that was ready to pick up last week, I will be up at the studio today (Wednesday) most of tomorrow and part of Friday. Just give us a call at the studio to let us know when you’d like to pick it up!

On a lighter note, I need to send well-wishes out to all of those mothers who, like me, are facing another ENTIRE week with our children having no school. They are stir crazy, bored, and on.my.nerves! Oh Lord, help us through this week! Okay… so that may not be quite as important as protecting the city infrastructure from destruction… but I digress…

The studio will be closed this Monday and Tuesday March 30th and 31st. I will be contacting those people who had sessions scheduled to reschedule later in the week or next week. If you had a session scheduled last week, please contact me at your convience to reschedule. Gallery deadlines will be extended of course, and if you are waiting for gallery passwords, I’m sure you understand that these will be a bit delayed.

Those of you who were registered for the PhotographerMama workshops in March and April should have received e-mails about rescheduling. If you did not receive this e-mail please contact us asap!

Thank you to everyone who has helped Fargo Moorhead in their flood fighting efforts.

The earth dike built between the river and the civic center.

The Main Avenue bridge is one of the only routes still open between Fargo and Moorhead.

Fargo-Moorhead is getting quite a bit of national coverage. Here is a truck from NBC news reporting near the Moorhead Center Mall.

The flood event was even front-page news for the New York Times today.

Due to the seriousness and uncertainty of this flood, I will be postponing my PhotographyMama workshop that was scheduled for this weekend. I will be contacting all of those who were registered to discuss rescheduling. Stay safe, warm and dry everyone!

I think I may have a new assistant!

LOVE, LOVE, puffy heart LOVE this one…

yep.. that’s me.. handy-girl of the year.

I am officially the worst painter… EVER.

So… lucky blog readers of mine… I’m passing on the link to my favorite new “not a waste of time” blog….

I present to you ~~ DesignMom.

She is a designer turned blogger who spends part of each day investigating, writing about, and giving away all things well-designed. When I found out the names of her FIVE children, Ralph, Maude, Olive, Oscar, and Betty, I knew right away that I’d love her. 

And since “DesignMom” is the crafty lady that I would want to be if I had the time [or talent], I thought I’d share a photo of my young crafty self with you.

My friend and I were talking about decorating valentine boxes last night and I told her about the box my dad and I made when I was in the 4th grade. Let me tell you… the year was 1986, and Cabbage Patch dolls were big. Huge. And my box… well I don’t want to brag, but yah… ALL the girls wanted it. I need to throw out a little disclaimer on the following photo… the point of me posting said photo is NOT so you can all make fun of my rad ’80’s perm, or my super-chic clothing choices (hand-made by my mother btw)… it is ONLY so you can see that there was, at one point, a chance for me to be crafty.

So when I was laying in bed AWAKE in the middle of the night… after I ran through my mental to-do list several times… my mind wandered to really earth shattering topics. For atleast an hour, I thought about something that has confused me ever since I started my business. I am calling all English majors(or just smart people) to weigh-in with their thoughts. Here’s my question…. should there be an apostrophe in the word childrens when I’m referring to myself as a children’s photographer? I have used one so far… mostly just because many other photographers of children do. But, I’m thinking that it is not grammatically correct. When used in this case, it would be to show ownership of the children… such as the children’s playroom, or the children’s puppy. Do the children have ownership of the photography? I could just avoid the problem by calling myself a child photographer, but I think it makes me sound like I’m a child who takes photographs. Comments anyone? After I get a definitive answer for this pressing question, I’ll be tackling world peace.

I LOVE this one… do you see the mom just taking in everything about her middle daughter? Such a sweet moment. There is just something about smelling the top of your child’s head…

The be-be…

Love love LOVE this one!

 I kept teasing her that she was a “model” and she blushed but her smile just got bigger and bigger!

She fell in love with this little green-haired dolly and insisted in having it in just about EVERY photo!

Pure joy I tell you…

Donations in memory of this sweet little girl’s baby brother can be sent to:

Children’s Foundation

2910 Centre Pointe Dr.

Roseville MN 55113

Attn: Heart Fund in memory of Evan Thomas Tamlyn

Not only do I photograph children, but did you know I also do insects? “E” brought this little treasure along to the park because she really really wanted to show it to me. How could I not capture that? There is just something I LOVE about this image…

Anyway… that gives you a little peek at what I was up to this weekend. I’m back at the studio today trying to get through all of my voicemails and e-mails! If I have not responded to you by the end of the day today, please try me again!

(it may take a second to load depending on the speed of your computer!)

See what I mean?

She ran and ran…and ran…and ran. And conveniently, it never seemed be towards me…just away from me. This wasn’t a typical toddler waddle-run either…I think she may have a future in sprinting! I bet I looked like quite a sight chasing this cute little girl in her pink tutu all around the park!

Here she is saying…”what, are you tired?”

So…we tried to bribe her to sit on these steps with some fruit snacks and she spontaneously did this….

So sweet! I think maybe she even tired herself out!

And a funny little story about this shot. I have never laughed so hard during a session as I did while I was taking this…..

Her mom had gotten her this big colorful lollipop so we set her up in this cool alley and unwrapped the sucker and gave it to her. She took a few licks and just as I started shooting she threw the lollipop on the road and it broke into all these little pieces. I could barely contain myself….infact I’m pretty sure I didn’t. I love the look on her face….like “how do you like THAT camera lady?”

So….we continued with half a lollipop….

Thanks for the exercise AND the laughs “A”…I loved every minute!

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And here is a photo from last fall that I came across the other day and fell in love with all over again. I am going to be working on a “sibling series” project so I am going through all of my sessions with siblings and choosing my favorite photos. I have such an emotional connection to so many of my images and this is definitely one of them! I loved those boys.

But…it does “perfectly” capture the relationship of these beautiful siblings. I love the way the baby brother is peeking out at me with this perfectly content and happy look on his face, knowing he is surrounded by pure and unconditional love.

Here are those beautiful kids!

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The BIG brother.

The LITTLE brother.

This is another favorite image from this session because I think it captures so well the amount of energy these two boys have!

And here is the little SISTER …who was so shy at first, but really lit up when she saw my pink fluffy petticoat!

Finally…the BABY brother, who I have to say was the most content, easy-going baby I’ve ever met! Such a sweetie!

More from this session later this week after I have a chance to go through all of them.

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AND…keep checking the blog for a big, huge, fantastic announcement coming very soon. It’s super cool and you’re going to be so excited!

And little boy “B” had quite the personality! With three older sisters at home and a twin sister, he is going to have to be able to hold his own and let me tell you…he is already practicing. He let us know when he didn’t want to do something…like wear that darn hat!

Since baby girl “B” was a TEENSY bit more cooperative, we got to do a few more of those sweet sleepy newborn shots with her.

A sweet one with mom.

Little “L” was a total girl, and fell in LOVE with my pink rain boots!  Her favorite part of the session was when she got to wear the boots outside for a few shots…she cried and cried when it was time to take them off. So CUTE!

He sported a killer mohawk!

  And here are a few of his big sister “H”. She walked in the door and said “Hi Ria!” She was so much fun, by the end of the session I was asking her parents if I could keep her. (I think that was after she told me how pretty I looked!)

And the two of them together….

Being a super model is tough work…sometimes a little juice-break is needed!

Watch out American Idol…I think she looks like such a rock star in this one!

I love the honesty in this photo…it is my favorite from our session. You can just tell that this is one of those laughs that comes straight from the belly.

And for a little pick-me-up this Friday after a COLD week, doesn’t that face just melt your heart?

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This is what she looked like…

She was a little firecracker with enough personality to fill an entire room! She didn’t sit still long enough to catch many of those “looks” I love so much, but we managed to get some great shots anyway.

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I took the day off today to hang out with my kids, so if you have e-mailed or called, I will be getting back to you tomorrow!

Baby “N” is also lucky enough to have a very sweet older brother and sister who simply adore her.

And just in case you thought that it was all fun and games and that she slept soundly the whole time…

But then…she realized photo shoots weren’t so bad.

Don’t try looking for this adorable hat in Fargo Moorhead…this one came from the Netherlands. Isn’t it the cutest? And her mommy made her the fabulous orange blanket. I want one JUST like it…hint hint Natalie!

Another wide eyed shot…

I think I may have bored her a little bit…she fell asleep during these shots. She made the perfect little pea pod!

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And now on to some of my new favorites…you may have seen some of them already on my new website. There were just so many really great ones! Little “J” had the most amazing blue eyes…the kind that make you melt when he looks at you.

I will be heading out for the weekend for the “Girls Getaway” weekend…the one where you sign up and get on a bus and the trip is planned for you but you don’t know where you’re going. Should be interesting…I’ll be sure to post details when I get back. Plus I’ll have a few newborn sessions from this week to post! Happy Friday!

Their sweet little cousin was with and it was her birthday…I couldn’t resist doing just a few with her!

And the last image I captured of the day……

Meanwhile…remember this photo from last summer? It makes me long for the warm, long days of summer…can’t wait to get back to being able to do entire sessions outside!

And we had a few smiles and laughs too…

and I told his big sister that she was a “natural”!

Here are a few more from their session!

A clothing change and MORE pictures wasn’t what he had in mind…

And in this one he is saying….”Are you kidding me Ria…another clothing change?”

What a trooper he was…but it is more fun to play hockey!

He followed the newborn trend of not wanting to sleep for his session…but…

We were patient…and finally…

Now…to get that big green nukie out of his mouth!

Phew….we did it! Here is one more of this precious boy…

Here were our helpers for the session…his big brother and sister!

Very sweet kids…with such a lovely mommy! It was a pleasure to work with you.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one…

Cooper likes getting his picture taken…Carter not so much.

For their room…

I love crying shots…but it was time for a snack and a snooze for little “T”!

One for dad….

And here is a sample of a custom birth announcement!

Here are some more from their session. They gave me soooo many stunning “looks”. Magazine quality I tell you!

Thanks “J” and “C” for the fun time…I hope to get to work with you again sometime! And “J”, I still owe you a sucker! Thanks for understanding–you are such a big girl!!

These kiddos came all the way from Sioux Falls for their session. It was a very cold morning so we did our session inside. Despite their mom’s worries that they wouldn’t cooperate, especially 4-year-old “E” who she was sure would give me a hard time, we had fun and got some great photos. Little “A” was a little worried that I might be mean. So cute…I have had so many people (kids especially) tell me that they didn’t know that photo sessions could be so easy and fun.

I had the pleasure of photographing little “L” on his 1st birthday. It was a cold afternoon, but the sun gave us the most gorgeous warm light. He was just learning to stand on his own.

By the end of the session, playing look for the squirrel had lost its excitement.

We had a very windy fall day for this session, but we still managed to have a fun time and even got the family dog in a few shots.

I will be giving a presentation on children’s photography in the cities this week…YIKES! We’ll see how it goes and I’ll let you know if I will be available to do more presentations for organizations in our area!

Thanks again everyone for your patience! I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving with your families. Here’s a sneak, sneak peek of a photo of a fabulous family I was honored to photograph last week. I’ll post more from your session later…your gallery will be ready soon!

And my favorite of the day…

This little sweetie had the cutest clothes…her mom went BOUTIQUE shopping in the cities.  I LOVED the brown and pink Converse tennis shoes!

Oh cute little “R”…she was turning five, had a new baby brother, and was crazy about Troy Bolton! I hope you got a chance to go to the High School Musical play! Watch for photos of her sweet brother in December.

What will I do to make a little boy want to have his picture taken?

Climb up in his tree house…

Go for a treasure hunt in the woods…

Help him climb a tree…

Take the dog for a walk…

See? Photo sessions arn’t so bad, right “A”?

To all my other clients waiting for galleries…I am a little backed up with the holiday rush. It is running a little bit longer than a week to get galleries up but know that I am working as fast as I can!

We did a few shots together and then got to play around a little with their individuals. I love the light we had that afternoon, the sky color was amazing!

Can you believe she is only an 8th grader?

And my favorite shot of the day….I love the color of the brick, and the hat reflecting on her cheeks. Stunning “S”!

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After we did the family shots, I got to work with the kids one-on-one. They were fantastic! (There were some heavy negotiations about the possibility of treats afterwards.)

You guys were too cute! Thanks for the rockin session “K” family!

Her brother was adorable as well…and a big helper with those fruit snacks!

We had to play a little game of ring around the rosy to get them to think the idea of walking and holding hands was fun!

A few more of my favorites…

Here is a session with another fabulous family…they were so much fun and had two adorable boys!

On that note, here are some sessions I have done recently that resulted in images that will look fabulous on holiday cards!

This family was such a blast…each child had their own personalities, but really seemed to enjoy getting their photos taken.

And mom and dad were sooooo much in love…you could just tell.

This mom is one of my friends from way…way back when. Her two boys have the most beautiful dark brown eyes…it was great to finally get to meet them! Thanks for coming such a long way for your session!

More family sessions to be posted tomorrow!

These are from my house…I have a living room with tons of natural light and white furniture. This option is good for newborns and younger children.

Another indoor location with great light is the Plains Art Mueseum. Their 3rd floor is a loft like space with hardwood floors, brick walls and huge windows. This option is good for older kids and larger groups. They also have a neat covered sidewalk to do some outdoor ones there as well.

I had so much fun photographing this brother and sister…they were ready to go the minute they stepped out of the car!

“A” was gorgeous…I kept teasing her that she should be a model… I really think she could be!

Sometimes people wonder why I take so many photos at one time. Here is a perfect example. This big brother was FULL of energy…as lots of big brothers are. He was so excited and having so much fun…he just couldn’t stand still! So lots of the shots look like this…

But then…..among all of those there was one….

JUST ONE…

Like this…

Here are a few more from my session with these adorable kids.

Thanks again to these great kids for our awesome photoshoots…it’s fun kids and families like you who make me love my job!

But after awhile, he thought this picture thing was pretty fun!

And he LOVED my little red chair.

Here are a few family shots…

I absolutely love it when I get a look back shot!

Everyone who had sessions last weekend should have their galleries by tomorrow afternoon before I head out of town for the weekend!

How then you ask, do you end up with a photo like this?

Because my approach to each photo session is to just have fun. We goof around, talk about silly things and act crazy! By the end of this session, the same girl who didn’t want to talk to me was inviting me to come out for an ice cream treat with her and her mom! Here are some more photos from our session.

Check out that light!

This family had the most gorgeous backyard…so we took advantage of it for their session. It was a perfect sunny fall afternoon with some of the most beautiful sunlight I’ve ever seen.

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The boys even got their dirt bikes out and did some killer tricks for me. Very cool!

 Then, as usually happens, she finally warmed up to me and the camera, and with the help of a few fruit snacks in her pocket, even stood in one place for a whole minute! So moms…don’t worry if your child is running non-stop during their session or it seems like they are not cooperating. I am patient and will be ready for that split second that they might just look up at me. Like this…

Here are a few more from our session…loved the boots!

Thanks for the fun sessions everyone…

~Ria

I could post photos of them all day, because did I mention they are so stinkin’ cute!

Because it tells a story…. those always end up being my favorite shots from each session. This particular night I had promised the kids we could go shopping for webkinz after the session…if they were good. Well, we went to a store and they only had ONE kind of webkin and it wasn’t the one little miss Kennedy had in mind. On the way home we stopped at these steps to do “just a couple more” (yah right, like it’s ever ‘just a couple’). Anyway, this photo clearly illustrates what had just happened. Kennedy is on the verge of tears, big sister is mockingly trying to make it all better, and the boys are just trying to be good listeners. I had a whole camera full of images of them looking and smiling at the camera from that night, but this one is still my favorite.

These images are from one of my first “real” shoots….and she just happens to be one of my most favorite little girls in the whole universe. She was turning one and only a hot pink tutu would do!