Wait? Don't you shoot other things, too?

Why yes, yes, I do!

My absolutely favorite subject to photograph is a pregnant woman...I can't describe the thrill of being a part of someone's birth experience in this way. Truth be told, I haven't been a part of the "rest of the story" and photographed the actual births (YET), but sharing the anticipation and joy in those last few weeks with these new moms and dads just makes this ol' heart go pitter-pat.

My next favorite subject to photograph would be that little peanut once he or she has entered this world. There is nothing that can compare to watching a new parent holding a tiny new baby and capturing those moments when it happens.

FYI--if you do a newborn shoot, it's a good idea to bring a change of clothing (for you, and for the baby...although I try to keep them as unclothed as possible so we remember how small they are). Those little ones LEAK!

Tonight I'll look through my photos and post some images from my favorite maternity and newborn shoots. Check back later on!

In the past year, I've been doing more senior portraits as well. 'Tis the season again. If you're a senior looking for a special outdoor shot, something out of the ordinary, or just a spectacular studio headshot, give me a call. Deadlines for the yearbook creep up sooner than you know it! I'm starting a Senior Ambassador program in August and I'm recruiting one or two seniors from each area high school to represent my studio to their classmates. The program will include a free sitting and the ability to earn your senior photos free of charge. Keep checking back for more information. If you're interested in being one of my Ambassadors, please drop me an email at maureenaroy@aol.com We may even have a little friendly competition between the Ambassadors...who knows?

This year I have teamed up with my good buddy, Eileen Keenan, who went to the Rocky Mountain School of Photography (RMSP) with me and we have begun shooting weddings. Check out her blog as well: http://www.eileenkeenan.blogspot.com

The smoke has cleared on Mt. Sentinel and the skies are quiet this weekend. No exciting helicopter shots for me today, I guess.

This afternoon, I head off to the Missoula Children's Theater (www.mctinc.org) to photograph their production of Cinderella. Their regular photographer, Dan Cripe, was unavailable, so they called me to fill in (thanks, you guys!) I am admittedly NOT a stage photographer, but the theater has been incredibly accommodating in allowing me to practice this type of photography and I am definitely improving. We love this theater. Madelyn has been performing with them since she was five years old (she was a racoon in Red Riding Hood). MCT has been her second home and she's had the lead in two productions this year (Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker in March--her finest moment by far--and most recently Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz). I keep telling her she's getting these parts due to her fantastic hair (I'll post something on that later. Seriously! That hair is an entity of its own!) And check your theater listings around the country for a fabulous documentary by Rob Whitehaid (his wife is Pam Voth...another fantastic Missoula photographer) called "The Little Red Truck". This documentary details the workings of MCT and their mission to bring fine arts productions to even the smallest communities in the United States and beyond. Here's the link: www.thelittleredtruck.com

Until I leave for that, Thomas will be home with me as I try to finish up some stuff for the day job (I took next week off from the land of corporate America and want to make sure I get a very clean mental break), drop off some prints to a client, edit a wedding, and get my gear together for this afternoon's shoot. There will probably be some playing with cars and trucks in there somewhere and maybe a tree to climb so if I'm a bit slow to answer the phone I might just be trapped under something heavy or stuck high up in an overly leafy maple. Tomorrow after all the theater stuff is done, Andy and I will head up to the Blackfoot River with the kids for a night of camping and a float trip down the Blackfoot on Monday morning. The last time we went up there, we discovered a few patches of rapids that soaked Thomas and I through to the skin! He squealed with delight. I didn't quite "squeal with delight", but I DID regret not throwing a bathing suit on under my clothes. We scrounged around for sticks to build a small fire at the take out so I could dry off enough to drive home!

Happy Saturday and have a spectacular weekend!