Mother's Day Portrait Sessions

Mother's Day is right around the corner. There is a lot for a Dad to do on this holiday. He has to think about his wife, the mother of his children, his own mother and something from the kids to their mother. sdfs

Dads, you might consider breakfast in bed, sending her off to brunch with her girl friends, or having the kids make her some painted pottery. Or, you might consider something different this year. (Mom, if you are the one reading this, just go right ahead and forward it to your husband.)

A common complaint among mothers is that they are never in the family pictures. As the one behind the camera in our family, I can relate. More often than not, Mom is the family photographer. It isn't a job she minds so much, but it would be nice for the kids to see their Mom in a photograph every once in a while. So, whether you are a mom or a dad, you might want to remedy this problem and schedule a Mother's Day portrait session. 

A portrait session is a perfect Mother's Day gift. It lasts much longer than flowers or even a coffee mug. There are lots of ways to arrange this. Dads can surprise Mom and schedule a "Mom and kids" portrait session. Or he can be there too, for a whole family session. Just make sure you give Mom enough notice to change into something cute. She'll appreciate that.

Or you, Mom, could take the initiative and set up a portrait session yourself. There is nothing wrong with stating exactly what you'd like for Mother's Day this year. Some husbands actually prefer to have things spelled out for them.

You might even consider hosting a Mom and kids portrait party and get some of your other Mom friends in on the fun. They are probably missing from a lot of family photos, too.

Whatever you decide, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can get your portrait session scheduled, or send out a gift certificate, before Mothers Day actually arrives.

Portrait Parties--A Word from our Hosts

Our portrait parties have been very popular since the day we started offering them. After holding these parties for many years, we thought it would be nice to hear from you, the hosts, that pull these parties together.

Our first host is Greta Eskridge. Greta has hosted 4 portrait parties and she shares with us why she keeps coming back for more.

I attended my first portrait party with Dodgen Photography 5 years ago. Not only did I come away with wonderful pictures of my family, I also decided I wanted to host a portrait party of my own.

It seemed like an easy thing to do, a fun way to introduce my family and friends to Jeremy's amazing photography and also, a really easy way to earn some credit towards purchasing more photos from the session.

I was right. It was all those things. But after hosting my fourth portrait party this year, I have found it to be much more.

I host my parties in the fall. (That way there is plenty of time to order pictures for Christmas.) We have used three different locations and in those four years, our family of three has grown to a family of five. Hosting the portrait parties has been a fantastic way to document our growing family, as well as the families that join us each year. I love looking through each family's portraits to see how every one has changed from year to year.
It has become more than a party. It has become a tradition.

If you are hesitant about scheduling your own party or being a hostess, let me put your mind at ease. Judy and Jeremy make it easy. Finding people to attend won't be hard either, once they see Jeremy's photos.

I look forward to working with Jeremy each year for my portrait party. The pictures he takes are some of our family's most treasured possessions. I am so glad I decided to host that very first party. I look forward to doing it for many years to come.

In addition to this post, Greta is going to be a contributor to the Dodgen Photography blog. Greta is a stay at home mom of 3 kids. She is pursuing a new found love of photography, and writes two blogs of her own, Lilly and the Brothers and Picnics in the Park. Look for more posts from Greta on photography news, book reviews, craft projects and more.

More Fun and Photography at Gymboree

I will be photographing a Gymboree Play + Music again next week. It is always a fun time and a great opportunity to get portraits of your young ones (five and under). They are so busy playing on all of the slides and climbers, tubes and tunnels that barely even notice me. These photographs are from my previous session at Gymboree in the spring. If you are interested in attending, or getting more information, contact one of the Gymboree locations below:

Lake Oswego/Bridgeport
Monday, August 17 at 3:45 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-670-1683

Cedar Hills Shopping Center
Thursday, August 20 at 3:15 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-384-0542

Facebook Fan Photographs

As I mentioned recently, I have been too busy to blog much lately. That is partially due to the fact that I have been posting so many photographs on our Facebook page. We have 37 albums so far. Check them out and don't forget to become a fan while you are there!

Fun and Photography at Gymboree

I love photographing children involved in a favorite activity, in their environment. It is the best way to capture their personality, and much more fun than sitting in a studio (for everyone involved). That is why I enjoy photographing at Gymboree Play + Music. It is a perfect location, with its rich blend of activities, equipment and music, specifically designed to challenge and engage children five and under. The children, if they notice me at all, are generally having so much fun that they are not concerned with forcing their fake "cheese" smiles.

I will be photographing at two Gymboree locations in a few weeks. If you are interested in attending, or getting more detials, contact one of the Gymboree locations below:

Cedar Hills Shopping Center
Tuesday, April 28 at 3:30 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-384-0542

Lake Oswego/Bridgeport
Friday, May 1 at 3:30 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-670-1683

Ready to move

Unique in all the world

My mom used to tease me about how my big toe curved up. Now, as a parent, I understand that it is those unique traits, those one-of-a-kind features that she observed clear back in the quiet moments of my young life, that bonded her to me, and now bonds me to my two children.

I am reminded of the fox's comments in The Little Prince,"to me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys...But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world....I do not eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me...But you have hair that is the color of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring me back the thought of you. And I shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat..."
The Little Prince, by Antoine De Saint-Exupery

Stretch!

Babies have no sense of personal space

In fact, their curiosity often leads them right up into your face.

Pretty in Pink

It only took a day or two after bringing Ella home, that I learned how different life with a girl was going to be. When Ethan was a baby, he mostly wore white onesies and a pair of pants, with only the occasional matching shirt/pant set. But with Ella, much of the clothing has come in matched sets that include a hat, dress, diaper cover, socks and sometimes shoes, and almost all of it is pink.

I have nothing against pink, but I had no idea there were so many shades of it, and none of them seem to match. I might as well just put a shirt on her that says, "my color-blind, styleless dad dressed me," because even though I can find pink socks, a pink diaper cover and a pink dress, the shades and pattern inevitably clash. Granted, complex color and style combinations has never been a strong suit of mine, which is part of why I choose to photograph in beautiful black and white. Almost everything matches in black and white.

Here's a recent photograph of Ella, and big brother, Ethan.

Caleb

One of the biggest highlights of 2007 was also one of the smallest. Our new nephew Caleb was just 3 lbs 14 oz when he was born in October. "Small" does not adequately express the size of this sweet little guy. One of the first photographs his proud father took was of Caleb's tiny hand grasping his wedding ring - it looked more like a large bracelet in his hand than a ring. Caleb is doing very well and we are in love with this new addition to our family.

Micah

I recently had the opportunity to photograph one week old Micah. What an honor to document those tiny parts and capture some early moments of this new little family.