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Capturing A Child’s True Beauty

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It’s no secret that I spend a lot of time on the internet, as bloggers do. Because of that, I sometimes feel like I have seen everything the internet has to offer. Yesterday, however, I was reminded that there are still amazing things happening that deserve to be talked about and I want to share one of those with you today.

A friend shared a link to an online magazine yesterday (linked above) and mentioned that it was a powerful read. It took me about a half a page before that stinging feeling started and I was wiping tears away. By the time I got to the end, I had already typed out an email to the creator of the magazine to ask if I could share it with all of you. The magazine, entitled “Kids – All About Love”, mostly features photographs and stories of children who are battling some form of illness. The pictures are incredibly done, really bringing out the personality in all the children, and the stories are so well written that I felt invested in all of them from the opening paragraphs.

The creator’s name is Lisa Kelly and she runs a website called, Salt and Light Studio. I was so touched by the stories that I arranged a phone interview with Lisa that day to talk about them and her inspiration for them. I love and agree with Lisa when she says that “Our life stories are a gift we give to the world“. I hope these stories move you the way they have moved me and please feel free to share them if you see fit. We need more stories of love in the world and these kids have helped me remember that we need to make the most of every second on this planet!

You can find more of Lisa’s work on her website, Salt and Light Studio, or on her Facebook Page.

Our First Family Photo Shoot! With The Talented Erin Petruska

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After 4 years of raising kids and snapping 1000’s of iPhone pictures, my wife and I decided to finally get some profession family pictures done. We were lucky enough to meet our photographer, Erin Petruska, while at a local charity event and she impressed us right away! We got to talking and very quickly set up our appointment.

Unfortunately for Erin, we had to reschedule about 13 times because of various kid illnesses and weather, but we finally got together for our big day and it certainly did not disappoint. I was a little worried about how Erin would view us after having to cancel so many times but she couldn’t have been more awesome, especially with the kids. When she started off the session by spending some time getting the kids to be comfortable with her and her camera, I knew we had chosen the right person for the job.

One of the reasons I hadn’t wanted to get family photos done, is that I had a preconceived notion that we would have to do all the work in scouting and planning poses for them. It’s not that I’m lazy; I’m just terrible at that part of it. Okay, and a little lazy… To my pleasant surprise, we told Erin where we wanted to have the shots done and when we arrived, she had a complete plan in place for the whole area, along with all the different poses she was looking for.

That’s not to say she wasn’t open to input because she asked us at each location if we wanted other shots and I appreciated that greatly! It’s tough to balance being friendly and professional at the same time but she did it seamlessly and we were completely comfortable the entire shoot.

I’m not even sure what else to say. She was exactly what we were looking for in a photographer. Kind, Professional, Great with kids and she emailed some photos immediately to us and delivered our CD very quickly after the shoot. If you are looking for all of those things (of course you are) than I very, very highly recommend Erin Petruska for your next family shoot.

For more information about Erin Petruska Photography, you can visit Erin’s Website Here! Also, if you feel like connecting with her online, you can reach her on Twitter and also on Facebook. Honestly, this was an amazing experience for our family and we are very grateful to have met Erin in our travels. Thank You, Erin, for all your great work!

Now on to some of my favourite shots!

**Photo shoot was provided in exchange for a review of services. All opinions are my own. I truly enjoyed this experience and hope you will give Erin a shot. Just look at those photos!**