purple tree photography the magazine
www.purpletreephotography.com
summer 2012
contents a note from kelli - pg 2
smoothie recipe - pg 4 portrait prop ideas - pg 5 best and worst parenting advice - pg 8&9
recommended children’s books - pg 13 featured mom interview - pg 16&17 2012 senior graduates - pg 22
plus portrait session tips throughout!
www.purpletreephotography.com
a note from yours truly i am a curly haired, tree huggin’, mother to one human, bad spelling, rescue dog owning, Metro Detroit portrait photographer who loves design and all things creative. i photograph amazing, fun, creative, busy, smart and stylish people and i want to bring us all a little closer together with art and photography. my hope is that you will enjoy this magazine...it inspires you, you learn a little something or maybe it just makes you smile. peace & pictures, kelli
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avocado smoothie recipe by strawesome owner daedra Here’s an easy one that my kids LOVE! Avocado smoothie: 2 cups milk of your choice 1 cup plain, vanilla or banana/mango yogurt 1 cup frozen mango chunks 1 whole ripe banana 1 whole ripe avocado Place all ingredients in a blender & combine until smooth. Makes 4 servings (we use plain full fat yogurt & whole raw cow’s milk. There is banana mango yogurt at whole foods that is fabulous in this smoothie but we try to cut down sugar by using the plain one) you can find strawesome and daedra here: www.strawesome.com www.facebook.com/strawesome
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portrait props Props can be helpful in making children and adults feel a bit more comfortable in front of the camera. They can also customize the session by making it special and bringing out the subject’s likes and personality. The options are truly endless but here are some ideas:
classic balloons books bubbles sidewalk chalk chalkboard tire swing
cut flowers fruit ice cream kite pinwheel umbrella
custom/personal family boat furniture family car pet musical instruments
retro hula hoop large sucker roller skates cotton candy
soda with straw vespa vintage car record player
playful bicycle silly string crown skateboard fake moustache sprinkler ipod super hero cape mask wagon kiddie pool squirt gun etsy.com and pintrest.com are two great places for ideas. There are a couple of tips & tricks when working with props, so please share your ideas with me! I’m happy to help!
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newborn session tip
Ask mom, mom-in-law or even your grandma if they have any of their own baby blankets to add a special touch to your little one’s session.
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parents share
what is the
best & “Remember the baby can’t fall off the floor!” Tyler’s mom, Amy
“Have lots of patience! Also swaddling her when she is born until about 3 months really helps her sleep better and longer!” Ellie & Katie’s mom, Jen
“Don’t feel bad if you do the things the ‘experts’ and books tell you are taboo. All parents do these things, but they all pretend they don’t to save face. Don’t worry about it – just go with the flow and do whatever works for you and your baby.” Alair’s mom, Leslie
Do not let the baby sleep in your bed. Bad habit. I found out the hard way and did it with Cam but never with the other two. Cam, Evan & Kate’s mom, Traci
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“I have had people tell me to feed on demand, not to keep a schedule, but just feed when the babies tell you they want something. This doesn’t work with twins!!” Olivia & Christen’s mom, Stacey
“Put petroleum jelly liberally all over the head to treat cradle cap.” While this is a legitimate way to help treat it, it IS NOT A GOOD IDEA as your child will have greasy hair for at least a week. You can’t wash out petroleum jelly - it resists water! I of course, learned this the hard way. Melanie’s mom, Kathy
Forty-three years ago my pediatrician told me “a baby will not cry for more than ten minutes.” He said it with such authority that my young self thought he must be right, after all, he’s a doctor. I decided either my colicky baby was unique or my new parenting skills were extremely insufficient. Would not handle it that way today.
worst Mother of three and Grandmother to four, Kathy
parenting advice you’ve received? www.purpletreephotography.com / 9
customizing tip
Think outside the box when it comes to your session. Unique props, locations, styling, etc. all make your session custom to YOU and that’s what this is all about, isn’t it?
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Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw Using sounds is a beginning reading skill (phonological awareness); this book uses rhymes for oral language development.
Hippos Go Berserk! by Sandra Boynton A fun book with numbers and short text for short attention spans.
recommended children’s books featuring troy school district reading specialist, katie taylor
Papa, please get the moon for me by Eric Carle Every child should be exposed to Eric Carle; his books have surprises within them--the illustrations extend beyond the page in this one.
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion This is a great book for toddlers who will sit longer for a story about the lovable Harry.
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood For a book that speaks directly to the reader--it’s unique, but also addresses the big idea of sharing.
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location tip
Don’t be afraid to pick an urban location. They can offer lots of fun color, texture, a unique look and beautiful light. www.purpletreephotography.com / 15
featured mom
real answers from
real moms
Erika is a full time working mom to Leah, 5, and twins Eliza and Scarlett, 3, who lives in Huntington Woods.
Q. What was your first thought when you realized you had a toddler and were pregnant with twins? A. I am not sure if it was a thought or more of a feeling. I was in complete shock! Q. Did you find out the sex of Scarlett & Eliza, and if so, what was your hubby’s first response when he realized he was way outnumbered? A. We did; we had to know if we were
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going to have a little boy that would be wearing butterflies and pink, or if we were safe being able to hand down Leah’s clothes. I think my husband was relieved that we had already gone through everything once with one little girl, so there would be nothing new, just more of them now. His second thought was probably I can’t believe we are going to have 3 weddings to pay for! Q. You’re a working mom, how do you
balance work and three kids? What’s your best tip for balancing it all? A. I am not sure I have found the answer to that yet. It is hard and there are days when I sit down and wonder how did I even get through the day. My best advice is to just do your best, and if that is not enough for everyone in the outside world, don’t worry about it. It is the hugs and smiles when I come home that remind me what is important. Q. How do you and the hubby stay connected? A. We try to make sure we have at least one night a month to ourselves. It’s hard to find time throughout the week to have adult conversations, so we do a lot of things together; we pack the kid’s lunches together, empty the dishwasher, clean the house, not the most glamorous together time, but it is ours. Q. What’s the best part of having three girls? What’s the worst? A. Besides the giggles and dance parties, sharing...they are all at the stage where they share a lot of the same interest in toys, clothes, etc. so
not only does it teach them to share with each other, but also to respect each other’s things because they may want to play with it next. But, most of all, it is the amount of love and happi-
I was in complete shock! ness that they give me. Nothing is that bad, guess the worst is that I 60 fingers and toes to whenever the girls want
but I have paint their
nails polished. Q. If you could hire a cook, housekeeper or babysitter which would you go with? A. Since my husband is an amazing cook, I would definitely say a housekeeper. With three girls our house very quickly looks like tornado has struck. It’s quite amazing what I find in the couch cushions. Q. What is the most valuable life lesson that being a Mom has taught you? A. Patience! Waiting for kids while they’re learning to tie their shoes, go potty, “swing me one more time”, etc. Patience teaches you that those are the important moments in life you wait for, not if you make it to the doctor’s appointment on time. Embrace them and take the time to watch your children learn and grow. Q.It has to be asked, any more kids? A. Just furry ones. Thank you Erika for taking the time out of your super busy and fun life to answer my questions!
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style tips
Accessorizing goes for everyone in front of the camera. Have fun with hats, funky shoes, scarves, layering clothing, bold jewelry, etc. Take inspiration from high-end store catalogs and create that look with less expensive items. Bring lots of options to your session and have FUN with it! see next page for some examples
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style tip examples
a unique piece of simple clothing & bold jewerly create a styled magazine look
layering clothing & pops of bright colors add texture
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fun, colorful shoes add interest fun, stripes tights and bright boots give personality
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congratulations to the 2012 senior graduates!
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photo taken by Hiro Miyamoto
thank you thank you to all of my clients who hire me, inspire me, laugh with me and make this all possible.
if you enjoyed this magazine, or if you have anything you would like to contribute to any possible future editions, please let me know.
www.purpletreephotography.com • 734.776.4418