Lifestyle Studio Newborn Shoot, Ocean City, MD | Dana Marie Photography

The second newborn in the garden studio, now that everything has been set up and complete this little guy came into the studio and we had the coziest session.  When Mama told me she liked monkeys I thought of the perfect little sock puppet outfit to work with him.  This was one of the first sessions in the new babies and boudoir studio and the time was about an hour versus the typical 2-3 hour session.

Holiday Traditions with Children | Jeffrey Auxer Glass Blowing, Berlin MD

What begins a family tradition in a family and what does a tradition mean to you?  This holiday season we have been on a quest to spending more time together and for me to document better this special time in our kids' lives.  Yesterday we did something I have wanted to do for several years and life just seemed to get away from us each holiday season!  We went to Jeffrey Auxer Designs in Berlin and the kids got to blow glass ornaments for the tree.  This was an amazing experience for us and for the kids.  Jeff was super nice and knowledgable and his gallery is incredibly beautiful.  The kids got to choose the colors they wanted for their ornaments and blow the glass themselves with Jeff's supervision.  This was definitely one of those things my husband and I left saying wow, that was really awesome and should be come a holiday tradition in our family.  If you haven't already stop in and see his unique one of a kind pieces and pick up an ornament or two, they are sure to be the topic of your next holiday get together :) You can see more of his work here:  http://www.jeffreyauxer.com

What a Christmas Card Means to Me...

Christmas cards to some seems a thing of the past.  In the hustle and bustle of the holidays sometimes preparing, ordering and addressing Christmas cards to many seem like a waste of time and money but for me they are priceless.

My feeling towards holiday cards has evolved over the years, every year it excites me to send out cards more than most other Christmas traditions.  It started as wanting to share a piece of my family with others over the holidays when time doesn't allow for a face to face gathering but for years now with each card I send I pray.  I pray for the recipient and their family for health, peace and good fortunes.  I pray for their circumstances and maybe for a friend, relative or pet they posted about in need on Facebook that I happened to see.  I stop and think about that person and wish them well and hope their New Year is exciting and brings new opportunity.  The same holds true to receiving cards in the mail.  When the mail can sometimes be daunting with bills and junk mail throughout the year, a chore to check the box, the month of December is exciting to me to see the cards that may come.  I hope that getting our card in the mail will bring a smile to the face of the one who opens it as we like to try and provide some sort of comic relief to the cards and maybe that will make their day a little brighter.

I think about each family as I open and look at the cards I receive and I pray for them and thank God for their friendship.  I save cards over the years, I love to see how families change adding new little ones and watching babies grow, sometimes the cards (or parts of them) even make it into my scrapbooks.

We have had to scale back over the years, we sent a couple of really cool accordion cards with tons of photos for a couple of years but the cost was higher in paper and postage and we could send more cards by going with a flat card so that is the route we take.  It is fun to choose designs and personalize them to our family and pick the photos we want to share, choosing photos that show each of our kids personalities.

So the next time you think that sending cards is a waste, maybe it isn't valued to some but there are people who truly appreciate the sentiment of a Christmas Card and this girl is one of them.  If you happen to see this blogpost and made holiday cards with photos I took this year or in years past it would make my day to receive one in the mail:

Dana Marie Photography
9925 Stephen Decatur Highway E2
Ocean City, MD  21842

Fall Family Photos with Foliage, Ocean City | Ocean Pines, MD, Dana Marie Photography

I loved meeting this beautiful family in Ocean Pines, MD for their family portraits.  The girls were so sweet and happy in front of my camera and the colors the family chose to wear were stunning against the fall colors on the trees.

Treasure Beach RV & Campground | Eastern Shore, Selbyville, DE

Imagine enjoying a cup of coffee and watching the sun rise over the water, that is exactly what Gina with Gina Drago Design and I got to do this week while photographing this beautiful campground and RV Park.  Life is good living on the Eastern Shore and even better when you love what you do :)

Justin & Rebecca are Married | Golden Sands Wedding, Ocean City, MD | Eastern Shore Wedding Photographer, Dana Marie Photography

Ceremony & Reception Venue:  Golden Sands, Ocean City, MD

Photography:  Dana Marie Photography

Flowers:  Flowers by Alison

Cake:  Miss Patti Cake

Photography Assistance:  Dona Jung

What an incredible wedding.  32 weddings this year and this was the one that made me cry behind my camera...twice.  We watched the weather all week and knew that strong winds would likely be heading our way but the wind was no match for their beautiful ceremony set on the Golden Sands Property in Ocean City, MD.  The first time I cried was when the brides father walked her down the aisle, it was incredible touching as he escorted her down the way and even more so when he danced his way back up the aisle when the ceremony was over!  The ceremony was just perfect and while it was a bit windy it wasn't bone chilling cold and guests were able to remain in their seats for the reading of the vows.  The reception was held upstairs in the Ocean Front Ballroom where we were able to enjoy the views of the shore in the warmth and comfort of the 22nd floor.  Several guests including myself were in tears again when the bride's father honored her with he father daughter dance unassisted on the dance floor.  It was an incredibly touching day and I am glad we were able to pull off portraits outside in the bright sun and high winds as I knew she wanted as much as possible outside.  Congratulations Justin  & Rebecca, we wish you al lifetime of happiness.