**EDITED TO ADD - ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT - CALL OR EMAIL TO BOOK!!

professional photographer magazine is hosting a contest (and into the darkroom is sponsoring!) to find the freshest blog out there! there are SO MANY cool photoblogs, but i hope you'll vote for ME :).

 voting ends FEBRUARY 15th at MIDNIGHT. please head on over there and VOTE!

click on this LINK and scroll thru the numbers at the bottom to find my blog circled below - entry 0404.

thank you!!!!!

when i was invited to san diego to shoot the lilien family, i didn't realize that not only would this be one of the most memorable sessions of my career, but i would also be gaining a lifelong friend in the process. kelley is one of those people, you know the ones, that when you meet you feel that you've known them your entire life. she is insanely talented, and the owner of pink dot press - she is also the mastermind behind my new look, and is currently in the process of designing updated marketing pieces for urban baby.

i had an amazing time hanging out with her and tim, and their two delicious babes, isla and laird:

i am a huge fan of julie blackmon's work, and hope to some day acquire the "snow day" print for my home (1st row on the right). this is a quote from julie (from her site) with regards to the style of her work -

" The stress, the chaos, and the need to simultaneously escape and connect are issue that I investigate in this body of work.  We live in a culture where we are both “child centered” and “self-obsessed.”  The struggle between living in the moment versus escaping to another reality is intense since these two opposites strive to dominate.  Caught in the swirl of soccer practices, play dates, work, and trying to find our way in our “make-over” culture, we must still create the space to find ourselves.  The expectations of family life have never been more at odds with each other.  These issues, as well as the relationship between the domestic landscape of the past and present, are issues I have explored in these photographs.  I believe there are moments that can be found throughout any given day that bring sanctuary.  It is in finding these moments amidst the stress of the everyday that my life as a mother parallels my work as an artist, and where the dynamics of family life throughout time seem remarkably unchanged.  As an artist and as a mother, I believe life’s most poignant moments come from the ability to fuse fantasy and reality:  to see the mythic amidst the chaos". 

check out her work, it's all incredible - julie blackmon

 {all images, copyright julie blackmon}

i'll be posting images later this afternoon from one of my favorite sessions of '08 - the lilien family.

here's one of laird to tide you over in the meantime, is he not one of the most beautiful little boys you've ever seen?

this one is, by far, my favorite album that we offer. we call it the "modern album" and it's pretty much just that, modern! i love to keep the layout of my client albums clean, simple and well-designed. this is one of three types of album styles that we carry, and it's hugely popular because it's so darn beautiful. this one is silk shantung in a color called citron, yummy.

i frequently get asked by clients to recommend clothing for their photo sessions. and i always say that they should chose clothing that is somewhat simple, but also something that reflects their own personal style (and that of their children).

there are so many styles i really love, so i'm going to start a weekly (or bi-weekly) fashion feature here on the blog. it'll be so much fun!! 

one of my favorites is flora + henri. i love their european-styled clothing - the twill coats, party dresses and boys trousers kill me. i love the simplicity and modern feel of all the collections, from baby to kid, you just can't go wrong here. (wait for their twice yearly sales to snap up great deals!).

 {all images flora + henri}

urban baby has gone through a few different design changes since it's birth in 2002. just recently, i decided it was time for little bird to get a bit of a facelift, if you will. and with that came the desire to have fancy new business cards, and of course marketing materials to match ;). so i called up the amazingly talented kelley lilien of pink dot press, and she worked her magic.    

kelley and i became fast friends after working together last summer (i got to photograph her insanely beautiful family), and we instantly started spinning ideas for the "new look" of my company. i wanted something similar to what i already had - clean, crisp and somewhat sophisticated..but not too serious. kelley hit the nail on the head with my winter postcard, and then with my business card design, of course. my new cards are so delicious - they are letterpressed, and printed on recycled fiber from the garment industry. they are silver, charcoal and moss green - the colors of urban baby. and they are PERFECTION! i stare at them all the time and am really super protective of them ;). so, here they are in all their glory:

*i have to say that these photos don't do these little pretties justice...the letterpress detail is so incredible in person.

isabella oliver is one of my favorite lines of maternity clothing, and the one i most often recommend to my maternity clients. it's so stylish and modern, and fits those baby curves just perfectly!

i joined the twitter revolution a few months back, and i have to say it kind of changed my life a little bit. it's rare that i get to schedule a lunch, or sit and chat over coffee with my peers and friends. but with twitter, i get to catch up with the goings-on of their everyday life, and vice versa. and, i've actually made some really nice friendships along the way. i really love it, and don't know how i ever lived without it. very much like my iphone ;).

so, come follow me on twitter - i can't wait to get to know you! (best part? it's FREE! just set up an account).

it was such a pleasure meeting and photographing this very hip and lovely family before the holidays.

wyatt and avery are 6 year old twins, and just adore one another - i  love that about twins, that very special bond and feeling of oneness that never goes away...what a beautiful thing.  

here are a few of my fav's:

i found out about anna wolf, a commercial photographer, via holly becker's blog, decor8 (one of my top 10 fav blogs) - to simply say that i am inspired by anna's work would be an understatement.  as noted on lifelounge, "working in fashion, lifestyle, portrait and travel photography; wolf gets the best of all worlds, but her signature romance and soft lighting seems to flow throughout all her works" - i couldn't agree more. 

anna was PDN's top 30 "new and emerging photographers to watch" in 2007 (along with another of my fav's, julie blackmon). 

anna's portfolio: http://www.annawolf.com

anna's blog: http://annawolfphoto.blogspot.com/

{images by anna wolf}

okay, this is the craziest thing...i already posted the winner for this (maria) on new years eve. i don't know what happened to my original NYE post?? and, since i've been blog slacking in a major way (for good reason of course!), i didn't realize until coming here to post a new blog entry that it's not here! so, a little late, but here it is!

this was just such an incredibly difficult decision, there were SO MANY amazingly heartfelt entries and stories. i was so touched and found it absolutely impossible to chose just one entry, but in the end i found that i kept coming back to the same person.

i was so incredibly moved by a beautiful letter written by maria of her mother, annie. she wrote of the many challenges and hardships that her mother faced after the death of her husband - about how she endured the difficult times by giving selflessly to her children, and how she showed them the value of family - the importance of preserving family memories. i was so touched by the love and gratitude that maria has for for her mother, and am honored to give this gift to such a warm, loving and deserving family. 

_______________________________________________________________________________

These are my thoughts about why my mother, Annie Chan deserves this gift.

I wish I could give my mother all that she deserves but I can’t. My mother who immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong only wanted to make sure my sister and I had the fullest opportunities in education and access. I didn’t grow up poor, we were comfortably middle class because I had parents who took joy in working extra hours so that my sister and I could be comfortable. Mom is the rock that holds our family with her generosity and spirit of adventure. 

My father died when I was 20 years old. They lived a conventional life in which most major financial decision was made by the man of the household. Instantly at the age of 49, my mother was to be alone for the first time in her life. She could have chosen to hide behind self pity and clung desperately to her Americanized daughters. But that is not the spirit of my mother. She embraced the change, and took on new appreciation on the fragility of life. In heartache she realized that life was meant to be lived fully and without regrets. Treasured china was pulled out, fancy clothes were dusted off, and heirlooms were taken out from the hiding place. Why save them for a special day when each day could be special? This was the lesson and gift my father was able to leave us in his unexpected death. 

My mother uses every extra penny to bring our family together. It could be as common as our weekly Sunday dinners or a mini-vacation to Santa Barbara. She would never spend anything that didn’t include the joy of our entire family. My mother has always dreamed of a family portrait but could not bear to spend money on something that isn’t a necessity. Her office banking job is just enough for her and the daily expenses of life. 

This year we had planned to give my mom the family portrait but the dooming economy and my fiancé’s recent layoff made that idea impossible. My teacher salary can barely support the mortgage and the expenses of living in Los Angeles. It would be amazing for my sister and me to express our gratitude and love through the gift photography. I want my mother to be photographed in her best finery. I want my future children and my niece to admire the lines on her face that shows her wisdom, graciousness and humility. I know my story is probably not that unique or tragic. But I wanted a chance for at least one other person, a strange, to know how much my mother means to me. I hope she knows that her love and sacrifices are not taken for granted. Surprisingly sharing this with you has helped me realize how little I show my gratitude. Whether or not I can win this for my mother, I know that I can start in small but significant ways with words. Thanks for your time and your generosity. 


Maria Chan 

You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.

you know someone. i guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and i want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography - $1500 worth, to be exact. Whether it's a modern album, art canvas, or custom prints galore!, it's in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner will receive a complimentary portrait session (worth $350) from urban baby photography. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?

The rules:

- You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services.

- The nominee must reside in Los Angeles County. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

- Email me the full story at: carrie@urban-baby.com

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve - get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season - and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With Love,

Carrie

**Many thanks to Kristen Kalp of Essential Imagery in Pennsylvania who started this grassroots project in an effort to give back this holiday season. What started as a simple act of kindness by Kristen, has now become a worldwide contribution by 280 photographers, and donations totalling (as of today) nearly $250,000. I am grateful to be a part of this project with so many other talented photographers.  

firstly, i'd like to thank everyone for their thoughtful emails, texts and comments with regards to my lack of blogging ;). i really appreciate your concern, and i am most definately shooting and working non-stop...so much so that it's just really difficult for me to find the extra time to blog. i really do want to get better about blogging at least twice a week....i have so many sessions that have not made it to blog-land, but am hoping that will change and i can get them all posted for you to see! ;).

this shoot with abbey was by far once of my favorites of the year. i shot a session recently with her baby brother, declan...and this time it was abbey's turn. i asked her mom erin, where abbey was the happiest...and she immediately said, "the ocean".  so that's where we went. she was so cute, when we were on the lifeguard tower, she looked at me with her eyes gleaming and said "can i please jump in now?" - and the minute that girl hit the water, you could just see that she was in her element...completely.

i have so many fav's!: