Heather Swanner Photography

Avery

This little angel was just 7 days old and was just awesome throughout the whole session.  I love doing newborn photos this early because they don't get mad at you when you try to curl them up like a pretzel.  Avery slept throughout most of her session (another bonus about taking the pictures this young), and when she was awake, she was not unhappy.  I so enjoyed getting to meet her this week.  

Little Bundle of Cuteness

I don't have a whole lot to say other than that this little ball of joy brightened my day in so many ways.  There is nothing like a happy baby to turn things around.  I think both Christy and I had baby-fever by the end of this session.   I really could have eaten this baby up.  He was just too cute....and snuggly!  I hope Mommy enjoys the sneak peaks!  I had a hard time deciding what to show b/c there were just so many cute ones.

Session of the Week & Update on Dad

Okay, I promised to make this post a little happier than the last!  Since everyone was sick in my house all last week, I was only able to do one session, and the rest were rescheduled.  I am glad that since I was only able to do one, that it was such a good one!  :)  It was so much fun seeing little Reid again.  He has grown a good bit since the last time I saw him!  For those of you who watched the newborn holiday slideshow, he was the only newborn featured with his mother (toward the end of the slideshow).  We had a blast, and he REALLY loves his toes (in fact, he was not too happy when we tried to separate his mouth from them!)!

Now, for those of you wanting an update on my Dad, I will just say that he is not doing well.  He is in the hospital in Valley (where I grew up), and at this point, there is no plan for him to go home.  I was there over the weekend, and it was evident that he has gotten worse since I last saw him.  His tumor has grown, and he is also being treated for pneumonia at this time.  He seems to be comfortable for the most part, and he is surrounded by people who love him.  I don't want to go into too much detail, but I did just want to keep you updated.  I do anticipate another trip home later this week, but I am just not sure exactly when.  I am trying to get as much work as possible done before I leave.  However, if you have called or emailed, and you don't hear back from me right away, please know that I will get back in touch once things have settled down a little.  Please know that I anticipate having to rearrange my schedule a little bit over the next couple of weeks, but I will make it work.  Please keep my dad and my family in your prayers.  

Prayers for my Dad

I have no pictures to post today...in fact, we've all been suffering from tummy bugs, fevers & upper respiratory infections here, so I've actually not taken any photos for a few days.  I am hoping that we are all on the mend now!  I know a lot of you have been asking me about my Dad's progress, so I thought I'd post it here.  For those of you who don't know, Dad was diagnosed about a year and a half ago with a glio-blastoma, which is a really aggressive brain tumor.  Last year around Christmas, he underwent a series of surgeries to remove some of the tumor growth, as well as to put in a shunt to remove some of the fluid.  Since that time, he has been okay, but has never regained his physical strength or his ability to carry on a conversation, etc.  But, regardless, we have been blessed that he is still with us and that he can still enjoy his children, grandchildren, and life (although it has been significantly altered).

In November, we found out that his tumor was growing again, and that really, the treatments that are available don't offer much hope.  Still, we've all pressed on, and again, we were fortunate to be able to celebrate the holidays with him.

It seems that since Christmas he has taken a turn for the worse and is able to communicate less and is sleeping most of the day away.  He will go to the hospital tomorrow to be tested for several things, one of which is pneumonia - he has had some respiratory issues over the past few days.  

For some reason tonight, I just felt like I needed to reach out and ask for prayers for him.  I do feel like he is struggling more than ever before....as is my mom, who has been his primary caregiver through all of this.  This has all been really hard on her, and I know she has a lot of decisions to make at this point about his care.  

If you do pray, please remember my dad tonight (or today).  I will report back when we know a little bit more about his prognosis.....

Thanks for letting me unload!  I promise my next post will be much more uplifting!  :)

6-month cuties

On Friday, I was lucky enough to have not only 1, but 2, adorable 6 month old girls to photograph.  This has got to be one of my favorite ages to photograph.  The first was little Bailey, who I photographed 6 months ago while she was just a tiny little thing.  If you scroll back 6 months ago, you'll probably recognize her newborn photos - she was one of my unusually non-sleepy newborns.  It is so fun to watch them grow and change.  I so enjoyed getting to see her again and getting to catch up with her sweet mommy.

The second one was little Maddie, who was equally as adorable.  She was feeling a little under the weather, but she managed to hang in there.  When Daddy showed up mid-way through the session, her face completely lit up!  

For those of you still contemplating the Winter White mini-session next Tuesday, I still have 2 spots open, so shoot me an email!  These pictures may give you an idea of some of the things we can do!  Enjoy...there are a BUNCH of pictures!

Man, I love this face!  :)

Click to see bigger:

Two one year-olds in two days

My first week back "shooting" has started with a bang!  I have had two adorable one year-old boys so far this week, and they have both given me a run for the money!  Both boys were so sweet...and very active!  This age is so fun for me to photograph, but man, am I tired afterwards!  Here are a few pictures from both sessions (one was in the studio & one was at "home".):

Oh, and I still have a few spots open for the mini-sessions on the 27th.  Call or email me if you are interested!  

January White Sale (aka "mini-session")

The studio opens for 2009 on Monday!  After a few weeks' hiatus from taking pictures, I am ready to go!  I have a full schedule next week, and I am really looking forward to it.

For this month, I have decided to have my first annual Heather Swanner Photography "White Sale".  On January 27, from 9-1, I will be having mini-sessions in the studio.  The sessions will take place on my classic and simple white backdrop.  This is a great opportunity to capture some sweet expressions of your child, to celebrate a milestone, to jump in a few pictures with your child (since Daddy never seems to pick up the camera!), or to document your child playing "dress-up".  Sessions will last approximately 20-30 minutes, and are $50 for up to 2 children.  I do ask that babies are sitting up on their own.  For babies, I recommend bare skin and a few accessories (hats, scarves, tutus, etc.) and/or a simple outfit.  For older kids, you can really wear anything!  Pastels, bold colors, layers, and fun accessories all photograph well on the white backdrop.  If you are interested, please send me an email as soon as possible.  Your payment will reserve your spot!

It seems like it has been forever since I've posted pictures, so I am posting pictures from my last day of sessions in 2008.  Both babies were 3 months old.  This is one of the more difficult ages to shoot because the babies tend to have a very narrow window of happy, awake time, and they don't always like being moved around a whole lot.  But these sweethearts were troopers and were a great way to wrap up my year!  Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Just in case you were wondering, I am still alive!  It seems like forever since I have posted anything.  I still have tons of sessions from 2008 that never got posted - I had every intention of getting some more pictures up over the break, but it just hasn't happened yet.  The studio will continue to be closed through the 12th of January.  However, that doesn't meant that I am not at home doing a ton of work!  :)  I just don't know what to do with myself when I am not designing 100 Christmas cards, so of course, I decided to take on the project of re-designing my website.  When I made this decision, I anticipated it taking a day or two.  I am now on day seven.  Oh well..... When it's up and running, the two weeks I spent on it will be worth it!

Along with a newly designed website, I am also working on some other cool projects and ideas for 2009 and hope to be able to share those with you.  I am considering offering some new proofing products as well as a digital media package.  I do anticipate some slight price changes in 2009, but they will most likely be minor.  So, these are my projects for my last week of vacation (i.e., work from home).

Lastly, I know I had mentioned this before, but I plan to offer a couple of mini-sessions dates in the studio in the next couple of months.  As soon as I can get dates worked out for these, I will post them, so stay tuned. 

I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful new year.  I am so looking forward to working with you in 2009.  And I promise to post pictures next time!