Monday, November 23, 2009

Festival of the Trees 2009


Experienced the Festival of the Trees in Portsmouth for the first time. I almost wish the festival was after Thanksgiving. I am now in the mood for Christmas! The festival consisted of a trail that wound its way around several Christmas trees as well as an old farmhouse. The trees and the rooms in the farmhouse were decorated by local business owners. You were given colored Popsicle sticks, which you used to cast your vote on your favorite tree and room. My favorite tree was one decorated as a ball gown by Choozy Shooz. I have a picture below. There was also free hot cocoa and chowder for all in attendance. This was a great event if you need a quick filler for your evening and want to get in the holiday spirit.


Saturday, November 21, 2009

Photographer Friends


I have lived in New England my entire life and have never been to Rockport, MA. What a quaint town! I had the privilege of spending the day with Dave, from Mere Image Photography ,and Joe, from DiMattia Photography. We meandered our way around the town while taking photos, tasting local foods and enjoying one another's company. Joe's favorite spots were Helmut's Strudel and Tuck's Candies. We all enjoyed tasting fudge and watching as it was made at Rockport Fudgery. I'm looking forward to more photography outings with this group!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Danielle

This past summer, I joined a group called the Portsmouth Newcomers in order to meet new people. The group organizer schedules activities at locations all over the seacoast. I chose to get involved with the weekly beach volleyball group. It was a great way to make new friends while getting exercise and enjoying the outdoors. I highly recommend it! The photos below are of Danielle, the daughter of one of my teammates. To view more, check out my Flickr page.




If you are interested in portraits, please contact jwood@mindstirmedia.com.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

A girl and her dog...

I was wandering around New Castle Commons on Sunday as I was waiting for my portrait client to arrive and I ran into Teddi and Mini. Teddi was taking self-portraits with her camera phone. I couldn't help but ask if she'd like me to take a few pictures for her. It was a pleasure meeting you Teddi! I hope you enjoy these.


Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Seacoast Portrait Session

When I was young, my girlfriends and I would dress up in our mother's heels, sneak into her makeup, put on our favorite dresses and make believe we were each a beautiful princess, model or actress. It's been a few years since then, but I venture to say that I, along with most average women, still enjoy a chance to "dress up" and feel like a "star". This past weekend, I asked my friend, Jennie, to 'play' model for me. She did a fantastic job! We spent time in Greenland, NH along the railroad tracks, at the Wentworth by the Sea in Rye, NH and on the Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth, NH. For more photos, check out my Flickr page! If interested in a portrait session, contact me.







                           

Monday, November 2, 2009

Family Portrait Session with Shaun & Chase

Exeter, NH is a beautiful location for walking trails, historic sight seeing, shopping and more! I met Shaun and Chase at their Exeter home, an old county jail transformed into an apartment complex. Shaun is a Career Placement Coordinator for a local staffing and training agency. Her kind and sincere heart shines through when she is helping those in transition as well as her friends and family. Unfortunately, as Shaun is also a photographer, she has few photos of herself with her son. Thankfully, now she has an abundance! I had a wonderful time getting to know Chase, who affectionately calls me Jenny. He prefers to be the one taking the pictures. I think he inherited that interest from his mother! Below are a few photos from our afternoon together. More can be found at my Flickr page.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

My First Attempt At Modeling: with DiMattia Photography

This past weekend I took a step outside my comfortable boundaries and was the subject in front of the camera! Saturday was THE perfect day for photos! A little cloudy, warm and windy. Plenty of natural elements to add character to all the images. Joe, from DiMattia Photography, and I met in Newburyport, MA. A city located along the Merrimack River at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean. Starbucks was a priority as it was early and I enjoyed my fall favorite, pumpkin spice latte! After a few photos along the river and downtown, we ventured off to the Plum Island State Park/Sandy Point State Reservation. It costs $5.00 to get in, which is a small price to pay for the scenic sites that await you. The 77-acre park is an important nesting area for the piping plover and people can be found walking, beach combing, fishing and birding. About 1:30 our stomachs told us it was time to head back to Newburyport for lunch. We stopped at the first restaurant we laid eyes on: The Purple Onion. I tried the Chicken, Roast Tomato & Basil Panini. Fantastic! It had just the right amount of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes and was grilled to perfection. Joe had the Garlicky Saute Bowl with chicken, which he graciously allowed me to try. Another mouth-watering sensation! Seating is offered indoors and outdoors on a small patio overlooking the playground and shops. After our delectable meals, we parted ways. I had the privilege of browsing the shops for the rest of the afternoon. I stopped in the following:Gentry's Consignments, Life Is Good, Ganesh Imports, Just Dogs! Gourmet, and Souffles. As it had been a long day, I needed a pick-me-up and tried the White Chocolate Coconut Iced Coffee at Souffles. Yum! It is too bad this store/cafe is hidden around the corner from Starbucks. Souffles' coffee was even better than my pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. I highly recommend stopping here if you have the chance while you are in the city.
Here is a peek at photos from the session. Joe has more posted on his Flickr page and there will be more in the future!