Starloft Photography

32 Weeks Pregnant & Vacation

Jennifer — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:49:24 +0000

This week I am 32 weeks pregnant. Most of my pregnancy has been pretty easy thus far, but now I am really starting to feel uncomfortable and large. Despite that, we are currently on vacation in New York having a good time.

Arnett Family

More about vacation when I return…

Super Moon

Jennifer — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:39:41 +0000

Last night was a “big” astronomical event, the super moon. Basically, the moon was very close to earth making it appear larger than normal. I wanted to try to get a photo when the moon was closer to the horizon, but we had so many trees around I couldn’t even see where it was. So, by the time I saw it and got my camera out the moon was well above the horizon. I think this photo also would have come out better with a longer lens, but oh well.

Super Moon

1273 Wild Hawthorn Way

Jennifer — Sun, 06 May 2012 01:20:34 +0000

Earlier this week I photographed a town home in Reston for a “For Sale By Owner” property. Here are a few photos from the shoot.

Living Room & Front Foyer

Dining Room

Breakfast Nook

Kitchen

Back Deck

More photos can be seen here.

The Invisible Black Background

Jennifer — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:56 +0000

So, I thought I’d try the technique described here to create an “invisible black background” with Nikki the “supermodel.” First we tried shooting inside, but the flash was lighting up the furniture and wall behind her. So, then we moved outside in a shady area in my backyard. I think it would have been better to try this in the evening rather than in the middle of the afternoon because in order to get the background completely black I needed to close the aperture down so far that not enough light from my flash was getting to my camera to light her up. And when I opened the aperture up more the bright spots coming through the trees were showing up in my background. So, most of my photos ended up with a very dark background, but not completely black. It took some trial and error to even get everything close to right, but I did end up with one image that I really liked after a little bit of editing (mostly of the background, not Nikki).

Nikki

Cowboy Joe

Jennifer — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:29:15 +0000

Yesterday I took portraits of Joe in my home studio. Here are a few of my favorite shots…

Joe

All the photos are available to view here.

Loudoun Business Connection Mixer

Jennifer — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:12:14 +0000

Tonight My BNI group will be having a mixer at Main Street Landscape in Haymarket from 5-7pm. It should be a fun time and a good way to meet some new people in the area. Thanks to Craig for organizing the event! If you’d like to come as my guest, let me know.

UPDATE: Here are some photos from the mixer tonight. It was a fun time and a beautiful place!

Jaime, Stacey, Dan and Debbie

Craig

Debbie and Tad

More photos can be seen here.

29 Weeks Pregnant

Jennifer — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:05:21 +0000

So, I guess there was some confusion about my due date when I talked with my doctor this morning. I thought my original due date was 7/12/2012, but my doctor has 7/13/2012 written down based on my cycle. The first and second ultrasound said due date was 7/12/2012 which is what was communicated to me. The third ultrasound said due date was 7/10/2012. So, I guess my official due date is 7/13/2012, but baby will probably come earlier based on his/her growth.

People keep asking if I know if baby #2 is a boy or girl. We’re pretty sure baby is a girl, but we don’t know for sure since at the second and third ultrasounds baby’s legs were crossed and we couldn’t view the gender. The doctors didn’t see anything “extra” so they think girl.

Anyhow, all was well at today’s doctor appointment. I took the glucose test for gestational diabetes. I should have the results next week. Baby’s heart rate was 142 bpm. My belly measured just right as far as baby’s growth. I’ve gained about 11 pounds so far since I became pregnant which is pretty good, too.

Thank you to all who have been praying for my pregnancy. I really appreciate it!

Charles Hartman from Blue Ridge Tax, Inc.

Jennifer — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:55:01 +0000

Tomorrow’s Keynote Speaker at my BNI meeting will be Charles Hartman from Blue Ridge Tax, Inc. Charles is a CPA specializing in tax preparation and other tax services. He is recovering from both the spring tax season and recently having a beautiful baby girl. I’m sure he will have interesting things to say. The meeting is Wednesday, April 25th from 11:30am until 1:30pm at River Creek Country Club in Leesburg. If you are interested in attending as my guest, let me know!

Legally Speaking

Jennifer — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:00:43 +0000

This week I did an interesting shoot for a criminal lawyer named Lawrence. He wanted posed scenarios with a model to market his law firm. He was trying to go for a cheesy, sexy kind of thing. I’m not sure if I captured that or not, but it was a fun shoot. Here are a few shots that I thought were interesting…

On the Phone

I'm so tired my head hurts!

In the Library

So Many Things to Do!

I want a divorce!

Don't arrest me!

More photos are available here.

Franciscan Monastery in HDR

Jennifer — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:34:52 +0000

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to join some friends to photograph the Franciscan Monastery in Washington DC. I used a technique called HDR (High Dynamic Range). Basically, I took multiple shots of the same scene at different exposures in order to capture both the bright highlights and the dark shadows and then I combined the images using software which results in one highly detailed image. Below are some of my favorite images from the shoot.

Franciscan Monastery

Jesus

Crucifixion

More photos can be seen here.

A Visit to the National Zoo

Jennifer — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:32:02 +0000

While family was visiting from out of state, we took a trip to the National Zoo. Alex really enjoyed himself!

Alex

Zebra Through a Fence

Elephant

Lions

Tiger

More photos can be seen here.

Frying Pan Farm Park

Jennifer — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 18:09:35 +0000

Family is here visiting for the Easter holiday and we decided to take a trip to Frying Pan Farm Park yesterday. Alex loved petting the farm animals and exploring. The baby pigs were super cute!

Baby Pigs

Sleeping Pig

Alex Driving a Tractor

More photos can be seen here.

47397 River Crest Street

Jennifer — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:03:57 +0000

Yesterday I photographed a home for Realtor, Gina Tufano. Here are a few images from the shoot…

47397 River Crest Street

Back Side of House

Living Room

Kitchen

Family Room

Bathroom

More photos can be seen here.

Bower Flower Power

Jennifer — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:06:36 +0000

Yesterday, I photographed some of the beautiful gardens in a friend’s neighborhood.

Flowers

Wisteria

Berries

Latern

More photos can be seen here.

Peaches and Papa Tim

Jennifer — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:44:07 +0000

We enjoyed our last day in Tennessee visiting family. Alex loved the dogs, especially Peaches.

Three Generations

Peaches

Alex Getting Licked by Peaches

Alex Chasing Peaches

More photos can be seen here.

Alex at the Park

Jennifer — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:49:02 +0000

Yesterday we took Alex to the park. He really enjoyed the slide and throwing the big ball that was left at the park by another child, but I think he was a little scared of the swing. It’s been a good time in Tennessee thus far!

Alex on the Slide

Alex on the Swing

Alex Playing with the Ball

More photos can be seen here.

Big Boy Bed

Jennifer — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:21:19 +0000

We’ve started making plans to move Alex from the nursery to the bigger bedroom so baby #2 can have the crib and Alex can move to a big boy bed. We bought him a twin size bed from IKEA on Saturday. We still need to paint his room and do a lot more organizing before he makes the switch. Our goal is for the room to be ready for him by the end of May. Hopefully, he’s ready for the switch before baby #2 arrives. We’ve been thinking about a theme for Alex’s new room. Nick and I seem to both like space, airplanes, jungle animals, zoo animals, or dinosaurs as possible themes. The nursery is ocean themed. I’ll post some photos of Alex’s room once we get everything set up for him.

Back Splashes

Jennifer — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 17:38:38 +0000

On Thursday, I did a shoot for Collins Tile & Stone featuring tile back splashes. It was some beautiful work in four bathrooms and a kitchen.

Kitchen Back Splash

Bathroom Back Splash

For the shot below, I had to lower the tripod down low enough to not be seen in the mirror and I hid behind the partially open door and used my wired remote to trigger the camera.

Bathroom Back Splash

More photos can be seen here.

Flipped Out

Jennifer — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:00:46 +0000

On Tuesday, I started an interesting project for two clients, one is an investor who flips houses and the other is an interior decorator. I took the “before” photos for a house in Washington DC that is going to be flipped and resold. They had started the demo the morning of the shoot so there was a lot of debris already down and it was pretty dirty. The place was filthy, actually. Kind of hard to believe people were previously living there. So, I had to shoot hand-held instead of using a tripod. Because of this, the verticals are off and the photos are lit a bit unevenly, but I think my flash did a pretty good job considering the conditions. I’m very excited to go back and do the “after” photos once the project is finished.

Before Shot

More photos can be seen here.

Floored

Jennifer — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 01:13:13 +0000

On Friday, I photographed a new tile floor in a basement for Collins Tile & Stone. The tile was interesting because the coloring and look of it made it look like wood. The room was a little dusty, and I think the photos would have benefited from having a bit of staging to the room. But the floor still looks good!

Flooring

More photos can be seen here.

Alex Hiding

Jennifer — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:20:45 +0000

Alex Walking

Jennifer — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:24:10 +0000

Bear Crawl

Jennifer — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:26:48 +0000

I Keep Putting My Foot in My Mouth

Jennifer — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:38:05 +0000

Alex Rolling

Jennifer — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:44:47 +0000

Time for Almost Real Food

Jennifer — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:46:32 +0000

One Week Old

Jennifer — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 01:59:52 +0000

Alexander Luke

The photo above was taken September 16th when Alex was 1 week old!

Joy & Recovery

Jennifer — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:52:44 +0000

A lot of folks have been asking how I am feeling after having the baby. I’m feeling pretty energetic and happy to be a parent, but I have some pain from where the doctor put in some sutures after the delivery. I like the phrase that someone else mentioned to me to describe the pain… my baby shoot hurts. Haha! So, it’s difficult to sit properly on hard chairs and standing up from a sitting position hurts a little. My belly is very jiggly, too, which I am not that used to. Alex hasn’t been very fussy except for when he’s hungry, needs his diaper changed, or is a bit cold from our A/C. He’s a joy to have in our lives!

Our goal has been to try to have Alex feed about every three hours, but haven’t been super strict about it in the first couple days home. The longest he’s slept in one interval has been about 4 hours. We’ve got lots to learn. I’m still trying to figure out breast feeding. It seems weird to me and my boobs hurt. I’m going to try pumping and see how that goes. Nick and I made a run to Target today while Nick’s parents watched Alex to buy the breast pump and some other baby things. And then we went grocery shopping. I was pretty tired when we got home and took a nice nap before dinner time. It’s been really nice to have Nick’s step dad and mom around the last couple days to help out while we learn how to care for Alex.

Alex also had his first visit to the pediatrician this afternoon and everything checked out excellently. He’s lost a little bit of weight since birth which is to be expected, but not as much as the average baby. In just 4 days I can see he has filled out in his cheeks, but he seems like a long skinny baby to me. his hands and feet are still pretty wrinkly, too. Alex has some birthmarks on his head. One on his forehead and eye called “angel’s kiss” which should disappear by the time he is two or three years old. And one on the back of his head near his neck called “stork bite” which he will have for life, but it’ll be covered by his hair.

Introducing Alexander Luke Arnett!

Jennifer — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:36:53 +0000

We are very excited to introduce our baby boy, Alexander Luke Arnett, to you! Alex was born September 9, 2010 at 7:09pm weighing 7 pounds and 6 ounces and measuring 21 inches long! We are all doing well and looking forward to new adventures together! Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Pregnant Shopping and Walking

Jennifer — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:17:10 +0000

I didn’t get the call today about being induced Tuesday, instead of Thursday. So, I go to see my doctor for a regular appointment tomorrow morning. Unless she changes something at the appointment, the plan is to be induced on Thursday morning. This means I will be going to the hospital Wednesday evening to take Cervadil which is suppose to make my cervix more hospitable to labor. I’ll take it the night before so I sleep through the side effects, primarily nausea. Then, I will take Pitocin the next morning to induce labor.

Speaking of labor, Nick and I spent Labor Day weekend doing lots of walking and shopping. Walking is suppose to help keep baby in the proper position and bury his head down into the pelvis more. So, Friday we went to Home Depot, the grocery store, and ate lunch at Chipotle. Saturday we went to a bunch of garage sales in Sterling, Herndon, and Reston. We only spent $12 and found some pretty good treasures! For baby, we found this totally cute baby bath robe, an orange and navy blue 2 piece Adidas outfit, a dinosaur shirt, and a gray one piece with a train on it. We got 5 books: Disney’s Aladdin, a baby Bible verse memory book, A Tale of Three Trees, a book about the 1994 World Cup, and a math and physics formula book. We got a spreader for the lawn. And we got Pictionary new in the box with the plastic wrap still on. After the garage sales, we ate lunch at Potbelly and went to a Porche car show at Reston Towne Center.

Sunday we went to church, and I just slept a whole lot all afternoon. I think I was tired from all the walking from the previous two days.

Today we went furniture shopping originally looking for a chair for the nursery, but we didn’t find one we really liked. However, we did buy two more chairs to go with the dining set that we already have so there are six chairs total now. So, that will be nice when we have dinner guests.

No Baby Today

Jennifer — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:18:02 +0000

So, Nick and I packed up the car and headed to the hospital this morning fully expecting to go through a c-section and meeting our baby boy today. But today is not the day that we will meet our little one. The c-section was canceled because baby has turned into the proper position with his head down! We were at the hospital for quite a while before we got this news, though.

I wasn’t able to eat or drink anything starting at midnight in preparation for the surgery. So, I was majorly hungry. The nurses gave me an IV and had me on the baby monitor for a while to keep track of baby’s heart beat and contractions. Baby’s heart beat was nice and strong and no contractions were happening. Later the doctor arrived and used an ultrasound to check baby’s position one last time before the c-section. We found his head down, his butt up, and his feet on my left side! He had moved into the proper position making the c-section unnecessary! My doctor was pretty surprised. I think Nick and I were, too!

So, doctor wants me to do a lot of walking to help baby keep his head down in the proper position and give him a few more days to decide to come on his own. But because baby has favored a less desirable position, my doctor wants to make sure that baby doesn’t turn again by inducing by my due date. So, I’m scheduled to be induced on Thursday if he doesn’t come sooner on his own. There is a possibility I may be induced on Tuesday, but not likely as there are 8 other mothers ahead of me in the schedule. If 3 of those 8 have their babies before Monday, then I will be induced Tuesday. I’ll go into the hospital the night before, in either case, to get some medication to make my cervix more favorable for delivery and the next morning I will be induced. There is still a possibility I may need a c-section if baby turns again or if inducing fails, but neither is highly likely. If I don’t have the baby by Tuesday, I have my next doctor check up appointment on Tuesday.

So, I am a bit disappointed that baby isn’t here yet, but it is what it is and God is in control! I am glad that I didn’t have to have a c-section as the recovery will be easier. Please keep praying for these last days of pregnancy, for a safe and healthy delivery, and for Nick and I as new parents!

Week 39 & Pre-Op

Jennifer — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:06:31 +0000

Nick and I just got back from Pre-Op at the hospital. Basically, they verified and gathered lots of information, took some blood, we talked with an anesthesiologist, and got lots of questions answered. Tomorrow morning is the c-section and baby Arnett’s birthday! I should be back home on Sunday as long as there are no complications.

Ultrasound & Week 38

Jennifer — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:56:40 +0000

Monday I had an ultrasound, and I had my last regular doctor visit this morning. At the time of the ultrasound baby moved into a breech position with his head up and butt down and his arms and legs on my right side. His hands and feet were in front of his face. But now he’s back in the transverse lie position (sideways) with his head on my left side. According to the measurements in the ultrasound, baby weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces as of Monday. I’ve read that during the last month or so babies gain about an ounce a day as they grow. So, he’s going to end up being a bit bigger than I thought, but the tech said that he’s in the 56th percentile as far as growth which is very good. We want him to be right around 50%. Everything else looks healthy, too. Strong heartbeat. My blood pressure, sugars, and proteins are all good. My hands and feet have been pretty swollen the last couple weeks, but they feel better when I drink lots of water. I also haven’t slept real well the last couple weeks. It’s hard to get comfortable, and I get up to go pee at least once in the middle of the night.

Because of baby’s position, a c-section is planned for the morning of Thursday, September 2nd! I have pre-op on Wednesday afternoon. The surgery itself should be pretty quick. They will make a 10 cm cut below my panty line, pull baby out, and stitch me back up. Nick will be in the surgery room with me during the surgery, and we’ll be able to hold the baby right after he’s born while the doctors do the stitches. The doctor said they’ll have me up and walking around Friday morning, and I should be back home after the surgery by Sunday as long as there are no complications, like infection.

The first two weeks after the surgery may be tough, but my doctor said after that the recovery is pretty much the same as a vaginal birth. I am grateful that Nick will be able to take two weeks off work for paternity leave to help out. I think some family are going to come visit after I am home as well. Not sure exactly when, though.

Tuesday, August 31st will be my last day at work before starting maternity leave, and I’m planning to go back November 1st as long as our day care spot is open. But I will only be working from the office 3 days a week and at home from my laptop 2 days a week. So, baby will only need day care 2-3 days a week.

Please pray for the c-section, recovery, a healthy baby boy, and Nick and I as new parents!

Trapped Turtle

Jennifer — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:37:29 +0000

My husband was mowing the lawn today and came across this cute little turtle in our yard. The fence around our yard was preventing him from escaping. So, we had to show him the way out by lifting him over the fence and putting him on the other side. If you know what kind of turtle it is, please leave it in the comments. Of course, I had to take some photos, but my pregnant belly prevented my from being able to get down on the ground for some direct head on shots. He was actually pretty fast, too! So, I had to stay on my feet. Below is my favorite photo of the little guy. Here are some more photos.

Turtle

UPDATE: Someone has informed me that this is a box turtle.

37th Week

Jennifer — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:12:15 +0000

As of Wednesday, I entered my 37th week of pregnancy! I am officially full-term! Our little baby boy is healthy, but he is sitting in what is called ‘transverse lie,’ basically he is sideways with his head on my left side and his butt on my right. He should be sitting vertically with his head down. He cannot be born vaginally when he is in transverse lie. So, my doctor has scheduled a c-section for September 2nd. I will be getting an ultrasound on Monday to check his position one last time. If he’s turned, the c-section will be canceled. If not, things will go as planned.

I don’t really care if I get a c-section or if baby is born vaginally. With the c-section, it’s kind of nice knowing the date and time that everything is going to happen and the surgery is very quick compared to regular labor and delivery. I am confident in the judgement and ability of my doctors and the hospital. They are well seasoned, and it’s not a training hospital. My experience thus far with the hospital staff and doctors has been a good one. I am also confident that God has the best plan in mind for both me and baby and that it will be carried through. I don’t really feel anxious or scared about getting a c-section. Though, as my friend Marsha put it, “A c-section kicks off motherhood with a great sacrifice, submitting to birth by surgery and a difficult recovery.” So, I would appreciate prayers for the delivery and recovery.

I am ready for baby to be here. I’m kind of becoming tired of all the “you’re so big” comments, people touching my belly, and unsolicited advice. One person even told me something about standing on my head to get baby to turn! I’m physically uncomfortable and feeling impatient to get this baby out. I am excited to be a new parent and ready for the next part of this adventure to begin.

Scott & Elisa Married!

Jennifer — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:09:42 +0000

Yesterday my husband and I were guests at Scott and Elisa’s beautiful outdoor wedding in Chestertown, Maryland. Scott is a friend of mine from college. So, it was good to see old friends from my Case Western Reserve University days and to catch up with their lives. The wedding was set on the banks of the Chester River which made for some great photographs. Unfortunately, the seats we were in didn’t allow a view for much of the ceremony as there was a big tree in the way and we were near the back, but at least we were in the shade which kept us cooler than most of the rest of the guests who were sitting in the sun. Below are some of my favorite shots from the evening. You can view more photos here.

Scott & Elisa

Chester River Ceremony

Centerpiece Made of Lemons

Sunset Over Chester River

No Deal, Again!

Jennifer — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 11:52:28 +0000

So, it seems that the most recent offer on my house in Cleveland is going to fall through. I am really disappointed. It seemed everything was going well, and we were set to close in August. But now we must wait again for another buyer. I’m really sort of getting sick of this whole trying to sell my house from out of state thing. I wonder if I was there if it would sell any faster, though.

Follow Up Appointment

Jennifer — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:45:08 +0000

I had a follow up doctor appointment on Tuesday. Everything is going well. My doctor decided I can go back to work, but I need to limit my hours so that I get enough rest. It’s what they call “Level 1 Bed Rest.” Last week I was on “Level 2 Bed Rest.” So, I’m basically working 10am-3pm or so now so I can get 8-10 hours of sleep at night and take a morning and afternoon nap. I don’t think I’ve had scheduled naps since I was a little kid. So, it’s a little weird. But I am glad to be able to go back to work.

Shooting Independence Day Fireworks

Jennifer — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:05:19 +0000

So, I made recent inquiries (to the Loudoun Photo Club and on Twitter) for tips on photographing fireworks since July 4th is quickly approaching. I thought I would consolidate the advice I received into this post, test it out, and then show the resulting photos from this weekend in a future post. Thank you to all who sent your suggestions! Feel free to add more to the comments.

Use a tripod to keep the camera steady.
Get to the display early to find the best vantage point.
Consider having foreground or background elements in the image as they make the scene more interesting and add scale.
Use manual focus and focus on an object close to where the fireworks will be set off from.
Plan to take lots of photos and delete about 75% of them.
Set shutter speed to “bulb” mode. This allows you to keep the shutter open while you press the button and the shutter won’t close until you release the button.
Use a remote or cable release instead of the on-camera button to prevent camera shake.
Open the shutter when the rocket starts it’s flight and close as the firework explodes so there is not a gaping black whole in the center of the firework. Should be about 2 seconds, but can range from 1/2 second to 5 seconds. Keep the shutter open longer to have multiple bursts in one image, but not too long or you’ll end up with “big blobs of light.”
Most recommended setting the aperture to f/8, but the suggested range was anywhere from f/8-f/11.
Set White Balance to Tungsten.
Set ISO to 200.

One person recommended this page and which seems to have some good information: http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-fireworks

Have a very happy and safe Independence Day!

UPDATE: Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to photograph any fireworks this year. So, I’ll have to wait until next year to try out these techniques.

Hospital Visit

Jennifer — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:45:08 +0000

Yesterday was pretty eventful as far as my pregnancy goes. I started spotting a small amount of blood over the weekend. So, I went to see my doctor first thing Monday morning. (I would have went straight to the hospital had it gotten any worse or I felt any pain or contractions, but I didn’t. So, no guilt tripping me…) The doctor did several tests and sent me over to Labor & Delivery at the hospital to be monitored and get more tests and then to get another ultrasound. Everything came back with good results except a test with a long name that I now forget which is an indicator of going into labor within the next two weeks. The doctor who did the ultrasound said it was likely a “false positive,” and nothing to be worried about. The bleeding stopped yesterday afternoon while I was at the hospital. So, they sent me home and put me on bed rest. Basically, I need to stay at home and take it easy. I think that will be pretty hard for me to do because I am quite use to keeping myself busy. I need to go back to the doctor this afternoon to get a second dose of a shot they gave me. It’s basically some kind of steroid that will help the baby’s lungs develop just in case he is born early. I really like how precautionary my doctor was to make sure everything was ok with both the baby and me. Although, I imagine the medical bills are going to be slightly overwhelming over the next several months.

P.S. I hope this storm doesn’t kill anybody.

Megan & John’s Wedding

Jennifer — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 23:59:01 +0000

Dana and Allan stayed with us this weekend, and we all traveled together to Maryland for Megan and John’s wedding on Saturday. It was a great celebration. It was fun to see so many CWRU friends again! The weekend seemed to just go by way too fast, though.

Weekend in Cleveland

Jennifer — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:09:42 +0000

This past weekend Nick and I traveled to my home town of Cleveland, Ohio to visit family and friends.

Friday night we went to a baby shower that my parents organized for us. It was a nice time visiting with friends and family. Thank you all for the great baby gifts! We are very appreciative and know that they will be a big help. There was good food including chicken fingers and casata cake. My parents have lots of cake left. So, go visit them and have a piece!

We received some fantastic news while at the shower. Another offer on my house in Cleveland was made! We signed the papers for the offer with the Realtor on Sunday afternoon. Closing is at the beginning of August. Pray everything goes through this time!

Saturday we went to Colleen and Brooks’ wedding at Parkside Church. In addition to the wedding celebration, it was a great reunion of friends from CWRU. It was fun visiting with everybody! Congratulations to Brooks and Colleen! We pray every day together is blessed! I didn’t take too many because I just wasn’t feeling well with being pregnant, but here are some photos from the wedding.

Sunday Nick and I went to Scranton Road Bible Church (my old church) for the morning service. Again, it was great fun seeing all our friends. We spent the afternoon at my parent’s house celebrating Father’s Day. We went swimming in the evening which was very relaxing.

June Baby Checkup

Jennifer — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:05:54 +0000

I had my June doctor appointment today and all is well. I did a blood test for gestational diabetes and complete blood count (CBC). Baby’s resting heart rate was about 125 and jumped to 140 when he moved around which is good. My blood pressure was also very good. The doctor also measured my belly again, and she said that was good, too. From the time of my first doctor appointment to this one, I’ve gained 17 pounds so I am on track to do very well with not gaining too much or too little weight. The goal the doctor mentioned was to not gain more than 25 pounds. So, everything is going very well with me and baby.

UPDATE 6/27/2010: The blood test results for gestational diabetes and CBC came back normal. Thank you all who prayed for that.

Matt & Regina Married, Again!

Jennifer — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 02:05:14 +0000

Matt & Regina got married about a year ago. Since I am nearly 7 months pregnant now, it’s pretty difficult to shoot weddings this summer. So, Matt & Regina agreed to get all dressed up like it was their wedding all over again, and we did a photo shoot in Old Town Alexandria so I can build up my wedding portfolio. It was a fun time! We visited the farmer’s market, walked down King Street to the boating piers on the Potomac River, and stopped at some of the shops along the way. Regina and Matt were an adorable couple, and I wish them many years of happiness together! Below are some of my favorite photos from the morning. You can view the rest of the images here.

Matt & Regina

Regina

Matt & Regina

Regina

Raptor Conservancy of Virginia

Jennifer — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 11:28:09 +0000

Last Saturday morning, I had the opportunity to be a part of my very first Loudoun Photo Club event. We photographed 8 different birds at the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia. Below are my favorite shots of each bird. You can view all the photos here.

Smoke Eastern Screech Owl (Grey Morph)

Fire Eastern Screech Owl (Red Morph)

LEO Long Eared Owl

Hipster Barred Owl

Hybrid Falcon (Peregrine x Merlin)

Fuzz Northern Saw-Whet Owl

Red Tailed Hawk

Lilli Silver Morph Gyrfalcon

38722 Sierra Lane

Jennifer — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:38:05 +0000

This week I photographed a beautiful home in Lovettsville, Virginia for a Realtor named Roger. It’s an amazing 3,400 square foot property on 10 acres of land in Loudoun County. Below are some of my favorite shots of the house. You can view the rest of the images here.

Master Bedroom

Sitting Room

Kitchen

Living Room

Megan’s Bridal Shower

Jennifer — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:22:23 +0000

This past weekend, I enjoyed an afternoon celebrating at my friend Megan’s bridal shower. It was a fun time! For more photos go here.

Megan Opening Gifts

Megan & Her Mom

Lamb Kabobs

Jennifer — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:34:47 +0000

Tonight for dinner, Nick and I made lamb kabobs. They were delicious! I hope the photos below make you drool! More photos are here.

Lamb Kabobs

May Baby Checkup

Jennifer — Thu, 27 May 2010 01:14:24 +0000

Yesterday’s doctor appointment was very short. Baby’s heart rate was 154bpm. The doctor measured my belly with a measuring tape, which is something they didn’t do before. And I got my weight and blood pressure taken as usual. The doctor said everything is progressing well. At my next appointment, I’ll be getting a blood taken so they can test for gestational diabetes as well as a few other things. After that appointment, my appointments will be every two weeks until the baby is born.

People I don’t know are starting to ask me when I am due. So, my belly must be becoming obviously large. I’ve had some trouble sleeping lately. I’m having a hard time getting comfortable to fall asleep. Then I’ll feel the baby kicking at like 3am and he’ll wake me up. And I’ll have to wake up in the middle of the night to pee. So, I’ve been kind of tired lately.

Nursery Blues

Jennifer — Tue, 25 May 2010 01:00:32 +0000

Nick painted the nursery this weekend. He just needs to touch up the white trim now. Nick has done a great job! It’s the first room in our house with color. The walls are a wonderful light blue color to go with the ocean theme we have picked. If there is any benefit besides having a cute room, baby Arnett will know all the major ocean animals by the time he is two.

No Deal.

Jennifer — Sun, 23 May 2010 21:38:27 +0000

Just an update on the house in Cleveland. Turns out the buyer wants the basement waterproofed and new tile in the basement, neither of which are we willing to do and neither of which is required by the home inspection or needed. She wants to finish the basement and says she can’t do it unless those two things are done. The tile being replaced is purely cosmetic and the basement doesn’t leak so there’s no point in waterproofing it. So, our Realtor told her that she would have to sign something to release us from the purchase agreement and that she would have to forfeit all the earnest money since she didn’t follow anything agreed to in the contract. So, she said that she wanted all the earnest money back and refused to sign. Our Realtor went back and said let’s just split the earnest money so we can both move on. She still refuses to sign. So, we are still “under contract” with her, but she has no intention of buying and if we get another offer, it can’t go through until she signs the release. Rather ridiculous.

Senior Portraits of Ruth

Jennifer — Sat, 22 May 2010 00:51:33 +0000

The home studio is now set up and Ruthie was my guinea pig of sorts allowing me to take her senior portraits in the new studio. We chose a blue background to match the senior portraits of her siblings. We also took some shots outside. The wooded area provided a nice, natural backdrop. You can view the rest of the photos here.

Ruth in the Studio

Ruth

Ruth Outside

A Birthday Party for the Dogs

Jennifer — Sat, 15 May 2010 00:09:20 +0000

Last weekend, I photographed some of the cutest dogs for the 3rd annual dog fundraiser and birthday party for the Alexandria Animal Welfare Shelter. I had the pleasure of working with Toni from Anytime K9. More photos are available here.

Trying to Enjoy the Party

Let's Go For A Run!

Just Chillin'

I Have Awesome Ears!

...But I have an Awesome Tongue!

Cheese!

No Deal?

Jennifer — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:55:21 +0000

If you’re the praying type, keep praying for our house in Ohio! The buyer faxed our Realtor the home inspector’s report demanding everything mentioned on the report be fixed, totaling about $31,000 in repairs. Only a few of the items were items that the inspector deemed to be done immediately. The buyer also completely disregarded the purchase agreement that states she needs to file an amendment for what she would like to have fixed within three days of the inspection. The inspection
was done April 29th and she forwarded the inspector’s report with handwritten notes all over it to our Realtor on May 12th. No signed amendment. We’re suppose to close on May 19th. But now I don’t think we are. Hopefully, we can work out something more reasonable with the buyer. We’re willing to do all of the immediate items and a couple others, but not $31,000 worth of work on a 60 year old house. If that’s not acceptable the deal is going to fall through. It aggravates me that she was able to totally disregard the agreement, there’s still no amendment to the agreement, we’re doing some of the requested repairs, and she may still be able to back out. Lame.

April Baby Checkup

Jennifer — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:29:21 +0000

I had my monthly doctor appointment this morning.

Based on the ultrasounds, my due date has officially been changed to September 8th. If I need to be induced, a date has been set for September 14th. The doctor said only about 10% of their patients need to be induced.

I got to hear the baby’s heart beat again. It was 150 bpm. The doctor initially found the baby’s heartbeat on the left side of my belly, but then it disappeared because the baby moved. She found it again on the right side of my belly a few moments later. So, he had completely flipped around during those few minutes. The doctor commented that he seemed like a very active little fellow.

Finally Sold The House

Jennifer — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:03:46 +0000

My house in Cleveland has been on the market to be sold since January 2008. We finally got an offer last week and accepted. Now we just have to wait for the final details to be done. The closing is on May 19th. I’m glad to be almost done with the house. It’s hard to maintain a house when you live in another state. Plus, I was becoming weary of paying expenses for the house when we weren’t living there.

I guess the new people met some of my old neighbors and really liked the place. So much so that initially they were planning to put up a privacy fence, but after meeting the neighbors, they decided to only put the fence up around two sides and leave that neighbors’ side open so they can see into the neighbors’ yard. I’m glad that they’ll get along. They were good neighbors.

It’s a Boy!

Jennifer — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:32:29 +0000

I had my 20 week ultrasound on Tuesday and found out the baby is a boy! We’ve got a name picked out, but we’re waiting until he is born to share with everyone. Click here to view some photos from the ultrasound. He weighed just 12 ounces and had a heartbeat of 143 bpm that morning. The baby also likely has a due date of September 7th, not September 15th as we previously thought.

Elizabeth & Terrence’s Event

Jennifer — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:33:53 +0000

Besides moving and celebrating my birthday on Saturday, I also photographed another event for Elizabeth & Terrence. It was a church service and reception with friends to bless their marriage. It was a beautiful time. Here are some of my favorite photos from the event. View more photos here.

Church

Elizabeth & Terrence

Church Service

Terrence & Elizabeth

Dancing

New Adventures

Jennifer — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:46:39 +0000

I had another doctor appointment today. The pregnancy is coming along well. My blood pressure was good, and I got to hear the baby’s heartbeat again. It was 160bpm. We should be able to find out if the baby is a boy or girl near the end of April when I get my first ultrasound. The doctor said I should be able to start feeling the baby move before my next appointment.

We spent my birthday on Saturday moving to our new house in Sterling, Virginia. There is lots of work to do around the house, and we have lots of boxes left to unpack. While the work has been pretty exhausting, it is something that both Nick and I are very happy about. It’s nice to have a place of our own to take care of. Nick’s busy now putting together a new computer desk as I write this. It will likely be a multi-evening project.

Big News!

Jennifer — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:27:06 +0000

Well, tomorrow my husband, Nick, and I will be moving from Alexandria, Virginia to Sterling, Virginia! That means Starloft is moving, too.

Also, I am pregnant! Due date is September 8th! Because of the pregnancy, I won’t be able to photograph any big events this summer. I will be focusing on building my portfolio and doing smaller shoots.

So, needless to say, with all the big changes things may be a little quiet around here for a bit while we get settled.

Elizabeth & Terrence Married!

Jennifer — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:27:08 +0000

Elizabeth & Terrence’s wedding took place on the Georgetown campus in Washington DC. Congratulations to Elizabeth & Terrence! The full gallery can be viewed here.

Elizabeth & Terrence's Wedding

Sara’s House

Jennifer — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:11:02 +0000

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to photograph Sara’s town house. Here’s one of my favorite images from the shoot…

Dining Room

Merry Christmas!

Jennifer — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:27:31 +0000

May your holidays be filled with the joy of Jesus! Have a very merry Christmas!

Pretty Christmas Ornament

DCSnowpocalypse

Jennifer — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:38:24 +0000

Well, the second snowfall of the year has been a little overwhelming to the state of Virginia. Deucehartley jokingly coined the hashtag “#dcsnowpocalypse” on Twitter to describe the snow storm as it approached our area. It started snowing around 9pm here in Alexandria on Friday, and it’s still snowing. Some parts of the DC area are reporting as much as twenty inches of snow! Compare this picture that I took this afternoon around 4pm with the one from my previous blog entry.

Second Snowfall

I feel bad for the owner of this poor little car…

Poor Little Car

Sullivan Place Apartments

Jennifer — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:27:00 +0000

I spent a little time earlier this week photographing the pub room at my apartment. Below is what I would consider my best photo from the shoot. I would have definitely benefited from using a wider angle lens for this room rather than the 18-55mm lens.

Pub Room

First Snowfall

Jennifer — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:19:12 +0000

Yesterday was the first snowfall of the season here in Northern Virginia. Giant snowflakes were falling and I heard there was anywhere from 2 to 5 inches that fell in the DC area. That’s fairly significant for this area! The snow reminded me of my home town, Cleveland, Ohio, but from what I understand it’s been an unusual winter season thus far for Cleveland because they haven’t received any snow yet. The scene below was taken from our apartment balcony.

First Snowfall

Local Photo Clubs & Meetup Groups

Jennifer — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:19:03 +0000

This list should be helpful for other photographers in the area and a good reference for me as well as I seek to become part of the community here in the DC area. (I moved here about a year and half ago from Ohio. So, I’m still looking to meet new people and create worthwhile connections.) If you are a member of any of these groups, please comment about your experiences and if you think the group would be worthwhile for others. Also, if you know of any other groups in the area, please comment about those as well.

Local Photo Clubs

Local Meetup Groups

Shark Attack!

Jennifer — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:10:26 +0000

I hope you enjoy this photo of some cupcakes I made this weekend of a shark and a life preserver. Check out more photos of the cupcakes here.

Shark Attack!

Tatyana

Jennifer — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:38:54 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to photograph the beautiful Tatyana in the pub room at my apartment complex. We took some posed portraits of her and also some candids of her shooting pool. I experimented with using a stroboframe with the flash positioned to bounce backwards off of a white umbrella for most of these shots. It provided some nice diffused lighting of Tatyana’s face. You can view all the photos here.

Tatyana

Elizabeth and Terrence Engaged!

Jennifer — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:57:49 +0000

Elizabeth and Terrence decided to do their engagement shoot with me on Halloween. We did the shoot at Roosevelt Island on the Potomac River in Washington DC. It was a beautiful autumn day! Elizabeth and Terrence are such a great couple, and I am really looking forward to photographing their wedding in February. Check out more photos from their engagement session here.

Elizabeth and Terrence

Weekend at Brampton Inn

Jennifer — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:14:18 +0000

This past weekend my husband, Nick, and I spent the weekend at a very cute bed & breakfast called Brampton Inn in Chestertown, Maryland. Unfortunately, it rained the entire weekend, but we made the best of it by checking out the little Maryland town, building a fire, spending lots of time snuggling, and eating delicious food. View all the photos from our trip here.

Autumn Leaves outside Brampton Inn

Brampton Inn Fireplace

Parlor

Cash for Clunkers at Koons

Jennifer — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:07:20 +0000

For those of you who don’t know, I work full-time as the webmaster for Jim Koons Automotive. For the past couple months the government has been running the “Cash for Clunkers” program where dealers take old cars with poor gas mileage as a trade-in and customers get money from the government for their trade. As part of the program, the dealer agrees to destroy the clunker. Well, last week I got to see the clunkers get destroyed. Here are a few photos of the vehicles getting smashed! More photos can be viewed here.

Cash for Clunkers

Clarendon Day Electric Racing Kart Demo

Jennifer — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:38:23 +0000

This past Saturday was Clarendon Day in Arlington. Part of the festivities included an electric racing kart demonstration put on by the NoVA Kart Racing group and Volta Grand Prix. Below is a photo of David from the Kart groups driving his electric racing kart on a course marked by cones in the street. More photos can be viewed here.

Electric Kart Racing

OBG Event at Cosi

Jennifer — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:31:57 +0000

This week I photographed a fund raiser event for the Oldies But Goodies Cocker Spaniel Rescue at the Cosi in Arlington. Most of the guests were foster parents for dogs. So, they brought their dogs along as well. It was a fun time! Below is my favorite photo from the event. You can view all the photos here.

OBG Fundraiser

Labor Day Weekend

Jennifer — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:11:03 +0000

Nick and I spent the long holiday weekend visiting family in Franklin, Tennessee and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. During our trip, we had the pleasure of meeting our new nephew, Jacob, who was born in July. Below are a couple photos from our trip. You can view the rest of the photos here and here.

Sonny

Family

Ace

Jon The Fitness Model

Jennifer — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:51:26 +0000

Jon is a fitness model from the Philadelphia area. He came down to the DC area for a fitness shoot with me. We did the shoot at Stead Park because the basketball court has a pretty amazing graffiti mural featuring the characters from the Wizard of Oz. Here’s my favorite shot from the day. You can view the rest of the photos here.

Jon

The Ellis Family

Jennifer — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:39:05 +0000

The Ellis Family are friends from my church who needed a family portrait session. We did the shoot mostly on a gazebo near their home. You can see the rest of the photos here.

The Ellis Family

Fitness Shoot with Melody

Jennifer — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:52:17 +0000

Melody is a triathlon competitor interested in getting into fitness modeling. We did this shoot in the gym and pool area at my apartment in Alexandria, Virginia. All the photos from the shoot can be viewed here.

Melody

Ciera at the Arboretum

Jennifer — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:17:25 +0000

Ciera is an an actress who needed some shots for her portfolio. We decided to do the shoot at the U.S. National Arboretum. The arboretum was a beautiful choice! Here are a couple of my favorite photos from the shoot. You can view the rest of the photos here.

Ciera

Happy Independence Day!

Jennifer — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:06:48 +0000

This weekend my husband, Nick, and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary by spending the weekend in Norfolk. We enjoyed a dinner cruise and fireworks from a cruise boat, a festival in the city, and an afternoon at Virginia Beach. It was a great time! You can view the rest of their photos here.

July 4th

Boat Race in Norfolk

Fireworks

Alan & Alana’s 25th Anniversary Party

Jennifer — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:42:25 +0000

Alan & Alana’s 25th wedding anniversary party was a great time with friends and family at the Lorien Hotel in Alexandria, VA. Congratulations on 25 years of marriage, Alan & Alana! The rest of the photos can be viewed here.

Alan and Alana

Alan & Alana's Wedding Anniversary

Jeanite’s 40th Birthday!

Jennifer — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:18:05 +0000

Jeanite celebrated her 40th birthday with friends, and I had the privilege of photographing the good time! The rest of the photos can be viewed here.

Jeanite's Birthday Party

Published in SZ Digest

Jennifer — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:36:42 +0000

In January, I photographed a family in Alexandria, Virginia for the Spring 2009 edition of SZ Digest. Two of my images were published with the article entitled, “Caregiver Profile: The Extraordinary in the Ordinary.” The article is about a married couple, Gina and John, caring for his mother, Carmencita who has schizophrenia and lives with them in their home. I took several posed photos of the family as well as some photos of the family working together to do everyday tasks like setting the table, brushing hair, hanging clothes, playing with their dog, and even dancing in the kitchen. The family was quite adorable. Below is a scanned copy of the article as well as the two photos that were used in the article. More photos from the shoot can be viewed here.

SZ Digest

John, Gina & Carmencita

Jennifer & Dave’s Honeymoon Album

Jennifer — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:03:01 +0000

Dave and Jennifer were married in October 2008 and spent their honeymoon in Maui, Hawaii. While on their trip they took lots of photos, and I used their photos to design them a special honeymoon hardcover album as a keepsake of their trip. The background is a coconut shell. Check out the entire album here!

Page 1 of Album

Cupcakes for Vicki

Jennifer — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 21:53:32 +0000

To celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday, I made some super cute blue and white flower cupcakes. Check out more photos here. I hope you had a great day, Vicki!

Flower Cupcakes

Las Vegas, Baby!

Jennifer — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 21:44:24 +0000

Nick and I spent a few days on vacation in Las Vegas last week and had a great time! We visited the aquarium at Mandalay Bay, watched the fountain show at the Bellagio, did a little gambling, and enjoyed some great food. We also spent one afternoon visiting Hoover Dam, which isn’t too far away from Las Vegas. Here are a few photos from our trip. You can view all the photos here.

Sharks at Aquarium

Las Vegas Strip

Fountain Show at Bellagio

Lake Mead

Alien Invasion!

Jennifer — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:07:24 +0000

My husband, Nick, got me this pretty awesome cupcake book for Christmas called, “Hello Cupcake!” These alien cupcakes were my first batch of cupcakes made from the book. You can check out more photos of the cupcakes here.

Alien Army