Lot to be said about free time with your newborn

Our baby girl is just over three weeks old now.  She is doing great and we are having a blast hanging out with her.  She is growing REALLY fast.  It hasn’t all been easy but we have had it pretty easy.  She sleeps most nights except for the feeding times.  Julia is tracking with her eyes and moving her head a lot too.  When we lay her on her stomach she can raise her head up to look around for a while.  She will be crawling before we know it.

I have been capturing images everyday and plan to do this on into the future.  One thing that grown ups like to see our baby images and I want to make sure that I have thousands for my daughter to remember her life.  I am trying to create a large variety of images of Julia.  Hopefully to create a nice album for Julia and possible for the rest of the World to purchase, with funds going to Julia’s college fund.

We have already set up a college fund for Julia and I am working on a car/wedding fund right now.  My thoughts on investing are invest early and then when you need the money you have it.  Julia’s main events will be covered, hopefully, thanks to early planning.

Upgrades from the Paul Retherford Wedding Photography Business

In the last month I have sold a camera and lens, my Pocketwizard flash triggers, and our video recorder.  I have replaced them with a Canon 7D which I am loving right now.  It is truly a machine that is sealed, quiet, and more functional.  I have also purchased the Canon 24-70 lens which I will most likely couple with my Canon 5D to capture full frame images and portraits.  I will probably work with my Canon 70-200 on the 7D.  This gives me a nice combo with the 112mm-320mm range for the 7D.   My other three cameras will be paired with lens.  I work with a lens on each body, no changing lenses and getting dust on the sensors.  The last upgrade was the Radiopopper system which I am loving too.  No misfiring of flashes now and life is good.  Can’t wait to get rolling this year in Weddings even though I love hanging out with my first baby.  Now I have more of a reason to push myself, not that I needed the motivation, but my baby girl is in the forefront.

Yesterday I secured a Wedding here in the UP of Michigan for late this year.  I have not had many Weddings up here since moving here.  My clients are mostly downstate and around the World.  I love to stay close to home if people want me at their Wedding.  Up here you get a lot of “cousins” and “uncles” that are the photographers.  That is fine.  I have my place in the is World.  Not an unsatisfied client yet!

This time of the year between Winter and Spring is my least favorite.  The Earth is changing and everything is just plain jane, no contrast and pop.  The yard is muddy and the dogs get bathes everytime they come into the house.  What a perfect time to have a baby that needs to be loved full time.:-)

I hope everyone is enjoying their early Spring in the northwoods and their hot and crazy weather everywhere else.  Come back and check in often and feel free to comment and share the love.  You can see me on Facebook, Twitter, and my Destination Wedding Photography website.

Our first beautiful daughter Julia Currell Retherford

Our family is elated to welcome our first baby Julia Currell Retherford into the World.  I have been busy being a dad and that is why there have been minimal updates on the blog.  Expect to see LOTS of this girl since I am capturing images of her daily.  Already have a few thousand images of her and there will be lots more.

Julia was born February 26, 2010 at Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey, Michigan at 5:17am and weighed 6.5 pounds and 19 inches long.  She came two weeks prior to my wives due date but is full term and healthy.  I would like to thank Dr. Cockfield for your expert hand in delivery and all of the team of doctors at Northern Michigan Hospital.  We saw all of you along the way and each of you added a bit of useful knowledge.  You all do amazing work!  We would also like to thank the team of nurses, lactation counselors, kitchen staff, janitors, and everyone else that I missed.  We really felt at home during our stay and you all did a fantastic job.  Keep up the good work and healthy babies!

The whole family is getting used to the new addition.  We had the dogs kenneled during the birth and after for a few days.  We dropped clothes off to them so they could smell their new sister.  When they came home Sampson, our Blue Weimaraner, was very interested in Julia and Asta, our Vizsla, kind of avoided her.  They both are getting used to the new sounds and smells in the household.  As for Megan and me, we couldn’t be happier right now.  Life and new life are precious!

New love is in the air at the Retherfords.

Julia is doing so well and she just had her 2 week appointment.  We are so happy to have her in our lives and look forward to raising her to be an exceptional citizen in society.  She has been really easy to care for up to this point and we are crossing our fingers that it stays that way.:-)  Check out the first seven days image slideshow that I put together below.

Remember that if you are looking for Photography please give me a call!

Wedding Photography | Fun, Jumping Images

There are so many options for Wedding Photography during a Wedding day.  I like to mix it up and create a variety of images.  One of the images that I enjoy capturing is a motion image.  Lots of times they turn out to be jumping images but not all the time.  I typically leave it up to the subjects to use their creativity.  I don’t like to direct too much because I feel it limits the emotion and personality of my images.

Some Wedding Photographers will tell each person what to do and how to do it.  I give my clients a lot of freedom so that my images show the personality of each individual.

Keeping the Wedding Photography fun, fresh, and unique is my personal goal.  Mixing a couple jumping shots helps me achieve that goal.

Check out My Wedding Photography at Northern Michigan Destination Wedding Photographer | Jumping Wedding Images