Tamar's Blog

Samantha

2011-08-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

Had a great time with Samantha! She was so sweet and absolutely lovely to photograph.

Let it rain...

2011-08-07T08:35:00.001-07:00

It rained and rained and rained yesterday, and then it rained some more. But that didn't stop the fun at Samantha and Mike's wedding. They had such a great outlook that although it was cloudy outside, this couple was definitely shining.

Adam

2011-07-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

It was really fun working with Adam. I think his sweet personality and talent really came through in the photos.

Beautiful Family

2011-07-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

I loved meeting and photographing this sweet family. Patrick is leaving for Afghanistan on Monday and I wish him safe travels. I hope the photographs will be a comfort to him and the gals who wait for his safe return at home.

Gina and Drew

2011-06-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Gina was a dancer, Drew was a football player and they bleed blue and white...

There wedding was vibrant and fun - just like them!

Got this great ray of light at Pasquerilla Center.

Love the shoes...

The reception was at the Penn Stater. Eric Stoner of Nittany Entertainment did a great job as DJ!

Rather than a traditional toast these gals gave a full out cheer!

Jennifer and Brian

2011-06-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

I got to meet many of Brian's and Jen's family the night before their wedding, at their rehearsal dinner. I could tell the wedding was going to be fun!

Erin and Dave

2011-06-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

Erin and Dave are a beautiful couple - inside and out. They kept a smile on their face even though mother nature decided to play a last minute trick on us. Despite the rain we got some beautiful weather, and beautiful photos of this sweet couple:

The Biever Clan

2010-11-15T10:23:00.001-08:00

We had to battle the weather with this shoot, but the Bievers (all 7 of them) handled it like champs, with a smile on their face. I love this family.

And what's a shoot without some out-takes?

Erin and Rich

2010-10-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

We photographed an incredibly sweet couple recently. The reception took place at Scotch Valley Country Club - a great location.

Sylvia and Jake

2010-10-17T17:26:00.001-07:00

Syl and Jake got married on a beautiful day at Bedford Springs Resort. We had a tad of rain during the outdoor reception (good luck!) and then a quick downpour just as we were getting ready to do the family photos outside. But it passed quickly and we were able to resume according to the plan.

We did something new at this wedding - Sylvia and Jake wanted a photo booth for their guests. It worked out great and everyone had a blast. Even Syl and Jake had fun with it:

Jess and Jason

2010-08-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

I typically meet with couples several times before their wedding, but for a variety of reasons Jess, Jason and I weren't able to meet. I was a little nervous about the fact that we hadn't had an opportunity to work together before thewedding. But my fears were assuaged the moment I met Jess, her family and bride's maids. Everyone was incredibly sweet and kind. They were a riot - laid back, fun and funny. And did I mention beautiful?? Inside and out. And Jason was an adorable sweetie too.

Jess (and identical sister, Jeannine, were both cheerleaders at Penn State). They had a grand entrance with some help from the Blue Band and Cheerleaders. Fun!

Loving the camera, and it shows.

2010-08-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

It's a special treat to photograph a senior boy who enjoys being in front of the camera. This young man is not only adorable (at nearly 6'4"), but also incredibly talented, sweet and fun, as I think the photos convey.

All the way from Nevada...

2010-07-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

Seniors. What a great age. We were fortunate enough to photograph this gorgeous young woman who hails all the way from Nevada!

Nancy and Joey

2010-07-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful couple...

To view a slideshow with more images click here.

Jamie and Travis

2010-06-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

I met Jamie during one of my earlier weddings. It's always incredibly flattering to have someone book us because they experienced our photography from a friend or loved one. Jamie and Travis hired us quite a while ago and it was wonderful to finally get to photograph their wedding and share their beautiful day.

The wedding took place at Paradise Ranch. The location was gorgeous.

So glad they're Yankees fans! Don't know what I would have done had they come out wearing Red Sox jerseys ;)

Ended the night with a great band - Bad Hair Day.

Hannah and Jessica

2010-06-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

Double trouble, double fun, double Mazal Tov!

Sarah and Eric

2010-06-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Wedding season has officially begun. I photographed Sarah and Eric's wedding this past Sunday at the Nittany Lion Inn. It was a beautiful day for an incredibly sweet couple.

The beautiful flowers were done by Avant Garden.

Love is in the air...

2010-05-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

Great session at a local frat house. It's always fun to get to use a new location.

Musical family

2010-05-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

Amy, Harris, Hannah, and...?

2010-05-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

Variety

2010-04-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

Lots of fun sessions lately. Here are a few recent shots:

Adorable Newborn

2010-03-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

Newborn sessions can be pretty difficult. Getting their picture taken is a lot of work for these little ones. But this little guy was so cooperative. What a trooper for a 2-week old. He didn't even poop on his parents, but mom DID get peed on.

Hat time!

2010-02-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

The Noels

2009-12-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

Tylee

2009-12-03T12:59:00.001-08:00

Chelsey, Brandon and Remi

2009-12-03T12:42:00.000-08:00

Brandi and Pat

2009-11-25T09:26:00.001-08:00

Brandi and Pat had a Halloween wedding. What a crazy fun time!

And although I didn't dress up, I did reveal my devilish horns ;-)

Clarisse

2009-11-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

Introducing cutie pie, Clarisse:

Kirsten and John

2009-10-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Beautiful day for a beautiful couple.

Katya

2009-10-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

Kimi

2009-10-01T15:43:00.001-07:00

I had a great time photographing Kimi.

Workin' the camera

2009-09-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

These two definitely know how to work the camera. So adorable!

Sarah and Hal

2009-09-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Hal have loved each other since they are 7-years-old, and it shows :-)

Jenn and Chris

2009-09-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Jenn and Chris decided to elope! I was so fortunate to share this special moment with them.

Win a spot on our holiday parade and your own poster! (Click to enlarge.)

2009-09-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

A few recent photos

2009-08-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

Beautiful family...

2009-08-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

Wishing the Henry clan lots of luck on a new chapter in their lives.

A new generation

2009-08-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

I photographed Reggie and Mark's wedding. And now they're expecting their little one...

Michelle and David

2009-08-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

A few from Michelle and David's BEAUTIFUL wedding...

Another gorgeous senior...

2009-07-20T13:27:00.001-07:00

Stopping traffic...

Portraits in the Park

2009-07-08T08:21:00.001-07:00

Brady

2009-05-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Meet Brady!

Amy and Jacob

2009-05-18T08:22:00.001-07:00

Despite the crazy winds, we had a great time last Saturday with Amy and Jacob!

Private joke... lol...

The reception was at the classy Atherton Hotel.

Cutie Tom from Nittany Entertainment was the DJ.

And Heather Luse of Delactable Delights made the beautiful cake.

Recovering from PPA of PA

2009-04-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

Another great convention.

Tammy won a degree award. And thanks to the incredibly adorable Raja (she is terribly missed), I got a couple of trophies too:

The 80s are Back!

2009-04-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

We shot an 80s prom last night. What a blast from the past!

Fun stuff!

2009-04-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun today - photogenic kids galore!

First a great bunch of sibs:

Then the sweetest 13 year old, what a great "poser!"

CDT Mother's Day Special

2009-04-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

We've started working on photos for the CDT's Mother's Day special insert. Call the studio for more information.

Here's a recent photo of four generations!

Jana

2009-03-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Senior season has begun. Here is Jana. What an adorable young woman!

Look HOT on FaceBook

2009-03-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

Introducing Calvin

2009-03-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing Calvin's oldest sister in utero, then as a newborn and toddler, and then sister #2. Now I got to meet him. Beautiful.

Leia

2009-03-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

State College Bride Magazine

2009-01-28T08:23:00.001-08:00

It happened again... We got the cover of State College Bride Magazine. Congratulations to Louisa, our beautiful cover girl:

Other featured weddings include - Kristen and Craig:

Talia and Kenny:

Rhea and Nick; and Amy and Tom:

Lauren and Rob; and Louisa and Tom:

Imaging

2009-01-15T14:17:00.000-08:00

We're back from Phoenix. We had a wonderful time. Here are some highlights and photos.

On Saturday we went to Jerome and Sedona (as described in the previous post). Here are a few more photos from Jerome:

Mary Beth, Tammy and I at the Flat Iron.

I like the sign - "Belgian Jennie's Bordello Bistro & Pizzeria"

Tammy, setting up a shot.

A few from Sedona:

A cathedral built into the mountain.

Sunday we went caught up with two friends (fellow photographers). They drove out to the airport with us to return our rental car and we started talking about taking photos out in the desert. Just as we were pulling in to the airport we decided to keep the rental for another day, drive out to the desert and take some photos. Our friends were even brave enough to model for us. (I don't think those photos are suitable for the blog, but you can check out our london wolfe facebook page.)

And Mary Beth even took one of me:

Monday we attended class after class. The one I enjoyed the most was with photographer Bob Davis. He photographs celebrity weddings (he shot Eva Longoria's wedding). The big event of the day was a speech by Anne Geddes. She was wonderful. She shared stories from her humble beginnings (hoping for a mention of her Christmas special in the local paper, selling her calendars door-to-door, etc), showed behind the scenes photos and clips, and got emotional when discussing her family. Tuesday was the degree-ceremony day. Tammy and I had to be at rehearsals, photos, etc starting at 3:00. The ceremony started at 7:00 and lasted about 2 hours. Every degree recipient goes on stage with their chosen sponsor. Tammy and I sponsored each other, so we needed go on stage to get my degree and then quickly go back stage, get back in line for Tammy's. Well, we were so focused on how to do that, that we never payed attention to what where we should go after Tammy's degree. Wouldn't you know, we got lost back stage. Anne Geddes received a lifetime achievement award and gave another touching speech. I hope to have a photo or two of the degree ceremony in a few days (waiting for people to email them to me... hint... hint...). All in all, we had a fabulous, fun and educational time. It was quite a rude awakening to return home to this frigid weather.

Naughty Nadia, Flat Irons and other Adventures in Arizona.

2009-01-10T22:02:00.000-08:00

Tammy and I left for Phoenix yesterday. Our flight was delayed because they couldn't get the battery to start on the plane, and when they finally did, the ground crew assured us that "although it sounds scary, if you want, you can board." Once on board, we were told that the plane wasn't "butt heavy" enough and we were asked whether some people would volunteer to move to the back. Tammy and I, thrilled to discover that our "big butts" were finally good for something, happily volunteered. We were relieved that they didn't announce a few minutes later that we were now TOO butt heavy. But, alas, we arrived safely in phoenix.

Today was a fabulous day. While (truly) disappointed to miss the big snowstorm, we were pleased to wake up (at 5:00 AM GMT) to the promise of a blue sky and temperate weather. We (Tammy, our roomie - Mary Beth, and I) stopped for breakfast at the Village Inn before heading North. Our hostess was a riot. She announced that we three single girls were perfect for the four single guys across the room. (You do the math. And YES Wayne, Phillip and Glenn, we promptly informed her that we were NOT single.) A few moments later 2 little old ladies came in and were seated at the table adjacent to the guys. The hostess whispered to us that she put the ladies by the guys "because THOSE ladies were harmless." At that point, Tammy and I simultaneously glanced at her name tag, and simultaneously burst out laughing when we read "Naughty Nadia."

We were somewhat embarrassed to be glancing and laughing at the direction of this woman's (very large) chest, but Nadia promptly informed us that she's quite proud of her "B52s." I'll spare you all the details, but we heard a lot about Nadia's life. She's originally from Egypt and we exchanged a few words in Hebrew and Arabic and hopes for peace, and we all parted with hugs, kisses and terms of endearment (hers for me was "honey bunch.")

After multiple pit stops:

(How much peeing can three not-so-young women do? You really don't want to know.) We arrived in Jerome. Jerome is a tiny mining town up on a mountain. It's full of great art galleries and shops. We ate at a little (really little) cafe called "The Flat Iron" with an eclectic group of hippies, bikers and artists. Tammy dropped her lens cap in The Nellie Bly (a shop that sells beautiful kaleidoscopes) and we were chased down by the owner and several others. The owner ran back to her shop and gave us a lens filter someone had left behind the previous week. We absolutely loved this town.

We continued to Sedona. We went to a few different locations to take photos. (I'll post those when I get home. For now, check out some of Tammy's on her blog.) We ran in to photographers from all over the country - some old friends, some new. We ended, just before sunset, at a beautiful overlook by the airport, but we were uninspired. There were tons of people, the sun was hitting the rocks at a bad angle, and the large valley meant there was no sense of depth of field. At the last minute we decided to ditch the site and drove in to town. We quickly scoped the area, pulled in to a parking lot and had an incredible view in three directions. We had (literally) 2 minutes before the rocks fell into shade and the sun disappeared. It felt magical that we were able to have those few minutes. We had some good Mexican food, made some more friends, and made it back to Phoenix - tired, but very satisfied.

I couldn't resist...

2009-01-08T19:05:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist adding a couple of mom with the newest edition to this beautiful family. (And let's not forget dad...)

Sweetness

2009-01-08T18:27:00.000-08:00

They don't get much cuter than this. I first photographed this amazing little one when she was in her mama's belly. Then again when she was brand new. I just got to meet and photograph her new baby sister. She is so animated, I had a hard time picking a few to show. I wonder if The Gap is looking for a new model.

My kids

2008-11-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

I am so behind on posting images. I promise to show off some of the beautiful weddings we've witnessed these past few months. But, I took a minute to photograph my own two clowns:

PP of PA

2008-10-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Tammy and I did great at our State convention. We took 5 trophies between the two of us. Here are my prints:

"I'm Not Listening"

"Tiny"

"Mountain Majesty"

"Tomorrow's Dreams"

2008-09-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

So many great weddings lately! Here are a few from recent ones: Crissy and Jeff at the Casino

Jess and Ryan

Amy and Tom

Jessica and Ryan at Toftrees

Amy and Tom

Crissy and Jeff

Amy and Tom's seating cards for their wedding at Centre Hills Country Club. Daniel Vaughn did an amazing job.

Lauren and Rob

2008-08-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

We've been so busy photographing weddings that I've been falling behind on blogging... Here are a few photos from Lauren and Rob's wedding. Rob and I go back to my PSU days. Yes, he got an A :-)
The wedding was beautiful and fun. And I've never seen a cake like this - all the way from Baltimore's Charm City Cakes (yes, from the "Ace of Cakes" tv show).

Gerald T Smith and Youth-N-Praise

2008-08-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

I photographed the coolest bunch of kids recently - The Gerald T Smith and Youth-N-Praise choir from Washington, DC. We were working on their new album cover.

Day 2 in Amsterdam

2008-06-28T14:29:00.001-07:00

Some photos from day 2 in Amsterdam. (We didn't take the camera around yesterday.) I love this city. I've come close to getting killed by a bike, but other than that, what a great place... It's quiet, it's pretty, it's relaxed. And what do they feed these people? It's a country of Adonises.

Cat sitting on a bike outside a bakery.

Go Orange! (We were bummed when Holland lost in the Europe Cup.)

Bikes, bikes and more bikes. And then... some bikes.

Listening to a band in the open air theater.

Tops of houses in the evening.

The view from our hotel window.

2008-06-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

Last night in Paris.

Little Street

Hotel de Ville

LGBT protest

The pyramid at the Louvre

I think it's about 10:00 PM when we took this. Just hanging out at the Touillere.

The Eiffel tower - sparkling

Faces on a bridge

2008-06-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

We thought about going to see the Orsay museum, but we're both museum-ed out. We decided to spend our last day in Paris just walking around and chilling. We hung out in a park outside Notre Dame playing backgammon. We went to the Jewish section again, got some stuff for a picnic and had lunch on the tip of Iles de la Cite, playing backgammon some more. It's amazing, but (according to Glenn) every game I win is due to luck and every game he wins is due to skill. Incidentally, I'm up by 22 points. Needless to say, one of us was in a crabby mood for much of the morning. We walked down St. Germain st, and back to our hotel.

Notre Dame

Tip of Iles de la Cite

2008-06-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last night we went out to hear Jazz. So an American and an Israeli-American end up listening to a Finnish band play Latin Jazz in Paris, France. Cool. Our tickets actually got us into 4 clubs, so we kept hopping back and forth. We went to bed around 2:00 AM. Today we planned on going to the Foundation Cartier - a museum of modern art. We walked through Jardin Luxembourg to get there. Outside the park was a cool photography display. Large photographs hung on the length of the railings. Unfortunately, when we got to the museum we discovered it was closed. Bummer. We made our way back through Rue Mouffetard - a little street market. We took a river boat to see some of the sights along the Seine. The plan tonight is to take a walk along the Seine.

Photography display outside Jardin de Luxembourg

On the boat. Notre Dame growing out of Glenn's head.

Notre Dame from the back side.

Row of apartment buildings on Ile St. Louis. Glenn wants an apartment on the other side of the island. OK.

Hotel De Ville (City Hall)

Glenn's favorite bridge - Pont Alexandre III. We hope to see the lights come on tonight.

Pont Alexandre III

2008-06-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

We switched hotels today. The hotel Glenn wanted to stay at originally was on Iles St. Louis, but they didn't have rooms for the first two nights, so we stayed off the Champs Elysees. Today we moved to the Iles St. Louis. It's a fun area - small cafes and shops on a tiny Island. Right next door to the island that houses Notre Dame. We started the day by going to the Rodin Museum. After we moved hotels we walked to Jardin de Luxembourg, passing Notre Dame on the way. We read and played backgammon. The plan tonight is to go hear swing at a Jazz club not too far from our hotel.

Notre Dame

Statue in Jardin de Luxembourg

Jardin de Luxembourg

2008-06-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

We took it easy today. We're finally beat. We took the metro to the Picasso museum in the morning. We walked through the museum and the Jewish section. We got some falafel and rugelach for lunch. Yum. We spent most of the rest of the day walking back (other side of town). We stopped at every garden, circle, place, and coffee shop: backgammon, reading, people watching, coffee, backgammon, reading, people watching, coffee,... We wanted a quiet evening so we went to see Indiana Jones. It was nice to hear some English (but the movie sucked).

Pompidou

water fountain by Pompidou

Gardens by Palais Royal

Water Fountain by Palais Royal

The pyramid by the Louvre

Damn. I'm naked and there's a pigeon on my head.

Night 1 in Paris

2008-06-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

Some photos of the Eiffel Tower from last night.

Paris - Day 1

2008-06-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

We took the Eurostar train from London to Paris today. The train took about 2 hrs and 20 min. Amazing. We're staying about a block from the Arc De Triomphe, right off the Champs Elysees. Our street is right between Hugo Boss and Louis Vuitton. Fancy. As per our routine, once we got here we walked and walked and walked. We went to the Arc De Triomphe, walked down the Champs Elysees, went to the Seine. There were several brides and grooms getting their photos taken. We were amazed that they all appeared to be Jewish, until we realized that today is sunday... We continued to Glenn's favorite - Place De La Concorde and walked back up the Champs Elysees. We'll rest a bit and go out to dinner. I'm hoping for Moroccan. :-)

Using a fisheye lens - not the most flattering.

Arc De Triomphe

sculptures on the Arc

Grand Palais

On the Pont Alexandre III bridge

Bride and Groom on the Pont Alexandre III bridge

The Obelisk at Place De La Concorde

The Arc De Triomphe from the Place De La Concorde

Last Day in London

2008-06-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Chinatown in the morning for Dim Sum. From there we went to Covent Garden, watched the performers and had some coffee. We spent the rest of the day at the Imperial War Museum. We saw an exhibit on Bond, James Bond; WWI, WWII; and The Holocaust (fun). We went back to the West End for dinner and had some great authentic Indian food. Stuffed and tired, we're packing up and getting ready for Paris.

2008-06-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

Spamalot last night was fun - is there a Jew in the house? Today was Glenn's work day. We overslept... Jet-lag finally kicked in and we woke up at 10:15 thinking it was 6:00AM. He raced off to his publisher and I went to the Tower of London. From there I went to the West End of London (my favorite area thus far). I hung out at Covent Garden watching some acrobats from Kalamazoo, MI. I walked back to Trafalgar Square and went to the National Portrait Gallery, where Glenn caught up with me. We ate at a nice Spanish restaurant. We're going to head out to a pub now...

2008-06-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Day 2 in London. We walked to the Tate Modern today and saw an exhibit on photography, among other things. We then walked along the Thames to the Tower of London, but decided to skip it due to the line. Went to Notting Hill instead. We're off to see Spamalot tonight.

St. Paul's in the distance

Tower Bridge

Notting Hill

London in London

2008-06-18T11:57:00.001-07:00

Glenn and I arrived in London today. We took the red-eye from Phila, got in to our hotel around 2:00 PM and hit the town. We walked and walked - Trafalgar Sq., Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, and China Town. Here are a few snapshots.

Ashley and Rob

2008-05-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful wedding! Beautiful blue skies at the Nittany Lion Inn.
Ashley and Rob's wedding was just so bright, colorful and happy.

Louisa and Tom

2008-05-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

I photographed a beautiful and fun wedding in late April. Louisa and Tom are a gorgeous NYC couple. Their engagement announcement even made it into the NY Times!

engagement announcement

Their wedding reception was at the football stadium. They even had a surprise guest!

Wedding Season!

2008-05-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

Spring is upon us and that means different things to different people. To us it means - weddings. It's always exciting to be part of the beginning of a couple's new life together. I feel so honored to be chosen to tell the story of one of the most important days in a couple's life. Here are a few photos from Jocelyn and Tyler's wedding - congratulations to a very sweet couple!

studio update

2008-04-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

Things are still progressing at London Wolfe Photography. We're taking our first session in the new studio next week. Call for current promotions (814.942.2530)! The last photo is our team - top right - Tammy, bottom right - Julie, bottom left - Catherine, top left - yours truly!

Grand Canyon

2008-03-24T08:31:00.001-07:00

After our conference was over Tammy and I had a few days before our wedding. We rented a convertible on Thursday and drove to the Grand Canyon. Our morning was, let's say, "interesting." I won't elaborate here, but we got through it. We arrived at the Grand Canyon in time for the sunset and moon rise. Beautiful.

Vegas, Baby

2008-03-18T13:58:00.001-07:00

Tammy and I are in Vegas for WPPI. We're also photographing a wedding here later this week. Vegas is somewhat overwhelming (that's an understatement). Everything is bigger, louder, shinier,... We're planning on renting a convertible and driving out to the Grand Canyon. Now THAT sounds like fun. Here are some photos...

moving along...

2008-03-13T08:58:00.001-07:00

Things are moving along at London Wolfe Photography! We've got a new wall up, but still no floor...

New Venture

2008-03-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

Big things in the works! Tammy Wolfe (ambiencephotography.net) and I are joining forces. Tammy and I have been friends for a few years now. We've been traveling to conferences and conventions together and this past year we started speaking at photography guilds and conventions ourselves. We figured why not join forces?! We've formed "London Wolfe Photography, LLC" and are opening a big studio (almost 9000 sq ft) in downtown Altoona. We are currently renovating and the following photos attest:

Just starting out
Getting my hair sucked up in the vacuum cleaner

Catherine - our "does it all" receptionist/sales woman/office manager
Julie - graphic desing guro and uber painter

Rick - graphic designer

Cutie pie Catherine
Me - before the heat got turned on

Julie "cutting in" (a new term for me)

still amazed that I can paint

Tamar London, CPP

2008-02-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

I just found out today that I've earned my "Certified Professional Photographer (CPP)" credential from the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). Fewer than 3% of photographers are certified by PPA. The certification process involves passing a photography exam and having a portfolio approved by a panel of judges. It wasn't something I had planned on doing until my friend and business partner, Tammy (more on that to come), pushed me to. So, thanks Tammy!

State College Bride Magazine

2008-01-28T07:12:00.001-08:00

I am incredibly proud to showcase the 08 edition of "State College Bride" magazine. We were fortunate to have our photograph on the cover for the third year in a row. I think it's not hard to see why - Lynn was a gorgeous bride. Congratulations to Lynn and Mark, Ashley and Peter, Kara and Clint and Kate and Brendan who were all featured.

By the way, Lynn's beautiful dress came from Trousseaux in DuBois, her flowers came from Woodrings, and her hair, make-up and nails were done at Looks.

What's the difference between a Yankee and a damn Yankee??? (Not telling!)

2008-01-16T12:08:00.000-08:00

Nashville was great! The group was loads of fun. Thank you for being such great hosts. A special thank you to everyone that took us out for dessert and to Bill for showing us the sites around town.

... goin' to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee...

2008-01-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

OK, so I didn't go to Graceland, but I did go to Memphis. Tammy and I are speaking at four photography guilds this week - Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. Last night was Memphis. We had a great time meeting everyone. And a special thank you to Kori for driving two hours to come visit us, and to David and Benne for taking us to Beale street.

Back from Lightpro

2007-09-28T13:52:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a fabulous week on Captiva Island off the West coast of Florida. I was there for Lightpro expo. I had the pleasure of meeting and learning from some of the best photographers in the country. One evening was pure magic. A few of us went to the beach to take photos during sunset. Immediately we saw dolphins swimming close the shore in circles. Then, while in the water hundreds of fish started jumping out of the water around us. This went on for about 20 minutes. Right after that we saw what we thought was a whale, but then we figured it was a manatee. The sunset was amazing and on our walk back we saw the largest moon I've ever seen in my life. Incredible.

I had to leave the convention early to get back to photograph a wedding, but while waiting for my connecting flight I got an excited call from one of my friends letting me know that I won second place in the photo competition. It was an incredible experience and I can't wait for next year!

The Bahamas baby

2007-09-12T07:13:00.001-07:00

My kids announced today that they are sick of summer. There is definitely something nice about Fall. Ethan likes to sing a made up song with the lyrics: "I like nothing but normal days." I'm with him. I like the routine and simplicity that comes along with the new year. Still, I'm sure I'll miss summer. This past summer I attended an all-girl photography conference called "Chicks that Click" in the Bahamas. I took Glenn along as the kept husband and he golfed while I studied hard. Well, maybe not that hard...

Twins

2007-07-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

Every time I look at these boys, I have to smile. They are unbelievably cute. I'm so happy I had a chance to photograph them.

I even got them to pose with their new "Tamar London Photography" t-shirts.

Welcome to the world of blogging

2007-07-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to publish a blog for over a year, and always felt too swamped to get started. I'm finally taking the plunge. I figure this will be a great way to stay in touch with all of my clients/friends. In my blog I'll share recent sessions and professional news, as well as personal stuff.

Since I'm going to share some personal things too, I will start with some terribly sad news. My best friend from childhood died during childbirth on June 23. Jennifer was a midwife in Florida. She experienced birthing pains on June 21 and went to her birthing center. She was taken to the hospital with severe signs of pre-eclampsia. She lost consciousness on the way to the OR to have an emergency C-section. She never regained consciousness. Jennifer was kept on life support for two days so that she could be an organ donor.

Lila Jennifer was born healthy and is doing well.

I can find no rhyme or reason in all of this. Jennifer was in a loving relationship and was happier than she'd ever been. She was dedicated to making the world a better place, an attitude that was reflected in everything she did - from managing a health food store years ago and her care for the environment, to her work as a midwife.

Jennifer and I had a tumultuous relationship. I loved her with all my heart and felt protective of her always; but I couldn't always be the friend she wanted me to be. We had falling out about a year ago and hadn't spoken since. I hope she knew how much I loved her, and still do...

(That's Jennifer on the right, and me on the left, back in 1978 and in 1989.)