Black and White Photography~Portraits by Photos of the Heart {Sierra Vista AZ}

I was looking through some pictures and got into a black and white mood.  Normally, I'm a bright and colorful type person.  I love shoots with vibrant outfits and fun accessories and happy people laughing and playing.  But something about these sweet little girls inspired me to bring out the vintage, moody feel.

Their simple, classic look didn't need anything extra.  They are perfect exactly as they are. I don't need to  add a pop of color or cute hats.  I am happy just watching them be themselves.

I may not always be a black and white kind of girl, but sometimes it's exactly what I need.

Basically the equivalent of throwing a dart......Colorado Springs Child photographer-Photos of the Heart

Sometimes as I look through pictures for the sneak peek picture, I can't choose!  I usually pick the amazing shots of cute faces or families that are loving and kind.

This time, I just closed my eyes and picked one.  Okay, not really, but there were a lot to choose from.  I actually picked this because I know how much J. (the dad) loved this spot and because I loved how Little Miss Rose was giving me a tiny glare as she protectively helped Tiny Little Hazel to navigate the leaves and sticks.

She was not the most enthusiastic child to start with, but after a while we decided to get along and there are some happy pictures too.  But that's not what I want to shoot all of the time.

Don't get me wrong, I love to capture happy, giggling babies and loving families.  There is a magic moment where everything comes together and the perfect image comes together.  I've learned over the years, that sometimes it's the quiet or grumpy pictures that are the most accurate.  Most kids don't look or act like the models on tv commercials.  Most kids have a personality that can be better described as stubborn, cranky or impish.

AND THAT'S OKAY.

As a mother, I can honestly say that pretty pictures are great, but 50 years from now, I would love to look back and remember how my child was antisocial sometimes, but fiercely protective and loving with her baby sister.

I would hope that these girls are still as close 10 years from now....and 20 years from now.

So this is my picture of the day.  Two sisters.  Curious.  Grumpy.  Loving.

When you live in Texas, you know who you have to cheer for!

These girls are big fans!

Actually Miss C. and her dad are the big fans! Mom and the other girls just love their dad and sister! But we know who they will be cheering for!

This is an AMAZING family. Do I use that word too much? I can't help it! I really am lucky to work with some great families! These girls are wicked smart and super talented. They are all unique and have their own style and personality, but they all share a sweet personality, cute looks, smarts and tons of talent.

I've worked with mom and some of the girls before and they never cease to amaze me. I shouldn't have been surprised to find that Dad and Miss C. are just as fantastic!

I can't wait to share some more pictures, but I have to get these pictures to mom!

Sometimes kids can surprise me....and their little sisters!

Usually when you have siblings and you ask them to give each other a hug or kiss, they will respond with a cute little peck on the cheek or a big squeeze.  Something like this....

But then sometimes kids can surprise me....

I am thankful for..... {Dana Stone-Family Photographer}

...all of the great kids that I get to meet and work with! These kids make me happy just to be near them. I don't have to cajole them or beg them to sit together. I don't ever see them treat each other with anything less that 100% love. (Mom may disagree, but I've never seen their bad side!)

I would turn around for 2 seconds and they would run off and pose, hugging each other and just smile and grin. Honestly, working with them makes me love my job!

I had the chance to shoot with them before and they were great then. See! They loved each other then too!

And just look at these eyelashes! This boy knows he is cute and just can't help it! I have a feeling he will be a heartbreaker when he gets older!

Although I had a blast, hanging out with this great family made me miss my own kids! And a rare picture of me....We had to show off the awesome hat Miss C. let me try on before I left!

What to Wear?!? Photos of the Heart-Family Photographer

I thought you might like some more ideas for fun, classic outfits for fall shoots! The best part? Since Sierra Vista never gets too cold, these ideas can last all winter!

Remember, you don't have to do the matchy-matchy look!  Mix it up and layer!  Have fun planning your next amazing family photo session!

Babies make me happy! {Fort Huachuca Baby Photographer-Dana Stone Photos of the Heart}

I confess.  I love babies.

I love squishy, tiny little bundles of adorable-ness all wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket.  I love tiny toes and little noses.  I love peach fuzz hair and curls.  I love skinny babies that are all arms and legs.  I love fat babies that have rolls on their rolls.

I love babies.



If I see a cute baby, then I want to take pictures of her cuteness.

If I take pictures of her cuteness, then I want to hold her some more.

Notice that nowhere in there does it say, I want to put her down so I can post the pictures on my blog?

That's right.  I'd much rather be hugging a baby than looking at pictures of her...because that just makes me want to go hug her some more.

But.

She and her family have moved.  I'm missing her.  (insert sad face here)  So I will console myself by finally getting around to posting pictures of her cute self.

Introducing (belatedly) Ms. K.




See?  Soft and sweet and kissable and oh so tiny?







And just a bit of Hawaiian sweetness.....





I love the cute pouty lips....


And her mommy will just have to do all the kissing on this cutie from now on!

Photos of the Heart Photography by Dana Stone is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license is available at by contacting me.

All of the images that I publish at this blog and its affiliated sites (facebook, flicker, photosoftheheart.org) are copyrighted by me. I retain exclusive copyright over all images, client or otherwise, unless expressly noted. Please feel free to click on the icon above to learn more about copyright.

As an artist, I create and edit images I take based on the story I want to tell and the medium through which to do it – whether it is online or print. I optimize images for use online or print. Please do not scan or alter your photographs that are in your client gallery. You are more than welcome to take any images in your blog post and post them in your Facebook or MySpace profile but you must keep the watermark intact. None of the images online either in your gallery or on this blog post are suitable for printing at all.

I offer high resolution digital images with every full collection, and with that comes a limited print release, which allows you to print as many pictures as you need of the images you purchase. Please inquire for more details.

If you have any questions or if there are other uses like contest entries, please feel free to contact me and we’ll explore your options!

Thank you for your support and understanding.
Dana Stone
Photos of the Heart
Photography by Dana Stone

Photos of the Heart-Fort Huachuca Child Photography

Sometimes I meet a family and I know right away that they would be perfect for a _______ kind of shoot. I've had families that loved to play and ended up having a impromptu soccer game at the park or car lovers that played at a junkyard....

Every family is different and my goal is to capture the heart of the family in our time together. I KNEW that I was going to get something crazy with this family.

I thought it was going to be J. but I was wrong! His sister blew me away with her crazy silly antics! Just check this out!

Top Safety Tips for Protecting Digital Image Files

I have so many friends and clients who are thrilled to have the latest and greatest digital cameras!  While I can teach you to use your settings to improve your pictures, there are a few things you should know when you have invested in a camera.  It's wonderful to have digital images....we can save as many moments as we have space for!  But this comes with a cost....it's very easy to lose those happy memories.

I lost years of family pictures in a fatal hard drive crash and I would hate to see anyone lose theirs!

My biggest advice would be to buy camera cards from a reputable dealer and avoid cheap knockoff from China.  If you get a deal that is "too good to be true", then it probably is!  Brand name cards are much more reliable and when my memories are on the line, it's worth it to save myself the nightmare of losing a once in a lifetime shot!

I am reposting a few tips from Chris Bross, Data Recovery Engineer for DriveSavers.  After all, who better to give us advice on saving our pictures than someone who recovers them for a living?

The following list of tips is how to handle flash memory cards properly and help prevent potential loss of precious photographs.

BACK UP YOUR IMAGES! Protect yourself and your irreplaceable images by backing up onto CD/DVDs, tapes, online storage or an external hard drive. This will help guard against data loss when (not if) your hard drive crashes unexpectedly.

TRANSFER YOUR PHOTOS. Copy the image files from the camera’s flash memory to a computer’s hard drive a soon as you can. We recommend not deleting images or reformatting the memory card while it is still in the camera. Wait until all photos are transferred and verified.

FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. Take care when removing flash memory from the camera or card reader. Avoid deleting or corrupting images by using the eject command on the computer or moving the card icon from the desktop to the trash/recycle bin before physically removing the card.

VERIFY THE TRANSFER. Open the images on the hard drive before reformatting the card.

MAKE MORE THAN ONE COPY. Back up your backup media and keep a duplicate offsite in a secure location. (*My advice is to use an external hard drive AND a site like Mozy or Backblaze*Dana)

PROTECT YOUR FLASH MEMORY CARDS. Use the plastic holder when carrying them around. Simple static buildup can zap the card and make it unreadable. There are other dangers as well, such as breaking a card in our pocket or putting the card, along with your clothing, in the wash.

REPLACE YOUR FLASH MEMORY CARDS. Typically, flash memory cards can be used about 1,000 times before they start to wear out. (*When properly handled and stored!  Extremes can shorten the life to just a hundred uses!*)

AVOID EXTREME TEMPERATURES. Heat, cold and humidity can wreak havoc with digital equipment, especially flash memory.