A true sneak peek — little snippets of images.

And now…onto the big images…isn’t she STUNNING??? I am excited to finally be able to share these images — she’s married now! A BIG congratulations to the newly married couple!!!

I don’t typically photograph bridal portraits, because I don’t specialize in wedding photography, but this situation was perfect! This bride needed portraits taken because her photographer, a family friend, was coming from out of state for the wedding. I was happy to oblige and feel so fortunate to have met this beautiful woman and her family. And get this…she’s even MORE beautiful on the inside.

Her husband loves golf, so it was important to incorporate some fun golf pics. LOVE these!

Before our session, I met with her and we went over exactly what she wanted…she even brought inspirational images on her laptop which were *perfect*! It was incredibly helpful and put us at ease immediately when it was time for our actual session. I think I’m a big fan of bridal sessions!!!

K — you are such a stunning, sweet, happy bride! I wish you, your *new husband,* and your families all the best.

Have a lovely rest of your day! ~mm

She’s got dancin’ legs for miles and miles.    Why not hoist her up there and spice things up a bit!!!???  This isn’t the Save the Date they chose, but it IS one of my favs!

Have a lovely day!

~mm

I feel SO very fortunate to have met this amazing family last year.  Not only are they stunning, they are SUPER sweet, fun AND funny!  AND everything mom chooses to dress this little sassy princess in I just love.   Sassy Princesses and I always get along well because my little lady was one too!!! 

When mom said she said she wanted a more funky session this time, I jumped at the chance.  I LOVE it when clients think out of the box and want to change some things up a bit.

She wanted a little punk rock, sassy vibe.  Aren’t her little outfits the cutest???  The first pic looks like she’s almost two going on 17!!! 

Cannot WAIT to show you the rest.  We found some incredible locations and even played with a bright yellow taxi.  Yay!

OH, and {here} and {here} are some portraits from our last session together if you’re curious!  Little M sure has grown up.    I absolutely LOVE photographing clients a couple times a year.  It’s so much fun to build a relationship with families and record their moments together.

Hope you have a fabulous day!

~mm

My little sis is getting married! I got together with her and her fiance waaaay back when and am JUST now blogging our little adventure. They had the most original idea for their save-the-dates, so we hit up an extra superfine (that’s a word, right?) junkyard for some fun. We spent most of our time doing crazy stunts and silly business (aren’t you curious?) and then had a couple minutes at the end for some portraits. Still working on the save-the-dates, so no sneak peek, BUT it’s going to be super cool, vintage & original!

Isn’t her hair fun? It’s always been bright red!

This bus says “UNITE” — we loved that! I usually don’t have clients face the sun in situations like this (ultra bright and painful, that sun!), BUT I like the vibe they’ve got going on.

Ahhhh…LOVE. We can’t WAIT for the big wedding in September in Los Angeles. It’s going to be a blast to celebrate their union and get together with family and friends that we haven’t seen in a long time. Plus, Peach is going to be a flower girl and Fella…you guessed it, the “Ring Burier.” <--that's what my kids call it. Hilarious! Oh....and my amazing pal Jen Fox is going to use her mad wedding skills and photograph the wedding. And because I probably won’t be able to put my camera down, I’ll be in there too, until my kiddos pull me onto the dance floor.

Love you two…can’t wait!
Have a grrrrrreat day!
~mm

Ahhh…I’m so lucky to have such a beauteous sister who is always a very willing and fun model!  She always brings extra fun clothes and accessories when she visits and when we actually find the time to have a photo shoot, it’s such a great time!

She had recently found this dress at a vintage store and it was just PERFECT-o for this location.  Very woodsy-chic!  I love how her red hair just blends in with the leaves, too.

This little sis of mine is getting married in September and I definitely need to share some of the engagement portraits we did over the holiday break.  Trying to keep some a secret until their Save the Date cards go out though.  It’s been fun combining our visions and I love how involved her fiance has been during the whole process.

Hope you have an incredible day!  ~mm

{Image from the Apple Website}

Hiiii!  I'm back already.  :)

As some of you know, I recently purchased an iPhone and have been SO happy with this little baby computer in my purse (yes, I’m already addicted — that happened in about 2.5 seconds)….until today!

Oh man.  I was in the process of synching my computer and phone and BAM! the phone just stopped working.  It basically said on the screen that I needed to restore the factory settings if I wanted a working phone….SO I lost EVERYthing.    Pictures, some fun quotes I was storing for the perfect day, and ALL my contacts.   Boo.

*   *   *   *   *

Anyway, back to positive thinking…I’m a stickler for all things educational for my kiddos, so I’ve done some research on apps for children and thought I’d share some findings here.  I’d like to also ask if any of YOU have some fun ones, if you’d comment and let me know some more.  My kids will thank you!

The iPhone for them is a special treat when we’re waiting in line at the post office,  or have a couple extra minutes when they need to be distracted.    Because they play so little, it works WONDERS and keeps us all very happy.  The only problem is that I don’t have TWO — but hey…it teaches a good lesson in sharing, right? 

First, I found this New York Times article, which got me on the right track.   I purchased Wheels on the Bus and iWrite Words right off the bat and they’re both great.  I also took the advice of the author and rearranged the kid game icons so ALL those games were on the same page.  VERY helpful.  Now, I have two pages of games though…  Yikes!    You can find more apps here –  AND, I just found another blog for iKids {here}. {Here} are their top 20 apps (written in July ‘09).

Games we also like:

Word Magic:  Perfect for my word-building kindergartner.

Peekaboo Barn:  Fun for really little ones…

First Words: Animals — there’s a LITE (free) version!  Here’s a review.

Cute Math:  Lots of math games to choose from.  I like that kiddos can “ask” for extra help if needed.

Monkey Preschool Lunchbox + here’s a review. Although it’s easy for my 5 year-old (yeah, it’s a preschool program) she LOVES it.  The games are pretty cute (memory, puzzles, etc).

AND

Shape Builder (kids fit puzzle pieces where they belong) — there’s a LITE version for free!

Please let me know what you think!  Adult games or apps would be awesome, too if you feel like sharing!  I’m still pretty new to all this.

Have a lovely day!

~mm

I just spent {five} lovely days surrounded by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and amazing pals.  I feel like a new gal because 2010 has been a little rough so far and this was JUST what I needed.  Here we are…

{Image courtesy of Jen Fox, who set the self timer and had her camera literally hanging from a H-U-G-E nail in a fence — love it!}

This time away to reflect, discuss, laugh, talk shop, and just RELAX was perfect and I came home ready to hug my family for days and even welcomed the dishes, which I absolutely can’t stand…EVER.

::Some highlights:::

• an evening massage AT the “Orange Door Cottage” where we were staying (seriously, a dream come true — the cottage AND massage!)

• a little flash talk by Jen of Jen Fox Photography — I really needed it!
• a maternity shoot of Jen in downtown Seattle (Pike Place Market, a yummy doughnut shop, AND the infamous gum wall.) 

• eating clam chowder (the real stuff!) while watching ferries leave trails behind them through the water
• taking portraits of my gorgeous, sassy pals (details and pics to come in another post, I promise!!!)
• waking up to rain, seagulls, and the sound of waves crashing for two days…
• shooting an engagement session with my 3 lovely pals and a couple willing to do fun, zany stuff!

{check out his HOPS!!!  da-hang!}

• shopping at H&M and other fun stores in downtown Seattle WHILE drinking Starbucks, of course!
• taking pictures of details and our lovely surroundings — focusing on the beauty around us, minus people!  <– I’m definitely not used to this…

• getting some portraits taken of ME!!!  yes, this is embarrassing…i don’t get behind the camera much, BUT it’s good practice and always good for a photographer to have a great portrait!  these ladies are pros and i got some good ones!  yay!

Have a lovely day!  I’m going to TRY and start posting more often, so get ready!  Couple times a week — it’ll be fun!  Thanks for stopping by.  Can’t wait till next year, ladies!!!

~mm

Giving back to the community, ESPECIALLY during this time of year, is very important to me.  I am SO pleased to be part of an incredible worldwide photographic effort called “Giving is Awesome.”    What is this “Giving is Awesome,” you ask???

You know someone.  You know someone who’s experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances.  You know someone who can’t afford custom photography, but who would absolutely cherish it this holiday season.  You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family’s spirit, love and beauty.

You know someone, I guarantee it!

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography — over $2000 worth!  Whether it’s canvas on their walls, prints for Grandma, or a slideshow to watch over and over, it’s in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.

And a SUPER cool perk???  The person who nominates the winner receives their very own session and $325 print credit.   Sweeeet!

SO, what do you need to do???  Nomination details are below:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services.

* The nominee must reside in Texas and be within a 40 mile radius of my studio (76034).

* You must email the full story — who you know, what they’re experiencing, and why they are deserving of such a gift — to maggie@maggiemcdonaldphotography.com by Sunday, December 20, 2009.  OR you can {click here} and fill out a form — whatever is easiest!

* The deserving family will be announced on Christmas Eve, so get nominating!  I can’t WAIT to read all of your entries!  Better yet — I can’t WAIT to photograph this family!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season, and THANK YOU, in advance, for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

My best,

Maggie

***For more info about this offer, please feel free to email me at maggie@maggiemcdonaldphotography.com.  To learn more about Giving is Awesome, or to nominate a family outside my region, visit  www.givingisawesome.com.

When I got an email from this client requesting a junkyard location for her holiday session, I literally squealed with excitement.  It even surpassed the day another client asked if I’d like to photograph her family at their family dairy…i mean, YEAH!!!  Dairy, junkyard…a photographer’s paradise!!! 

Anyway, back to the junkyard…I had locations already chosen for my holiday mini sessions, BUT made an exception for this family because I just KNEW the whole experience would be out of this world!       And it was.

Amazingly behaved, smiley, spunky adorable boys…CHECK.

Snazzy attire…CHECK.

Pizzazzzzzz…CHECK.

Musician hubby WITH guitar…CHECK.

Drumsticks for boys to do a little drumming…CHECK.

An in-love hubby and wife wanting some couples pics…CHECK.

Oh do I LOVE this pic!!! 

*****  What made this session really work (besides the location and an amazingly organized stylin’ mom!) was the open line of communication between us!  We chatted several times about outfits, ideas (guitar, drumsticks, vintage chairs), and discussed images that the mom was drawn to (SO important!).   When it was time to shoot, I knew exactly what she wanted from our chats.  We merged that with my style & some on-the-fly ideas from everyone and it was TONS of fun!  Knowing what my clients want on their walls and desktops is SO important.

After all the images were processed, I put some texture on favorite portraits and the texture REALLY complimented the clothing, location and the style that my client wanted displayed in her home.  And wait until you see what she chose….several canvas, gallery mounts…can’t WAIT to share once they’re all up and looking amazing. 

Have a super day…and better yet…a SUPER Thanksgiving.  I’ll be back after Turkey Day.  Lots of fam in town (SO excited) and we’re going to be BUSY.  Going wedding dress shopping for my sis, eating lots of turkey, taking our family portraits…it’s going to be fab!

Be on the lookout for the announcement of a special December giveaway for a family in need in the Dallas area.   More details coming soon, but IF you refer this family, YOU get a mega print credit for your own session…yahoo!!!  Everyone gets something wonderful out of this…ME…a family in need…and YOU.        ~mm

I’ve been designing an album for this beauty and thought I’d share a possible page. I get goosebumps when I look at these…what an incredible, beautiful young woman. We decided to head on over to a junkyard at the end of our session and I’m SO glad we did. The bold colors and her sassy style look amazing here!

Have a super day…
~mm