Lisa Carpenter Photography

Carolina Bella

I just had to share about a VERY creative client of mine.  Amy McWatty has been building her blog and business recently and I am excited to share her site with you.  Welcome Carolina Bella!!!  Carolina Bella focuses on clothing recommendations for child and family photography, but her creativity does not stop there.  Amy also designs dresses for girls and is hoping to add her clothing line to Carolina Bella sometime in the future.  You might remember her beautiful daughter from one of my photo session posts, but I wanted to share again.

Amy posts often which is a great way to keep you informed of great clothing ideas.  I have often had clients ask "what should we wear?" or "where can I find something really great for my daughter to wear?"...well, I now can proudly share Carolina Bella as a fun and informational tool! 
Congrats Amy!

~lisa

Textures Can Really Make An Image Incredible!

I truly believe that my creative work happens in both the camera AND in Photoshop.  Taking an image to that 'next level' is part of what I LOVE to do!  That is where textures come into play.  Textures do have their place and time with images and I don't believe they should be used on every photo and definitely should not be overdone!  BUT, they can make an image so incredible and can give an ethereal effect that a select few just scream out "I want texture!".  Here are a few I would like to share to show just what can be done.

I will share more as I work with them.  Thanks for stopping by!

~lisa

The Latest In Wedding Fashions

I have a few bridal sessions coming up here real quick and I have noticed more and more young women looking at bridal and wedding magazines at the bookstore...love is in the air!  Since I have a love for fashion and looking for cool new things, I stumbled across something new in the styles of wedding dresses.  Black.  Yep, black, not white or ivory.  Today's brides are wanting things a little different from generations past.  Photography styles have been changing over the last few years and so have the ceremonies and fashions.  Photography is more personal, custom, full of fashion and very photojournalistic.  Ceremonies range from a country theme on a ranch, Mickey Mouse style at Disney, and even a barefoot casual beach gathering at a destination of choice.  Whatever the choices, the most important thing is that it is YOU!  Here are a few images I found showing this new style that a few brides may find interesting.

Stunning huh?  The dress is beautiful and the color is bold, daring and different.  I have even seen a dress that has a more subtle look with black mesh over a light cream gown.  The point of this topic is to point out that today it is all about choices.  Choices all the way from cake styles to photography to fashion and these choices can be tailored to fit your unique style!  SO, with that said...would you do black?

Thanks for stopping by! ~lisa

Great Clothing Ideas For Kids!

Looking for fun clothing ideas for kids?  I am absolutely in LOVE with Mini Boden's line of clothes.  I have yet to try the Boden line for adults, but I am sure it is just as wonderful.  The great thing about Mini Boden is that the clothes are uber stylish, very well made yet really affordable!!  I have been buying their clothes for my boys for a long time and I must say they last and last.   Anyway, here are some creative outfit ideas if you are ever wondering what to wear for that next photo session or just for FUN.

Be sure to check them out here and have fun trying to narrow down your choices :)

Have a great day!!!

~lisa

Happy Groundhog Day 2008!

My 7 year old jumped out of bed at 7:15 am today rubbing his eyes begging me to turn on the news?! He said "It's Groundhog Day and we have to see if Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow!" My first thought was he woke up in the middle of a dream and I smiled and just told him to go back to bed. Well, we ended up turning on the tv and lo and behold within 5 minutes of the news being on, they mentioned Groundhog Day!!! I even learned that there is a Groundhog Club in Punxsutawney, PA.

And the prediction? SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER! He saw his shadow :) And YOUR guess?

Have a great day,

~lisa

Life As Art

"Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art."

~Maya Angelou

That pretty much sums it up :) Speaking of 'life as art', I would like to share a few sunsets that STILL soothe my soul.

Thank you for visiting:)

~lisa

World Nutella Day - 2008 (YUMMMM)

For those of you who have never had a good scoop of Nutella on multi-grain toast, a bagel, on a banana or simply by the spoonful, you MUST try this stuff! Nutella is a chocolaty hazelnut spread that can be used so many ways and it is yummy :) Sometimes you just have to indulge and let your kids enjoy as well. So, I was amazed to find out that February 5th, 2008 is World Nutella Day. A day to celebrate, have creative fun with, and EAT NUTELLA!!!!

I saw on a website where baked pears were layered with Nutella and my mouth began to water instantly!

Have a great day!

~lisa

"The Coolest New Hair Thingie"

How SUPER cool are THESE???!!!

These cool hair accessories are fabric-covered pieces of wire that add total pizzazz to your hair whether it is short or long! The company is Trash Ties and their product has been featured in several magazines. Check out their site for fun ideas on how to use them. These would be great to use in a fashion shoot or even better, SENIOR PHOTOS!

Now, try to hold your laughter when I show up with my hair full of Trash Ties on my next photo shoot :)

~lisa

Share Time!

I LOVE to share products, websites, other blogs and just fun information. I have a few that I would like to share and you might find you enjoy them as well. But before I do, I wanted to share a cute comic -

So, the two topics of interest are GETTING ORGANIZED and CHOCOLATE :) So first the chocolate. I really do love dark, dark chocolate - 65% and higher! It does take some getting used to as it can get quite strong when you get around 70% and up. I like to call it psycho-chocolate! The great thing is that since it is so strong, you really don't need to eat much to get the chocolate 'fix' because your taste buds start to sing. I have mentioned before just how much I LOVE Green & Blacks Organic bars, especially the Espresso one.

However, I have found two others that I would like to share. The mother of all dark chocolate bars at 91% by Theo.

The other are the cacao nibs by Sweetriot Flavor 70. They pack a huge antioxidant punch!!! So here is to our health through chocolate :)

Finally, I would love to share some links about organization. It is on my list of To Do's this year to get so organized I can't stand it! I am always looking for ways to declutter and do it in a stylish way. I really like the ORGANIZE magazine. I am a visual learner and I like to see ideas on how to do things. Other links:

Organize dot com
Organized Living
IKEA
A cool blog about organization

If my whole house was like this, I would never again look for keys or an important piece of paper in a panic! haha.

Enjoy!

~lisa

Christmas went by FAST!

It is hard to believe Christmas 2007 is already behind us!  Time seems to fly by faster and faster.  I hope each and every one of you enjoyed time with friends and family and some GREAT food.  As we now approach New Year's Eve I imagine there are a few of us thinking about some sort of a resolution for 2008.  Listing our goals is quite easy, it is achieving them that can be difficult.  Goals might range anywhere from dropping 10 pounds, getting in contact with an old friend, taking a new career path or even running a half marathon.  One thing I am learning as I get older is that you really can accomplish whatever you put your mind to.  It is really about your mindset and attitude!!! Ok...remind me that I said this when I hit a 'bump in the road'. 

So...put on your thinking cap and list those goals that truly mean something to YOU.  (I am speaking to myself as well here. haha) Go for something you have always wanted to do.  Make the goals attainable and try to not list too many.  I love this quote by Mark Twain:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."

~lisa