Addie and Chelsie Photo Blog

The Transformation Continues

2012-01-18T20:59:00.001-05:00

So.. a LOT of work has been done to the shed since August. If you missed the first post about our new venture you can check it out here. After we got it all cleaned out and all the walls tore down, our next order of business was bleaching and power washing the inside.

Then we had to dig a big ditch so that we could do some brace work on the outside.

(Did we mention that we work rain or shine?)

Next, we got to do the type of things that really show progress:

windows

and insulation!

We got to use fun power tools :)

And eventually got siding and a new roof!

We even got a door :)

And of course the fun part.. painting!!

We still have some work to do, but we have definitely come a long way since the beginning of this project! We are two very happy ladies, knowing that soon we will be in our very own office :)

(Photo by: Lesa Whittemore)

Special thanks to all of the people who have helped get us this far with our dream. We wouldn't have been able to do this without the help of: Warren Glotfelty, Doug Sites, Gesse Glotfelty, Jeff Georg, and Jason Warnick. Also, special thanks to Lesa Whittemore who keeps us on track with our new business adventure. We can't thank you all enough!

Check back to see the final transformation of our shed into our cottage office.

xoxo Addie and Chelsie

Becca's Vision

2011-11-17T11:08:00.000-05:00

Recently, we had the pleasure of photographing a wonderfully talented young lady named Becca.

Becca has a way of taking a vision of the world and making it her vision in song.

Even though her journey is just starting, we know she will travel in her own style.

Good luck in all you do Becca!

xoxo

Addie and Chelsie

Wiltison Ladies Teaser

2011-11-16T16:46:00.000-05:00

Coming Soon...

....xoxo

Addie and Chelsie

Jalen & Abbi

2011-11-08T08:41:00.000-05:00

Take a beautiful little girl (Abbi), her handsome brother (Jalen), their "magical" back yard, and a couple of cameras, blend them all together and "Voila!" you have one of the most fun and heartwarming afternoons you could ever ask for.

The drizzle didn't stop a single moment of the fun.

And Jalen didn't let the wet weather stop him from flying.

Secrets were shared....

And Wet Willys were given (in honor of Pops).

Books were read and thoroughly enjoyed.

But mostly, this brother and sister opened up their little corner of this big old world and made us feel right at home. Thank you to Abbi and Jalen for giving us an afternoon that will be forever tucked away under our best-memories-of-all-time. (Thank you to Amy and Jamie too!)

Katelynn and Horses and Ducks, Oh My!

2011-10-14T12:16:00.004-04:00

Had the absolute pleasure of photographing Katelynn for her senior portraits this summer and again this fall... A beautiful girl both inside and out.

She has quite the variety of pets and we were lucky to meet them all... well almost all ;-)

The best of luck to you, Katelynn, as you begin the next journey of your life.

xoxo

Addie and Chelsie

Byrne's Family

2011-10-10T15:58:00.001-04:00

The Byrne's family were such troopers, despite the drizzle and cold weather. Thanks for the great evening and fun time! Here is a little sneak peak!

xoxo

Addie and Chelsie

Wendy-Lady's Adventure

2011-09-20T15:10:00.000-04:00

In every parents life there are those moments when you get to step back and be the observer of your children. This is a privilege of parenthood. Whether they are 4 or 24, the adventure of who they are unfolds in front of you and reminds you of the fact that you have been a part of this beautiful process of bringing someone you love into this world and holding their hand along their journey until they can navigate that path on their own.

Out of that innocent shadow of childhood and into the brightness of who they are, as a parent, we get to guide, cheer, and love them into their own light.

My oldest daughter, Dani, has been standing in her own light for a few years now and is seeing her path more clearly every day.

I was so fortunate to get to spend some time recently with her while she was working on a film project. Every time we get to steal a few minutes together, I feel like I learn so much more about the beautiful young lady she is. (Wendy-lady to the lost boys, even ;-)

It was an honor and a joy to get to take some pictures of her while she was at work. And it was an even greater joy to get to spend a few hours watching her adventure continue to unfold. Second star to the right, and straight on til morning my wendy-lady! Oh, and don't worry, Nana's got your back! ;-)

(Posted by Addie)

A Place In This World

2011-08-29T13:22:00.000-04:00

We have been making big strides with our business and said to ourselves one day "We need a place." Not the cluttered kitchen table, or the busy camp store counter (our family's business), but a place just for us. We chose to use the old shed in our back yard.. and so it began!

After choosing to use the shed, we had the wonderful task of going through everything in the shed and deciding what to keep and what to pitch.

And so it was empty!

And down come the ugly green walls!

.... to be continued!

XOXO Chelsie

Puppy Love

2011-07-18T23:44:00.000-04:00

"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, he walked into mine."

.....it's puppy love!

Chelsie captured a quiet moment with the newest addition to our family. The kids all decided it's our answer to the onset of "empty nest" since they are all leaving home to start their own lives. ;-)

The Children of Tonga

2011-01-27T20:49:00.001-05:00

While on a recent trip to meet her Dad's family in Tonga, my niece, Sarah, truly captured the spirit of the children of Tonga through her images. Sarah, her sister, Maria, and her brother, Petesa, got to take the trip of a lifetime, thanks to their Mom (and my sister) Debbie.

Kudos, by the way, to my sister, who couldn't go with the kids and their Dad due to work. But she made great sacrifices to make sure this trip got off the ground for them. She was their fairy godmother of adventures!
Along with their Dad, Pat, these three immersed themselves in the Tongan culture, met family members who, without hesitation, took them right into their hearts and homes.

Sarah, in green and on the truck, and Maria, wearing the blue skirt and on right side of truck, with children.

Petesa, on left, with a young boy.

Pat with one of his nieces.

I think many of the images truly speak for themselves.

Some of the young girls were so very shy for the majority of the time, but the night before they were to leave they finally began to play with Sarah, Maria and Petesa.

Sarah's images truly capture the heart of their newly found family and culture....the children. Bravo Sarah for seeing with your heart and focusing with your soul!

It's All About Tradition.

2011-01-16T23:52:00.000-05:00

Chelsie and I were so fortunate to be asked to document Fairmont, West Virginia's annual Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival this past December. Our friends, Bob and Shannon Tinnell, along with the Main Street Fairmont organization and many volunteers work very hard every year to ensure that Italian traditions of family, food and community stay alive.

The chefs and cooks of the Festival Cucina share their experience and love of food and cooking. And the crowd loves them as well as all the tasty samples.

And rest assured there are LOTS of tasty samples......

And here are a few of the folks who made it look so easy in 2010.....

Larry Colaianni

M.K. Ohlinger from the Richwood Grill

Robert Germano

C.J. Ryland of C.J. Maggies American Grill

and of course......

Bob and Shannon Tinnell

Yes, a big part of the Festival is about food, but it's also about...

tradition and community.....

and wine......

and family....

...and music.

An abundance of vendors share their wares and goods.

It's all about being Italian for the day.

And the Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival in Fairmont WV will welcome you whether you are or not. Rest assured when, at the end of the day, you head home you will certainly feel that you are. Be sure to put this wonderful event on your calendar for next year's holiday celebration.

Lens to Heart Connection

2010-09-21T08:53:00.000-04:00

I've been reading about some pretty amazing women in the last week or so. Women who have reached for and are attaining their dreams. Women who have greatly impacted others' lives. Women who have found the strength to share their stories and in doing so help others. Extraordinary women, all. So in keeping with the theme of extraordinary women, I'd like to share two with you who have left my world a better place.

First is one of my daughters, Chelsie. She, of course, is the other half of Addie and Chelsie Photo. Chelsie and I were fortunate to be two of the twenty attendees of the Discovery Workshop in San Francisco in May of 2009. There we met and were moved by many, many amazing women photographers as well as a few men too. For 3 whole days the likes of Me Ra Koh and her husband Brian (aka Bri-Ahn Kor ;-)), Garrett Burdick, and Rick Chapman were our pools of knowledge and believe me we swam in the waters and absorbed as much as our brains would allow. Matt and Laura Reoch were great teachers too. But I also have to say that I learned a great deal from Chelsie. The unique thing about our partnership is that we ARE mother and daughter. And we ARE business partners. Yes, we are learning our way in this new adventure, but it can be a tricky balance between the two identities we inhabit. One of my biggest lessons from San Francisco was that it is so important for me to step back from my role as a mother to give room to my daughter and so that I can let myself learn from my photography partner as well. And boy, am I glad that I was able to do that because Chelsie taught me how important it is to open up to new experiences, new ideas, and new territories. How much you can grow from these experiences when you do. And whatever you do, do not let fear and nervousness get in your way.

One of our assignments in San Francisco, or rather on our trip to Stinson Beach, was to do an impromptu portrait session with members of the community. Chelsie was teamed up with fellow photographer Jenny Jacobs they, in turn, were assigned to Genie Ohashi, Me Ra's assistant. And believe me, Genie lives up to her name. She was the glue to the organizational, administrative, just-in-general-make-things-run-smoothly side of this workshop. (As well as Me Ra's other workshops!) Anything that was needed, with a "BLINK" and a bob of the head, Genie took care of it.

As Chelsie and Jenny got to spend some one-on-one time with Genie they learned so much about her (which was actually part of the portrait session lesson -- learn to know your subject). Genie is an energetic, sweet, smart, compassionate woman who loves life and people. One of the things that she impressed upon Chelsie is that women who are facing maturity should do so as an adventure, not a time to retire. Inspired by Genie's personality and in keeping with the lesson of the day, Chelsie listened to and honored Genie's ideas about the portrait that she had always wanted.

Chelsie truly listened to and practiced what Rick Chapman (and all the other instructors) suggested and let her creative self be led by her subject and her camera. She went out on assignment with an open mind and came back with an open heart as well as some absolutely gorgeous images. Chelsie not only walked through the door to go out on location, she walked through her own internal door into a world of her own confidence and creativity. And to this day she recognizes that Genie will always be a wonderful influence in her life.

My daughter and Genie have both taught me that it is good to listen to the lens to hear what the heart says. To focus on where your instinct as a photographer will lead you. And to always honor the person in the lens to the best of your ability. Thank you Chelsie and thank you Genie for being strong women who have changed me for the better.

Picnic Tables, Porches and Pussycats

2010-09-10T11:05:00.000-04:00

We got a call from a young lady named Emily who was actually a friend of a friend (don't you just love how those connections work?!). When Chelsie spoke with Emily, she had a definite idea on where she wanted her senior portraits taken. When Chelsie told me the spot, what I said was "Okay." But what I was thinking was "Oh no!" because what I remembered of the spot is lots and lots of grass and some woods. Not very exciting or unique as far as picture settings.

But I should have trusted both mine and Chelsie's instincts as well as our abilities to pull something out of our surroundings. Lesson learned, once again. We started with the rocking chair that Emily requested. By the way, there's a whole other story to that rocking chair that we may share sometime in the future ;-)

As we are lugging the rocking chair from one spot to another, we noticed this old tree set about 20 or 30 feet back in the woods. We asked Emily if she was game for traipsing back through some weeds and a few brambles and, trooper that she is, she said yes.

Okay, the cameras are all "warmed up" and apparently so were our noggin's because we looked around for another angle and sitting there in front of us, plain and simple, was a couple of picnic tables. We put them to good use and I think they worked pretty well.

Emily had a couple of other spots that she wanted to visit and we were all for it as long as we still had the daylight to shoot. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot of this small lake, I knew I'd have to come back here sometime with a little bit of spare time (Hah!) and a good book. And it was apparent that this place was special to Emily too. Yep, she loves to come out here with a blanket and a book and just relax.

The other place that Emily had in mind was a farm that belongs to her Aunt and Uncle. There is an old abandoned house (jackpot!) that we used to try a few different images. And bless her heart, Emily was all for trying whatever we suggested. We found this old horseshoe lying right at the base of the porch so we stuck it up on the railing to add a little something interesting.

As soon as we pulled into the barn yard, this little fellow came barreling out of the barn and followed at Emily's heels everywhere we went. FYI, she went back a day or two later and scooped him up to take home as her new pet. ;-)

We can't thank you enough, Emily, for choosing us to document your senior year as well as for how much fun it was to photograph you. We wish you all the best as you finish your last year in high school and prepare to head out on your own path in life.

To the friends that turned into family-- in loving memory of Michele

2010-08-17T16:07:00.000-04:00

Welcome to paradise. Where the sun kisses your face, the water splashes your toes, and your good friends are right by your side.

Once in a lifetime you are lucky enough to meet someone who is so much more than just a friend. In my case she is like my sister. She is my best friend, Whitney. She knows everything about me and there isn't too much I don't know about her. She is part of an amazing family. They are all so sweet and big hearted. This year I was lucky enough to become part of their family for the week they live in paradise.

Her parents, Renata and Randy, are one of those couples that you hope to be like one day.

Whitney and her brother, Brock are two people who can make you laugh uncontrollably. If you walk into a room with them in a bad mood, you are guaranteed to walk out with a smile on your face and a belly ache from laughing so hard.

Vacation to them is all about spending time with good friends and family. Even when there aren't as many people in their group- there are still a lot of people. For instance, this year there was only about 30 people (a considerably small group compared to the years past.)

Now I'd like to introduce you to Matt, Eli, and Ian (Whitney's uncle and cousins). Matt and the boys are three strong souls. This past December they lost Michele to pancreatic cancer. Not only was she a mother and a wife- she was also a Daughter. a Sister. an Aunt. a Friend.

Her loss brought great pain to this whole group. But she will never be forgotten by any of them.

Sometimes, you just know she is there- looking over her boys, reminding her friends and family that she is still around.

Thank you Randy, Renatta, Brock, and Whitney for taking me with you. And thanks also to the rest of the group for helping make me feel so welcome on this big extended family vacation.

-Chelsie

"Princess, Magpie, Pickles"

2010-07-24T16:05:00.000-04:00

My sister recently asked us to take portraits of her bloodhounds. These two lovable girls are getting up there in years so Melissa wanted us to capture some images for her.

Lola and Maggie or "The Princess" and "Magpie" as I like to call them ;-) are such a big part of Melissa's life. It was so much fun to catch them in the act of being sisters!

And one other special image we were able to catch on this day......

my niece Anna's squirrel Pickles, who is also a Princess of sorts. In some ways, our family is like a circus but we wouldn't have it any other way!

"Clarabelle"

2010-07-16T17:30:00.000-04:00

There’s something about the old classic trucks that gets me every time. Maybe its the memory of some of the folks who used to drive these old “gals”. Or maybe it’s quite simply a memory of the time when life was so much simpler. At any rate, here’s one of those old classics that happens to be owned by a friend of mine.

Where did the time go?

2010-07-03T14:27:00.001-04:00

She still dreams and wonders. She still has that curiosity. But she's all grown up. Where did the time go? And how did it slip by so very fast?

She's finding her way to her own life, on her own path. But she'll always remain connected to home and her family and for that we are so thankful.

She's spreading her wings.

And she will ALWAYS know how to have fun (especially with her little brother and sister ;-)...

We are truly so very proud of you, Danielle. You've worked so hard and you are a beautiful young woman both inside and out. We Love You!

Out on a Limb

2010-05-28T11:10:00.000-04:00

There is an "old friend" I love to go see once in a while. The drive on this country road gives me a sense of peace. And that old tree just feels like a long-lost friend sometimes. It used to have another beautiful branch that hung out over the road. But the storms and the weather and just that old tree's life in general has changed the look of it in the past several months. The limb that graced the roadway is now gone. But in it's change, this old tree has new character. Loosing the limb didn't change how I feel about the old tree. There is still a serene atmosphere where it stands. And the change has made me appreciate the other limbs and the new perspective of my old friend all the more.

For Miranda and Emily

2010-05-13T00:26:00.004-04:00

She allowed us to get to know her daughter. And for that we are so very honored.

She is allowing us to introduce you to her daughter. And for that we are so very grateful.

She wants people to know that she is a Mom even though she can no longer hold her baby girl. And for that we are inspired by her strength.

She wants people to know that some women wade through tragedy in their efforts to have a child. And for that we applaud her courage.

She is a beautiful, loving, kind, funny, courageous, compassionate, strong woman, mother, friend and relative. And for that we are so very thankful.

For Miranda and Emily.

Lost Land

2010-04-08T11:55:00.001-04:00

Have you ever felt like you were in a Lost Land? Maybe you have felt like you just don’t know what direction to take or can’t remember how you got to where you are? And you might think you have to blindly stumble through this unknown territory, feeling your way around and just hoping for the best. It can be so scary to face your own personal lost land. But, and granted I have the advantage of saying this from the “other” side of 40, there is also a beauty in that unfamiliar countryside.

There is literally a place near my hometown called Lost Land and this is one of the places that my niece, Meghan, chose for her senior portraits. As we were taking her photographs, I couldn’t help thinking how fitting the name is. What senior doesn’t feel like she is heading into a Lost Land as she leaves her world of the comfortably known.

I have to say that Meghan has handled her own Lost Land with such maturity and strength. And definitely on her own terms. :-)

She doesn’t head out into that world by herself. Yes, she has lots of friends and a very supportive family. But she also has one extra special blessing. Emma.

There is no doubt in my mind that Emma is helping to make Meghan’s Lost Land a more beautiful and loving place. And having this precious child by her side will make her focus a little harder on which path she chooses.

And, yes, Emma will have to dip her toes in her own Lost Land someday.

Undoubtedly she will handle that with the grace and goodness that her Mama (and her Nana and Pappy) will teach her. Until then, it’s Meghan and Emma, the explorers of uncharted lands and lots of love. Giving to those who surround and support them. But most of all giving to each other.

Sometimes we just have to look through the fear to find the beauty and familiar in our own Lost Land.

Take care my friends,

Addie

Our new adventure

2010-02-28T16:16:00.000-05:00

Grab your coffee, hot tea, or beverage of choice and join us. Chelsie and I are stepping into new adventures and are ready to share the ride. We are just starting this journey and creating our own space in this wonderful world of photography. We hope you will stop in and see what we’re up to and we truly hope you will share your experiences with us as well.

Oh yeah, and Jenna and Ryan, here's a sneak peek at your own special adventure. Best wishes and best of luck to you both!