I’ll be the first to admit over & over again & don’t have much photography experience with the male species – babies, kids, teens, adults, whatever.  Maybe it’s not in their nature to get their photos taken as much as females – I don’t know.  But I do know that I was stoked that Jake’s mom made him get his senior photos done with me last weekend.

I’ve known Jake for quite a number of years & it’s been a joy to watch him grow in to the man he is now.  He’ll be leaving us for the great state of Texas after he graduates, but I hope he’ll keep in touch.  And Jake, if you do keep in touch, maybe one day my daughters will actually speak to you.

Here’s Jake….

Over the Labor Day Holiday I had the joy of taking out a sweet friend & her family for a surprise photo session.  Kathi is a dear gal who I go to church with & she contacted me about having a session as a surprise to her dad & step-mom when they visited this past weekend.  So we planned the sneaky little surprise & had such a ton of fun.  I took Kathi, her dad, her step-mom, and her adorable lil’ sister Sarah to my favorite new place – Jonas Green Park.  A little sand, a little sunset…what could be a better recipe for fun!

Thanks for experiencing your first photo session with me.  I hope you all enjoyed your trip & all the fun and exciting new things Kathi showed you!  Enjoy your photos!

I’ve been a tad remiss about posting my 365 daily for the last three days.  I’ve been neglectful, and I apologize.  BUT, I do have photos!  I took them on their date, but just didn’t get them posted.  So here they are…

Image 193 – Puddles

It rained, we were bored, and they asked…what more can I say?  If you’re my friend on Facebook, you can see more in this puddle series.

Image 194 – Mini, as in “mini-session”

Crazy girls!  They were so much fun during our mini session yesterday.  They laughed, made faces, did toe-touches, and jumped super duper high!  And I used to teach Sara in kindergarten!  I can’t believe she’ll be entering fourth grade this year!  So glad we got to reconnect.

Image 195 – Piggies

These piggies belong to my niece, Leah.  We had a mini session today with her at a beach & apparently her tootsies are too good to be dirtied by sand.  La di da!  The only way I could get her near it was to put a stick down for her so she didn’t have to sully her precious feet.

Until tomorrow…..

I’ve had these mini sessions opened to my Facebook Fans for a bit and now I’m opening it up to anyone else who might not have heard.  (Sorry for those of you who’ve been bombarded by all the mentions of it…not too good at this marketing thing!) And for those of you wondering, “What the heck is a mini session?” let me explain.

Sometimes we just don’t have 2 full hours to dedicate to an entire photo session.  Sometimes we don’t have the money to dedicate to an entire photo session.  Or sometimes you can’t take 2 full hours of me – it’s okay, I understand.  The mini session is the perfect time to try me out, see how we click, and get a great deal on a small amount of poses.  We make it quick & easy.  You come to me.  I snap, snap, snap and wham-0!  In about a week I have a private gallery online for you to view your 5-10 proofs.  So, if you want an updated head shot for your resume, a photograph of your newly growing family, a picture with your dog, a photo for your 2010 Christmas card…whatever it may be, I can’t wait to see you!

Summer Mini Sessions

$80 for a 20-minute session.  Includes:  Session time, 5 to 10 edited photos in an online gallery for viewing, (1) one digital image for personal use (i.e. Christmas card baby!) OR (2) mini 3×3 accordion album featuring photos from your session.

The Details:

August 19th @ Broadneck Park (park feel)

5:30pm, 6:00pm, 6:30pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm

August 20th @ Jonas Green State Park (beach feel)

6:00pm, 6:30pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm

August 21st @ Jonas Green State Park (beach feel)

6:00pm, 6:30pm, 7:00pm

Times with a STRIKE THROUGH are already taken.  Please e-mail mandysroka@gmail.com (or sign up on my Facebook Page) for a time slot.  The $80 session fee is due BEFORE your time slot.  Any other questions?  Contact me via email!  Hope to see you there!

**Restrictions: Mini sessions are for groups of 5 or less, immediate family  ONLY.  If your family is larger than 5, I encourage you to purchase two back-to-back sessions or consider a full 2-hour session.**

I’m tired, my jeans are wet up to my behind, I have sand in my socks…but I had a blast with Mark & Jill today.  They worked me so hard!

Mark & Jill are getting married in August in their home state, but wanted some engagement photos of where they live & play now.  So we headed to trusty ol’ Downtown Annapolis.  It’s the first super deliciously warm weekend in a bit, so everyone and their dog was out too.  After we found parking spots – which is a big deal in Annapolis – we headed down some side streets for more privacy and pizzazz.  If you’ve every been down these streets you’ll know what I mean.  The houses are literally dozens of different bright and glorious colors. Not to mention the city has so much character.  Then we headed over to Jonas Green Park and got some sweet shots in the evening sun.

Enjoy your preview Mark & Jill!  I can’t wait to finish the rest…