America!!!

Posted on February 3, 2010

I’m finally back in America where I belong! It was a LONG flight from Germany but we made it!! I was so excited to step foot in America and even though we’ve been here over a week when I step foot into American establishments and hear all English, it just makes me feel so happy and emotional! We’ll be getting settled into our Oklahoma life eventually, but for now we’re visiting my hubbies family on the East Coast. The last time we visited was about 1.5 years ago and I took some pictures of my brother in law John and his then fiance Ashley, they are now married and on a cold snowy afternoon I drug them outside my inlaws house and snapped a few quick pictures of them. They are a wonderful couple and I have SOOOO enjoyed spending time with them!

Favorite 9 in 2009

Posted on December 31, 2009

At the end of each year I love to post my favorites images taken during the past year.  It’s sooo much fun to browse through each years set of favorites to see how much I’ve grown and changed as a photographer! Here are links to my past end of year favorites: 2007 2008

2009 is especially special to me because it’s the close of our last year here in Germany, we’ll be moving in the next month or so and while I’ve had a lot of hard times adjusting to life here, I also have grown a lot. I dove into photography to begin with because I was lonely and sad here and needed some kind of creative outlet to put my energy into and photography fit the bill. So as I close out my last and third year here in Germany I’m for one – THRILLED because I’ll be back to living the easy life in America with closets, pay at the pump gas stations, mail delivery to your door & Target BUT I’m also sad because I became a photographer here and had such a plethora of gorgeousness to capture with my camera. I learned how to be stronger and more confident as a person and a mother during all the deployments my hubby went on, but most of all – I met some fantastic people!!! I met some seriously great friends who I’ll miss greatly and I cherish the opportunity I had to get to know them and become a part of their lives.

So here are the Top 9 Client Images taken during 2009:

1. April 2009

I so adore photographing teenagers, especially when they are ready to work it.

2. April 2009 – Sisters.

I two sisters of my own and I have two precious daughters so the interact between sissies is so special to me. I just adore how they are looking at each other and are oblivious (or at least appear to be oblivious) to me. LOVE when I get to capture a photograph that’s all about the subjects interacting with each other, not with the camera.

September 2009 – Sunflaire lovin’

Between April and September I had to take a break from accepting clients because my husband was deployed and I wasn’t sure who I could leave my girls with while he was gone. So when he came back and I got to start taking photos again I was a little nervous! This photo was my first photoshoot in 6 months and I was worried I wouldn’t remember what all to do! This great couple are friends of mine, so they did make it easy and were so much fun!!!!!! Love their silhouettes that inclue her sweet pregnant belly. Love the sunflare and the beautiful German sky. LOVE!

October 2009 – Running

I had this idea in mind for awhile. I love the idea of capturing the parents faces as they watched their sweet babies run into their arms, but for one reason or another it hadn’t worked out with past photoshoots, but when I started working with this family I realized this was my opportunity!! Their children are hands down the most affectionate and loving kids EVER! Big brother especially couldn’t stop loving on his family, so I knew the kids would have a blast with my explicit instructions: Run towards your parents AS FAST AS YOU CAN, then hug them AS HARD AS YOU CAN!” They were ALLLLL for it! Love these!!!

October 2009 – Giggly Sissy

This is the BEST WALL IN  ALL OF GERMANY! Okay…that might be a bit extreme since there is no way I have seen every.single.wall in this country, BUT I’ll still stick with my statement that it’s the most fabulous wall in Germany. The lighting here is so amazing! The way the sun hits the opposite wall during sun set and how it bounces back onto this wall making it so bright and warm and…well…like buttah. I have hauled so many clients to this wall, but I like this pic especially because of Big Sissies cute expression. She kept falling into little giggling spells throughout the photoshoot and I just loved it. Such a sweet, loving little family.

October 2009 – Sweet baby

The sweetie is in the family image above. Look at her big expressive eyes!!! And I’m a sucker for baby feet, always try and capture them alone anytime I have little newborn photoshoots.

October 2009 – Running and Kissing

I can’t even express how much I adore this picture. It’s that wondermous to me!! Love, running, fun, kissing – man that’s the good stuff!

November 2009 Gnarly Tree + Kissing = Totally Rad

Photographing couples has quickly become one of my VERY favorite things. I just love LOVE so very much! I couldn’t help but put this gorgeous couple infront of this totally rad tree, hello  AWESOMENESS!!!!

November 2009 Upside down laughing

What could be sweeter than big sissy tickling little brother?? I so adore sweet sisters little simple black shoes, her adorable expression and then of course I love little bro’s laughing fit…good stuff!

Thank you to ALLL of the amazing clients I’ve had throughout this year. I appreciate your business and your trust in my work. I have really enjoyed getting to know so many of the wonderful people here at this base and will miss you all. I hope to one day run into each of you again in the future throughout all our various Air Force moves. Happy 2010 everyone!!!!

B&U {Couples Photography}

Posted on November 10, 2009

This gorgeous couple contacted me about a photoshoot this Summer and I was so excited when the date finally arrived for me to meet them and photograph them in their lovely village.

The weather was in typical German fashion rather gloomy, but that didn’t stop this couple from workin’ it!!!

This photo, from a creative standpoint is something I’ve been wanting to get for a really long time. The sun peeked out from the clouds for just a MOMENT and had them just run out and kiss in front of it and I nearly did a happy jig once I saw the outcome. The sun was so fleeting I had maybe a minute to get this and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS CAPTURE! It’s romantic, beautifully grainy & textured and just flat out hot stuff.

Do you know how challenging it is to find the perfect weeds? Well lemme tell you it is! HAA! They might have questioned my sanity a bit as I told them to go wade through the weeds, but I’m THRILLED with the outcome. When I see this picture this one thing screams through my mind: PERFUME AD.

Sigh…I love LOVE!

And in closing my favorite from the entire session. I saw this tree and immediately labeled it, “Gorgeously Gnarly”…cause come on…IT IS! I love it so much!!!

Thanks so much B & U for allwoing me to capture you both. I had a fabulous time and can’t wait to share your entire photo gallery with you!

H&D {Couple Photography}

Posted on November 4, 2009

I got an extra sweet deal when photographing this sweet couple. Not only did I get to spend some time with them and get to know them, they ALSO had the fabulous idea of conducting their photoshoot at a castle. So much fun!! For starters this is one of the castles. Can’t you just imagine Rapunzel hanging her head out of the top floor window??

Something else that made this location extra special is that this is one of their favorite places to spend their weekends. They’ll be PCSing in the next little while and I love that they will have these images to remind them of their time in Germany at a location that’s special to them.

The colors here in Germany in the fall are just so amazing!!

The weather was pretty gloomy and I was nervous the whole time that it would start downpouring rain on us! This particular shot was taken toward the end of the session and literally as I took the last image I was wanting to capture it started pouring!! The timing of the entire session was just PERFECT!

And in closing my very favorite from the entire shoot. This archway is just beautiful!

Thank you so much H & D for taking me along to one of the Germany spots that is special to you. Wishing you both the VERY best!!

The D Family {Family Photography}

Posted on October 12, 2009

Autumn is here! And in Germany along with that comes lots and lots and LOTS of rain. As I drove to this photoshoot I was so worried it would start downpouring, it looked like it might at ANY MINUTE but we got lucky and it didn’t drizzle on us even once! They were such good sports! They followed all my instructions without hesitation and had the best attitude even as I was instructing them to go stand in mud. They were GREAT!

Little brother was so affectionate! I LOVED IT!! Made me smile all throughout the shoot and even as I was editing their images I found myself smiling and sometimes laughing at how out of this world sweet this little man is. I love how no matter what I instructed him to do he would add in some additional love. Like in this picture for example, I just told him to sit on his Daddy’s lap, but he was bubbling up with excitement and love for his Daddy he had to reach around and give an impromptu hug. What a sweetie!!!

Beautiful foliage – check. Perfect stream – check. Sweet loving family – DOUBLE CHECK! The location is so gorgeous it almost looks FAKE! It’s just almost too beautiful to be true!  Being a photographer in Germany is like hitting the jackpot. Sure it’s overcast and rains a ton, but do you see this AMAZING LOCATION!!?? This was within walking distance from their house. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?! I mean it’s STUNNING!! Just incredible!!!!

This family unit was so sweet, so loving, I am just really, really thankful they picked me to take their family images!

I’m not sure who liked this photo assignment more, the kids or the parents. I gave the children VERY important and specific instructions: “Run as FAST as you can to your parents and give them the BIGGEST TIGHTEST hug you can!” They grinned ear to ear and took the challenge on with COMPLETE abandon.

I love these! I just walked near him and was attempting to get some un posed photos of him playing and he looked up and rocked the silly face for me…then was sweet enough to show me his regular precious smiling face too.

Look at that beautiful little face!!! SWEETNESS!!!

And the crowd goes “AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!” Could they be anymore precious??? The answer to that is a big resounding NOOOOOOOO! Cause it’s just impossible to get any more precious than this. IMPOSSIBLE!

And in closing I’m including this image and is possibly my favorite from the entire session. It encompasses all I love in photography – capturing real love, real life & real people all unposed and completely beautiful. This was towards the end of the photoshoot and we were walking back to the car and little sister was tired of walking and simply needed her Mommy, she scooped her up and kissed her and was making everything better and I was blessed enough to see their sweet interaction. How special is this??!! Being a parent you are presented with daily opportunities of comforting your babies, but because it’s such a regular daily occurrence it doesn’t seem all that photo worthy at the time, but it really is!! My hope is that about 10 years from now once this little angel is hitting her teenage years and is at a completely new stage in her life her Mommy will look back on this image and cherish it always.

Thank you D Family for the chance to hang out with you all and take some images of you. I had a wonderful time!!

The R Family {Family Photography}

Posted on September 29, 2009

I got to photograph this super fun family this weekend. We had the BEST TIME! Just walking around laughing and snapping pictures, can’t get much better than that!

Here are just a few of my favorites:

Check out these beautiful kids!

This wall is so gorgeous! Love the ivy climbing up the the wall and the lighting was sooooooo totally rad. My gosh it was like buttah. Oh and this couple…yeah don’t even get me started, they were dripping with hotness, for sure!

Bring it in tight!

Holy HOTNESS Batman!!

C to the UTE!  B to the EAUTIFUL! A to the DORABLE! Okay…you all get the idea, these kids are some kinda P to the ERFECT.

Check out the cool way the sunlight hit his watch! LOVE THAT!

And my favorite from the day…love everything about it. I LOVE, LOVE!!!!

Booked Up Fast!

Posted on September 9, 2009

A few weeks ago I posted this blog entry announcing I would be scheduling some autumn photoshoots and I’m excited to announce my schedule is completely filled. I am down right GIDDY to get back to work and look forward to meeting and getting to know all my clients. Thanks to all of you who have booked with me and are trusting me to capture your family images. I am so excited!!

Summertime

Posted on August 27, 2009

In Germany Summer doesn’t last all that long. So while at times it is miserable making it through the day with no a/c, I have to remind myself that in a matter of weeks it will be gray and dreary out, the rain will return and I’ll long for the sunshine! I remember seasons in life based on memories, music & scents. Yes really. Like I remember the Summer of my senior year I loved the cucumber melon lotion from Bath and Body Works, so that smell will take me back to the Summer of 2000 where I spent my days burning up in my light blue 1985 Toyota Tercel hatchback, singing Faith Hills, Breathe to the top of my lungs from my crackling radio. So I was trying to figure out what memories, music and scents will take me back to this Summer and I can sum it up with this:

Hot. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Bubbles. Park trips. Twirling (we do LOTS of twirling, which I love because of that little line in You’ve Got Mail where Meg Ryan’s character talks about a picture of her and her mother and explains that they were just twirling. Simple great little pass time). Brain Quest cards and workbook (they are awesome. Kate adores them and is learning so much). Victoria’s Secret “Ohh La la” lotion, (smells soooo good.) Flip Flops. Library trips. Giggles. Missing Daddy. Strawberries. Fans. Arrested Development (yes, I just now discovered it and it’s AWESOME!). Baby proofing. Calvin Harris music (so upbeat, so FUN!!!). Crayons and Markers. Skype dates with Daddy. Photos (well let’s face it, that’s what I do no matter what season). Snuggle sessions in the morning. The scent of sunscreen. Potty Training. Claire’s rough knees (they are getting callused from all her crawling). Candy Land. Pasta Salad. Late nights online for me (well I do that all the time really). Friends. Ice Cream.

And don’t forget…swinging.

I miss swinging like this. Up high in the air where you feel weightless, where you are young and under 35 lbs and have no cares in the world other than hoping your mom is going to give you another big push as soon as you swing backwards again. Where the most beautiful blue sky beacons you go go higher and higher and higher until you feel like you might be able to reach the clouds with your fingertips. When I was little I had my own swingset in my backyard and I spent endless time out there swinging. I spent the time talking and singing to myself, it was great. I am so looking forward to when we move and have a backyard with plenty of space to give our girls their own swing set where they can spend hours in the fresh air chatting it up with the squirrels, each other, Jesus, just whoever they want. It’s going to be incredible.

So here is to a wonderful Summer that isn’t over just yet. To swinging. Memories. Music. Scents. Vitamin D & pictures to document it all!

Booking Autumn Photoshoots

Posted on August 24, 2009

Autumn is my favorite season!!! I LOVE the crisp air, the gorgeous leaves changing colors and falling, the excitement of the holidays coming up, making warm comfort foods, it’s just the best time of year and my FAVORITE season to photograph! And I’m so excited to say I’ve opened my calendar to begin booking autumn photoshoots. This will be my last opportunity to photograph this beautiful country since we’ll be moving early next year, so I really want to have fun and produce some amazing images for the families stationed here. I have some available weekends in both October and November. If you are interested in booking a session with me please click on the contact link or email me directly at: annie@anniepenningtonphotography.

And since no post is complete without some pretty pictures enjoy these two photos from October of last year. Germany in the fall is just BREATHTAKING!!!

My Girls

Posted on August 10, 2009

I love my sweet little girls so much. As Claire is now getting older and mobile and able to get into big sisters stuff it really is so heartwarming to see her so patient and gentle with Claire. Sure I’m not ignorant enough to think there won’t be some little disagreements here and there, but I’m just so thankful for the great start they have. They are already wonderful playmates for each other. So thankful for them!

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