You have all been so very patient.  I’m so impressed.  Ages ago, I posted the teaser from this session.  And then I went dark.  Off the map.  Silencio.  But it was for a good reason.  These photos were meant as a surprise for these beautiful girls’ daddy on his birthday.  I was afraid that although the chances of him checking this blog are SLIM TO NONE that maybe somewhere, somehow a coworker or a friend or a friend of a friend or the mailman- SOMEONE might check this blog and then say, “Hey! I saw those adorable photos of your girls!”  And Tero would say, “Which photos?”  And then the well-meaning friend/acquaintance would say, “The ones plastered all over the internet- for surely a photographer wouldn’t put something online that’s meant to be kept a SECRET?!” The chances were rare- but it could happen. Anyway.  Now I’ll present these photos to you.  But stick around for the story afterwards. Adorable, right?!  Right.  And miraculous.  Because these are the photos of two beautiful girls who almost weren’t. I’ll never forget it- I was in the cafe of our supermarket, heating up food for Benjy when I got a text from Alyssa.  ”We’ve had some excitement this weekend.  The girls decided to come a bit early.”  This was April.  The girls weren’t due until July.  They were FOUR MONTHS EARLY.  Alyssa tried

So, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but it’s COLD outside.  I mean REALLY cold.  Like -18C/0F cold.  Like so cold my sunglasses give me a brain freeze cold. But did you read that glorious word?  SUNGLASSES?  Did you see it?  It means there’s SUN- so much sun that I need SUNGLASSES. And that, my friend, means there’s plenty of light for some indoor photo sessions- especially in my studio, which has a ton of light.  And yes, by studio, I mean my house. So, join me there!  For a mini session this Sunday!  Six digital proofs and an hour with me for only €150 (a savings of €60 in case you were wondering). I’ve got three time slots available- 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00.  Come, relax, play, and eat cookies (cookies make every session more enjoyable, don’t you think?) Contact me at sarah@pikkuarkki.com or 050 349 4460 to schedule your session

You saw their preview, you knew what they were capable of.  This ADORABLE family sure knows how to take photographs.  Here, my friends is the proof. For the slideshow, head here.  You’ll have to download a plug-in to watch the video, but it’ll make viewing other slideshows easier.  Remember to have your speakers on! To book your own family’s session, write me at sarah(at)pikkuarkki.com or call me at 050 349

We found each other in a most unusual way.  Olli’s brother’s wife’s coworker is Ade’s godmother.  And Ade’s godmother sent me an email using my webform.  WELL.  The webform didn’t work!  And didn’t send me the email!  So, the godmother casually mentioned it to my sister-in-law who told me.  Gah!!  I immediately changed my website, got rid of the form, inserted my normal email address instead (sarah (at) pikkuarkki.com in case you’re wondering…) and contacted the godmother- who’s name is Ritva. So, Ritva wanted to know if I had gift certificates.  As, it turns out, I was just in the process of getting them made (you can see the fruits of that labour here) .  So, Ritva was actually the first person to order a gift certificate for her goddaughter Ade. WHEW!   You still with me? The shoot was held at a beach in Espoonlahti.  It was a gorgeous day with a gorgeous family, lots of fun, lots of smiles.  And soaking shorts on my part (I had to climb into the sea to get the shot- the things we photographers do for our clients.  :)  ). For the slideshow (always the best part!) head here.  Remember to have your speakers on and be patient while it loads!

Another day of summer!  Out we went!  And we took the grandparents (Mymi and Vaari) with us! Benjy loves his Mymi and Vaari.  And he loves the forest.  And he loves hats.  Put them all together and you’ve got a really happy boy!

Here’s the second entry in my Starting Out series- a series of tutorials designed to give tips and tricks to those just figuring this whole camera thing out.  Some of it is pretty technical, but I try to make it as simple and user friendly as possible.  If you ever have any questions, please leave them in the comments, so that everyone can benefit from the answers.  And if you are more knowledgeable than myself (highly, highly likely), please feel free to leave extra tips in the comment section. They say that a cloudy day is your best friend when taking photos outdoors.  It essentially means that you don’t have to worry about direct sunlight.  You can go anywhere, find the prettiest background, and go to town.  NOT SO.  I’m here to set the record straight.  Shooting on a cloudy day can be VERY tricky- as I learned on Saturday. And here’s why. 1.  Although the light LOOKS even, it really isn’t.  Underneath those clouds, the sun is coming at you from an angle.  And if you shoot from the wrong angle, you’re going to get dark shadows on the face, just like you would do if you shot from the wrong angle in shade.  Unless you’re doing something artsy and creative, you’re going to want the faces of your subjects properly exposed. 2.  Your light meter might be TOTALLY wonky.  ”I’ll just