Beth Merritt Photography

Class of 2011

2010-04-09T20:26:00.011-04:00

Hello everyone...!

As many of you know, we have been busy with the new studio and training Sarah in our "Beth Merritt Photography" style. I had to share with you two of her most recent Senior Portrait Sessions that we just got done editing... I always knew she was a phenomenal photographer, but now you guys can see for yourselves! Here are some samples from two of her latest sessions....

I should mention that we are now beginning to take applications for BMP Ambassadors for the Class of 2011. Ambassadors get great benefits, extra photo shoot opportunities, and special treatment from our staff. For more information about becoming an Ambassador - or for information about getting your Senior Portraits at Beth Merritt Photography, please contact the studio at 248.250.6085 or shoot us an email at info@bethmerritt.com.

I hope you are having a great evening!

Beth

Update from Fall, New Studio!

2010-02-07T17:36:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone!

I have recently received a bunch of e-mails asking how I am doing following my fall. I realized I should have provided a blog update a while ago. However, most of you follow me via Facebook now, so I have kind of neglected the blog.

Fall Update

Well, I fell on a Friday, and by the next Wednesday I was unable to walk without assistance, unable to look at bright lights or listen to anything loud, and - worst of all - I couldn't really understand simple things. It was hard to read and hard to process thoughts. I could read words, but their meaning was lost. I wound up getting help from a new physician who helped me understand what was happening and why. I think in the end, her ability to calm me was more valuable than anything. I was really scared.

After a couple of weeks on the couch (literally), I dragged Tristan to the studio with me and we did a mock session with a moving teddy bear to see if I would be able to take pictures. In the end, I kept falling down, and none of the pictures were in focus. Hence the reason we ended up cancelling almost everything for the rest of the year.

New Studio…

It is now February, and I'm good. I'm now confident on my feet. I have done some shoots and am pleased with the results. Lee and I had some serious discussions as to whether this photography business would continue... and we arrived at an answer we would have never guessed. In late December, I was e-mailed by a very talented photographer who expressed an interest in working for me. We talked at length, did about 50 hours of number crunching, and in the end we ended up hiring her and leasing a commercial space.

I know, I know... I contemplate the idea of taking things down a notch and wind up with a team of four and a studio space. (I must have hit my head harder than I thought!)

So, we have lots of changes... We have a new Office Manager, Shelli and a new photographer, Sarah. Tristan is still here (...and I'm hoping he never leaves!) We have products and promotions that we will be rolling out over the next few months, and I am more excited about what’s going to be happening this year than I have been in a long, long time…

Here is a picture of the studio taken with a camera phone... not too great, but at least you guys can see what it looks like... It is located at 16 and Woodward, near downtown Birmingham.

For those of you that like to follow our work, I strongly suggest you tag us in Facebook. We tend to post in there quite a bit as a result of client requests.

Thank you very much for all your concern. I know many of you kept me in your prayers, and I am so very grateful…

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Beth

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong....

2009-11-12T12:58:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone,

This is Laura, Beth's office assistant. I do not want to be the bearer of bad news but this week has been pretty tough here at BMP, and all of this could not come at a worse time.

Over the weekend Beth was unloading her equipment at the end of her afternoon and fell on the sidewalk. She fell very hard hitting her head on the concrete. After a trip to the hospital she learned that she had suffered a severe concussion and her brain was bruised in two places. Results from an MRI will tell us if any fractures resulted from the fall. Beth is home resting but a full recovery could take many weeks.

Unfortunately, I will most likely be cancelling all shoots scheduled for the next two weeks. Beth is simply not well enough to stand for long periods of time because of the risk of further injury. When we are more certain of Beth's recovery time I will do my best to reschedule everyone. I will also most likely be cancelling all in studio ordering sessions since it is very painful for Beth to read or use a computer. Because of this I am asking that those who need orders placed to please submit orders online if possible. I know that custom items such as walls or Christmas cards are not available on the web. If you are interested in those items please call or email so that designs can be discussed and so that we can do as much progress with the order over phone/email as possible.

I will be updating the blog again with hopefully much better news! We will all do our best to get everyone rescheduled and to keep orders moving. We are all very sorry for any inconvenience. Thank you all so much for you patience during this time.

Laura
Office Manager

2nd Annual Halloween Charity Event

2009-10-04T22:56:00.003-04:00

I think most of you guys read about our 2nd Annual Halloween Charity Event in our newsletter, (Laura has filled many of the spots)... but I just wanted to send a reminder. My goal is to fill every last spot and raise even more money this year!

I hope your evening is going well...!

Beth

Cancellation 'excuses'... the best one ever

2009-09-26T09:32:00.003-04:00

I know I don't share many personal stories on the blog... not as many as I would like to anyway. But I had to share this story - it just happened.

My clients are wonderful... really. Everyone is very respectful of our time, and I probably get onyl one or two last minute cancellations per year. Really, I am very lucky. But this morning I got one... and it is the best excuse ever. I started grinning when I got the message.

My client this morning had a family portrait session with us. I have never had the pleasure of meeting her or her family. However, they are very active in the community and she sounds like a really cool person.

So this morning I get this message... "Beth, it is 9:01 and we have a 9:30 appointment... um... we are going to need to cancel. I feel terrible... my husband just got this really unique opportunity he could not pass up. He got paged because he is a professional car driver*, and Tom Cruise and his family requested he be there. They want to meet up with all the teens from his movie Red Dawn and go drive go carts*."

(*I tweaked the story slightly to hide what they are actually doing, to protect their privacy... but you get the gist of it.)

Hilarious.

Anyway, if anyone ever needs to cancel on account of meeting up with a Hollywood celebrity, I totally understand!

:)

Have a good day!

Beth

Blog Update (....a big one!)

2009-08-31T21:34:00.003-04:00

Okay, I admit it. I have been slacking when it comes to the blog! But I am finally going to get cross that one item off my to do list: “Blog update”. The problem: it’s going to be huge...!

For all of you out there on Facebook, please go ahead and tag me! I will happily send you some pictures for your Facebook pages. I usually try to post images for my clients’ Facebook pages when I can.

So…. What have I been up to, you ask? Well, here are some of my favorites… and definitely some more to come soon!

Enjoy!

A baby shoot waring special duds. Isn't this guy adorable???

This is a pose made popular by a photographer in Colorado... with dad being a huge Tiger's fan, I thought I would try it. I was really happy with the results...

The last half day wedding I did... at the beautiful Meadowbrook Mansion. Isn't she gorgeous?

One of my closest friends had an idea to go and shoot on the railroad. I was really happy with the outcome...

I think this one is hilarious...

A shot at sunset with three cousins... I love this shot.

Three brothers. I have been photographing these guys for a while now. The oldest boy is such a gentleman... not to mention a great brother!

This was part of a family shoot -- and they decided to bring the old car. Love it!

Ahhh... my college roommate and one of my best friends in the world... .....Isn't her little baby cute?

An Engagement session just before sunset. I love this moment...

A walk through the woods....

A blondie with a bunch of flowers. Mom brought the flowers, and I love the sunflower up against her blue dress. She was such a wonderful little lady to photograph.

I love this image!

A photo from a session earlier this summer. He brought his golf gear and started jumping when he teed off. Hilarious. ...it's kind of like how I golf....!

A super fun family session earlier this year...

A tender moment with mother and daughter...

A senior shoot... Isn't she beautiful?

A SUPER fun family shoot... These guys were a blast!

Another senior shoot. She has amazing eyes...

And last... but not least... my friends Courtney & Jason. This is an excerpt from their album. I have to admit that I didn't blog about it because I was afraid about getting more wedding inquiries. However, I'm now completely done with weddings, and I am happy to say that this will be my last full wedding for a long long time. (Yes, I shot a ceremony for two other couples, but I didn't do the entire wedding...)

So, this is it -- and what a great way to leave the whole wedding scene. These two are wonderful. I can't wait until I get to shoot their kids! ;)

Doesn't she have killer eyes?? Love 'em!

______

Well, that's it! Sorry my updates are sooo late!

I still owe you a couple more... I'm working on them, I promise!

Have a wonderful evening!!!

Beth

Slower Responses for next 48 hours (E-mail/Voicemail)

2009-08-04T06:46:00.002-04:00

Hi guys!

I am in the process of transitioning e-mail and voicemail to a new system over the next 48 hours. We expect the transition to be complete tonight, but I just wanted to warn everyone in the interim. Right now, e-mail and voicemails are going to four different places (all of which we can - and will - check!) Normally, I am able to handle urgent issues on my Blackberry, however even that is down for the next 48 hours. If we take a little bit to get back to you, please bear with us. We are moving to a system that will allow us to move faster and respond to e-mails and voicemials much quicker in the future.

Thank you for your patience!

Beth

WDIV Channel 4 - Vote for the Best {Portrait Photographer}

2009-08-03T20:04:00.007-04:00

Today I had this e-mail come through... "Your business has been nominated for 4 The Best". I was very interested...!

I then realized that someone had signed us up for this contest through television station Channel 4 - WDIV. I have known about the 'best wedding photographer' category for some time, but I don't really do weddings... (yada, yada)... and so I never signed up. But, I guess one of you guys has signed us up for the "Best Portrait Photographer". (This person even added some verbiage from our website, some images and our website...!) I didn't even know the category existed -but I guess it does and now we are officially part of the contest!

Now, I suppose I don't really believe in bribing folks for votes with free stuff, and I'm not really into the whole 'begging for votes' thing either. So, here is what I will do.

If we win, I will do a free all day Saturday (donations only) charity event next spring. Here's the kicker: it will be the charity of choice for whoever signed me up (and I have zero idea who that is.) Charity events are always a great idea -- for everyone. We will ask the person who nominated us to come out of the woodwork at that time... until then, I promise not to ask! (kinda fun, huh?!)

Sooo, here goes... if you would like to vote for "Beth Merritt Photography" as the best portrait photographer in Detroit, you click this link.

Thank you to whoever signed us up. It's truly flattering. It's one thing for someone to say 'I like your work, but quite another to have someone say 'wow, you're the best'!!!!

(Thank you!!!!)

My last wedding...

2009-07-26T21:53:00.006-04:00

I haven't been completely honest with you guys... I said I don't do weddings. Well, that was partially true. I was winding down, but wasn't completely done, per se. That is until today. Today I shot my last wedding for a while. I won't say that it will be my last wedding ever, but with our business being incredibly busy with children, families, and seniors, I wanted to create a definite place for us to focus. Weddings won't be a focus for us, but if we find the right circumstances, we might shoot another one. (We are suckers for touching stories...!)

Anyway, about the wedding today... I have been excited to tell you guys about this wedding from the moment I heard about it.

A couple months ago, my friend Jill approached me and was talking about her friend that was getting married. Her friend Karen was looking for a wedding photographer. Karen's husband has passed unexpectedly a couple of years before. She was left with three young children, the youngest of which was barely a year old. His passing was heart breaking.

This afternoon I asked Jill how they met and my jaw dropped when I heard the response... They had been introduced by Maryann Gilliam who in 2006 had assistance from the Armada Community and the ABC television show Extreme Home Makeover. Maryann Gilliam’s husband, David, was a firefighter and paramedic who died unexpectedly on Christmas Eve 2005. Maryann, 32, was left with six children (ages eight months to 12 years old) in a small farmhouse David was renovating. The family’s story reached the ABC TV show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” and the rest is history.

It was at this new house, that the children would meet their new dad. I love the irony... A house built for the purpose of helping a family cope with their own tragedy helped another family move forward with their life.

I will let the pictures do the talking as I like to do most of the time. I will have you pay special attention to the top left photograph though. Tears were streaming down my face as I took this photo. When this photo was taken there was a very moving slideshow that everyone was watching with photos of their family... and this new dad took time out to comfort this little boy during the duration of the slideshow. From the moment where these three young men walked their mom out to get married, it was incredibly moving, and I was truly honored to be a part of it...

Here are a few of my favorites from today... Enjoy!

Beth

Ballerina Needed!

2009-07-13T22:40:00.003-04:00

Hello!

I am in need of a ballerina. Should be someone in High School with a Tutu and point shoes. Must be willing to go in crazy (safe) places and get pictures. I will compensate them for their time.

Interested parties should e-mail me please! (beth@bethmerritt.com)

Thank you!

Beth

GQ Urban Session...!

2009-07-05T22:15:00.002-04:00

So these kids were SERIOUSLY GQ. Strait from the runway, baby!

Mom a fabulous job dressing them, and the kids themselves we just really a lot of fun. Thanks for doing all that posing for me guys.

Here are my favorites from the shoot...

Enjoy!

Beth

Brosko Family Pictures

2009-07-05T22:05:00.002-04:00

So, occasionally (usually at the end of a day of shooting) my last session will be on site at a special location. Laura provides me with an address and my GPS tells me how to get there.

At this location, I was shocked to discover that I was about 10 houses down from the Goforth residence (I just posted their pictures tonight.) I asked them if they knew each other and they did not. Small world though!

This family was hilarious. I had them do a specific shot where they had to stand just so, and they all wound up falling backwards into a patch of dense bushes. No one was hurt and everyone was laughing really hard.

Here are my favorites from the session...

Enjoy!

Beth

Special Event with the Minewiser Family

2009-07-05T22:00:00.003-04:00

I recently had the honor of documenting a very special event for a family I have been taking pictures of for a long time now. I am sure you guys will recognize them.

It was wonderful to be chosen to be part of such a special day for them, (thanks for inviting me Jen!)

Here are my favorites from the session... I love the one of the two kids cuddling with Mom. So sweet!

Enjoy!

Beth

All Smiles!

2009-07-05T21:48:00.004-04:00

So when this little lady walked in she was ALL smiles! Seriously cute.

Mom and Dad were laid back and really had fun with the session.

Here are some of my favorites from the session...

Enjoy!

Beth

The Goforth Family

2009-07-05T21:05:00.003-04:00

I recently spent a couple hours with the Goforth Family. They were a ton of fun, and really allowed me to have fun and shoot the way I like to... the pictures really allowed me to capture their personalities.

The first picture is one of my absolute favorites. This woman hates getting her picture taken and we were able to surprise her in a way that allowed me to capture this great moment.

These guys scheduled this shoot in response to my post about why I am a photographer. How are all of you doing in that regard? Did you find someone to take your pictures yet? (Especially all you photographers out there that read my blog.) Anyway, I am following through on my promise: our family shoot is next weekend and yes, I will post my mug on the blog for all of you to see that I kept my word.

Last but not least, there is a quote I read tonight... "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things."

So true....

Hope you guys are having a great night tonight!

Beth

Ray

2009-07-05T17:44:00.003-04:00

So, most of you guys probably know that I have a 9 year old cat, who name is Ray. (That is the name he came with and we thought it was mean to change it.)

What you don't know is that he is a huge, powerful, stubborn mule! (But I love him very very much.) Unfortunately, our little guy got really sick this last week. His liver stated to fail and he needed to be hospitalized for most of this week. The doctors didn't think he would live more than a couple days. He refused to eat unless we were there, so we have been traveling to the vet three times a day. He went in extremely feeble, and by this morning he had recovered enough that he was ripping out his IV and giving the nurses quite a run for their money.

Anyway, I think they had had enough of him, and so he's back with us now. Which is good because five days in the kitty hospital was almost two grand... ouuuuuch.

So, I have been neglecting my blog, partially because I have been busy, and partially because I have been at the vet's office all week ....Time to play catch up....!!!

Hope you guys are enjoying this beautiful day...!

Beth

Hak Urban Session

2009-06-17T23:07:00.002-04:00

A little while ago I met up with the Hak family to do three urban sessions. I was super happy with the results. The girls are gorgeous and the little guy has these cazy cute curls. (Very fun to shoot.)

Here are my favorites from the session... Enjoy!

Beth

White Urban Shoot

2009-06-17T22:50:00.002-04:00

I have to say Monica (our new graphics person) is way better than we were at dressing up these photos - don't you guys agree? (It's not even comparable...!) I am really excited to see the card samples she is coming up with...!

This little man is a repeat customer, and his mom is the best. She is from the Czech Republic and helped me with tips when I was in Prague. (By the way, I owe you guys those pictures still. Maybe this weekend if I get a chance to do personal pictures. ...That doesn't happen much!?!!)

Well, here are my favorites from the shoot. Enjoy!

Beth

VandeVeegaete Little Guy is ONE!

2009-06-17T22:43:00.002-04:00

We recently met up with one of our favorite little people... and we celebrated him turning one. My favorite is the tight headshot where his eyes just shine. So precious!

;)

Enjoy!

Beth

Curran Kids {Mini-Urban Session}

2009-06-12T21:00:00.004-04:00

Okay, so you guys have to admit... I have been a machine tonight! ha ha. I think with Monica's help, I'll be able to stay up to date with the blog. But, this will be my last blog for the evening... time to pay attention to the Wings game!

A couple weeks ago, I met the Curran Family for the first time. You never know what it's like to meet up with a family for the first time. Some are grumpy, some are apprehensive... some are silly, and some are well, just as nice as can be.

That was the case with this family. Just the nicest people you could ever could hope to meet. And boy are they ever great to photograph! I really like the closeup head shots. Here are some of my favorites from the session...

Enjoy!

Beth

PS: Time to pay attention... Go wings!

VandeVeegaete {Urban Mini Session}

2009-06-12T20:50:00.005-04:00

So Mom VandeVeegaete is very dear friend of mine... and I am always excited to take pictures of her kids. Buuuuuut, when she showed up with her oldest in this darling outfit, I about did a backflip. (I actually did literally jump up and down...) Isn't he so cute???

I hate to say it, but a lot of the time outfits make or break a portrait. When someone has taken the time to think through the outfit and asks for advice, like mom did here, their return is almost always huge.

I'm not exactly sure what Monica did with the second image (???) but maybe she was in an artsy noise mood? Anyway, I am going to post the image. You guys get the gist of it. Gangsta!

:)

Enjoy!

Beth

Beylerian Twins {Urban Mini Session}

2009-06-12T20:34:00.002-04:00

The Beylerian twins recently came to visit me. This time, instead of in the studio, we did an outdoor session and the kids loved it. Moreover, DAD loved it! Dad generally thinks of picture day about the same way he thinks of a dental visit for a root canal... but even he was smiling during the shoot! All in all, we had a nice relaxing time climbing and jumping, and laughing. I think even Dad would sign up for that kind of low key session again! ;)

Here are some of my favorites from the session... Enjoy!

Beth

PS: I love love love that last picture... her hair is just awesome...!

Ugorowski Family {Family Studio Session}

2009-06-12T20:25:00.002-04:00

Of all the infant/family pictures I have ever taken in the studio, I do believe these are among my favorite. The girls were so sweet and gentle with their new little brother. Mom was there to help, but the oldest girl had it under control. She took care to make sure her brother was secure in her arms. It was one of those moments that reminds me how much I love what I do.

What other profession allows you to see all this precious behind the scenes stuff?

Here are some of my favorites from the session... I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I do!

Beth

Minewiser Family {Outdoor Family Session}

2009-06-12T20:15:00.002-04:00

I have had the honor of photographing the Minewiser Family for years. The little guy has turned into a little man. I remember when he first walked into my studio, he was so tiny and sooo cute. He is still darling, but now his personality comes shining through - and he is hilarious.I got everything from pouting pictures to running pictures. So funny.

However, it's his older sister that amazed me. She has turned into such a beautiful girl. Tall and graceful - she is a photographer's dream.

Dad had just graduated from Oakland University with his MBA (congratulations!) So for part of the shoot we did cap and gown pictures... some with the kids wearing the cap. ;)

Here are my favorites from the session... Enjoy!

Beth

The Manter Family {Outdoor Family Session}

2009-06-12T20:06:00.002-04:00

As a photographer, sometimes you just *know* when a shoot is going well. Although I would never tell you guys this, sometimes during our sessions I have everything I need within fifteen minutes. Those are the best shoots - because then the stuff we get during the rest of the session is just gravy.

This was the case with this family. Their ability to just relax and be themselves during the session was not only wonderful for pictures -- but wonderfully fun to be around!

Here are my favorites from the session... Enjoy!

Beth

PS: Okay, by now you can probably see that Monica is awesome at this...! (So much better than I am!!)

The Campbell Family {Outdoor Family Session}

2009-06-12T20:02:00.002-04:00

So, I have to be honest... this wasn't completely an outdoor shoot... This started out as an in studio shoot, then moved to a backyard shoot, then to a studio shoot again.

I've done a lot of work with Aindrea recently, and she is great to work with. She's one of those people that actually knows what she wants and prepares accordingly. I love that about her...!

These shots are precious and show you how very tight their family is. (Love it!)

Here are two of my favorites... Enjoy!

Beth

Little Miss Black {Bebe Studio Session}

2009-06-12T19:46:00.005-04:00

I am SUPER happy to report that I've hired a Graphics person. Her name is Monica, and she is fabulous! I cannot wait to show you guys what we have been up to. I made the blog wider, the pictures larger, and the pictures fancier. I am getting so I am finally happy with it!

Monica will be creating custom announcements, invitations and Holiday cards for all customers now. In addition, she is also helping to make our blog look a bit more spiffy.

All that said, we have been playing a lot of catch up here and we have lots to post to the blog. So without further ado, I introduce you to little Miss. Black...

I have to say of all shoots we have had in four years, this is the first one where we had an accident in the studio. She fell off a stool and hurt herself. Now while she was fine, (she was smiling within about three minutes of falling), the photographer was not. I was so upset I couldn't stop shaking! So, we now have some new policies and safety features to make sure it never happens again. (Thank God there is a lot of light in the studio. I was literally shaking. Had we had a darker shoot with less light, I think all my pictures would have been blurry!)

Here are my favorites from the shoot -- you might remember the hat. It's a client favorite!

Europe Highlights: Part I

2009-05-31T22:35:00.011-04:00

Soooo... here are the Europe trip pictures that everyone has been asking for. Sorry for the delay!

________

After Koln, Germany we headed to Berlin. There are two things that really stand out about Berlin: a.) it is really spread out - especially for a European City and b.) there is construction everywhere.

Things have very much changed in East Germany since the wall was torn down. For that reason, new department stores and buildings are being built everywhere. It seems like East Germany has been gone for a long time, but you get there, and you realize that it wasn't really that long ago.

After that we went to Dresden. Truth be told, I didn't take a single picture in Dresden. It is a beautiful city though. Definitely recommended!

After that it was off to Krakow, Poland. Krakow was full of great people and night life. We sat in this huge courtyard (shown below) and ate dinner. During that dinner we met a bunch of Dutch Rugby players and a couple guys from Sweden. Very random. Everyone was super nice though! Krakow was one of my favorite cities.

We made one stop (which I will tell you about later) before going to Wrowclaw (pronounced vrow-sw-ah-v). Wrowclaw was a diamond in the rough. This was the scene from our outdoor cafe table. Beautiful, huh?
We found a McDonalds for breakfast after leaving Wroclaw. The kicker? The inside was under construction. So we had to go through the drive though windows instead. We shared with the cars, (literally)... a silver car was in line after us!

Okay, now for the stuff I've thought about sharing for a long time now. When we were in Krakow, we investigated what there was to do there, and discovered we were near Auschwitz Concentration Camp. We initially decided that we probably wouldn't go, because it would be too sad. In the end however, I think although none of us wanted to go (it's not something you really look forward to), each of us felt an overwhelming obligation to visit and pay tribute.

I will never forget it as long as I live. First of all, let me educate you on the basics: there are two camps in Auschwitz. Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II – Birkenau. Auschwitz I was an old Polish army barracks that was converted. Birkenau was built by the Nazi regime when they ran out of room in the first camp. Two things immediately struck me: The "quaintness” of the first camp and the sheer size of the second.

I am not going to talk at length about it, a picture says a thousand words, and so I think I will let the pictures do most of the talking here. When I learned or saw something profound, I tried to remember to take a picture so I could share it...

This is Auschwitz I. See what I mean with nice red brick and green trees? NOT what I expected...

But then you take the same place and look at other views... (same place: Auschwitz I)

See that pointed building in the top right of the picture above? And then bent fences? They are the same ones in the picture below. Now of all the places to sit on a summer day, why would this peaceful cat choose that place? (I know, I know... he doesn't know... but it doesn't make the irony any less!)

And then, I saw this group. My favorite are the two boys on the right. I wanted so bad to get a close candid of them, but I felt obligated to respect their privacy.

Of all the things inside the museum (these buildings have all be transformed into museums now), this was one of the things that struck me most. These are eyeglasses from those who perished at Auschwitz. This pile is probably six feet in diameter.

That's when it dawned on me. This place, Auschwitz I was large, but it wasn't capable of housing that many people. I then realized Auschwitz II must be large. But I wasn't prepared...

Remember this shot from the movies? The bone chilling scene where the train goes into the camp? This is Auschwitz II - Birkenau.

One difference though. In the movies, you can't see the entire grounds, they only show the railroad part. When you come up upon the camp you realize the grounds go on... forever....

Do you see the wide dark symbol on the picture below? It is an aerial view of this huge structure where the train came in.

Now, here is the map full size. See the train entry now? All those rectangles are buildings built inside the camp. Birkenau is just huge - and horrifying. There isn't much left, though. Much of it was intentionally destroyed when the Nazi's realized they were about to be discovered. Auschwitz I is the three rows of buildings in the very bottom left of the picture.

I don't have much more to say other than maybe you guys learned about the two camps being separate and their size. My goal was merely to educate.

This is the last of the sad pictures from the tip. I am getting the Prague and Venice pictures ready. (There are a million, they are gorgeous...and I am excited to show you!)

Have a good day...

Beth

Help Needed: Design Assistant

2009-05-31T20:56:00.002-04:00

Things have been super busy here. We are now all caught up from my little trip away. (Um, well - almost caught up - I owe you guys some of my favorite pictures from Europe... Coming soon, I promise!)

However, we are getting busy enough that it is time to add an additional third employee. We just cannot keep up. (I am sure you guys have noticed that I have been horrible about updating my blog during this entire month... yikes!) The last time I looked for an office manager, I asked my client base, and was very happy with the results. I would like to do the same before asking "blind" on Craigslist.

I am looking for someone that has good knowledge of design and would be able to do the design work in Photoshop. We do tons of printed stuff here, and Laura and I are flat out swamped. We need some more help. The basic job functions are as follows:

Create initial drafts for all printed work
Submit final drafts to press shop
Create marketing pieces, based upon my basic inputs
Update the website and blog with current information

Knowledge of marketing is a bonus. I envision this person working about 10-15 hours a week during the summer, and five days (i.e. as much as possible) from August-December during our crazy time. Employee with Photoshop on their own PC could work from home for at least a portion of the week.

Perks include free pictures and shoots (one annual shoot per employee) and the ability to work in our fun, and ever-changing environment! Interested candidates should send examples of their design work to beth@bethmerritt.com

Thanks for your interest!

Beth

I'm baaack!

2009-05-05T23:04:00.003-04:00

Hi guys! I just wanted to let everyone know that I have returned from Germany. It was amazing... nine countries and 3,000 miles of driving to see everything. Needless to say, I am exhausted.

However, Laura doesn't accept this excuse. She has me slammed this week. My car decided not to start on Monday morning, and apparently my tire is flat so I now have a spare on it until I can find time to get real tires on it. (It's looking like it might be a while yet...)

So, some of you guys were apparently asking Laura if I was back yet. The answer is yes... kinda. (It seems lately that I can be found at the local car repair store!)

Hope all is well with everyone!

Beth

PS: Extended blog with pictures from Europe is coming. I have it half written, but totally dropped the ball on posting pictures while in Europe (hmmmn.... walking around Venice/Prague or propped in front of a laptop editing pictures for the blog......See my point?!) I promise to post soon!

Amsterdam

2009-04-20T04:55:00.009-04:00

Greetings from Koln, Germany! Lee and I are here in Europe for two weeks. Laura has been gracious enough to house sit and watch Ray while we are gone.

I am going to try my very best to post every couple days. With internet connections and crazy schedules, I am not sure if it will always be possible. I will try though!

Mel and Shannon are two of our very closest friends. They recently moved to Koln Germany. I shot their wedding, and refused to take any money (seriously, they are some of our very best friends...) Well, they didn't like taking no for an answer - so they bought us two tickets to Germany. And now we are here.

We arrived Saturday at 8am Germany time (2 am EST). I slept (in between doing about 1,000 toe/heel taps for my stupid legs). Lee was up the entire time. We toured Koln, which has a huge beautiful cathedral. I didn't have my wide angle lens with me, so I couldn't get a picture. Thus, I am grabbing this from the internet so you can see how big it is... It is HUGE - and absolutely gorgeous.

But in front of this huge, ornate beautiful cathedral, here is what Lee and Mel found:

Now there are probably no two men in the world who like steak more than Lee and Mel. Regardless of your (or my) opinion on the subject, the fact that they found this demonstration was pretty ironic. Of all the pictures of the Dom I expected him to come back with, this did not make my list.

So, then we learn that Amsterdam is only two hours away from Koln by train. So we opt for a day trip. We find it to be both beautiful and insane. This is a typical street in Amsterdam. Notice all the hooks hanging over the tops of the houses. This is how they move in. Grab a couch, hoist it up and through the windows! Also, notice the bikes. There are bikes everywhere. Literally tens of thousands parked everywhere.

Then we get to this part of Amsterdam... pretty, huh? This would be the infamous Red Light district.
Now, I debated whether or not to post this on the blog, (I try to keep this a "family show"), but the picture shows exactly what happens in the Red Light district. These women literally hang out in the windows and ask to talk to the gentlemen walking up and down the street. There are literally hundreds of them. I could have had my camera taken away for taking this picture, but I was able to sneak one.

I am not advocating this in anyway (in fact, I was super sad when I first saw all these women.) I had to post this for the "wow" factor. Crazy, huh?

So, then we get to the other 'feature' of the red light district and Amsterdam: Coffee Shops. Well, let's just say their specialty is not coffee. When you walk by, it makes you wonder if a mini Grateful Dead concert is going on inside. Very smoky. And not the Marlboro kind of smoke.

So, Shannon, Lee, Mel and I wondered upon a graden outside of a building. The boys went nuts. "They have a marijuana plant in their garden!" They seriously went nuts - completely convinced. Until Shannon and I saw what they were looking at and almost fell down laughing. I will leave you with this picture:

(As I am sure you can tell, this is a Maple Tree of some sort.)

Okay, well we are off for now. Time to rent the car and begin our drive. We'll let you know where we wind up.

Have a great day!

Beth

Baby Model Needed!

2009-04-14T12:32:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone!

This is Laura, Beth's Office Manager, and this is officially my first blog post!

A client of ours is looking for a baby model for a Commercial style shoot.

We are looking for babies that are between 3 and 6 months that are good natured and have LOTS of personality.

If you or anyone you know are interested, please email a photo of your baby to info@bethmerritt.com . Close-up pictures are preferred (i.e. head and shoulders). All pictures we receive will be forwarded to our client to review. The shoot will be during the week of May 11th 2009. For participating, the family will receive a free sitting fee for a shoot with Beth.

Thank you for your help! Keep an eye out for more of my blog posts during the next few weeks!

Laura

Blog Update

2009-04-05T23:23:00.008-04:00

I have definitely been slacking on the blog front. We haven't been bored here though!

Outdoor shoots have returned with a vengence. (In this economy, I am flattered to be busy!) One problem exisits though: mother nature is not playin' fair. Someone needs to remind her that it is APRIL. I just saw "Winter Storm Warning" on the TV. You have to be kidding me!???

This weekend was c-c-c-o-l-d, and despite the weather we shot outdoors for five hours! This was the beginning of the Urban Sessions, and moms - you did a FABULOUS job getting your kids dressed. I was so thrilled with the outfits. All the kids did wonderful, and my husband Lee saved me by coming to the shoot to give me a pair of gloves and an extra coat so I didn't completely freeze.

We do have a couple of openings left for our Urban Mini Sessions (we had some canellations). As I said in my newsletter, these sessions are perfect for those 5-15 year olds that are less than thrilled with the studio and get that cheesy nervous grin. If you want more information, contact Laura at 248.250.6085 - or e-mail us at info@bethmerritt.com.

Last but not least, we have a new online gallery tool that can save favorites, change images to black& white or sepia, etc, etc... We did a ton of research to try to find a tool that would fit our clients needs. (In the last three years of this business, I think finding a online gallery /ordering tool has proven one of the more challenging things! I finally think we are there though.)

Here are some of my {pretty random} favorites from the last few sessions I have done. (There are a bunch...) I just wanted to make sure I got the blog update in sooner than later, because I've had some folks asking about it.

Sorry for the delay guys...Enjoy!

Beth

PS: Urban Moms from this week, your galleries are up! Laura will be contacting you on Monday with the password.

Cool tidbit about this photo... Grandpa is Robert I and this little boy is Robert III. The goal of the shoot was to celebrate the three generations. I love assignments like this...

Brian, Ben, Barbara, Bambi...????

2009-03-15T11:05:00.008-04:00

It always makes me laugh when people meet me and exclaim... "oh YOU are B. Merritt!" I seriously think it is hilarious. BUT, probably not so great for business. So, I have added an 'eth' in my logo and a little design element to jazz it up. At least folks will now know my name isn't Bobby!

One of the good things about not being allowed to walk for a week is the amount of computer work you get done! Like everyone, I have a to do list a mile long:

Change logo so people realize my name is not Beatrice Merritt
Update blog so that people can sign up for the blog updates more easily (see top right of this blog)
Addition of a senior website (with cool French music that I looked for forever...)

I have never advertised for High School Senior pictures - in fact every Senior client I've shot has asked me if I'd even consider doing them. Well, the answer is most definitely YES! I really enjoy high school seniors portrait sessions - it gives me a chance to integrate fashion with what I normally do. My clients generally leave the session with a smile on their face - feeling like the most beautful person in the world.

I will be offering sepecials over the next few weeks on Senior Portraiture. My hope is to boost my portfolio a bit more. (Plus, it's just plain fun to take these kinds of pictures!) For more information on the special we are running, e-mail us at info@bethmerritt.com.

Off to the doctor's tomorrow. I cannot tell you how much I am hoping he says "okay to walk!" We'll see...!

Have a great day!

Beth

Christan the Lion (and a week on the couch)

2009-03-13T16:58:00.009-04:00

This week has been horrible... long story short: my new year's resolution has backfired.

In January, I decided I wanted to get healthier. That meant more veggies and more exercise. So, pretty low-risk huh? Well, it turns out that I am very sensitive to Vitamin K (Vitamin K is not Potassium... Vitamin K is a clotting agent). All I had was 100% of the USDA in my multi-vitamin and whatever green leafy veggies I ate with my meals. I didn't go crazy or anything.

The large (by my body's standards) doses of Vitamin K mixed with long plane rides to Sacramento result in.... ....yep, you guessed it: blood clots in my legs. After being an overnight guest at the "Beaumont Troy Suites" we determined they aren't the bad DVT type. I was very happy to be sent home. They aren't the dangerous type, but I have many of them and wow how they ever hurt!

I am sporting two super sexy circulation socks and well, since I can't be on my feet for more than 1-2 minutes at a time, let's just say the matching outfit and hairstyle is equally as sexy. ;) It has been mandatory bed rest for a week now. Most of you know I don't sit still well, but I am trying.

At 4pm, today I stumbled across Oprah and they had this great little story about a lion. Here he is as a cub. His name is Christian:

I am an animal lover through and through. I immediately thought - what a great blog post! (I wonder if my blog followers had seen this before???) So, I am posting a link to this wonderful story. It's a great story with a happy ending - and one you can definitely share with your kids!

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO.

I hope you all enjoy it!

Beth

PS: Warning - the link works, but I believe there are a TON of folks viewing the link right now. It worked at 4:45, but was super slow at 5:30!

_______________________________________
Beth Merritt is a photographer based in Troy, MI. She specializes in photographing infants, children and families and high school seniors. She reguarly photographs families throughout the Birmingham, Bloomfield, Rochester and Troy areas.

Follow-up: Sacramento, CA

2009-03-04T21:57:00.007-05:00

Hi guys!

I am a horrible blogger. I left all of you guys hanging for multiple days, and I don't even have the memory card that I need to show you the pictures from Sacarmento. (I gave it to someone at the workshop and I need to get it back.)

Well, I did not go bungee jumping... BUT... I did rent a limo for my friend Gina and I to go through Napa Valley. Believe it or not, we researched all the options, and that was the most cost-effective way to travel. Can you believe that? A limo - for two people! Gina and I kept laughing because we are actually very normal, down to earth people and that was a little - well a lot - over the top. But it was a ton of fun. It will be something we talk about when we are 85 sitting in our rocking chairs.

However the whole point of being there was actually NOT to go to Napa... it was to learn a couple new photography tricks. I have attached some pictures below.

As a side note, look for some details about high school seniors soon. Once the weather is warmer, I will be accepting a limited number of High School Juniors to get their pictures taken at a significant discount. I need to increase my portfolio. I have older images, but now that I have new tricks, I don't like the old images as much! (I know... I am picky!)

Here are my favorites from the workshop...

Enjoy!

Beth

_______________________________________

Beth Merritt is a photographer based in Troy, MI. She specializes in photographing infants, children and families and high school seniors. She reguarly shoots families throughout the Birmingham, Bloomfield, Rochester and Troy areas.

Sacramento, CA

2009-02-28T15:14:00.007-05:00

Greetings from Sacramento, CA! I am here for a photography workshop. Long story short, I booked a convention in April, (and paid for it in full) only to realize that I am supposed to be in Eastern Europe that week. (Big, expensive whoops!)

I checked out the workshop schedule, and found a earlier workshop in Sacramento. And then I found airfare for $179 round-trip. THEN I realized I would be right by Napa. And that was all the convincing I needed. So, basically I am here for a workshop that I could have attended in Michigan. However instead, I am three time zones away in California because I can't enter a date in my calendar correctly - and the idea of drinking red wine in 70 degree weather was too good to pass up!

So far, Sacramento has been wonderful. As you may or may not know, I am a morning person. I usually wake up about 5 or 5:30... and by far my favorite part of the day is sunrise. This morning, I forced myself to sleep in until 8:30EST/5:30 PST... and this was what I woke up to. Love it.

So, I will have lots to tell tomorrow. (Wait until you see what I am about to do! I need my head checked.) Let's just say that today will be one of the days I remember when I am 90 years old and in my rocking chair... I promise to post the pictures.

I promise to write soon!

Beth

Shindeldecker Crew

2009-02-22T15:34:00.007-05:00

Okay, as a rule I don't post names on the blog, but I know lots of folks that follow this blog know the Shindeldeckers. They live in Chicago and came in for their daughter's one year photo shoot (which was very humbling!)

What I got when they walked in, I was not at all expecting. She was only one year old, can say anything from cat, shoes, sock, soft (<---this one really shocked me), and none of my little one year old tricks worked. I would hide something, and she would notice it missing. And she didn't sit down. EVER. I had to use an old trick I usually use on pets to get her to stay in one spot. Friends, Scott and Andrea are in t-r-o-u-b-l-e with this one. If they ask you to babysit, don't plan on doing it alone! ;) All that said, the shoot was fun! We were able to do tons of stuff, and she was pooped in the end. Here are some of my favorites from the shoot...

Enjoy!

Beth

cuddled up in Daddy's arms...

mad that we are telling her to please stop tyring to pet the fish... hilarious!

still determined to pet the fish...

sportin' the accessories...

A serious moment...

and finally, dancing in her tutu... (you might have to click on this to actually see it.)

This is a quote from Mom and Dad's favorite musical artist, Will Hoge. Note: As a rule, I watermark my collages to protect them from other photographers who would try to take my work and claim it as their own. (Yes, it is sad, but this actually happens...) But in this case, I destroyed the image completely if I put the logo on it, so no logo for once!

Baby Blues

2009-02-22T15:23:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, I met up with good Friends of mine for a shoot of their youngest son. I have taken pictures of him many many times before, but this time I said out loud... "oh my goodness, look at his eyes...!" And folks, look at his eyes....

I love these kinds of shots, because they reveal the true personality of the child, rather than some "posed say cheese!" picture. (Besides, anyone that thinks you can actually 'pose' an awake baby is out of their mind.) This shot couldn't relay this boy's personality any more clearly: he is such a sweet, good natured boy - and it is so evident from the picture!

Here are some of my other favorites from the shoot... Enjoy!

Beth

Again, look at those eyes... they sparkle!!!

Slbling Bliss

2009-02-21T19:54:00.000-05:00

About one week ago, I had the pleasure of meeting up with a new family. The main goal of the shoot was to document the youngest child, (isn't he adorable?) What struck me about the family was how well the kids all cared about this little guy. A lot of the time, older siblings are jealous of the time younger siblings take - especially babies. Not these guys. It was wonderful to watch.

(See, check out the way this little girl is looking at her brother.... love it!)

Here are the some more of my favorites from the shoot...

Enjoy!

Beth

What goes around, comes around....

2009-02-09T17:49:00.004-05:00

The response to my Guindi posts has been mind blowing to say the least. I have been getting e-mails from all over the country, including other photographers and friends of Louise who are just saying (well, they are saying very nice things).... but they are also saying they're making plans to get someone to take their family pictures (with them in the picture!) The response is just incredible.

For the record, I am in the process of booking our family shoot in Buffalo for this spring. (Anyone know any killer photographers in Buffalo??)

In the meantime, I did want to end this little series of blogs on a bright note. I am getting all this attention and new buisness - more than I ever imagined... and it is all because of a charity event I donated to. That's right! The Guindi's were bidder on a silent auction I donated to! So photographers and small businesses out there: What goes around, comes around! Maybe instead of printing fancy marketing cards, you can help a local charity out with a donation or two.

Anyone know any great charities that are in need of donations this year? Folks, post your comments, with the names and numbers of the charity - and photographers, read the posts! It's crazy how far a little donation (like mine was) will get you.

Last but not least, we will be having the 3rd annual Halloween Charity event (so plan your costumes early!) This year, we will do ten minute sessions, and we will be limiting it to costumes only! No costume, no pictures! All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society (ACS), in the name of Louise Guindi. We will likely have the event in early October.

...Okay, that was waaay too vague...

Let's just schedule it....

...drumroll.....

....OCTOBER 10th it is! (Laura is going to kill me...) But anyway, mark your calendars. On a more serious note, this is a great event and a great cause. We don't make a dime on this - ACS gets every penny - and you get cute pictures of your kids!

As I said before I truly believe, what goes around, comes around. Maybe if we give this time, we will finally get back the ultimate gift........ a cure.

Hope you guys are having a good evening,

Beth

Request from the Guindi Family

2009-02-08T11:34:00.005-05:00

As a follow up to the post from earlier this week, the family has requested I post the final slideshow that was played at the funeral on Thursday. I wasn't going to do this because of the personal nature of the slideshow and because it is just so hard to watch.

I showed it to my mother last night, who came over to play cards. I left her alone to watch it. She came out with tears in her eyes and immediately said what I have been feeling all week: "if you never take another picture again, it will all have been worth it." I couldn't agree more.

I cannot warn you enough that this is a very powerful slideshow. As I said in my previous post, of all the art I have produced in my life, this is probably the piece I am most proud of. If you are at work, and about to meet up with your boss in 15 minutes, I would suggest you don't watch this now. I got the idea to intermingle the kid's artwork in the slideshow. That alone is a reminder of how young the kids are, and again, makes this very hard to watch.

I promise to make my next post something more upbeat. I know this has been a tough couple of posts!

I hope you are enjoying this heat wave...!

Beth

Why I am a Photographer

2009-02-05T06:27:00.010-05:00

I don't think I've ever put this on the blog before... Do you guys know why I am a photographer??? I mean, I started because a good friend liked some pictures - and told everyone - and I got a million phone calls for shoots - and then my company was born. But that's not the real reason I am a photographer.

(Hmmmn...How do I say this eloquently???) Some of the general public is well... seriously NUTS - and less than pleasant to deal with. I have quickly come to realize that simply being good at something isn't enough. In order to put up with all the craziness, you have to love what you do and have a mission. Well, for about two years, I took pictures without a mission. At the end of 2007, I was tired, frustrated, and contemplating quitting.

I met Louise Guindi in November 2007. We instantly hit it off. She was kind. She was genuine. And her family was fun... We met at a shoot and had a blast. They ran, they played, they tickled, and froze. It was awesome - despite the frigid temperatures. Here are the photos from that November 2007 shoot:

These pictures made me excited about being a photographer. I was literally giddy with the results of the shoot, and was so excited to show Louise and her family. The response I got, I could never be prepared for.

It would be this phone call to Louise that would change my life. I would call to tell her her photographs were done early on a Monday morning. She would reply that she had just learned that her cancer had returned. She informed me that the situation was dire, and that she needed to order that day. I immediately rearranged my schedule to accommodate her simple request.

I was devastated. These children were babies... they were facing the possibility of losing their mom. Did I take enough pictures - were they good enough to withstand the test of time? The youngest was five. What do I remember about my mom at the age of five? Would she remember? Suddenly photographing this family - and preserving these memories for other families would become a personal mission. If I could help just one more family, I would....

So, at every shoot since November 2007, no matter how crazy or nasty people get, I continue because one day a family member might look at the pictures and remember an emotion or a wonderful memory. That alone is worth it.

But...

....it is with a very heavy heart that I report that Louise left us on Sunday. Her husband and three young children will say goodbye for the final time today at the funeral.

We did take some additional pictures over this last Christmas. Louise's situation was getting more dire. So, we did a "why not?" shoot. The family has allowed me to share the pictures from that shoot with you..

I am honored that she asked for me to come see her in the last days before she left us. We were able to talk to her at length and say goodbye. I would actually wind up spending a lot of time with the family over the next couple days, helping them gather and prepare precious memories to be used at the funeral. You see, today especially, we reap the benefits of these images we have captured over the last 2+ years. Yesterday at the funeral home we were able to display pictures of Louise's relationship with her family through Slideshows, prints, and cards that I created for the family. Each picture illustrates a bond - and I am so proud of that.

(Okay, I have to say this next part... and it isn't necessarily nice. But I really feel I have to say it. Here goes...)

Moms, I want you to get out from behind that camera! Stop making excuses and waiting for that extra five pounds to come off, that pimple to be gone, etc. … Go find someone that knows what they are doing with a camera. Anyone. Have family pictures done the right way. Drag your parents, grandparents and kids into the picture. Hug them. Laugh with them… and tickle everyone. But celebrate every second of the time we do have – and document it – again and again, for our time here is far too short.

Words cannot describe how hard it is to see the four of them without her now. Louise was only 38 years old. At 10:00 today, hundreds of people will see a slideshow with my work documenting the Guindi's over the last couple years. I am more proud of this Slideshow and these images than any piece of artwork I have ever produced (and after taking about 200,000 pictures over the last few years, that says a lot!). The fact that I was chosen to document these precious moments will forever humble me.

If I can help just one more family celebrate each other, then it's all worth it. And that is why I am a photographer. This is why I do what I do.

God bless...

Beth

Winter Sale!

2009-01-25T19:22:00.012-05:00

Hi guys!

In the last month I have decided to paint and decorate my house and studio. I now have dark brown walls in the viewing session room, a new office area, and my husband Lee is putting up a door as we speak... Everything looks a lot different!

On that note, I thought that maybe some of you guys might also be decorating. So, I have decided to have a sale. There are virtually no limitations on the sale. The only rules are that prints must be ordered before Feb 1st, and framing before Feb 15th. Collages and specialty artwork (including metallic finishing) is included in the sale.

I hope everyone is staying warm!

Christmas Baby... and an Update

2009-01-20T22:12:00.004-05:00

I have been busy! We overhauled our studio viewing area. For those of you guys that thought that our "setup" was cool before, I cannot wait to show you everything now! Totally different - and so much better. Our viewing screen is now nine feet wide... ;)

I must admit, I am a bit of a musical junkie. As soon as we got it up and running, I popped in Phantom of the Opera. It was awesome -- like a mini movie theatre! (I hope Lee doesn't figure out how to hook up Madden '08 to it!)

But on top of our renovation project, I had the pleasure to photograph a small baby shortly after Christmas last year. We had to wait until the announcements got out, but I got the go ahead yesterday, so now I can post the pictures. She is such a cute little girl, and so petite. (A photographer's dream!)

Here are some of my favorites from the shoot...

Enjoy!

A little bit of downtime

2009-01-05T08:49:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know that the phones are back up and working now. We had some renovation over the holidays, and the phone lines were not working for about two or three days.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season.

Happy New Year!

Beth

Perhaps the Biggest Form of Flattery...

2008-12-22T15:53:00.006-05:00

Today I received an e-mail from a friend in Chicago. I did a shoot for their family when his daughter was three months old. Many of you have seen this portrait series on shelves in my studio... but none of you have seen this rendition!

Both Laura and I opened up the e-mail and were STUNNED. He tattooed it on his back! My goodness, I guess he liked the original picture! (Note: I didn't take this actual picture of the tattoo - that would be his lovely wife Andrea. I just burned, color tweaked, etc. I stuck the logo on to ensure those who might use it would have a tough time pulling it off as their own work.)

But anyway...

Scott, if you are reading this, I am completely flattered. (I hope it didn't hurt too badly!!)

Merry Christmas everyone! (Time to get wrapping again!)

Beth

More Catch-up!

2008-12-14T22:34:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago, I met up with Stephany and her son. They brought her son's costume and we had a riot. Here is one of the collages we prepared for her...

Last week, I was visited by two tiny little doggies. Aren't they adorable????

I don't post this stuff a lot (due to privacy issues) but I came across this picture tonight and I thought I would post it and use it to tell a story. One of my clients plays for the Detroit Redwings. (Don't ask who, I won't tell you - I really do go out of my way to keep identities confidential.) But when I first met him last year, he walked into my studio, and I asked him to hold his child. I then looked at the two of them and realized his hands were ENORMOUS. I couldn't see the child's body - all I could see were hands! I never told him that, I just switched the pose and kept going.

Last week he stopped by again and brought his championship ring to include in some of the more fun pictures. Look at the size of his finger relative to his son's thumb! (This picture makes me laugh.) It makes me wonder about the size of Warren Sapp's rings!?!

Here is another collage we prepared for a client. Her daughter was not excited about getting pictures that day, and was a tad defiant. We definitely used that to our advantage! I think the picture of the left is so funny...

This is commercial shoot I did my favorite wine store ever: Simply Wine in downtown Birmingham.

I am sure you guys recognize these little guys. I am always amazed at how well these two get along...

More Little Santas...

So that's it! Whew!.. can I breathe now???

;)

Time to stare at the tree for about 15 minutes and then hit the hay...

Have a wonderful evening everyone!

Beth

Daddy-Daughter Dance

2008-12-14T22:18:00.006-05:00

A little while ago, I received a e-mail that was truly humbling: a local elementary school had requested I shoot their Daddy-Daughter dance. They weren't shopping for photographers - they wanted me! I was blown away - and very flattered.

Well, I happily accepted, and on December 6th I shot 93 families in 180 minutes. (1144 pictures to be exact.) Now I have shot 600-person weddings, dealt with craze brides, etc, etc... but I have NEVER worked that fast in my life. It was a rush!

The highlight of the night had to be when the DJ played "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". The little ladies (literally) screamed and started dancing like crazy. (It reminded me of the New Kids on the Block concert I recently attended... 60,000 screaming 30 and 40 year old women... but we won't go there tonight...) I never knew Cindi Lauper was a hit with the 5-8 year old crowd!

Anyway, here are some of my favorites from the evening.

Enjoy!

The girls all got these beautiful head pieces to wear while they were there... They had ribbon coming out of the back and the girls loved them!

This was the reaction to Cindi Lauper... ;)

Catch up!

2008-12-14T21:57:00.007-05:00

I looked at my blog today, and it has been way too long since I have managed to update it. I think that's probably how it's going to be around here during Christmas - no blog updates during November and December. It is just too insane!

We actually wound up hiring a third person just to help us play catch up! (Thank you Alicia!)

So, I am not going to write a lot (because there are lots and lots of pictures...) but you can see what we've been up to here...

Enjoy!

This is the Tiffany's Box Baby... truly one of my favorite little babies to photograph!

Her newest pal, the gorilla.

Mom brought her costume... soooo funny!

Beautiful little face!

The look of death (directed at me and mom)... "Get me out of this thing!"

A super fun outdoor family shoot. I met these guys in March (I think?). They are a wonderful family, and I am fortunate to say that I see them a lot. Their oldest son is an extremely talented photographer, who I am sure will one day give me a run for my money! ;)

TWINS!!!!

This is a collage I did in celebration of their two new beautiful little girls.

Little Santa...

This little boy never ceases to amaze me. His mom is one of my best friends in the world (and I am still getting used to seeing her with a stroller!) He's so cute though....!

I love this photo with the Santa fuzzies everywhere. ;)

The boy who started it all.... three years later!

I was really pleased with these pictures. The best part is that I didn't ask them to pose like this. These are just their natural mannerisms. Adorable!

Insta-smile...

2008-11-17T21:04:00.003-05:00

I have to be honest... days are lonnnngggg right now. It's crunch time here. So, as you guys know, that means lots of Pandora for me!

I just had to let you guys know about a new great find... Pandora + Debbie Gibson. Seriously,... are you in a bad mood? Need that extra 'oomph' to get you through your day? Pull up Pandora and type in Debbie Gibson. HILARIOUS.

I have just been listening to Paula Abdul, some serious Pat Benatar, and of course my favorite for a good giggle - Tiffany!

So funny!

;)

Beth

Three Little Ladies!

2008-11-10T22:38:00.005-05:00

I think you all know this, but I absolutely love infant shoots. Yes, they take forever, but there is something about those tiny little hands against mom or an older sibling that is just awesome.

I recently had a session with three sisters, and they were a lot of fun. I remember the girls fondly from one of my earlier sessions this year (so cute!)

Here are some of my favorites from the session...

Enjoy!

The McCarthy Family

2008-11-09T09:57:00.004-05:00

Last night I was visited by some old friends of mine from college. Joe (Dad) and I had many engineering classes together, and I fondly remember struggling through Calc III with him. We survived, despite the nutty professor.

He and his wife (who I have also known forever) now have two kids, and they are adorable!

Here are some of my favorites from our session...

Enjoy!

Beth

The Black Family

2008-11-04T09:07:00.002-05:00

My last appointment on Saturday was the Black Family. They have a toddler and a new little girl. The oldest girl was a riot. The two of us played catch for most of the shoot. ;)

Here are my favorites from our session. (I love the one with dad!)

Isn't she gorgeous??

The Joy of Children's Photography

2008-11-04T08:55:00.004-05:00

I often get comments about how folks are amazed that I can do seven shoots in one day from babies to huge families, and it doesn't bother me. Yes folks, I actually enjoy it! (You should see the looks I get from dads when they think about repeating their somewhat traumatic photo experience over seven times. It's funny.) And yes, sometimes we get tears in the studio. But we are trained to know what to do when that happens - and we have ways of getting the tears to stop to get what we need during the shoot.

The funniest studio session I ever had was last Saturday. We were pushing the kids to the limits (they had been shooting for over 45 minutes) but we decided to try for one more picture with the grandparents and grandchildren. This is how it went:

My personal favorite is the two girls in the lower right corner who are consoling each other and putting their hands over their ears to block out the screaming. At this point, all the parents in the studio were just rolling with laughter. It was so awful it was funny.

But we did get other great shots from the day - just not any at the end! ;)

This little boy found my glasses... so funny.

Blog update: So I have had three people ask me if those were my real glasses. Actually, I am legally blind without my contacts - but no, those are not my real glasses! These are glasses that I got as a prop for silly pictures. (I think it's hilarious that folks thought these were my real glasses!! If I showed up wearing those glasses to a shoot, would you guys let me take your pictures?? ha ha - probably not!)

The Gates' Girls

2008-11-04T08:51:00.002-05:00

On Saturday morning, I met up with the beautiful Gates girls. We were jammin' to "I Like to Move It -Move it". (I have absolutely zero idea what the real name of the song is.)

These are some of the more formal photos from the shoot. My favorite is the second picture. Aren't they both gorgeous???

Teasers

2008-11-04T08:40:00.005-05:00

I am a blog addict. I love visiting other people's blogs and seeing other photographer's beautiful work. BUT - I'm beginning to see copies of my work on other people's blog sites. Extremely flattering, but I'm not sure I want everyone shooting the way I do...!

So, I am going to change the way I do things a bit and I am going to post small teasers to show one or two of my favorite images from the weekend. Teasers are obviously posted to get everyone excited about seeing the full shoot. In some cases, I might show more - but usually only if there is a story behind it.

Okay, so here goes...(I have lots to post!)

Enjoy...

Beth

New Hat

2008-11-03T15:50:00.002-05:00

This weekend Lee, my brother Pete and his wife Angie went to see my grandpa who has been in the hospital with pneumonia. He's lots better now, but it was pretty scary. (I know, I know... I've had enough of hospitals for 2008. I need a break!) So, while we were there, we thought we would nab up some Bills vs. Jets tickets and got to the game. We met up with my cousins Josh (in the red hat) and Lauren (the blonde).

This week, while in Buffalo NY, I acquired a new accessory that every Buffalo Bills fan should not be without: a fabulous new buffalo hat...

Now I do admit that I look somewhat ridiculous. But it was very warm, if not exactly houte couture.

If any one wants to borrow it, let me know. (ha ha...)

;)

Beth

Five hours of Pandora and still going...

2008-10-28T23:42:00.004-04:00

So, it is 11:55pm and I am still up editing pictures. I have been here since 4:30pm... ('tis the season!) I think I have been listening to Pandora for about five hours now??? (Love it!)

I just wanted to share my gratitude to everyone who has contacted me or left comments over the last week. You cannot know how much that means. Just to know that my work was well received, or that families are happy to see how beautiful they are when they are playing, laughing - and well, even throwing mud in mom's face (instead of leaves... that happened in more than one shoot this weekend.... oops!) You guys are the ones that keep us ticking. September-December is totally insane for us here - and we appreciate the thanks and comments more than you guys will ever know!

I am amazed at our growth this year. We used to keep paper folders of everything, but we quickly found that paper was just not going to cut it. We are now working with a computerized studio managment system so everything from session booking to picking up orders can be carefully tracked. In addition, we added a dedicated office manager to assist when I am away and a new dedicated phone line. (I think most of you know Laura better than you know me, right??!) It's really exciting - but really fast! Wow!

I guess I just felt an overwhelming need to say thanks. Even the smallest comment means so much - especially this month. THANK YOU!

Beth

The Valade Family

2008-10-26T22:51:00.006-04:00

Sometimes you get the perfect clients, and the perfect mood, and the perfect setting. And when that occurs, I swear a little bit of magic happens and the most beautiful pictures can be created. This happened on Saturday over fish, turtles, and leaves.

This little boy was so excited about looking for fish and turtles in the pond. That, mixed with his and his parents willingnessto play in the leaves made for one of those shoots. These shoots are the ones where you know you are capturing genuine expressions that will be cherished by the family for years to come.

Anyway, here are my favorites from the shoot... Enjoy!

Beth

His reaction to getting pummeled with leaves! ;)

The Hsu Family

2008-10-26T22:30:00.006-04:00

Later on Saturday I was visited by the Hsu family....all of them! One of the members of the Hsu family, Angie, is married to my brother. So, needless to say, I know the Hsu family well.

Actually, Vic (the guy in the last picture) was the person that helped me buy my first digital SLR and taught me a great deal about cameras. He's also the one that I worked with to shoot my very first wedding. (Which we shot on Auto/Aperture priority TTL... hee hee... a definite no-no for pros because of all the post editing work. I think I spent about three weeks editing that wedding. It took forever...) We have learned a lot since that first wedding!

The original shoot was supposed to be for Angie's sister-in-law who had come in from California, but it kind of morphed into something bigger. Hence the reason there is a lot of focus on the little girl and her parents. Here are some of my favorites from the shoot... Enjoy!

Beth

The Knoeller Family

2008-10-26T22:17:00.004-04:00

About 9:30 yesterday, I left my house prepared for torrential downpours and frigid weather. I had four hours of shooting on location, and it was cold outside!

It wound up that the local weather forecasters were wrong about getting rain on Saturday. (Is it me or does it seem like we live in an area where they can't ever predict the weather?... hmmmn... well, we won't go there I guess.) Anyway, they were right about it being cold and windy. As most of you know, I love wind. It allows me to do a lot more with the pictures.

Anyway, at 10:00 I was met by the Knoeller family. We went on a short hike and shot pictures at a bunch of different locations. Staying active for key so we didn't freeze! The family was great about the cold weather, and we wound up getting some really great shots.

Here are some of my favorites from the session... Enjoy!

Beth

The Tucciarone Family

2008-10-26T22:08:00.003-04:00

On Saturday morning, I was visited by this wonderful family. The two boys were super cute, and just by studying their expressions, you could definitely tell they were two peas in a pod!

Mom and Dad were great and agreed to be part of the shoot, despite the fact that it was at 8am. (Thanks for getting up so early guys!)

Here are some of my favorites from the shoot... Enjoy!

Beth

Look at their eyes... they look identical! I love it! :)

I love this little guy's eyes!

The Nelson Family

2008-10-26T21:55:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, I met up with the Nelson family for a family session. I had a bad cold, and going to the shoot was tough, but skipping wasn't an option, so game on!

Fortunately, the family was very easy going and laid back. (I think a higher maintenance family might have killed me that night!) The oldest boy was great. He kept on making this "Gggrrrrr, roar!" sound and then he would giggle. It was really funny.

Here are some of my favorites from the shoot.

Enjoy!

Beth

The Say Family

2008-10-26T20:48:00.006-04:00

Last Sunday, I worked with a family that I know well. Mom is a very dear friend of mine... I have lots of stuff to post tonight, so I am going to be brief on most of the posts tonight. (My apologies, but the holiday photo season is in full effect and we are buried!)

Here are my favorites....Enjoy!

Beth

Having a discussion with Dad...

I love this expression!

The newest member of the family...

Winner of the Silent Auction!

2008-10-26T12:37:00.004-04:00

I would like to thank everyone for participating in the charity event. We had lots more participation in the online silent auction than expected. (People were still bidding this morning!)The winner of the Silent Auction is the papa of this little man...

Congratulations Dan!

Thank you to everyone for helping us raise money for cancer - we raised about $1,000! We usually pick a different charitable organization every year. If any of you have a favorite charity, please drop us a note about them. We will be happy to make donations for their silent auctions and will consider them for next year's event.

Happy Sunday (Go BILLS!!!!!)

;)

Beth

Silent Auction (Great Stuff for a Great Cause!)

2008-10-19T22:08:00.013-04:00

As many of you know, this week we have been teaming up with local small businesses to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Well, we have one additional 'event' left, and we are opening it up to everyone for one week.

For one week, today through next Sunday at noon, we will be conducting a silent auction for a great package full of goodies! The package includes: A haircut by the exclusive FIGO salon in downtown Birmingham, six bottles of wine from SIMPLY WINE in Birmingham, and a 2009 session with Beth Merritt (me) and $500 in complimentary photographs.

So, what is better than spa treatment, wine and great photographs? We think it's a pretty great package!!

Want to know more about these companies?

Rated Best of HOUR Detroit. Click on the image above to reach the website, and check out this review about FIGO.

Click on the image above to reach the website, and check out this review about Simply Wine.

And, of course...

(Which, since you are already here, I will assume you know something about...!)

_____________________________________________

Q: How do I place a bid?

A: Send an e-mail with your name, phone number and your bid to Laura (laura@bethmerritt.com). Laura will keep the bids private and on Sunday I will announce the winner!

Good luck and happy bidding!

_____________________________________________

Courtney and Jason (Engaged!)

2008-10-19T21:56:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, in 2008 I took very few weddings before officially cutting them off. However, when I met Courtney and Jason, I totally meshed with them. They are laid back and a ton of fun! These are the kind of people that you know you will be friends with long after the wedding is done. I am really excited to shoot their wedding next year.

On Thursday night we did an engagement shoot in Birmingham, and Tristan and I were able to do some really fun stuff with lighting.

Here are some of my favorites from the shoot...

Enjoy!

Beth

Tiffany's Baby... 6 months later!

2008-10-19T20:11:00.007-04:00

Remember this image of the sleeping baby in the Tiffany's box? Well, she's older now... a lot older. On Friday, I was visited for her six month shoot.

I have to say, I have become very fond of this baby. She just smiles at everyone. Morning or night - she is always smiling. Her mom is a good friend of mine, and so we get to spend lots of time trying out new things. Mom is an extremely talented graphics artist at Cranbrook - and because she is an artist, she lets me try just about anything!

Here are my favorites from the shoot...

Enjoy!

Beth

"What are you lookin' at???" ;)

One thing I love about mom is that she always brings along important family "props". This bird is in this little girl's room and was given by her grandmother, so this picture will have a sentimental meaning in the future. Yes, I have pretty props around the studio, but props that mean something are always so much better...!

(By this time she liked the outfit.)

These are the wings mom brought to put on her at infant shoot. It puts in perspective how much bigger she is!

Halloween Charity Event

2008-10-19T19:35:00.005-04:00

I try to do a charity event at least once a year. I am a huge believer that we must all give back to our community. So, at least once a year I have a charity event where 100% from the day goes to a specific charity. Yesterday was busy!! We raised about $500 for the American Cancer Society, and we had lots of great costumes and beautiful little kids.

I will be posting information about the Silent Auction later on tonight. (That will close next Sunday.)

Here are some of my favorites from yesterday...

Enjoy!

Beth

(This one just makes me laugh...!)

"Lil' Stinker" is written on the heart.... ;)

The McGuire Family

2008-10-13T22:56:00.004-04:00

On Saturday evening, I had the pleasure of photographing the McGuire Family at a location I had never been to before. It had been a year since taking pictures of their family. Now, one year later, the little boy that I had never seen even stand up was running around chasing ducks. I could barely catch him!

The ladies were gorgeous (don't you wish you had hair like these guys??? I do!) and Dad was cool, calm, and collected despite being mosquito food for a little while!?! (Aren't those awful bugs supposed to be long gone by now???)

Here are my favorites from the session.... hope everyone is enjoying this weather!

Beth

The Adams Triplets

2008-10-13T19:47:00.004-04:00

On Saturday, I met up with the Adams Family. Dad was able to pull some strings and got permission to shoot at Cranbrook. I have shot at Cranbrook many times (as many of my clients are Cranbrook alumni) – and every time I got there I am amazed at how gorgeous the grounds are. Mix in beautiful grounds with three of the cutest triplets on the face of this earth, and you have a photo shoot sent from up above.

These little kids were six months old at our first photo session. I think it was my third (?) ever photo session. I was learning the tricks of the trade, and I actually took a sheet for a backdrop along with the bare Speedlights: a definite no-no! I always laugh when I think about it. My light then was about 6 inches x 6 inches… now my light is 4ft x 6ft. ;) Live and learn…

Every time I meet the kids I am blown away by them. They have turned into such wonderful young boys and girls. “What do we call a man?”… “Sir!”…”What do we call ladies?” …”Ma’am!” (This is the discussion that is going on while I am shooting.) “Show Mrs. Merritt how we say our prayers at night”. (They pose.) Soooooo cute!

Anyway, I am sure you guys will recognize these guys from past shoots. Here are my favorites from this shoot...

Enjoy!

Beth

The Elliott Family

2008-10-12T21:52:00.000-04:00

The Elliott Family visited me last weekend. These guys were a riot. We were flying kids through the air, tossing leaves in the air (and at each other!), running around, and just having a great time. It’s one of those shoots that's just plain fun.

Here are some of my favorites from the shoot!

Enjoy!

Beth

Tristan and Laura's Favorite Shoot...

2008-10-12T19:07:00.003-04:00

My employees cannot stop talking about this shoot. Both Tristan and Laura are convinced that this might be the cutest little boy on this earth! (You should have head their reactions when they opened the Lightroom gallery... it was hilarious. Both started yelling out loud. I just laughed.) The thing is, not only is he super cute, but he is extremely well-mannered, kind and gentle. He is just a happy boy – and a real pleasure to be around.

His sister is a photographer’s dream. She loves to pose for the camera. I was able to actually have her reposition her head in a certain manner – something I rarely get to do!

Here are my favorites from the shoot…

Enjoy!

Beth

The Robinson Family

2008-10-12T18:32:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday I met up with a family I have been photographing for a long time. The little boy always cracks me up. He is full of energy – and chasing him down always makes me laugh. Now he has a little sister, and I can’t wait until she can run around. Chasing those two is going to be fun!

Well, this time we happened to see horses in the area. The owners were very nice and let us take pictures with them. The horse was HUGE. But we found a local bench and hopped on up so he could pet them on the nose.

Here are my favorites from the shoot… Enjoy!

Beth

Catch-up

2008-10-12T18:26:00.001-04:00

I am admittedly still playing catch up from being gone those two weeks in New York. I think should finally be caught up by the end of this week.... (whew!)

I am quite late on couple of posts... so, here goes!

Enjoy!

Beth

Halloween TREATS!

2008-10-08T08:55:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, we are having a special Halloween session to raise money for the American Cancer Society on October 18th. All proceeds - every single dime - goes to charity. And to spice things up a bit, we have partnered with some local buinesses to give away some great gifts to those who help us fight cancer. The sessions will be exclusively for children and families sporting their Halloween costumes. Scary, funny, or cute.... all are welcome!

We have been working with some different shops in the downtown Birmingham area and they have been generous enough to donate some gifts for this event. Gifts from Olivers Trendz Boutique and Simply Wine will be provided to each guest. In addition, we will be having a silent auction with designer jewelry from Premier Designs, a free 2009 session, including $500 in free photographs, and a free "how to take better pictures" lesson from Beth, and other fun things. (Laura is still working with various local businesses to try and "spice up" the gift bags even more...!)

If you have already scheduled a shoot during this event we want to thank you for your
participation, you are helping to make it a very fun and special day. For those of you who have not yet scheduled a session, there is still time to be a part of the Halloween Charity Event on Saturday October 18th. Photo shoots will be in fifteen minute increments all day. Please call us soon at 248.250.6085 or email laura@bethmerritt.com to set up a time for your kids and your family.

Have a great day!

Beth

Sideways Truck Trailers

2008-09-28T13:41:00.004-04:00

I am writing this as we are heading back from New York from the funeral for Lee’s Dad. (I will probably post this tomorrow morning/afternoon.)

Lee and I left arrived in Syracuse at 3am Thursday morning, in time for the afternoon calling hours. The funeral was Friday. Overall, I don’t think it was really that tough of a funeral. We had already been through the hardest part: saying goodbye last Sunday, three hours before he would pass.

But the funeral none the less was emotionally draining. I was in no way shape or form ready for what was ready to come my way...

As I was driving with Pam, my sister-in-law, from the cemetery to the wake, a semi-truck coming toward us lost control of the rear of the truck. We were going down a two-lane country road, and the truck was going WAY too fast. The massive steel trailer started to slide toward us at 60 mph sideways, covering both lanes.

There was a small gravel shoulder on the country road. I somehow got the wits about me to gun it, and swerve on to the shoulder to avoid the mass of steel screaming toward us. To stay on the road would have been fatal. I braced as the rear end of the trailer came near us. I knew that if I could speed up, the trailer might miss the front door, but I fully expected the trailer to hit the rear of the car and send us spinning. I was able to regain control of my car after going off the road, and avoided the accident completely. I don’t know how we lived. Really I don’t. There is no way Pam and I should be alive right now.

The woman behind me would be the first thing the truck would hit. When we finally turned around the car, we saw a mangled mess of steel and our hearts sank. About one third of the car had been smashed in, and I remember my sister-in-law, Pam, saying what I was thinking… “oh please God, no more dead bodies today.”

This is what we saw. The driver's side of the car is gone.

We arrived to the car to find a miracle. The woman, although covered in blood, would live. I stayed with her and calmed her down while Pam called 911. Here I am, in my funeral clothing, standing in the rain, with my hands covered in blood after we just buried Lee’s dad. I remember thinking. “Wake up, Beth, wake up. This cannot be happening...”

We waited until the paramedics got there, and then I just stepped away while they prepared to cut her out of the vehicle and take her to the hospital. I fell to the ground and I just sobbed. It was just too much.

Here is the video of what we saw from the local news. The overall story is a good one: everyone survived the accident.

Laura managed the schedule to allow me to have the weekend off. Lee and I have decided that we are going to nothing tomorrow. And it will be wonderful. After all, it is football day! ;)

Drive safe everyone...!

Beth

A Picture of a Picture - (Update)

2008-09-22T18:47:00.005-04:00

So, my scanner is very much broken. (Grrrrrr...) So, what does a photographer do in a time like this? Take a picture of a picture.

I wanted to show you all Jake (Lee's Dad). The picture came out terrible, but given the circumstances, maybe it is a little bit fitting....?

First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support. I have been baffled by the number of letters and calls I have received. Moreover, my clients have been so incredibly accomodating given the major interruption in schedules. I appreciate that more than you will ever know. (Linda McGuire, you are the best.... thank you so much for your support.)

I am back from Syracuse for a bit. It is really good to be back... as expected, it was a tough week. Lee and I did the midnight shift to try and relieve the family who lives in Syrcause and have been staying with him for the two days before we got there. We literally lived at the hospital from Tuesday through Sunday. I personally got to spend a lot of time alone with him. On Tuesday night he could still talk, but by Sunday, communication avenues had changed. He would communicate with his eyebrows and his toes. Believe it or not, he could still crack jokes on Saturday - just not with words. He would lift his eyebrows in response to conversations in the room. He knew exactly what was going on. It was funny.

As a family, we met our goals: There was never a minute where Lee's dad was alone and someone was not there to comfort him. He was able to see his entire family - from four states. And most importantly, he went peacefully. ...Yesterday afternoon, at 4:34pm, Jake Merritt stopped breathing.

The family is doing well. Lee is doing well. Jake was in a lot of pain in the end, and I think everyone was content to see it end.

Now I should let my readers know that I am a Christian. Not everyone is - and I totally respect that - but that's what I choose to believe. And in my pursuit of increasing my faith, I stumbled upon a favorite passage by Max Lucado...

"We don't like to say goodbye to those whom we love. Whether it be at a school or a cemetery, separation is tough. It is right for us to weep, but there is no need for us to despair. They had pain here. They have no pain there. They struggled here. They have no struggles there. You and I might wonder why God took them home. But they don't... They are, at this very moment, at peace in the presence of God."

For those of you dealing with similar situations, I hope you find peace in this passage. I know I do. Thanks again for all of your support and understanding. You guys are the best....

Sincerely,

Beth

The Hopkins Family

2008-09-17T19:43:00.004-04:00

Hey guys! It's Tristan and as you know Beth is in New York visiting family. So I'm filling in for her on the blog.

Last week we had a shoot with the Hopkins family and they chose to do it on-location at their house. Everyone was great and their son was great in front of the camera. Their house ended up being a great place to shoot at also, they even got their garden put in Better Homes & Gardens magazine for the September issue. The pictures turned out great, here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

An update... "Circle of Life"

2008-09-15T22:39:00.006-04:00

We just found out that my family member, (Lee's father)... is now in the hospital, and may not make it much longer. They thought he had pneumonia, but now they don't think so. It might be that the cancer has just spread that far. He is dying.

I am going to call the hospital tomorrow. If the nurses say "You need to come", I am going to listen to their advice. I will know more tomorrow.

I wish everyone could have known this man. He is so gentle and fun-loving, and I love him very much. He is one of my favorite people on this earth. It's so hard to see him go - especially like this.

For my sake, and for my husband's sake, I may need to cancel my shoots this weekend. I need to make sure I say good-bye before it's too late. I apologize for any inconvenience, but I just wanted to send out a warning to all my clients. Laura will call when we know more.

Thanks for your understanding and prayers...

Beth

9/16 Update (7:45am): We are waiting for confirmation, but we have been informed that his body is failing and he has only a couple days left with us. We will need to leave for Syracuse as soon as possible. Laura will be in contact with clients affected. I apologize for the huge inconvenience.

9/16 Update (noon): I was told that all is well and that he would probably be okay for a couple of weeks. I believe the nurse said "a month or less". So, we still decided to go this weekend, but not until Thursday am.

9/16 Update (5pm): He almost died about an hour ago. His lungs keep filling up. (How do you go from "a month or less" to "better come now... drive quick" in five hours?? I know they are doing the best they can, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating.) Needless to say, we are making a beeline for Syracuse asap. Laura and Tristan will still be here to help while I am gone, and will be able to contact me if needed.

(Ohhhh, this is going to be awful...)

NEW PHONE NUMBER: 248-250-6085

2008-09-15T21:04:00.004-04:00

Okay, so we have grown substantially this year, and we are experiencing growing pains. (While it's a good problem to have, it's still a problem!) We have been learning the hard way that my attempt to schedule appointments via e-mail and answer calls on a cellphone is just not working.... at all! For that reason, we have had a dedicated phone line installed.

Most of you have had the pleasure of speaking with our Office Manager, Laura, on the telephone, and she is helping out a lot. She will be available from 9am-2pm during weekdays at 248-250-6085. Call her... she's nice, I promise!

No seriously, she is well versed on my schedule, how the sessions work, and of course, the most popular question: "How much?" ;)

Have a good night!

Beth

Mary & Josh are married!

2008-09-14T14:52:00.007-04:00

Okay, was it me or was yesterday pretty much the wettest day on record??? Yikes!

Yesterday was also the day that Mary and Josh decided to have an outdoor wedding. (Mother Nature decided differently.) Fortuntately, Mary and Josh and both really easy going and we were able to move the wedding indoors without any issues.

Well, due to the rain, we were unable to go outdoors. Not even for one shot. Between the dark conditions and the yellow ambient light, we had our work cut out for us. In fact, from a photographer's standpoint, this was the most technically challenging event I have ever shot. Photography 101: Flashes are blue and ambient indoor light is yellow. So, when you backlight a person in ambient light, and use a flash to add fill light, you are left with a bluish yellowish picture. Thank God for RAW files!!!! (For those of you photography fans out there: I shoot RAW, except for in-studio when the lighting is very controlled. It gives me lots more control than shooting jpeg.)

Well, Josh and Mary were awesome despite the weather... and their wedding wound up being absolutely beautiful.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day...

Enjoy!

Beth

The ceremony (pulled indoors)...

Their first dance...

The dress (so pretty!)

Josh and one of the little groomsmen!

Mary and Josh Mary... so pretty! (I love this shot!)
I just happended to see this from the hallway. The flower girl was playing with a stuffed animal on the bed. I love this image...!
The bridesmaids...
Mary's accessories... She borrowed a necklace that her Grandmother wore on her wedding day.

Ciera

2008-09-07T11:57:00.007-04:00

Oops! I forgot a post!

On Friday, I met up with Ciera who needed her Senior pictures taken. She was one of the clients I dream about working with. "So Ciera, what do you want to do today??", A: "Something crazy".

And the stars aligned, and the angels started singing, and I just got a huge smile across my face. YEAH!!!!

I was very happy with how her pictures turned out... here are my favorites!

Beth

Yes, yes, we were in the middle of the street again... ;)

Kelly, Thurman, and Wide right...

2008-09-07T11:29:00.006-04:00

Okay, so the big day is here!!!

Folks, I am a huge Buffalo Bills fan, and today is the start of the 2008 NFL season. Woooo-hooo!!! Here one of my favorite places on earth. (Red, white, and blue with 72,000 screaming fans all standing outside for about five hours in sub-freezing weather. ...Yes, I realize that's just stupid, but I do it every year, and it is awesome.)

Growing up, our cats were named Kelly and Thurman... and we have been tormented by "wide right" Norwood comments for years. (But at least we've made it there... jab, jab!)

My brother, who lives about a mile away, just came over to get our extra television that he will keep at his house for the rest of the year. You ask why? Well, because he is nuts. Downstairs, he has a wall of (at least) four TVs hooked up to Direct TV, all showing a separate game. It's great, as long as you're a football fan. We haven't quite talked his wife into making the transition from Hollywood movies to Football mania.

So, Sunday is the day I spend with my entire family screaming at the television - or should I say televisions. That's why I take Sundays off with very few exceptions. Anyway, I just wanted to say "Happy NFL Day".

Gotta' scoot... kickoff is in 76 minutes!

;)

Beth

The Crum Children

2008-09-07T11:16:00.004-04:00

Well, the last shoot of the day was great too. The two Crum families came to me to get a bigger extended family photograph, as well as individual shots.

I was nice to them: I let some folks off the hook and didn’t make them get in the pictures. As most of you guys know, even if you show up in your pj’s… any family member there is fair game! However, we were kept plenty busy with outfit changes and all the different family members.
Unfortunately, I can’t post the other family’s photos… mom is easily recognizable, and for that reason she’s asked me to keep them private.

But here are some of the photos that I can show you… Enjoy!

:)

Beth

Chiropractic Baby Shoot!

2008-09-07T11:13:00.001-04:00

At 12:15 yesterday I was visited by another one of my very good friends. (I guess yesterday friend shoot day at Beth Merritt Photography???)

Dad is a chiropractor in Grosse Pointe. He needed some artwork for his office, and asked me to help him out. I was obviously happy to oblige. So, yesterday we shot unconventional photographs with certain slogans in mind. His boys are so accommodating, and really made the shoot work well for us.

We also had some baptism, and pictures, and 3-month pictures for their newest little boy.

Here are my favorites from the session…

Enjoy!

Beth

Plan B!

2008-09-07T10:31:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was a long day!

New venue for photos. I've discovered a new venue for photos - we happened to stumble across it when we discovered that about 50,000 people were in the park that we were supposed to shoot at. (We came up with "Plan B" in a hurry!)

Fortunately, the family was one that I know well. Mom is one of my closest friends on this earth, and I love photographing their family. (Mom is the one that started me in this photography business.)

Of course, with the photographing their family (and knowing them well at the same time) come some privileges, namely asking for some semi-crazy photo ideas. At one point, Dad came by and asked why his daughter was half naked. The answer, of course, was that I wanted a certain photo. Dad is also a very good friend of mine, and so he just proceeded to roll his eyes and move on. ;)

Anyway, here are my favorites from the session…

Enjoy!

Beth

This is the image that got me in trouble... :)

AIR BABY!!!

Nice "Plan B", huh??

The Penn Family

2008-09-07T07:55:00.005-04:00

Earlier this week I was visited by a the Penn family. Mom was dressed beautifully, and dad and the boys were very handsome – and great to work with. This was actually supposed to be an outdoors session, but we had to pull it in at the last minute due to rain. (It happens!)

Here are my favorites from the shoot...

Enjoy!

Circle of Life...

2008-09-07T07:33:00.006-04:00

I am so thankful to be able to do what I do: most every shoot I do involves documenting a new young life entering this world, or a new(er) life entering adulthood. Most of the time, I deal with the more pleasant side of the Circle of Life...

...until recently.

I have a wonderful family member who's three-year battle with cancer is about to come to an end. It's really tough to watch a once 185lb fit man become a barely 130lb skeleton - and the worst part is I know that I can't do anything to prevent the cancer from continuing to ravage his body. I mean, I have known people who have passed away from cancer, but unless you're family, you don't always see what really happens behind the scenes. Now I have. And my conclusion is that this has got to be one of the most inhumane diseases on earth.

This year's Halloween charity event (October 25th) will be entirely devoted to cancer research. Unfortunately, I think we have all had someone that has been affected by cancer. I can't do anything to save this wonderful man. But I can work to help stop this is the future.

This wonderful man lives in Syracuse, and so Lee and I go out as much as possible to see him.

I am posting this because we aren't sure he will be with us much longer (weeks?), and when he passes, we will immediately head to Syracuse, cancelling all shoots and appointments. I just wanted to make sure I warned everyone ahead of time.

Sorry for the somber note of the post...

Take care of you and yours,

Beth

Cranbrook with the Lee Family

2008-08-31T11:29:00.006-04:00

On Thursday, I met up with a family at Cranbrook. Many people ask if I shoot at Cranbrook. The answer is yes: if you are an alumni. Otherwise, Cranbrook's rules are quite strict, and the fees associated with shooting at the grounds are prohibitive.

I have shot there on multiple occasions, and am always blown away by the sheer beauty of the grounds. It is gorgeous. (The gardens remind me of the gardens where I grew up in England... yes, I spent about five years in England - but that's a long story in itself...)

Anyway, the I met up with the Lee family, and they were dressed so perfectly: perfect hair, matching outfits, and they even had perfectly painted toes on all the girls. It was great. Their preparation, along with the grounds, made for gorgeous pictures.

Some people tend to like more artsy black and white photographic art, while others like more traditional photographic art. I have worked with the Lee family before, and I happen to know that they prefer the more hand-colored, traditional look. For that reason, I have prepared their images in a very special way.

Here are some of my favorites from the session... Enjoy!

I love this picture of the brother giving his sister a kiss...
Mom and daughter... aren't they both beautiful???

Laura --> World's Best Office Manager

2008-08-27T23:23:00.003-04:00

It is official!!! Beth Merritt Photography welcomes Laura, our new Office Manager. We are now a team of three. Laura is fabulous, and has already made a huge difference around here.

Despite my best attempts (staying up until midnight to get orders finished, etc.), I could not keep up by myself. I have always thought of what we do as very customized sort of product, and with that very customized product should come impeccable customer service. Well, with a team of two, we weren't there yet - no matter how hard we tried. However, thanks to Laura, things are really changing...!

Also, we are in fact planning a charity event as we speak (many of you have asked about it over the past couple weeks). I think most of you know that I strongly believe that we should all give back to our community, and what better way than free pictures??! Keep checking back here for more information.

Have a good night everyone...!

Beth

Gina

2008-08-24T08:37:00.006-04:00

Every August I generally have reason to celebrate for a week - and this year was no exception. My best friend Gina, who is an actress in California, comes in to Detroit for a week. (I keep trying to convince her to move to Manhattan... so much closer!)

I always say that when she gets discovered, I am probably going to wind up in jail. I will go to opening night of one of her movies, and then when I see her on that big screen I will make a complete idiot out of myself. "Whhhhhoooooo!!!!". Then I will spend the next 24 hours in a black and white striped jumpsuit. ;) ...but it will be oh so worth it!

Anyway, Gina came into town and needed a new headshot. I wanted to get a headshot where Gina's eyes are just piercing - so much so that you want to know more about her (and hence, call her for an audition). Here's my favorite one of the bunch:

Well, I should get going. I have to head out for Sandy Puc's Bellies and Babies Tour where I will be working in the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep booth. Sandy is extremely talented, it will be good to see her at the event.

Have a good day everyone!

Beth

The Harper Family

2008-08-23T23:58:00.004-04:00

On Thursday, Lee and I met up with a family that we have been friends with for many many years: The Harper Family.

Kris and Kristin went to school with me and Lee. (I think most of you know this, but Lee and I have Engineering undergrad degrees.) So we met up with them - along with Grandma and Grandpa, and Aunt Robin) to take some family pictures. This family is - and always has been - all about having fun.

I know I have said this many times before, but it is so nice to photograph people you know. (Friends and clients I've gotten to know over the years.) It just allows me to make the sessions a little more crazy...!

Here are my favorites from the session...

Enjoy!

Beth

The O'Dell Family

2008-08-23T21:48:00.007-04:00

This morning I had the pleasure of photographing the O’Dell family. The day, the family, and the outfits were gorgeous – when I saw them I was excited…

The day got even better when I got to meet the kids. These two children are two of the best behaved kids I have ever had the pleasure to work with. And to make matters even better, the brother and sister like each other. I mean for real. I asked them to hug and they did – and smiled too. I am very close with my two brothers, but I have to say I would not have smiled if asked to hug them at the age of six!

Here are some of my favorite from the session…

Enjoy!

Beth

My Third Shoot Ever...

2008-08-21T22:51:00.004-04:00

So many of you might remember this picture:

Folks, this was (I think) my third shoot ever. Regardless, I remember being terrified... (You haven't lived until you have multiple sets of eyes just staring at you all at once ..."okay, do something with me". YIKES.) I think I have since then semi-perfected the art of looking like I know what I'm doing?? Maybe not. ;)

But I also remember the family being so fabulous. Mom was so kind, and the kids were so full of life...! Well, it's a few years later, and the entire family came back to visit me! As I remember, they are a very kind, and very geniune family.

The girl in this session is one of my favorite subjects to shoot. She doesn't love to get her picture taken that much - not a lot anyway. But she has these amazing expressions that are fabulous.
(I think in the picture below she is looking at a tadpole??? I could follow her around and photograph her forever... I take that back; when I get my lens back... then I could photograph her forever. I miss that lens!!!!!!!!)

Anyway, here are some of my favorite from the shoot.

Enjoy!

Beth

Family photography "Beth Style"... oh yes, we do the boring family shot - but then I change it up!!!! ;)

Okay, so for some reason this summer, I have become addicted to toes. When I suggested this shot, you should have seen the reactions. Some were excited. Some thought I needed my head checked. It's definitely not for everyone, but I think it's fun!)

(I suppose you could take credit for better looking feet - because no one can be sure with this many people!!!) ;)

Weddings and an Engagement Shoot...

2008-08-21T21:51:00.005-04:00

As you guys may or may not have noticed, I have stopped doing Weddings. Not because I don’t like it or because someone told me I was doing a bad job (I think some of my favorite pictures ever were taken at these last two weddings…) I have decided to focus on Kids and High School Seniors. (Hey, you can’t do everything, right??!)

Here’s one of my favorite pictures that I neglected to post the blog. We stumbled across it when we were going through the final pictures. This is Shannon… isn’t she gorgeous? I deliberately put her in this spot so the sun would light up her veil. I have to say that I will miss the veil shots!

HOWEVER... I still have some existing engagements and weddings to shoot before the end of 2009. The best part is that those brides are super cool, and the wedding day is going to be incredible. Hey, I didn’t say I don’t love doing it; there is nothing like having a “behind the scenes” pass and being able to witness such sincere beautiful moments. Oh, it’s the absolutely best part of wedding photography. No, but seriously, those of you that know me well know that I have zero time to myself. Something had to go, and so I chose weddings.

(Okay, so I am sensing that this is going to be a long post… sorry guys…)

On Saturday, I had one of my last Engagement shoots. Katie is a good friend of mine and I managed to talk her and her fiance Toby into Engagement shots. (This was a new concept to Toby and it took a little convincing.) We chose to go to Detroit’s River walk and shoot there. Despite the Tiger’s game at Comerica Park and the African Festival with oh, about 50,000 people, we did just fine. ;)

With Engagement shoots, I often shoot in series to complement an album. Here are some of my favorite from the shoot. They are such a cute couple…

Have a good evening!

Beth

Klutz

2008-08-21T21:29:00.003-04:00

Ughhhh....

So in the past two weeks I have dropped my 70-200 2.8 VR lens and my SB-800. It is reaaalllly not good to drop these on cement (and not so good for profitability either)

....Thank God for Oakland Photographic Repair in Madison Heights!!! If you guys need to repair your cameras or camera equipment, I would definitely recommend this place. The owner was really nice, and very accommodating. (I met them for the first time last Tuesday, but was very impressed.)

Just another random tip for any other clumsy photographers out there!

Quick Update...

2008-08-10T12:05:00.006-04:00

I just wanted to report a couple updates about Beth Merritt Photography...

HIRED!
I am happy to report that I hired an assistant on Saturday. She will work from Monday-Friday and help to ensure a prompt response is given to each and every client. Words cannot express how excited I am to have someone to help out. Tristan recently got sick with bronchitis, and was out for a week. Needless to say, we got SLAMMED with work in July. (Yes, it's a good problem to have...but it's still a problem!)

CHARITY TIME!
So those of you that know me, know I think it is very important to give back to our community. We will be announcing a charity event sometime in the next few weeks. We will have abbreviated shoots, and like last year the sitting fee will go directly to charity and I will be giving out some sort of freebie in return for your donation. It's really a win-win, and I love ding it.

On that note, if anyone has any great charities that they might recommend, I would love to hear about them. Right now, I am leaning toward Haven, The Amercian Cancer Society, World Vision, and Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. I like to let people choose - and plus, World Vision is cool because you basically get to go shopping with your money! ;)

CHRISTMAS...
Yes, Irealize it's August folks... but the holiday season is popping up in stores (isn't that just nuts???) But the calendar is starting to fill up for our busy season (September through December 15th is generally nuts.) So, if you would like schedule a session, I would suggest contacting the studio sooner than later. We will try to accomodate everyone, but trust me that those 11:30 and 11:45 slots go quick...!

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS...
We started doing a bit of senior work last year, and have been taken on by storm this year with new work. (We are very flattered!) We are working to get the new website and the literature up to date. It should be ready to go soon... well disclaimer: when I say soon, I mean after next Saturday when my new office manager gets here... ;)

Have a good day everyone! Time to put the computer away for a while... whew!

:)

Beth

The Cosgrove Girls

2008-08-10T11:53:00.005-04:00

Yesterday morning I was also visited by three beautiful blonde ladies: one mom and two daughters. (Dad was at Oakland Hills watching the tournament.)

I remembered these girls very fondly from a school that I do work for. They are such good natured, cute little ladies – and they are wonderful to work with! These are the kind of clients that you'd like to clone and trade for the grumpy ones. :)

These kind of shoots really keep me going as a photographer. (I have been sitting in this chair for about 10 hours straight between last night and today…ughhhh...) But when I look at pictures like this, I know that I am doing something more than just snapping a picture – I feel like I am capturing a family’s relationship for them to remember for years to come. And that alone is worth the ten hours in the chair. ;)

Here are some of my favorites from the session…

Enjoy!

I think this one's definitely doing to make the website... She's not looking at anything (her mom and her sister are behind her). She's admiring herself in her mom's glasses. I love it. :)