R&R is over....

So yuck, my hubby headed back to Afghanistan recently.  We were lucky enough to have him home for Christmas and we really did enjoy the last day he was home even though there were sad undertones to the day.   These two are hands down the best part of me being a photographer. Capturing moments like this is really what I enjoy doing the most.

Here's a rare one of the two of us :)

Only Daddy can make her smile like this...

 

Could they be any cuter??

Even Indy wanted in on the cuddle time...

Here's to hoping the second half of his deployment goes as quickly as the first.  We love you Brian.

I ♥ Faces - Hilarious Outtakes

I don't have many but these are some that I get a kick out of when thinking back....

Avery took a bit of a nap before the shoot and had a hard time getting into things, this made for a great outtake though :)

Lucy didn't want the Santa hat on and I nabbed this one while she was in the process of taking it off.  I love it!

I get a lot of outtakes of Hope since I'm always snapping pictures of her.  You wouldn't know it but she was listening to a book at playgroup during this shot.  I guess she didn't like the direction the story was heading....

I swear Ashlee was having a great time during our shoot.  It's funny because the sun was a bit bright so I asked her to close her eyes and open on the count of three.  I guess I should have asked to her to smile before 3 ;)

Please take a moment to stop by www.iheartfaces.com  and check out more of the hilarious outtakes posted by a lot of talented people.  It's sure to give you a laugh (or 2)!

Christmas!

Well, the Hires family was particularly lucky this year.  Brian, who is currently in the middle of a 12 month tour in Afghanistan, came home for Christmas.  He was lucky enough to get his midtour leave right smack dab in the middle of Christmas.  Coincidentally, he was here for his birthday and our 12 year anniversary as well (all within 2 weeks, perfect!)  Here are some of my favorite shots from the past couple of days. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

Wasn't it nice of her to pose for me?  I even got a smile!

 Cookies for Santa!  The ornament tree was handmade by me!

This really is what Christmas is all about...

Anyone who knows me will understand why I took this picture... ;)

Santa definitely made a stop at our house!

 

Jackpot!

This is the first photo of her beginning to open gifts...

I think she's warmed up at this point...

Let the games begin!

I'm on a roll now, get outta my way!

Taking a moment to check out some of the loot...

Isn't it nice to see a master at work??

Don't forget about the stocking!

I just can't explain how good this is to see...

There is a wicked story behind the securing of this vanity from Target.  Let's suffice it to say that it involved Target on Black Friday - the first Black Friday at Target that Oahu, HI resident's had ever seen.  Need I say more??

Merry Christmas Hope...

Please vote for me!

I have a small favor to ask...can you please go to http://www.mikecolon.net/blog/ and vote for me (Michelle Hires) to win entry into this Photography workshop?  Repost this on your blog, facebook, twitter to get me extra support.  Voting ends Friday (5 pm PST) and I'd like a shot at getting this!

Thanks!!

I ♥ Faces - Pets

Here is our beloved Italian Greyhound Indy being the BEST SPORT EVER allowing Daddy to put Hope's earrings (clip ons - don't call PETA on me) on him. He loved it and she loved it too. I think it makes him look quite dashing, don't you??

Please take a moment to check out all of the other ADORABLE pet (or animal) photos over at I ♥ Faces!  

Disclaimer: Indy was not harmed in the taking of this photo - he actually enjoyed it :)

I ♥ Faces - Sweet Dreams

I have so many photos of Hope sleeping because she is the cutest thing on the planet and it's the only time she stays quiet.  Here she is all snuggled up with the first teddy bear she ever got - from her daddy.  He's away in Afghanistan right now so it's sweet that she likes to cuddle with that one.

Check out all of the other sweet and adorable sleeping faces at I ♥ Faces!

I ♥ Faces - Fix it Friday!

It's been a while since I've participated in Fix-It Friday but I couldn't pass it up this week!  I just recently won a set of textures and edges from the Kaleidoscope collection of Patti Brown and I was excited to use them.

I did a few slight adjustments (temp, exposure, clarity on eyes) in Lightroom.  I think went to Photoshop and used a few of my nifty actions from Kubota and the applied one of the beach glass textures from The Gallery Collection. 

My second one is the same photo but it has the Lightroom Preset - Aged Photo added.  It's one of my faves!
I think the finished product looks pretty nice!

Head over to I ♥ Faces and check out some of the other fantastic fixes!
Before:

After: