We’re social beings.  We connect, network, and converse with friends, colleagues, and family all day, everyday.   There’s one connection to me that’s more precious than any other… and that’s the connection between a mom and her baby.  I love it!

I’ve been photographing babies for 12 years – from 5 days old and up.  I can truly empathize with fathers who say, “no one has the ‘touch’ like Mommy when baby is crying.” I can do all the same things she does in a shoot and the minute she lays a finger on her lil’ one, WhaLaaa!… Baby’s all better.

There’s a thrill in capturing that connection for a mom and an even bigger one knowing she can show it to her child when he or she is older.  They grow and grow and grow away from us and sometimes all we want is to “remember when…”

One mom put it best when she said, “Sometimes I want  a day without anyone clinging to me and then I think to myself… I better take all the clinging I can get now, because soon they won’t even want to stand next to me in public!”  How true is that??!!!  ha Ha!  Those are the moments you look at a picture like this and close your eyes to remember…. Aaaahh.  🙂

We made it through Easter….

Two bunnies, two dozen eggs, and two weekends of portraits with Peter Cottontail… we made it through Easter with these fun-filled images!

Our first bunny, “Pip” affectionately named for his energy, did a wonderful job our first weekend, until he realized I had outdoor cats.  Standing in front of  the tall sliding glass doors in the atudio, I was holding him sharing what a great job he did that day… and then… he saw my cat, Sophia, sitting on the stairs outside and shot out of my arms like Dumbo the flying elephant!  Sooooo sad… we rescued “Pip” from under a stairwell, and that explained all the scratches he had endured on his journey to The Camera’s Eye.   Stray Haven Animal Shelter in Waverly, NY gladly took our furry friend and before we had him inside, Pip was taken by a gentleman who loved rabbits and had to have him.  That’s a happy ending for a rescue bunny!

Franceso, aka Antonio was given to us by a family who had a very ambitious bunny who broke through the divider in his cage to visit his female cage mates on the other side…lol  ; )  The second to last to be adopted away, I had to have him because he sports an adorable mustache.  The children who gave him to me said they had been calling him, Franceso… BUT, after my first shoot… I had to change that.  A little girl convinced me he should be named “Antonio… like Antonio Banderas!”  She said it with accent and all!  She’ll be in theatre by age 11, for sure.   =)  So know lil’ Antonio lives at The Camera’s Eye with 3 cats, all of which eat breakfast right beside him every morning – it’s hysterical.   I can contribute that oddity to the fact that a cat lived on top of his cage as he grew up…  Gotta love cats!

That’s a question we ask colleagues, new friends, and business clients all the time.  It’s a great conversation starter.  Ask any professional shooter what they do in there down time and I guarantee they will respond, “shoot!”  I bet most of them will answer… “well, why do you think I went Pro.. that’s all I do is shoot!”   The funny thing about that answer… when do any of us, photographer or not, ever have down time in this fast paced world we live in?!   Ha!

This past September, mother nature provided a lengthy stretch of down time when she flooded the Southern Tier of NY and parts of PA with record amounts of water stemming from Tropical Storm Lee.  The flood waters forced residents to live without electricity for more than 5 days… that’s Mother Nature sanctioned DOWN TIME!  So go ahead an ask… “what did I do in that precious down time?”  Ha!… I photographed.  Surprise!

I didn’t photograph objects or projects I put on the back burner… Oh no… that would have been too easy and relaxing.  I pulled up waders and trekked out into Owego and Apalachin, NY and photographed over 5,000 images of history we HOPE never comes our way again.  I was addicted!  The sun rose and I was out & about, camera in hand… the sun set and I sadly walked home to the darkness.

At the end of the 5th day; I had met so many people in need and heard so many fascinating stories, I convinced myself I would do something with 5,000 images… and I did.  I wrote a book about a devastating storm, a shocked community and the power of neighborly love.  What else could I do.. put ’em all in an album or storage?!  Ha!

The book was released last December and it had such a over-whelming response, we printed a second round, which is currently on sale as paperback at the Riverow Bookshop in downtown Owego, NY.

In addition to those, I printed a limited run of 75 hard copies.  They can be purchased through The Camera’s Eye. Simply send me an e-mail and I will respond within a day.  You will be able to see images of the flood on my site and images from the book on my Facebook page, The Camera’s Eye Studio

Or maybe, you’re just interested in viewing a little bit of history online… either way, it’s worth the look!

Life’s crazy isn’t it?   As a woman, it moves a mile a minute.  Monday hits and you’re getting the kids ready to jump on the school bus, you’re off to work and the day rushes into after school activities and dinner… REPEAT.   Most women can relate to that, right?  We look forward to the weekend and in an eye-wink it’s over.

The best part about being a woman with children though; when it comes to your kids, you’ll go above and beyond EVERY TIME and the excitement is endless!  You as clients taught me this!  You find ideas on Pinterest, You network in Mommy groups, You Facebook your children’s events in photos, videos, instagrams….  Oh and you love Holidays OR you fake that you do flawlessly!  =)

St. Patty’s Day is around the corner & you know somewhere in the midst of your life chaos you’ll bake cupcakes with green icing and shamrock-shaped sprinkles. Easter is right behind that with fun-filled baskets, chocolate, fancy clothing and the hint of spring!  A few places I recommend to go crazy this Easter…

Fuddy Duddy’s Fudge Factory  in Owego, NY  (607) 687-3834

They provide us with all our chocolate goodies for portraits with Peter Cottontail at The Camera’s Eye Studio and our exciting Easter Basket Giveaway.  One lucky child who smiles with Peter during Portraits with PeterCottontail, March 10th to the 18th, wins a basket filled with chocolatey delights from Fuddy Duddy’s.

Also check out Simply Precious Boutique! This little business is comprised of moms and ambitious young women who fill a need for embroidered wedding and baby items, frilly hair pieces, and anything else they dream up!  I know them personally – they are great gals who celebrate life’s important moments!

It’s that time of year when robins begin chirping, daffodils sprout from the Earth, and Peter Cottontail hops into The Camera’s Eye Studio, for portraits with young kids dreaming of chocolate-filled Easter baskets.

March 10th to the 18th… Book your Session today!   lisamcqueeney (at) gmail (dot) com / 607 426 6023

Expecting a new lil’ life or recently delivered a baby girl or boy?  The Camera’s Eye has a new way of displaying those precious finger and toe images of your newborn.  BABY BLOCKS!  4 x4 inch wooden blocks boasting 4 timeless images and 1 side dedicated to his/ her name or initial.

Super cute… check ’em out!