The Szettella Family

The New Blog!

THE NEW BLOG!!!!

Hi everybody! The new blog and website are now complete and so we will be switching over and eventually deleting this blog. I have moved all the posts from this blog to the new one so all the pictures and information from the last couple years will be available still. 

I will continue to post pictures of the kids and stuff that is happening around here on the new blog as well as pictures from recent sessions and photography stuff.

Please remove this link in you favorites and add the new one listed above.

New Website Launched and MORE!

Well, the new WEBSITE has launched for the studio! It has been a long time in the works. Feels so good to have that one checked off the list! Too bad the list still seems endless!

We are moving the studio from the library to the spare bedroom and I am excited to be able to showcase some of my favorite images on the walls in there. I am working on a very large grouping of 9 20"x20" frames. Here is a little preview of how they will look...

More coming soon! ;)

Location Location Location!

More location scouting. Loving these so much! I will be shooting these and downtown on Friday with my girlfriends two kids. So excited! They are so much fun to photograph. Tess and I checked these out today while Jake was in school. We had fun just us girls! Enjoy!

Photoshoot Downtown!

I have 4 sessions booked this month! All of them location shoots outdoors. I decided Sunday afternoon to take the kids out and scout out some good spots downtown to use. Here are some of my faves!

  

Yates Cider Mill

Haven't posted since school started but I have been taking pictures like crazy. I wanted to share some from the cider mill a couple weekends ago. Hope you like!

 

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First Day!

Well, Jake has started Kindergarten! It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be (for me!) He loved it! I am driving him in the mornings due to a ridiculous 52 min. bus ride but he is able to take the bus home because the ride is much shorter due to the smaller number of stops with just the Kindergarteners riding. He is over the moon! So here are some pics of him (and Tess) on his first day (which was a 45 min. intro) and his first day (actually second day) riding the bus home!

Tess waiting for Jake's bus!

He got off the bus yelling "Mom Mom!" with his arms open for hugs!

Gotta love that I got the same hugs today as well (and I was the only mom getting hugs!)

And here is Jake and his best buddy Drew! They are joined at the hip (or hands!)

Play Date Fun!

Well, we finally got our act together and started getting together with the other kids from Jakes PreSchool class

(it only took till almost the end of the summer to do it!) 

But we have met twice now and we are having a blast! Last week I remembered the camera but forgot the memory card

(so like me!)

but this week I remembered both so I made up for last week. I took a lot of pictures. I am posting them all here to share with the group.

There are lots of Jake and Tess too for the Grandparents! :) Hope you all enjoy!

Here are the boys!

And the girls!

My SWEETIE!

Ethan looking cute!

Depot Park (our local park downtown)  has been adding  new toys on the playground lately and so we have had some wonderful surprises the last two weeks. The kids really like the new stuff! Here is the two seated Bouncing Bee!

Here is the new Merry-Go-Round. The kids love it too!

Tess and the tunnel slide! Whee!

Walking on the bridge! I don't know if the arm was out for balance or what!?!? LOL

LOLA! Not only does she have one of my favorite names ever, she has the most incredible BLUE eyes! These are NOT photoshopped! OMG!

Shelby and Lola having fun on the Bouncing Bee!

SILLY KIDS!!!!!

LOVE the glasses! She is so Hollywood!

Why are you taking my picture?

Too small for the BIG swings!

Luke looks worn out!

Tess loves Mc-y D's Sweet Tea!

My Happy Girl!

One last pic! Had to get a shot of Tess's hair(and her awesome new hair bow!)

We will be meeting next week again so look for more pics then! Have a good one!

New Location Shoot!

Trying out a new location for shoots. Took the kids out there to practice. Really loving the light at dusk. Here are my faves!

 

Our weekend in Port Austin!

We spent last weekend up in Port Austin on a little mini vacation. We rented a little cabin and spent some time at the beach. We had a blast. To make it all even that much better I got my new camera, the Canon 40D and a new 100mm 2.8f macro lens right before we left so I got to play and take lots of pictures. I filled the memory card the first day so I now have to buy more! LOL It was a great trip. Here is what I got! I hope you enjoy!

Tess sitting in the door way Saturday morning waiting to go to the Bee! (beach) So cute!

Saturday at the State Park Beach. It was absolutely beautiful. Breezy but beautiful. Mike and I both got sunburned of course but the kids had a marvelous time! Jake loved the waves and there were plenty with the wind as strong as it was!

Saturday night was cool after the passing rain so we took a walk instead of going back to the beach. They had a tiny little playground that the kids played at for a bit. This slide was exactly the same as the one I played on as a child on my Elementary School playground. Tess enjoyed it! She is getting so big!

They had a cute little "key" just off shore with a little bridge to it so we walked out there and back. I snapped these pictures out there with the rocks and water all around. It was lovely!

I swear she is in a perpetual state of motion! I mean the girl never stops!

And I snagged this one of my mom and Jake just before heading back to the cabin for a fire and smores! YUM!

Sunday morning we woke to rain. Lots of it. So we packed up and went home early.

4th of July!

I am such a terrible blogger!  I haven't posted in months! Ugh! I am so so sorry. Is there anyone left out there who is reading this thing? I don't blame you. But... you might want to check out this post. I took over 400 pictures over the 4th of July holiday and I must say that I am very happy with a good %-age of them.   I have been working on shooting in full manual  mode and these are to date the best I have gotten in shade to full sun and back again (over and over!) So Yay me! Hope you enjoy!

Our first party of the season was at Rob Waters house. He is a fraternity brother of Mike's and has a 3rd of July party every year on the water. The fireworks rock over the water!


The kids before the party! Jake was not wanting his picture taken! LOL


They had a bounce obstacle course which meant the kids were in heaven! Here is Tess havin' a good time!


 
I don't know if Jake liked the bouncing or the girl in the green more! LOL But they were having fun all the same!


And Tess and my mom hung out in the hammock for a while.


And Jake chilled out on the hammock too!  I didn't take any pictures of the fireworks at Robs, but they were great. Jake fell asleep after the 3rd firework went off. He slept through them all. Tess on the other hand didn't fall asleep till we were almost home at 11:30! She was a crazy woman! LOL

The next morning was the Clarkston Parade Downtown.


The kids drew with chalk on the road till the parade started. Jake is becoming quite the little artist!


Tess was adorable! She sat and watched the parade and waved her flag. We had a half dozen or so people that were in the parade actually stop and check her out and comment on how adorable she was. We already knew!


Tess REALLY loved the candy part of the parade! Between the two of them they almost filled my new oversized purse!

Unfortunately, she figured out to open the suckers! I think she ate 2-3 while we were watching the parade. It was a long one this year with it being an election year and all! :)

This beauty was pulling a gorgeous carriage. Too bad I only had my 50mm so this was the best shot I could get without getting up and backing up! Which I wasn't about to do! :)


Tess got bored about an hour into the parade and made a little art of her own.


Here is Tess checking out the giant John Deer Tractors! We have about 15 tractors in the parade every year! And yes, Jake was there! I just couldn't get him to a.) come anywhere near me and the camera and b.) hold still long enough when he did so I could get a clear shot! LOL Oh well!

Next we had a party at Mike's new bosses house! It was fantastic! Probably the best party we have been to! It was on a private little lake with about 26 houses on it. All the homeowners (the men) competed with each other to outdo everyone else with the best fireworks so there was an incredible display. We got there around 7pm so the kids hung out and played for a while first.


Tess liked getting dirty!


Although here she looks like she is making sure the dress is not! LOL


She REALLY wanted to go swimming!


I thought this one was kinda cool! I love the tree line at the bottom!


Across the Lake!


I loved the fire pit on the beach and the paddle boat just beyond it on the shore.


The neighbors had some neat ones too! And Jake was there! I promise. He just hates the camera right now. He did stay awake for all the fireworks and then crashed on the way home with Tess. It was a wonderful time!