In a few days, I will stand with a handful of other military families as my son exits a bus at 2:30 a.m. Location: Camp Lejeune, North Carolina . If you are reading this blog and are a part of a military family, you know the feelings that are rushing in our hearts. Last August, my son Jason left for what began as a long journey. First, to the Peoples Republic of Georgia and then to Germany and yes, then to Afghanistan. Living conditions were... lets just say rough. Laundry in a bucket, a shower maybe once a month if they got enough water and food that you add water to make hot. No big cushy base with a chow hall. Nonetheless, he is a Marine and he did it like many others that are serving.

Today, I took some much needed time to putz in the garden before heading to the studio early. The neighbors all left and as usual the neighborhood was quiet except for happy birds awaiting a warmer afternoon. Kinda weird how quiet the neighborhood is without the sounds of kids. However, as I pulled weeds and planted some annuals, the wind slowly picked up and an all too familiar sound filled my ears. Above my head, was the American flag that we fly proudly since this war has begun. There is a definite sound that the flag makes when it waves in the wind. Military families know this sound. It is the sound that you hear when all is quiet and your son/daughter are standing in formation at Basic School. It is the sound right after they play taps at a military funeral. It is the sound when all has left the area and you are waiting for your son by the flag pole with his gear from Officer Training School. It is distinct.

So, as I put in my last flower in the garden, the wind picked up, took the flag and extended it across the house. I immediately looked up and saw it flying beautifully against the sky. Thankful that my son is coming home, I thought about all those who didn't. My prayers are with them that their grief will ease over time.

For now though, the flag waves proudly above my house and will welcome this Marine home when he takes leave.

I took this with my Iphone!

Does a mid-life crisis really exist?  Do people actually go a bit nuts in the autumn of their years?  Well, I can attest that perhaps this age old theory could possibly be true.  I remember my father in law divorced his second wife, got a perm in his hair, took on wearing tons of native American jewelry and bought a huge Cadillac.  This was only second to his new look of tight jeans, a white belt and white shoes to match.  Dance fever look out.
 
So, as I mentioned a few blogs ago, Dan and I decided to get yet another dog.  Like two Chihuahuas weren't enough to drive us to straight to the funny farm.  I had always wanted another German Shorthair Pointer.  Dan, being the macho hunter, wouldn't be caught dead being seen with Chihuahuas.  So we together embarked on a new journey of getting a puppy. 
Perhaps this need of wanting another dog stemmed from my son being stationed in a remote base in Afghanistan and my constant worry.  So, what else would take my mind of my son participating in a war?  Why a puppy!
Since her arrival on February 15th our life as we shall say has consisted of paper towels, thousands of walks, toy stuffing everywhere and the vacuum cleaner being constantly run!  Having smaller dogs for quite some time now, a larger dog has made such a difference in the wear and tear of the house.  If you remember from yet another previous blog, Chihuahuas do not go out in the rain.  Thus, nothing to worry about with the carpet.  The new dog, "Patch" rolls in the wet gardens and then loves to show us her new color of "brown".
She feels that the kitchen table is her new buffet table.  She has eaten my $700 pair of progressive glasses off the end table.  So far the damage just keeps mounting.  But, I know this will pass hopefully by one year of age.  Fear not nerdy people, I am one of you... Yes you,....  people with duck tape on my glasses until the new ones come in.
I do not regret "our" decision for one minute.  (okay, maybe when I say my glasses.}  Now I know why people have children at a younger age.  I just need a nap!  LOL!
Here are the latest pictures taken yesterday at the vet.  Patches is now 17 weeks old.  She has gained 8 pounds in three weeks.  Dan took this picture of me.  Notice on the left side of the picture there is an old lady with white hair holding her dog "Mopsy".  Was there a subliminal message here when he took this photo! 
Next time if you hear me speak of a crazy idea, please feel free to speak out. 

Lady having a mid life crisis in background left as well.

Meet "Kylie". Less than ten days old, she is beyond beautiful. Just short of ten pounds, she wasn't too thrilled to be in pictures, but thankfully, I squeezed out a few between her intake of air!
A whole world awaits Kylie with endless possibilities. Knowing some of her family stock, this child will be surrounded in love, praise and encouragement. You are destined to be great.
Welcome baby Kylie. I am glad we met.

Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota... How do you do it? How do you put up with longer winter months and more snow? Don't get me wrong, I like the 4 seasons.... if only winter was about a month or so! But freezing temps from October until March has got to go! I am a wimp. I will admit.
Dreary grey days almost every day has got me itchin for flowers, so this week my husband and I headed down to the Philadelphia Flower Show. I think that is why the show is so crowded. Most people by March are crabby and feeling the effects of those grey days of winter. As I entered the convention center, I was expecting to be hit by the "smell". You know... the smell of Hyacinths. Sadly, I was not! This is the first time in years of attending the Flower Show that I wasn't impressed by the smell that accompanies the price of a flower show ticket!
So, as I post my last winter photograph, I will be positive that I can yet make it through to the beginning of spring next week. We change the clocks this weekend for daylight savings time. The tulips in my yard are up about 2 inches!

Here is a photograph I took of Dan last year that I found in the archives. We have a small cabin in Sullivan County, PA and usually do not go up in the winter. However, looking for something different, we went to an even colder place. I spent the entire weekend in my down coat! On the way into town on Saturday, I found this old truck sitting in the field abandoned. It was an old Packer... I think about a 1946. The keys were still in the ignition! (The motor was gone however!) Needing a model, the only other warm human within 2 miles was husband Dan. It was so cold that my directions to him were quick especially since the temp outside was in the single digits and it was starting to snow. He cooperated only because I was bored to death up there. However, I think it came out pretty cool. We nicked named it "Danny Chesney"!
Enjoy!

If you have a brother or sister, I am sure that growing up you had your share of fun, drama and at times the thought of putting the pillow over your siblings head to shut them up! It is truly a love/hate relationship as they grow. Best of friends one day and who knows the next. I used to say to my husband, "Is it a full moon out there?" Now that my kids are off in their own nest, I would give anything to hear them in the back yard working on their "fort". The back door opening and closing about a hundred times in an hour while they prepare their home made "fort" for the afternoon. Food would disappear, blankets, sofa cushions and at one time, the dog disappeared. All for the sake of building a "Fort '94" as they called it. This sort of play was fresh and usually was early on in the summer. By mid to late summer, the story was different. The pool was boring, the library was "smelly" and mom was outta money to take them places. So, we were stuck at home and I had to come up with entertaining ways to make the remaining part of their summer vacation.
As I look back to those years, I remember them sitting there, eating breakfast with their eyes so sad as I couldn't come up with a game plan to amuse them on one of many hot days in August. At that very moment, I just felt I was looking right into their soul across that table. For it is that "look" that has made get the word out about photographing children in a more serious look rather than the "cheesy" stuff you may get elsewhere.
Here is a wonderful example of what I mean. Two sisters, Sam & Nicole, both under age 5. It is such a powerful photograph that I always refer back to it. Timeless is a word that comes to mind. I had worked with these girls for about 45 minutes. They were at an age where they were a little annoyed with each other. Then all of a sudden, the older one put her arms around the younger one. With no encouragement what so ever from me! Bam! There is the bond... an unbreakable bond. Hopefully, as they grow into adults, they will continue to overcome the drama and give each other a squeeze when needed.
As a photographer, I feel I captured some of their spirt. But more importantly, I captured their soul. That's what it's all about isn't it?

This past fall I was coming home from yet another networking meeting at the NBC-10 studios in Philadelphia around noon on a what seemed like a very unusual warm day for November.  Sucking in my last breath of warm air, I had the windows wide open and my wee little sun roof on my Honda. 
If you know the area just past City Line Avenue, you know that Roosevelt Blvd. is no picnic.  Stop, start.... 50 mph to a red light then 50 mph for several blocks.  Cars of all types.  Well.. almost.  Until this one rolled up next to me at a light.   Frankly, I could not believe my eyes!  A van with no windows, no roof, no seats inside except for driver and passenger, no door handles and honestly, not much of anything else.  Inside however, were two guys.  Hats turned backward they were yaking away as if they didn't have  care in the world.  I could see that inside the van they were transporting huge speakers. We were side by side  for about 3 miles and I just could not take my eyes off of this van.  Yes, it did have new plates, so apparently, it street legal.  It was clear these guys didn't have a plan "b" if it rained!

I had to laugh a little inside because it reminded me of my recent networking meeting earlier.  So many folks introduced themselves and announced their business with the hope and dream of success.... me included.  Getting the point across that my work is different from most photographers is and always will be a difficult thing to do.  But, just like these guys in the van, they too are on their way to a job that may hopefully give them monetary value and hope.

So, to the folks out there who are just starting out and have a dream.....  Hold on.   You have to start somewhere!
Donna Lere

Got the call that Jennifer had just delivered baby Cassidy! She was coming home in a day so we scheduled the appointment for day 4 of Cassidy's new life. Oh, and by the way, Cassisdy was born at ten pounds!
I frequently get questions about my baby sessions so I put together what I hope will answer some of your burning questions!
Working with babies has it's challenges and it's stars. Babies of all sizes present challenges based on their size. Newborns are like mush. Yes, you can pose them certain ways, but that pose lasts about 4 seconds before they move on. So, naturally, you have to work quick and know your skill.

For Cassidy, knowing that she was a ten pound baby, I felt that photographing her on her stomach just didn't make her look appealing. She has beautiful eyes and a full round face, so I wanted to take a photograph that best represented her strongest points. It is funny how just a matter of 2 pounds can determine the posing on a newborn.

Lighting for me is simple. I try to use all natural light if I can. I scope out the house and find the best room. Jennifer had a variety of new blankets and hats (Oh yea baby!) and I went to work. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not totally addicted to hats, but I like them for now. Besides, some babies have a little peeling skin on their heads that looks not so photogenic. So armed with a camera bag and a huge reflector, I go to work. In the car, I have portable lights just in case the house is really dark. If I have to, I will use a portable light and bounce it in a corner of the room to give more natural light then use an umbrella set up.
In my camera bag:
One Canon 5d Mark II body
One Canon 5d (back up)
50mm 1.2 lens (my favorite... like butter lens)
24-70mm 2.8 (not crazy about this lens, but I have it.)
85mm 1.2 lens.... (love it... enough said.)
580 ex flash (why I carry that I don't know.)
Radio slaves in case I need lights
A grey card (because I shoot RAW)
4 GB cards (lots of them)
Lollipops (In case there is a sibling I can bribe to do something cute)

Don't forget comfy shoes and moveable apparel. Most of the time I am on my knees.
And baby bam! There ya go! An unbelievable photograph of 4 day old Cassidy that just rocks!
Of course we do some special processing afterward that will be discussed later using special photoshop actions. But for now, you can see what a beautiful baby this is!

Donna Lere
www.lerephoto.com

Back in the days of pagers, box phones, Kodak Gold film and Fuji film, there were often complaints about wishing for film that we could use in less than pleasant light.  And then... BAM!  Digital came down from the Gods.
 I remember when I was a photographer for the Bucks County Courier and was sent to photograph a Monday night football game down at Veterans Stadium.  Even with 3200 speed film, the grain on that was as big as a magazine cover.  Since the games started at 9:00 p.m., I used to pray that a play would happen close to me so that I could a) actually get a close photo that didn't have to be blown up and b) could run back to my car to make the trip back to the Courier building to develop and print something for page one and the front of sports.  Yikes, what pressure that was!  So, I had until about 9:15 to get something before I high tailed it back to my car.  And no, we didn't transmit back then.  It was a 40 minute time frame to get back to your car and drive up 95, then off to 413 then onto Rt. 13 then run into the building, wind the film onto the spool, put it into the developer, wait 17 minutes, drop it into Photo flo, then into the dryer for 8 min!  Whew.... Oh and then of course the newsroom is asking "What have you got?"  "Page one needs this.... Sports needs that!" 

Then of course if there was a big play, they would ask if I had a certain player.  Yikes!  With say shooting a sparingly 15 minutes, I was lucky to get 4 or 5 rolls off.  So then it was look at the film, cut the neg, stick it into the developer for 3 min and then to the stop bath and then the fix and then a quick rinse.  Yikes!  The time is now 10:32 and the deadline is 11:00 p.m!  I need to find and print at least 4 more for them to look at.  Somehow, it always worked out.  Clearly, there is no room for error on one's photography ability when so many people are counting on your work.

Now, years later, all is different.  Gone is the darkroom.  Gone is the need to hustle back hoping the police won't stop you from speeding.  Better cameras, technology and oh yes... computers. 
Do I miss film?  Well, lets just say that I miss the smell of it.  (Yes, it does have a smell!)  Do I love digital?  Honestly, it is a love hate relationship.  Love what it can do, hate the constant updating of equipment.  Now, every Tom, Dick and Uncle Harry that owns a camera is a so called "photographer" with no basic knowledge of lighting or training.. Just a little reading from their camera manual.

Here is an archive photograph of me I found changing film at a Sunday Eagles game.  Temp outside I do remember was about 12 degrees and very windy.  I have a roll of film in my mouth ready to pop in to the camera. 
The camera vest has moved on to what my husband calls the best fishing vest he has ever owned.

Donna Lere... circa 1995...  I must admit I miss the adrenilin rush of newspaper photography!

They smell oh so sweet. They squeak. They make funny faces. They are brand new. I will admit, I am addicted to photographing new born babies. Perhaps I need a twelve step recovery program or something! Frankly, I enjoy working with babies, both newborn and under a year. The fact that the image that I take will follow this person their whole life gives me more energy than one can imagine.
Three day old Gianna Rodriguez made her way into the studio and of course my heart became mush. There are so many choices that she can follow for her future. So many possibilities. A blank slate to start with, she will absorb education like a sponge and learn right from wrong as do most of us. Will she choose a career or choose the hardest professional of all.... a stay at home mom.
For now though, she is a dreamer. And that is what we need more of in today's youth. Welcome to the world Gianna. I am glad your mom and dad brought you in less than 72 hours old. They knew what was important.

Donna Lere

Donna Lere, Photographer

In this time of high unemployment, a depressing housing market and tighter belts, I am often asked why don't I do photography "this way" or "that way". Sure, I could conform to the angel wings, the cute backgrounds and the endless amount of wagons, sleds, & vintage bikes, etc. Nothing against these photographers that do this. But frankly, I think I would rather close shop than to photograph you or your child in a shop of props.

My photography is more than a photograph. It is merely more than a camera and a piece of paper. It is more than the right light. It is a combination of your soul and your spirit. A side dish of your personality is included.
So, the next time you go for a walk after the snow has stopped and notice that someone has walked in a path that is not defined, that would be me. People hire me for what I do, not how I do it. If you believe in these photography principals, then there is no other photographer for you but me.

See what real photography is all about...