Bell'Anima Photography

Bell'Anima Photography's Blog is Moving

2009-05-29T15:59:00.005-04:00

Please visit the new and updated blog for Bell'Anima Photography Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com
Sneak peeks and updates will be posted there from now on! Thank you!!

The "C" Twins -- Palm Beach Child Photographer

2009-05-27T10:55:00.003-04:00

I have always had a special place in my heart for twins, being that I was an identical twin myself! The C twins were perfectly adorable in their matching colorful dresses and cute pig tails! Their parents were nice enough to put pink hair ties in one's hair and yellow hair ties in the other's to help me tell them apart! The entire family was beautiful as can be and you'd never know that mom once carried twins by looking at her! Must be nice :) The "C" family wanted relaxed, candid portraits and I really enjoyed both photographing them and meeting them! Thankfully the rain stayed away for our shoot even though you can tell from the sky that it was never too far away!

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

Tracy's Maternity Session. Palm Beach Maternity Photographer

2009-05-26T09:40:00.005-04:00

Tracy is 8 months pregnant and if it weren't for the perfect bump you'd never know she was expecting by looking at the rest of her! I wish my body stayed that tight when I was pregnant! Anyhow, we managed to sneak this maternity shoot in over the weekend despite the rain threats! Tracy, it was so nice to meet you! I am so happy for you and Charles and know you are going to have so much fun with baby Mason when he arrives. I hope you enjoy your pictures!

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

Jen's Maternity Session. Palm Beach Maternity Photographer

2009-05-21T21:02:00.006-04:00

This was my second shoot with the "R" family and I have to say I am so excited about their new addition!! Jen is 32 weeks pregnant and simply glowing! I can tell daddy is excited to be expecting another boy, and Ryan is going to have a great time with his little brother when he arrives! Jen, I am so happy for you and just can't wait to meet little Logan when he gets here next month! You had better believe I am looking forward to his newborn session!

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

More Storyboards-Palm Beach Family Photographer

2009-05-13T15:30:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to share a few 16x20 storyboards I have been working on for Dr. B. So many fun pictures to choose from! They are going to look great in his office...I mean, what patient wouldn't want to see pictures of this beautiful family! Enjoy!

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

Baby Dominic's Introduction--Palm Beach Newborn Photographer

2009-05-13T15:19:00.004-04:00

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

Dr. Apicella and Dr. Bago commissioned me to put together baby Dominic's birth announcement as well as storyboard version of the announcement to be displayed in their office as a way of introducing him there. It was lots of fun! I think the style and colors will go nicely with the granite/mahogany/columns in their beautiful office! Here is what we came up with:

Office Display:

Announcement Front:

Announcement Back:

A fun family beach shoot. Boca Raton Family Photographer

2009-05-08T00:26:00.007-04:00

I had so much fun photographing Dr. B & Dr. B, and their two kiddos! I think little Mr. Handsome enjoys the camera even more than I do which is tough to do! They were great sports and a ton of fun and I can't wait to get through all the editing to see all the moments we captured! I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

Happy Mother's Day, Stephanie! Boynton Beach Child Photographer

2009-05-05T13:18:00.006-04:00

Stephanie received a wonderful first Mother's Day gift from her husband and adorable daughter: a "Mommy and Me" photo shoot! They both have the most amazing eyes that reflected the green around us so beautifully! I swear I did not enhance their eye color at all in photoshop! Anyhow, we had fun hunting for shady spots on a cloudless day! Miss Olivia is such a happy photogenic baby and her mom is really a stunner! Happy first Mother's Day, Stephanie! I hope you have a great one with your perfect little girl and I hope you enjoy your husband's super thoughtful gift! You deserve it!!

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

A couple of "Mommy and Me" shots:

And some of Miss Olivia and her big, bright eyes:

Welcome to the world, baby Dominic! Palm Beach Newborn Photographer

2009-05-05T12:10:00.008-04:00

I had a wonderful time photographing Dr. Apicella and Dr. Bago's beautiful family, including their perfect baby boy, Dominic! I had done maternity pictures for them before Dominic's much anticipated arrival, so it was wonderful to finally meet him and snuggle him between shots! This family is so beautiful and sweet...you can tell the camera loves every single one of them! Dr. Apicella and Dr. Bago, thank you so much for letting me share in this special time with you! I have truly enjoyed capturing this moment in your lives! Thank you for welcoming me into your gorgeous home to photograph your lovely family.

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

Gotta love that sleepy smile!

Such a perfect little angel!

Hanging out with a friend :)

Sooo sleepy.

Daddy's little quarterback!

Three gorgeous big sisters doting over their little brother.

A special moment with Mommy.

And a tender moment with Daddy!

Father's day sneak peek! Jupiter Family Photographer

2009-05-03T20:59:00.004-04:00

I had a great time on this session with Jill and her two beautiful kiddos! The session is part of a surprise Father's Day gift and I think we snagged some shots that Dad will love! Being the mom of a brown-eyed boy, I really enjoyed the beautiful, sparkly eyes all three of them have! I know Dad will cherish this thoughtful gift!

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

Maternity/Newborn Special: Palm Beach Maternity and Newborn Photographer

2009-04-28T10:55:00.004-04:00

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

Do you know anyone who is expecting a baby? Through August 31, 2009, I am offering a complimentary newborn session with the purchase of a maternity session (the usual $250 minimum purchase requirement applies for each session). Maternity sessions are recommended between 30 and 36 weeks gestation. Newborn session must be completed when the infant is under two weeks old to qualify for this offer.

I am pleased to announce the following temporary Summer Specials (good through August 31, 2009) which apply when a model release form is signed:

• 25% off standard session fees (regularly $200).
• 25% off all Gift Portrait and Wall Portrait prices.
• All Summer Specials are applicable until August 31, 2009. Please check back for new prices/specials after August 31st.
• Pricing & specials in effect when your deposit is received will apply to your session and for two weeks following release of your proofing gallery.

Currently I am booking for June (two session openings remain), July, and August. Contact me today about reserving a spot just for you!

Having a field day! Palm Beach Child Photographer

2009-04-27T11:40:00.004-04:00

Just my little guy once again!

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

Little Lady! Palm Beach Child Photographer

2009-04-24T17:37:00.005-04:00

It was so nice to meet this pretty little lady and her mom while they were visiting South Florida! We had booked our session a couple of months ago and she was just a little doll to meet! Amber, I hope you enjoy these photos! It was a pleasure to meet you finally! I look forward to seeing you both next time you are in town!

Visit BellAnimaPhotography.com

Somebody is turning one!! Palm Beach Child Photographer

2009-04-14T00:06:00.004-04:00

Just my little guy....I hope it doesn't ruin the surprise for those who will be seeing this image on the birthday party invitations, but I can't help it....just had to share!

Stunning girl celebrates her Quinceanera. Palm Beach Teen Photographer

2009-04-13T23:22:00.004-04:00

When Chelsea got out of the car for our session I knew she would be fun to photograph! She was as sweet as she was beautiful and the boys must be knocking down her door! We had a blast! From the images of her in her traditional "Quinceanera" gown to those in a selection of her favorite outfits, I struggled terribly choosing the best ones to show here...she was so photogenic! Anyhow, enjoy this preview!

Such a fun family! South Florida Family Photographer

2009-04-06T13:35:00.006-04:00

I really enjoyed photographing this beautiful family! Miss Quinn was simply stunning as could be in her pale pink dress with her golden locks and bright blue eyes! She made me want a little girl! Ok, now I am getting ahead of myself! Anyhow, you could feel their love for eachother as a family and tell they are very fun-loving! I'll warn you, Quinn might make you want a little girl too!
Brian & Tina, I loved photographing your family and hope you enjoy the images as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Now that's what I call an Action Shot!!! Palm Beach Teen Photographer

2009-04-06T13:28:00.002-04:00

Ok, maybe there was a trampoline involved in taking these shots, but who has to know? I thought these were fun pictures for a 13-year-old who otherwise may not have wanted to be photographed. I bet he won't be afraid to show these off to his friends!

Family of Three, Part 2: Palm Beach, Florida Photographer

2009-03-26T08:50:00.006-04:00

Here is part two of Erin, Les, & little Matthew's pictures. Matthew was fascinated by the fountains at this beautiful location. He's such a cutie pie! Luckily his grandma was in town visiting and was able to get in on a few shots too!

Expert Crawler! Boynton Beach Baby photographer

2009-03-24T23:19:00.004-04:00

Since I have spent so much time photographing others lately, it was fun to take some pictures of my own little guy this weekend! Here he is in action before running away. I can't wait to make up a story board with these!!

Family of Three, part one. Jupiter Beach Photographer

2009-03-19T13:58:00.003-04:00

Erin, Les, and Matthew were a blast to work with on Monday evening. This is part one of a two-part shoot. Matthew's blonde hair and bright smile had me at helo! Check back next week for part two!

All images copyright Bell'Anima Photography. Do not copy, save, scan, or print.

Our little family - Boynton Beach Family Photographer

2009-03-16T14:07:00.005-04:00

Just one of me, hubby, and our baby boy on the beach. I'm usually on the other side of the camera, so it's wierd actually seeing a picture of me.

Stunning sunset, stunning couple. South Florida Beach Photography

2009-03-16T10:07:00.004-04:00

My beautiful sister came to visit and I was thrilled to take some pictures of her and her adorable man. The sunset was perfect. Becky, I've really enjoyed having you in town!

Awaiting Baby Dominic - Wellington Maternity Photography

2009-03-08T18:50:00.003-04:00

This beautiful family was fun to work with and the girls enjoyed a spontaneous swim in the lake when we were done! Thanks for the laughs, guys! I can't wait to meet baby Dominic when he gets here....I am certain he will be gorgeous, just like the rest of you!

Lovely family - Jupiter beach photographer

2009-03-02T15:22:00.003-05:00

This lovely family of three looked beautiful when they arrived to Juno beach for pictures at sunset. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Storyboards - South Florida Family Photographer

2009-02-27T08:21:00.004-05:00

What is a storyboard, anyhow? I've gotten this question a couple of times over the past few days so I decided to post an example. A story board is essentially a collage of various session images. The example below is a 16x20 nine image custom storyboard. All storyboards are mounted on standout board with black trim and come ready to hand without need for a frame. They make great gifts and wonderful displays. A storyboard like the one below would typically be priced at $250 but is $175 as part of the Spring Special.

Here is an example of a 10x20 three image storyboard (regularly priced at $200, currently $140 as part of the Spring Special).

Florida -- Palm Beach County Family Photographer

2009-02-27T01:07:00.003-05:00

Hi, Everyone!!

I wanted to thank those of you who have become facebook fans of Bell'Anima Photography at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boynton-Beach-FL/BellAnima-Photography/128795110050# . Thank you also for the great referrals of your family and friends: I am currently booked through the end of March and April as a result of your positive recommendations! Remember, you will receive a complimentary 8x10 as a thank you for every customer you refer.

I am only booking a limited number of sessions per month, so if you are interested in a spring session you may wish to get on my calendar while there are some sessions available. As of today, I have no sessions available in March or April. My price list on my web site has been updated to reflect the spring specials, including limited time offers on maternity and newborn sessions.

Thanks again and I hope to see you all this Spring!

All the best,

Giovanna

Family of Four. South Florida Family Photographer

2009-02-23T15:48:00.003-05:00

I had such a fun time with this beautiful family! What a beautiful and fun group! The sunset was to die for but the cutie pies in spring dresses made me catch a tad of baby (girl) fever! Haha!

Miss Maddie

2009-02-12T00:30:00.003-05:00

New Business Cards/Logo

2009-02-11T14:19:00.005-05:00

I felt it was time for a professionally designed logo and business card. Tiffany at onthespotstudio.com did a beautiful job creating them for me and I could not be more pleased! What do you think?

Front:

Kristy, Eric, & Addison

2009-02-10T00:53:00.004-05:00

Baby & Dogs in a Field

2009-02-08T11:34:00.006-05:00

A few from our excursion yesterday:

Gotta love his expressive little face!

More from my new camera

2009-02-02T13:39:00.005-05:00

Just playing....

2009-02-01T09:59:00.005-05:00

...with my new baby (camera), that is. I'm loving my new Nikon D700! It's a big switch from Canon, but so far so good!

Such a Princess!

2009-01-28T21:54:00.003-05:00

Miss Ava is a spunky little princess! I loved her perfectly coordinated dress, sandals, and bow...not to mention her hair and eyes! Such a doll!

Baby Owen!

2009-01-19T12:42:00.004-05:00

I had a great time meeting little Owen! He's is such a wonderful little guy and I am so happy for his mommy and daddy!! Just a few from our shoot:

10-Day-Old Blondie!

2009-01-17T00:28:00.003-05:00

Evan is such a cutie and I am so happy for his family! He was so sweet and cuddly that I was worried about catching baby fever while holding him! Seriously adorable! I had a great time shooting these pictures! Ken and Nicole, I hope you enjoy this sneak peek and I can't wait to see little Evan again soon!

"You Can Find Me in the Club" er....I mean TUB!

2009-01-15T11:47:00.006-05:00

Bath time! He's at the age where he's just loving every minute of it...I had to snap a couple of shots!

What a face!!!

2009-01-13T00:00:00.003-05:00

Just my little guy in the back yard! He's so expressive...we call him our little cartoon character!

Look at those Baby Blues!

2009-01-12T00:09:00.002-05:00

Gotta love Miss Emily and her beautiful blue eyes! She is so cute, happy, and sweet as can be!

More from Elizabeth and Tony's Engagement Shoot!

2009-01-09T11:08:00.004-05:00

Had to share a few more!

More Outdoor Color!

2009-01-05T10:42:00.003-05:00

What can I say? I just love being outdoors this time of year! The colors and weather are breath-taking!

Congratulations on Your Engagement!

2009-01-04T00:29:00.005-05:00

Elizabeth and Tony, I am so happy for you! You make an adorable couple and it was so fun doing your engagement shoot today! Sunsets like the one we saw today really make me want to do a better job enjoying the paradise in which we live! I hope you like your sneak peak of your engagement images! Congratulations, guys!

Ryan's First Trip to the Beach!

2009-01-03T00:23:00.004-05:00

I had a great time accomanying Ryan and his parents for his first trip to the beach! It looks like he had a great time, don't you think? Enjoy your sneak peak, Jen and Lance!

2008-12-29T15:48:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-27T12:36:00.011-05:00

Since Santa was good to me and brought me a new lens, background stand, and background, I decided to put them to good use! Here's what I got!

And the day after Christmas:

And my friend Gwen's adorable little boy, Jake:

Such a Beautiful Baby Girl!

2008-12-19T16:25:00.004-05:00

Last night Cynthia and baby Livi came over for a playdate with me and Braden. I was so excited that I got to take pictures of Livi (you know I'd been wanting to practice with someone else's kids!). She was the happiest little thing with the best laugh ever and was completely enthralled by my two chihuahuas! Such a blast! Here are a couple from out shoot! Cynthia, I hope you enjoy them!

A New Logo!

2008-12-17T15:03:00.007-05:00

After reading horror stories of photographers finding their work in, let's just say, online and offline places they did not want it, reduced to a form that would not impart anything good to their image, I have decided it's time to start watermarking the images that I share online with a logo. This is not because I think my family is so desperate for images of Braden that they are going to try to steal them (they are bombarded weekly with more than enough pictures to give them their fill), but because soon I hope to be building my photography skills by practicing on friends and then eventually strangers. I want credit for work well done, and don't want it scanned or screen-shot to the point of destroying it (or my reputation, for that matter).

So here is the official debut of my new logo/watermark. I hope you like it because you'll be seeing it more if you follow this blog. For now it's nothing high tech, just something I threw together in photoshop CS3 with a free font download (LainieDaySH) and a shared damask brush. I plan on using the version sans damask on my images for simplicity's sake. Check out a couple of images (nothing new) with the logo added.

Braden's Two Week Picture

Yes, you read that right and no, we're not going back in time! By request, I am sharing the original image that was rejected by Tiny Prints for blown areas and excessive noise (I referenced this in my very first blog post). Hopefully it is being shown small enough that you can't see all the noise. I'm trusting no one will mistakenly think this is representative of the work I am doing now but will instead be able to recognize the progress that is hopefully being made. Oh, notice I didn't watermark that one, even though I tried my best to fix it up with editing, to no avail! He's still cute, but it's far from a technically perfect photo!

Welcome To My Photography Journey

2008-12-15T18:38:00.027-05:00

What's in a name?

"Bell'Anima" comes from the Italian words for "Beautiful" (bella) and "Soul" (anima) which is why I have chosen this to be the name of my future photography endeavor. I am thrilled you have decided to follow my progress as I work towards capturing inner beauty and preserving the essence of fleeting moments through my images. My goal is to produce photography that is crisp, bright, colorful, sharp, and able to evoke the true emotion of the moment. I may have a ways to go, but the journey will be exciting nonetheless.

Small beginnings.

My love of photography started early. As a child, I thrived on being in front of the camera, and remember being overjoyed whenever my father asked me to give him "my look" for a picture, essentially my smiling face, puppy dog eyes, and batting eyelashes. As time went on, I became "that girl." You know, the one with the camera ever-present at my fingertips for any important moment--the one always wanting to take your picture. I thought I was bad then, but having a baby took it all to another level.

When my son was born, I was thrilled to finally have him home from the NICU and could not wait to start my project of taking pictures for his birth announcement. I had picked out the announcement months before he arrived and it was simply a matter of getting the perfect shot. Out came the point and shoot camera, and after about an hour, I beamed with pride as I showed my husband the "amazing" pictures I had just taken. "They are just as good as professional photos," he assured me.

Two days later I received a phone call from the company that was printing the announcement for me. The images I had submitted were useless....the blown spots and amount of "noise" made them virtually unusable. Blown spots? Noise? But they were as good as professional photos! Apparently not. Crushed, I set off to re-shoot and finally settled for a shot that was cute, but, in hind sight, very far from professional in appearance. Discouraged is not even the word to describe my feelings. I learned that what I thought was good could always be made better, and began to appreciate the value of constructive criticism as a vehicle for growth.

I decided to invest in a "fancy camera." That would surely fix all my problems, right? Ummm....no. I quickly learned it takes more to get amazing pictures than a nice camera. And that is how my obsession began. I started spending every free moment practicing my photography, refining my photo-editing skills, and soaking in every bit of knowledge I could find.

I am not sure why I wrote that last sentence in past tense as if I am done with the learning process, because I am far from where I want to be. I have seen tremendous improvement in my pictures already but am ready to take them to the next level. Every penny of spending money goes towards better equipment and every free second goes towards improving my skills.

Que Sera?

I recognize that skill and talent in photography take time and investment to build and I am not yet where I want to be. My images may be better than those taken by your average mom, even some with "fancy" cameras. Bell'Anima Photography as I envision it, though, is still just that, a vision, a part of the future rather than the present. For now, I am just a mom with a camera. Photography enables me to capture the beauty of my son's first year and I appreciate every moment I am able to document.

I work full time in a demanding career unrelated to photography and feel truly blessed to love what I do for a living. I don't see that career ending anytime soon! Simultaneously, I have a serious love affair brewing with photography and cannot ignore the joy it brings me.

So where does that leave me? Well, every penny of spending money continues to go towards better equipment and every free second towards improving my photography skills. I will practice whenever I get a chance and build up a robust portfolio of images that capture my vision for "Bell'Anima" photography. I will build up to the quality of work that I wish to deliver. Then and only then will I be ready to move on to the next step, setting up shop. And when I do, it will start very small, and build up when the referrals are so great as a result of work well done. Since my day job is a passion of mine as well, I am lucky not to need to rush through my photography journey but I get to savor it instead.

Thank you for being part of my journey! I hope it is as inspiring to you as it is to me!