The Wait is Over. Frankie and Paige Say "I do."

A beautiful couple. A lovely day. And, happily ever after...

I Heart Faces - Week 17 "Smiles"

Her glorious smile,
Impossible to hide,
For today is the day,
She became his bride.

Check out other beautiful smiles this week here.

Happy Earth Day!

The Earth--One thing we all share in common.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

"There is a place. Like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive it: You need to be as mad as a hatter. Which luckily I am."
~The Mad Hatter

Frankie & Paige

I asked them if they would stand together for a quick test shot. They each walked directly into the other's arms, and I instantly knew the rest of the session would be magical.

In just five days, I will have the privilege of capturing these two, once again, as they say "I do."

Lucky me!

I Heart Faces - Week 16 "Collages"

Look! A boat! Shall we flag it down to rescue us?

From Paradise? No way!

This week at I Heart Faces, we are allowed to enter as many photos as we would like--using collages. To date, I have more than four hundred collages stored on my computer. Crazy, I know, but Picassa is such a wonderful tool, and creating collages using Picassa is a piece of cake (by the way, cakes and desserts was last week's I Heart Faces challenge). Photographically speaking, these shots are not my usual standard, but oh the stories one can tell using collages!

This past week, we enjoyed Spring Break. We are fortunate enough to live less than an hour from the beach. One afternoon, I called a friend and said, "Let's hit the beach tonight and catch a sunset." As we lounged on the shore with wine and cheese (and of course, my camera), our children enjoyed the water (still too cold for the weaker adults).

At one point, I turned to my friend and remarked, "We really should have picked a place where our kids could have had more fun." The truth--not possible!

You can view more fun collages this week at I Heart Faces here.

Spring Break Bids Us Farewell

Wait! No! We aren't ready to let you go.

Spring Break, can't you see that we were just getting to know one another? They tell us that moving on is simple, it's what you leave behind that makes it so difficult. We don't want to leave you behind. We loved our time together.

We'll always remember walking hand-in-hand on the beach, sunshine in our hair, sand between our toes. We'll remember the thrill of the amusement park rides, and the animals that made us laugh till we cried.

We know there were hard times. Five hours of garage cleaning can leave a person weary. But, don't you love that we accomplished something wonderful together?

Spring Break, we understand that you need to go. But, please know that you will remain in our hearts--always.

Meredith and Katherine - A Sneak Peek

Meet Meredith and Katherine. These two lovelies are the spitting image of their mom, Barbara, who also happens to be a good friend of mine. Meredith is three years old and loves the color orange, the airplane ride at Busch Gardens, and running on the beach. Katherine is one year old and loves sand buckets, spending time with her mom, and running from my camera.

These two girls were such a joy to photograph this evening, as our two families gathered together to watch the beautiful sunset over Ana Maria Island, Florida.

April 15

April 15. Tax Day.

"She succeeded in getting its body tucked away, comfortably enough, under her arm, with its legs hanging down, but generally, just as she had got its neck nicely straightened out...it would twist itself round and look up in her face, with such a puzzled expression that she could not help bursting out laughing...Alice soon came to the conclusion that it was a very difficult game indeed." ~Lewis Carroll

Indeed.

I pray that today finds you happily "managing your flamingos."

Wordless Wednesday

Week 15 - I Heart Faces "Desserts"

des·sert (noun): A usually sweet course or dish, as of fruit, ice cream, or pastry, served at the end of a meal. ~Merriam-Webster

I don't usually eat desserts (or bake them as you can see), but I certainly delighted in the opportunity to sit down with my family, after a long day of Spring Cleaning, and treat everyone to ice cream.

dessert (noun): A sweet, relaxing moment, as of enjoying ice cream and a chair in the warm sun, served at the end of a job well done! ~Hayley Ritz

PS - Some of you may know me as Hayley at When I Grow Up, as I have been enjoying i heart faces challenges for a little more than a year. In keeping with my "growing" theme, I am now growing my new photography business. I heart faces has been an inspiration all along. Thank you!

So, get your sweet tooth on, and check out more delicious photography and other amazing desserts here.

Spring Break

So it begins...

...quite late this year I might add. It seems as though everyone else around the country has taken their Spring Breaks already. Ours begins tomorrow (we started "breaking" this weekend as you can see from our beach shots).

Spring Break. Eagerly anticipated. Remembered fondly. But, I ask you. When does the "break" part begin when you have grown up? All this "breaking" can make a girl very tired. ;)

"Deep" Thoughts

People are always saying, "Avoid digging yourself into a hole."
I say, "Don't knock it until you try it!"

Where Do You Find Sunshine?

I'm Ready!

Welcome to Heller Ritz Photography.

I have been a member of the blog world for a few years now. When I Grow Up (my original blog and still my "growing" home) has not only enabled me to grow, but has also allowed me to gain inspiration from a wonderful community of bloggers and photographers. Through much inspiration, education, and motivation, I have finally reached the moment when I am ready to take the plunge into my own photography endeavour.

I can't wait to share my new experiences with all of you.

Hayley xo