Kristen Hassell PhotogBlog

this blog is moving....

2011-11-28T11:24:00.001-05:00

Happy thanksgiving!!

I'm switching this here photog-blog over to:
KRISTENHASSELL.WORDPRESS.COM

sorry for any inconvenience.... but come on over there & follow me on my new blog site.
thanks!

Dusti welcomes Ryan home

2011-08-29T21:54:00.000-04:00

Dusti & Ryan have done 3 deployments in the 4 years they have been in the Marine Corps.

This time, their little one was just teeny when daddy left.

August 8th was a HOT & HUMID night

but one filled with anticipation & happiness

as everyone welcomed home the 2nd Batallion 8th Marines from their tour in Afghanistan.

Ryan's sister (USAF), brother in law & niece were also there

along with his wife Dusti & sweet baby girl.

Ryan's niece made a sign on the iPad, it was pretty awesome!

I'm pretty sure the 2hours while the Marines turn in their weapons at the armory

felt

almost

as long

as the previous 7 months.

And the butterflies were almost visible as those big buses drove in

& the Marines poured out looking for their loved ones.

Welcome home, Ryan & thanks for your service!!

And good job, Dusti, you're truly a hero!!

Full Gallery for viewing & print orders available here

Baby Madison

2011-07-06T21:57:00.001-04:00

This little one decided she wanted to make her world debut about 6 weeks early!

We did these photos on her actual due date...

and she was weighing in at 6 weeks old at 8lbs 3oz.

Such a little peanut!!

Her mama is a proud Navy wife & I loved capturing their tender mama/bebe bond.

Madison was a trooper being held all kinds of crazy ways &

being awake so long (all in the name of good light!) & conked out by the last few shots.

Mmmmm, newborns are the sweetest.

So teeny. So precious. So new.

I love that she was still a little fuzzy:

this next one is my absolute favorite image from the session -
can't you just hear mama saying "shhhhhh?"

Maggie

2011-05-23T23:19:00.000-04:00

{ meet Miss Maggie! }

her mom is the famous blogger/quilter extraordinaire AmyLouWho

MamaLouWho really likes fabric... it's a wonder Maggie's name isn't AmyButler LouWho.

Maggie is such a little cutie & we wanted to capture her littleness as much as possible.

She loves mama, milk, tickles & her big siblings.

She was barely learning to stand when we took these pictures.

We made a day of it & just hung out at my house & played

& of course took lots of pictures.

Amylouwho is such a great friend-

one you can just talk for hours with & laugh & be yourself & feel so loved!

We both love dentists, wegmans, ikea, photography & baba ganoujh

& playing that blasted words with friends scrabble game on our iThings.

meanwhile, this is going on behind the scenes.
2 harmonicas, 5 kids, 2 moms, a bed & a camera (and a whole lot of crazy!):

after a couple milk breaks for Maggie & some lunch for everyone else, we relocated & re-costumed for some more shots. It was a long day for such a little model, but she was sweet as ever, even past naptime.

you can see the whole shoot & order prints here

Welcome Home, VMM-266

2011-05-17T11:14:00.001-04:00

Last week I had the honor of photographing another USMC homecoming from Afghanistan.

This cute family had made it through their first deployment

& they were so excited to welcome daddy/hubs home!

The weather was perfect & the Marines showed up right on time.

We stood outside on the tarmac & waited for VMM-266

We cheered as 10 osprey flew in formation over us, followed by 4 helicopters.

They circled around & landed... the Marines got out of their aircraft,

lined up for a short speech from their CO & then they cut the ropes separating us from them.

The mama & kids held up their signs & flags & watched & waited -

their Marine found his family quickly & came running in for hugs & kisses.

The kids were so excited & probably still haven't stopped smiling/putting their sunglasses on their daddy!

Such a sweet family, such a sweet reunion.

The hugs & kisses & teary eyes mean so much

- I can only imagine how long the past 7 months have been for this family (wife!).

I'm so lucky that I get to share these tender moments.

(you can see the whole gallery here)

Family Vacation: disneyworld

2011-04-30T15:27:00.001-04:00

We took our little family to Orlando to see ~~Mickey Mouse~~ Lightning McQueen! It was such a fun trip & now I want to move there & get a season pass so we can go all the time (& avoid the crowds). I took this picture just as we were leaving Magic Kingdom just after sunset.

Photo Recipe: 0.4sec at f/3.5, ISO 100

Welcome Home, 1st Battallion 8th Marines

2011-04-16T13:53:00.001-04:00

I had the honor of photographing a military homecoming a couple weeks ago.

This sweet family survived a 7-month deployment to Afghanistan

...during which their little girl was born.

There was so much excitement & nervousness in the air that night-

so many families & friends waiting

and waiting

and waiting for their dear Marines.

I'm pretty sure the 3 hours of waiting at the arrival point was almost as long as the previous 7 months.

The kids did great & it was so amazing to witness daddy meeting baby girl for the first time.

I know understand why some countries require military service from all their youth.

There is an indescribable love & a pride & a sacrifice these families have/give

& I am proud to be a small part of this amazing community.

Welcome home, 1/8 & especially to GnySgt Williams.

Thank you for your service.

Cort & Teri Family

2011-03-30T14:42:00.001-04:00

{ meet cort & teri! }

{ meet cort & teri's fam: }

they have a gorgeous white house with the most amazing cherry tree

and it was perfectly in bloom the day of our last-minute shoot.

we were so lucky for nice weather to catch these right before dad deployed

the big brothers love climbing high into trees

(and making funny faces - boys!)

little sister was quite the little artistic director

...she had a vision for how the shots should be styled!

they are an awesome family with so much love

& energy & fun!

plus they have a sweet treehouse. with screens & everything.

thanks for the fun time, you guys!!!

I think my cheeks were as sore as yours from all the laughing by the end of the night.

cort & teri, sitting in a tree...
k. i. s. s. i. n. g....

spring

2011-03-16T02:05:00.000-04:00

This image is from a recent family shoot I did... (coming soon!)

And this beautiful tree is right outside their house.

And it is now spring!!

And that makes me oh so happy.

at the farm

2011-02-02T16:55:00.003-05:00

We had a fun day at the pumpkin farm with some friends

...um, way back in October...

I couldn't help but snap some pictures of these beautiful kiddos.

The warm fall late afternoon sun is my favorite.

and since today is 70 degrees (just a short trick!), I'm about ready for warm fall sunlight again soon.

warm thoughts, especially to friends up north or out west who are frozen/covered!!

And we walked in fields of gold...

2011-01-13T14:26:00.004-05:00

{ meet the frame fam }
Frame... such a fitting name for such a frame-worthy photogenic family!
He is an osprey pilot for the USMC.
She is learning to decorate cakes,
that is, when school is NOT canceled...
6-year old S is silly & smart & has the cutest giggle around.
(Well, almost as cute as mom's.)
4-year old K has the most beautiful hair & amazing blue eyes, I think they might glow.
We laughed through this whole shoot
& enjoyed a 66-degree new years eve!

(dear 6-yr old S: thanks for being such a good assistant/art director!
and don't worry, I showed your pictures to "the boys" & told them all about you, as instructed.)

I have a slight obsession with eyes.

They are so beautiful.

you can see the whole shoot here

Going to Afghanistan...

2010-12-29T12:19:00.001-05:00

This sweet mama/photographer called me to see if I could shoot her husband's deployment.

He was scheduled to leave the day after Christmas...

We got a snow storm & the date was delayed 24-hours.

The weather was nasty - a bitterly cold, windy, sad, sad day.

Everywhere I turned, there were concerned faces, tears, embraces...

...little kids not quite sure why there was tension.

Megan & Jarrod have 2 gorgeous little boys

Big brother wanted to look outside & see the "Ossies" (Osprey) & loved running around in the hangar.

Little brother was happy to watch the action from a cozy spot & warmed plenty of hearts.

Daddy is an osprey pilot.

Military wives are my heroes.

They are strong & amazing.

God bless & please protect our Marines.

you can see the whole thing here

the Matt + Heidi fam

2010-11-30T15:53:00.000-05:00

{ meet the Matt + Heidi fam }
An awesome family & such a great couple that even their eyes match.
Yes. They have the EXACT same color eyes.
She loves decór, accessories, ruffles, lady gaga (shhh) & throws a wicked party.
He loves to hunt with the dog, mountain bike & is the best youth group leader ever.
Their kids are beautiful, sweet, hilarious & feisty.
They did awesome & even traipsed through the weeds {in uniform} for me.
Thanks for such a fun shoot, guys!

PS Matt - you may want to frame a big one of you in this next picture to chase away all the boys that will be after your BEAUTIFUL glass-eyed daughters in the near future.

more Matt + Heidi

2010-11-30T14:06:00.000-05:00

and just for fun because her eyes are KILLING me:

nina + anthony

2010-11-27T08:49:00.001-05:00

I had the amazing opportunity to second shoot a gorgeous wedding last month with the amazing Ellen LeRoy. It was such a fun wedding; a gorgeous couple, nice family, beautiful ceremony, an amazing venue & a magical night. Here is some of what I got:

my dragons

2010-11-01T21:38:00.003-04:00

Baby Tallen

2010-10-26T00:02:00.008-04:00

{ meet 2 weeks new baby Tallen }

He was so mellow & calm & sleepy...
and still all fuzzy & peely from just being born.
He is a sweet, wrinkly shar-pei of a baby & oh so perfect.
He was a perfect little model,
aside from not wanting to pose on dad's Navy cover.
Could this new (x4) mama be any more beautiful?
Can I have her skin? It is absolutely radiant
(and let's not get started about those long, gorgeous fingers).
This is one lucky baby, he's got some great parents.
And he'll definitely grow into his wrinkly skin -
with both parents over 6', Tallen will be a tall'un.

you can see the whole shoot here

atlantic beach, NC

2010-09-30T13:31:00.006-04:00

I saw these beautiful sisters while at the beach last week.
They were so sweet in their white sundresses;
mama was kind enough to let me take their pictures.
They reminded me of a line in a LeAnn Womack song:
"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean..."
Big Sister was excited to smile for me,
but Little Blondie got mad at me & ran away...
I took a few pictures, said thanks & ran back to my fam.
...a few minutes later, little Blondie came back
& said "cheeeeeeezzze" in the sweetest voice I ever did hear.
thanks, ladies!

and to the little girls' mama:
thanks again, you can view more from this shoot here

Emerald Isle, North Carolina

2010-09-10T21:47:00.001-04:00

mmmm.
I love the beach

emerald isle, NC

grandma & her grandboys

2010-09-07T15:29:00.003-04:00

{ my mama }

... she came to hang out & help while the hubs was at officer training
we had a good time with these busy, busy boys
we stopped at a beautiful park on the way to the airport
to try to capture the love before she left
there was a lot of running/chasing by everyone to get these pictures!

ODS Graduation

2010-08-29T23:28:00.007-04:00

United States Navy
{ officer development school graduation }
july2010
newport, rhode island
5 weeks of officer "boot camp"
to learn the Navy & become an officer
7 people fainted during the ceremony;
it was hotter than sin at 0900,
thanks to the heat wave on the NE coast.

The Caspers

2010-08-24T10:57:00.000-04:00

{ meet the casper fam }
they've got 4 girls & finally a boy
& there isn't anything they can't do...
from hair to cooking to building double-decker backseats,
to reading, decorating, home-renovating,
apple-farming, musical theatre, playing piano,
drilling on teeth, blogging, always finding the best deals,
& of course being the nicest folk you'll meet...
...the Caspers can do it all.
they just became New Englanders & are excited for their new adventures.

{ and tweenage boys... watch out:
I'm sure Dr Casper knows how to clean a gun, too.
And with these 4 beautiful girls, he will have plenty of practice. }

Casper preview

2010-08-12T14:19:00.004-04:00

...As soon as I know the Casper family is still alive & kicking, I will post much more of their family shoot here! For now, here's my favorite picture of the day, I can't stop staring at this image of sweet ~~Rapunzel~~ Kennon.

Baby Bowen

2010-07-20T15:38:00.004-04:00

Rockin' Ash Fam

2010-07-20T11:15:00.007-04:00

meet the Rockin' Ash Fam:

{ this sweet family is one of my favorites. in fact, my 3-year old is going to marry their 4-year old. super-mom Christy just had baby #5 right after dental school ended. perfect-teeth Glenn just graduated from dental school & will serve in the USAF for 3 years. these crazy beautiful kids (or crazy, beautiful kids) wanted pictures with daddy before he left for officer training.

because they will obviously miss him- a lot. }

More Rockin'

2010-07-13T02:02:00.007-04:00

{ the Dr & Mrs: }

{ the boys: }

{ the girls: }

2010-07-11T22:07:00.003-04:00

this little one was such a busy bee!
she had places to go & things to explore.

the green baby

2010-07-09T16:19:00.002-04:00

This was another one of the baby/mama models that came for the MeRa photography workshop I attended weeks ago. I just came in as things were wrapping up & snapped a few images of this sweet little guy.
I loved this little green baby! He was the cutest little guy & had such a happy bond with his mama.
I could stare at this picture forever....
and even after forever, I can't ever decide if I like it better in color or black & white.

Helen & baby David

2010-07-09T14:48:00.005-04:00

These two were my practice baby/mama models for the baby shoot on day one of the MeRa Workshop. What a mellow, content little guy & such a calm mama! You'd never know they had 5 other photographers right in their faces & that we were on a hotel staircase right above the lobby bar. Check out his piercing eyes & mama's awesome ring.

Robinson

2010-06-27T23:36:00.003-04:00

Here is my family for day 2 of the MeRa Photography Workshop that I attended in Jersey City, NJ. Here we are in the shade of the NJ skyscrapers in 90 degree heat on a Sunday afternoon! Meghan was eating up the camera & Sean was my I-dare-you-not-to-smile mission guy. They were a cute family & were also quite understanding of the whole 6 photographers in their spaces & faces thing.
This was my first full day of "I am converted to only shooting in Manual from now on..."

2010-06-04T02:16:00.004-04:00

seriously. I know I need to post on here.
I have many many photos on my harddrive waiting to be shared.... and even more on my memory cards.

I just got back from an amazing photography workshop with the one, the only: me ra koh. I have lots of images to share... but I'm exhausted & am still trying to soak in the art-changing weekend that I just had.

aaron

2010-05-26T00:50:00.001-04:00

I love him.

Victoria

2010-05-25T14:15:00.000-04:00

new york

2010-04-21T15:15:00.002-04:00

my sister's wedding day

2010-04-21T10:53:00.009-04:00

bwuberries

2010-03-30T22:45:00.002-04:00

vacation details

2010-03-30T13:58:00.003-04:00

the hubs & I got away for an amazing 7-day caribbean cruise. I was in heaven with all the delicious textures, colors, art, & details of the ship... not to mention the trip to tropical paradise with my man.

ruby

2010-02-02T22:46:00.000-05:00

2

2010-02-01T23:31:00.000-05:00

the jay & sarah fam

2010-01-31T23:03:00.000-05:00

{ meet jay, sarah, jacob & raphael }

sarah loves to read.
jay likes extracting teeth.
they do the CSA farm thing.
jacob loves trains & bob the builder.
they are connoisseurs/cooks of good food.
sarah makes 1000 different kinds of delicious Christmas cookies.
baby raphael is a future hair model.
they are flexitarians.
love this fam... so did my nikon.
lovely people, personally & photographically!

the dave & steph fam

2010-01-27T23:55:00.000-05:00

{ meet dave, stephanie, crew & trey }
they are dog people.
steph likes running & is doing p90x.
dave was a mma fighter.
crew hates going #2 on the potty.
trey is almost always smiling.
steph is canadian (my home away from home, eh?)!
dave likes steepandcheap.
steph loves dentists.
if you don't want your 3rds, talk to dave in 4 years.
these guys are always stylin'.

2010-01-20T22:14:00.003-05:00

hello, um, is this thing on?
testing?
anyone, anyone?
family? friends? random people? soar sisters?

please hold while I interrupt this blog... I need to figure out a few technical things - I need a logo/watermark to slap on my photos, but I know me & I know that will take me forever. because I will spend hours deciding between serif or sans serif & then change it altogether! so you see, I just have no time to do computer stuff these days.

my sister's wedding was last weekend on one coast & she's got another reception this weekend almost all the way to the other coast. the hubs is busy as usual & got some bad news yesterday... the little boys are, well, little boys. the laundry & dishes & dust & toy explosions don't stop.
so... please stand by.
this site will be up & running soon.
yeah. I know this is heart breaking news to all of you (all 6 of you who have actually stopped in!), haha, but come back soon & the pix will be back.

gracias.

2010-01-18T15:54:00.000-05:00