We had Eryn’s Sweet Sixteen party this weekend. I rented a sweet suite at the Homewood Suites, and Eryn and 5 of her closest friends and I hung out! It was great fun. The girls swam, ate, played games, watched the olympics and basically had an awesome time. The suite was gorgeous, and I highly recommend doing this for a special birthday party.

Late Saturday morning, just before checkout, I did some “hotel room” photos. We didn’t have much time at all – only about 15 minutes – but I managed to get a few memorable images.

Eryn and the girls (just 5, one had to leave early), but here they are…..
Meghan…Brooke…ERYN…Rachel…Meredith

Silly…

This is Rachel. She and Eryn have been friends since they were born..well, pretty much! Aren’t her eyes spectacular?!

Brooke! So beautiful! She and Eryn go way back and it was so awesome to have Brooke with us for the party!

Meredith. Naturally beautiful, and beautifully natural in front of my camera!

Meredith and Brooke. They didn’t even know each other before the party, but I thought they looked great with their long hair, so I put them together. Simply stunning!

And this last one…Eryn and Meghan. We did these photos a little while ago, but I never posted them, so here is one of my favorites..

All images ©Susan Dodd Photography.

Today my daughter, Eryn, turned 16. That’s right, 16 years ago, on this day, I gave birth to my first beautiful daughter. It’s so unreal how time just flies, but I have enjoyed every single minute of it! Eryn has been my assistant since I started my Cool Pets business, so many of you may know her. She has an amazing way with animals and is a huge asset to each session. Whether she is beside me helping to get my subject’s attention, or off keeping one, two or three dogs busy, while I’m working with the fourth dog, she is always there. I love our sitting adventures, and wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Mostly, I wouldn’t trade her for anything.

Eryn and I recently headed out to do some fun photos. I wanted to experiment, so off we went to the railroad tracks. Here are some of the results, along with a not so recent image.

Then and now..

Not sure of the exact date of this photo, but I think Eryn was only a few months old. We were on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey – one of our most favorite places at that time, and my husband, Derek, snapped this.

And, now, all grown up and beautiful.

All images ©Susan Dodd Photography.

I’m in the running for Best Pet Services in the My Fox Philly’s 2008 Hot list! Just click the link below to vote! It only takes a minute, and it would mean so much!

Thanks!

Today was the last day of my daughter’s team gymnastics camp. The girls have worked really hard all week, so it was time for a little fun. I didn’t take many photographs, however I did try to capture the mood and spirit of the evening.

Of course, there was a dog…Hershey. She wanted nothing more than to fetch, fetch, fetch, and then fetch some more. With a little coaxing, I managed to get her to pose for me.

There were also some pool shananagins. You certainly can’t have a party full of gymnasts without a little bit of throwing, flying and splashing. I love everyone’s expressions, even the girls who are watching.

And, finally, there were some cool girls laying in the grass. Well, actually, I asked them to lay in the grass. You know me, I just love that dramatic look!

All in all, I think everyone had a wonderful time.

All images ©Susan Dodd Photography

I had the pleasure of photographing the Carr family a bit ago. They all came together from near and far to visit and asked me to create some family images. It was a beautiful day and we all had a wonderful time. There was a lot of love flowing and I felt very honored to be a part of that special time.

Thank you Madeleine for allowing me to experience your family, and create some images that I hope will bring good memories of that day.

Photographs are important. They help us to remember our loved ones and keep them in our hearts even when they can no longer be with us.

I hope to post more of this fabulous family session, but for now I would like to honor John Carr who passed away Wednesday morning – June 25 – at his home. His spirit lives on in the hearts of his wife, their children and grandchildren.

John Carr
May 30, 1930 – June 25, 2008

John, Maureen and their children.

I love these two photos.

All images ©Susan Dodd Photography

Today was girlfriend day for my daughter. And, whenever a friend is over to play they always end up in front of my camera! After much coaxing and giggling, I was able to get the serious look I was hoping for.

Aren’t they gorgeous?

And, of course, silly.

One from a previous “Girlfriend” day.