Remember the red door shot from Ursinus College?  How could you forget, it’s only a few posts down! 

So, this is what I do for fun. As all of my clients know, I love setting images to music. I love music. As a matter of fact, I used to sing in a small band. Love to sing. Love music. Love photography set to music.

Occasionally, when I hear a song for the first time, I am struck by the fact that I need to use it as a background for some of my images.

Such was the case when I heard this song. Right at about the midway point of “Twilight” is the baseball scene…which may be arguably the absolute best scene in the movie. Great scene, great action, great music….Super Massive Black Hole…an amazing song by Muse.

So, yesterday I sat down with the images from the “red door” sitting and Super Massive Black Hole… and created this…a pretty fun show. I really think the images were perfect for the song, since my daughters and nephews…although they are most definitely not vampires….do “bad ass” pretty darned well.

Now remember, I am biased when it comes to these subjects!

If you would like, click the letters (or the photo) below and enjoy!

..d.. | ..e.. | ..b.. | ..c..

All images ©Susan Dodd

Any mail pouch barn hunters out there?

I recently found out that only ten minutes from home is…well…see below. Isn’t it AMAZING???

My daughter put it best today when we drove by..she said, “it feels like we’re in another land!”

All images ©Susan Dodd

Ok, it’s time.

I have seen this…oh maybe a thousand times…!! But it still gets me, every time. It is totally and exactly why I LOVE photography and photographic images and why I continue to do what I do.

It is really the true meaning of it all.

Please, you owe it to yourself to watch the whole thing. If it makes you cry, as it always does to me, you got it.

I was just watching the Stand Up to Cancer presentation. As someone who did “stand up to cancer,” this is something near and dear to my heart.

About 6 years ago, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. It was a long process to find out exactly what the problem was, but in the end, I was diagnosed with endocervical cancer. Having dealt with many things in my life, cancer is not the word I thought I would have to deal with. You see, I am a type I diabetic (juvenile diabetes). I was diagnosed when I was 23 – later than many. But, it totally changed my life. I became comitted to making sure my care, and health was at it’s optimum best. And, on that front, I have succeeded. I have two happy, healthy daughters, both delivered naturally. So, as you can imagine, when they told me I had cervical cancer, I was thinking, “oh, come on, how much more am I supposed to handle?”

But, thanks to a great friend, doctor, and client Jim Mollick and a relentless search, my cancer was discovered and, through major surgery, removed. Dr. Jim Mollick was my OB GYN. He is amazing. He did not give up until he found what was causing all the abnormal test results. I owe him my life, and I am forever grateful to his caring ways.

Also, Dr. Mark Shahin – Rosenfeld Cancer Center at the Abington Memorial Hospital, who performed my surgery, and who’s care I have been under since, is an absolutely amazing and wonderful man. I thank him as well.

So, the good news. I am now cancer free. I have reached and passed my 5 year anniversary and am proud to say, that I am CANCER FREE!!!

For anyone who faces this, or anything like it, I would love to hear from you, my fellow cancer fighters, survivors and champions.

Comments, as always, are more than welcome.

Eryn and her friend Meghan seem to keep finding themselves in front of my camera. Or, more accurately, they put themselves in front of my camera. Hey, it’s fun to pose. We did our first session right in the middle of the day when the sun couldn’t have been any higher in the sky – not the best for portraits; so I promised them I’d do another session. Well, this time they “forced” me to run over to the the middle school right at dusk – or should I say ONE minute before complete darkness!!!  

Actually, though, it made for an interesting look. They are so into it, aren’t they?

Thank you to all of you who have voted for me in the My Fox Philly HOT LIST!!  I am currently in 2nd place so I can still use more votes!

There is still time so please click the link below and vote, vote, vote! 

THANK YOU!!

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!