So first, I ordered the photo clips that would keep the central photo collage together. These are available on Photojojo. (They’re not paying me in any way to link to them. I paid for the clips and everything else here.) I also ordered the prints – 4×6 prints in deep matte paper, which I prefer over the standard glossy photo paper. I added a white border to all of the prints while ordering from my lab, to kind of frame each image, and put some separation between images. I didn’t order a set amount of prints, I just ordered what I liked at the time. I figured I could add more later, or not use them all if I had too many. I think there are around 75 images here. I also bought thumbtacks at Target, that I used to hang the whole wall. I just grabbed whatever Target had at the time, you can use anything really. There is a little hole in the middle of each photo clip that the thumbtack goes into.

I began assembling the photos by making strips of horizontal photos and strips of vertical photos. I just eyeballed the space over the organizer (Ikea Expedit) and starting laying them out. I knew that I wanted the wall to be large in scale, and I knew I wanted to separate the horizontal & vertical images a little bit, instead of trying to fit them together like a puzzle. I don’t have the patience for that. I’ve also seen this done with only horizontal images, for a more streamlined look. There is no rhyme or reason to how the photos are laid out. They’re not in any order, and there are color and black & white images mixed together.
Once I had about 7 strips created, I began hanging them.

I started in the middle with a vertical strip, and added horizontal ones to either side, two on each side. I used a thumbtack to hang the strip from the top, and then went down and clipped the photos to each other. I’m not going to lie, clipping the strips together on the wall was kind of a pain. I’m a perfectionist, so I kept trying to get the photos to lay exactly right…but I gave that up after a bit, because I was driving myself crazy. I added another thumbtack every other clip or so – I didn’t use one in each photo clip, I didn’t see the need.
That’s about it! Once I clipped all of the strips together, I thought it looked too square, so I added another row on either side. I knew I would be adding the canvases of the kids also, to balance out the busyness of the collage. The canvases are 20×24 in size, and I purposely went for images that had simple backgrounds and had colors in them that would contrast the sandy-beige playroom walls. And there you have it!
Sooo happy I can cross this off my list this month. Next up, the living room. It needs lots of help. Feel free to email or ask questions in the comments if you have any!

I LOVE that people come back every year to do new photos. It’s wonderful to catch up with families, and see how the kids have grown. (I also feel like I’ve said this before on here, so forgive me if I sound like a broken record!)

The day of our session was another one of those gloomy days we had so many of last fall – chilly, drizzly, soaking wet ground, and what we call “pea soup light” – flat, gray, and dull. We were determined to make it work for us, and the kids (cousins, I love how close they are!) did a fabulous job! Below are just a few of my favorites.
K family, it was so awesome to see you again! Thanks for braving the New England weather with me!

? And all that rain??), and before I had Kellan, so we ended up at the orchard on one of the busiest and hottest days (80s in October!) last fall. And mom was determined to get photos in the adorable initial sweaters you’ll see below – I love them! We only had them wear the sweaters for a few minutes because it was so warm out. The boys loved the orchard, I think they each ate about 4 apples while we were shooting!

this without you all! I can’t wait to see you in 2012. Happy New Year!

ng it. And that I do. They’re inspiring, exciting, and so FUN. I mean, we all love a good wedding, right? I know my dancing machine husband does!
(The next 2 I took while second shooting for Meg Sexton from Meg Sexton Photography. We took an amazing roadtrip up to Bar Harbor, Maine, it was such a fun weekend!)
As I mentioned yesterday, I only book a handful of weddings each year – the time commitment is just too great to do more than that for me at this time. June 2012 is currently booked for weddings, but I am open to taking a couple more later in the year, so feel free to contact me if you are interested!

Last up, for New Year’s Eve, I will be posting my favorite personal photos from the year. I have a lot of personal faves this year, especially with the new arrival of our son!

Most of my clients are families, so you’ll probably see a lot of repeat faces from yesterday’s post!
(These next two are two of my all-time favorites, I still have to blog this session! From the same session as the two above them.)
Tomorrow I’ll be looking back on the weddings I shot. I am loving photographing weddings, I hope to do more next year (which is looking good, considering June is already totally booked!).

Thank you to all of my wonderful little friends here, for making 2011 such a fun year for me.