Boston Family Photographer: We're Having a Heat Wave

This little guy was such a pleasure to photograph! First of all, I think he knew a record number of words. Secondly, he could really throw a ball! He legitimately had a great arm! He's got a good future ahead of him in school and sports! Getting to hang out with my littlest clients at their homes is always so much fun. I got to see his car collection and his books and even some of his stuffed animals (a few of which ended up on my head).







Since we had such a beautiful day, we were able to go outside and play, too! There's something so joyful about swinging!


I hope everyone is keeping cool on this steamy day!

Surrounded By Stories, Surreal & Sublime

Meet my friend Emeline. She just recently turned one and loves to stand up on her own.

She's not so sure about walking (her mom says she's "risk averse"), but she'll get there. For now, this is exciting enough.

She's sassy enough to wear shades.




She makes all sorts of crazy faces and "talks" up a storm. So much fun to hang out with!

It's easy to see why her parents are head-over-heels in love with her. She pretty much rocks; it's as simple as that.

When it got a little warm for us outside, we headed in to the library to play in the children's section. Libraries are always cool (in both senses of the word).

"Uhm, mom, you put me on a shelf with a wild animal."


Future nerd. Love it!


I've been photographing Emeline since her mom's maternity session. I love watching the little babies get older and become little kids. One of the best parts of the job.

Take These Broken Wings and Learn to Fly

I love this photo of Josie - it's the calm in the eye of the storm of a 2 yr old! Only a few days after our photo shoot, she managed to break her arm! Yikes! Something tells me it didn't slow her down all that much!


A week from today, in fact, dare I say, EXACTLY one week from now, Doug and I should be landing in Buenos Aires. We'll be there through the New Year, which means, when I return, it will be 2009. Even with all of the crazy things going on in the world, I can't help but be excited about the upcoming year. There are going to be a lot of changes over here at Margaret Belanger Photography and I'm looking forward to tackling them all, and maybe cleaning all the clutter off my desk! In the meantime, lots of preparation for Christmas and for our trip. Time to go shopping!

When You Wish Upon A Star

When I photographed Sofia, I was transported into her enchanting world, a world where Tinkerbell had given her magical powers. I was smitten. How can you not want to hang out with a little girl with magical powers?!

This photo was taken in a fleeting moment of relaxation after showing me her dance routine. Yup, her dance routine!


And here she is with her trusty magic wand!


She told me in no uncertain terms that being able to use the camera does not count as magical powers. However, she reassured me that if I practiced, I could get some magical powers, too. Abracadabra!


I love how little she looks on her big bed, just hanging out with her magic wand.


This was such a fun shoot (obviously). Sofia even colored a picture for me to take home! You better believe it's hanging on my fridge.

Today was pretty chilly. Hope everyone is staying warm and getting their shopping done! Doug and I are all thrown off this year since we won't really be participating in our usual Christmas traditions. I'm usually on top of all my shopping, but this year, I feel behind. Oh well. That's what the internet is for!

When You Give Me That Pretty Little Pout

This is my "niece" Sophie - she's not really my niece but my cousin's daughter (whatever that makes her). She calls me "Auntie Meg," so I think it's only fair I get to call her my niece. I love seeing this face at my photo shoots! Lucky for her she's so adorable otherwise she would have been in some serious trouble!

I'm Learning to Fly

Finally I can get back to posting! Just yesterday I essentially finished editing all of this season's weddings, which has me very excited. My next wedding is in about two months - in Buenos Aires! The holidays are right around the corner. Every year, I photograph my friend Tiffany's family. I've been doing it since before her son was born (she was my first maternity shoot out of the studio) and it's always fun to spend some time with them. Earlier this month I was able to scoot down to the Cape for a visit and a photo shoot.

Here's Nick. He loved riding on his scooter. He seemed to think I was pretty amusing, so I'll thank him for that when he gets older.



This is Nick's best friend Ruby. Adorable, huh? I have a feeling their moms are planning some sort of pagan betrothal.



And this little guy is Ruby's baby brother Odin.


It was awesome that we could still take advantage of the nice autumn weather. I can't say enough about Tiffany and her family. I can tell you she is an amazing wife, mother, and friend but the words could never convey the actuality of it all. I'm lucky to have her in my life, for sure! When we were in high school, we stood in line in the snow at the crack of dawn to get tickets to see Tom Petty at the Boston Garden - the REAL Boston Garden. It seemed only fitting to use a Petty song for her post.

Now that I've come up for air, you'll be seeing a lot of new posts. I've still got a couple of weddings to write about as well as a lot of other shoots! Stay tuned...

At the Playground

See, I can quote "Iesha" more than once! I might have to keep returning to that song; it seems to have a lot of possibilities.

I was lucky enough to play with Scarlett and her family last weekend. We explored not one, but two, playgrounds. Ah, to be a kid in the city! I don't normally post all black & white photos, but these ones really struck me and I wanted to share them.





Also, I've been "tagged" by the lovely Dorie of Dorie Lynn Photography. Basically, I have to tell you 8 things about myself. So, get to know your friendly neigborhood photographer.

1) I hate carrots. Really. They taste like the ground to me. I will most definitely eat around them. Out of all the childhood food dislikes, this one has really stuck with me.

2) I haven't purchased a pair of sneakers since I was 17 and I was told I needed them to go on my COOT (Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip). I probably wouldn't have bought them then, either, if they hadn't been explicitly listed on the "Things You Must Have To Survive" list for college.

3) I've been kicked out of Central Park by the cops twice.

4) I am caffeine-free, although as a result, I've developed a taste for wine.

5) I am scared of the dark so I have to sleep with the TV on (I always set the sleep timer) or I have to read until I fall asleep. It's not that I think there are monsters in the closet - it just unnerves me a little.

6) My sister is 16 yrs younger than me, which is actually a lot of fun. Even though she thinks I'm a total dork. She's not wrong. Except when I take her to Rated R movies - she likes that.

7) I asked Doug to give me a fun fact about me and he said "You're indifferent about the amount of cheese that I eat." That's questionable, but I'm throwing it on my list anyway because it amuses me. For my real fun fact, my first "late" movie was a 10:10p showing of "Bird on a Wire" with Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn. My cousin Marissa took me and my brother when she was babysitting.

8) I'm a total pack rat. I love hanging on to things with sentimental value, or that I think will have sentimental value 50 yrs from now. I'm trying to be good, so if I am forced to throw something out or give it away, I photograph it. For some reason, that to me proves that I had it. I have always been a documentarian. So, when you see the photos of old cans and police tape and dresses on my blog, it generally means that immediately following their photo shoot, they went on a very long vacation.

Okay, those are my 8 facts. Apparently I am now supposed to tag other people, but Dorie already tagged everyone I know for the most part. Back to work for me! Plenty of editing and posting going on over here.

It's A Sunshine Day!

This past weekend, I photographed Madison and her family. We shot at home and then went on an adventure to the Public Gardens where we encountered dogs, squirrels, ducks, pigeons, and other small children. The weather was beautiful, despite the forecast for rain, and we were able to make the most out of the day.


I love this photo of dad and Madison looking at each other through a glass-paned door. The way children reach out and put their palm to yours, even though they can't actually touch you, is awesome.




For some reason, I posted these photos all in black and white. They look good in color, too, but I guess only Madison's family will be able to see those!