Brunswick Forest - family session

Hi Joan & family!


I love so many of the photos from our session but I decided on a few to post here:

Be sure to share the blog post and slide show with your family & friends. Have them vote on their favorites from the session. After 8 responses, I'll post the winning shot and you'll receive a free 6x9 of your choice.


Looking forward to hearing from you!

Lara

Wrightsville Beach - One year shoot

Carolina Beach

I so enjoyed meeting and working with your family. You have such a nice family and I am excited we were able to capture this time before your daughter goes off to school.

We had an absolutely beautiful morning for a photo shoot... the sun had just risen, there was a slight ocean breeze and the water was calm.


There were so many photos I love from our session but here are my top 3:



Be sure to share the blog post and slide show with your family & friends. Have them vote on their favs from the session. After 8 responses, I'll post the winning shot and you'll receive a free 6x9 of your choice.



Looking forward to hearing from you!
Lara

Adorable!

Eli & I had a play date with friends at Airlie the other day. We had such a fun time and the gardens are absolutely beautiful. The staff at Airlie do amazing work.

Of course I brought along my camera and snapped a few shots. Here are my favs:

Can't wait to see you all again soon.
-Lara

Baby Food

Eli started eating homemade baby food around 4 1/2 months. We introduce new foods pretty regularly (using the 3-4 day wait period between new foods). I must say though, his menu gets pretty boring and I'm always looking for new recipes.

Pete & I love to cook and we are a big fan of spices. I have been waiting to introduce spices to Eli and I think he is ready to get a little adventurous.  Here's a fairly good article about introducing spices to baby:

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/tipspices.htm

So, I came across these two recipes today on Parents.com. 

Pears & Blueberry Puree: 
http://www.parents.com/recipe/fruit/even-pears-get-the-blues-pear-and-blueberry-puree/

Ingredients

• 1-1/2  cups  fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1    pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch slices
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Place pears and blueberries in a steamer basket set over gently boiling water. Cover and steam until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Remove blueberries and pear from steamer and allow to cool. Place in a food processor or blender. Add cinnamon; process until smooth. Serve or store in your favorite food storage container for up to 48 hours in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in your freezer.

Tip Don't have a steamer? No problem! Simply, place a metal colander over a pot of boiling water and cover. 

Minty Peas: 

http://www.parents.com/recipe/baby-food/minty-peas/

Ingredients

• 1  16-ounce package  frozen peas (I'll try to find fresh organic)
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh mint
•   Water (optional)

Directions 1. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.
2. Place frozen peas in a steamer basket set over gently boiling water. Steam peas until tender, about 6 minutes. Reserve about 1/2 cup of steaming water.
3. Remove cooked peas from steamer and plunge into ice water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking. Drain peas from ice water and place in a food processor or blender. Add mint and process until completely smooth. You may add in some of the reserved steaming water to adjust consistency, if desired.
4. Distribute mixture evenly among your favorite food storage container. This mixture will keep up to 48 hours in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in your freezer.
Tip: Don't have a steamer? No problem! Simply, place a metal colander over a pot of boiling water and cover.
Save Time: Skip the ice water/shocking step and place drained peas directly into the food processor. The color will not be as vibrant but the flavor will still be great!
Ages: 6+ months

*pics & recipes by Parents.com*

So, I'll stop by the downtown Farmers' Market on Saturday to pick up some organic mint and blueberries and possibly pears & peas. I'll make these yummy looking recipes and post some pics of Eli trying them out! I think I'll start with the blueberries & pears. Should be interesting :).

~ Lara

MSA Ceremony of Recognition - UNCW

Congratulations MSA Class of 2011!


I have enjoyed working with you and wish you all the best in your new endeavors.


Here are a couple of my favorite pics from the Ceremony of Recognition.

~ Lara

Family Shoot in the Downtown Wilmington Area

 


I had such a great time with you and it was so nice to see your family. You guys have such a lovely easiness...

Liam is a cutie and has changed so much from our last session at 9 months. I love the pics of him from Greenfield Lake!

There are so many great shots from our session but these are my top 5.

Be sure to share the blog post and slide show with your family & friends. Have them vote on their favs from the session. After 8 responses, I'll post the winning shot and you'll receive a free 6x9 of your choice.

Can't wait to see which ones you guys love!

~ Lara

Spring & Summer Special!

Every mom says it, and it is so cliche but, time really does go by so quickly. I can't believe my little Eli is almost 5 months old. It seems like just yesterday we were in the hospital.

The past five months have been amazing (and amazingly busy). I am loving every minute of being a new mom and I am so happy that I have an extremely large image box in Eli's room to keep the thousands of photographs of him that I have already taken!

In the spirit of babies, and to celebrate mommyhood, I have been running these two fantastic photo specials.

Don't miss this opportunity to capture these moments before they slip away.

Hugs,
Lara

Exciting News

I am so excited to announce the birth of our son, Elijah John.

Eli was born on December 4, 2010 at 11:34 pm… 6 lbs 12 ounces and 20 in. long.

Our first 9 weeks have been wonderful. Lots of visitors - family and friends - and lots of changes around the house (especially my need to have everything clean and in its place). Pete (husband) and I are just so happy and thankful for Eli.

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a mom - to four children, just like my parents. I have two brothers and a sister and cannot imagine growing up with a smaller family.

When Pete and I married in 2006, we chose to travel, enjoy each other, go out to dinner and the movies, stay out late, sleep late and really just enjoy our time together before we had children. We knew that once we were blessed with kids some things would change.

It came as a surprise that when we decided we were ready to have children, it didn't happen right away. For some reason, we thought it would be easy. No one ever tells you that it doesn't always work that way. The road to having children can be difficult, but it isn't something that is often spoken about. It’s amazing what needs to occur in order to conceive. The body really is a work of art. If one tiny detail is missing, or isn't exactly right, it doesn't happen or doesn’t progress the way it should.

Suffice it to say that the journey that ended with Eli’s birth was long, difficult and stressful... it consumed my thoughts. Family members who knew what I was going through thought it must be difficult for me to spend so much time with pregnant moms, newborns, infants and families. Honestly, it was the opposite. Being a family photographer helped me escape the stress. My clients are like family to me. Sharing time with children and experiencing the sheer joy and amazement that a newborn brings gave me the strength and resolve to make it through the tough times. It sounds corny, but when I look through the lens, I can see and feel the love in my client's eyes. It’s an honor and privilege to be able to capture these incredible moments in life. So, I want to say thanks to all of you who opened your hearts and homes to me over the past few years.

It was around my birthday last year that we found out we were pregnant. Although we were bursting with excitement, we were reluctant to share the news with anyone. It wasn’t until the 20th week that I started feeling a little better about baby Schuhmann. I felt great and was starting to ‘show’ more and more each day. I could feel baby moving. Friends could tell that I was pregnant, but I still wasn’t comfortable sharing the news with everyone. Because of all that we’d been through, I was still scared.

Around my start of my third trimester (and the start of my busy season), my doctors put me on bed rest. At this point I had still not formally announced my pregnancy to my clients, and I wasn't comfortable sharing the news then. Instead, I retreated. No quarterly newsletter, no mailings, no expos, no advertising, no holiday cards. I fulfilled my existing commitments, but couldn’t do anything else. I was told by the doctors to not work.
I had weekly - and sometimes bi-weekly - ultrasounds during my entire third trimester. Pete and I joked that our child would be the most photographed baby ever - starting in utero. Despite all the concern, it was reassuring to see those images of healthy baby Schuhmann every week.

December 4th was to be a very busy day. I had my last scheduled photo shoot that evening for a local company's Christmas party. Pete was set to roll sushi for 14 people at our friend's surprise 40th birthday party. The day didn't go quite to plan... at 5:30 am my water broke. I couldn't believe it. TWO WEEKS EARLY.

We went to the hospital and I was admitted by 10 am. By noon, arrangements were made with my back-up photographer and for the sushi party. The day was full of crazy funny stories... too much for a blog post...so ask me in person some time. Eli's birth day was one we will never forget. The support from my husband, parents, nurses and doctor was amazing. We shared lots of laughs and tears, but most importantly, we shared the birth of our child.

If I had to do it all over again (and I hope I get the chance), I would choose not to keep the pregnancy so quiet. It's an exciting and nerve-racking time for everyone. It helps to talk to other moms, share the ups and downs and let it out. Now that Eli is here and I am getting the hang of our new schedule, I am looking forward to seeing and sharing new experiences with you all.

The Update - With winter (finally!) behind us, we can focus on our remaining spring days and look forward to the warm summer months. Living in Wilmington offers some of the best weather and beautiful beaches. We aren't the only ones to take advantage of our area – tourists will soon be arriving in droves. The film industry also thinks highly of our little slice of heaven.

As I was watching television on a Saturday in February, the movie, “Weekend at Bernie's”, was starting. It was a cold and rainy day, one of those days you just want to curl up on the couch with a warm blanket, a hot cup of tea and a good - or in this case, brainless - movie. I have seen “Weekend at Bernie's” before but since it was a funny movie and it was about the beach, I thought, What the heck! and settled in.

If you haven't seen this movie, in summary, it is about two
co-workers who discover fraudulent activity within the
company. Upon discussing this with their boss Bernie, he invites them to his house at the "Hamptons" for a weekend to discuss these issues further. Little do these co-workers know, Bernie is the one behind this activity and arranges with the mob to have these two killed once they get on island.

As the co-workers step off the ferry at the "Hamptons", I
immediately recognize the ferry landing, the coastline views, the sandy beach and the flat expansive march areas - it's Bald Head Island! The movie goes on from there but my point is not to recap the silly plot.

My point is that our coastline is one of the most beautiful and most recognizable areas along the east coast. The blue hereon, the snowy white egret, the massive pelicans skimming the tops of waves, the sea grass and sea oats swaying atop the dunes, the marsh areas along the Intracoastal - it's all so North Carolina. So picture perfect.

To take advantage of these remaining spring days and our warm summer months, we will be offering Spring time in the Park and Beach Days photography specials to capture your family doing what North Carolinians do best, enjoying our area. Running through the grass at Airlie, frolicking in the surf at the beach, kayaking, golfing, fishing or just having a picnic dinner at the beach. Be sure to check out the website for these ongoing promotions. The fun starts with
Mother's Day at Airlie Gardens.

Although I wouldn't recommend Weekend at Bernie's for your next Netflix rental, I do recommend closing your eyes and imagining your family, a group of your best friends or your children relaxing and enjoying your time together at your favorite spot in North Carolina while I capture these fun times for you to
remember for Infinity.

Give me a call, shoot me an email or text and let’s set up a time to capture some memories.

~ Lara

Exciting News!

Specializing in maternity, newborn, toddler and family photography is so much fun and allows my creativity to flourish.

I love developing new poses for my clients and working with various colorful backdrop ideas. Setting up a new studio scene or incorporating festive new props into a shoot is always exciting.

I strive to design new poses that will enhance mom's pregnancy glow, capture your angelic newborns and create a relaxed and fun session for families - moments I can capture for you for infinity.

With that said, I am so excited to announce our first annual, Infinity Model Search!

The model search will allow me to practice new poses and work with new backdrops and scenes. I also am looking to do two scheduled days at a beach and a park.

I hope to come away with a few new models for my 2010 advertising campaign. I am looking for a variety of ages:

• a pregnancy model - 33 - 36 weeks
  
• a newborn model (less than two weeks old)
  
• a 3 - 4 month infant
  
• a 7-8 month infant
• a 12 - 15 month infant
• 24 month toddler
• 4 - 5 year old child and family

The sessions will begin in April.

To reserve your free session with print credit and to receive additional information regarding the Infinity Model Search, please email me: Lara@InfinityPhotoAndDesign.com. Selected models will receive a special gift.

I can't wait to share the details about the model search - and tell you about one other little secret!

Have a great day.

Lara

___________________
Lara Schuhmann
Infinity Photography & Design
Capturing Infinite Memories of your Family

Wilmington pregnancy photographer, Wilmington newborn photographer, Wilmington infant photographer, Wilmington toddler photographer, Wilmington family photographer

Springtime

Springtime is right around the corner and I don't know about you, but I can't wait for warmer weather, leaves on the trees and flowers!

We are so lucky to have such great parks in New Hanover County and this year, in honor of spring, we are offering a totally fab Springtime in the Park special.

As we enter this new season, let's play in the grass, smell the flowers and enjoy the outdoors while I capture candid moments and blooming personalities.

Check out the promotions section of the main website for more info on our Springtime in the Park special.

Enjoy the week!

Lara


___________________
Lara Schuhmann
Infinity Photography & Design
Maternity | Newborn | Infant | Toddler | Family Photographer

Newsletter:

This week, Infinity sent out our first newsletter to our existing client base. If you didn't receive one and would like me to send you a copy, please shoot me an email and I will add you to our list.

One change I would like to note:

the Halloween Bash on October 24 has been changed from Hugh McRae Park to Halyburton Park- shelter 1. Please email me with questions or to RSVP.

Lara@InfinityPhotoAndDesign.com

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the BASH!

Have a great day.x0 - Lara

The Update:

Summertime goes by so quickly each year. School's out, the sun is shining, the days are longer, the beaches are gorgeous, the water is warm, family and friends come to visit and our city comes alive. So much to do... and the summer days fly by.

Meeting and working with families coming into the area for a vacation or reunion adds to the summertime excitement. This summer I had the pleasure of working with families who came to our area from as far away as Paris and California!

In addition to photographing visitors, I had a great time catching up with existing clients! For those of you in Baby Steps and The Kids Club - meeting your children for the first time or seeing them after three months to photograph a new stage or new experience was amazing. I love that I can provide memories of their first time at the beach or blowing out their birthday candles.

Of course I didn't spend my entire summer taking pictures -In June, Pete (my hubby) and I took a short working trip to Lexington, VA in the Shenandoah Valley. Wow, what a beautiful area... rich history, beautiful vistas, raging rivers and quaint little towns.

In July, my family (16 all together) visited for 10 days, coming from CT, OR and TX. We hadn't been all together for three years so it was really a special treat. Also in July, Pete's family (14 all together) came to town to spend a week at the beach. We had a great time with our families, especially playing and catching up with our 13 nieces and nephews. To finish up the summer, we scooted up to Connecticut to celebrate my cousin’s wedding. It was huge! Phew! What fun!

Fall is fast approaching and with that comes the changing of the leaves, cooler air and the HOLIDAYS! I look forward to catching up and working with you all in the coming months.

xo ~ Lara

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Promotions & Extras section of the website for specials and upcoming events!

Whew

I can't believe how quickly time goes by. May is right around the corner! Our spring seemed to be a bit cooler this year, but I have enjoyed these past few weeks when we can open the windows and take advantage of the warm breezes.

There have been so many fun photo sessions and events I have had an opportunity to be a part of over the past couple months. I have really enjoyed being out, meeting new people, catching up with old clients and friends and helping to create memories for families and groups.

Going back to late February, I had a chance to work with Damian Brezinski and some of his colleagues on the Heart Ball. It was a fantastic black tie event with proceeds benefiting the American Heart Association. They raised over and above their goal this year - congratulations! I was honored to be a part of such a lovely evening.

March was a great month - one of my favorites. It does happen to be my birth month, but we also celebrate the beginning of spring! Pete took me to see my brother and sister-in-law and my niece & nephew in Oregon! We had a blast. (Photo of us in the woods.)

Infinity launched two new fabulous programs in March, Baby Steps and The Kids Club, at the Maternity & Baby Expo. Both were well received and I am so excited about them both. Shoot me an email - I would love to discuss them with you.

April has been beautiful and with the new season, we have worked with beautiful moms-to-be; newborns so cute and little; a little girl celebrating six months of life which is an adorable stage; and a few fun and crazy family sessions which I just love to be a part of.

I have two brothers and one sister. My oldest brother & has three boys (10 and twins who are 5). My sister has two girls (5 & 4) and my other brother has a girl and a boy (5 & 3). That is just on my side. Pete's sister (my sister-in-law) has three kids - boy and twin girls (9 & 5) and his brother (my brother-in-law) has two girls (5 & 2).

I love spending time with family - especially when we are all together (although it is crazy). Our family live all across the US and I miss them dearly. One really special part of my job is that for at least an hour, I get to meet, photograph, interact, provide lasting memories and create a special bond with your family.

Although all families are different, they are all special. I look forward to each and every session I have with my clients - new and established. It is always amazing to see your children grow and mature through the stages and it is something I will always cherish. I look forward to this fabulous summer season with you!

Enjoy!
Lara Schuhmann

Overdue...

Business has been quite busy and I am long overdue for a blog post. I have however, been keeping a list of topics that I would like to share. Most importantly - and briefly - the 2009 Heart Ball benefiting the American Heart Association. That is me in the photo with Edwin McCain :) More to come on that topic...

Just a quick FYI - I will be participating in the Maternity & Baby Expo tomorrow, Saturday, March 14, at the Coastline Convention Center in downtown Wilmington. This is an annual event where expectant couples and parents of small children can find information on "everything from pregnancy to preschool", as Suzzee Toon writes.

To address any uneasiness and hesitation some parents have regarding maternity and baby photography sessions, I will be doing two short demos, a maternity session at 12:30 and a baby demo at 2:30. For more information on the event, visit:

http://www.maternityandbabyexpo.com/expo/index.html

or shoot me an email.

Hope to see you there!

Lara Schuhmann

Trees:

I read this article a couple days ago in the Star News:

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20090224/ARTICLES/902240289#

red circle shows the power lines through the trees

This is quite disturbing news! I understand the need to keep "vegetative debris" away from power lines, especially in a hurricane prone area where wind can bring down large trees and limbs, but cutting down century old trees (or any trees for that matter) seems to me like the wrong move.

Trees, like the ones Mr. Turner planted 12 years ago when he moved to South 10th Street, provide shade in the summer which in turn keeps the area cooler, allow the sun to warm homes in the winter, provide cleaner air by trapping soil and air pollution and are visually attractive. These are just a few things trees (and forests) provide for us.

My husband and I live along a tree lined road. I can't imagine our neighborhood, or our front yard, without the beautiful oaks and crape myrtles. We would lose two large trees from our front yard and two cypress from the median. For me, this would significantly lower the area's charm, curb appeal and my desire to stay in the neighborhood.

One possible solution is to, as a neighborhood, raise half of the money necessary to place the power lines underground. This would eliminate the need to cut down the trees and provide a more visually appealing area. Although there are additional costs associated with underground power lines, I feel the costs outweigh the alternative. Too often trees are haphazardly cut down. It is time we start thinking of alternative ways of doing things instead of taking the easy way out.

The photos posted are of our front yard and median area.

Have a look around your yard, your neighborhood and our city to see how you could be affected.

- Lara Schuhmann

Trees in the median

English Muffins

A few years ago, Pete (my hubby) started to dabble in bread-making. He began with basic white bread, then moved to sourdough, had a few weekends of rye and even a hearty breakfast loaf with raisins and oats (my favorite). I will admit, the first few loaves were a bit stout, but as time goes on, the bread gets better and better!

A typical breakfast and lunch for us definitely has bread on the menu. For breakfast, a couple pieces of toast, a muffin, bagel or egg sandwich and for lunch, a cheese or veggie sandwich.

We were out of the country for seven months in 2007. On the go all the time, bread was a quick and easy solution for every meal. A quick piece of toast for breakfast or a cheese sandwich thrown in a cooler for a picnic lunch was pretty much what we ate on a daily basis. After the first month, as you can imagine, we started to get tired of the same ol' same ol' and I began to look up recipes for English muffins.

A bit of background on our local: we were in Barbados, which use to be a British colony but gained it's independence on November 30, 1966. Life in Barbados definitely has British influence. We rented the downstairs apartment from Barbara whose home overlooks the Caribbean Sea. Barbara, who has called Barbados home for quite some time, is from Whales and is very familiar with muffins, or crumpets as she calls them. One afternoon, I decided to give the recipe a go.

When Pete first started to make bread he kneaded by hand since we didn't have a stand mixer. I noticed that this was a grueling task for him, messy and could get quite hot in the summer. Of course, we did not have a stand mixer in Barbados so my first attempt at muffins was by hand. We did not have AC in the apartment - which really is not needed - but when kneading bread, I am sure a few drops of extra salt made it into the dough ;)

I followed the recipe, waited for the dough to rise and finally, cooked them. What a WONDERFUL treat! I immediately brought one to Barbara who gave them her stamp of approval. What a delightful addition to any cook's cookbook.

Here is the link to the recipe from cdkitchen - this is the first recipe I used for muffins. They are better than Thomas's! FYI - I did not use the natural improver.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/505/Ultimate_English_Muffin48306.shtml

This last time, I used the recipe below from the Joy of Cooking - Rombauer, Becker and Becker, 2006. I found this recipe produces fluffier, more milky and biscuit- like muffins when toasted. I personally like the fist recipe better but of course, these are still yummy!

Stir together in small bowl and let stand 3-5 minutes:
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 package active dry yeast
Combine in large bowl:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup room temp milk
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
Stir in dissolved yeast and gradually beat (or stir) in:
- 2 cups sifted flour (I just poured in the four gradually)
Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let sponge rise in a warm place for 1.5 hours or until it collapses back into the bowl.
Beat in:
- 3 tbs softened butter
Beat or knead in: and this is where it gets messy :) if you don't use a stand mixer
- 2 (or more depending on consistency) of all-purpose flour (sifted if you want)

You want your dough to be a bit sticky but not so sticky it cannot be handled. Place your dough on a lightly floured (or cornmeal) area of your counter and hand-roll your dough out like a snake. You want the dough to be about 1/2 in thick and then cut into rounds about 3 inches (or larger/smaller) in diameter. I pat each side with cornmeal. Place them on a greased baking sheet and let rise until doubled in size.
Cooking your dough: generously grease a griddle/frying pan and heat until hot. Work muffins in batches cooking each side until they are nicely browned. I usually cook them on a med-high to high temp for about 2 - 3 minutes per side. Let cool on rack. I usually don't let mine cool - they are so good hot right off the griddle!

I have attached a few photos: top photo is of the bread and muffins we baked yesterday. The photo on the bottom left are the muffins after their second rise. The bottom right is the finished batch.
Have a great week & enjoy!
~ Lara Schuhmann

Joy of Cooking Recipe

Little River

For the past couple weeks, I have been going through receipts, organizing invoices and statements from vendors and entering numbers into spreadsheets. We do our own taxes so all of our i's must be dotted and t's crossed. Most of the time, it is a pretty stressful task.

Besides accountants and tax prep offices, I can't think of too many people that enjoy this season but, I do always like to find at least one good thing about a situation. I started to think about what was happening last year around this time and I remembered the Little River Trail Run.

The LRTR is an annual (trail running) race held at the Little River Park right on the Durham/Orange County (NC) line. The park is absolutely beautiful with 7+ miles of hiking trails and 8 miles of mountain-biking trails. Of course you can also find hardwoods, creeks, hills, evergreens, wildlife and the peace and tranquility of the woods.

I grew up in a small town in Connecticut with woods all around, ponds and creeks to play in and plenty of wildlife to keep me entertained. Heading up to Durham and spending time in the woods waiting for runners to pass to snap their photos was right up my ally.

My husband and I set-up in different locations along the trail to catch both the 7k and the 10 mile runners - by a lovely creek, up a winding hill and the finish line. The runners, from the looks of the photos, were enjoying themselves; some made funny faces and had very interesting things to say as they ran by. I myself would have been so out of breath I wouldn't have been able to say a word!

The top photo is overlooking one of the creeks. The photo below is of me, making sure I set-up the camera in the correct position to capture the runners and the tree in the top left.

Lara Schuhmann

Founder's Gala

In November of last year, I looked into putting together a photography fundraising event with proceeds benefiting a local charity in Wilmington. I contacted the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation to see if I could donate to the Betty H. Cameron Women's & Children's Hospital.

After talking with a few fantastic individuals in the foundation office, I learned about an annual event - The Founder's Gala. The Gala is an annual black-tie event bringing together, monetary donors to the foundation, doctors, nurses and physicians. The event is open to corporate sponsors and proceeds from the fundraiser benefit various departments within the hospital. This year, money raised benefits the Betty H. Cameron Women's and Children's Hospital. What a perfect fit!

I talked with foundation members and the gala committee regarding logistics and we decided it would be great to photograph children in the community born at New Hanover, some of whom began their lives in the neonatal intensive care unit. I planned to donate twenty framed photographs to the foundation for display at the Gala on January 24. The photographs would include children, mother with child and pregnancy poses. Parents would have an opportunity to purchase the photographs with all proceeds going to the foundation. Those not purchased would decorate the walls in the Women's and Children's hospital.

In late November and into early December, I photographed fourteen wonderful families. I was able to meet and work with children of all ages and parents excited about the event. The gala committee members were eager to assist and just as excited as I to see the final product.

On January 23, my husband and I arrived at the Coastline Convention Center, the venue for the event, with twenty framed photographs: ten 18x24's and ten 20x24's. For the next few hours, all twenty were hung on the walls while committee members and volunteers decorated for the event the following evening.

I had an idea of the decor and the overall theme of the event but, arriving on the 24th and stepping inside, I was blown away. The decor was amazing, the lighting elegant and romantic. The evening was quite special.

My hope in donating the photographs was to emphasize children, capture their innocence and call to mind the need to keep children safe, cared for and healthy.

It was lovely to be apart of the Founder's Gala this year. I look forward to participating and hosting more fundraisers in the future to benefit our local charities.

Lara Schuhmann

A New Chapter

Infinity Photography & Design has been in business just over a year and WOW, what a year it has been! This first year has been amazing and I am infinitely convinced I made the right decision to switch careers.

For me, starting Infinity has been quite challenging both mentally and physically. My patience, mental strength, decision making skills and intelligence are questioned and scrutinized (by me) over each and every move made in the business.

With a degree in journalism and a specialization in advertising, moving into a field where I can create and capture moments in lives of families and businesses is really a special blessing. It has allowed me an opportunity to hone my skills in a new trade while continuing my education in advertising, journalism and the art of photography and design.

In addition to the "business" aspect, I have a chance to meet and work with wonderful people: first time parents, parents of two and three (and four) children, first time grandparents and families where I meet immediate and extended members. Small business owners, doctors, nurses, volunteers - people just like you and me. Each individual is looking to capture and display a moment in their lives. I am truly honored I am called to create these memories.

Over the years to come, I hope to be able to write at least every other day. To keep a better record of Infinity's progression and to keep my clients abreast of new topics, exciting details and little tidbits. Truly starting "A New Chapter".

Lara Schuhmann