The Raffle Shoot :)

Good morning!

I titled this entry "the raffle shoot" because these adorable kids won their photo session at the C.A.G. Fun Run this year! It was the cutest thing...they were announcing the winners of each raffle prize, and when they called the Bella Notte Photography photo session prize winner, I heard the name and wasn't sure who it was. Then I see this teensy tiny little girl running up with her mom, to claim her prize! :) I was so excited-this little girl and her three siblings had been such enthusiastic and precious little participants in the Fun Run, and now I had the chance to take their photos! I was joking with my husband that they were the ones I took the most photos of DURING the Fun Run, before I even knew them, because they were so darn cute! And now I had the chance to have a real session with them! Too perfect :)

Another neat part of this photo session was that my husband and I are good friends with some family members of theirs. We went out to their land in a nearby town, last weekend, and enjoyed beautiful weather as we explored acres upon acres of beautiful country! Their family lives in an gorgeous area and while exploring their property we saw their sheep farm, a huge blackberry patch (they're grown organically so we ate them right off the plant--delicious!), some little deer, peacocks, their old treehouse, and other fun things. When the kids arrived, it was obvious they were right at home, and it was such a blast to run around with them and capture them as they played together. Here are a few samples of the shoot; you can see more on my Facebook fanpage, or on my main site.

I saw this wheelbarrow sitting in the grass and knew I HAD to use it for photos. It was perfect! This little champ was a great sport, too--a total natural, as you can see :)

I told the littlest one to put her hands on her lap "like this," which she did, but also added in a cute little shoulder shrug, which I love! :)

The kids were pretty excited when I suggested we take some photos on top of their cool red SUV. The littlest one's expression is again, priceless! Such beautiful children.

Having fun being bounced by big brother and sisters!

They got a bit goofy in the woods, but it was great :) I think photos often look better when they're not "perfectly posed;" I'd rather the kids wear their true expressions and let their personalities shine, rather than the photo look fake or forced. This one shows that little one was getting a little tired of photos....who would blame her? But she still looks cute :)

Like I mentioned before, this one was such a natural. His mom was chuckling and shaking her head at his funny ability to make a perfect smile and pose for photos. He loved it! I caught him candid at times, too, though, as you can see above--he's cute either way :)

Hope you enjoyed the post! I put all black and white photos on this post, I realize....I do love my black and white :) Something about it just makes photos look so classic.  See the following post to see more photos of the gorgeous countryside where I took these photos! :)

Cait

A few more shots of Guatemala

Good morning!
I've been meaning to post some more shots of Guatemala I've captured our last few times in Antigua...here are a few. Guatemala is such a beautiful country, and Antigua is one of my favorite places.

This weekend I have two sessions planned-one is photo shoot I donated as a raffle prize at a local 5k race event; the family who won is actually related to some friends of ours, so that is fun! The parents have four beautiful kids, so I am excited to photograph them this weekend. It is also my husband's great-grandmother's 100TH BIRTHDAY-can you believe it?! So incredible. Check for photos on Facebook of the birthday party :) Should be a fun event!

To get back on topic, here are the Antigua photos :)

A few shots are of Las Bouganvilias, an incredible bed & breakfast in Antigua! Others are shots take from Sky Café, a fun restaurant that allows you to sit on the roof and have a great view of the city.

  

 

Our friend Shelly was visiting, so she took this shot of my husband and I from the top of Sky Café. Since I'm normally the one holding the camera, it's not often we get a photo together! :) Thanks Shelly!

A few more shots of Las Bouganvilias; they have a beautiful facility and serve delicious breakfast!

These photos are from the Capuchinas ruins--a great spot for photos!

 

  

We saw a long line of old, antique-looking bikes on the side of the road, and I couldn't resist! I love taking photos of anything old or historical. 

 

Even the street signs in Antigua are picturesque! :)

From Guatemala...to Minnesota...to Texas!

Happy Friday everyone!
Hope everyone has had a great week! I'm sure you are all ready to relax now that it is finally the weekend. I wanted to take this opportunity to announce a few changes that will be going on with my husband and I in the next few months.

Many of you have already heard, but for those of you who haven't: Alex and I will be moving to Texas sometime this summer. I will be leaving Guatemala May 4, and flying home to Minnesota. I have missed my family and friends and....yes...even the Minnesota winters! :)  So I am very excited to be home again. Anyway--I have already booked about nine photo sessions for the month of May, while I am home. There are still a few openings, so if you have been thinking about booking a session with me, fill out a contact form on my site, or send me an email at caitlinreyes@bellanottephoto.com and we can chat! I would love to hear from you.

I MIGHT be in MN longer than just May; I am hoping that will be the case. However, I am not sure yet. It will depend on whether I am hired in Texas before June. If not, I will have to move down to our Texas home in early June, and continue my job hunt. Hoping and praying that won't be necessary, though, because I'd love to be in MN with everyone for as long as possible! Plus...that Texas heat is a doozy! :)

A friend of my husband's has designed a sweet flyer for me, to advertise for those of you still needing your senior portraits taken! I will try to attach it in the next post. If you, or anyone you know, still hasn't gotten their senior portraits done, let me know! I also photograph little ones (flyer attached!), family portraits, and engagements/weddings; check out my work here, on my site, or my Facebook fanpage!

Please don't hesitate to email or message me if you have any questions whatsoever. I look forward to hearing from you! :)

<3 Cait

Lizzie & Nora-Too Cute! (Lizzie y Nora--Demasiadas Lindas!)

Hey again,
Two posts in one day--a record for me! :) Trying to get caught up on the blog. So far so good.
Lizzie is one of my friend's toddlers, and Nora is her brand new baby cousin--both girls are absolutely gorgeous. I went over to hang out at their house for a few hours, and they were ready to go! Their moms had bought them matching cousin outfits--how cute is that?! These two were too precious--both together and apart. See for yourself!

Hola otra vez,
Dos entradas en un día--un record para mi! Intentando de ponerme al corriente en el blog. Por el momento, bien. Lizzie es una bebé de mi amiga, y Nora es su prima nueva--los dos son absolutamente guapísimas. Fui a su casa para pasar tiempo con ellas por unas pocas horas, y ellas estaban listas! Sus mamás las habían comprado ropa igual--que lindo! Esas fueron demasiadas preciosas--juntas y apartes. Vean por sus mismos!

   

 

Carol & Fabio: engaged! (Carol y Fabio: comprometidos!)

Hello there!
I have not written in so long--I apologize! My goal for spring is to more regularly update my blog, so that you all have something to actually read :)

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of going to the Capuchinas ruins in Antigua with Carol and Fabio, who are recently engaged! These two are two of the sweetest people I know, and make an adorable couple. The Capuchinas ruins provided some gorgeous spots for photos, and the couple brought along a whole box of fun props! (We didn't end up using many of them, since the guards at the ruins were a little skeptical of why we were carrying around a large plastic tub full of things, hehe! But these two had plenty to offer, without the props, and looked gorgeous!)

Now I'll let the photos speak for themselves :) Enjoy!

Hola!
No he escrito por mucho tiempo...lo siento! Mi meta para esta primavera es hacer entradas más frecuentamente para mi blog, para que ustedes tengan algo que leer :)

Hace pocas semanas, tuve el privilegio de ir a las ruinas Capuchinas en Antigua con Carol y Fabio, quiénes son recientes comprometidos! Esos dos son gente tan dulce, y hacen una pareja adorable. Las ruins Capuchinas nos provieron algunos lugares bellísimas para las fotos, y la pareja trajó una caja de accesorios también! (En fin no los usamos, porque las guardias de las ruinas fueron un poco escépticos de porque nosotros estábamos llevando una caja grande de cositas, jeje! Pero esas dos tuvieron mucho ofrecer para las fotos, sin los accesorios, y veían bellísimos.

Ahora dejo que las fotos hablan por sus mismos :) Disfrutanlas!

Adams Family Portraits (Retratos de la familia Adams)

Good afternoon,
Here are a few samples from my shoot with the Adams family! Despite family photos not being their favorite activity, these guys were great sports as their mom and I devised a plan to get some great individual and family portraits, right in their beautiful backyard! Fun was had by all, including their adorable pets, Sprite and Honey. Enjoy!

Buenas tardes,
Aqui están algunos ejemplos de mi sesión con la familia Adams! Aunque las fotos no son su actividad favorita, esos chicos fueron comprensivos mientras que su mamá y yo creamos un plan de capturar algunos retratos individuales y de la familia, en su patio trasero hermoso. Nos divertimos mucho, incluyendo sus mascotas adorables, Sprite y Honey. Disfrutalas!

Texas here we come! (Tejas, ya venimos!)

Hey everyone!
So, I have some crazy/exciting news. My husband was offered a position as Graduate Assistant, at a Christian university in Texas. This means that he will be the assistant coach for the men's soccer team, and study to get his master's in business! We are thrilled that God has blessed us with this opportunity, but also sad to be leaving Guatemala so soon! We know that God's plan is always best, even if it involves some unexpected changes.

If any of you have been considering booking a session, now is the time to do so! I will be leaving early May, to move home, so shoot me an email or fill out the contact form on my site if you'd like to chat. I would be happy to help you in whatever way I can.  Thanks to all who have been supportive of the starting of this business here in Guate. Love to all!

Caitlin

Hola a todos!
Tengo algunas noticias muy emocionantes. A mi esposo le han pedido ser el "Graduate Assistant" en una universidad cristiana en Tejas. Eso significa que será el entrenador ayudante para el equipo de fútbol (hombres), y también estudiar para ganar su maestría en negocios. Estamos emocionados que Dios nos ha bendecido con esa oportunidad, pero también estamos tristes por salir de Guatemala tan pronto! Sabemos que el plan de Dios siempre es el mejor, aunque significa que hay cambios inesperados.

Si algunos de ustedes han estado considerando planear una sesión de fotos, ahora es el tiempo hacerlo! Me voy al principio de mayo, para moverme a los Estados, pues mándanme un correo o llénen el formulario de contacto en mi sitio web si quisieran hablar conmigo. Yo estaría alegre ayudarles en cualquiera manera que puedo. Gracias a todos quienes me han apoyado en el comenzar de este negocio aqui en Guate. Amor a todos!

Caitlin