Carrie Steed Photography

Follow up to yesterday’s post. Another teenager that hops into the frame no questions asked.

One thing I really love about teenagers is their confidence in front of a camera. This gorgeous girl had no fear of my camera a foot from her face. None of this stuff adults do with the, No pictures! I’m too ___________! They just let you take the picture. It’s something I’m working on. Part of my issue is that I feel like I can’t always trust the photographer. Like, will this end up on Facebook or Instagram in 12 minutes and by the time I see it it’s too late to get that ...bad picture back?!? How do you feel about this? Can you trust your photographer? Are you apprehensive about what will be shared and who the audience is? I take a lot of photos of beautiful people. Most of the time I have a hard time posting images I love. I worry that I’ll post one that they wanted for a Christmas card and the wow factor is gone for friends. Or, that I’ll post something they love but felt personal to them and how do I justify sharing their intimate moments? Anyway, I try to be respectful of my clients. It’s a difficult thing for me personally to navigate. I’m taking a little inspiration from Callie here and confidently posting this one. #somethingtothinkabout See more

I know you were all wondering about that photo I was taking when the bucket dropped on my head. #stilltraumatized #thatwasfun #ilookedlikethegirlfromthering #gottheshot

Back in February we went to Disneyland and stayed at the Howard Johnson right across the street. We loved it there. Although, I had a traumatic event happen at this kids splash park. You see that big bucket behind the orange mushroom? Way up there at the top of this photo? Yeah. Now, imagine this. I’m standing right beside the edge of the mint green slide taking photos as my kids slide down. When suddenly I hear a crack of thunder above me. I hear a woman ...scream. Was that me? No, no that was another momat the splash park. Keep in mind, I’m fully clothed and holding my very expensive Nikon in my hands. Well, I curled my body over my camera and somehow it stayed dry but I was drenched. The kind of drenched you get when 500 gallons of water dump on your head. It was great because I had just done my hair and put on my last clean outfit. When the water stopped I looked over to Kirk and guess what? There were no less than 8 adults sitting in the hot tub watching me with mouths wide open. I made eye contact with the lady who screamed as she said, I screamed because I saw it happening. I tried to play it cool. I just want to go on record saying it’s impossible to have a bucket of water dump on your head when you’re fully clothed and ready for the day and play it off. Can I get a raise of hands from everyone who wishes Kirk caught this on video? #gohojo #Anaheim #Disneyland @hojoanaheim See more

Took this late the other night when these two finished packing their gear. Wesley is so excited for the big cousins and uncles backpacking trip. They head out this morning and complete the hike on Sunday. Such a great tradition but I’m counting down the minutes until Sunday.

Trying my best to remember all the things on this trip. I have captured images throughout the week while attempting to balance out documenting and actually experiencing our vacation. For me, that means pulling out my camera or phone for a couple minutes and then putting it all back in my bag. I have been out there in the water with my family or up on the sand with my littlest engaged in our activities. It’s fun for me to take pictures of my family but I enjoy living that moment with them so very much. How do you balance documenting the fun and experiencing the fun? I’m always up for tips that work for others.

I’ve been thinking about time. How quickly this drizzly spring season will fade away into hot summer months. This hill will turn from lush green and wildflowers to dusty and dry. Makes me extra conscious of my kids. Days as a mother sometimes drag by and then you scroll through your camera roll on your phone and think, What! That was two months ago? They were so little. Isn’t it funny? You don’t realize it when you’re in the trenches of parenthood but when you get a glimpse back you can’t believe all the development your kids make right under your nose. It’s exciting watching them grow and it’s heartbreaking that we never get those moments back. I’m trying to be better about documenting who my kids are in each stage. Photos are my only way to freeze time with them. So happy I froze a bit of time with 3 year old Betsy.

Before we bought our home we came for an open house. My husband, Kirk, and I took turns walking through it because the kids were asleep in the car. When I walked in the backyard and saw the willow tree, I knew this house would be our home. The leaves are just coming back and my girls love to play in the long branches as they sway in the wind wearing crowns they twist together themselves. It’s a magical little corner in the spring we find ourselves frolicking in daily. #childhood #letthembelittle #childhoodunplugged #magic #beautifulgirls #willow #spring #freerangekids

I had the opportunity to take photos for @quarryparkadventures. This place is a must for everyone. There is fun for all ages and abilities. I'm going to share a few photos over the next little bit to give you an idea of exactly what this place is and why you need to visit. #quarryparkadventures #rocklin #northerncalifornia #norcal #rockclimbing #zipline #ropescourse #aerialadventure #sacramento #sacramentokids #norcalkids Sent via @planoly #planoly

Mandarin picking with the best and cutest crew. Rosie was quality control. This mandarin made the cut. @sunsetridgefinefruits is the perfect place for a fun adventure with kids. @cagrownofficial More in my stories.

Here’s a fun and simple ornament craft to do with your kids. We do a variation of this every year and I love looking back at how tiny their hands were. You just need plastic ornaments to fill with mini styrofoam balls. Then, paint your child’s hand and have them slowly and gently grab the ornament. Make sure each finger is imprinted. Let dry and write their name and the year in permanent marker. Tie some ribbon on top and you’re done.

Ellie says obsessed wrong. Instead she says incest. As she hopped out of the car this morning I said, I love you cutie! To which she yelled out to all the kindergarteners at drop off, Ugh! My mom is so incest with me! OBSESSED! She means obsessed! I yelled out like some kind of maniac to the yard duty who was doubled over laughing. How do I recover from this? Do your kids have words they say all wrong? Leave a comment and tell me I’m not alone.

Hope Valley, California. Have you been here? I would love to do some mini sessions here next fall. It’s an incredible place.