FREE EASTER SESSIONS? is she mad?

CONTEST TIME!  I am giving away not one but two FREE EASTER SESSSIONS, here in Fredericksburg.

Its as simple as a cute kid contest!

Rules and how to enter:
Send me a picture of your munchkin at RiveraArtistry@yahoo.com
I will post the folder of pictures onto my facebook.
Send everyone you know to click LIKE on the pictures! (must also be a fan of Rivera Artistry on facebook)
The child with the most likes will win.  and I will pick at random a second winner for the door prize (free session)

Winter in Fredericksburg,Va

I was born and raised in Michigan.  I have only been in Virginia 2 seasons, Fall and Winter.  Its really neat watching the difference in seasons from here, to there.  In Michigan winter lasts for at least 4 months.  Snow storms stick around for days and sometimes weeks.  I spent a good part of last winter, trudging through the snow in my boots, photography mittens, and heavy coat.  This winter, well its a little different.  I noticed something about the snow, it seems to only stick around for hours, not days!  If I want pictures of the snow, I have to get out in the storm! Yesterday was a perfect example of this.  At school bus time, it just barely started to flurry, light tiny little flakes. You wouldnt even notice them, unless you were really looking.  By 10 am there was a a dusting on the ground.

The flowers were still standing up happy and cheery looking.

The trees had a slight coating of snow.  Like they were dusted with a bit of powdered sugar.

And the birds were happily eating at the bird feeder, playing and enjoying the day.

As time wore on, and the day passed us the snow got heavier.  This is when my husband and I decided to go out on a little adventure drive.  We never went further than 15 minutes from my house, just in case the school closed early.  We went to Loriella Park, and the national cemetary.  We stopped and grabbed lunch and at it in the car.  I should say here, my husband isnt particularly into photography.  He could take it or leave it, but he likes making me happy.  He drove, I shot.  It was alot of fun, even he, enjoyed himself.  

Like I said though, the storm got worse. The snow, heavier.

 Loriella Park

Some time around 1pm the snow stopped, and instantly started to melt.  This was around the time we reached the Fredericksburg National Cemetary. 

By the time lunch was over and we started the drive home, the snow was almost gone.  We took the long way home, down a beautiful back country road.  What is normally a 10 minute drive, took us 30 minutes down this beautiful windy road. 

 Above is the beautiful Rappahannock River, and its trees budding.

See the steamy road? this was taken at 2:36pm same day.  

Its hard to believe the weather changes so drastically in such a short time.  Thursday it was 75 degrees, perfect blue sky, Monday was a snow storm that lasted 5 hours.  Today its beautiful outside again. Its always a new adventure.  I love having the privilege of documenting it all.  I will always miss Michigan, as it was my only home for 30 years.  But Im learning to love Virginia and all its beauty.  I look forward to many more adventures exploring this vast land, I now call my home. I hope you will all join me in my adventures.

Bringing back the art.

As posted in my last blog entry, I found my passion for photography again.  This weekend, I never let the camera leave my side.  Many of you dont know this, but nature photography has been my cup of tea since about 2001.  I have traveled through 26 of the 50 states, photographing landscapes.  In recent years, photographing portraits, I kind of put my nature photography on the back burner.  Which is fine, because I love shooting you all so much.  But there is a certain peace that comes into my heart, when I sit still and just observe nature.  Watching the sunset, or watching a flower sway in the in wind.  Although, it was quite windy this weekend, so when I leaned onto a tree to watch its branches sway, the tree pushed back against me pretty hard, and then I knew it was time to watch from a distance!  I have had the unfortunate pleasure of having a wooden object fall on top of me in a windy day and I did not want to experiance that again!

So I spent the weekend with camera in hand.  What did I shoot? I shot a sunset from my living room window, barns, cows bathing in the last bit of sun before it sets.  I shot a battlefield and an old farm house, the remains of a house foundation, and a cemetary.  I took pictures of my family playing in the wind, and of my beloved pets being lazy.  I even shot still life of the beautiful hydrangeas my husband brought me home sunday, on a trip to the grocery store with my daughter.

 I think my favorite part of the whole weekend was driving down the road with my husband and daughter.   He was driving of course.  He planned out a little drive for us.  Ya see, when traffic is really bad on the freeway (which is quite often in the DC area) he takes the back roads to get home from work.  The back roads takes you through some beautiful country.  It meant so much to me, that he thinks of me on his way home from work.  He sees odd buildings and beautiful landscapes and he thinks of me.  He knows how much I would enjoy not only seeing, but shooting these places.  So he planned it out to show me.  Having a husband who not only supports you, but encourages you, that means everything to me.   I know hes not really into the photography thing, he dont much care for sitting and observing.  And he really dont care much for being in front of the camera.  But, he knows its my passion, its what makes me feel alive.  And for him to plan out a trip of places for me to see, that was just amazing!

Now onto the art show.

                       lol  you would think he would know better than to look down the barrel of a weapon.

                                                                        the mountains were so blue!

                                                                              I told you it was windy!

     looking out my front window!  its nice living on a hill!


There will be lots more nature photos, as I process them.  Stay tuned to our facebook for more art.

A day with Jordan~ Fredericksburg Virgina

When your an artist, or you have a job that is art based, there are points in your life/career when you feel dead.  I have been struggling to find inspiration with all the big changes that have occurred in my life in recent months.  Its hard to try and start over, when you had such a good thing.  I fully admit, I wasnt putting my full heart into it.  I was getting really stressed and depressed over it, and considered putting my camera away.  Now, mind you I have had a camera in my  hand since I was very very young.  This is a woman who had a full outright fit, that her camera broke in California at Christmas time and demanded my husband to buy me something so I didnt miss anything (I even would have settled for those horrid little disbosables).  Considering putting down her camera.
I prayed on the subject.  I prayed night after night for guidance in this area. I talked to some other fantastic photographers in a group I am in.  I got some great advice, "shoot for yourself"  Just hearing those words, lifted a 10 story building off my shoulders.  "shoot for yourself"  The following day, while riding in the car with my family an idea hit my head, like a bolt of lightning.  I knew who I wanted to shoot, where I wanted to shoot, and exactly what I wanted from the shoot.

I met Jordan during Christmas sessions.  When he was relieved of his duty of sitting still for the family shots, and I was working on other members of his family, he took that opportunity to ride around the park on his board.





You can see Jordan here in the background of this picture of his mom and sister.  hes the red and black squiggly line.  His act of passion towards his board, actually inspired my brain and heart.  It seems kinds silly when you think about it.  A young man doing what he loves, which in no way relates to my photography, inspiring it.










I have been downtown (frederickgburg) a few times now.  Every time I drive or walk around down there I see places everywhere that I want to shoot.  Its just a cool little area.  Urban, yet rural, old and rustic, yet modern.  Its such an eclectic collection of hodge podge.  I knew I wanted to shoot down there since we moved here.  But it didnt quite seem right for a family or toddlers.  So when this shoot idea hit me, my heart filled with excitement.  Thankfully Jordans mom understands the excitement and passion one can have over a camera.

Jordan is a bright, well mannered young man.  I had so much fun with him.  With very little direction on my part, he just kinda knew what I wanted from him.  As I look back at the pictures while I edit them, I can see there are places inside him, that he doesn't show often.  His expressions show perfectly on his face, be it pensive, or joyful.

Jordan helped me get my spark back.  I havent put my camera away since our session.  I have been shooting everything and every where and I am planning big things for my passion for the coming warm months!  I found my love again in my camera.  I found the art I thought I had lost in myself.