Dawn Tacker | Eos Photography | Naturally beautiful, environmentally friendly portraits

Here they are…

Best Pregnancy Portrait ~ Janet

“Our family has chosen to make our donation to the Saint Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.  We are delighted to be able to help further the strides already made toward the treatment and eventual cure  for the diseases that inflict so many beautiful young children.  It is our sincere hope that this donation will make a difference in the life of a child.  ‘Thank you’ to Dawn for generously sponsoring this contest and for those of you that took the time to vote.”

Best Baby Portrait ~ Rebecca

“The Make-A-Wish Foundation is such a positive force in the lives of so many young children. We wanted to make our donation to this worthy cause on behalf of our beautiful daughter, Rebecca Marilee, to help assure that dreams continue to come true for so many children fighting life threatening diseases. We look forward to the day when Rebecca is old enough to understand that she has already made a difference in the lives of other children. Thanks to all who voted for our little princess and special thanks to Dawn & Eos Photography for this generous gift.”

Best Child Portrait ~ Karis

Karis and her family have designated Rancho Coastal Humane Society to receive a donation. I loved revisiting RCHS’ website; and I’m excited that Andrew is old enough to have birthday parties there! They have programs for children, including Dinner with the Dogs. This is a great organization that has a sterling reputation within the rescue community, and I am happy to support their work.

Best Family Portrait ~ Milo & Parents

Milo’s family has designated Seaside Giving, the charitable arm of Dr. Biter’s birth center, which is due to open in a few months. Another cause near and dear to me! In mom Emily’s words, “Our birth with Milo was so wonderful, that we would love for you to donate to [Seaside Giving], giving others the incredible opportunity to have the birth that they want.”

One interesting thing I noted just now… all the winners this year have a few things in common. I would describe them all as connected, emotional, timeless. These are words that I have often used to describe my work; but seeing others select these as a group reinforces the direction I intend to pursue. Look for more work like this from me in the future… with more intensity. I’m excited to see how this year unfolds.
Thank you again to the wonderful families I have worked with this past year, to everyone that voted, and for all the great comments!

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Thank you to everyone who has participated in the Best of 2009 portrait contest. I appreciate your feedback and thoughtful comments. Just a reminder that the contest ends at the end of Valentine’s Day, this Sunday February 14th. Just as a reminder, anyone can vote anywhere in the world, once for each category for a total of four votes per person. Just scroll down to see each category and cast your vote!

If you had trouble voting during the first days of the contest, please feel free to try again. I changed the security settings to allow more than one vote per IP address after receiving reports from sad parents that they were unable to vote after their spouse had already cast their vote. =)

Thanks again for participating; I look forward so announcing the winners next week!

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Between growing a baby and a full portrait schedule, 2009 was a busy year for me. I’m taking some time at the beginning of 2010 to reflect on my work this past year. Each and every one of the families I worked with in 2009 was memorable, with very emotional images; it made the narrowing down process very challenging! The images that I chose for this contest are simply my personal favorites.

Categories
Unlike my first two “Best of” contests, this year I have broken the images down into four categories - Pregnancy, Baby, Child, and Family. There will be one winner from each category. I’ll be hosting a Parent-Child contest this Spring - just too many images that I love in that category!

Winning Images
So… what do the winners receive aside from glory and fame? The last year has been rough for a lot of families. Please help me to spread a little love in the world. Each of the four winners will receive a print of their winning image, and each will be asked to designate their favorite non-profit organization. I will make a donation to each of the four charitable organizations in the winning families’ names.

Why this contest?
Reflecting on the past year of creating portraits is a great way for me to think about my focus and direction. Hearing what you think helps me grow as an artist. Please vote for one image in each category, and ask all your friends and family to vote as well. Please leave me your thoughts by using the comments box, or by posting a public comment below.
If you’d like to stroll down memory lane with me, you can find the the 2008 contest here, and the 2007 contest here.

Dates and Rules
This contest is open immediately, and will close on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2010. Anyone can vote, from anywhere in the world, but one vote per person in each category, please! I am collecting names and email addresses for this reason, but they will not be publicly visible. Winners will be notified by February 20th. Winning images and benefiting charities will be posted by February 28th. I will announce the winners in my next newsletter, to which you will automatically be added by voting. You can help spread the love by spreading the word - blog, email, or post on facebook about this contest!
Thank you to all of my families for allowing me the privilege of creating portraits for you.

First off, where it all begins - pregnancy portraits!

Amie ~ seven months, with Justin, Sean, Kaitlynn and Amber

Danielle ~ eight months, and Lasha

Janet ~ eight months, and David

Jasmine ~ eight months, and Ryan

Megan ~ eight and a half months, with John and Zim

Natalie ~ eight months, with Nicole and Tyler

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Addison ~ three weeks old

Cassidy ~ four months old

Isabelle ~ nine months old

Liam ~ fourteen days old

Mackenzie ~ five weeks old

Madison ~ three weeks old

Rebecca ~ twelve days old

Dr. Robert Biter and 19 buddies

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Ava ~ five years old

Karis ~ three years old

Madeline ~ thirteen months old

Mason ~ eighteen months old

Quinn ~ three years old

Winter ~ seventeen months old

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Brothers

Family Tree

Fiona & Family

Julian & Family

Kai & Family

Katelyn & Family

Milo and parents

Sisters

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This is such an exciting time in the birth community! I will be donating a portrait photography collection at this event, and I hope to see you there!

Come join us as we celebrate the beginning of Babies by the Sea Birthing Center, the 1st of its kind where OBs will work side-by-side with midwives, where there will be surgical rooms in case of emergency situations, where the entire interior of the building will be made with environmentally conscious materials, and where there will be access to holistic treatments for pregnancy, birth & postpartum.

Where: 6121 Paseo del Norte, Carlsbad, 92011
When: Saturday, January 30th from 7-9 pm
How much: $30 per person
Dress code: business casual-cocktail. Please dress warmly as the building is bare, but there will be heaters placed throughout the building.
RSVP: Andrea@babiesbythesea.com

Enjoy a fun evening with great silent auction items, wine, hor d’oeuvres, dessert and music.

Show your support for Dr. Robert Biter’s Babies by the Sea Birthing Center by purchasing a recycled blown glass leaf with your own handwritten message to be displayed on the tree in the new birthing center lobby. The tree has been commissioned by Robert Verhees. Large sea glass tiles will also be available to purchase with your own inscription on it and will be displayed in the birth center. The leaves are $150 and the tiles are $300.

All proceeds of the entrance fee, silent auction & leaves/tiles will go towards the birth center. The expected grand opening is scheduled for May 2010!

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I think my first portraits of each new year should always include newborn babies; a fresh start in so many ways! Here is baby Ashley at two weeks old; you can see her “on the inside” portraits here. Big sister Nicole is just in love, enchanted, enthralled with her new baby sister. At age four she will probably remember what it was like to welcome her new sister home. Tyler, age two, is figuring things out! He is intrigued and curious about this new person, loves to be near his baby sister, and is trying out his big brother role. I am honored and pleased that having these images will help these three siblings recognize the boundless love that has existed in their family from day one. Thank you Natalie and Aaron for asking me to document your newly expanded family.

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Just in time for New Year’s cleaning up, from today’s San Diego Union-Tribune:

The Electronic Disposal Group has planned four e-waste recycling events in the county this month, including one this weekend.Each event will run from 9AM to 3PM.

The first event is today and tomorrow in Carlsbad in the parking lot of Westfield Plaza Camino Real, 2525 El Camino Real.

Two others are scheduled January 16th and 17th. One will be held in the parking lot of Grossmont Center, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, in La Mesa. The other will take place in La Jolla in the parking lot of Ironstone Bank, 835 Pearl Street.

A collection will also take place January 30th in Encinitas at Wancho Santa Fe Security, 1991 Village Park Way.

Accepted items include computers, TVs, wires, stereos, phones and VCRs. Batteries, household appliances, light bulbs and microwaves are not accepted. For more information, go to ewasteca.org.

Now back to our regular programming! Have a great weekend, everyone.

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I always wonder when a newborn becomes “just” an infant? Is there an official age, or a developmental milestone? Or is just when you get tired of calculating how many weeks old s/he is? Whatever that magical formula is, Wolfie is leaving his newborn stage behind for sure. He’s teething (yes - already), just getting up 1-2 times per night to nurse (don’t hate me!!), laughing, cooing, and otherwise engaging with his world. He hates baths and car rides, loves being held and having us sing to him. He’s fascinated by doggie kisses, and relaxes and listens intently whenever we play Norah Jones for him. Andrew is his favorite entertainer, he falls asleep on his dada fairly regularly, and he loves to “talk” with his mama. The newborn weeks are really hard for most families; we are glad to be moving on and enjoying Wolfie at three months old. Without further delay, and just in time for his four month birthday (at least I’m shooting on time!), here is Wolfie at three months old:

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OK, you will not believe how much these twin brothers have grown! Check out their full baby session here; they were so little!

Here are Jennifer and Horst’s big boys, now two years old! I am so glad that we documented their first two years - time goes by way too quickly. Thank you and big hugs to your charming, dashing young men!

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Natalie and Aaron are growing their family this winter! Big sister Nicole, age four, and big brother-to-be Tyler, age two, are giddy with anticipation. Santa might be bringing them more than just toys this Christmas! And now that we’ve completed these pregnancy portraits, the whole family can breathe a sigh of relief and get down to the business of getting ready for their newest baby’s arrival. I am so excited about meeting her!

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How did this happen? Six years have flown by in the blink of an eye. Andrew is six years old, and still the love of my life. He remains enamored with trains, trucks, and cars and has added Legos to his favorite toys. He still hates shirts with tags, pants with zippers and snaps, and being called anything other than “Andrew.” Writing is becoming a great joy for him, and he often makes labels for things around the house. He loves his baby brother; the first thing he does in the morning and the last thing before bed at night is to shower him with hugs and kisses. He is kind, thoughtful, creative, and loves to make jokes. I am grateful every day for being his mama!

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Welcome back, Isabelle! This is one of a handful of sessions I’m shooting this Fall, before increasing my schedule in early 2010.

What a difference there is from months four to nine. Here are her images from our first session - she has grown so much! Isabelle is so much more aware of her environment. She’s interested in everything around her, and is crawling at a fast pace to keep up with her big sister. She loved being outdoors for this session, and I don’t think it will be long before she is walking on her own! I can’t wait for our next session together to continue documenting her first year. Thank you to Martina, Eric, and big sister Natalie for the pleasure.

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Today Wolfie is two months old! He and I celebrated with a mini portrait session, lots of nursing, and several naps. I need to dig up my images of Andrew at this age, but I do see a pretty strong resemblance between the two brothers. These days I have to convince big brother Andrew to have his portrait made; he turned six years old two weeks ago and I need to do some updated images! But in the meantime, here’s a little Wolfie at two months old for your viewing pleasure. He is keeping us busy! He can hold his head up with minimal bobbling, he is starting to thrash his hips and legs from side to side, and loves to coo, squeal, and stick his tongue out at us. He loves to interact with his big brother, has started noticing the Kalli dog, and is mesmerized by safari animal patterns. And I think he has a lovely smile!

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I hope to see you at the reception and screening of The Business of Being Born this Thursday! More info here. I’m very excited to see events like this in our area! I’ll be offering an item for the silent auction benefiting ICAN and the San Diego Birth Network.

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Through the fog of sleep deprivation, an entire month has managed to slip by! Wolfie is now one month old, and I have made an attempt to document some of my favorite bits along the way. Here is a little collection of my favorites.

six days old:

one day old; big brother Andrew insisted on this pose:

one week old with his Dada

one day old, being loved by Andrew

two weeks old

one week old, with Dada

two days old, with Andrew, almost six years old

two weeks old

love his swirl!

profile at one week old

one week old

two weeks old - his serious look!

three weeks old

four days old, asleep in his hammock

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Just a quick little post… I can’t help but be amazed at how much babies move in their sleep. Here are a few poses that Wolfie struck during a recent nap! We should all get so many naps…

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We are thrilled to announce the birth of our son, Phineas Wolfe Tacker! Born on 9/9/09, he weighed in at 8 lbs, 8 oz., 21 inches long. We had an amazing, intense, wonderful natural birth and are adjusting to life with two sons! Big brother Andrew is so thrilled that Wolfie is finally here, and spends lots of time loving on his new baby brother.

I will be on maternity leave until mid- to late-October; if you would like to keep up with the details, you can join me on Facebook, or add your name to the newsletter list. I’ll send out an announcement when I’m back to work!

Big brother Andrew, anticipating Wolfie’s arrival!

Wolfie ~ one day old

Andrew & Wolfie

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Holding a new life in your hands is breathtaking, no matter how often it happens. It gives me a glimpse of why midwives and obstetricians heed their calling. Madison Faith is three weeks old. She’s a tiny little thing, but with an immensely strong presence. She is the very center of the universe to her family, as she should be! She has two amazing parents and three wonderful siblings who love her to pieces. I had the double pleasure of photographing her on the inside, and then here as a newborn. Welcome to the world, Madison! It’s a brighter place for having you in it.Thank you to Amie & Justin, Sean, Kaitlynn, Amber and Madison for a wonderful session.

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