BOZEMAN CHILDREN and SENIOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER, BOZEMAN BABY, CHILD, FAMILY and FAMILY REUNION PHOTOGRAPHY by SUSANN SAAREL » Random

Guess what’s cooking?

Susann — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:29:26 +0000

In the winter, I like to cook. Navajo Stew, Mayan Stew…anything to make us warm and cozy. OK, I know it’s Spring…in town maybe, but not up here at Sky Ranch! The twins have been digging a labyrinth of snow caves everyday after school. Meanwhile, I’ve been cooking up something new and am going to reveal my new creation in a few days!

Check out the ??? space on my website’s splash page. The first person to guess what’s coming soon wins a $100 print credit! The winner will be announced on or around Friday, May 1st when the new site is revealed!

Bozeman Explosion: Memories of LillyLu

Susann — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:25:08 +0000

The first time I set foot into LillyLu must’ve been in April 2000 when I took our then 4-month old twins on my first solo excursion with them into town. I most certainly recall trying to squeeze the double-wide stroller through the door of each store along Main Street and all the oohing and aahing that one gets with newborn twin babies…

In August 2001, I dropped off a few exquisitely framed hand-printed baby and childrens portraits at LillyLu for Sheryl to consider for display. I remember the enthusiasm in her words over the phone shortly thereafter…”oh Susann, your work is so ‘LillyLu’” and so the relationship between Susann Saarel Photography and LillyLu began…

The following summer I held my first major child portraiture exhibit at LillyLu titled “Our Precious Little Ones” which included an artist’s reception in conjunction with Bozeman Art Walk. Come Fall and Winter, I’d put up an entirely new exhibit to compliment the clothing and LillyLu’s seasonal display. And so it went for years…

From the Bozeman Chronincle, Friday, September 13, 2002:

In December 2002, I also began photographing children with Santa at LillyLu which came to be known as the annual “Susann & Santa” session. Over the years, children and families came from as far as Butte, Helena and Billings to see Santa at LillyLu. I believe this is the very first invitation for that event:

The years just seem to have flown by from the time I purchased Sam & Larissa’s 1st Birthday hats at LillyLu to the day a few years ago when Larissa and I had a “girls day” which started with a shopping spree at LillyLu where Larissa walked out wearing a completely new pink and denim urban cowgirl ensemble, sprinkled with rhinestones and flower appliques. Check out my happy little girl (photographed with a throw-away camera):

I have saved every single outfit we ever purchased for the twins at LillyLu, among them all of Larissa’s beautiful holiday dresses. I mean, just look how PERFECT these two look in their LillyLu winter outfits from 2005…

In 2006, I celebrated 5 years as the exclusive children’s photographer exhibiting at LillyLu with a retrospective and endless champagne and hors d’oeurves to follow at PLONK:

The retrospective was followed by Santa’s final appearance at LillyLu after a 5 year gig…and by now, most everyone knew that “the one and only Santa Claus” was also “my one and only husband”, Doug. Oh, how much fun it was working with Santa and seeing the children return year after year. And as always, “Santa” and I and the ladies of LillyLu would hold our breath as our nanny would bring our own Sam & Larissa in at the end of the day to sit (unbenownst to them) on their own daddy’s lap and share with him their wishes for Christmas…

Like my own children, who share the same birthday with LillyLu each December, LillyLu has been a part of my life for nearly 10 years. I was truly saddened to think that memories and memorabilia were all we had left. And so, I was uplifted today upon reading the headline news online in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that “LillyLu vows to rebuild”!!!

If I know Sheryl, the new LillyLu will be better than ever! Can’t wait to make new memories…

Bozeman Explosion: Memories of Main Street

Susann — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 20:10:03 +0000

Two days ago on Thursday at about 10 a.m. I checked my email and saw a photo with the caption “Boodles explodes” that I thought surely was some type of horrible joke…a hoax. Frantically, I searched the internet only to learn that sure enough, a devastating explosion took place at 8:12 a.m. that morning that demolished several apartments and amazing businesses housed in the most spectacular historic buildings. Among them, the beloved children’s boutique, LillyLu. In the 24 hours to follow, I received numerous phone calls of concern for Sheryl and LillyLu from all over the state. We all share in Sheryl’s loss of her beautiful store, but take solace in the fact that everyone at LillyLu is alive and safe.

It was only days before that I stood on the sidewalk in front of LillyLu to snap a picture of the refreshing Springtime window display (see my previous blogpost) and now all that remains is smoldering rubble. This image posted on the internet shows the immediate aftermath and the buildings as they stood last summer:

Yesterday, having had appointments in Bozeman, I had to see the reality for myself and to tell you the truth, it still hasn’t really sunk in…the sight is so unbelievable. Nearly three blocks of Main Street were closed with detours in every direction. The National Guard was on duty at various outposts. From the back alley, I managed to get into The Mackenzie River Pizza Company, located just across the street from the blast. Their back door was open, but they were officially closed and having an employee meeting. Still, they allowed me access to the foyer to snap a few photos. Here is what I saw:

This last image shows the burned out American Legion building and the few bricks that remain of the 2-story building LillyLu and the Montana Dance Company were housed in. Neighboring Boodles Restaurant and The Montana Trails Gallery both west of LillyLu… also gone. The crews and search dogs are now searching for one woman who remains missing and my heart goes out to her family and friends. As devastating as this is, I keep reminding myself what a blessing it is that everyone else is safe even if businesses and jobs were lost. The tragedy could have been far worse, the loss of lives huge. Our thoughts and prayers go out to each of the building owners, business owners and employees, to the apartment dwellers who have lost their homes and especially to the family of the missing woman.

Bozeman’s Main Street is truly an American jewel and many of our fondest memories have been created there. Our family has enjoyed too many fabulous dinners and celebrations at Boodles to count. We have purchased fine art from the stunning Montana Trails Gallery. Our twins studied ballet at the Montana Ballet Co. when they were just three years old…and then there are my memories of LillyLu…countless memories going back nearly 10 years…which I will honor in a separate blogpost in the next few days…

Until the clean up is complete, until the missing woman is found, we will continue to pray for healing of all those affected. We hope and pray you will find the strength to rebuild, to begin anew… We will find strength and remember our joys through our memories of Main Street. Memories of very special places filled with very special people and special times.

Merry Christmas from Sky Ranch!

Susann — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:26:00 +0000

There’s nothing like a sleighride on Christmas Eve at Sky Ranch!

And there’s nothing like you, my wonderful clients, that have come from far and wide to be photographed by Susann Saarel “Windows of the Heart” Fine Art Portraiture at Sky Ranch this past year! Many of you, I’ve known for years and I am always thrilled to see you again and watch your children grow. Many of you, I met and photographed for the first time this year and I am so happy to know you! To ALL my clients whom I also consider as friends, I thank you for your business this year. My life is blessed in so many ways and I am so very grateful.

From all of us at Sky Ranch, we wish you the Merriest of Christmases!!!

How sweet it is…

Susann — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:46:00 +0000

We just returned from a long weekend trip that proved itself to be a children’s paradise…

Let’s start with a couple nights at Fairmont Hot Springs… less than a 2 hour drive and oh so far away (or far enough away) from Bozeman and Livingston, school and work, the phone, the mail, the computer… it’s heaven on earth for children to swim and splash in a double Olympic-sized pool and slide down a 350 foot waterslide! Doug and I, meanwhile, thoroughly enjoyed soaking in the hot pool when not playing a rousing game of water volleyball with complete strangers or taking underwater photos of the kids and each other.

But you can’t soak in the pool forever, so we stopped in Anaconda one morning after breakfast so Sam could try out the Benny Goodman Skate Park and I could visit the Hickory Street Antiques Store. No treasures this time, but the true find was the bounty of information from the store owner who suggested we take the kids for a trip to the candy store…

Now apparently this candy store was worth making quite a little drive for and the Saarel Family of Montana, always being up for a road trip and a little adventure dutifully took it upon ourselves to embark on this journey…

From Anaconda, the Candy Store was best reached via the Anaconda-Pintler Scenic Highway, a 63-mile road that travels through both conifer-clad mountains and sage-covered hills following Flint Creek, passing Georgetown Lake and landing you in Philipsburg. Along the way, we stopped for lunch (as suggested) at the Brown Derby, but it wasn’t enough LUNCH to stop Sam & Larissa from eventually filling up at the candy store!

And so we arrived in historic, charming Philipsburg, Montana which began as a booming mining town in the late 1800′s. It’s downtown, full of beautifully restored buildings from that era, includes the world-famous Sweet Palace. So here I must say…don’t even bother asking your children to restrain themselves…just forgedaboutit…and go grab a bag yourself. The price is $7.99/lb, no matter what you pick!

Your children will probably not notice the wide-plank floors, gorgeous pink crystal chandeliers or stunning tin ceiling. Their eyes will fixate on the 870 different kinds of candy from 18 different countries…

For the most part, our Sam & Larissa grabbed their old favorites…Smarties, Taffy and a few giant Lolipops. Next door, at the Sapphire Gallery, I had fun trying on a $40,000 Sapphire ring…but can you garden in it???

It was a wonderful weekend getaway, but as always…so good to be HOME again…we always miss our dogs, our horses & our goats, Zuzu (the cockatiel) and our fish when we are away…we are, after all, just one big happy family…

Praying for Peace

Susann — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:36:00 +0000

On this, the 7th anniversary of 9/11, the nation pauses to remember the horrible tragedy, holding ceremonies and moments of silence to commemorate the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000. As the war on terrorism and conflicts in over 30 countries continue, William E. Gladstone’s words come to mind…

“We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.”
.

Introducing…

peace angel

We shall find peace. We shall hear angels. We shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds…

(And if you’re wondering why our “peace angel” is using a bow and arrow…yes, I know, its a conflicting message…but it was the only way to get my 8 year old “ALL BOY” boy, to put on angel wings.)