Our annual beach days are now open for registration! Please keep in mind we expect the times to fill quickly so if you are interested in more information please contact the studio asap.

Doesn't it seem like in the last week spring has suddenly arrived? This photo session taken last week of Olivia and Tim has so many wonderful elements that encompass spring: cherry blossoms, great light and love! I am really looking forward to their wedding next month at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia.

Last week I photographed several adorable 'models' for Sweetheart Boutique, a new clothing store located next door to us at 1907 Delaware Avenue. Sophie, the studio owner, carries the most precious children's clothing that is perfect for any photo session!

Of course two of our models consisted of Hannah, Becca's daughter, and her good friend Simone.

I love the shoulder move here.

They made me laugh so hard when taking this photo!

This photo session gave me a great opportunity to take some new photos of Hannah for our studio wall.

In addition to Hannah and Simone, we had some other adorable kids modeling the latest clothing fashions

I would like to take a few moments to introduce you to a new organization aimed at helping children called Project Childhood. Project Childhood is a non-profit community of professional photographers and students dedicated to celebrating childhood through the art of photography and community service.

There are so many goals to this community....here are a few...

1. The overall goal is to provide a web gallery of photos that will ultimately seek to inspire others to see the beauty of childhood. It will be a site meant to CELEBRATE CHILDHOOD, a site filled with content by those who spend each day doing just that through the art of photography.

2. By offering a free session to a child who normally wouldn't be able to afford it, each photographer is making a significant difference in that child's life. If nothing else, those parents will have a picture on their wall of their child. A picture to celebrate, and that child will grow up knowing that someone took the time to make a difference..

3. By donating the session fee to a children's charity of his or her choice, each photographer will be making a difference in the community and contributing to a cause that they feel warrants financial assistance.

During the month of April to celebrate Child Abuse Awareness they are having a great contest...

Working on the honor system, professional photographers from across the globe will be asked to complete the following:

1. Offer a free session to a child who normally wouldn't be able to afford one, and then provide the parents with a free portrait from the session that captures the essence of childhood.

2. Donate your session fee to a children's charity of your choice.

3. Submit the photo to PROJECT CHILDHOOD along with a link to your charity.

4. The contest is limited to three entries per photographer, but each submission must be of a different child, and must be submitted under the following assumption: You have donated your session fee for each child to a children's charity of your choice.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION is May 7, 2008 at 11:59 PM PST.


WINNER(S): As of now, the best picture will awarded a free site from BluDomain, One TypePad blog for life, and one logo from Piece of Cake Designs. The judges? 32 high school photography and video production students. The winner, along with three runners-up, will also be showcased in a featured gallery section on the site with several images and an interview.

Also included in the site will be a special video section with inspirational childhood short films (such as the ones at onwardfilms.com ) and a section entitled, THE LAST DAYS OF HIGH SCHOOL--1 min. films submitted by high school students.

There will also be an external link to a special blog showcasing essays and a self-portrait with the same topic above.

I plan on participating and hope you will too!

Today John and I took a day off of from work, woke up very early, and ventured down to Washington D.C. in order to witness the welcoming ceremony for the Pope on the South Lawn of the White House. It was a huge honor to be part of his welcome, as it's only the second time a Pope has visited this very location. It was also the Pope's 81st birthday which inspired several spontaneous "happy birthday" songs throughout the ceremony.

A very big thank you to those who allowed me to negotiate a closer spot towards the front in exchange for the photos I took! I am doing something a little bit unusual with this blog post, I have removed my normal copyright and you are welcome to have, print, use, forward these images for whatever you would like. Consider it a gift in His Honor of this monumental event.

Also, for a great read check out the blog of of Wilmington's Brother Ronald Giannone, founder of Wilmington's Ministry of Caring, and Brother Cory Moody, director of the Emmanuel Dining Room. They have been blogging all week about their adventures in the pope's visit, and have some wonderful insights and a great sense of humor!

The lines were super long to get into the South Lawn, and we waited about two hours to get through three security checks.

which gave me lots of time to take random photos like this one

without sounding too much like a Natalie merchant song, I just wanted to 'thank you' to all those who voted us as the best in Philadelphia in the knot's annual wedding photography 'best of' issue. Along with some wonderful accolades from our clients, we were also chosen at the editor's pick!

One of my main goals this year is to spend more time with John, with friends and family and just enjoying my life. The last few years have been spent going, working, and growing Laura Novak Photography and this year I've refocused my mind a little bit to really spend time enjoying each moment.

So this weekend we went to NYC to help one of my closest friends celebrate her 30th birthday. It was so fun to be in the city; we went to a Broadway show called Avenue Q, spent time hanging around Chelsea looking at organic soap (which seems to be the newest trend in boutiques) and had dinner at the Stanton Social.

On our way back, we stopped off in Philly to photograph Claire and Dave's engagement session. Many of you know that I typically do not work on Sundays, but this was a special circumstance. Last winter, shortly after I met with Claire and Dave and they booked me for their wedding, Dave was very suddenly diagnosed with a form of leukemia called "T-cell ALL" We waited in between treatments so that Dave could spend the most time possible recovering, and today he is back in the hospital.

Dave has such an amazing perspective, as he is very thankful that his form of leukemia is very curable and he will be well on his way to recovery by the time he is married to Claire this October. It was a honor to photograph the love the two of them share, and I am so glad I had the opportunity be part of this very special time in their lives. We photographed them where they met and fell in love, in Philadelphia.

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Hello, and welcome to the Laura Novak Photography blog! I am a portrait photographer with offices in Wilmington, Delaware and New York, NY. My many loves include family, beautiful design, clean lines, handmade items, organic living, vintage fabric and of course, photography.

My Wilmington, Delaware studio is buzzing with a wonderful staff with great energy and features beautiful examples of how to decorate your home with images of those you love the most. On this blog you will find a bit of wonderful design favorites, some of my family photography and the ways in which I pull it all together.