That’s right, the count down to the end of summer has begun and it’s almost time to go back to school.  While technically September 21st (the eve of the Fall Equinox) is the official last day of the season, for many it comes much sooner.  Traditionally, Labor Day marks the last day of summer freedom and schools open their doors for business the following day.

With Labor Day coming up on Monday September 6th, teens, school children and their parents are already immersed in back to school preparations.  Soon the endless days of running in the sprinklers and canon-balling into swimming pools will be replaced with passing notes in class, studying and getting help with homework.

Find these and other great back to school images at StockShop!

Proverbs – sayings we share and repeat to make sense of our common experiences.  How many times have you heard only time will tell, love is blind or every cloud has a silver lining?  We say these statements to ourselves, others say them to us, and we pass them along when it seems to fit the situation.  But how often do we really stop to think about the words themselves versus the often metaphoric message they send when combined.  We thought it would be fun to match up some images from our collection with a few of these witty remarks of wisdom!  Hope you enjoy!

You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Life is just a bowl of cherries.

Look before you leap.

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks….or can you?

Find these and more great images at StockShop!

It’s August and the heat of summer is in full effect.  Here are a few tips on how to keep cool as temperatures go up!

Make a splash! Run through the sprinklers, jump in a lake, or hit the beach!

Sip on something cold! Anything with ice in the title is a good start.  How about ice tea or my personal fave ice coffee?

Take it easy. Sit back, relax and soak it up.  Because, before you know it summer will be over!

Find these and more fabulous summer photos at stockshop.com

Helpful information about copyright and licensing stock imagery from stockphotorights.com

Copyright and licensing stock images can seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. The basics – what you need to know and what you need to do – aren’t hard to get to grips with.

Whether you need an image for an advertising campaign, a company presentation or for your personal blog, we have the answers. stockphotorights.com

It’s almost time for that special day when we celebrate our Moms for all the fabulous things they do for us all year long!

In honor of Mother’s Day May 9th, 2010 we’ve put together a collection of our favorite StockShop mom images.  We hope you enjoy!

Find even more marvelous mom images in this featured lightbox!

That’s right, Daylight Savings Time is less than 2 weeks away.  Which means Spring is hiding right around the corner.

It’s hard to believe it’s March already!  We’ve come leaps and bounds this winter working on our exclusive collection of stock photos for you. The first two months of 2010 are successfully behind us and we have the Spring to look forward to now.

Don’t forget to skip those clocks ahead on March 14th.  While it’s always hard to lose that hour of sleep the first morning, it’s so worth it for the longer days.  Then a mere 6 days later (March 20th) the first official day of Spring will be upon us.

So let the countdown begin to all things spring!

Here’s a selection of spring images from the StockShop collection to get you in the mood.

Congrats to Larry Hirshowitz for his fabulous images featured in this month’s Los Angeles Magazine in an article about trauma surgeon Dr. Gracie Dinkins!

See more of Larry’s images available for licensing at stockshop.com

Strolling through my neighborhood, it's hard to forget Halloween is waiting (literally) right around the corner.  Tombstone adorned lawns, pumpkins on porches, and sheets in the shape of ghosts hanging from the trees all promise a sugar wrapped Saturday filled with fright!

As kids buzz like bees through the neighborhood collecting candy, others who've converted their dwellings into haunted houses will be ready to give a good scare to anyone that dare knock!  Of course we know this is all in good fun and although we may jump or scream, we don't likely believe our neighbors are witches nor their homes actually haunted.

Looking for a truly authentic case of the heebie jeebies?
StockShop contributor Corbin Gurkin traveled off the beaten path for these seriously spooky images filled with skulls and bones.  

The Sedlec Ossuary (also known as the "Church of Bones") located in Sedlec, Czech Republic, is estimated to contain the skeletons of over 40,000 people. Their bones decorate this chapel in the form of wall hangings, altar adornments and an elaborate chandelier said to contain at least one of each bone in the human body.  If ghosts exist, I'm guessing there might be a few hanging around this place!

Wishing you all a frightfully fun Halloween!

(A little advice I learned as a girl scout!)

Last week I met up with Dorian and Maggie in New York to attend the Picturehouse event where we met with old friends of StockShop and made new ones too (including a representative from the Girl Scouts of America believe it or not)!

We passed out yo-yos as a little something to remember us by and as this photo clearly shows Dorian and I had as much fun with them as the recipients. They were gone by days end so it's a good thing I have one stashed in my desk drawer.

We enjoyed meeting clients, creative directors, art buyers and researchers face to face and sharing more information about StockShop, our services and our collection made up of diverse imagery from our fantastic contributing photographers.

The event was held at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea which allowed me (and my husband who helped us out at the show) the opportunity to stroll along the new High Line park on our way to the event.  We loved the design and the views were stunning.  It offers a new perspective on an already awesome city.

During my NY visit the skies were clear and the air briskly refreshing.  The rain waited until my last day in town to usher me to the airport. When I arrived back in LA I was met by 90 degree weather.  At least I got a taste of Fall for a few days.