I’m in Southern California for the next month and just got back from a short but great little visit with my friend and her adorable little one, Chloe. SUCH a smart, sweet, charming kid!! Seriously! Hoping I can go back and visit them again before I head back to GA.
The deal was, I got to take a few pics and then we would play tag 
Here are a few of the pics little Miss C let me snap of her before she held me to my side of the bargain :-)
This sweet little guy’s mom was just about to burst at the seams to see a sneak peek from their session. When you get a look at his little face you will see why! I truly enjoyed every second spent with little C and his mom. I really hope I get a chance to photograph the whole family in a few months provided they do not move back to mom’s home country of Australia – but hey – I’ll travel there too.
Enjoy your peek!
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” Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
– Neal Donald Walsche
I have been thinking about these words a lot in the last few weeks. I am trying to push myself out of my many different levels of comfort zones. In the last year, since the accident with my hand, I have spent so much of that time focused on my physical healing with multiple surgeries and thrice weekly physical therapy sessions. It took up (and continues to take up) an awful lot of time and didn’t leave room for much else. It bums me out when I think about it because I really should have been using some of that time to work on getting my business going but I just kept thinking “no, no…after this surgery or that surgery or just a little longer in therapy and I’ll have my hand 100% back and then I will get to work on everything else.” Well, at my last doctor’s appointment I was informed that there would never be 100%, maybe 50% (and its a big maybe) but never 100. Hard pill to swallow. It sucks. I’m bummed about it – but – I know it could have been so much worse! So now, here I am, trying to move forward and accept my new “normal”.
Speaking of new normals…just a few weeks ago, I chose to step out of another comfort zone when I switched from my Canon 5d to a Nikon D700 camera. This change has proven to be more more difficult than I anticipated. I have gone from this old, comfortable friend that I knew every detail about to what feels like a complete and total stranger. I am struggling…a lot and debating on whether or not I should sell it. I am hoping that perhaps it is just growing pains and given time and practice, I will know this camera like the back of my hand ( the good hand that is).
When the new camera arrived, I was visiting with my friend Deb and her family in Tampa, FL. I was lucky enough to have her awesome kiddos as models for two whole weeks, while I tried to work out the kinks with myself or this new camera — I am not sure which. A lot of the time I just found myself frustrated because the buttons were in the wrong spot, the focus was off, the color was icky, etc. But then at other times, I was proud of myself for moving away from the familiarity of simply capturing a beautiful portrait and focusing instead on capturing the beautiful moments in my days with them. And I’m so grateful to have had so many of those moments with Deb and her family. Thank you dear friend….for everything.
I am welcoming in the new year a little late, 11 days late to be exact. Although, those who know me well or even not so well will not be the least bit surprised by that. Haha. Oh well.
Wow! What a wonderfully crazy couple of months it has been! The holiday season to photographers is what tax season is to accountants…BUSY!! Now that Christmas is over and all of the holiday cards have been mailed out I can finally post some of my favorite shots from this season’s sessions. I got some great images and worked with some awesome families. Hoping next year will be even better!!!
Thanks for looking!
This family is about to get the most awesome Thanksgiving gift ever!
While visiting my friend Deb in Tampa I tagged along as she went to photograph her friend and her two adorable little boys. When we got there I took one look at that awesome quilt and that denim and just knew I might BURST if I didn’t get to snap some photos as well!
There was a reason why we traveled the 45 minutes to capture these images — you see, daddy has been in Iraq since the little guy was just a couple of months old and their mommy wanted to capture some sweet images of all of them together to send off to him. They were hoping he would be home in time for Christmas — well, he will be home today!!! Just in time for Thanksgiving!!!! How awesome is that?! I can’t wait to see the amazing images I just know Deb will capture of their homecoming!
‘S’ family – it was SUCH a pleasure to meet you. I hope to tagalong next time Deb photographs your family of four
WOW, what a hectic couple of weeks it has been. I am so happy that I am finally getting time to blog these photos. Back in October I flew down to Tampa for a visit with fellow photographer and friend, Deb Schwedhelm. I met Deb back when we were both living in California. She then moved to Kansas and I moved to Georgia so I had not seen her in over 2 years. We emailed occasionally but were not in touch much over those 2 years. When her family was relocated to Tampa, Florida which is only an hour long plane ride away I just knew I had to go visit!! And I am so glad I did….we had such an awesome time together. It felt great to reconnect with her. I just know there will be many, many more visits to come. Thanks SO much, friend. It was just what I needed.
I am aware that there are WAY more pictures of little miss Skyler than there are of the rest of the crew — she was really the only willing participate. Haha
these next two have nothing in common other than the fact that they were both taken because I was so in love with the beautiful light that came into Deb’s dining room table area. On the left: Sky doing her homework. On the right: what happens when I am inspired by my breakfast. haha
This past month my mom celebrated 5 years cancer free. Wow, there are no words that can describe how overjoyed I am we are able to make that statement. My mom is an amazing woman…kind, understanding, creative, sarcastic, beautiful and so much more. We celebrated with a little surprise party and a Boston Cream Pie… my mom had mentioned in passing that she had not had one in ages and missed it. We started our day with my sister, nephew, brother-n-law and cousins at the Fall Festival here in the small town in which my family lives. I love the Fall Festival, always have…great fall weather, funnel cakes, corn dogs, arts & crafts, lots of happy, smiling faces… just an all around good time After that we took my nephew to the pumpkin patch and my sister and I were noticing that we were running out of time as it was getting closer and closer to 4pm ( the time we were to have our mom home for her surprise party) so we tried as un-obviously as possible to hurry things a long. My sister and her crew headed to the house and my mom rode with me. As we were leaving the pumpkin patch she mentioned that she needed to go to the grocery store, gas station and some other silly little errand. ARGH…it is almost impossible to shuffle someone to a surprise party without letting the cat out of the bag but somehow I did it! We walked in and she was stunned and in tears. Surrounded by all of the people she loved who were there to let her know just how very much she was loved in return. She is a fighter and I am so very lucky to call her my mom.
Ok, oddly enough, I don’t have any photos from the actual party. Lame of me I know, but true. I did however grab a few shots that day of my nephew and cousins. Be prepared: the last shot might be the cutest one you will ever see Even though there are no photographs from the party I will be able to look back on these images and remember the exact day they were taken and exactly the reason we were all gathered at my mom’s house that day.
This is Aaron, Aidan and Andrew – our 5 year old boys. – another reason to celebrate 5 years
Magic hour was gorgeous that night and all of the other kiddos were just sick of me. haha. So I grabbed sweet baby Lily after she finished her dinner and took these shots of her. She was SO patient with me. I have had a pretty rough year and I can honestly say that she has been the brightest spot of that year. thankful for her and thankful that she still tolerates my incessant photo taking
I met this adorable family when little Brayden was almost 5 weeks old! Super calm baby but not a super sleepy one But doesn’t he have a great head of hair? I was lovin’ his little mini mohawk.
Big brother, Dylan, was more than happy to mug for the camera while we were waiting for the little one to crash out. I swear this kid is one of the sweetest, most well behaved two year old’s I have ever met!
I was told by mom that before I arrived that Dylan was so excited and kept saying ” take pictures with brother! take pictures with brother!” — that is always music to a photographer’s ears. He laid so still and patiently waiting for his baby brother to be placed next to him. Seriously, SUPER sweet little guy!!
Thank you M family. It was so great to meet you all! Enjoy your photos!
One day last month, while my sweet, crazy little cousin Aidan was off from school, we spent the day together. I had been wanting to do a day in the life of shoot for awhile. So, when I arrived at his house that morning to see him eating breakfast in his superhero jammies, messy hair, morning eyes and bathed in beautiful light I asked myself ” what are you waiting for?” and pulled out my camera. The following video is what I captured on that oh so special day and images that I will treasure always. The song is one I used to sing to him as a baby when I would rock him to sleep.
Thank You Aidan for letting me be a part of your life. xoxo
I have known this little one’s mama since she was born! She is a dear family friend and I was so excited to meet her little one. She was born on September 11 while I was in California and I did not get to meet her until she was 4 weeks old!!! When I got there and saw that gorgeous head full of blond hair I just couldn’t wait to photograph her. She was a little touchy (which is to be expected with a 4 weeker) and definitely had her own ideas of how she wanted to be posed. All in all I think we got a lot of good shots of her.
I went back for a 2nd visit a week later and got the shots you see below. I found that awesome daisy blanket in the top of my grandmother’s closet. I think I might keep it.
