the k family | family session

Jen and I have been talking for a few months trying to get our calendars to mesh for a family session, and I think it was worth the wait! What a gorgeous family! The clothes that Jen picked were so classic and timeless, the weather was warm but with a gentle breeze, and the light? Oh, the light was just perfect. That wonderful, glowy, golden time of the day that we photographers like to call "the golden hour."

We met at Stutts Marina which gave us lots of places to put together family poses, but also a great place for the kids to play and be themselves. There was a family of mallard ducks that particularly caught the kids' imagination!

Henry, Maddie and Eva were such a delight to work with, each with such different personalities. Henry is all boy, and loved chasing the ducks, picking up rocks and then throwing them in the lake, and did a great job of corralling his little sisters. Maddie is a very girly girl who at first preferred her sister's ruffles and bows until I pointed out that her little sister's outfit wasn't nearly as good for twirling as hers! And Eva? Well, she's one! And she has places to go, things to see, and no time to be sitting still for pictures, thank you very much!

We had a lot of fun together and I hope that I captured your family's dynamic the way you live it!

kelly | lifestyle session

Kelly's mom has been asking for a current picture for several years now (apparently the one from college is a little out-of-date?), so she decided to surprise her with some new portraits this summer.

After running behind toddlers, making goofy faces and noises for babies, and soothing newborns, it was a refreshing change to photograph someone who is not only open to instruction, but is also absolutely beautiful!

She wanted her photos to reflect her new lake-front lifestyle, so we headed to Stutts Marina which offers beautiful views of the lake, docks, and ginormous old trees.

Kelly was so natural in front of my camera, and even laughed at my stupid jokes (which tend to be geared for the elementary-age set...).

I hope that she enjoyed herself enough to not wait so long before getting new pictures taken! Girls as pretty as her should be in front of a camera all the time!

lilly | newborn session

I am naturally shy (some people may not believe this, but it's true!). It is hard for me to step out of my comfort zone and promote myself. So I was stunned, shocked, floored when I heard the words

"Do you have a newborn photographer lined up yet?"

come out of my mouth while talking with a pregnant teacher's assistant at the book fair! I wanted to do a double-take and find out who had just said what I was thinking! I then proceeded to hand her my business card and a copy of my newborn session brochure and told her I'd love to take her pictures if she didn't have anyone already booked. :)

About 6 weeks later I got the e-mail that she was going to be induced in a few days and she wanted to get the session scheduled! (Insert visual of me doing a happy dance here.)

Sweet Lilly arrived with a beautiful head of hair! She was nice and sleepy when I arrived for her session and settled right in.

She didn't mind having a little hat put on...

and even seemed fairly content for a few nekkid baby pictures... Look at those eyelashes! And I absolutely love those kissy little baby lips...

However she would have nothing to do with being on her tummy. Every time I'd try, she'd either start to fuss or somehow get back onto her side.

And if there's one thing I've learned with newborns, it's the need to be flexible and let their comfort guide the session.

She even woke up for a bit towards the end so we got to see her gorgeous blue eyes. And how can a baby be anything other than content while lying on a cozy, warm sheepskin?

I can't wait to come back to visit in a few months and take pictures of her with her big sisters!

brayden | 5-month-old session | baby plan

I love offering a Baby's First Year Plan to my clients! Not only is it a great value, it allows me to get to know these families a little better over the course of the plan. By the first birthday celebration session, we will have been together four times to document this special time of their lives.

I could not believe how much Brayden had grown since our last session. He went from being a hungry, sleepy newborn to a deliciously plump, smiley baby!

Amanda had bought some really cute outfits for his pictures, complete with accessories! He was not fond of the baby flip flops, but was happy to keep the shades on.

One of my favorite parts of photographing this family is that they come to our sessions with ideas for pictures that they'd like to have. So, no, Brayden's not really walking yet, but he liked feeling the grass on his teeny, little toes!

He is just starting to sit up, but still needs a little help to stay that way. I love his little furrowed brow in this picture--please, can someone tell me what this baby is worrying about?! 'Hmmmm, when's my next meal?' :wink:

Now, even though we still had another little outfit, what is a baby session without a little "nekkid baby" time?

Can someone please help me??!! These stripes are making me a little woozy!

He did great lifting (and holding!) himself up for these tummy-time pics, but Amanda had to be just a few inches out of the frame (like, less than 2 inches!) because this boy likes to roll...

After a quick wardrobe change into his little Easter outfit, we tried to get a picture with his new bunny, but little man was not really interested... He had other things on his mind.......

He flopped himself back on the beanbag and sacked. out. He was seriously down for the count! Went from a tiny little fuss, to sound asleep in about 10 seconds! Amanda asked if I was available to come over and take pictures before nap and bed times....

So we took the opportunity to recreate a picture from his first session.

We're planning to get together again in August, and I can't wait to see what this little guy has up his sleeves! Somehow I doubt I'll need my beanbag... I'm planning to bring my track shoes!

WHE Father/Daughter Dance

One of the great things about my job (and I use that term lightly, because it's hard to consider something I love so much to be a job!), is that I have the opportunity to give back to this community our family is a part of.

I'm fairly active with my kids' school, and happened to mention my photography to one of the PTO officers while discussing the Book Fair (I'm the chair person for our schools' book fairs--LOVE to read, LOVED going to the book fair when I was a kid, LOVE getting to pass along those memories to my kids!). Anyway, she asked if I would be interested in taking candid photos at the upcoming Father/Daughter dance. To say that I jumped at the chance may be downplaying my reaction... I am always asking Kev and the girls what they do at the dances each year and am never satisfied with the level of description I get. I was thrilled to get to be at the dance and spy on them see what actually happens!

I was told that I could keep all profits from any sales of photos that I took during the dance if I was willing to take the pictures for free. That sounded great, but I decided that I would prefer to donate the proceeds of the picture sales back to the PTO. We are so blessed to live in an area with low property taxes, but the current economy is taking its toll on our schools. I love to give back in any way that I can.

I have to say that nothing prepared me for the noise level in the gym and cafeteria! Especially when Justin Bieber started playing... But having the opportunity to watch the girls have fun dancing with each other, and then seeing the sweet moments with their dads was worth listening to every squeal.

zola | newborn session

My girls' teacher at AcroFitness
was expecting her second baby and I had the privilege of doing her professional newborn session! Typically I recommend scheduling newborn sessions during the first 5-10 days after the baby is born, but we didn't get together until Zola was nearly 1-month old.

One-month-old? Well, surely that is still a newborn, right? Of course! She was still teeny tiny, and capable of curling up in a ball. However, in those few extra weeks, she also has learned how to s-t-r-e-t-c-h her little legs and arms, and just did not want to be curled up. Or sleeping, for that matter! She was wide awake the whole time I was there. And she had found her hand, so when she wasn't moving around, she was sucking on her fingers.

I still got some adorable, newborn-looking pictures of her, though!

Her mom absolutely LOVES hair accessories: headbands, big flowers, big bows? Bring 'em on!

Just like her big sister, this baby was "Born for Big Bows!"

So, welcome to the world, Zola! I can't wait to see you following in your family's footsteps and flipping down the streets of Mooresville in the annual parade.

catherine | newborn session

I was both thrilled and honored when my daughter's teacher contacted me about doing a newborn photo session for her new grand baby! As a shower gift, she gave her daughter a gift certificate for my Baby's First Year package. Each Tuesday when I would come in to volunteer in the classroom during March I'd get the "not yet" head shake, while her teacher waited excitedly to become a grandma.

Katy came home with the news on the 21st that Allison was being induced the next day! We scheduled her newborn session for the 26th, and I had the pleasure of meeting this beautiful family...

When I arrived, Catherine was sound asleep, and she stayed that way for nearly all 2 hours that I was there.

It was such a laidback newborn session. I was able to move her around and pose her without even a flicker of her eyes.

And with a mommy as beautiful as Allison, is it any wonder that Catherine is so gorgeous?

This is why it is so important to schedule a newborn session during those first 5 - 10 days! The baby is wonderfully sleepy and happy to curl up in little nests.

Jimmy was positively bursting with pride over his new little daughter, and was so attentive to both of the girls in his life.

Their two dogs were in crates right next to where I was taking pictures, but Catherine slept right on through their occasional whines and yips. And even when Jimmy let them out for a family photo, she kept on snoozing...

Dublin and Oakley were so happy to be a part of all the activity they'd been patiently observing.

Finally, after nearly two hours of pictures, she began to stir just a bit. This is one of my favorite photos from the entire session. It's not posed, it doesn't really show their faces, but it absolutely shows how a new baby is utterly absorbing... and how parents' focus changes completely with a new baby's arrival...

Hey! There are those little eyeballs that we haven't see all morning! I am so looking forward to watching Catherine grow and change over the next year. Thank you so much for trusting me to document this time.