Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Makenzye

I can't believe that a year and a half ago, Makenzye was this tiny little thing.



Today, she's a bouncing ball of energy that gave me a run for my money on Sunday morning! :) She's absolutely adorable and filled with spunk, so I didn't mind. We had so much fun together walking around the downtown Valdosta area. Here are some of my favorites!
















Monday, June 29, 2009

Colten

Every time I do a session as part of my baby plan (5 sessions during the first year) I'm amazed at how much babies grow in a span of 3 months. I am so privileged to be able to document this time in their lives (and his/her family) to make memories that will last forever.
Very fitting to this post, last week I saw my grandparents and received a beautiful gift from them. My grandmother had made a memory album for me with all of my childhood pictures. It was so much fun looking through it with my grandparents and my mom... and I hope that the same kind of joy will be experienced as Colten and his family look at his baby pictures many years down the road.


I have to confess that Colten completely stole my heart Saturday morning during our session. He was totally flirting with me... laughing and cooing the whole time. Well, I thought it was directed toward me. You'll see who the real object of his affection is in these images.

























I guess moms win over photographers... it was the sweetest thing to see Colten's eyes light up and smile when he saw his mom. Adorable!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Gentry, Part One

I don't ever break portrait sessions up into two posts, but this one certainly deserves it. Number one, because I am overwhelmed with her cuteness... and number two, because I have had two other rockin' portrait sessions this weekend that need to be showcased!
Genry is an absolute doll, and I've been lucky enough to have had two sessions with her before. But since she's growing (and her curly-q hair is getting even more curly-q), I haven't had a chance to capture her!

Here are some of my favorites from our session together.


























Remember to come back later this week for more of Gentry... pictures might even include a hot pink tutu! :)

Monday, June 22, 2009

Carol & David : Married

Saturday morning, I had the honor of watching my mom get married to a wonderful man. They didn't want an extravagant wedding... rather one that reflected their personalities and interests. Their love for the outdoors and a desire for a simple and happy life together was apparent by having a small, beautiful wedding in the backyard.
Though I wasn't a hired photographer, I couldn't help but bring my camera along to document her special day. There are a lot of favorites, so don't be surprised that it's image overload in this post. :) Congratulations you two!


My favorite ring shot of all time.




Carol and David had a harpist play during the ceremony and a portion of the reception. It was so pretty!




David and the minister patiently wait for the bride.







So excited to see her groom!




Sweet details...










A simple detail shot that I absolutely love!




A moving prayer before being announced as husband and wife.




After the ceremony, everyone feasted on an amazing spread of barbecued food. It was delicious! We laughed, talked, and ended the event with homemade ice cream (since David doesn't like cake!) Later in the day, we snuck away for a few sunset pictures. I love the one below.




I love this series... for not liking being in the spotlight, these two know how to work the camera!










A modern version of the traditional image. Since the wedding was on a farm, I couldn't NOT take this picture!








Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Trash the (Prom) Dress Casting Call

When I was in high school (senior year, specifically) I loved my prom dress. It wasn't anything like what I had pictured in my mind before shopping, but once I saw it and put it on there was no turning back. I loved the way it looked... and I loved the way I looked wearing it. I had a blast at my prom, but I wish I had more than just the traditional pictures to show the way I felt wearing it. Here's a chance for you to avoid feeling the way I did!

I'm in the mood for something fun and funky this summer. Almost two years ago I joined up with some local photographers for what was affectionately named "The South Georgia Trashing". I gave my wedding dress to a friend of mine, my best friend an extra bridesmaids dress I had, and another friend joined in with her own white formal dress... and we went down to the river for a "trash the dress" session. Go HERE to check those images out.

Okay, so where do you come in? I'm looking for a high school (or newly graduated) girl to participate in a Trash the (Prom) Dress session. I only have three requirements: You must be fun. You must be adventurous. You must like your picture taken.

In exchange for use of the images in my portfolio, you'll get a rockin' fun afternoon being the center of attention with my camera, as well as a print credit to choose your favorites! If you're interested, please e-mail me pronto and let's talk about good days and times for you!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Anna Grace

I love Anna Grace. During our photo shoot today, I told her she was my most beautiful client ever. Her mom laughed and said (just like the perfect rebuttal to a bad pick-up line) "I bet you tell all your clients that." :) It's true... I do. But I almost mean it with her.
Anna Grace and her family hold a dear place in my heart though, because they were my first clients ever. Anna's mom and I were classmates in graduate school. One day we were talking about photography and how she was debating whether or not to get maternity pictures done. I asked if I could do them, she accepted, and we've had a wonderful photography relationship ever since. In fact, it's one of the reasons why I love doing my portrait plans that include pictures of babies throughout their first year... I love to see them grow and change over time. And I've been fortunate enough to do that with Anna Grace for the past three years.

Here are some of my favorites.



















Monday, June 15, 2009

Celebrating Adoption

My favorite adoption poem reads:

"Not flesh of my flesh,
not bone of my bone,
but nevertheless my very own.
Never forget for a single minute,
you were born not under my heart
but in it."

Adoption is such a wonderful gift that can happen to a family. I'm fortunate enough to be a photographer who participates in an amazingly emotional program called Celebrating Adoption, which offers a free photo session to families who have adopted children within the past 12 months as a way of celebrating an addition to the family. Each session also includes a 4x6 print of each image.

Since getting involved in Celebrating Adoption, I've had the opportunity to celebrate with two wonderful families... first with Micah and then with Samuel. I know that the summer months are usually busy with vacations and whatnot, but I'm always looking for a deserving family to take advantage of a free session. So... if you've adopted a child within the past 12 months (or know someone who just adopted), e-mail me and schedule a session to celebrate!




Emma

Emma has been a shining star on my blog during 2009... here and here. But what you see aren't pictures just for her, they've always centered around others. With the addition of her baby sister, Emma's grandmother wanted to give her something special of her own. That something special was a photo shoot with me.
Let me tell you. I couldn't have had more fun. Emma is sassy. To the point of making me blush. She posed like America's Next Top Model, made suggestions for where I should take her picture and "worked it" better than some of the girls I've seen on ANTM before. And what's even funnier is that she's only FIVE! Here are some of my favorite images from our session together on Saturday afternoon. I can't wait to dig in and edit the rest!










Something about this moody image is one of my favorites. It was raining and we took cover under a tree.



Seriously... this is her looking "sexy". I laughed uncontrollable when she said that!







Emma just lost her first tooth!



This is how old Miss Emma will be in a few weeks...






At the end, I asked Emma if she wanted a picture with me... she said yes, as long as she could pose me. So, here it is! :)




Leslie and Ike, thanks for being such troopers and walking all over downtown Valdosta. It was so fun to go through the alleys with Emma... hahaha!