I get the best expressions from my kids when I don’t force them to look at my camera (aka-the black machine that hides mommy’s face).  It may not be the sharpest image, but I got a true belly laugh for sure.  No bribery-just plain fun.

I had the privilege of photographing this wonderful family last year July before their youngest, Emily, underwent bone marrow transplant. Emily looks amazing given what she had to go through this past year. The sudden changes with her body and the long awaited days of feeling “normal” again would test the spirits of any seven year old. However, her trials never got the the best of her and she is the same fun, free-spirited Emily that I met last year. Only this time around she has grown stronger in spirit with a determination to live life to its fullest. Emily loves life. She appreciates the world around her. During the photo shoot she kept picking at the flowers, the grass and anything she could get her hands on. What started out as a small bundle of sticks and stems in the beginning magically grew into a full bouquet of yellow and white flowers at the end of the photo shoot. What a great example of embracing all the beauty around us. It was evident that Emily’s family was a major source of strength and support during her recovery. I could tell in talking to them that they have been through a lot this past year. But at the same time, their patience and their faith pulled them through these tough times making them stronger than before. I appreciate the example this family is to me and hope that their story will always be an inspiration for me. Thank you again Heaps Family.

I am booked all the way into October now so if you need family pictures this year, I need to know soon because spots fill up quickly towards the end of the year. Since last year I did not set a dealine for Christmas, I was working into the holdiays.  So I this year I have to set one or else I will go crazy!  I need all appointments to be booked before Dec 1st.   I know that is a little earlier in the month, but this allows me to edit and get christmas cards out to my clients before it gets to be too late.  Sounds good?

What would a post be without a picture?

I know the i’s in the pictures look more like l’s. With all the letters in the bathtub “i” was the only one missing. Well these will have to do. Just a bit of water fun before nap time. Do anything you can to wear them out so they will actually go down at night.

This little girl is just full of energy and personality.  I won’t mention that I had to bribe her with certain things to make her stay in that one spot for me.  This age is fun to get personality shots and showcase them in a storyboard like format because you never seem to get the same expression.  My 11 month old son only gives me two looks-the heartwarming smile and the mouth wide opened stunned look.  Gets old pretty fast. She loves to make silly faces.  Again, Emi’s age 3-4 is the pefect age to get those interesting shots. Don’t miss them! They grow out of it quick!

I think summer is by far my favorite season of the year because look at all the yummy fruits and veggies that are in season. I know you can get strawberries any time of the year, but it just seems a little sweeter during this time. If I had more room in my garden I would love to plant strawberries, blueberries and corn.  But I don’t have a green thumb and if you ask any of my neighbors they would tell you that my tomato plants looked horrid last year.   If any body has a great strawberry pie or bread recipe that you think I should try email me! I need to start being a little more domestic these days-I don’t bake much partly because my manly husband likes to bake instead.  It’s not a bad thing that he likes to bake:)  Pardon the strawberries in the pictures, they have been in my fridge for a couple of days.  Don’t you like the wilted look too?

Miss Kiernan agreed to be one of my senior reps for her school. I wanted to add a little whimsical something to her portraits so hopefully the overlays aren’t too cheesy. I saw it done another blog and I wanted to borrow the idea! I think I am going to try some type of overlays on kid’s portraits later on too. One part of my portfolio that I seriously need to build is the senior portion. Therefore, I am thinking of offering a portfolio building package to seniors willing to be reps for their school. More details to come! In the meantime, enjoy these pics Kiernan! You are a doll!

This image was straight out of the camera. No enhancement only web sharpening-her eyes are just that beautiful!

So I have been working on this project for weeks now and I can finally see the end in sight! I will be introducing my much needed updated version of my website in August. In the meantime, clients can refer to my blog for pricing and session information. After about three years of portfolio building, I finally felt ready to upgrade from my previous site. I could not have done this without the help from all the families in the past who have signed up to do model searches and other portfolio building events. I appreciate all those who gave their time and effort into aiding me in creating great images for my site and studio! Please check back in August to see your beautiful children/family in full screen on my website! Here is a little sample of what the site will look like. *PS-I did a horrible job of taking screen shots of each page on my site. I apologize for that. Just trust me when I say that it will be fabulous!

I am so excited to introduce these products: the 5×7 image box, the mini and the 9×9 keepsake album!

They are included with the regular collections (under pricing).

The image box includes one of your favorite images from your portrait session printed onto the box along with 15 5×7 digitally matted prints inside.

The mini and the 9×9 albums are unique  in that it allows for you to have a great keepsake that will be enjoyed year after year. Each album will be carefully planned and designed by me to fit the personality of your child or family.

So what are you waiting for-these items give you a fun way to cherish your memories of your most precious ones forever. Ask me for more information!