Eden Marie Three Months Session

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I love what I do! It's such an honor to get to see these sweet little ones grow.  Mine are all big now so I get to observe these darling parents watch with wonder as their little ones grow.  It's truly an awesome thing to experience from both sides.  God made these precious little people so fascinating!  It's no wonder I was addicted to reproducing them in rapid succession!  I simply couldn't get enough.  I remember very specifically the moment I packed up that bassinet for what I presumed would be the last time.  My heart ached. 

It's so refreshing to see Susan with her little ones.  She really does cherish each moment with her beautiful babies.  I think she understands how fleeting this time is.  She has made marking these milestones a priority.  And that's where I come in.

Here's her stunning three month old baby girl Eden.  I've been photographing this family since Eden was snuggly hidden away in her mama's tummy.  She's come along way!  Sweet and happy and all things lovely just like her mother....

Such a sweet relationship these two have. Complete infatuation... on both parts.

This cracks me up every time I see it! That's one scary bunny!

Perspective

To love. 

To be loved.

To never forget your own insignificance. 

To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. 

To seek joy in the saddest places. 

To pursue beauty to its lair. 

To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. 

To respect strength, never power.

Above all, to watch ... To try and understand ... To never look away. 

And never, never, to forget. 

                                                   — Arundhati Roy

I ran across this while browsing one evening. I run into a lot of heavy, silly, sweet and very deep quotes. The web is chalk full of them. But for some reason that I can't explain this one was 'real' to me. It was meaningful and I couldn't just click over to the next page. I stopped and physically wrote it down so as not to forget it.

You see, as a single mother of four life can be rather daunting... Overwhelming even and quite honestly I've found myself completely terrified at times. I find myself often in need of perspective. It's so easy to get buried in all the demands of jobs, kids, homework, housework, bills, deadlines, friends, relationships, teachers and then there is the very pitiful amount of time I actually spend trying to nurture my relationship with God and myself. I've actually had the hair brained notion that perhaps I could train for and run my first half marathon... silly me.


The reason this was so poignant for me I think was because it gave me the gift of perspective. In the midst of all the shuffling and running and stressing I was forced to stop and drink in fresh perspective. I'm loved. I have dozens of people that I get to love. My worries are insignificant in the grand scheme of things.






Anyway, I wanted to share it with all of you. I hope it can do something similar for you.

Frogs + Snails + Puppy Dog Tails

Turning two is a big deal for little boys I think.  It's a bit of a milestone.  And on a side note I disagree with the label 'terrible two's'  I've had the honor of living with three, two year old boys (they weren't two at the same time thank you baby Jesus!) but I gotta tell you... few things are as funny as a two year old boy.  The sense of wonder.  The total disregard for gravity.  The fascination with all things gross and dirty and LOUD.  They are boys from the beginning.  Loud, smelly, mischievous and so so sweet.  And I adore them.

When my sweet Sloan family called to ask me to snap some pics of their two year old Levi I knew it was gonna be fun.  When I arrived Levi was a little suspicious of the lady with the camera so I stood back and watched him do what he does.  This little man has some cool toys and an even cooler daddy.  Levi and his daddy have a special connection.  They 'get' each other.  It was a blessing to get to spy on and capture that sweet relationship.

Also, I will always ALWAYS remember shortly after I posted Levi's pics on my website the phone call I received from his mama.  She was in tears.  She gave me probably my MOST favorite compliment.... "You captured HIM"

Yeah he wasn't diggin me... yet

Daddy love

Don't you just LOVE this feeling?

In case you were wondering... Levi is analytical 

Six Months Old

As a photographer we're encouraged to pursue a direction or 'niche'.  I believe my niche in this photo world is babies and kids.  Wether that has something to do with the fact that I'm the mom of four little ones myself I'm not sure. But I confess that whenever I get a call from new parents that they would like for me to come photograph their newborn I'm on the other end of the line LITERALLY bouncing up and down with glee.  It's really all I can do to not audibly squeal.  Along with the privilege of capturing those precious first moments of life I get the distinct honor of returning every 3 months to document their progress and watch these wee ones grow.  

So here's Miss Charlotte at six months of age.  You may remember her from her previous three month old shoot.  She's growing into such a beauty.  And I'm incredibly envious of her long, sweeping eyelashes.  Not to mention she's got the most adoring big sister whom is clearly hilarious as she can have Charlotte in stitches with a simple word or a little dance.  Thanks sweet Abby for coaxing those grins from your sister.

Hilton Head Island, SC

Last summer I was blessed to have an opportunity to visit Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.  I've always heard from friends who frequent this area how beautiful it is so I was excited to see for myself.  Armed with my camera I captured some of the sights and I wasn't disappointed.  

Stayed at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa a beautiful beach front property.  I spent my days lounging around the pool sipping tropical drinks and strolling the beach and every evening exploring some of the areas fine cuisine.  John insisted I have my first taste of what appeared to be a giant sea loogie, otherwise known as the oyster.  Upon planning the trip he'd threatened me with this possibility. I figured that perhaps I could distract him or perhaps charm my way out of this situation but John is nothing if not persistent and let's just say he's well suited for the job he's currently in (sales). He'd been talking these things up during the weeks prior to our trip.  It took a lot of coaxing and a monumental amount of courage (and perhaps a libation or two if I'm not mistaken) to convince me to try one of the seas most unappealing creatures. I thought that since one of my favorite gems, the pearl, comes from these nasty little things, I ought to at least give em a chance. My opinion... eh... just as I suspected... snot & boogers coated with cocktail sauce. Thanks but no thanks.

John took this shot and for Christmas I had it printed on canvas and gallery wrapped for him 

The view from our table at The Old Oyster Factory

Sea Loogies

Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon. Our 'go to' wine ever since. Delicious!

One morning I woke with the sunrise and decided to grab my camera and head for the beach.  This is, after all, the east coast, the sun rises over here.  Unless you're a photographer the idea of crawling out of bed in the wee hours whilst on vacation is probably a horrible idea, but all my photog buddies out there TOTALLY get this.  There is nothing quite like that morning light.  So off I went on my solo adventure on what must have been one of the most humid mornings I've ever experienced.  It probably took my lenses a full 30 minutes to adjust the extreme conditions and stop fogging up.  On one of the shots I just worked with the steam. It turned out to be one of my favorite shots.  Nothing like a little fog to make a shot look mysterious and romantic, dontcha think.....?

At work

Me & a good book and I wouldn't be budging from this spot

Megan + Robert

Part of my new years resolutions for 2012 is to blog more.  Facebook has made me lazy. I just throw some images up on my business page and call it a day. My poor little blog and all TWO of my followers are neglected. 

Now... here is the darling and sweet Megan & Robbie who's wedding I shot way back in July. That's not a typo. That's how bad I've been. Anyway they are certainly blog worthy. Thanks to the oh so talented Kristen Weigel for assisting!

I just LOVE the way he's looking at his new bride.

Such a cute comfy option for the ladies!

All this symmetry is so contrary to my usual taste but it just works in this shot

That ladies & gents is a blushing bride

A sweet, (almost) private moment I captured.