Alyssa

I have the honor of photographing my nieces and nephews each year for their birthday milestones.  I have such fun with them, and enjoy getting them to relax in front of the camera.

This year we headed out to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront to stick our toes in the sand.  We were half expecting to get rained on, but the Heavens were gracious to us and held out long enough for us to get the session done.  The overcast skies provided the perfect natural lighting for the evening's expedition.

Alyssa is a ballerina and I thought it would be great to incorporate that into this years photos.  It's always challenging to think outside the box and do something different.  I welcome the challenge!!

Click on the picture below and enjoy the slide show of our time together!

Coats Maternity Memories

This past week I had the privilege of photographing a milestone in the life of a new family.  The anticipation of this little one is so strong you can just feel it the moment you speak to her parents and big sister!  I'm not really sure who was more excited about this photo shoot...them or me!  After weeks of planning and discuss and preparing for this day, it was time to let loose and have some fun.  Armed with some pink ribbon, a chalkboard, and a huge watermelon, we began our photo adventure together.

Mom to Be was SO willing to do whatever I asked...even if it meant laying down with her feet up in the air or sitting down in the water's edge at the beach!  She was a trooper, and Dad and Big Sister hung in there with us.

We started off at their house then traveled to the beach to catch the amazing light of the summer sunset. I loved every minute of my time with this special family, and was honored that they allowed me to capture such sweet moments!  I think my excitement for this little one's entrance into the world may be a close second to Mom & Dad's!  Having spent so much time photographing her while she was chillin in Mom's belly, I look forward to seeing the little munchkin "on the outside"!

Here are the photos from our journey together.  :)

Taylor

I love Seniors!  There is something about this season of life that is so exciting and innocent.  Life ahead of you.  Full of anticipation and limitless possibilities.  Having the privilege of photographing a young person for this milestone is such a thrill.  I don't think I'll ever get tired of it!

Taylor was no exception for me!  Few thing rival the love between a girl and her horse!  She is so fun, and was willing to do all kinds of crazy stuff to make her Senior photos interesting and personal.  We had a blast, and it was a gorgeous spring evening.

Here are some of my favorites from her session.  I love the vintage part of the series!  The  photos look like old postcards to me.

If you're interested in the storyboard templates I used, you can go here.  Rita at The CoffeeShop Blog has awesome FREE storyboard templates and actions.  I love her Perfect Portrait 3 action for most of my portrait retouching.  It has everything you could possibly need all nice and tidy in one action!  You can turn any layer on or off and adjust to taste...it's really great!

 So, there she is...a girl and her horse.  :)

Baby Luke

Recently I had the pleasure of taking some pictures of a brand new baby!!  I just love babies!!  He was so much fun, and is such an alert baby.

Here are a few of my favorites from my session with baby Luke.  :)

If you're interested in the props here ya go...

The owl hat can be found at my Etsy shop here.  The blue wrap is also at the shop and it's here.  I always love it when I get the chance to put my props to use!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Beucler Family

I recently had the opportunity to take a few photos of a dear friend and her now extended family.  It was Easter weekend, and the weather was FREEZING!!  You would never know it by the way they were dressed, but it was all we could do to get in the shots in between warming up in jackets.  Oh, the things you will do to "get the shot"!

Here are just a few of my favorites from the session.

Sweet Young Things

I had the opportunity to snap some photos of my niece and nephew for their birthday milestones.  We spent the afternoon walking around in downtown Suffolk, searching out places for some photo-ops.  Here are a few of my favorites!  They are both such sweet young things that it was loads of fun!

Sorting the Laundry

This is not a super technically awesome picture, but it's a picture of the people my world revolves around...the dear ones who's laundry I do almost daily.

As I was sorting the laundry this morning, I began to think about the fact that we spend so much time "sorting the laundry" of life, whether we know it or not.  Prioritizing, adjusting the stuff on the plate, organizing our time, making space for the important things, and getting rid of the junk is something we do on a regular basis.  I have to admit...here is where I struggle the most...keeping the main things cooking on the front burner of life, and letting the rest go unattended and burning if necessary.  Selfishness creeps in.  I don't want to do laundry.  I want to work on my latest knitting or crochet project, cook something amazing that my family will love.  I want to comb the internet for awesome deals and save my family 90% on our grocery bill this week.  I want to play with the latest batch of pictures I've got and learn some new thing in Photoshop, or figure out how to create some lovely layout for the blog.  I want to sit and read a book, take a nap, go for a run (o.k...maybe not SO much...), or do ANYTHING except the LAUNDRY.  again.

I get frustrated when things don't go how I want.  I know.  Welcome to the world...right?  Well, I submit to you (and to myself), that sorting the laundry is not as much up to us as we would like to think, and that as long as the most important thing is the first to get your attention, the rest will sort itself.  So, I was reminded today that as long as I seek each day to be a blessing to my family, and honor God with my life, the rest will take care of itself.  In it's own time.  And that's o.k. with me.  If I'm never a famous (or even just consistently busy) photographer, it's o.k.  If my Etsy shop never takes off, and I never sell one item, it's o.k.  If my culinary delights never extend beyond their current level, it's o.k.  If "Krazy Coupon Lady" is never my title, I'll survive.  If I never get to all the things on my list, it's o.k.  You get the point.  None of that's even remotely important against the truth that I am here on this Earth, at this time in history, for a purpose...and that purpose has nothing to do with the one sock I keep waiting to match up.

The balancing act continues.  But at least for today, laundry is sorted, and the most important thing in my life is reflected in that picture up there.

Everything else will keep...go get rid of some unmatched socks!  If you haven't seen the match in a while, chances are it's gone, and you haven't missed those socks too much if you're honest with yourself!

I'm off too!  must.fold.laundry.  :)