I know this sounds boastful but I can’t help it… I am not going to lie, I think I’m pretty good at photographing families…. because I photograph fun and love, not the stiff poses from yesteryears! You KNOW you had one hanging on your walls! There is nothing more satisfying for me to hear a mom say, “I am worried my kids (and my husband) are not going to cooperate” and then to end up with beautiful images like these. I have thought long and hard about what kind of photographer I want to be… I don’t mean the types of subjects I photograph, but what direction I want to keep going in, my brand and my style. I saw this quote a while back and I promised myself that I would always shoot from my heart and that I would photograph fun. I don’t really care so much about an extensive array of props that mean nothing, stylized sessions that aren’t a reflection of a child’s personality, I want my clients to look back on my photographs and think, “I loved that period of my life and I love my family.” That’s all that really matters to me anymore.

So there, and here you go…. shot from my heart.

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If you count the m&ms here, you’ll be able to see how old the boys are!
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Glow

September 3, 2010

This mom-to-be said she didn’t know if she believed in all the pregnancy glow stuff… so I’m going to submit this next photo as evidence:
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I met this couple at their home this evening on one of these crazy 100 degree days. I can only imagine what that must feel like being pregnant! We started inside their beautiful home so that I could set-up some “before” shots and they’re all beautiful, trust me (and maybe you’ll see a few when baby makes an appearance). But the ones I’m previewing are outside because it won’t be too much longer that I can take advantage of summery, warm, evening sunlight that you see in these photographs. And it was wonderful… almost as much as they are together. But not quite. :)
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I’ve known this beautiful mom since the 1st grade…. she is by far, one of the best moms I know. She has two sets of twins and a special little girl all under the age of 5. And did I mention she’s my age. She’s my hero and she is doing this fantastic job that God put her here to do: raising these beautiful children. They just moved back to this beautiful state and so I met them in their new hometown of Annapolis for this session by the water.

Just a few here… I posted a ton on my Facebook fan page so head over there for some more! And on that note, lots of changes are coming around here soon. I’ll be relying on my blog for sneak peeks instead of posting directly to Facebook as well(mostly due to some copyright violations–ya can’t print photos you didn’t pay for! :) and I’m also working on a whole new website/rebrand/logo/and a whole new look. Keeping things fresh is good and staying ontop of the game is important to me!

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Little Flower

August 23, 2010

This little girl has a very beautiful name… so fitting with the beautiful photos she allowed me to capture her today at just 8 days old. You might remember this maternity session I did last month where I plucked a daisy from my flower bed for mom and sp today, I was sure to bring a little one for her little girl.
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I have seen many things during newborn sessions: strong babies, babies with lots of personality, once a baby crawled across the table and once a baby smiled at me while awake (I swear). But this, I’ve never seen: a baby knowingly suck her thumb. She was very aware of where it was and would purposely tried to put it there whenever she got the chance.
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This is one of those shots that newborn photographers can rejoice with me in. When you’re in the middle of setting up something else and the baby smiles so you hurry up to snap a photo and pray that you caught it.
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She had a beautiful shabby chic dresser and mom even told me about it during the maternity session so I had already had this shot in mind before I arrived.
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And finally, I always love a daddy’s girl.
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Birthday Princess

August 22, 2010

This is my 3rd time photographing this beautiful family this year and I’m so honored to be able to do 1st birthday photos for this little princess. This mom is always so styling with her outfit choices! Love the bold summer colors. And if ever there was an award for best big brother, I would surely submit this big brother for it. He is so polite everytime and always so cooperative for me. Thank you so much again W family… it is truly a pleasure working with you and watching your children grow!

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Photographers’ Shoot Out

August 21, 2010

A wedding photographer friend of mine hosted a networking event or a shoot out a few months ago and I didn’t get to go… so I decided to host my own! I had a great turn out with about 13 local photographers and everyone there had one thing in common: we love to take pictures… no matter what the skill level was.
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I hired these two beautiful sisters whom you might recognize from prior sessions. They have such beauty and poise everytime I photograph them so I knew they’d be perfect for this job. I have this itch to do sessions in downtown settings. Families, babies, kids, you name it… I love the color and natural architecture that an urban setting provides so that was my choice for this shoot out.

Here are few of my favorites:
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It’s a Girl!

August 9, 2010

My maternity clients from a few weeks ago welcomed a beautiful baby girl who was only 8 days old when I got to meet her. I said it with the last set of photos of them but this family is so loving and these boys are going to be the best big brothers this little girl could know. They already dote on her and can’t get enough of her. For good reason of course—she is precious!
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We used this fabric for a belly shot with mom during her maternity session:
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A little before and after storyboard:
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Coming Soon!

August 4, 2010

A sweet little baby is coming very soon for this happy couple! I met them at Berrywine Plantations at Linganore Winecellars and wow, the scenery there is just gorgeous. I love photographing couples together for maternity sessions and I’m just as much about the experience as I am the photographs. In a beautiful and tranquil setting like the vineyard, I remind them to just take in the fresh air, breathe for a moment and enjoy these last few weeks as expecting parents together, to love one another and be reminded of how much they love each other. :)

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Happiness

July 29, 2010

This session was rescheduled from the extremely crazy heat a couple of weeks ago and I’m so glad we waited, because althought its still toasty outside, it was great weather for photographs. Little misses just turned the big ONE year old and wow, does she love her big brother. I had a great time going back through these and watching her face as she watched him. I love it.
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Seriously gorgeous family and absolutely so happy together!
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Thank you so much again A family! You guys were awesome!

Come hang out for an hour with me and let’s talk about photos!

The only requirement is that you enjoy taking pictures. You don’t have to be a professional but professionals are certainly welcome too! Click below to read about this fun event hosted by a fun person! :)

www.luckyladybugphotography.eventbrite.com