The {O} Family

I always love photographing these kids... they are obviously so unbelievably cute, and their mom always has the greatest outfits and props! This time we got together with their aunt, uncle, and grandparents and did one big photo shoot. Fun and crazy as always! Enjoy your sneak peek!

Mr. {B} is Four!

This was my first time photographing this little guy- he is just too darn cute. When he first arrived for his session, he wasn't so sure he wanted anything to do with my camera. I knew pretty quickly we were going to need some creative convincing to peel him off his mom's leg. :) When I found out he loved drums and was even wearing a drum shirt, I knew we were in luck! Here he is getting "warmed up" for the camera playing my daughter's drum. Worked like a charm!

Once he realized this "picture thing" wasn't so bad afterall, we got loads of great smiles! I think this was my favorite of the day- what a handsome little man and I love the backwards cap!

Happy Birthday handsome guy! Thanks for a great shoot!

The {A} Family

Well, when I heard I was going to a shoot with FOUR (yes four) boys, I knew it could be a very "interesting" morning. But I was pleasantly surprised at how sweet and calm these boys were and I just loved my time with them. They were all great big brothers to their newest brother, who just turned 1. And I'm not sure if I could find a more handsome group of boys. LOVE those big bright eyes.

Here is the newest member of the family...

And here are those sweet big brothers...

This birthday boy is turning 9... so we got some extra shots of him.

His favorite past time is reading, his mom wanted some pics of him doing just that. Perfect!

The whole beautiful family together!

Thanks {A} Family for a beautiful shoot! Hope to work with you again soon! And thanks to Jenny, my new photo editor for doing such a great job on your first shoot. Didn't she do an amazing job!? You can read more about Jenny in the blog post below.

Introducting Jenny!

I am THRILLED to be introducing a new photo editor to my team. As many of you know I have been so blessed in the past year to watch my calendar fill to capacity. God has taken this little passion of mine and really built it into a thriving business. However, trying to balance work with being a mom and a wife, (and maybe having a life for myself once and awhile!) has been a challenge. Enter JENNY! She has loads of background in photo editing and a great eye for photography. When I realized she was looking for part time work, I could see right away she'd be a perfect fit. I could not feel more excited to have her working alongside me. She is an amazing mom and wife and one of those women that is just fun to be around. :)
I wanted to come photograph her kids for her first real job at editing with me. Nothing better than getting to work on your own children. That also meant she got a chance to see my side of the job and experience a shoot from a customer's perspective. We had a great morning together and I love what we were able to capture. Here is a sneak peek at her shoot:

We started with Mia- who was a true natural in front of the camera...

T.J. was feeling a bit more shy to start, but I still love this shot...

Funny how kids will "warm up" a bit if you just relax and give them some time...

I wanted to do some shots of the kids laying on the floor together. This is how is usually starts~
Here is Mia, growing a bit frustrated with her brother...

And T.J. deciding he didn't want anything to do with laying right next to his sister...

And then the wrestling began!

And then just when we thought we should give up... here it was~

Now, in the midst of all of this Jenny kept saying to me, "I feel like I should be stepping in and disciplining the kids, this is really hard to just stand back and not say anything". She helped me realize how hard it is to play the mom role, watching the kids be silly, when she felt like it would be best for them to sit still and look at me. With her permission, I wanted to share this insight with all you moms out there who wonder how best to handle those moments when the kids seem to be a little less unruly than you'd like. :)

So here are my thoughts on that:

1) I love moments like we had (with the wrestling and silliness) because it lets me grab those shots that we often forget to get. While I was snapping away, Jenny was saying "Yep, this is how they always are- they love to wrestle". When I hear a comment like that, I know I HAVE to get those shots. At the end of the day, we all want photos to help really capture who our children were at this age. What did they like to do best? How did they interact with you or their siblings? What were their funny little faces like? Those photos are the ones you'll want to remember, not the "say cheese" smiles we often ask for. I think you'll agree that the first shots I got are beautiful, even if they aren't smiling at me.

2) Sometimes I think parents get embarrassed of their children's behavior because they think it will bother me. Let me just say this... it DOES NOT bother me. I have an elementary education degree, taught 1st and 2nd grade for 5 years, and have two kids of my own. I have seen it ALL! (temper tantrums included) :) I know that kids are kids, and although we'd all love for them to be those perfect angels when the camera is on, it simply rarely happens.

3) I allow 2 hours per session for a reason. Never do I actually photograph for 2 hours straight (whew, that would be a lot of photos to choose from). I allow those two hours so that I don't need to start shooting the moment I walk in the door. Often I like to just put the camera away, play with the kids a bit, let them warm up and feel comfortable with me. Rarely does a child do well if I walk in and put my big camera in their face immediately. So we start slow and I promise this is why I'm able to capture those beautiful shots later on. I also allow time for snack breaks, or just play breaks. Often kids can feel pressure from us if they can tell we are feeling rushed or stressed. So my advice (over and over) is relax, slow down, and let us all enjoy the ride! I never schedule myself to be in a hurry, so don't worry about me.

4) If your child starts "acting up", try to let me handle it. Since I'm not their parent, it is easier for me to stay calm and relaxed about it and about 99% of the time, I can get them to come around to their happy selves again. There have been times when I needed the parents to step in and help, and when that happens I just let the parents know I'm ready for their help. I'm also one of those moms that spells out, "How about a S-N-A-C-K???" :) Afterall, doesn't a yummy snack cure everything?

So those are my two cents on how best to handle a photo shoot. I'd love to hear any feedback you have from the mom perspective! Feel free to leave a comment on this post.

Now, back to Jenny's kids. Here is Mia in her bedroom. I love to take pictures of each child in their own bedroom with their favorite toys, stuffed animals, and blankets. They are usually comfortable and happy in their rooms, and Mia was no exception! She couldn't wait to show off her HUGE horse named Lightbulb! (you can click on the photo collage to see it bigger)

And here is Mr. T.J.- the cutest little boy in the world. Don't you love his haircut- oh so sweet! He has a train table and legos in his room, it was so fun snapping away while he played.

So there you have it- a little peek into what a full session with me looks like.
Welcome Jenny! So excited to have you on my team!!

Miss {A}- 3 months already!?!?

Time flies! I was so excited to get to photograph this gorgeous little girl again. I loved doing her newborn pics and since her mommy is a great friend of mine, that makes it even more special. :) I don't think I can get enough of this one- just the most perfect little face with the chubby cheeks and all. Ahhhh, I was catching just a touch of baby fever while I was there (but don't tell my hubby please). Check out this little face...

If you LOVE this flower (and seriously how could you not?) check out this website. She is a local mom in our area who I've recently partnered up with... you'll be seeing lots more of her gorgeous products in my photos to come! She has a huge variety of bows, headbands, clips, ribbons, and more to choose from. The girls and I stocked up on her items last week and my girls are LOVING having the cutest hair in the class. :) And I'm thrilled because the quality is top notch and even hold up my girl's crazy thick hair.
www.ribbondreams.com

The {S} Kids

Wow- what a fun morning I had with these kids. The big sisters were simply a joy to photograph, great listeners (gotta love that!) and had gorgeous smiles. Their newest addition to the family, their handsome brother, was in a great mood and flashed me loads of smiles. Just doesn't get any better than that!
Enjoy your sneak peek...

Don't you LOVE LOVE LOVE the hair bands? Their talented (and crafty) mom made them...

One of my favorite shots to get is each kid in their bedroom. I think it is just a fun way to remember a bit about who they were at this age. I love to include a favorite blanket, stuffed animal, or toy in the shot. It helps keep each child feeling comfortable, and that means they are relaxed and being themselves! Love it- these kids were just too sweet and excited to get to show off their pretty bedrooms. : )