I have been photographing Michele’s kids for a couple of years now…she was one of my very first clients, and has stuck with me even as I have evolved from using studio lights to almost exclusively outdoor natural light. It is always a delight to  work with these kids…they are so outgoing  and happy in front of the camera, and their unique personalities just shine through in their images!

It can be a little stressful to bring your family in for a session as I’m sure you all know. You want everything to go well to get good images, since it is an investment of time and money. You want everyone to look good and be in a good mood, and if the kids aren’t cooperating as well as you would like, it can be hard. But this family is a good example of how to make it work: Michele didn’t stress about clothing choices – she let Elena decide what she wanted to wear (sound familiar?) then dressed everyone else to coordinate with her. She didn’t try to force the younger ones to sit still & smile nicely when they balked – she just gave them a little extra time, and they came around in no time. She didn’t worry about perfect smiles and expressions – she just tucked everyone close & let me snap away! And it doesn’t get much better than this:

there are plenty of days I would be proud to wear this…

Carb Couture

Cindy brought her family to me all the way from Town Hill, after she saw her friend Amanda’s pictures. She was ready to have some non-studio professional images done, and she KNEW that her kids would shine in a more casual setting…and also, hubby Sean was more comfortable joining in on an outdoor session (hates having his picture taken!). We had great weather, and the kids were incredibly photogenic – I love it when it all comes together like this.

Gotta love a little girl in a tutu!

Andrea is the daughter of my friend Linda, who was in my nursing school class and worked the same steady 3-11 shift that I did when our kids were babies. We got to be friends through work & then did stuff together with the kids when they were little, and how could I NOT do Andrea’s wedding when she asked? I remember this child’s blue, blue eyes as a baby – and they are still just as captivating as a young woman. Brad & Andrea were up for anything – and when Brad wanted some images taken at his fire station, Jason & I jumped at the chance! You know we are all about fun places to take pictures!

Here is the link to their slideshow: Brad & Andrea

David & Madi are expecting a new baby in their house soon, and Mom wanted to get some pictures done before life gets even busier!  I loved this session because generally I am lucky to get even ONE shot of both kids together, but these guys were so good that I was able to get so many that even I had a hard time choosing a favorite!

I have done so many senior shoots this year of absolutely stunning girls that I have actually gotten accused of "fluffing" my portfolio by using paid models (yes, an email from some jerk photographer that I promptly deleted). But, honestly, I can see why someone would think that…LOOK at this girl!!! (Hey Sarah, I’m gonna hold your pictures hostage & make your mom fly you down to SC to pick them up!)

Families are so gratifying to photograph, because I know how much most moms treasure images of their families…its the most important thing in our lives, and our greatest joy! Janet was anxious to capture this particular moment in time for her family, as her children are entering the teen years and she knows the big changes that will bring. Good thing, because I can already see glimpses of the young adults these guys and girl will grow into!

And one of just Mom & Dad…

I sometimes feel positively guilty that I get paid to do shoots like this one – Kelsey was so natural and relaxed in front of the camera that we just breezed through her session. The only problem is that I spend inordinate amounts of time agonizing over which ones to cut out because I simply can’t show 100 images. But can you blame me, when they look like these?

A few images from last weekend when they were home for a short visit…Gavin was NOT in the mood to have his picture taken, and Genevieve had a few moments of cooperation.

Here she was "helping" Daddy wash the car:

And a few on my bench:

And Gavin at my neighbors pool; he is going through a "i hate the water" phase:

But he’s firmly in the "i love any kind of food" phase:

School has already started, and I’m sure going to miss photographing seniors until next year. These kids are so much FUN to be around, and they make it fun to do my job. How can I even tell you how rewarding it is to capture their personalities and beauty? Maybe I’ll just SHOW you -