I’m a little behind on posting sessions on the blog, but this one just melts my heart. I’ve been photographing Ethan since he was three and I can’t believe how fast he’s growing! His mom brings him to me every year and gets a Storybook, so it’s really fun for her to have a collection of albums that captures his look and personality over the years as he grows. This year he just blew me away with how confident he is, and his new big-boy-non-fake smile is just dazzling!

I have wanted a picture of my whole family for ages. Really, I’ll bet you’re wondering why it took so long, right? How hard could it be for a photographer to snap a pic ? Let me just say, I have a real respect for the planning & commitment that is involved. It is very difficult for every single one of us to be together at the same time, and when it happens we are usually on a pretty tight schedule. Factor in trying to plan clothing choices that people have to remember to pack before they travel, trying to predict the weather, throw in a few small children, throw in some distracted son-in-laws, and well – you can start to see why this took 6 months and one previous failed attempt. But I am thrilled with what I got, it really is “us” and you can bet that I’m taking advantage of the canvas sale I talked about in my last post. This is going HUGE in a metallic canvas in my new house!

Just one year old, not quite walking, bright fall color, and the face of an angel – what more could you want?

I think I’ve photographed Julie’s kids for three years in a row now – always a fun time, they are easy & so photogenic! But this year I noticed a change; they are slowly entering that pre-pubescent stage…losing their baby looks….starting to stretch up, thin out, and give us glimpses of the teens that they will be. I love that – and I hate that at the same time. (sigh). But let’s not think about that too much! Just enjoy these wonderful kids, as always dressed perfectly in a fun colorful style that suits them so well!
Last year:

This year:

A few weeks ago on my way from Stacey’s to Pittsburgh I was able to stop in Sharpsburg MD and do a session for Jody’s kids – um, the last time was for Jimmy’s newborn session 3 years ago! Now they have a brand new home surrounded by beautiful fields. It was drizzling on my drive there, and I was worried that we weren’t going to be able to do the session, but just as I drove up the driveway we had the most wonderful golden light…love it on their blonde hair!

One with Mom:

Have you seen American Eagle’s new clothing line for little kids? Just launched online HERE ….some fun stuff! Got this outfit for Genevieve, starting with a sparkly tutu skirt:

And this for Gavin:

I love, love, love art that is personalized for your home and your family – which, I guess, is why I am a photographer. Nothing pleases me more than seeing photographs or kid’s art proudly displayed in a home – it just feels so cozy, & makes a pretty bold statement that "family" is important here. That’s why these canvases grabbed my attention :

They are 10×10, painted or white, that you personalize with your handprints in very cool colors. I’m thinking that I could even do these myself in colors that are specific to my house! And wouldn’t they look extra cool mixed in with canvas images of your kids? (umm, from Casual Moments Photography, of course!). You can order the kit at a VERY reasonable price from Red Envelope

Another session at Mingo Park. We actually tried to do Finn’s session last winter around his birthday, but he ended up sick with an ear infection. Now he has tubes and is a happy healthy little boy, and so cute to photograph! I love so many of these, but I’m going to limit posting only a few here.

(more…)

My friend Shelby just had a baby girl, and I was able to fit in both a maternity & then a newborn session on consecutive PA visits. I love the images that I got of the baby, but I had even more fun with big brother Bryce – it’s hilarious & heartwarming to watch a toddler try to figure out a new baby and all that it means!
First some of Sophia:

Then we put her on Bryce’s lap:

..which only lasted for seconds before he rolled her right off (into dad’s hands, lol!). It was safer to put her in front of him -

And I just love this one…you can just see Bryce figuring out that she is maybe here to stay!

This groom will never have an excuse to forget his anniversary – it’s 08-08-08! Shawn & Sarah had a day that started out gloomy & drizzly, then turned out to be beautiful after all. It was a nice bonus but not really necessary, because these two can have fun anywhere and look great while they’re at it. You know that I always try to do something a little unique and personal in the images for all of my wedding clients…as soon as I found out that Shawn was a Pittsburgh city policeman, it was a no-brainer! Here are some of my favs -
The beautiful bride:

Love the emotion in this one with Mom:

Up to the West End Overlook after the ceremony:

And wadda ya know – a police car!