We always look forward to these wonderful Santa Sessions, and this year we had the pleasure of having Santa MarkV join us for some great times full of laughter, joy, surprises, and magical moments with the kids. Every year, we offer a handful of these bespoke Santa Sessions to families in the Northern Virginia area. The Santa Experience we offer is like none other in our area. We strive to bring a joyful and memorable experience for the children and their families. We don't rush our sessions, and they are packed full of fun activities throughout the hour long (sometimes a bit longer) time with Santa.
We are proud to say (mostly thankful) that we have a lot of repeat clients that come year after year. We are truly thankful for this for many reasons, and one of those is seeing these kids grow through the years, and how they change as they get closer to.....well, you know! :) Thank you, thank you to all of our families!
If you haven't joined us for a session we would be glad to tell you all about it, and welcome you to our list of families if you should decide this is the one for you! Enjoy the pictures! They speak for themselves....pure joy!
We enjoy having families come from all over Northern Virginia to these very unique Santa Sessions.
Get in touch HERE to learn more about these very fun sessions.
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Our storybook sessions are enjoyed by children as they get to spend quality time with Santa reading stories, painting, sharing cookies and milk, and they get a special gift that is sure to become a tradition in your own home.
Our sessions are always fun, never rushed for those kids who may be a bit shy, and LOTS OF FUN!! Parents are always telling us what a great time their children had with Santa, as well as the parents.
We are booking now, and spaces are limited, and always book up quickly. SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS or CLICK HERE to get in touch if you have interest or any questions about our Santa sessions.
We are also offering a Toy Workshop Session with Santa. Click here for more information on these sessions.
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Our sessions are always fun, never rushed for those kids who may be a bit shy, and LOTS OF FUN!! Parents are always telling us what a great time their children had with Santa, as well as the parents.
We are booking now, and spaces are limited, and always book up quickly. SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS or CLICK HERE to get in touch if you have interest or any questions about our Santa sessions.
We will also be offer our classic Storybook Sessions with Santa; click here for more information.
Our sessions are very unique in that your children will get to spend some real quality time with Santa while we gather priceless moments in pictures of your child/children with Santa.
More information about this year's session will be coming out in August. If you would like to be on our mailing list to get the first chance to book sign up HERE.
At the end we did a cake smash for him and he absolutely loved getting into that cake! If you would like to see other examples of our newborn and one year sessions you can see pictures in this gallery.
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And one more thing about Evie, she shared with me that her brother got her that bracelet for her sixteenth birthday. How sweet is that!?!
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We are excited to once again be offering our beloved Storybook Santa Sessions to children and their families for the 2022 Christmas Season. These sessions book quickly, and this year we are offering a $50.00 credit to use toward your purchase of artwork from the session. See above for more information.
In addition to the Storybook Sessions we are also offering "Baking Cookies with Santa" Sessions. For those interested in this very fun event you can click here for more information.
Get in touch here to learn more about our sessions. We encourage you to come by for a no obligation information consultation where you will learn about the process, get to see products we offer, and see the actual set.
We look forward to working with you for what is sure to be a very fun, memorable experience for you, and most importantly your children. Our sessions always book up pretty fast, so don't delay!
In addition to the beloved Storybook Santa Fine Art Photography Sessions we will be offering a limited number of "Baking Cookies with Santa" Sessions for the 2022 Christmas Season! We are very excited to be able to offer two choices this year, and both are sure to be a blast for your children. Santa will be visiting us early again this year from August through October.
Give Teresa a call or send an email to learn more. We would love to have you come in for a no obligation information consultation. Past clients have found these consults most helpful in their decision making process. It is a great time to ask questions, learn about the process, and see what products we offer.
Clients will receive a $50.00 credit to apply towards artwork from the portraits taken from the session.
For those looking for our Nostalgic Storybook Santa Sessions you can click here to learn more.
We look forward to making some wonderful Santa memories with your children this year!
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We are excited to once again be offering our beloved Storybook Santa Sessions to children and their families for the 2022 Christmas Season. These sessions book quickly, and this year we are offering an Early Bird Booking Special! See above for more information.
In addition to the Storybook Sessions we are also offering "Baking Cookies with Santa" Sessions. For those interested in this very fun event you can click here for more information.
Get in touch here to learn more about our sessions. We encourage you to come by for a no obligation information consultation where you will learn about the process, get to see products we offer, and see the actual set.
We look forward to working with you for what is sure to be a very fun, memorable experience for you, and most importantly your children. Our sessions always book up pretty fast, so don't delay!
In addition to the beloved Storybook Santa Fine Art Photography Sessions we will be offering a limited number of "Baking Cookies with Santa" Sessions for the 2022 Christmas Season! We are very excited to be able to offer two choices this year, and both are sure to be a blast for your children. Santa will be visiting us early again this year from August through October.
Give Teresa a call or send an email to learn more. We would love to have you come in for a no obligation information consultation. Past clients have found these consults most helpful in their decision making process. It is a great time to ask questions, learn about the process, and see what products we offer.
We are also offering an Early Bird Booking Special this year. Book and pay for your Session by July 20th, 2022 and get a discount toward your purchase of artwork from the session. See the ad above for details.
For those looking for our Nostalgic Storybook Santa Sessions you can click here to learn more.
We look forward to making some wonderful Santa memories with your children this year!
We offer senior portrait sessions to clients in Warrenton and the Northern Virginia area. We enjoyed having Tino visit with us and loved getting his portraits. Downtown Warrenton, VA has some pretty interesting locations for our senior sessions and we love exploring them. We wish Tino the best for his future!
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Teresa
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We were able to do his newborn portraits before covid hit, and the rest as you will see is all outdoors, which I think they actually liked better! Anyway, in the course of the year we get to know our parent clients, and enjoy tremendously getting to know them and watch their baby grow.
Our baby plan is a great option to take advantage of as it provides you first of a year in pictures of your baby (they change so much in that first year). And we provide great savings in exclusive discounts and complimentary items for our baby planners.
It is always kinda sad after the 12 month photo session, but some do come back for special portrait sessions like birthdays, and of course our Santa Sessions. We really love it when we get to visit with past clients from time to time, and are happy that they trust us to capture these moments for them.
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It was such a pleasure having them here and sharing some smiles on and off camera! I count these times as blessings myself! I love my job. And if you are interested in finding a church home perhaps you would want to pay them a visit at Walnut Grove Baptist Church in Warrenton, VA.
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If you would like to get on the list for the 2022 season contact me here to be added to the email list. Families on the list get the first opportunity to book before I go public with our session spots. Our spots are limited to a certain number each year, so don't delay if you know that you would like to be a part of this; we sell out early every year!
Thanks for stopping by, and may you all have a BLESSED CHRISTmas this 2021!
Warmly, Teresa
Hello Everyone!
I am so excited to be offering our wonderful Santa Sessions this season! We were so let down when we had to cancel last year due to covid, and are VERY HOPEFUL that this year will happen without any of those issues. I hope all of you and your families have been safe and healthy throughout this pandemic.
With that said, if you would like to learn more about our Santa Sessions get in touch with us here, and I am happy to set up a no obligation consult so that you can learn more about these very unique sessions.
We always sell out early on these, and always have a waiting list, so don't delay if you think you may be interested! We book on a first come, first serve basis, and sessions are very limited.
We welcome you to be a part of our clients who are very happy with their children's Santa experience, and the artwork that we offer which is sure to become an heirloom.
Also, for this year Santa has done a little bit of remodeling in his Santa den! It will be a surprise for sure.
Thank you for your interest,
Teresa
We look forward to hearing from you soon! You can get in touch with today.
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Hello Everyone!
I am so excited to be offering our wonderful Santa Sessions this season! We were so let down when we had to cancel last year due to covid, and are VERY HOPEFUL that this year will happen without any of those issues. I hope all of you and your families have been safe and healthy throughout this pandemic.
With that said, if you would like to learn more about our Santa Sessions get in touch with us here, and I am happy to set up a no obligation consult so that you can learn more about these very unique sessions.
We always sell out early on these, and always have a waiting list, so don't delay if you think you may be interested! We book on a first come, first serve basis, and sessions are very limited.
We welcome you to be a part of our clients who are very happy with their children's Santa experience, and the artwork that we offer which is sure to become an heirloom.
Also, for this year Santa has done a little bit of remodeling in his Santa den! It will be a surprise for sure.
Thank you for your interest,
Teresa
We look forward to hearing from you soon! You can get in touch with today.
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Inquire with us to learn more about these wonderful sessions. We would love to tell a story in pictures for your family.
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I really like classic portraiture; it's timeless and fits wonderfully into any home.
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Feel free to reach out if you are interested to learn more about the process! In the meantime I hope that you enjoy these very cute pictures of this little girl feeding the reindeer! :)
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Warmly, Teresa, Dave, & Santa
To view more pictures from our Santa Sessions click here
For more information click here
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Our Santa sessions are approximately two hours long allowing ample time for the kids to have fun as we gather wonderful moments of them interacting with Santa.
The artwork created from these heirloom sessions will be enjoyed for generations to come.
Get in touch to learn more about these very unique sessions. We would love to plan one for you!
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We have enjoyed every moment with this family, and hope to see them in the coming years as their little miracle grows into a young girl to a young lady. But for now, we will take this day and savor it. Time files to quickly to wish for the future to hurry and get here!
We loved getting these special pictures for her parents. It was just after her baptism, and they wanted her photographed in her dress that she wore on that day.
We got some lovely portraits of her, and some whimsical photos as well. The whole session was such fun! Just love it! :)
We wish Tommy the best as he makes his mark on the world!
We were thrilled and honored when they asked us to photograph their wedding. It was a beautiful, heart felt ceremony, and lots of love going around as two families were coming together as one.
The wedding was gorgeous as well! Enjoy! As this blog is being posted they are celebrating their first anniversary! Happy Anniversary Corey and Charles!
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We were so happy that they trusted us for this very special occasion, and did we ever enjoy the day! The weather was perfect for their outdoor countryside wedding and barn reception.
As I post this blog they are celebrating their first anniversary!
Happy Anniversary Amber and Cody! We wish you many more!
Our maternity portrait sessions can be done in studio, or outdoors. We strive to make your time with us relaxing and unique. With no rushing, we strive to get the best portraits of you making custom photography very worthwhile.
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It is that time of the year again, and we are currently taking bookings for our exclusive one of a kind Santa photo sessions! Spaces are limited and if you are interested we encourage you to get in touch soon. Spots fill up fast!
This will be our second year offering these sessions, and they are so much fun. Kids get to spend some quality time with Santa as they share with him what they would like to have for Christmas. No standing in line to get a 5 minute photo with Santa. We allow 30 minutes for children to have their special time with Santa. As the kids play, sing songs, and have a look into Santa's magical gift bag we are capturing all of these precious moments that you will cherish for a lifetime.
This year we are very excited to have Warrenton Santa join us in the studio for these very unique and fun portrait sessions. He was also featured in Piedmont Lifestyle Magazine last year!
Why are we booking so early? you may be wondering about this. It takes a lot of planning to set up the design, the studio, and plan the sessions. We like to give parents time to find that special outfit for their children's portrait session with Santa. We are here to offer suggestions as well if you would like to get in touch.
This year's theme is "All Aboard" as featured above. If you would like to see some of the portraits from our first year's Santa sessions click here.
For more information about our unique Santa Portrait Sessions take a look here
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As I post this blog they are celebrating their first year anniversary! Happy Anniversary you two!. We wish you many years of blessings, Lexie and Mason!
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Here is one from a session that we had last year.
This young man is very much into sports, and we had a FANTASTIC time getting some fun stuff for his senior portraits! Congrats Adam on your many accomplishments, and we wish you the best as you head off to college this fall!
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We wish you great success in your future as you head off to college, David!
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Some of us may take for granted that the decision to have children will be easy, and for most it is. I used to think that way until I went through the pain of losing babies several times before the birth of my last child. This sweet couple had gone through some heart wrenching difficulties in their journey. When she came to me for her maternity portraits I prayed for her often that her sweet little girl would arrive safe and sound.
The day that I got the news that she had with no problems I wept tears of joy for them. I knew what special joy and relief they felt in that very moment.
Isn't she just adorable!!
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I am going to post a few photos, and in particular some black and white portraits. Initially I didn't like black and white pictures...I love color! But, as time went on they "grew on me", and now I LOVE them. I try to present a few black and white portrait samples with each of my clients. I have learned to see how powerful a black and white image can be....how it just takes away all of the distractions, and puts the attention right where it needs to be. For me that is the beautiful expressions on a mother or a father's face as they hold their newborn baby. Very emotional, and very powerful. Hope you enjoy!
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We had Santa come to our studio for a special visit for some special kids! We had a great time over two days of spending time with Santa and the kids, and getting some wonderful memories! Santa had such a good time visiting that he's wanting to come again next year!
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A year has come and gone, and I always catch myself saying "time flies", and it sure does, and faster every year! I thought it would be fun to post a few pictures from each of Claire's sessions to show off just how cute she is, and to see just how much she changed in a year's time! I love our Baby Plan that we offer to clients; it's fun getting to know these families, and it's joy to get their portraits at milestone stages.
Hope you enjoy "a year in pictures" of Clair!
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Last fall had us traveling to Michigan to visit an old friend, see him marry his sweetheart, and we got the extra special privilege of being the photographers to record the day for them! Dave and I were having a blast! Dave grew up and went to high school here in these parts of Michigan, and a few of his old school buddies are still in the area. We have kept in touch with Jeff through the years, and love him like a family member. When we found out that he was getting married we were hoping that they would let us photograph their wedding day, and I am so glad that they decided, "yes".
The church was beautiful, rich in color, and in history. I will let the photographs speak for themselves. The day was very sentimental, and fun. Jeff, who is a natural born comedian, did behave himself very well for their Bride and Groom portraits. At the reception before the meal, the priest along with the choir SANG the blessing......so beautiful! After that the fun and fellowship between family and friends began....and hardly a person sat down the entire evening!
Now a year has gone by, and these two have celebrated their FIRST wedding anniversary! Gee, the time just flies so fast!
Hope you enjoy the pictures, and Jeff & Mary we wish you many years of blessings as you celebrate your first year together. Happy Anniversary!
We also enjoyed getting some wonderful family portraits, and I just love the way black and white images bring your attention to the family connection in these portraits. What a sweet little family!
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Shepherd Center's primary goal is helping people who have suffered severe brain and spinal cord injury to return to the best quality of life possible. One of the therapies that they realized was very helpful to Kyle was music therapy, and they took full advantage of it. Along with all of the treatments, physical therapies, music therapy was also very key in his recovery process as it helped him on his recovery to communicate.
Kyle's recovery is beyond remarkable. I was completely blown away when we went to photograph him for a patient profile to be featured in Shepherd's publication: Spinal Column if you would like to read the article featuring Kyle. Before his accident Kyle, a rising high school junior, was an avid motocross racer and enthusiast. I was not expecting to experience what I did for his photo session. The pictures will speak for themselves.
Kyle is living a very independent life. He graduated high school, is currently attending a NASCAR school in North Carolina to become a mechanic, and although he is not racing anymore he is back to riding his bike! Recently, his brother, Alex treated him to a very special TECH N9NE concert, and it looks like Kyle had a very enjoyable and memorable evening with his brother! What a remarkable recovery, and what a bright future for this young man!
The girls were just as cute as they could be, and what a beautiful place to take them to for their portraits!
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While there we visited with Cindy and Mark. Thanks guys for such a fantastic evening! The food, your sons, the firepit, and your friends were awesome. But even more was our time spent with you! I think we all should make a pact to live in the same retirement community one day. On second thought, they may throw us all out for misbehaving! ;) I wished we would have had more time to visit, and I hope that you can come and see us sometime!
We also took some time to get family pictures for them. The backdrop was their very own property of their home. Now, I like that idea. Years ago for our daughter's senior pictures we had her photographed here at our home, and around in the yard for part of the session. To this day they are some of my dearest photos of her. It brings me back to that day, and makes it even more special because they were taken at our home. I hope that Cindy and Mark will feel the same way about their portraits as they look at them and think on them through the years....to know that they were taken at their home.
I am primarily a newborn photographer, but on occasion we do photograph weddings or second shoot for others. Second shooting is a lot of fun!
This wedding took us to the National Cathedral! Wow! What a gorgeous cathedral in our nation's Capitol. It was a beautiful day to get married. Dave and I hung out with the guys before the wedding, collecting memories for the couple to look back on later. Eventually we all ended up at the cathedral to photograph one of the most exquisite weddings yet!
Rudy and Megan we wish you many years of blessings in your marriage. Thank you, Kristen, Rudy, and Megan for letting us share in this most special day!
Developing a friendship is one of the benefits of having repeat clients, and that is important to me. I certainly appreciate that they come back to let me photograph their family, and I hold with appreciation the friendships that come from these times.
I look forward to future sessions with these families, and continue to watch their children grow, and hear of their life stories as they go along the journey!
These two babies, Antonio and Sofia were just the cutest things ever! They were so sweet, and did so well for their very first official portrait session! Mom made sure that her babies were well fed and warm, and we began our work (fun) of photographing them. We certainly enjoyed our time with them, and look forward to watching them grow!
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This little guy enjoyed "flying" his airplane, and was completely immersed in playing, making the photo session for him a lot of fun.
Check out our future blog post on the different themes that we currently offer.
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This little gal turned six months just in time for the Christmas season, so we had extra special fun getting her winter pictures!
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I am not going to give away any of her secrets, so you will just have to check back in a few months and check out their wedding day pictures! For now, here are some of the highlights from their Engagement Session here in Warrenton Virginia!
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Today we will be meeting the newest member of their family!
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Ben and Tori are some of the sweetest people that I have had the pleasure of getting to know over the course of almost a year in talking with them about their wedding and what they desired for their pictures. I think I was getting almost as excited as they were about the wedding day.
Ben and Tori shared their nuptials over two ceremonies. The first was with their closest family at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Warrenton, Virginia. This was indeed a most beautiful ceremony in this gorgeous church. The love between the two of them, and the love that their families have for them was so very evident during the entire ceremony, and throughout the entire day. At times I found myself getting teary eyed, which can make it a bit difficult to get those pictures! This was a precious, precious time, and I am glad that we were able to be a part of it.
The second ceremony shared with all of their family and friends took place at Fauquier Springs County Club in Warrenton, Virgina. This too was a most gorgeous venue still decorated with Christmas greenery, golds, and reds. We took full advantage of their beautiful Christmas decor and their splendid double stair case! We have photographed a wedding here before, but not at Christmastime!! I don't think I have mentioned that Christmas is my favorite time of the year....this was just....perfect!
From morning until night the day was full of love, fun, and tender moments shared with family and friends. We had a wonderful time capturing memories for the two of them, and the attention to the gorgeous details such as the flowers, cake, table decor and room decor completed the picture for their wedding. But, most importantly, we captured those sweet, endearing looks and moments shared between the two of them, and with their family members. THAT is what it's really all about....our connection with those that we love, and that is what this photographer likes to capture! Once the music began I don't think very many people sat down for very long! They were all having a GREAT time!
I would like to mention too, that we also had the pleasure of working alongside some of our friends; Debbie and Wayne Jones of Fauquier Fotos. They along with their business partners were the Videographers for the day, and they did an excellent job! You can see a highlight reel here. It was so sweet, and I loved the interviews!
I hope that you enjoy these pictures! And Ben & Tori, if you read this...let's keep our fingers crossed for that snow date!
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I can only imagine what her six month photo session will be like, but for now look at these adorable pictures of this sweet baby girl!
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Little N was such a cutie, and full of smiles and inquisitive looks. I didn't want to stop taking her pictures! Soon it will be time for her six month appointment, and I just know it's going to be a blast!
For now, here are her three month portraits.
Jack and Helen brought along the "family car" as part of their photo session! What fun we had with this, and I just love the photos from their session. The car fit well into the surroundings for the session given the history of The Inn.
Jack and Helen were a delight, and toward the end of the session they even had time to climb a tree! It's good to keep the kid in ourselves...perhaps I should have tried to climb that tree!
Dave and I wish you (Jack and Helen) the very best as you start a new journey in our lives! Enjoy the ride!
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We photographed sweet little Bella in a stork sling. Being that she was very new (less than 10 days old) we were able to do this without a problem, and did it very safely. A portrait like this is not possible for older babies, but even if they are older there are plenty of other poses that we can do to get wonderful portraits of your baby. The important thing is to have them photographed, because they change so very quickly!
Little Bella has changed quite a bit since these portraits! She is so darn cute! Hope you enjoy these.
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Fauquier County, Virginia offers so many gorgeous outdoor photo shoot opportunities. I am amazed every time we go out on a shoot to see a new location. This place was just fabulous!
We had a great time photographing Kellie, and her brothers popped in during the session to join her for a few pictures. I am just loving the buttercup field portraits!
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I was so thrilled that this wonderful young family came back to me for their family pictures. Even though the chill of winter was making its debut we had a great time getting some fantastic family portraits for them in The Plains, Virginia. Nestled between Marshal, Warrenton, and Middleburg this quaint little village area is picturesque everywhere you turn. My youngest went to preschool at a little church in this area.
We met Amber and Cody there, and didn't have to drive very far at all to get these wonderful portraits for them, which will make it to my "forever favorites" hall of fame. :)
Soon we will be photographing this sweet family again, and we are looking forward to seeing them, and to see how much Colton has grown!
For now enjoy these pictures from their last fall family portrait session.
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This particular venue is one of these. Off of the main path, this venue invites you to journey down their private road, and around the bend it opens up into magnificence! Sunset Crest Manor rests in the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains right in Chantilly, Virginia! This exquisite mansion showcases a double staircase with upper balconies all round. The mansion is perfectly suited for a wedding party and guests, with sprawling grounds decorated with flowering trees, roses, and a view of the mountains in the distance. They also feature a separate barn perfect for reception activities.
The owner and staff were the most helpful, and so nice! We certainly enjoyed talking with them and most appreciated their help with navigation of their beautiful surroundings.
We recently photographed a wedding and reception at this beautiful venue. We had a wonderful time getting to know the staff, and the other vendors that were there for the evening.
The DJ this couple hired for the evening ROCKED!!! I must say that no one sat down the entire night. From the first moment of music in the air, the evening was electric! Guests were dancing like there was no tomorrow! Everyone was having a wonderful time. If you are looking for a DJ that exudes professionalism along with friendliness then Michael Cruz is the guy for you! If you are looking for a DJ for your wedding or other event you can check out his website, DMV PRO DJS.
Photo booths at a wedding are a fun thing as well, and this couple had hired one for the evening. Again, another fantastic set-up, and the owners of this business are so very nice, professional, and FUN! I had a great time chatting with them, but more importantly, the guests were having a blast with this photo booth. If you are in the market for a photo booth at your event you will want to give these folks a call. Check out MD Photomemories for your wedding!
We have photographed in quite a few areas in the Northern Virginia area. This venue will be one of my favorites, and I hope that we can go back there again for some else's special day!
See our portfolio for other weddings we have photographed!
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With some props, wardrobe, and other things in our travelling studio we set off for Baby N's newborn portraits. We arrived to a nice cozy house, and once we assembled the studio we began her portrait session. It's great that her mom had the house nice and warm for her, as this makes the session more pleasant for a newborn baby being photographed sometimes in their bare skin.
Baby N was very alert, and with lots of patience we were able to get some sleeping baby pictures of her that all moms and dad like. However, I like the awake baby pictures too, and she has such gorgeous eyes!
This sweet little girl is part of our baby plan, and I am really looking forward to her next session, and the rest as she grows. It's going to be fun to watch her personality develop!
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Susie shared with me about how they met, and that shortly thereafter he told her that he would put a ring on her finger one day. He knew that he wanted this very special girl to be by his side for the rest of his life. After a few years of courtship, and getting to know one another he asked, and of course she said yes! We were all so excited for the both of them. To make their wedding day even more special I learned that Matthew helped design her engagement ring with the diamonds from his grandmother's ring, and that Matthew would be receiving his grandfather's wedding band to wear on his finger.
The day was filled with a happy nervous calm...if there is such a thing...just as weddings go. The weather forecast was reporting 80% chance of rain throughout the day, and we wanted some outdoor pictures. So, with some prayers coming from all of us we asked God to give us a few rain free spots for getting some pictures, and He did! Just perfectly planned. The light rains stopped long enough to get before, during, and after the ceremony pictures, and just as we were finishing up with the new bride and groom, the light rains began again! They say it is good luck to have rain on your wedding day. All I know is that my Lord smiled down on us that day, and I was grinning from ear to ear inside!
The reception was so much fun, and so much love on display between friends and families. The light rains continued off and on throughout the evening, but that was just fine.
We actually took the the time to get a fun under the umbrella kiss in the rain shot! It was so much fun!
Susie and Matt, we wish you the very best, and many many blessings from God as you start your married life together. We love you!
Enjoy a first look at some of your wedding day pictures!
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What a gorgeous portrait of a newborn baby girl on a swing! This might seem a little scary to put a baby on a swing, and IT IS if you do this straight up, and I STRONGLY discourage anyone from trying to do this pose as is, because then it would be very, very dangerous!
I love taking and posting images to share of newborns that we photograph with this fun prop, but I would be amiss if I didn't tell you how it's done.
Before we photograph any newborn the very first thing that we consider is safety. It is, without a doubt, the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of our photography sessions when it comes to newborns. This image is what we call a composite. It is two or more images merged together to have the end result look like this. I would never in a million years photograph a baby laying on a swing like this straight up.
Below I am sharing the images that it took to make this photograph. A lot of time spent in post production is required to get this result.
As a matter of fact, a lot, and I mean A LOT of time is taken to even get the shot! This is not a rushed attempt; and sometimes it can take a good 30 minutes or more to get a portrait of the baby relaxing on the swing before you even take the first picture! I don't guarantee these images to my clients. Sometimes a baby may not settle, or just is not comfy lying on the swing, even though it is padded. In this instance I will not do the shot. It is not worth getting the baby, parents, and myself all flustered. That does not make for a fun session.
So, anyone considering doing this, please do it the right way, the safe way. Practice, practice, practice before you photograh a real baby on this prop. Or better yet, take some mentoring lessons from a photographer who has lots of experience at it. It is not worth the risk to take shortcuts! It's not fair to the child, the parents, or yourself, and quite frankly if you do take shortcuts.....well DON'T!!
Below you see the three images that were used to get the final image. As you can see I have spotters there at all times, and that the swing is actually resting on a firm surface with beanbags, blankets, a softness all around the perimeter of the swing bottom. Setting this shot up takes a lot of time and planning. Once ready to photograph it only takes a few shots, and we are done with that part of it.
Have fun photographing, and ALWAYS put safety above everything else. And parents, if you have a photographer in mind for your baby;s portraits and you want something like this make sure he or she is comfortable doing this, and has had practice and experience at it.
This little gem came to the studio for her debut at five days old. We had a wonderful time photographing her, and captured some sweet moments that her parents can cherish for a lifetime. Being five days old she was a sleepy little baby, and this made it very easy to get some cute poses.
During the session I enjoyed talking with her parents, and got dad to help me with part of the session; he was a real trooper! These new parents are going to be fantastic. They were overjoyed, even though they were tired from adjusting to their new little baby's schedule, to have this precious girl in their lives.
We wish them many fun moments in their lives as they raise her, and watch her grow! It will go by very, very fast!
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We had a great time photographing this very sweet couple, and we wish them a lifetime of happiness as they start their journey together. Their first stop is to Germany to live for a few years!
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TMSN (SS) USN Robert D. Armstrong served his country well, and left quite a mark on those he loved, and those that loved him. Dave and I were honored to be present to capture this bittersweet moment in this family's legacy. It is never easy to say goodbye to our loved ones, and this father's children did it with such dignity and grace while his grandchildren beheld what an honor it is to be a military man in the United States of America. I hope that it leaves an indelible impression on these young patriots.
Arlington National Cemetery is a place of somber beauty. There is a sadness, yet a peace at the same time. What a fitting memorial, a final resting place for our military men and women.
We have become friends with this wonderful family, and photographing at times proved difficult as my heart was overwhelmed with emotion. Emotion for our country, and it's finest, for the family...our friends. However, I am so thankful that they allowed us to share in this moment, and we were honored to be able to fulfill a request for them.
To learn about TMSN (SS) USN Armstrong's accomplishments, talent, and devotion to his country you can find information here.
I could tell you about this man's last few months with his family, but that is only theirs to tell. However the one thing that I do want to share, and one that made the most powerful impression on me was one that is quite simple, yet so very important and I would argue his most important accomplishment of his life. It is the knowledge of this one fact that I walked away with from this memorial service for quite an extraordinary man. Dex Armstrong came to know Christ a few months before he left this earth. This to me, was the most profound statement of the day. What a comforting gift to leave your children. May the peace that surpasses all understanding be given to his family until they meet again.
Thank you, TMSN (SS) USN Robert D. Armstrong for your service to our great country.
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Jackie has traveled on missionary trips with her musical skills and talent and I am sure that she has been an inspiration to the people that she has served for God. I am sure that God has a mighty plan for her life! It is always kind of bittersweet seeing these kids grow up and move on to a new chapter in their lives. Maybe it means I am just getting older; the song "Landslide" sung by Stevie Nicks comes to mind. Anyway, I would not have missed this moment for nothing, and I am glad that God has put such wonderful people in my life, and that they ask me to captures memories at significant moments in their lives. I consider it an honor and a blessing!
Jackie, I know you are going to do great things! You come from a great family who have taught you great values, and how to love...it is so evident in the way you all are with each other. You set an exemplary model for others to follow. Stay true to who you are and what you believe. You will do great in the coming months as you approach graduation and then on to higher education. We wish you the very, very best and I hope that we can continue to partake in the significant moments in your life!
We had such fun planning Jaxx's Senior Portrait Session; discussing wardrobe, hairstyles, location, and "the look" that she wanted for her portraits. We love doing this all of our clients, whether they be newborns, families, kids, and high school seniors.
Jaxx wanted a Boho look to her pictures, and I think we hit it out of the park for you Jaxx! You did great!
Woo hoo!! Class of 2015!! Fauquier Falcons!
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Naturally, all parents wish for healthy newborn babies, and when we have these little sets of siblings come to our studio for their very first portraits our hearts are glad for these new parents. They have had to endure a lot to get these precious babies safely into the world, and we are honored that they have chosen us to photograph their precious newborns.
These two were just the sweetest, and we had a great time photographing them together, and of course individually. Photographing twins can be a little more challenging, but with proper planning for their session day we can always get some sweet, sweet pictures. We have lots of helpful tips for session day when it comes to newborn photography, and you can find them here.
And as always, with any babies, twins or single births, we know that they will determine how the day is going to go on picture day! It is good to be flexible, and go with the flow. This we do well, and we just take our time with each new baby that comes to our studio. We don't rush the session along, and that makes for a fun session!
Contact us to set up your exclusive appointment with us! We'd love to help you capture those treasured portraits of your newborn or newborns!
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Almost three months old, she was full of smiles and very curious about her surroundings. After the sweetness of a newborn session and just a few short weeks later babies begin to smile a lot. This is a great time to have your baby photographed because of this, and they have also grown quite a bit, and have changed in their appearance considerably!
We offer a Baby Plan that captures the important milestones in the first year of a baby's life. The Baby Plan is a great way to record in pictures the first year of your child's life, and offers considerable savings over single portrait sessions.
If you would like more information on the Baby Plan get in touch with us HERE. We would love to share with you the details of our Baby Plan!
Sweet baby girl is wide awake and having fun with her photographer! She's so pretty!
She's all smiles!
It was a lovely day for pictures at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Fairfax, VAhttp://www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_botanical_gardens/. The grounds are spacious with beautiful trees, flowers, plants, bridges and more and perfect for family pictures! And this family is just gorgeous!
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I was thrilled when they asked us to take their family pictures, and I knew that we were going to be in for a very fun session, and indeed it was! The CRABTREES are a great bunch of people, have the greatest kids, the best mom, and dad, and I must also add the best comedic dad ever! These folks are just great! We love spending time with them, and we are so happy we got to take their family pictures!
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Part of the fun too, is of course getting to work with your friends. It's great to be able to share an interest with a friend, and to help them out on important assignments like these. We always have a great time working together whether it be a wedding or a newborn session, or family session. However, weddings are in a class of their own. It is a momentous day for the couple, and it is very important to get those "first everything's" that tell the story of love shared that day. We take great care in capturing those moments for the couple. When you get to work with friends that you are familiar with what they want it makes the job that much better. When you know the couple, well that's just the icing on the cake!
Megan and Noah I wish you many, many years of blessings in your marriage!
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This little guy was very sleepy being he was still very new! However, he did manage to wake up and look around a bit, and oh what a sweet expression. Sleeping babies are such a cute thing to look at, but when they are awake and taking it all in I just love it. Those sweet little newborn eyes so innocent just melt my heart. I love getting awake pictures of newborns!
Baby D has a big sister, too! Watching her interact with her new little brother was a fun thing to behold. Not so sure about this little guy at first, but as always it is evident that they love their new sibling as they begin to cuddle next to them and shower them with little kisses and hugs. The sibling bond is a powerful, wonderful thing. I hope they have lots of fun moments together throughout their lifetime.
We really enjoyed photographing this sweet little family!
Oliver is such a cutie, and I am happy that his family brought him to me for his first newborn portraits. Oliver's nursery is decorated in a nautical theme, and so naturally we photographed him with that in mind. What a fun, fun session!
We certainly enjoy photographing newborns in our home studio, and when it's a member of your family it's extra special! For expecting or new parents looking for a baby photographer we offer a comfortable and safe studio with seating areas that allow you to observe us work with your baby. There is also a private nursing area, and a changing station. We also offer a wide variety of props, wraps, colors, etc. with your home decor in mind. You are welcome to come by our in home studio by appointment to check out what we have to offer. We take great care in handling newborns and children, and strive to provide a safe, and relaxed environment for your photo session.
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This little miss was such a doll! Being very new she was very sleepy, and we got some great pictures of her. We had a great time with her and her mom and dad.
Throughout the weekend, and the day of their wedding I got a glimpse of who Montrell is. I learned that he is well thought of by his family and friends, and holds the love and respect of all who were there. I saw a bit of his sense of humor, and fun loving side. I also learned that he's the kind of guy that will "have your back", someone who will be there for you. He also has an infectious smile. No wonder Jess fell in love with this guy!
It was a fun filled weekend spent with family and friends. Their wedding day was gorgeous, the ceremony was beautiful, and the reception was a blast! We (Dave and I) had a great time, along with my sister Anna of Anna Lester Photographer https://www.facebook.com/AnnaLesterPhotographer photographing their very special wedding day.
Jessica and Montrell, we wish you many, many years of blessings and happiness as you spend your life together! Thank you for letting us be a part of your wedding day!
And now for some highlights of your wedding!
I have a lot of inquires regarding those sweet sleepy baby pictures, and the cute props that we have in our studio. Newborns are very sleepy normally within the first ten days of being born. They are still able to curl up pretty well as they are use to being all curled up in the womb. So while babies are cute to photograph at any stage, if you want to get those cute sleepy pictures, and use some of the props we offer it is best to photograph newborns within this timeframe.
Another good reason to get your baby's portraits done within the first ten days of birth is that they change so much and so quickly! You will be amazed at how fast your baby grows within the first year of his or her life. The newness of your precious baby doesn't last very long, and getting a newborn portrait made is a great way to remember just how they were when they were first born.
Email us for more information on our newborn portrait sessions or schedule an appointment to come by our studio and see what we have to offer for your baby's portrait session!
He sure is a cutie and I wish is mom and dad many fun years watching their little son grow and experiencing little boy adventures with him. This day he was a Cowboy!
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We learned that Bob was a member of his school's football team, that he just recently earned his Eagle Scout, that he's learning to play the guitar (yes!), and he has the coolest car ever! I wished I could have had a car like that when I was a teenager!
Bob, if you see this post, we would like to say again that we wish you the best for your future! I bet you are going to do some great things! Enjoy your years at college and study hard! I am sure you will. It was our pleasure getting to know you a bit, and your parents too!
Mommy wanted a generational picture of baby, mom, and grandmom! How sweet her expression is here as she responds sleepily to her mother's voice. Love it!
Newborns tend to be very sleepy in their first few days of life, and this little one was no exception! I think we even tried to get her to wake up for some awake pictures, but little missy just wanted to sleep. This does work out great though, as we were able to get all the fun pictures that we desired. For those cute little curled up sleepy newborn pictures it is best to photograph in the first few days of birth.
This is one of my favorite props that we offer in our studio.
This little guy is going to be a great big brother!
Finding out was just as much a surprise for the parents to be as they slowly cut into the cake. The pictures say it all.
It is going to be a little Oliver! Can you tell the dad is a little excited? ;). Congrats to my sweet niece and her husband, Robert. We can't wait to meet little Oliver.
Sharing the good news in today's world!
This little sweet pea was such fun to photograph, and at times she would just look at us with a wonderment in her eyes. Maybe it was the studio lights!....kidding....or maybe it was! haha!! Anyway, we had such a great time photographing this sweet little newborn girl.
If you are interested in our newborn photography for your family or friends get in touch with us on our contact page today! We will be happy to send you some information, and answer any questions.
]]>We had the best time spending the day with this little family photographing these sweet twin girls. It is such a joy to talk with new parents, and to observe them doting over their newborn babies. We even manage to get some great newborn portraits for them along the way.
Over the next few months you will be seeing these little beauties as they grow in their first year, and will be photographed every few months with our baby plan! I am so excited about this, and it is going to be fun to watch them grow! I can't wait to see their first smiles, first little teeth, and so on! Babies can be a lot of work as we all know, but it sure is worth every second, and as I keep telling their mom, time is going to fly, and probably doubly fast for her!
A new little family.
I thought this was such a sweet, sweet moment, and am so glad that I was able to get it for her!
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Thanks, Elizabeth for being such a good sport, and from the looks of your portraits I would say it was well worth it! Just amazingly gorgeous!
If you would like to have a snow day portrait session with us let me know, and I will give you the details of how we plan it and put you on the list for these very limited portrait sessions! They are a lot of fun, and they don't take that long! Nothing like a brisk day to make a session go really quick! But I will have to say, that even though it may be a little cold, these sessions are fun, and with the proper attire you never would know it was even cold!
It's cold in Quebec. Some of these folks don't seem to realize that as I saw some running around in shorts....on snow, on ice, and they were getting around like there was nothing to it! Me on the other hand, I was surprised I could walk after my 20 layers of clothing. No, not really, I did layer but it wasn't 20; I just used it as an excuse for the reason that I could hardly walk around on that ice and snow. After two days there and walking around like a granny on a carpet of banana peels I was totally humiliated by an older guy (like 95 maybe) passing me by with cane in hand, walking on the stuff like it was green grass. That did it; and I walked on ice like the locals, thanking the Lord that I didn't bust my butt for showing off my new found confidence and skill.
Now, if you have never been to Quebec, let me tell you, you have to go. What a gorgeous city! What friendly people, and they were all speaking in French! I loved it, even though I couldn't understand a thing they were saying! One thing I heard right away was "Bonjour!" Everywhere I went I was greeted with a lively "Bonjour!" Bonjour, bonjour!! I loved it! My mind immediately commenced to singing "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast...over and over again; every day!
We toured the fortified city, visited landmarks, did a few recreational things (to keep our 14 year old sane and dying from boredom), and met a lot of nice people. We even ran into some kids from one of our local schools, who were there on a trip themselves. I will share some highlights from our trip. There is one or two parts of our trip that I want to share separate from this blog, and it is the dog sledding, and the "Sugar Shack". Those will get their own special post, and you won't want to miss it! For now, I hope you enjoy these pictures from our trip!
Bonjour! :)
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What a perfect day for Sarah & Chase's wedding! The weather held, and wasn't so cold that we were able to get some gorgeous outdoor pictures for them. Of course every spot inside just lends itself in backdrops for beautiful wedding pictures. Quietly playing acoustic guitar music in the background set the very quaint and romantic mood for this wedding, and Christopher Wyton is very, very talented. http://christopherwytonmusic.com/christopherwytonmusic.com/Welcome.html
Weddings are such a beautiful event to witness as the couple come together to promise one another their love and devotion for a lifetime, you can see the pure love in the expressions on their faces. Families come together, and some dear sweet moments are bound to happen. There were plenty this day, and as usual I find myself wiping back tears. It is fun and amazing to see the look on the bride and groom's face when they see each other for the first time as they are about to marry one other. Mamas looking tenderly at their beautiful daughter starting her life with the love of her life. And the mamas as they adjust the tie while tenderly looking at the young man in front of her who once was (and in some ways always will be) her little boy. Those quietly weeping daddies, and daughter get me every time, too!
What a blessing and privilege it is to be allowed to take part in photographing this very special day. Enjoy the pictures!
We got outside and in the streets of Georgetown to get the rest of these fun photos! They looked fantastic, and we certainly had a lot of fun! Check out Kristen's work too, here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/set=a.432407763556075.1073741860.249740681822785&type=1.
These two will be getting married this summer...in a most gorgeous place! I can hardly wait!
It was a gorgeous day even though it was a bit chilly and windy, but it is December after all! The models were very gracious and allowed us to take pictures to our hearts content! Thanks to each of you: Liz, Brittany, Katherine, Sarah & Chase! You all did an outstanding job, and your pictures are just GORGEOUS!!
Styled portrait sessions are a lot of fun, and something that I like to offer clients that are interested in this kind of portrait session. With a little extra effort you can have a very nice themed portrait session and end up with some spectacular photos that will for sure become a treasured heirloom for generations to come. I particularly like designing children's styled sessions as well as newborns and babies.
This styled session focused on beauty, fun, and couples. Thanks to some very thoughtful planning by Kristen, and all of the vendors who helped make the vision a reality she ended up offering to us photographers a dream photo session! From the facility, the furniture, flowers, wardrobe, hair and make-up we had the pleasure of getting some absolutely gorgeous portraits of everyone. To finish off the evening we were all treated to a wonderful dinner and great conversation.
Here is a list of the vendors that provided the items, and services for the styled shoot. Each one did a superb job in making this a success!
The Inn at Vint Hill: http://vinthillvenue.com/
Holly Chapple Flowers: http://www.hollychappleflowers.com/
Crave! Event Rentals: http://www.cravevintagerentals.com/
Drop It MODERN: http://dropitmodern.com/
Enlightened Styles: http://enlightenedstyles.com/
Thanks also to the sponsors for this styled session:
The Law Tog: http://thelawtog.com/
Professional Photographers of America (PPA): http://www.ppa.com/
ProDPI: http://www.prodpi.com/
I had a lot of fun, learned some new techniques, and made some new friends! What a great day! Here are a few highlights from the day!
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Give me a call if you would like to be on the call list for this very fun snow day photo session.
What a fun evening! The citizens of this town enjoy getting into the era's fashion attire, and playing the part of the story. There are carriage rides, a jail house, and Scrooge himself walking around!. Vendors line the historic streets of downtown Fayetteville, and people come from all over to take part in this festivity. All of this day's events cumulate into and evening of fireworks to kick off the Christmas season. I will be going to this great event again next year. I had so much fun capturing these images, and wanted to share them with everyone! Enjoy!
This year we did it again, and I am thinking to myself, "what a blessing" to have folks come back to you for repeat business, and to get to photograph these kids again at a little older age. It is fun to see how they change through the years, not only in their looks, but in their personalities as well.
These are some great kids, full of fun, spunk, rivalry, oh yes, RIVALRY! It's great and an important part of the bonding relationship between siblings. I had fun this day photographing them while listening to their bantering. I also had fun listening to their mom speak to them as they cut up from time to time.
The day was fun, and a surprise was thrown in during the session that you will see at the end of this blog.
When baseball season comes around again I will once again be the team photog for my son and his teammates. Antonio, however will be on an opposing school's team (sad to say), and I intend to get as many pictures of him as I can and pass them to his parents!
Surprise!!
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Kids are so much fun to work with, because they are just real! Instead of just getting the little ones at this age in front of a camera to pose, we turn the session into an adventure! We just love seeing kids so involved in their play as we take their pictures in the moment; always my favorite way of capturing children in photos.
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So, when they came back to me for Emily's senior portraits I was just humbled and very happy for another opportunity to photograph this family again! Cathy had sent me the cutest photo of Emily when she was just a little tyke, and with her permission is allowing me to share it here! What a cutie, and what a personality!
Emily is such a sweet young woman, and full of spunk, too! The day was gorgeous as we walked through the park taking her pictures in just about every spot imaginable! I enjoyed my conversations with mom and daughter just talking about, well, just about everything! School, senior year, future plans, college, swimming, goofing off, the best light.....yep just about everything! We laughed and had lots of fun, and Emily was just stunning in her blue jeans and red converse tennis shoes! No nerves in this session, just good fun picture taking and we got some great ones!
Emily, we wish you the best, and hope you enjoy your senior year to its fullest! Look forward to your future; God's got a great big plan for you! Oh, and kick butt in Latin! ;)
As some of you know, I love to photograph kids, and at the end of a session I will usually let them take a few pictures of their family members as I help them hold the camera. They always look forward to this, and sweet little Emily was eager to have a shot at it. She did pretty good, don't you think!?
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My daughter wanted to do a photo session with her Gramma Boo, and she wanted this style. We had a lot of fun trying to find the right spot in the yard, the right light, and so on. It was a good thing that my daughter was there to direct things sort of, as I was too preoccupied observing their interactions with one another. I don't think they realized just how much this moment was touching my heart.
Gramma Boo and Kristen have always been close. When my daughter was little she would refer to her grandmother as her buddy, and missed her terribly when she would have to leave to go home from a visit. My daughter is a grown young woman now, and when Gramma comes to visit Kristen is always over here visiting as much as she can, taking her gramma out on shopping excursions, lunches, and so on.
As I sat down to edit these pictures little did I know that it would be some of the hardest pictures that I have ever edited! I was crying my eyes out just looking at them and their expressions. It is such a tender thing. It even made me think back to my own grandmothers and how much I loved them, and still do even though they have gone on home to the Lord.
Time flies! Enjoy each moment. We sure did this day!
The day was overcast with a little misting here and there. Then right before their ceremony was to begin it POURED! Carly made the call to wait 15 minutes before pulling everything inside for indoor services to see if the rain would stop. I can tell you LOTS of prayers were going up to please hold off the rain for this couple to get married outside. Well, as you can see from the pictures our prayers were answered, and then some. Not only did the rain stop long enough for the ceremony, it held off for outdoor pictures at all of the locations that Ben and Carly wanted. When we got back inside it began to mist, and rain a little, and so on. Before we left it stopped again just long enough to get the night venue shot with Ben and Carly, and on our way home it misted yet again. What a perfect day!
Even if it had rained I don't think anything could have spoiled the joy in these two people's hearts as they celebrated with their family and friends. You could see and feel the closeness that this family shares with one another, and it was a pleasure to witness such love. Carly was beautiful, Ben was handsome, and their lighthearted natures led to some fun moments in their wedding day; particularly during the ceremony.
Congrats to the both of you; we wish you many years of blessings as you start your married life together!
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Today that changed. Facing double headers for the day I photograhed the first game without incident and got some really cool shots that I am sharing with you here in this blog. I decided to sit down and watch the second game with the parents and my friends and let my husband photo the second game because I had bashed my toe earlier that morning in my rush to get ready for the game, and it was quite swollen, possibly broken, and it hurt! So, I am watching my son pitch and talking with friends at the same time when all of the sudden a foul ball is hit and everyone is yelling "watch out"! When I finally realized what was going on it was too late, and I got bashed right on the top of my head with a flying baseball.
So, from now on I will be looking through the lens for those nasty speed demons that inflict horrible pain! My reflexes are dysfuntional without my camera planted firmly against my face and eye!
Enjoy the pics!
As I tried to explain to the boy proper etiquette when asking a girl to the dance, he acted as if he would rather have is eyes poked out with needles than to hear "old fogey" advice coming from his dear sweet mom. So I just exercised my parental rights and tortured him!
The night of the dance I was relieved that I was not the only mom of a boy who didn't have a clue, and a few of us discussed how things were going to be different next time around. I wonder if it will be so? I at least hope so!
As we waited for the lovely young ladies to arrive we watched our young men as they anticipated the arrival of their dates for group pictures. I think us moms enjoyed just watching our boys being dressed up and looking like young men. Never mind they were tossing footballs, and running after each other trying to tackle in their fine apparel, they just looked good for the moment.
When the girls arrived they were all smiles and just lovely! The moms were all smiles too! I remember those days, when your daughter was getting ready for the dance and just how lovely, and "girly" the whole thing was. I hope these moms had some of those moments with their daughters.
It was fun watching the guys and gals interact with one another, and I was hoping that my advice given to my son was paying off; at least I hoped so. I would like to think he didn't go through all that pain for nothing! As I watched these kids it reminded me of a show that maybe some of you had watched several years ago. It was called "The Wonder Years" ,starring Fred Savage. I loved to watch "Kevin and Winnie" as they experienced the awkwardness of growing up and having a crush on each other while denying it at the same time. We all were there at one time in our lives. Now that I am a parent I have watched this in my own kids as they grow up, and it brings smiles as they learn to deal with this new experience in their lives. Sometimes it brings a case of the nerves!
Anyway, this can be a wonderful time in a person's life, and it looks like this bunch of kids were just having a ball! I hope they have many happy moments in their high school years, and minus the heartaches....get ready moms and dads....you know it's coming!
As the military personnel scurried around that day talking with one another I remember seeing and hearing the excitement in their faces as they talked about this incredible plane. Part of the reason for having us spouses there was to share with us the excitement, but being the "seasoned" military spouse that I was I couldn't help but pick up the subliminal messages of "your husband is going to be gone a whole lot more than you ever experienced if he flies this airplane". I knew, and it was ok, even though if I have to confess now I wasn't all that thrilled of him being gone even MORE! I was ok with it for a lot of reasons; I am a proud American - born and raised in a military family, I love the military and the people who serve, and mostly, I love my husband and I could see the excitement in his own face as he was anticipating this experience of a lifetime, and how could I not be happy to see him happy!? There are lots of other reasons, but those are the biggies. So we embarked on this adventure together, and twenty years has come and gone. There is a song out there that has the words, "don't blink....years go by faster than you think". Well, it certainly has, and what a twenty years it has been!
In honorable fashion, the carpet was rolled out for the delivery of this last aircraft, and with much military pomp and circumstance that I just dearly love. There is great respect and honor displayed at a military base for flag, country, and fellow service members. I hope you can see some of this in my pictures.
These service people have my admiration. I have seen the military transform people's lives for the better, and they have become someone they thought they never could be. While it's not so easy being in the military at times, especially in times of war, it is a very honorable profession to be in. It is great thing to be a part of the military family. The bonds of friendship that you make with people will last a lifetime.
Enjoy the pictures of the Twentieth Anniversary of the C-17.
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Up and away she goes!
Dave's friend
As it got darker the fuel used to put hot air into the balloon illuminated it so pretty!
Loggerhead Sea Turtle nests are protected as the species is endangered. All along the beach at the edge of the dunes you can see these marked nests. The eggs are in the nest for about 60 days, and once hatched the turtles dig their way to the surface together; this process can take several days! When they are almost to the edge of breaking through they will wait til nightfall when the temperatures are cooler before they come out and scurry their way to the ocean.
Here you can see where the baby sea turtles had dug their way out. We learned that they emerged around 8:00PM the night before. This little turtle must have been the last one out, and he was all by his lonesome, poor thing! I think it is unusual to see them out in the bright light like this. It is their instinct to head toward a light source (the moonlight), and this baby's eyes were HUGE! Because of all of the light from the early morning sunrise this baby turtle seemed to be disoriented at times, and we watched it travel in several directions trying to find the water. This was very hard to watch. The poor thing had a few moments where it just flopped face down in the sand it was so tired! But what a little fighter it was! After a few moments she got right back up and made tracks toward the water again.
Because the babies emerge at night, and they intinctively head for light there are rules you must follow if you are vacationing in a beachfront house at Hilton Head Island. Lights out at 10:00PM! Pull your shades and block any light that may be seen from the beach. The babies can get confused and if they see light coming from someone's house they will head in that direction, and in this case the baby turtles will die because they can't make their way to the ocean.
We continued to watch this baby make its way to the ocean. From the nest to the water it is quite a way for this little creature. We guess it to be about 100 yards to the water's edge, and the tide was going out, which made it even tougher for this baby. What a daunting task when you think about all the dangers the turtles face on their trek to the sea. They have to risk raccoon, pelicans, seagulls, and sometimes jogging humans that like to jog at night, and bike tires from cyclists. We also learned that a crowd of beachcombers had made a "human blockade" from the nest to the shore so that the mass of baby sea turtles could make their way to the water safely. By the way, a female will lay a clutch of about 150 eggs!
FINALLY! The baby got her flippers wet! It was cute to watch the baby lift its head to look for the direction it needed to go. Once it hit the water, it just kept going toward the ocean and toward the sun. I thought for sure that the tide would push it back into the sand, but it was AMAZING to see the wave crash over it, and then all of the sudden a little turtle head would pop up out of the water, and it had swum about 5 to 6 feet further into the ocean!! Another big wave, and then again a little turtle head pops up and swims a few more feet, crazy fast!
Once in the ocean, the baby will fight to survive other natural predators as well as man made ones. Of the 150 only 5% will survive statistically to 10 years. They will not come back to shore ever again, unless it is a female, and then only to lay her eggs. The female will usually go back to the place of its birth to lay her eggs! Crazy, isn't it!?
If they survive to adulthood they can live up to about 80 years and weigh about 1000lbs! That is one big turtle! When they are born they are about 2 inches long.
Safe travels little fella! We are so glad you made it to the sea!
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I would like to say thank-you to all of the folks that stopped by our booth, got your fun picture made, and entered our drawing for a free family portrait session! We had a lot of fun yesterday. The photos from the day will be coming very soon to the album on my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/teresaarthurphotography, so be on the lookout! We will also be holding the drawing for the two portrait sessions very soon. Good luck to all of those who entered! Also, thanks to my family for being there with us to help and enjoy the day.
When the last picture was taken we packed our goodies, and sat down to enjoy the fireworks and listen to some great music.
For now here are a few pictures from yesterday's event. Hope you enjoy them!
Lee (my great son-in-law) was such a good sport, too! He was out there encouraging folks to come on in and get their picture made. :) Allsion and Shon were hard at work as well. Of course I just had to grab a quick picture of my kids; Harrison is busy getting in his sister's shot!
This is Dave up there. He and I photograph together. He's a good sport too. I would say his prop is appropiate as he just retired from the military after 28 years of service.
Aren't these the cutest!? Their fur is the softest, and so THICK! They had yarns for sale made from the wool of alpacas.
No rain came our way! And what a great band to entertain the masses for the evening!
We had a wonderful time capturing beautiful moments for Chris and Stefanie, and as the sun set over the mountain they were able to enjoy the view from the balcony of the country club. To end the evening we got one of our favorite images to capture. We hope you enjoy it Chris and Stefanie. It was our pleasure to be a part of your wedding day. We had so much fun with your family. Congrats to the both of you, and best wishes for a long and happy life together.
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Well, I have finally joined the ranks of the blogging community! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy reading up in here. First, a little insight to how I got started, and then I will share a bit of what I hope to do in here.
Teresa Arthur Photography was started about two years ago after years of friends and family gently nudging me to start my own business. I have been photographing for a very long time. I especially love to photograph newborns, and moms expecting. I also enjoy photographing children, and families. Weddings are also fun because there is so much joy, emotion, and beauty of the day.
I plan to share a few photos from recent sessions, and maybe even my own family outings from time to time.
I also plan to blog about lessons learned from the school of hard knocks all things photography related....that should be interesting or amusing....or embarrassing...who knows!
It is also my hope that I will be able to share useful information for you, about things photography related or not! So occasionally you might see a recipe, a small picture story of something fun that my family did for the day, a lens that I am drooling over, a photography challenge that I had to overcome, and things like that.
So, I hope you will stop by, drop some comments here and there, and have some fun while looking at a few photos, or learning about something photography related.
Thanks to all of you who have encouraged me to launch my business, Teresa Arthur Photography.
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