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Everyone should book an extended family session at least once in their lifetime. A big family session like this can include anyone -- grandparents, adult siblings, cousins, in-laws -- the whole crazy bunch. Sure you will get the photo of everyone smiling at the camera, but you will also get those priceless connections of everyone in your tribe.
If you haven't ever done it, book one now. You will cherish these moments with your family forever. I promise.
I know it's still summer and my kids have only been in school for a week or so, but when I woke up this morning to take our puppy outside, it actually felt like fall! You can almost smell it coming -- those crisp mornings with a slight breeze where all you want to do is sip a cup of coffee, open up the windows and breathe it all in. And sure, by noon it's warm enough to shed that sweater and remind yourself that it really is still summer, but it's coming y'all.
And for more proof, the fall photo sessions are starting to book up. If you haven't scheduled yours yet, Click Here to send me a note and get on the calendar. Still unsure? Here are 5 reasons you should have your photos taken this fall:
1. Every family needs to have fall photos taken at least once. There's a reason every family photographer gets crazy busy this time of year -- fall family photos are simply beautiful. From the soft, warm shades of September to the amazing colors as the leaves change in October and even the earthy tones in November, there is something magical about every part of fall.
2. The neutral colors in fall will look great on your walls. You can showcase beautiful images of your family on your walls and guarantee a smile every time you walk by.
3. Most people look good in blue. And blue looks amazing with fall leaves. It's a great complimentary color to all of the golds, oranges and browns of fall. It also doesn't hurt that your skin might still have a little bit of that summer glow! :)
4. Wouldn't it feel great to have your holiday cards already figured out before it's even September? Seriously, you'll be the first ones to get them out this year. And you won't have to bribe everyone to smile for a last-minute family photo taken with your phone. (And as an added bonus, professional fall family photos make amazing Christmas gifts for grandparents!)
5. And let's face it, playing in the leaves is just down right fun. I'm talking the best smiles. Your kids will be laughing and having a blast -- and you will get to capture these moments forever.
So get booking! I'd love to hear from you!!
Every summer I long for my kids to have the kinds of summers I remember. A time when there were no video games in our house or iPads or You Tube or even basic cable until I was 13.. A time when playing was easy. I would spend my days roller skating or riding bikes with other kids in the neighborhood, build a secret fort in a clump of trees nearby, or make up games to play on the driveway (one year it was hitting wooden croquet balls up the sloped blacktop in an attempt to hit the garage door -- which, unfortunately, did not go over so well). We would run through sprinklers in the yard during the day, catch fireflies in glass jars with holes poked in the lids at night and not come inside until it was past dark out.
So once baseball, hockey, dance, soccer and lacrosse finally come to an end in July, my summer list comes out. I don't sign my kids up for summer camps (with the exception of swim lessons because I feel that is like riding a bike -- you just have to do it). I want them to just be kids. I want them to get bored in the summer and have to come up with unscheduled things to do on their own. I want them to read books in a hammock, get dirty feet from playing outside and go to the local swimming pool with their friends. I want them to ride their bikes, swing as high as they can to try to touch the tree branches in the neighbor's yard and feel summer. Because the time is always shockingly short -- next week school starts.
So this summer we went tent camping with cousins and good friends, cooked dinner and roasted s'mores over a campfire, kayaked, leaped off the "jumping rock" into the lake, paddle boarded, played UNO and Pick Up Sticks a thousand times, picked raspberries, went canoeing, danced in wildflowers, had piggy back races, built sandcastles on the beach, ran a seven-minute mile, climbed ninja courses and hunted for trolls. It was the summer of dreams. And no one asked for the iPad.
Fall sessions are officially open and they are going fast! Pull out your calendars and book your date now!! Bonus: you'll feel super on top of it because you will have your holiday card photos already figured out!
When it is your beloved nanny's last day, there can never be too many hugs. Capturing special connections is one of the things I love the most about my job.
"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
It may have been 96 degrees, but you would never know it looking at this beautiful couple! Thank you for asking me to capture your special day Jacky and Josh.
Attention Dads & Husbands (and Moms who want to lay out some strong hints to the Dads & Husbands): One of the best gifts you can give the mom in your life is an amazing picture of her with her kids. Mom is never in the pictures - because she is always the one taking them! Now's your chance to capture those special moments with our first ever Mom's Mini Session Event. The moms and kids in your life will thank you!!
It's that time of year. Contact me for more details on First Communion packages.
Six months is really a magical time to photograph. Babies are all smiles and just starting to explore. Sessions are full of big smiles and tiny toes. And sitting up is huge!
I just dropped off a gallery of canvases to this amazing family. They are planning to put them over their couch in the living room. Do you have a blank wall in your home? Fill it with big canvases of the ones you love. It will put a smile on your face every time you walk into the room.
You have a ton of photos of when they were babies -- when they first learned to sit up and walk, their first birthday, their first day of school. But as they grow, life gets busier. There are soccer games and birthday parties, softball and dance class, homework, and let's face it, they'd rather hang out with their friends more than you. Family dinners become inhaling something in the car on the way to hockey or baseball or soccer or music lessons or play practice.
But it won't be long before even these days are gone. And you will want to remember how they were now. How you can still laugh and hug and love being a family even though the sticky toddler kisses have been replaced with kids taller than you. Because even this is a short window, and someday you will be wishing you still had to chauffeur your 14-year-old to practice. Treasure these moments and schedule a family photo session now. You won't ever regret it. <3
If you haven't been downtown to the Riverwalk recently, now that it's warming up a little you have to go! I absolutely loved this session!! We met there at 9 am on a Saturday this fall and it was the perfect time to go. There were only the occasional runners along the walk, but other than that, we had the entire place to ourselves. I hadn't been there since they renovated it and now I can't wait to go back. Saturday mornings are the perfect time -- you can get downtown easily, find great parking with Spot Hero and then grab some breakfast at one of the great spots in the Loop before heading to the Riverwalk. It's actually peaceful there before the rest of the city wakes up. After our photo session, the family planned to do the architectural boat tour and then grab some lunch before heading home. What a perfect day!
When you spend much of your free time running, playing and strolling along this beautiful spot, it's only fitting that you capture your moments here. What special place means something to your family?
The kids are back in school, our entire family has recovered from the flu, and now it’s time to take a deep breath and look back on all of the great moments from last year. What an amazing year it was!! Thank you for sharing all of your families with me and allowing me to capture so many images of laughter and love. Here are just a few of what made it so great.
Laughter may not fix everything, but it certainly helps.
I love taking senior photos. This family wanted some special memories of their son at their favorite spot - their lake house. It was an amazing spot. The yard was right on the water. And when they asked me to take a ride along in their boat to catch a few action shots? Of course (just hold on tight!)!! It's about creating lasting memories.
When your oldest is going off to college and you want to remember how your family is right now.
I’ve known this family for 33 years. Back when we were kids and played in the sprinklers while our parents wheeled a communal juke box up and down the street to whichever house was having the next backyard BBQ. Now the kids have kids of their own. Their family is now complete.
Every year spring officially starts for me with the daffodils blooming. There is still a chill in the air when the crocus and hyacinths first peek out of the ground. It’s like they are hinting that there is more to come. A few warm days in a row bring the magnolia blooms. And then come the daffodils. It’s a sign that the days are getting longer, the windows can stay open and everyone’s mood lifts just a little. Every year I eagerly wait and check the arboretum’s bloom report for their peak time. And then I drag my kids out to romp in the fields of yellow and white flowers. It’s become a family tradition now after five years. My son would much rather be playing street hockey or basketball on the driveway, but on this one day he puts all that on hold to please his mom. Thankfully, my kindergartner still loves running and leaping through the fields taking great pleasure in trying not to step on any blooms. To her, it’s still a great game. I’ll take it. Welcome back spring!
Do these crazy warm temps in February have you thinking of what’s to come? It’s not to early to book your summer photo sessions now!
