208 - Memorable moments, some may surprise you!

Emma, wow, this girl was truly remarkable, beautiful, soulful and inspiring!!  She lit up my world during this session!

This year, I had an 

incredible

group of people to work with.  When I wrapped up my busiest season, I felt a huge sense of loss because I had

constant 

inspiration, connection and motivation to push beyond my very best!  For them, for you!

I did a year in review video of my own personal life, photos and memories, and wanted to showcase 1-2 images from my sessions this year, sharing some of my favorite images.  Images that spoke to me on levels much deeper than just a pretty picture.

Finding your voice as a creative takes time.  Mine is continually evolving, for sure, but when I look back at sessions from years ago, I do see images I love, that the families loved, and I can still say today, that I am proud of!  There IS a sense of continuity in some respects, as well as obvious growth with the craft, my skill level, and my willingness to take a chance!  This has always been a huge goal. What I am most proud of, is being able to not only learn from my work, but also taking

pride

in where I was AND where I am now. It's a great feeling!

The love we feel...

Sometimes it's more than just a pretty picture, and sometimes it IS just a pretty picture. Both have significant value! This was during a shoot for the ad campaign series I worked on, and was one of those moments that she was taking a moment...ended up being one of my personal favorites, even thought it would likely not be appropriate for their needs!

Knowing his background as a very dedicated football player, photographing him and feeling like he was in the moment of "his world", maybe like he would have been in a game, to me is a "win" in portraiture.

I moved around to a location that was fairly far away from Savannah. The wind was picking up, and grabbing one of those in between moments was better than anything I could have directed.

Shooting to create a story, a series of shots for a campaign of advertisements, was a fantastic challenge. The peaceful comfort of reading in a coffee shop spoke volumes to me as a consumer. 

Curiosity of little ones is one of my favorite things to photograph.  

When you have known a child from when he was a very young age, and see something through your lens as you are shooting that makes you do a double take, he's not so kid like anymore.

When Cody hopped out of his mom's car in a tuxedo, for our shoot in the middle of nature, I was thrilled!  The juxtaposition of his dressy attire with the rawness and imperfections of mother nature, grabbed my excitement for the session and made for some telling and thoughtful imagery!

Two images tell his story best. This young man has a striking and more serious presentation of himself.  Many times, this is my chosen type of image to create.   That was the case with the portrait on the left,  making it one of my favorites.  On the opposing side, seeing him respond to his sister's teasing, and a genuine reaction made me fall in love with this side of him as well!

This image puts a smile on my face every time I see it. Joey is a ham. Rob is more serious.  As business partners they feed off each other's unique personalities and their interactions are well represented right here. This, is them.

David craves hard work and physical challenges. He is a well rounded and highly skilled athlete who can train people in a unique way to learn a sport or skill, side by side with his clients. I was drawn to his intensity and dedication to living the best life he can, and not being afraid to take chances.

Little man, who I found had a very serious demeanor, can lose it a little when others may be looking on. :-)  

Being a part of a HUGE surprise, between a couple of people you have come to know and care deeply about, was rewarding beyond words for me. Seeing their interaction when they thought noone was looking, speaks volumes. 

Perfection...

During a portrait session to showcase their new baby sister, these two gave me their best, without even knowing it!  

Aside from the beautiful personality of this young lady, the beauty of friendship shone through as well. Her BFF came along for her session and was there to lift her up, fix her hair, give her moral support and enjoy the ride right along side her!

I'm kind of biased on this one, because I love him like my own.  This portrait of Alex was one of my favorites from our time together. He will admit himself, that he wasn't thrilled about being in front of the camera as like me, he prefers to be behind it.  What I love about this image is, it is a spontaneous and genuine reaction to our conversation at the moment, he was relaxed and coming to terms with me photographing him ;), and it reflects his thoughtful personality, as he was willing to do something that made him uncomfortable, but knew what it would mean to his mom and dad...and me. 

This was one of those sessions that I couldn't get enough of!  Wes, his mom and dad and I, hiked to a fairly remote location, to get to a favorite climbing spot and beyond.  Picking a favorite memory from this session was a tough one because so many fit the bill.  I chose these two. The portrait on the left was chosen for the sheer fact that this rough and tumble young man who is highly skilled at athletic endeavors was just a comfortable laying in a field for a picture, because I thought it would be amazing and a piece of his life story that I didn't want to overlook.  The image on the right, this is Wes. Out in nature, doing his thing, carrying his skis and wandering through the hills in his t-shirt, jeans and Chacos, to get portraits done. Absolutely fantastic!

This is another young lady whom I have known literally, since she was born. She is the baby, in a long line of sisters. Melissa was so relaxed, and full of laughter and interactions with me during her session which was such a great situation to have. Being 100% her authentic self, we were able to see the playful girl as well as the young lady who emerged over the last few years.

If you follow my social media, you may recall me being beyond pumped when this young lady reached out to me for senior portraits.  She was my very first paid session when I started my business, as a 1 year old!!  I am ridiculously flattered that she trusted me to photograph this super important time of her beautiful life and we connected on so many levels! Photography being a common connection between us left us non stop chattering about our experiences and ideas, all while having fun capturing the real her, to present to the world!!

This could possibly be one of my favorite newborn images I have taken, to date. A first child, a son, and the connection between parent and this precious gift that has come into their existence. When the moment happens, again, during the moments in between...I cry a little happy cry inside that I was there to make the shot.

This happy spirited beauty had confidence in front of my lens that doesn't come naturally for many of us (me included). I adored being able to capture her mood and unwavering ability to let go and let me record her "doing her" .  No apologies, no hesitations, no resistance.  Just Caroline.

This little cutie was part of a larger session, but her portrait on a swing that was set up for the homeowner's own children in the living room, was the perfect picture of Evelyn and her inquisitive and free spirited personality!

Constant movement, smiles, laughs, voices and love is what this family is made of. 5 kids, 2 sets of twins, a bond that is far beyond what I have ever witnessed between spouses and family, made this so entertaining and inspiring to be a part of. Their day, our time together, we moved, we photographed, they played and roamed, it was perfect.  ...and did I mention, one girl. She's a tough one that rules the roost!!  ;-)

This, is a definitely picture of what parenthood can be sometimes!  Babies cry, little ones want to be a part of everything, and this dad has the best sense of humor and just rolls with the punches!  I adore that this moment happened, let alone that I was there to add it to the many moments from the special day we shared together. Below, another moment between sisters, the older wanting to share a song she knew her baby sister would love to hear.

Seeing dad's with their sons, this is something I adore. Daughters are amazing too but there is something so connected and genuine and different, between a dad and his boy. 

Being able to capture a couple's story in less that desirable conditions physically, is a truly special thing. Seeing a couple who is newly married interact, support each other's needs, and share their connection with me and my camera is truly an honor. It's a special connection and I was trusted enough to be witness to it, and be a part of it. 

My best friend and her adult children...sharing in the connection between mother and child(ren) that is so bonded is inspiring and humbling. I love this family and this lady.

Knowing and photographing this family throughout the years has been wonderful. I have seen the evolution of the kids from littles to bigs, and from shy to poised.  I would love to be a part of this tight knit little family unit if one could choose these things, as I always leave our sessions feeling a little more peaceful within myself,  a lot more appreciated for what I provide to my clients, and happy to get to spend even an hour with a group of people I really, really admire.

Not only subtle and striking, but Kayla has a smile that will absolutely knock your socks off. This image was the image I picked as a favorite as her serious look is authentic, captivating and beautiful. I love this moment, where the wind blew her hair. Mixing the styled look that she probably prefers, with the elements we cannot avoid in life. Sometimes the wind blows at a moment that you may not want it to.

Chosen as a favorite from this session, as Oli wanted nothing to do with me, or smiling, no matter how much he was coerced...until his big sister won him over.  THIS....is what it's about.  

The same upside down child in the swing above, does stay upright sometimes ;) and loves to dance, jump, run and be a beautiful youngster who has spunk!! She is multi faceted!

You may remember Jackson, from a blog post during the summer.  More of Jackson's session here! This one was a BALL for me. Getting to the heart of someone, thrilled and exciting. Jackson offered up his world, and we met in the middle to make magic. Three favorites of many.

A family moment, not thinking about my camera, and taking some time to soak it all in together at the top, before we moved on. Joy on the faces of the kids as the view and the wind blew through the scene, made my heart burst just a little more than it already was.

Moments like this one.  Moments that are not planned, not directed, not staged, tell a story better than I could by controlling any of it. Joey, a happy, confident and kind young man, what a joy to get "you" for as many moments that I did during our time together! This, was one of my favorites.

If you made it this far, thank you for coming along my year in pictures. I truly cherish my families and individuals that make the choice to work with me, and value my approach and style.  I hope I didn't leave anyone out of this equation and if I did, is was not intentional at all.  

Thank you as always for riding along my journey,  

Until next week....

💓