Hello

Hello! It’s been way to long since I’ve been here on this space. I have really neglected it for….oh….8 or nine months now. Yikes!  Honestly, a few months ago I didn’t get around to paying my renewal fee for this blog and then had to make the decision to let it go (it was gone, but I had the option to pay to get the backup restored) or, pay the $100+ dollars to get it restored. I slept on it a few days. Considering I don’t use it often, and I really don’t feel like I get a lot of traffic here anymore, I didn’t want to pay the money to have it restored. But then, there are SO many personal posts that I love. And quite honestly, so many client posts that I love too. Truly, all the posts feel special in some way. I know it sounds cliché, but really, each post feels like a bit of my vision and heart poured into the photos. And each person who has gotten in front of my camera I am so grateful for. I love looking back on posts and seeing how I’ve changed, how I’ve grown, and how I am still the same.
This post is an all time favorite, I love reading it just to remember how I love ‘seeing’ things around me. How I love taking it all in, even when I don’t capture it on camera.

There is a quote by Elliott Erwitt that I love;
“Photography is an art of observation.
It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

For the last, I don’t know, maybe two years I haven’t been shooting as much as I once did. It feels like a good season though. All in God’s perfect timing. I have struggled a bit with the “oh I wish people were asking me to shoot more!” but that’s my ego talking. To be completely honest, this time of slowing down with my photography has felt so good. I am raising for daughters, and currently homeschooling two of them. I am busy (who isn’t these days?!). And I have this deep sense that being home with them is the most important, the very best thing, that I can do. The more I can focus on them, the more that I can pour into our home, the more I can talk to them and read them books and just be…the better I feel.

Now, with all that being said, I still crave that creative outlet that photography gives me. I just want to be careful that it doesn’t become a burden instead of an outlet. And in the fall season last year, I did take on more that I should have. It’s hard to say “no” but I am getting better at it.

 I am also trying hard to be more true to my style of shooting. I love lifestyle sessions, keeping my images ‘real’, and in home sessions are a favorite. I love birth photography and I still love bridal sessions! (still not shooting weddings, but thank you to every single bride who has asked me!)

I will leave you with this photo, recently taken at an in-home family session. It is out-of-focus, yet it speaks to me. You can see the happiness and joy in the blur. It kind of represents what I feel like these tender years of motherhood are; a blur of happiness and joy, mixed with hard moments too. But oh, how that joy and happiness shines through…..

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A few favorites

I haven’t been super busy shooting lately. I didn’t exactly plan it that way, but it just kind of happened… And honestly, I’ve enjoyed the break. However, with that being said, I am always grateful for each and every person who reaches out and asks me to capture them with my camera. Truly grateful. I love the creative outlet, and getting paid for doing something I am passionate about, I definitely love that too!

So, to each and every person who has gotten in front of my camera, thank you. So much. I have a lot of sessions that have never made it to the blog over the past year+… So I am posting some favorite’s here, and there are more to come. No sense in not sharing this goodness ;)

 

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Norah, one year

Going through a file of photos that I haven’t ever blogged (it’s a lot!) and noticing what I am drawn too, and what I’m not. Trying to hone in on what I want to shoot more of, and what inspires me. Trying to look at my photo’s and learn from them. Not the easiest process and sometimes painful. But, I think it gets me closer to getting the kind of images that I want to get.

One year Birthday sessions are always a favorite! Norah, when she turned one – a little more than a year ago ;)

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Life Lately

Another unplanned hiatus on the blog. It’s one of those things… it takes time and effort. And I can’t seem to find the time and effort to keep our laundry clean these days! ha. But, for several reasons, I want to blog again. I’ve questioned whether it’s even worth it, I mean, we have so many platforms to use these days – but then I looked for something on my blog the other day and I was all “I loooooove this! ………… Look at that! ………… I remember that session! ……..” and sometimes, even the things I write are a good reminder, of,  whatever it may be. Did that make any sense? No? Okay, moving on. Life lately ;)

Is there really anything sweeter than a sleeping baby? And how hard is it for you to wake a sleeping baby? I mean, I don’t think it should be allowed. But, I had to wake this sweet girl.. it gave me a good chance to take a sleeping shot of her though.
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And, she woke up happy! Kennedy was right there with me. Most of the time all three of her sisters come running when she wakes up!
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She adores her Daddy…
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I adore my kitchen, and little girls dressed up dancing (and Cora, or course ;) )
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She recently turned six and I actually made time to brush her hair, and take a few photo’s of her. She told me she felt like a real client and that it was so fun! (score!)
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Give her alllll the babies. She loves them and they love her!
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The crew, minus Isla Jane
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Flower Power
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Thanks for looking!

Dance. Feel.

Awhile back, someone asked me “what is your favorite subject to shoot?” And I stumbled around on the answer a little. I am sure she expected a quick answer, such as “oh toddlers because they are so fun!” or “newborns! They are so sweet!” or “couples for sure, they listen and I don’t have to chase them!” 

Her question made me think. In fact, I scribbled down thoughts on the subject, and what I love shooting about different ages or different type sessions… (iPhone pic of my scribbles)

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I found this little paper on my desk the other day, and wanted to finally get it out here, on my blog. And as I read it, and all that I love about each type of session that I shoot, I realized this… While I don’t ‘specialize’ in a certain subject or age, I realize there is something that I love about each one. But, more importantly, I love shooting – capturing – real moments. I love capturing an image that you can feel.

Real images that evoke a feeling.

That is what I love.
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Tenley dances around our house all. the. time. I love that I captured her doing this and can only imagine the feelings I’ll have about these images when she is older. Even now I adore them. And the feeling in them. And the texture of her hair, and the movement…

Thank you for looking :) I hope you have an amazing day!

Life Lately

I just went through my folders of photo’s, and pulled out wayyyyy  more than I intended to. But life lately…it’s been so sweet. And busy.

Summer fun.
Bathing suites.
Baby sister holding.
Dress up.
Bikes.
Watermelon.
Beach.
Sweet newborn goodness.
Dirt piles and more dirt at the new house site.

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If you made it to the end of this post — fist bump! Just call me an over-sharer ;) Thanks for looking!

 

Cora Aniston

On June 21, 2015 we welcomed Cora Aniston. Baby girl #4 for us! We are completely and totally in love. And while life has been extra busy lately (we brought her home from the hospital, closed on our construction loan and began building our new home all in the same day!) I feel like I have really just soaked up all her newborn sweetness. This stage passes so quickly, and I think I realize that now, and I am learning to just truly soak it all up. Sit, hold, kiss, snuggle, repeat.

I have also found that the hospital pictures are always my favorites. It’s such a special time, and often a blur while it’s all happening. I absolutely love looking back on the photo’s and just remembering and reliving the moments…  I really didn’t want Stu to have to worry with taking pictures this time, and instead just enjoy (and I didn’t want to worry about making sure he had the settings on the camera right, etc.) So I asked my friend Molly to document the birth, and our families meeting her for the first time. Now I want to tell all the Momma’s out there to hire a photographer for this special time! It’s SO worth it!!!

I chose just a few photo’s to share here… (it’s still a lot, even though it’s only a few compared to what all I have!) But I feel like these few tell the story - the story of Cora’s birth - pretty well. I get all teary and goo-goo-happy when I look at these, and I know I will forever treasure them.

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My family started a tradition when we had Kennedy… we haven’t ever found out the gender of our babies before they are born, so while waiting out in the waiting room while I am in labor, our family guesses gender and size and everyone puts in a dollar. The person whose guess is the closest (gender then size) wins the money. The winner gave the money to Kennedy as a gift, and it just sort of stuck after that. Now, everyone still guesses and gives a dollar, but they always give the money to the baby. And we do it for all the babies in our families now, and I just love it! Here, my sister is writing down everyone’s guess and collecting the money…
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Molly stepped out while I gave birth (the doctor only allowed 3 people in the room, and I didn’t want to send our Mom’s out) she told me that while the hall’s were quite and empty, and the baby crib waited outside our door, she could hear the excitement in the room… it just seems so surreal and makes this photo a little extra special to me.
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She came back in and captured candid moments of everything after Cora was born…
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Our girls, and the grandparents coming in to meet her – and find out boy or girl!
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They wanted a boy, but the look on their faces proves that they are totally happy with this precious little sister of theirs.
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These next two photo’s are absolutely priceless to me. I am in love.
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Thank you Molly! Again and again for capturing these photo’s for us!!!

Now, we had my camera too (of course) and this is a few that we took at the hospital and the days following….
First, Stu insisted on taking a quick picture as soon as we got to the hospital (which honestly, I love him for it. There was a time he tried to take my picture while in labor and I was SO annoyed! But I’ve learned that I really love having these to look back on :) ) So here I am. On my due date, at the hospital, in between contractions, looking huge. She ended up weighing 9 pounds, 11ounces.
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Thanks for looking :)

Mountain Trip {Personal, Family}

I just found these photo’s in my ‘blog’ folder and decided to share :)

We took a few days and went to the Mountains with my Grandparents this past October. Just me, my hubs, kids, and them.

I feel all teary just looking at these pictures! Maybe it’s because we are now just ten days away from our due date with Baby #4 and at this time, we had not shared our news yet… Maybe it’s because I adore my grandparents and look up to them in so many ways. The fact that Poppa has come through cancer, and MawMaw has a hip that hurts her a lot, but they don’t allow those things to get in the way of adventure. They hiked through the woods with us and we had the best time. They laughed at us (well, Poppa did, MawMaw was probably more concerned!) when their van easily made it up the steep hills to the cabin and ours literally rolled backwards down the hill THREE TIMES (4th time was the charm and I was ready to just walk up at that point). Maybe I am all teary because my girls look like they’ve grown and changed SO much since these were taken! And it was only back in October!

Anyway, I love these. I love my husband in a baseball cap and flannel shirt. I love my girls snuggled in jammies. I love MawMaw’s biscuits. I love our time together.
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