Remember this sweet newborn session featured last week? It was a baby shower gift from this super thoughtful friend, who I was lucky enough to work with as well! In our planning, Jenny (mom) knew they would be moving soon and wanted to capture their family in a place that they enjoyed together during their time in Charlottesville. BellAir Farm is a CSA on the outskirts of town that their sweet daughter Sadie has grown up visiting and holds fond memories of fresh air, family, and good food! What more could you want, right?
This family is a tight little crew who loves to play and be silly, and keeping up with their bubbly and curious little Sadie would keep anyone on their toes! When Jenny described her as loving to dance, rarely sitting still, full of expressions, and quick to laugh, I knew we were in for a fun shoot and boy, she did not disappoint!
I couldn't let summer fade without one last hurrah of celebrating summer love on the blog. Meet Loghan and Nate - a couple sooo so dear to our family. Their story is one of many twists and turns, a story of God's perfect timing, and the wonderful reward that comes when we follow his voice in our hearts.
After dating in high school, the relationship ended and they moved to separate states, moving on to other relationships and challenges, but always wondering about the other. Eventually, the stars aligned and when they decided years later to give it another go, they both fell fast in love. In having the chance to know these two intimately over the past year through our church life, I've had the privilege of watching them navigate that season from dating to engaged, to witness the core of how they support encourage one another. They've become close friends whom I admire and will cheer on through every stage of life ahead, so to capture their engagement session and honor the start of this next season through that was just a real treat.
In an effort to provide a product option that really fit the needs of my clients, I recently began offering a gorgeous collection of frames. Quality, archival frames are not just lovely decor to put on your wall, but protect the images you've invested in.
**(Ever tried to change an image from a frame and found that it stuck to the glass, or the tape rips off part of the image/mat? yep, me too. That's because they weren't archival.)
Along with the standard sizes for individual prints, I wanted to offer something that would allow families to display multiple images in an elegant way. This is the answer!
When this dad reached out to schedule a documentary session for his wife as an anniversary present, I was instantly excited to get to know their story. Through our planning prior to the shoot, he informed me that they were going through a season of big change, including a new home, new schools, and watching how their babies were turning into little boys with big personalities. The "normal" every-day activities are so dear to them and it was important to capture the comfort and enjoyment they find just being together in this stage of life.
Last week, many of our local parents sent their kiddos back to school, and I don't care who you are or what you do or how old your kids are, the moments after you wave goodbye are bound to tug at your heartstrings.
But this post isn't about what kind of schools are best, or what age you should/not send your child to school, or the nature of working parents vs stay-at-home parents vs work from home parents, or even the heart behind our own family decisions regarding childcare. I mean, just google "sending a child to preschool" or "first day of school" and you'll get an overwhelming list of "10 ways to prepare for the first day" or "5 reasons why (insert type of education) is the best choice for your child" to make you question yourself, your security, and your capability as a parent. People are so passionate about their childcare and education decisions, and to be fair, I think they should be because they're important.
It's just that sometimes, we get too hung up on shouting into the abyss to defend our decisions to the world instead of harnessing those passions for ourselves and our children.
In preparation for a first baby, new parents often find themselves among piles of gifted diapers, clothing, and gadgets to ease the transition into parenthood. But this couple was gifted a photo session with me, and I know I'm partial to sentiment, but I think there are few gifts more valuable than the one that tells a story of new life and family.
This logistics of this session was like a Pinterest dream - their beautiful home was light and airy, the atmosphere calm and serene, and baby Oliver sleeping sweetly for almost the entire thing. His elephant-themed nursery was adorably minimalist with the sweetest, simple touches.
These terms are often used interchangeably, because on a surface level, both are used to describe images that look relaxed and natural. But there's really a lot more to it than that. Let's actually pull these terms apart and break down the difference between a "lifestyle" session and a "documentary" session so you can begin to see and think about what style really suits you best.
The joy that 1 year old Lillian shows when she sees swings is seriously unmatched - I meeeean, that girl loves her some park time and in this summer season, it's a favorite activity with mom and dad. When planning something that was special for them to photograph, Kelsey told me that swinging together is what really lights her daughter up. She wanted to always remember that look of pure happiness and her carefree spirit in such small and simple pleasures.
Lisa and Tim have only been married for a year, but have known each other for almost 10 and they are probably two of the most laid back people I've ever worked with. Their easy-going nature, mixed with a gorgeous summer evening and the breeze through an open field made for maternity session magic.
These two typically like to keep it casual, but if for no other indicator than mom's shoe choice, there's a piece of them likes to class it up sometimes, too! Between football games, bbq's, and hikes with their loyal companion, Ajax, Bri and Kevin enjoy reading books and visiting the vineyards together.
