holden - smash first birthday cake

this week's i heart faces photo challenge is about photojournalism.  i love it.  it's what i do.

however, instead of telling a story in my every day life, i am going to post one more time about my buddy holden, and his smash cake session.  you see, this was the first time holden had every had cake.  i think these photos tell a pretty good story of his first experience.   :)

to see more stories, check out i heart faces.

sharing the creative mama

i love this blog.  the creative mama is a collection of amazing photographers from all over the states that share tips, tricks, and all around awesomeness about life, love, and photography.

the most recent post is on making a back to school pencil cake for kids - so cute!

take a look around the blog and enjoy!

and because i'm a mama...here's my littlest dude from an afternoon in our yard.

sharing a favorite - orlando photographer

i wanted to share with you one of my favorite sites, all things baby.  it's a great place to get inspired, to learn about other photographers, and just get a glimpse of all around sweetness.

it features different photographers often in their inspire me section.

they have great tips on props for photographers.

plus, so much more.

check it out!

and because i can't tell you about a baby site without posting a photo of a baby from one of my own sessions...

here is ethan, who will be turning one this week.

my 5 favorite places to find texture

i love texture.  i love it in real life, and i love it in photographs.

i wrote a tutorial on how to apply textures to photographs, that you can find here.

here are my top 5 places that i find some really awesome textures.

1. Flora Bella Collection - she puts together some of the most beautiful textures.  just one set comes with so many different looks that suite an array of styles for your phtoographs.  but it's really hard to just buy one set.  :)

2. Shadowhouse Creations - jerry has come up with some really dramatic textures.  and he is kind enough to have them available for free.

3. Paint the Moon - annie has some beautiful and delicate textures, that i find give my photos a very peaceful look.

4. Regularjane - i just recently found these and so far love what i have used.  lots of great bokah.

5. web treats - another new one to me, but have enjoyed looking through all of the work.

and now, for a little texture love...

this one is shot out of camera, of my son playing in the grass

and this one i used an action from paint the moon and a texture from flora bella.

the vintage pearl - i love you giveaway

i absolutely love the vintage pearl.

in honor of a moment they experienced while visited walt disney world, they have designed the i love you necklace.  and they are giving one away.  check it out.

and because i can't mention walt disney world without including a photo, here ya go.

what would ya say...ya do here?

one of my all time favorite lines from office space.

so...what am i doing here?

i am here to collect memories.  i am here to take bits and pieces of someone's every day life and draw it out on paper with my camera so that many years from now, they can look back and say, yes...i remember what that moment felt like.  anyone can take a picture.  anyone can say, say cheese!  i hope that by watching my clients, my friends, my family, i can truly capture a photograph, a snippet of time, to have to hold on to forever.

that's what i would say, i do here.

my little buddy holden, tasting cake for the first time, on the beach of disney's polynesian resort, at walt disney world.

fall family sessions - orlando florida photographer

as school is now in session, it is time to start thinking about your family portraits and holiday cards!

with the help of christie from coastal belle, here is an idea of some great choices in clothing for your family portrait session.

you can find these looks at old navy, primigi kids, converse, polo, vineyard vines, bonobos, gap, toms, patterson kincaid, steve madden, and vanessa boulton.

thank you christie for these great looks!

happy birthday holden - children photography orlando

"best friends" are what they are for reasons that are important to the individual person...and my friend robben is my very best friend for lots of reasons.  she's kind.  she's thoughtful.  she's a fantastic mom.  she's lots of fun.

one of the things that makes her so cool is that she is a disney dork like myself.  so when it came time to photograph her son for his first year, i knew immediately where it had to be done.  walt disney world of course.

holden had his smash the cake session on the beach of disney's polynesian resort, which also happened to be his first time stepping onto walt disney world property.  (we went to the parks several days later.)

i love the images that i got.  holden was adorable as always, and i am so happy that we shot them where we did.

thanks robben, for being my best friend, and for indulging me in my crazy ideas.  :)

this is my entry for this weeks challenge, beach fun!

yes.  that is cinderella castle in the background.  :)

to see more beach fun, check out i heart faces.

ready for school!

my son will be attending 3 year old kindergarten next week.  i am so excited for him!  i can't wait for him to make new friends and enjoy learning new things.

i got some little workbooks for him to practice and he is doing so well!

mommy and daddy are proud of you jackson!!!

future so bright, he has to wear shades

my son loves wearing his sunglasses.  he thinks he's cool like daddy.  and he is.  :)

my entry for this week's i heart faces photo challenge...

to see more cool people wearing their shades, check out i heart faces.

windermere orlando children photographer - even stevens, or ryan's in this case

my last post about my family was a little pic heavy with jack, as my husband pointed out.  so i thought in this one, i would showcase my sweet man, ryan.

but first, our new friends.

the lizards.

they like to hang out with us while we eat our lunch outside.  do you think they are waiting to help clean up?

this one was trying to sneak up the side of ryan's chair.  those are ryan's shorts in the bottom right corner...

here he is!  being big boy, and coloring.  this didn't last long.  seems sorting the crayons is way more fun than actually using them.

i just don't know what it is about him, but he's just a baby to me.  ryan will be 2 in october, and i just feel like he's still my baby.  all the way down to his toes.

he has my crazy crunched up ears.  poor guy.  he makes them look cute though.

another attempt at coloring.

there you go daddy!  do you have something for your iPhone background now?  :)

the wild - orlando, florida children photographer

jack has discovered a love for bugs.  ick.  i'm going to really have to start checking his shorts pockets.  any bug he encounters, he names, and he remembers distinct features about them to find them later.

like andy the ant.  he lost andy, and i thought calling another ant andy would do, but no, andy has an orange butt.  hmph.

so here is cathy the caterpillar.  cute little thing.  but, she wasn't doing so well, and jack was worried.  i love the furrowed brow.

i took the boys to the tibet-butler preserve.  we unfortunately (or fortunately?) did not see any crocs.  but the boys had a blast running around the forrest.

jack looking through the little fish tank in the welcome center.

anyone that knows ryan, or has read this blog, knows that ryan loves water.  well, he loves mud too.  figures.

i took this next one for daddy.  as much of a seafood lover that he is, i wanted to show him that his children are totally down with this tasty treat.

being a photographer, my kids have pcs - or photographers child syndrome.  they basically run when i pull out my camera.  so i am constantly trying to come up with new ways to capture their smiles.  standing on top of the counter and telling jack to tickle my toes seems to work.

a how-to with creating a story - orlando photographer

i love a good traditional family portrait as much as the next person.  it's a great way of taking a snapshot of one moment in time to remember someone's looks.  but what about their personality?  what about their character?

when i am with my clients for a photography session, my goal is to capture moments that can be transformed into a story.  i want the family to be able to see these photos many years from now, and remember exactly what their children were like at that moment.

so, what type of techniques can be used to tell a story?  i have put together a few key elements and some examples to demonstrate...

shoot from your hip - or from the ground.

in this photo, i was laying down on the ground, looking up.  it gives some really nice angles on the train, and also gives a sense of superiority with the subject.

this one was also shot low to the ground, and from a side angle.

another example of shooting from the ground.  in this one, i was laying across from katie, and her face was toward the light.

you don't necessarily have to see a face to make a portrait - or - not everyone in the image has to be in focus.

my son had his first haircut at the magic kingdom.  something that they do to keep the kids entertained, is completely cover them in mickey stickers.  i didn't want to forget that.

this is one of my very favorite lifestyle family portraits, and the parents are not even the focal point.  but, you can truly see how much fun they have together, and i think that's an important thing to remember.

my main focus in this shot is of course the sunset.  but, choosing to keep it out of focus and more or less part of the background, gives it a sense of mystery.

sometimes, it's best to get up really close.

i love close ups that show such great detail.  jack is very proud of his freckle.

and sometimes, it's good to take a step back.

there are so many great places in this world to take a portrait.  use what you have around you.

and lastly, using light.

about 9 times out of 10, it's best to have the subject facing the light.  however, using the light in a different way can create a really neat silhouette.

i hope these little tips can help you create a story for your family.

i heart faces - week 32 - surprise!

we moved to florida at the beginning of the summer, and i have fallen in love with the sunsets here.  the boys and i go for a walk each night, and most nights i bring my camera.

our neighborhood is right next to an orange grove which the farmer also has some livestock as well.  i told jack and ryan that we were going to walk out by the farmers house, which we hadn't done yet - and this is the look i got:

complete with chocolate ice cream still on his face.

to see other surprise looks, check out i heart faces.

windermere orlando children photographer - these are the days...

"These are days you'll remember. 
Never before and never since, I promise, 
will the whole world be warm as this. 
And as you feel it, you'll know 
it's true that you are blessed and lucky. 
It's true that you are touched by something 
that will grow and bloom in you. "
                    10,000 maniacs


when i look at photos of my kids, i forget about the misbehavior and tough times.
when i look at photos of my kids, i already know i will miss "these days."
when i look at photos of my kids, my heart is warm, and i know i am "blessed and lucky."


that's why photos of jack and ryan are so important to me.

running to meet their friends in our neighborhood.

borrowing emmy's ride.

playful mornings.

little brother "reading" to big brother.

big brother showing patience.

silly faces.

they are the best.

playdate cards

imagine: you and your 6 month old have joined a new play group.  you watch in joy as your son and another child sit together and build blocks.  wouldn't it be nice if they could play outside of the play group?  as the activities draw to a close, the other mommy asks for your phone number.  you both are holding your babies and fumbling for your phones and/or pieces of paper.  wouldn't it be nice if you could reach into your pocket or bag and pull out a card with all of your info on it?

or how about: you and your family have just moved to a new town.  your daughter has graciously been invited to a new friends' house.  you are thrilled that she has made friends so quickly!  as you drop your daughter off, you have to review a list of things your daughter is allergic to.  wouldn't it be helpful to be able to hand the new friends' mother a card with a photo of your daughter and a list of things she is allergic to, as well as your doctor's contact info?

there are lots of other occasions when a little card of information would be so easy to hand to someone.  i am now offering these playdate cards!  only $29.99* for a pack of 50 standard size cards, or $27.99* for a pack of 100 mini cards.

*plus shipping.