I long time client (and now friend) asked me to photograph her family during their beach vacation and of course I had to accept. There’s just something special about that place where the ocean meets the land. When you can feel the sand between your toes, hear the crash of the waves and the call of the gulls, and taste the salty spray in the air, it’s just magical. We really lucked out with some beautiful sunsets too! As cold weather is approaching, I look back at these and I’m ready to go back.

I hope mom and dad can look back at these as their boys grow and remember their family trips with fondness. Nothing replaces time spent together.

Playing on the beach

Family vacation

Making memories with mom

Brothers on the beach

Perfect night

I have been keeping a dark secret and it’s starting to weigh on me. I know how to correct it, and I’m on the path to fixing it, but I wanted to share something with you.

I know you see me posting all these images and promoting the concept of having current images displayed around your home that you love and enjoy. Babies grow up. They grow up way too quickly and they grow and change. I want you to have pictures you love on your walls, and to update those as the kids grow and change. But here’s a little confession- I stink at that!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t love my kids and it’s not that I haven’t had updated family photos taken (I have, they were AWESOME)… but I just haven’t “gotten around to” ordering updated prints. (Insert massive cringe face here). I order prints for clients. I order sample prints and albums, canvas, framed images, and metal prints. Sometimes I’ll add a personal image in on an order and update something here at my home.

As bad as I feel confessing that, I want to share something else. Every time I look at my (now outdated) images, I remember THAT DAY that the specific picture was taken. No, not the date, the day. I remember the day I finally took my girls to Disney world after saving up my money for months. I remember standing in line for ride after ride. I remember it being hot. But when I look at this pictures, suddenly I remember so much more. I can remember the sounds of my daughters uncontrollable shrieks of laughter as teacups spun in circles. I remember the background music playing on the speakers. The sounds of the other patrons patiently waiting their turn. No, its not the “perfect” picture, but that WAS the perfect day with my kids and it’s ok if this one is 5 years old and I’m in no hurry to replace it.

Baby’s first birthday is rapidly approaching and you want to find a photographer to schedule a cake smash session. You’ve spent countless hours scouring Pinterest to find *the* perfect theme, you have the cake in mind, you think you know what backdrops, props, and decorations you want to use. How do you make sure baby will dig in and have a good time when it’s time for their session?

These tips will help you get the most out of your cake smash session:

1.) Know your kiddo. If your little one is a social chatterbox who never meets a stranger and is happy to explore their world (even in unfamiliar territory), chances are that during a photography session they’ll do just fine. However, if your little one prefers to be glued to your side, burying their face in your shirt to hide from the big scary world, that’s ok- but keep in mind that a photography session means taking them to a strange place, sitting them near bright lights that flash and a stranger doing all sorts of crazy things to get them to smile. It can be overwhelming. If you have a shy youngster, let your photographer know and plan plenty of extra time for them to play and get comfortable before the session. Taking the time to put your baby at ease in a strange place is always worth the extra few minutes. A favorite toy, or even a familiar song played on a smartphone can help too.

2.) Let them eat cake. No, seriously. Have a trial run with a cupcake the night before your session. Put baby somewhere other than the high chair (somewhere not normally associated with eating). A bathtub is a great place for them to practice digging in with their hands, getting messy, and it makes for easy cleanup. Don’t make a big deal out of messy hands- that’s part of the fun.

3.) Plan ahead for your session. Because baby is often very mobile by their first birthday, mom and dad should be ready to help with baby wrangling if they decide they’d like to crawl/walk/run away. Parents should wear clothing that they don’t mind getting cake or frosting on, it can be inevitable. Plan to have some of baby’s favorite snacks on hand too- some babies really dislike cake or frosting, so hiding cheerios or yogurt bites in the back of the cake can make for a great photo opportunity and it looks like they’re digging into the cake. Some babies even feel more comfortable using a spoon to get started. It’s important that parents keep their expectations reasonable- this is all new for baby and allowing them to go at their pace helps make session go well.

4.) Know what to expect. Talk to your photographer before the session and find out what they typically include for cake smash sessions. I usually include 2-3 setups of 12 month pictures (including one simple updated family picture if desired, so parents can bring a change of clothes for that if they want) before the cake, then I bring out a baby-sized clawfoot tub for cleanup. Those images are always fun! Knowing what to expect helps you prepare for a successful and stress-free session.

Baby Jolene came to see me today. When mom pulled out this little tutu and unicorn headpiece, I knew just the backdrop to use! (From http://babydreambackdrops.com ) What do you think?

Fall is coming! The air is stating to hint that the heat of summer is passing and the trees just seem to know. The color is starting to fade from green to yellow and orange. Now is the perfect time to schedule your fall family photography session.

Here are some of my favorites from fall:

outdoor fall family photography

outdoor fall family photography

outdoor fall family photography

outdoor fall family photography

outdoor fall family photography

atlanta fall family photography

fall family photography

fall family photography outdoors

fall family photography near stream

fall family photography in cotton field

fall family photography in cotton field

mama loving on her baby in cotton field

I often get asked where I get my inspiration for some of my setups, and honestly, I get ideas absolutely everywhere.

I love succulents.  If you’ve been to my home, you’ve seen my front porch full of them (in a neat little wooden crate display of course). I love the color, texture, and patterns to them. The fact that they like infrequent watering is also a plus. Many have fallen victim to my lack of horticultural abilities, but I love them none the less.

My absolute favorite backdrop vendor is Baby Dream Backdrops and while browsing through their designs, I came across one called “Grandma’s Porch”. It was white and bright and a bit rustic and had succulents on it. It spoke to my heart. I added it to my wish list but hadn’t purchased it just yet. (Their backdrops are incredible, but they’re an investment and I have to pace myself.)

I also love all things vintage and shabby. (Come on, who doesn’t love “Fixer Upper”? I seriously wish Joana Gaines would ask if *I* had the guts to take on a fixer upper…answer. I do. I just don’t have the funds. Anyone wanna help a gal out?) I was in a private professional photography forum when I heard about a company run by a husband and wife team who took old reclaimed barn wood and made handmade picture frames from them. I’m not talking about little ones either (they do that too), I’m talking about the great big huge portraits that hang over the fireplace, and the groupings that are displayed on the living room wall as a showpiece. The craftsmanship is seriously drool-worthy. I applied to become a customer but they are in such high demand among photographers right now, that I’m on a waitlist until at least 2019. Frustrated, but willing to wait, I browsed their selection of photography props. If I couldn’t start ordering frames, I could at least purchase a new prop. That was several weeks ago, but I knew it would be a while because everything is handmade to order. Today, my handmade crate from Farmhouse Frames arrived. It smells like heaven! It’s perfectly imperfect and has saw marks but has also been sanded so it’s the PERFECT prop for little ones. I might have also purchased a pretty little cream colored knit wrap with it.

Then it happened. One of my favorite newborn prop shops, The Indy Cottage advertised a little succulent headband for baby girls. I had to have it, and that meant I had to have the backdrop that went with it. (Thanks a lot, Carly- I blame you for this….)

My little headband arrived last week, but the UPS man brought my backdrop AND my handmade wooden crate today at the same time. Weird, but it must be a sign, right?

I opened the boxes like kids on Christmas morning and went to work playing. I’m sure my neighbors wondered what on earth the crazy lady was doing bringing some of her plants in and out of the house, putting some back, bringing more in (I just had to test them in the setup).

So, tonight instead of editing or marketing or answering emails (sorry- I promise I’ll do it tomorrow), I’m playing with my new backdrops and props and headbands and succulents. Because that’s a totally normal thing to do.

(Be sure to check my website for more samples of “normal”, lol!)