There’s an old proverb — “Cousins by chance, friends by choice.” It’s certainly true in my life. I am lucky to have many cousins, all of whom I adore. The older we all get, the more I like them for who they are & not just because we’re related. They are a link to my past & our family history — one our children will share in the future when we’re gone. I take comfort in that.

Little Libby is lucky to have three fantastic cousins of her own. They look out for her, they tease her & someday they’ll be telling her stories of when she was a baby. They’ll always be connected. And if spending an afternoon with them is enough to predict the future, they’ll always be friends.

I love photography & I love my family, so when the two are combined it makes for a wonderful day. This shoot was no exception. Greg’s sister & her family came to our neck of the woods for family portraits & some good ol’ quality time. Distance & busy schedules keep us from seeing them as much as we’d like, & our niece is growing up so fast. Seems like only yesterday she was cautiously sampling the icing from her first birthday cupcake, & now she has blossomed into this sweet, sensitive, yet super silly little girl. She melts my heart…and she has her uncle wrapped around her finger.

I was eager to shoot portraits of Matt + Jenn and their adorable brood for the family’s Christmas card. It was Baby Hannah’s first Christmas, which made the portrait even more special. All dolled up in holiday red with the tots buckled in to their Radio Flyer, the family & I walked from their home to a nearby bridge for the session. It lasted exactly 45 minutes from first click to last. And the family walked away with 70 different photos. Rather good-looking photos, if I do say so myself. Was it the morning light? The camera I was using? I’d like to think it was my creative direction & efficient skills. But I may have to chalk this one up to the picture-perfect subjects :)  Happy holidays!

I love shooting family portraits! I often suggest an activity for the family, particularly when there are young children. I want to capture action and emotion from each individual, as well as the interaction among family members — my sports photography roots can often be seen in my style.

I recently met up with Kelly + Jason and their two children, ages 5 and 18 months. They chose Lewis Park, an adorable park in Bradenton that holds lots of memories for their family. This session was particularly fun for me because I got to hang out with my good friends at the same time. I hadn’t seen the kids since Julian was a baby. And now he’s keeping up with his big sis! I’ve said it before but…time flies (*sigh*). Afterward Kelly said that in hindsight, she was worried the kids were “all over the place.” They were, and I encouraged it. It makes for fun photos and a fun day!

A note: When shooting children on the go, I tend to think about my shutter speed first and stay on my toes. As many times as I have literally run after a photo, sometimes I still miss the mark. The photo below (right) came out a little soft. When I first downloaded it, I could have kicked myself (can you imagine me literally trying to kick myself?)! I am, after all, a complete perfectionist.

But (and here is the point) photography is not always about perfection — the perfect exposure, the perfect focus, the perfect pose. For me it’s often about capturing that one moment in time that will never authentically happen again. And the moment that he somehow flopped his hat right on top of his head was unforgettable, for me and for his mother. Don’t let your perfectionist keep you from embracing the imperfection…in photography and in life. Deep, I know.

I’ve been so busy with holiday portraits, weddings and my design business that I am sorry to admit I have let my blogging get behind. Here’s to catching up before the holiday madness begins!

I had the pleasure of shooting Baby Hannah’s six-month portraits in October. What a beauty! This little gal has the most amazing blue eyes, almost violet…like Elizabeth Taylor (*moment of silence*).

There aren’t many things that are more fun for a new mother than playing dress-up with her baby girl, especially when there’s tulle involved! The tiny outfits are too cute for words. And I don’t mind living vicariously through them at all! Here are my favorites from the afternoon, as well as a couple shots of her big brother, a little GQ already. These two will be unstoppable.