Photo Scavenger Hunt

I am participating in a really fun photo scavenger hunt hosted by Clickin' Moms (an online forum for female photographers).  There are over 300 items on the list along with some bonus items ... I just took my 100th photo today and am having so much fun.

Here is the webpage with more information about the scavenger hunt (which is open to all Clickin' Mom members) ... or this is the full link http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=d54daf08fec377347b22726b0&id=8b3b83c271&e=a0241104a7

C Family Sneak Peak

A little over a week ago I had the pleasure of photographing this gorgeous family of 5!  It was a beautiful morning at the park and this family made our morning photoshoot a breeze.  We even got some fun shots with a special fishing pole of grandpa's that the family brought along.  Here's your sneak peak C Family ... I can't wait to share the rest of your gallery of photos with you in a few days!

Curly Cuteness!

This past week I had a mini-shoot with this adorable curly-headed cutie!  She was such a doll and made the shoot a breeze with those big brown eyes and curly locks.  Here's your sneak peak:

Brown Eyed Girl

Last week I had such a fun morning photographing this little beauty!  She has the cutest chubbiness and most gorgeous brown eyes!  It was an early overcast morning and little Miss E was quite serious ... that is, until her big brother would come make her smile ... then her whole face would light up!  She was such a doll and very cooperative for her several wardrobe changes.  It was definitely a great way to start my morning!

Beat the Rain!

A few weeks ago, I got to photograph this sweet family of 4.  It had been raining the day before and was projected to rain that afternoon, so we kept a close eye on the clouds moving in during our session.  Thankfully, it was still a gorgeous day for photographs and we managed to stay dry (the storm hit later that evening).  You may remember Baby Girl "A" from a few months ago ... she is still the tiniest thing but she certainly has become more alert and gotten the "princess diva" thing down ... she was not a happy camper when she was woken up from her nap to get dressed in fancy clothes and get her picture taken!  She was quite serious throughout the entire session, however that just brought out how big her big brown eyes are.  Her older brother was quite the adventurer and before we officially started the session, he had already found the pile of leaves and managed a few grass stains on his knees ...  he is definitely all boy!  Here's your sneak peak "B" Family!!!

Snuggly Newborn!

You would never know by these few sneak peak pictures that this little guy didn't want to sleep!  He would doze off and we'd get him situated and then he'd peek one eye open!  This sweet little boy was only 8 days old but he was very alert.  We waited patiently while he ate several times and then he finally fell into a deep sleep so we could get those fabulous newborn sleepy pictures!  Welcome to the world Baby J ... here's your sneak peak!

Toddler Cuteness!!!

Today I got to photograph an adorable 2-year-old who mom said was a bit grumpy, but he must have liked the camera because he was super cooperative and adorable the entire time!  We started indoors for some shots on the backdrop to get some nice close-ups and then headed outdoors for some more natural playtime photos.  By the end of the shoot, this little guy was ready for a nap. Thanks N Family for the opportunity to photograph your little one ... he was super cute and probably one of the most cooperative 2-year-olds I have photographed!  Here's your sneak peak!

Editing with Textures

So this past week I have been experimenting with some new creative editing styles by adding in some texture to my photographs.  It can create an entirely new look to an image and the possibilities are endless to making a photo look classic, vintage, brighter, whimsical, etc.  My normal editing style is to lightly edit photographs to enhance the natural beauty of the photograph as it was taken; however, it is fun to experiment with new editing styles where you can create an entirely different look from an otherwise normal-looking photo and make it more art-like.  Here are a few photos that I have been playing around with.

(added the scratched texture on the floor and wall)

(added a linen-like texture to the background and enhanced the clouds in the sky)

(added a vintage texture to the background which was just otherwise white-washed wood)

Valentine's Love

Today I had the pleasure of photographing two energetic 6-year-olds for their annual Valentine's Day pictures!  These two have known each other since they were newborns and have been having photos done together each Valentine's Day to commemorate their friendship.  They were a ton of fun and we got the chance to use nearly all my Valentine's props ... there were lots of smiles, giggles, laughter and silliness the entire time which made for some great photos!  Here are just a few of the pictures as a quick sneak peak for their families!!!

Toddler Cuteness!!!

This morning was a chilly windy morning, but that didn't stop little Miss C. from enjoying some photo and playtime outside.  She was all smiles and a natural with the camera.  Isn't she just the cutest little thing?!?!  I just love how her bright blue eyes sparkle with the contrast of her dark brown hair!  Here's a quick sneak peak!

One Busy Saturday!

Last week I got a call from a photographer friend of mine who asked if I would be interested in participating in a photography fundraiser for a mom's group she attends.  I was thrilled at the chance to get to build my portfolio while helping raise funds for a local mom's group (especially since the same 2 photographers heading up this fundraiser, did the same type of fundraiser for my family last year as we had suffered several tragedies).

We met at a local park and I co-photographed 5 families.  We had a ton of fun letting the kids run, play in the leaves, and climb on a giant fallen tree.  Here are a few sneak peaks from the day!!!

Patiently Waiting ...

Today was a fun maternity session to help document this mommy-to-be patiently awaiting the arrival of Baby J. next month.  You would never know by the weather that it's winter as it was a beautiful 76 degrees out today and made for a nice relaxing time to be outdoors and capture some beautiful photographs (well, it helps to have such a beautiful mommy-to-be, too)!  I can't wait to meet Baby J. and capture some newborn photos of him as well ... wishing you a happy and healthy last few weeks before the big arrival!

Sweet Dreams!

Today I got the privilege of photographing sweet Baby A.  Isn't she just dreamy?!?!  Although she hates being cold and undressed ... she was just perfect during our session with lots of sweet dreams.  While I work over the next few days editing the photos from the session, I wanted to get one quick sneak peak up for the night to wish Baby A's family a goodnight!

My first sneak peak!

Right after Christmas we headed up north to visit Brandon's family in Napa.  While we were there I had the privilege of photographing my sister-in-law for her Senior portraits.  We had fun (especially since it was a break from the crazy kids and family), plus the area is just beautiful, as was my model!  Since it had been raining for several days prior to our session, it was a little muddy, but we found a few great locations and some fantastic photos are the result.  Here's a few for a sneak peak!

Stay tuned!

Okay, trying to get the blog and website both up and going at the same time before the official launch, so stay tuned for some preview photos and a special start-up deal!!!