Addison and his pup...

It isn't unusual for seniors to bring someone along for their session.  And it isn't unusual for that someone to be a pet.  Addison brought his dog, who was a great sport when it wasn't his turn to be in front of the camera.

{sigh} I adore seniors...

And I have to admit, I have a particular fondness for {this} senior.  I first met  a few years ago when they asked me to do family portraits, way back in my early days.  Since then, Hailey has helped me out several times as a model (remember Snow White in the snow) assisted me with a wedding and I had the great honor of photographing her mom's last St Patrick's day.  Each time I'm with her I am amazed at her poise, maturity and grace.  Her inner strengths simply enhance her outer beauty.

It rained the day we got together for these but that didn't stop us!  We stopped by a camera shop to pick up a rain cover for my gear and braved the elements to get a few more fun images:

Thanks for another FUN day, Hailey!

Little man on the blog...

This little Mr came in a couple weeks ago to spend some time with me.  He was mostly a happy guy but he wasn't afraid to show us when he was less than impressed.  And even at those times, he is such an easy-going little man, we were able to bring him back around.

Besides, I think he is cute when he pouts too.  Wouldn't you agree?

I have a new neighbor!

I am so excited that I get to partner with my friend Kristen at Baby Time~ just down the hall from JP Studio!  While we do very different things, a lot of our business values are the same.  We both do what we love with the goal of enhancing the family experience for our clients.  And she is just plain fun to chat with.

Kristen is a doula and has a great passion for babies, mothers and naturally doing what is best for them. Baby Time has an ever-growing line of products that includes cloth diapers, baby slings, healing amber, tutu dresses and so many things that I can't even list them!  She also has a classroom where Music On The Move classes are held as well as some other mom & baby friendly clubs and more classes coming very soon.  Even if you don't have kids or are past the baby stage, stop out and see her sometime!  She has great gift ideas and certificates as well as natural products that any family can use, no matter their age.

The first project Kristen and I are working on is some art work for her class room walls.  I had some moms and a dad come in with their little ones recently to try to capture some images that depict the family experience that Kristen is so excited to support with Baby Time.  Here are a few of the images from those sessions (Warning: some breast feeding is depicted so view with discretion).

I can't wait to see which ones end up on the walls.  Be sure to stop by Baby Time's Grand Opening on Oct 27th for lots of fun and door prizes!

Shy and sweet...

Sometimes things just don't go the way we plan.  This little miss, didn't have the morning she hoped for when she met me at one of my favorite spots to mark her 3rd birthday.  She had just come down with a cold and a case of shyness.  When the tears started, I knew that we were not going to get the portraits her mom had hoped for.  This is all we got that morning:

Still, I love it.  This is what we all want to do for our little ones when they don't feel well.  I'm so glad I was there to capture this mother-child moment because this is truly what it is all about for us moms!

So we scheduled a 2nd attempt for when she would feel better and changed the location to her back yard where she would feel a bit less shy.  See that cute bench in the back ground above?  That was my hope for the session.  When I arrived at her house a week later, she told me she did not want to sit on my bench!  Point taken, I was no longer the planner for this session.  And sometimes that is just fine, sometimes the plan of a 3 year old is just the way to capture the real essence of who they are.

We still had some moments of shyness:

But most importantly we played!  And that is when this little beauty's personality really shined.

I love when little ones come 'play' with me and my camera!  It helps me hang on to my inner child just a bit, something that I think about a little more in the fall because that is when I lose just a little more of my youth each year.  Thank you Miss P & Mom for that little breath of fresh air and for keeping me on my toes!  Oh, and for the Chai and chat at the coffee shop too!

Shot Gun Wedding...

Literally, Elise & Kyle brought shot guns for their wedding portraits!  I get to meet a lot of incredible people when I work weddings- these love birds were certainly not an exception!  They were so fun, so happy, and the couple so ready to take this step.  There was no stress or jitters that I could see, just so much joy and adoration.

See?  Fun!

Not only do I get to see the love between two people, but also in all the people they surround themselves with.  Elise and Kyle are very blessed with family and friends who whole heartedly came to celebrate their union with them.

Well, except maybe the kissing parts...

Congratulations!  I really enjoyed spending the day with you and your wonderful families!

High School Senior- Michael

Each senior has their own approach to their portrait session.  Michael's was to leave the details up to his mom and me (fairly typical of the guys)- that is until we started talking about his car.  Then he had something to add to our plan.  He loves this car that he & his dad have been rebuilding so having it be a part of his senior experience was one thing that I just knew we had to do.

We had a gorgeous night for his session!  I love the magic hour.  If only it lasted longer, I could have played all night.  And the fall colors were becoming more prominent, really adding to the effect of the warm light.

Michael, I had a great time getting to know you and your mom!  Can't wait to show you the rest of your session.