Oh So Sweet|Newborn Photography

Seriously, can any baby be more adorable than this little guy?? And although he looks like he is ready to be done with all this picture taking nonsense, this little man was such a trooper. He is 11 days old in these images which is a great time to do newborn portraits. If we schedule these sessions within the first two weeks, most newborns are quite content to sleep and just go with the flow. It does take a bit of work to get these artistic images, but I have to say this baby made it easy. His mom & dad are so fun and are doing such a great job as brand-new parents! You can tell they are going to have such a great time together. Thank you, Kim & Mike, for letting me play with your little guy. Mike, I hope you like this little peek ;-) There were so many beautiful images, but as always I saved my favorites for when you all come to the studio for your design session!

The Wisdom of Pooh | Shenandoah Valley Photographer

"Baby's dreams must be the sweetest," thought Pooh.

This sweet little girl was the most cooperative newborn I have ever photographed :-) She slept through most of our session, only opening her eyes a few times to drink a bit of her bottle. I love newborn sessions! There is something so precious about those tiny features & their sweet little sighs. I am always so excited and honored when parents ask me to create their newborn portraits as this stage is so fleeting. It is wonderful to capture these memories as these little ones grow & change more quickly than we realize.

Thanks to Tony & Shelly for sharing your baby girl with me...she is just beautiful! I hope you enjoy your little peek at our session together.

The Amazing Mr. E...the Sequel

It is always amazing to me how quickly these little ones grow! You can see some images from the post of this little guy's first photo session back when he was only a few weeks old. He is now a busy guy with lots of smiles who is curious about everything he sees. The bubbles were a big hit and I love the expression on his face as he watched them float by! Wildwood Park in Bridgewater is a wonderful place to take family photos, and the summer evening provided some beautiful light. Here is a sneak peek for his wonderful mom & dad. And a big thanks to his grandma who was a huge help during the session making this little man giggle!

June Wedding | Shenandoah Valley Photographer

What a fun month this has been! June has been hopping and I am trying to catch up on my workflow. My first priority was to post a few wedding images for some newlyweds! Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Jack Kerr who were married at the beginning of the month. I hope you all enjoy a sneak peek at your wedding photos. I'm looking forward to showing you all the rest when you come to the studio.

Courage & Sunshine

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement

that something else is more important than fear.

~Ambrose Redmoon

I was blessed once again have the opportunity to photograph an incredible family for the second time. You may remember our trip to the park last summer and that awesome picture of their little man flying up into the air! For this session, Amanda chose the JMU Arboretum in Harrisonburg. Always a great choice :-) The kids have grown since I saw them last year and were just as cute as ever. We had fun tromping around and following Payten as she found the best photo spots. She even took a turn behind the camera (scroll down to the last photo of her mom & dad together to see her work)! The ever energetic Bryce had fun flirting with my beautiful assistant and little Addy loved the bubbles I brought along.

I chose courage and sunshine as the heading of this post because I am reminded what real courage is each and every time I am with this family. Little Addison struggles to live with Gaucher Disease. It is a very rare condition which in her case cause a number life-threatening issues. Addy and her family face this daunting challenge with a grace and optimism that inspires me. It is obvious that her parents enjoy each in every minute they spend with Addison and her siblings. I am sure that some days must seem overwhelming, but they continue to fight to make each day happy and full of sunshine for her. There are so many unknowns with Gaucher Disease and the search for a cure continues. I saw this quote today and thought of this family. Thanks Amanda & Brett for reminding me of what true courage is...and for allowing me to share a few hours with your wonderful kids. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek...

This is the picture that Payten took!