Pretty in Pink | Newborn Photography

So tiny, cuddly and picture perfect....an irresistible package. This little one stole our hearts at a newborn session in Charlottesville a few days ago. We enjoyed our time with this sweet girl and her mom. It is always fun to try something new and I brought along a few props that I hadn't used yet in a newborn session. I love the pink paisley background :-)

Rachel, I hope you were able to get a nap in after we left. Enjoy your little sneak peek and we'll see you in just a few weeks!

World Down Syndrome Day

My face maybe different

But my feelings the same

I laugh and I cry

And I take pride in my gains

I was sent here among you

To teach you love

As God in the heavens

Looks down from above

To Him I'm no different

His loves knows no bounds

It's cities and towns

That judge me by standards

That man has imparted

But this family I've chosen

Will help me get started

For I'm one of the special children

So special and few

That came here to learn

The same lessons as you

That love is acceptance

It must come from the heart

We all have the same purpose

Though not all the same start

The Lord gave me life

To live and embrace

And I'll do it as you

But at my own pace.

~author unknown

Parenting children is a tough job and some weeks are tougher than others. Our son, Gabe, entered high school this year and he is still trying to figure out this brave new world. It is never easy to make big changes and when you are someone who depends on routines to feel safe, big changes are just plain scary. New turf + new kids + new teachers + new rules = stress! Although we have worked to help Gabe with this transition and have high expectations of him & for him, this year has proven more difficult than we would have imagined. But what he has taught me this year is this: Gabe will always look for the fun, Gabe will always embrace his peers (sometimes quite literally if they happen to be female & cute), and Gabe will always, always challenge authority. What I learned most was that having Down Syndrome doesn't make you less of a teenager...it puts you right in the middle of the pack :-) So, today on World Down Syndrome Day I salute Gabriel...and all the others with that extra sprinkle of chromosomes! Thank you for making our world so bright & shiny! Now, let's go break out some ketchup sandwiches and root beer!

If you have ever considered adopting a child with Down Syndrome, please check out this website: Reece's Rainbow - they help find families for children with Down Syndrome from all over the world.

William and Family

Since my last post, I have been getting myself organized for 2010. I can't say that I am there yet...but I'm getting closer! This fun family was my first photo session after the New Year and one of the first to be entered from my studio in the NILMDTS charity model search. It was such a rainy cold day, but the studio was warm and William (cool dude reclining below) kept us all busy and smiling!

Don't you love William and his Dad doing their best "James Bond" impression?

To see the families we've entered in the contest, go to Sandy Puc Models and click on the gallery. You can filter the images by tour city...ours is Richmond! Don't forget to vote for your favorite. The family that gets the most votes wins a new car and NILMDTS will receive all the proceeds to help fund their charity this year. It is a "win - win" for everyone!

Are You North America's Cutest Family???

Synergy Photography are participating in the International Charity Model Search to select North America’s Cutest Family and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation. (NILMDTS.org) This important non-profit group provides photography services to families whose newborn babies are stillborn or terminally ill. These precious children will never come home from the hospital, but through these photography services families will forever have images they can cherish. We have a local chapter that provides services to UVa., Martha Jefferson, AMC & RMH. This Model Search is their main fundraiser each year and we are thrilled to be participating. So, here is how you can help...

Are your loved ones North America’s Cutest Family? We’ll give you the opportunity to prove it! Many exciting prizes will be awarded, and the grand prize winner receives a new car!

Model Search Special:

$50 entrance fee includes a 45-minute model session and one image submitted to the national gallery.

Finalists will be determined by online votes. Each vote is $1 (no limit on the amount of votes you can cast), and all proceeds from votes benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS.org).

Grand prize international winner will be determined from the 52 city finalists. The winners will be selected from the finalist gallery by photography and modeling industry experts. The winning family also receives a session with the renowned portrait artist Sandy Puc’ and international recognition.

Call 540-820-3759 now to enter your family in this exciting contest.

*Contest open to residents of the US and Canada. For more information, visit http://sandypucmodels.com/.

Happy New Year

The New Year brought some big news to our house! My eldest daughter, Kelly had the wonderful experience of being proposed to by her sweet boyfriend on New Year's Eve. This clever young guy planned it out carefully and brought her back to the place where they met & fell in love...the University of Virginia. After dinner at a trendy restaurant in Charlottesville, Taylor took Kelly to see The Lawn all lit up for the holidays and proposed to her on the steps of The Rotunda. Very Romantic! Needless to say, we are all giddy and so excited for the two of them.

Before heading back to Mississippi (where Taylor is stationed for training...he is a pilot in the US Air Force), they stopped back by the house for a quick visit. Kelly really wanted to take some engagement photos as Taylor will not be back in Virginia between now and the wedding this summer. This was our one chance to get some portraits that we can use in the Reception Book. So, we all braved the incredibly cold temperatures (19 degrees and windy) and went for a walk down by the river. It was really fun despite our toes freezing! We also took some studio shots to balance out the cool snow photos. They both did a great job...especially Taylor who did a superb job ignoring the fact that it was his future mother-in-law on the other side of the lens.

Hope you all like the sneak peek! Kelly, I'll show you the rest when you get back later this month :-) We love you both!

A Boy & a Dog

Have you ever asked yourself what is so irresistible about a boy & a dog? Or maybe it is just irresistible to me? Either way, these two were just precious together. The bond is obvious & was fun to try and capture in pictures. I love the way this little guy tried to hug & kiss a dog that stood almost at his height and most certainly outweighed him by many pounds. The dog, Gus, was very patient and sat for us without even the enticement of a Milk bone biscuit. The fact that he actually sat on Daniel at one point made us all chuckle! For me, there is just something about this symbol of boyhood that made me happy to be on the other side of the lens.

Choose love...

"Children are the hands by which we hold heaven."

~Henry Ward Beecher

As the holiday approaches this week, I have been thinking about all that I am thankful for & can easily say that my family & friends are at the top of the list. This year has been a year of change for our family and for many others. The uncertainty in our country & the world can cause us to question our choices, our futures & even our beliefs. No doubt those questions stem from the fear that surrounds us. However, there is always a force stronger than that fear...quite simply...it is love. This gentle force binds us in ways that cannot be broken. It fills us with a light that cannot be diminished. Love is as important to us as air, water & food. Without it, none of us can survive. I have learned in recent years that love is often a choice. Yes, I know "falling in love" is seen as involuntary & spontaneous. I believe that can be true. However, the kind of love that propels us to ignore the fear, nourishes our souls, forgives all hurts and strengthens us in times of doubt...I believe that kind of love is a choice.

Most parents would agree that nothing inspires us to love like a child. Their vulnerability affects us in untold ways & sparks a measure of selflessness previously unknown. Their joy is infectious & their ability to unconditionally love reminds us of how we should all care for one another. A family I photographed this week gave me an incredible gift by allowing me to take their portraits. Their beautiful children giggled, danced, ran and hugged their way through our session. Watching their sweet faces through my lens, reminded me of how I felt when each of our children came home to us. The love & joy in their parents' eyes reaffirmed for me that it is always right to choose love. Fear & doubt will always be a part of life, but when we choose to turn away from that darkness & towards the light, the rewards are priceless.

Nate & Sara, thank you for the fun afternoon. Your family is awesome! I hope you enjoy the sneak peek...honestly, there were so many great images, I had trouble choosing just a few!

Please can we go to the Park??

Okay, if you want to get great traditional portraits of your kids here is some advice: Don't take them to a very cool playground park! BUT, if you want to get incredibly amazing portraits of your kids that show how awesomely fun they are & to remind you in years to come the joy you felt watching them be just be themselves...absolutely go to the park!! This was such a fun photo shoot and I am so glad that their mom called and asked me to photograph these three beautiful children. Here is a little sneak peek for their parents: