Summer Vacay {Harrisonburg Children's Photographer}

What a great vacation week! I lived in Vermont for half my childhood and always treasure an opportunity to go back. This year I was able to travel with my family to one of my favorite places and spend 10 fun days with some of my favorite people! As always, I had my camera in tow and, as always, found myself snapping photos of all the kids. Here's is a glimpse of the fun we had all week...fishing, frog catching, swimming, performing, marching, reading, and eating smores :-)

Beautiful | Child Photographer Harrisonburg Virginia

I happen to be someone who truly thinks all children are beautiful. There is a unique light that shines in each of them and it is so fun to catch little glimpses of the individuals they will grow to be. That being said, there are some children that are breaktakingly beautiful. Yes, I made up that word. It simply fit this little guy. My friend, Lisa, brought her son to see me this week and my first thought was how beautiful this child is...his face and especially his eyes are so expressive! While everyone likes images where little ones are smiling, I love that we captured so many different expressions from such a little fella! We definitely have a few smiling photos, but some of the others just crack me up! Lisa, thanks for visiting me and letting me take these portraits. It was so fun and I hope we can get together and let our boys play sometime soon. Enjoy your sneak peek!

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!

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!

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!

Dream girl

Last week was little boys, this week I photographed some sweet little girls. Don't you just love the pose in the photo above? Dream was just that...a dream model! She is a beautiful little girl with an awesome smile. We had fun playing with the flowers & the pink chair. I loved all the questions she asked and that she wasn't afraid to tell me what she thought about those bright lights...we worked together to figure out a way that we could use the lights without them bothering her eyes ;-) Dream brought her mom, dad and baby sister along so we were able to get portraits of everyone!


Baby Skyler was so alert that we actually only snapped a few with her asleep. For only being three weeks old, she made great eye contact & was curious about everything going on around her. Mom & dad were awesome and it was a fun session. I hope you all enjoy the sneak peek!

"...and I gots fwends!"

Sometimes, I have to remind myself to take photos of my own children! Before I started Synergy Photography, they were always the focus of my photography as I tried to improve my skills. Now, I don't have as much time and, to be honest, I think they are somewhat relieved! I wanted to share a few images I did take a few weeks ago of two cute boys!

My youngest son, Ched (above), started preschool this fall. With that big step, he discovered the magical world of friendship. Whenever anyone asks him if he likes school, his eyes light up & he usually says, "YES...and I gots fwends!" Now that Ched has opened this special door, he tends to see potential "fwends" wherever we go. It is so fun to watch him get excited when he sees that there is another little boy to play with! He isn't quite enlightened enough yet to think little girls are good playmates...I'm sure that will come in time with coaching from his older sisters and over the objections of his older brothers ;-)

These photos are from an evening soccer practice where Ched was thrilled to play with his new friend, "Jwakey", otherwise known to his parents as Jacob. They were so funny together and had alot of fun running around while I trailed behind with my camera. I like using black & white processing when there is alot of contrast in my subjects or depth of field. I also like using it with children as it sometimes shows their features more clearly. With the obvious contrast in looks between these two "fwends", it seemed like a good fit.

Jacob's little sister wasn't too sure about those crazy boys and was content to just sit & observe. Is she cute with those little pony tails or what??!!