Our Family Beach Session | South Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Children, Families, Personal

Every year, we travel to St. Augustine, Florida for some time at my grandmother’s beach house. This house is near and dear to me, as it’s been in my mom’s family since she was in college. We grew up making memories there, my husband and I held our rehearsal dinner there, and now we visit every year with our little family. It’s been such a joy to share this special place with family and friends for so many years, and now with our little girl!

For the first time ever, I scheduled family photos to take place during our vacation. We had our photographer, Megan of Upon Waves, come right to the beach house, because that’s the most special place to us. It started out as a bright and sunny afternoon, but the sky turned dark with rain clouds as we approached sunset, and we got the most beautiful images in return. She let us just be ourselves, so with an almost 3yr old, that meant running, playing, splashing, and collecting sea shells. Leighton is not exactly a “sit and smile” kind of girl, and as a photographer, I should have been ok with that from the beginning (meaning since she was about a year old and able to move), because I really do love the more candid, authentic images anyway. Learning to accept that has helped me to be so much happier and in the moment during our personal photo sessions, and it’s also helped me with relaying that sentiment to my clients. I know that as parents, we all tend to want the “Christmas card shot” where everyone is smiling at the camera, and I do always aim to get that for my clients. But the rest of the images I want to capture… they’re shots like these below that speak to my mama heart and help me remember exactly what my baby girl and our family were like in this way-too-short phase of life.

In addition to our family photos, I requested that we get some anniversary photos of just the two of us. It couldn’t have been more fitting, as we got married just down the beach from this house 9 years ago, almost to the day of our session. We may have felt a little silly in the midst of shooting these, but I love that we trusted her and just went with it. I am absolutely in love with the collection of images that Megan gave us, and as I told her, I wish I could wallpaper our house with them. These photos will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope you enjoy them. There’s a pretty cool story behind the house, too — you can also read the full blog post from Megan here!

Baby Evie | Atlanta Newborn Photographer

Children, Families

Evie was born this spring with a full head of brown hair and the prettiest little lashes. If her session had to have a theme, it would have been “you are loved,” just as her blanket says. She was so happy and content, and it’s pretty obvious that she’s the apple of her mommy and daddy’s eye. Her mom had some really adorable swaddle blankets to wrap her up in, and I always like using a family’s favorite items to add a more personal touch to portraits. I could not get over how cute their two puppies were with her… one was all about being close to baby sister, and the other just wanted the spotlight. 🙂 Enjoy these sweet highlights.

Mommy + Me Mini with Nicole | Atlanta Family Photographer

Children, Families

This gorgeous mama was one of the recipients of a complimentary Mommy + Me Mini Session I gave away in the spring. She was nominated by countless friends who had nothing but the kindest things to say about her, and upon meeting Nicole for the first time, I immediately agreed with them. She has the prettiest, most genuine smile, and her little guy could not have been more squishy and adorable. I mean, who doesn’t love a baby in suspenders? Nicole told me that these were the first professional photos taken of her and Caden, and I am absolutely honored to be able to gift these to her. Time passes quickly, and our children are only little for a little while.

Jack is One | Atlanta Family Photographer

Children, Families

My oh my, Jack is one. I was there the day he was born, and I’ve had the absolute joy of snuggling him and watching him grow during his first year of life. He’s the one who made me an Aunt, and I’m forever thankful that it was he who did so. I can’t get enough of those big baby blues and that blonde hairdo (that is totally natural, by the way). He’s just starting to walk, and it’s so cool to see him finally able to play with and chase his cousin, our daughter Leighton. I can only hope that they grow up with the kinds of wonderful memories that I have with my cousins, and with as much as we’re able to see them, I have no doubt they will. Photographing my little brother with his family and the love they encompass is nothing short of magical for me, and these are some of my most favorite images of them to date. We had the pleasure of shooting them at a most special location, Lauren’s parents’ home. Her dad is a landscaping expert (and an incredible self-taught artist), and their gardens are picturesque. I hope you enjoy them!

This Wild Thing is One | Atlanta Family Photographer

Children, Families

Photographing friends and their growing families is one of my favorite things to do. Marshall turned one in March and they celebrated with the cutest little “Where the Wild Things Are” party at the park. We had to wait for some warmer weather to finally shoot his one year photos, and we ended up having the nicest morning for our session. We finished up with a cake smash, and big sister Molly just could.not.wait to get her hands on it! 🙂 I just adore this family to pieces, and I so look forward to watching these two kiddos grow over the years. Enjoy some favorites of this darling family!