Feeling the Love

My last mini-session of 2013 was the perfect ending to a great season!
4 Kids + Lots of Energy + 2 Loving Parents = Crazy Good Fun
Thank you everyone for an awesome year!

The winner of the 2013 Food Drive Drawing is.....

Many, many thanks to the participants of this year's Food Drive to benefit the Lowcountry Food Bank! 

The random drawing for the FREE photo session (powered by the Random.org) turned up participant #8, which was.... drumroll please....

the McManus Family! 

Congratulations!

For those of you who are still interested in contributing items to this awesome organization, please use the "Virtual Food Drive" link below. Thanks for making a difference for these families!

http://www.lowcountryfoodbank.org/virtualfooddrive.asp

Sometimes, children make the best teachers

Meet Conor.  

He's a handsome and active, 8-year old boy who loves sports, surfing, and - like any boy his age - provoking his older sister.  I had the opportunity to get to know Conor and his family at a photo shoot on Folly Beach, one of their favorite family hangouts. 

What you don't see, at first glance, is that Conor has been fighting neurofibromatosis and endured multiple surgeries to combat this condition for most of his life. What you do get at first glance is a boy that is full of life, love and positive energy.  

Whether or not he realized it, I left that session "schooled."  Conor and his family taught me a huge lesson in such a short time.  

Live in the present moment. 

Be present.

Enjoy your family and the people around you. 

Be grateful. Be happy. 

More importantly, be happy to be YOU. 

There is no one else in the world like you.

Conor's condition has required multiple surgeries, including the removal of his right eye.  He has yet another surgery coming up at the end of this month. Please read more about Conor's story on his YouCaring website and give to his medical fund if you are able. 

The Belly Project | Week 25

In attempt to capture my growing belly have been thwarted by several forces - one of which is packing  for an upcoming move to a bigger house. 

Kind of a bittersweet goodbye to this house of 8 years (amazing how much STUFF you accumulate over time).  So many memories were made here: from hosting dinner parties, to pacing up and down the hardwoods with a newborn over the shoulder, to reading goodnight stories in the nursery rocking chair, to toddlers jumping on our bed, laughing hysterically.

As the packed boxes pile up and framed photographs are taken down, this place is starting to feel weird and uncomfortable for all of us (even the dog).

Instead of waiting for the chaos of moving to subside, I decided to use a few tools to set up some shots on our porch and in a rare vacant corner of our living room.  A camera, a tripod, a remote shutter release... and someone to push the shutter release. So, I entrusted this task to my eager snap-happy children.

All of these images were taken by either my 3-year-old or my 6-year-old.

It went something like this:

CLICK...
"Logan, that's enough for now"
CLICK...
"Okay, time to give Avery a turn"
CLICK, CLICK, CLICK...

I will cherish these.  Someday,  their younger sibling will too.

Welcome to the world, little one!

A brand new, sweet, cuddly and downright adorable baby girl was born this week.  She reminds me so much of her big sister (who I also have had the privilege of photographing since her birth).  She definitely has her own unique personality and was a dream to work with!

Congratulations {D} family!

In-home, Lifestyle Newborn Photography, Charleston, South Carolina

Oh, Baby!

This week, I finally had a chance to catch up on editing from this summer's Bump Meet Baby newborn workshops. Now that I've seen so many newborns from interning with Tamara Hart, it's amazing to step back and watch her teach other photographers the craft of newborn photography. There are lots of photography workshops out there, but the quality, the small class size and the hands on experience that Tamara's bring to the table is unmatched.  Each student gets to pose and photograph her own newborn "model."

Here are some shots I was able to grab from this July's workshop:

Working with my new 100mm Macro lens (okay, new to me... thanks to Clay Austin of Clay Austin Photography for parting with it... I will take good care of it!)

I love this little guy's expressions! Priceless....

And a "behind the scenes" view. Tamara with workshop attendees, Janice Jones (of Janice Jones Photography and fellow Carolina Gamecock fan) and Suri Moonsinghe (of Honeydew Photography). 

More newborn photos from August's workshop coming soon!

Summer's End

I adore this family. (Not just because they are simply adorable). I have known them for quite a while and it has been an honor to watch their bright blue-eyed little boy grow!

One of my favorite things about photographing a family (whether I've known them forever, or just a short time) is seeing their personalities come alive and capturing their interactions - both with the environment around them and each other. 

The best moments are real moments. This is my passion. I am honored and humbled to be a part of this everyday.