8-Days New:Beautiful In-home Lifestyle Newborn Session | Jody Mack Photography | Charleston's Lifestyle Newborn & Child Photographer

Decisions, decisions. It was so hard to choose my favorite image from this gorgeous little newborn girl's session at home. Babies change SO FAST at this age. That is why it is so important to capture their "newborn-ness" during the first two weeks after their birthday.

She was just perfect at 8 Days New. And, as you can see... beauty runs in the family!

Real Excitement | My Sister's Wedding | Keepin' it Real Blog Series | Charleston Lifestyle Family & Child Photographer

This months edition of the "Keepin' it Real" Blog series was quite fitting for a family wedding. So much goes into a wedding day, no matter how small the affair.  There were three main sources of Real Excitement leading up to the wedding (okay...four, if you count the cross-country journey with 3 kids).

Three simple details of a wedding that gave all of us, especially my sister, the bride, [ulcers] a great deal of worry:

The Cake

The day before the wedding, we picked up the cake from the bakery in San Francisco, where the owner promptly told us that the cake did not include a box, because in doing so, it would smash up against the side of the box. He insisted the cake - naked and vulnerable - would be "fine" if we placed it in the TRUNK OF THE CAR...in San Francisco.
If you've been to this lovely city,  you know how spectacular the hills are. The first hill we drove down was accompanied by a shushing sound from the trunk,  followed by the dainty thud of an iced confection. We made a stop for a yoga mat and placed the love-tapped cake on top (to help increase the coefficient of friction.. using our nerd power).  The beautiful, yet imperfect, cake arrived to the rental house in Santa Rosa without any more damage. 

The Flowers 

The morning of the wedding arrived. Flowers that the bride and groom had purchased were starting to bloom in their buckets. It was time to make the bridal bouquet and arrangements. I have SEEN plenty of bridal bouquets and even photographed them, but making them is a completely different art form. My mom, two sisters, and two daughters set to work on these flowers like we knew what we were doing. We were on a mission like a bunch of worker bees, stripping leaves, trimming stems, wrapping wire and taping stems. Slowly but surely,  all of the flowers were set in place. They weren't perfect, but they were beautiful. WE DID IT.

The Rings

The rings were custom-designed by Rosestone Jewelry in San Diego. Since they were insured, the package required a signature upon delivery. So, my sister had them shipped to her office downtown. Or so she thought...
In her haste, she accidentally included her home zip code, so the package was sent back to San Diego. Yup. 
There we were, the day of the wedding with the rings in limbo. A UPS purgatory of sorts.  After few phone calls by the groom and a visit to the UPS pick up site,  the rings finally made it.  
I love the look on my sister's face as she opened the box and the look she gave him afterward. You can tell they are truly in love

It's moments like these that define family: love, trust and when-stuff-hits-the-fan-I'll-be-there-for you.

Our family has grown by one brother and one 16-year-old nephew. Welcome to the family! We love you guys!

Please check out the beautiful take on "Real Excitement" by Caroline Martin, a fabulous family lifestyle photographer serving San Diego.

Real Adventure | Keepin' it Real Blog Series | Charleston Lifestyle Family & Child Photographer

Just hearing the title of this month's edition of the "Keepin' it Real" blog series awakened my wanderlust.  Real Adventure... {deep sigh}

I would love nothing more than to take off for a week's adventure (heck, even a day's adventure) bringing nothing but my curiosity and a camera.  Unplugged.

And here we are at the mid-point of the summer, having gone as far as the library, the beach and the pool with our three children - and I realize that the adventure is what you make it.

For my youngest, it's discovering that her toes are the best toys ever invented. For my middle child, it's finding new ways of getting around in the water. For my eldest, it's dusting off old toys and inventing new ways to play with them.

For me, it's carving out time each day for the people that matter most, enjoying the adventure in our everyday lives - when the "littles" are still little and the summer world is still our oyster.




Next, check out Kami Friday Photography's Real Adventure blog. Kami is an outstanding lifestyle photographer in southern NH. Enjoy!

Jody Mack is a Charleston Lifestyle Newborn, Child & Family Photographer. "Keepin' It Real" is a blog circle of fellow Pinkle Toes Workshop alumni throughout North America where we are free to share our real moments. Please click through the links provided at the bottom of each blog post and explore!

Gorgeous Sunset Maternity Session | Charleston | Mount Pleasant | Lifestyle Maternity Photography

Take this beautiful expectant couple (who would look great in any situation), cue the impossibly gorgeous sunset, throw in a little bit of wind and the results are magic. 

We had originally planned the session for a day prior, where the skies were gray and looming with the threat of rain. Luckily, we were able to reschedule for the next day and the conditions were perfect. 

Some of the shots were made possible by the assistance of dad holding a sunlight reflector against the strong wind (not just the light that bounced back, but the smiles that bounced back). 

There is something so ethereal about maternity sessions at the beach: the marking of time of the waves on the shore, the ever changing light, the anticipation of the arrival of this little one from her own tiny ocean.  

 

A Mother's Day Present for my Future Self

This month's blog entry for the "Keepin' it Real" project is entitled, "Real Simple." So, I chose a simple project:

All the simple things I love about my girls.

Looking through these images (taken with a 100mm macro lens while they were watching TV... of course), I began to realize what these photographs really mean to me. All of the sweetness and innocence of childhood. The way my daughters are right now.

The sad thing about "right now" is that "right now" is always over when the moment ends. The only way we can keep these moments locked away in a vault is to capture them with our words and our photographs. So, I am putting these images away in a time capsule - yes I'm even PRINTING them (gasp!), along with this letter.

A Mother's Day present for my future self:

Dear Me in 2024,

Happy Mother's Day! These days you are busy running around town to various activities with your 2 teens and 1 "tween." You are guiding them through some tricky situations and some "growing up" problems. You may have already had some yelling arguments or been told that they "hate" you or you are "ruining their lives."
Keep persevering.
Guide them to make good choices.
Let them learn from their own mistakes - and not yours.
If you ever get too frustrated and feel like throwing in the towel, take a minute to enjoy the simple things.

Look at these photos. Do you remember when they were this young?

Close your eyes and go back in time. You can almost smell the chicken nuggets warming in the oven and the sour burp cloth that fell behind the couch.
Sweet baby feet on the couch (with the ever-overgrown toenails that they don't like you to cut), blonde ringlets,
plump, rosy cheeks... those eyelashes.

Keep calm and parent on. You can do this.

Love,
Me in 2014

For more "Real Simple" moments, visit the Amanda Faucett Photography blog. Amanda captures real moments for every milestone - from newborn to senior - in the greater Houston area.

The JMP Win Like a Mother 2014 Giveaway

As a tribute to my mother and all mothers out there, I am having a giveaway of epic proportions this Mother’s Day:

An all-inclusive, custom photography session and professional prints that will last for generations.

The prize includes:

• A full 1.5 hour session for up to 5 people (lifestyle newborn/child/family)

• Entire image gallery of 40 carefully edited, high-resolution images on a stylish bamboo USB drive.

• A lifetime personal-use print release

• A full set of 40 museum-quality, archival 4 x 6 prints

• An acid-free keepsake box to store the prints and the USB drive.

(a $575 value)

Enter the JMP Win Like a Mother 2014 giveaway today!

How to enter:

• Email a photo and a caption explaining why you would like to win this prize (for yourself or for someone else) to info@jodymackphotography.com. I will post your photo and caption on both the Jody Mack Photography “Win Like a Mother” Facebook Gallery and on Instagram with the hashtag #JMPwinlikeamother2014

• Voting will run from May 5 through May 11, 2014 (voting closes at noon).

• The winner will be announced on May 11, 2014 (Mother's Day).  

• Voting will take place by the number of total “likes” on the official Facebook and Instagram Galleries http://instagram.com/jodymackphotography  (Search for the hashtag: #JMPwinlikeamother2014 on Instagram).

Official Rules:

• You do not need to be a mother to win. You can nominate someone else or yourself, but please be honest about who will be receiving the session in your entry.

• Entries can include professional images, but please make sure you first have permission to use the photo and give photo credit to your photographer in the caption and/or by tagging the photo.

• Entrants are permitted to “tag” themselves and make comments on their entry photo. Comments are encouraged, but do not count as votes.

• A winner will be selected based on the number of total "likes" for their entries on both Facebook and Instagram (voting closes at noon on May 11th).

• The winner needs to redeem their prize by 9/30/14 (session scheduled prior to this date). The session must take place within a 20-mile radius of the Charleston area.

• The session may be used for a family, couple, individual portrait, maternity, lifestyle newborn, baby, child or senior session (for up to 5 individuals). The session may not be used for weddings, reunions or events.

• Your participation in this contest completely releases Facebook. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with, Facebook.

Keepin' It Real | Charleston Lifestyle Newborn, Child & Family Photographer |

What drives my creative side most is capturing real moments.  
Unscripted. 
Off the cuff. 
An amazing moment happens before me and I am fortunate enough to be there with my camera ready. Or - I stalked, like a primal huntress, holding up my heaviest telephoto lens for what seemed like an hour until the anticipated movement or gesture happened. It happened and I got it. 
Simply one of the best feelings in the world.
Sometimes I know it right away. Other times, I catch a moment serendipitously. 
Either way, real moments happen everyday - and when they are caught on camera, it is simply magic.

Today marks the first in a new monthly blog series, "Keepin' it Real." I am joining some talented lifestyle photographers from all over the US and Canada (all fellow Pinkle Toes Workshop alums) in a quest to share our favorite "real" moments from the past month. Unfortunately, I did not prepare photos of my own family for this months edition (epic mommy fail). However, this is my reality. I strive to capture more of the everyday moments with my own kids. This project will motivate me to do so on a regular basis... at least that is my hope.

Nonetheless, this month there were several moments that screamed "real" to me. So here they are -  my top 6 "real" moments of March 2014. 
I hope you enjoy!

1. Flying baby

2. Dog crashes lifestyle newborn session

3. Pre-recital hairspray (Ballet Academy of Charleston - The Rainbow Fish Ballet Performance)

4. Escaping toddler (notice the cracker dad is trying to use to bait him)

5.  Victory (a glorious moment during the rehearsal of the Listen to Your Mother Show - Charleston, coming up on May 4th).

6. The Hairstylist

For more "Keepin' It Real" moments, head on over to the blog by 
Kelly Kuntz Photography
Kelly is an awesome lifestyle family photographer in Bozeman, Montana!