wading

I loved this shot the minute I captured it. I loved that Audrey and Carson's mom & dad let them wade into the pond at the very end of the session, getting completely wet in the process. (Sometimes the wet/messy images are the BEST!) And I love that this image now has a place on the wall of their new home... I hope it is enjoyed for many years to come as a reminder of the simple joys of childhood:-)

foster at pullen park

Five-year old boys aren't always what I'd consider the easiest subjects, but THIS five year old boy was a true delight. Not only did he do everything I asked him to do, but he did it with a smile. I left the session just knowing I'd have a terrible time narrowing down which ones to show to his mom and dad, and I was right.

We ended up with so many fun shots... jumping, climbing trees, and hopping from park bench to park bench. Foster, thanks for a great session!

his very favorite part of the session...

... was when he got to shoot me with his "gun."

Noah, age 2. 100% boy. 100% cute.

rain, rain go away

I hadn't been at Felicity and Cameron's house for more than 15 minutes when the storm rolled in. Unfortunately, this late afternoon summer storm was in no hurry to leave, so we are going to try this again next week.

Felicity was so cute in her rain gear, but high-tailed back inside it at the first sound of thunder (smart girl!) And I love how little Cameron looks in the big doorway, waiting for the rain to let up...






I just KNEW I'd have fun with this family when we started out the session in jammies....

uncle peter's pianos

Getting to test out Uncle Peter's pianos was just one of the many adventures on our cross-country summer road trip. Peter is a professor of piano at Oberlin College, and the boys enjoyed making their own special kind of music in his studio. (I'm quite sure I don't have any future piano prodigies in my bunch:-)

I'm back from vacation and will be spending the better part of this week responding to voicemails and emails. If you're waiting to hear from me - you will be soon! (Boy, those emails add up quickly!)

perfect and new

I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this little guy. His mom and I met our freshman year at Carolina, back in the days where we lived off Diet Coke, bagels, ramen noodles, and Skittles. Ahhh... those were the days!

This little bundle of cuteness made his entrance into the world yesterday. He doesn't have a name quite yet, but the word on the street is that his mom and dad are getting closer to a decision. He is as cute as a button, with the tiniest little smidge of ultra-fuzzy light blonde hair.

Congratulations, Molly and Grant!

(edited to add: His name is Holden. I love it!)

ohhhh, mr. squirrel!

It was the end of our session, and little Anna was giving Mr. Squirrel a run for his money. She chased him up a tree, and didn't realize that he was hiding on the other side, frozen in the hopes that she wouldn't notice him.

I was taking a few pictures of her mom and dad when I turned around to snap this. Definitely one of my recent favorites.... that totally unexpected capture that was the perfect ending to the session.

stretch, yawn, sleep

All in a day's work for a 12-day old. This is Ward, and I wanted to take him home with me.

Here he is... stretching, yawning, and sleeping. Sounds like my idea of the perfect day.

parker and otis

Though the vast majority of my subjects are of the human sort, who could resist a subject like this? This is Otis, part of the namesake of the brand new parker and otis on Duke Street in the old Fowler's location in Durham. (We had a mini-session the other day to get a shot of Otis for the wall.) I had the pleasure of eating there for lunch today on their very first day in business, and YUM!

Their candy selection is to die for, and the sandwiches and baked goods are delish. (I'm in serious trouble that this place is within walking distance of my studio.) They also have coffee, tea, and wine and grocery sections.

So go check it out... you'll be glad you did!

beautiful baby brooke

The title just about sums it all up. Brooke was one of the tiniest, most adorable and CALM wide awake newborns I've ever had the pleasure of working with. (And, she had a super cute, nursery, too!)

Here she is at about two weeks old. In the second picture, she is cuddled up in the blanket that her grandmother made for her.

Welcome to the world, little Brooke!

lovely

Bridal sessions are a fun change of pace for me. Although photographing kids is my true passion, I just can't say no to the occasional bride who is looking for something a little less traditional.

Lee drove from a few hours away and met me at this gorgeous church. She caused quite a stir and probably no less than fifty passers-by commented on how beautiful both she and her dress were.

Congratulations, Lee!

weeeeeeeeeee!!!

This is Will, age 13 months. He started walking, oh, about a year ago (okay, maybe not quite THAT long, but the kid was a seriously early walker) and I've known his mom since back when I was only the mother of one.

As is the case with most one-year olds, he wasn't too keen on sitting and smiling at the camera, so we played. A lot. He has this fantastic grin that would light up a thousand rooms, and the cutest little dimples you've ever seen. Such a nice way to spend a Sunday morning!

carter at 11 months

Carter's mom specifically requested to see a sneak peek of her littlest man on my blog. Isn't he adorable? I just want to smooch those cheeks!

(And if you would like to see YOUR child's picture on my blog, just let me know! )

BATMAN!

One of the things I love best about being an all on-location photographer is the fact that I get to see who kids REALLY are. I LOVED the fact that this little guy decided to change into his Batman costume and invite me into his all-Batman room at the end of the session.

This is exactly who he is at five, and I think it is pretty darn cool that I get to capture that.

downtown

Each year on Mother's Day, I take the day off to photograph my own boys. They are usually grumpy at the thought of their mom having her camera pointed at them YET AGAIN, but I give them no choice:-) This year, my 8 year old was outraged (and I do mean outraged) because I asked him to wear flip-flops for the pictures instead of his worn out sneakers. It made for the *perfect* start to picture day.

We explored downtown Durham, which is full of fantastic places to photograph, and nearly deserted on Sunday afternoons. I wanted to share these shots to show another cool location possiblity for portraits. My guys particularly enjoyed being in "jail" (first image.) We found cool alleys, great brick walls, and fun doorways.... the perfect urban backdrop.

And I hope all you moms had a wonderful Mother's Day full of homemade cards, breakfast in bed, and a few extra hugs and kisses from your (possibly grumpy) kids:-)

all grown up

This is Baje. The first time I photographed her, she was only three. Now she's all grown up... a sweet, beautiful first grader. She thought this pose up all on her own... she'd climbed a tree in her dress. You just HAVE to love a kid like that.

baby love

I actually said "awwww" as I opened this picture. To me, it sums up everything good and wonderful about having a new baby to love. This is 3-week old baby Nicholas and his mommy. Such a sweet pair, they are.

cheeky

This is Keaton, and he had the most ample little newborn cheeks. I've had the pleasure of photographing so many adorable kids in the last few months... I love my job!

My calendar is full for the remainder of April and much of May & June. If you're considering a spring session, please contact me soon so I can get you on the calendar.

don't feel like framing?

I wanted to share a product that I absolutely LOVE - gallery wrapped canvases. These pieces of wall art are the perfect way to display your photos without having to worry about framing. Your photo on canvas comes wrapped around the stretcher frame, and because the hanging hardware is already attached, you can have it up on your wall in minutes!

Gallery wrapped canvases come in sizes 16x20 and larger, and start at $350. (Sizes shown here: 30x30, and 16x24)

the difference a year makes

From tiny baby to toddler, I just love watching little people grow!

I first photographed Kailey when she was brand new and still all curled up. Then at 6 months I spent a few hours with her again... she was just barely sitting up at the time, so I would snap the shots while her mom was just arm's length away. Last month I met Kailey and her parents again... she's walking now. Oh, they grow so fast.

I love to see the transformation in pictures. And Kailey, thanks for letting me capture your first year!