Meet Laura, Matt and Maddox. I used to coach gymnastics in Cincinnati for a team that competed against Laura's. I guess we were supposed to be mad enemies (juuuuust kidding) but we were all actually friends! I got to photograph Laura and Matt's wedding a few years ago ... and now their adorable 1-year-old! These three traveled all the way up to Cleveland from Northern Kentucky for this session. Thanks a million, guys!
This little boy could not be more loved. Kannan's family followed him around Huntington Beach for an hour, pausing to pick him up and swing him around, showing him the sand and water, kissing his (adorable) cheeks. And I got to follow them around and document all of it. This is why I love family sessions; my style is very photojournalistic and my goal is always to show what it's really like to be a kid. It's always nice to have a posed family photo, but it's also nice to remember what being 1 year old is like. So here's Kannan at 1. (And have you seen his hair??)
If I was being honest ... and I try to be on this humble, little blog ... I would tell you that I was petrified. In the fall of 2011, when I finally decided to go solo with this whole photography thing, I couldn't see farther than right in front of my face. I had just signed up to advertise on Wedding Wire and I really thought no one would contact me. I wouldn't call myself a perfectionist but I have this fear of putting myself out there before I feel 100% ready. And I didn't think I was ready. Slowly I'm learning that no one is really, truly ever ready. I realize now that sometimes you have to dive in with as much courage as you can muster and say, "Hey. This is me. Like it or leave it, but at least I'm gonna try." Lucky for me, this solo photography thing has worked out. And I couldn't be more grateful. Really. Truly.
Valerie and Alex were the first ones to contact me, just a couple days after I created a Wedding Wire account, and they gave me so much more confidence than they will ever know. From there I've been blown away by how many of you have believed in me to document your weddings, your itty-bitty newborns, your families—all the most important parts of your life. I know it's hard to give up control, I know you have pictures in your head of how you want it to look ... and I cannot say it enough: THANK YOU for choosing me.
I've been looking back at some of my favorite photos from the past year, and I want to share them all with you over the next few weeks. First up are my favorite portraits of 2012.
I've watched Baby Lane grow (newborn, 3-month and 6-month):
Amanda and Nathan (of Amanda Weis Photography) welcomed a baby boy into the world, and I got to take their maternity photos:
Travis and Zach graduated:
My second shooter, Emily, came into my life (yay!), and we practiced taking portraits with her sister, Katie, and Katie's boyfriend, Kyle.
Beautiful Baby Brenna was born:
And so was cute little Connor:
I met the Porter family:
Ashley and Justin got a puppy and I did my first-ever pet session:
My best friends Nicole and Kelby had a little boy named Owen:
The B family had portraits done before dad was deployed overseas with the Navy:
And last but not least, I got to hang out with Adrina and her family on a beautiful fall day:
