Baby Gabrielle | Newborn

This little one is going to be an Ohio State Buckeye when she grows up. Her parents, who both attended and met at Ohio State, remind me so much of Nathan and I, who both attended and met at Miami University. We're both passionate about our schools! I think Karla and Cedric have us beat though. Not only do they have OSU paraphernalia displayed throughout Baby Gabrielle's room, but her middle name, Scarlett, is an homage to the school's famous scarlet and gray. That is impressive, my friends.

Baby Gabrielle is so tiny, and at two weeks old she is already so inquisitive. She fought sleep to stay awake for the session and her eyes followed me and her lovely parents the whole time. She's a smart one! :) Enjoy these photos of Gabrielle Scarlett's first little bit of life.

It's a baby fist pump!

That's my absolute favorite up there. So sweet and innocent.

Karla and Cedric didn't find out the baby's gender ahead of time. I think they did an awesome job on the nursery. It's so unique and would have been a great fit for a boy or girl!

Baby yawns are the best. By the end of the session she couldn't stay awake anymore and had to take a little nap. :)

To see more from Baby Gabrielle's sweet and serene session, click here to view a SLIDESHOW or watch it here:

Baby Lane | 9 Months

You all know Baby Lane by now. This was my fourth time photographing him and I really think he looks more like a little boy than a baby at his 9-month mark. A super cute little boy, for sure. Maybe it was the spiked hair. :D

Kirsten and Mike, as always, thank you for welcoming me into your home to capture Baby Lane in his element. You two are awesome parents!

He's just so happy!

This picture mirrors the first picture from his 3-month session. He looks so much older!

Love this one with dad ...

He and his dog are still best friends. :)

To see more from Baby Lane's 9-month session, click here to view a SLIDESHOW or watch it here:

Baby Vincent | Newborn

This little guy has technically been on the blog before ... remember this session? He was in his mama's belly then! :)

I was so honored when Lindsay asked me to do Baby Vincent's newborn photos. I know how important it is for their family to stay connected while Ben is away serving our country, and I hope I accurately captured their baby and family life. This little guy is only five days old here and slept right through his brother and sister playing on the bed while I took photos!

Enjoy this glimpse into his first few days of life ...

SO sweet!

Those two up there just melt my heart. :)

To see more from Baby Vincent's sweet session, click here to view a SLIDESHOW or watch it here:

The Best of 2012: Portraits

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: