Children had to be so resilient in 2021. From spending extra time in their homes with just family, missing out on being with distant family members and not being together with friends, all of these children had to manage the stress of a pandemic. Some of these kids had to alter their senior year of high school, and most had to have school lessons on zoom. So let’s celebrate the faces of these precious creatures! Here are the BEST of 2021.
Family was EVERYTHING this year! So many people were gathering after not having been able to do it in 2020, and they wanted to document it in a photograph. LUCKY ME! I got to reconnect with people I have photographed before, or people I hadn’t seen in over a year. And I met lots of new people. I heard a lot of stories about a very challenging year, and some people had some real health scares. I am so thankful for everyone who I got to work with this year. Here is a peek into the family interactions that I had this year.
"LOVE is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning." - Paulo Coelho
Today we celebrate LOVE, so what better day than to show off the love of the couples that I photographed in 2020. A big shout out to Katie and Barry who celebrated their engagement this year and ended up becoming husband and wife, too, in a small ceremony while putting off their big celebration until 2021. I just love sneaking in a few shots of a couple during a family shoot, remembering that the core of the family is so important. I have been known to hold a baby AND take photographs at the same time. Of course, I love shots of grammas and grandpas, too, since I fall into that category!! There is no age limit to love! Some of my couples had babies this year or were waiting on a new little one to love. Certainly a lot to celebrate! 2020 was a year of challenges for all, so to see all the LOVE, it was certainly something to cherish. Of course, all the kids are part of the family love, too, so if you didn’t see the BEST of FAMILY blog, scroll on down to see that!
2020 was a year that none of us will ever forget. Family time became something that may have looked different for so many. We were thrust into close proximity with some family members and then kept so far apart from others. Some families have suffered with illness and some loved ones we have lost forever. 2020 will forever change us as the year that will make us never take anything for granted. With that being said, I am extremely GRATEFUL for these wonderful families who had me document their connection, their joy, and love. Meeting with these families was TRULY the bright spot of my 2020 and kept me lifted up in one incredible year!
The teenage years are full of so many things . . . family, friends, sports, after school activities, a social life, drama, good times & bad, emotions, and so many memories. To be able to spend some moments with teens is truly a highlight to being a photographer. I really enjoy them! So during this time of being quarantined, I can just imagine how hard this is on teens. They are missing so much. But hang in their kids . . . this too shall pass . . . and you will be a stronger person, you will appreciate more, love more, and you will have learned something big. The adults in your life are here for you.
It’s FAMILY TIME . . . perfect day to share the best of my time spent with families this past year. I have known some of these families for a long time (one is even my daughter’s family!) Some I met just that very day of the photo shoot. Regardless, being a part of the family for these special moments is just so precious to me. Seeing the interactions, laughter, tender moments, and LOVE that these families share is the biggest PERK of my job. Young and old, and the in between, just shows us how important those family ties really are and certainly let’s us know what our priorities should be. FAMILY FIRST!
So give me all the babies and children, and I am one HAPPY photographer! This makes sense because way back, I majored in Early Childhood Education, and then I was a teacher for twenty years. Kids just make me smile with everything that they do. Let’s face it, they are just CUTE! Children just do their thing, and I just click away. And then there are newborns . . . just so new, so precious, and loved so much by their families. And don’t they have that sweet baby smell? Just such a miracle that I get to witness. The children and babies are just the biggest perk to this wonderful job of mine!! Enjoy the BEST of 2019 CHILDREN.
Let’s congratulate Liz and Tanner, and Danelle and Pete, and Mackenzie and Drew on their engagements. Three beautiful couples who I had the honor (and the fun) of photographing in 2019. A future full of love and happiness ahead for all of them. Since it’s Valentines Day, let’s also celebrate the other lovely couples that I photographed. Some of these pairs have been together for a short time . . . some have been through many years, hand in hand. Some are about to have a child . . . some are raising children . . . some are empty nesters, and some are enjoying the gift of grandchildren. I love when I do a family session, and we take a moment to concentrate on the couple that started this beautiful family, or the moment that I photograph the grandparents that sit at the top of this extended family tree, it reminds me why this family is here in the first place. For me, taking a moment to photograph a twosome, who are clearly in LOVE, is just so special. Today I spread the love to all of you!
I am celebrating four Stephen Decatur students as they approach the last weeks of their senior year. These are some talented, smart kids who will be making their mark on the world in years to come! So thankful that I got a chance to photograph them! Congrats to Sofia, Tara, George, and Hayden. Your future is so bright!!
Today we celebrate LOVE. It is the perfect day to share the love of some very special couples. From the newly engaged love to the love that has endured time . . . young love and aged love. These couples were so kind to let my camera catch just a glimpse of the glorious thing called LOVE!
And here they are . . . the bigger kids, the ones who are starting to fly, growing up before our eyes, and becoming who they are meant to be. What a joy it is for me to photographs these wonderful kids and teens!
To me, family is FIRST. Family is the absolute most important thing in my life, and I know how important it is to have photographs of these most special people. So take a peek of the best FAMILY shots of 2018. Some were small families of three and some had the whole crew of extended family. And for me, it is always loads of fun on a family photo shoot!
Doing the BEST OF blogs is such a joy, because it gives me a chance to reminisce about all the wonderful families and people I had a chance to photograph in that year. I am so THANKFUL to have time with these people AND to do something I love - taking photographs! I am starting with the LITTLES, because well . . . they are the cutest little faces, most loving little souls, and just bring so much happiness to me and their families. So look at these beautiful little people, and I dare you not to smile!!
Christmas cards have been sent, Christmas is over, and the new year has begun. So now I want to share some photographs that represent some wonderful families that allowed me to share in their family joy. What a lucky person I am to get to know these families, and I am so thankful to them for contacting me to document their beautiful families. Some photographs are posed and some are not. So here is just a small sample of the family love that I shared this fall.
Three adorable teenagers plus two loving parents . . . and a walk at historic Furnace Town = one SPECIAL photo session. Thanks so much to Lora and Andy for sharing your wonderful family, filled with humor and love. Their oldest is in his senior year, so we got to do some senior photos, too. Also it brought back wonderful memories of my teaching days (I taught a couple of the kids) and going on field trips to the beautiful Furnace Town. Such a PERFECT family!
Put these three precious girls in white dresses and take them to the beach! And then add my favorite pink chair and here are the results!! The Michalski family is so special AND so much FUN! This family truly loves the beach and each other, and it shows! And thanks to Jeremy for lugging the pink chair out to the beach.
What a wonderful family! Grandparents, siblings, cousins - all together for some bonding and celebrating (a 50th birthday for one member!!) The Knight/ Campbell crew was just a delight to photograph, even if it was one of the hottest evenings of the summer. I just loved witnessing all the family nuances with this special group. Thanks for letting me be a part of it.
Meet baby boy Miles! He has the sweetest little head of brown hair and the longest legs EVER! And two loving parents who are just in AWE of this new addition to their family. With a mom who is a kindergarten teacher, you know Miles is in caring, patient hands. He even has a dog that is VERY interested in figuring out all about this new creature in their household. MILES IS LOVED SO MUCH ALREADY!
Tommy must know that he is one special little guy, AND he has the coolest mom around. She let him do a BEACH cake smash to celebrate his first birthday. Brother Gus joined in, and we all had some fun until a wave came up and knocked over the cake!! Lesson learned about where to put the beach blanket. Early morning Ocean City beach sessions have certainly become a favorite of mine, especially when I get to play with a couple of cutie pies! Happy birthday, Tommy!
Spending time with your sisters is always precious, and when you do it at the BEACH, that makes the time even more special. Megan, Erin, & Casey, three beautiful sisters, met me in Ocean City one morning with their families. Since each family lives in a different state, they made sure they captured the moments through photos! Lots of cousins = lots of FUN!
