{HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!} | Gwinnett County Portrait Photographer

 

I hope your day is full of treats (and just a few tricks)!

AND...be sure to post a photo of your little goblins and ghouls to our Facebook Page

for a chance to win a FREE SESSION!

Ends November 4th

 

 

 



{The Fading Summer Days} | Gwinnett County Portrait Photographer

I know it is Fall, but here in Georgia, summer lasts pretty much until the middle of October. Our nights may get chilly, but our days are sunshiny and warm! I am trying to take more and more candid shots of my boys on random days so last night, I grabbed my camera, and snuck in a few as the sun was setting. I cannot say enough how much I ADORE this light! It will be gone soon, so I am taking it in as much as humanly possible!

 

 

 



{The Hardest Job in the World} | Gwinnett County Portrait Photographer

It is a bit cliche, but being a mom is the toughest, yet most rewarding job in the world. The long hours, the demanding boss(es), the responsibilities... oh, and it's all unpaid. But at night, when the house is quiet and you've just finished your third first glass of wine, you can't help but sneak into those messy rooms, over the piles of Legos and Barbie shoes, and simply watch them sleep, knowing that you have the BEST job in the world!

Happy Mother's Day to those brave souls who believed others when they said,

"It's not THAT hard!".

And thank you Lord for these two little hams that make my life interesting!



{My Little Sweethearts}

I have been seeing so many adorable Valentine's Day shoots lately, mostly with sweet little ladies modeling gorgeous red and pink duds. I really wanted to do something with my kiddos and thought it would be a perfect time to experiment yet again! I didn't want to do anything too cliche, but knew it had to read "Valentines". I kept my props simple and just let the boys do what they do best- goof off!

{The Beauty of Boys} | Gwinnett County Portrait Photographer

So, I thought I hit "post" on this entry a LOOOONG time ago, but apparently not. So, like any good blogger, I'm going ahead and sharing it anyway, even if it is a month and half late!

I wanted a shot of my boys for our annual Christmas card. That was all. But being a photographer and all, it's never that simple. I picked out the perfect outfits for the look I wanted. Got all of my props in order and even found a cute little spot to shoot (a random field right behind a strip mall). I figured that after all this time and effort planning, I might as well shoot just a few more. But boys will be boys. It was chilly. Little'un was annoying Big'un. There were ant hills. There were very large sticks. But my boys are troopers. We actually got a few keepers (amongst a sea of cheesy smiles and eye rolls) and a few "precious" moments!

It just goes to show that kids run the show. And sometimes, that's ok with me!

Sometimes, the key is just letting them play for a few shots.

And just so you know that I'm telling the truth, here are a few, ahem, candid moments

And remember- kids smell fear. But if all else fails, embrace your childrens' "quirkiness"! You'll appreciate it come high school graduation time!

{Merry Christmas to All!}



{Project Christmas} Cooooookies!!

I think mine (and my kiddos') favorite holiday tradition is baking and decorating cookies! Every year, we break out the Christmas cookie cutters, flour, rolling pin, sprinkles, and icing and make a huge mess in our kitchen! They have a blast and it's the only time you'll see a mess in my kitchen AND a smile on my face!

(Please excuse the muddy photos- it has been raining non stop here for the last three days, so the kitchen was dark and a bit dreary)



{Project Christmas} Handmade Ornaments

I found this recipe online and thought it would be perfect for both my 4 year old and my 8 year old. It's called salt dough and it could not be easier to make!

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup warm water

Mix together in a large bowl, then roll out as if you were going to make cutout cookies. I used a few of our Christmas cookie cutters and made a couple shapes that the boys could choose from. I poked a hole in the top of each with a chopstick for the ribbon to hang. They took about 3 days to completely dry out and harden.

After they were nice and dry, the boys used acrylic paint and glitter and went to town!

The final products hanging on our tree! I put their name and the year on the back with a Sharpie.

Super easy and the boys had a blast making their own personal ornament!



{My Home} Beginnings of a Boys Gallery

Ok, so I am always telling my clients how to display their portraits that I thought you might want a glimpse into how I decorate with images in my own home.

Let's begin with the boys.

After almost 6 years in our house, I have decorated (ok, painted) every room in my house except 2- the laundry room, and my kids' room. So it was time to finally give their room a bit of personality, and Labor Day weekend, we tackled a few overdue projects. First, with the help of my 8 year old, I painted the room a pale blue-gray. Then my oh-so-handy hubby cut and hung a few shelves for their ever growing "stuff" collection. Looking at the vast blank wallspace between the two top shelves, I immediately envisioned a big old print of the two kiddos there. So, again with the neverending help of my 8 year old, we chose the perfect photo- one from our beach trip this past summer.

I chose to do a mounted 16x20 and set it in a glassless frame which was just collecting dust in my office. After a coat of blue paint, voila! The very first art piece for the boys!

Stay tuned for more of my "gallery style" (if I ever finish any of them!)

And for more ideas for your home- check out some Wall Inspiration!

{Treats with My Boys}

Many of my clients have been raving about a local bakery and sandwich shop in my area, so when I checked out their Facebook page, I was happy to see another small business involved in their community. I decided that since I actually had a weekend off, I would go have a taste of Parkside Bakery for myself! So the boys and I headed out for an after-lunch dessert, and we were not disappointed! Nolan chose a Spongebob cupcake and Reilly, a chocolate one of course!  

I'm not sure what they liked better- the cupcakes or the fact that they could DRAW on the tables! We had stars, dinosaurs, snakes, and one looooong lizard!

I must admit, that while the boys were busy drawing, I snagged a few bites of each of their cupcakes! They were delish! We will be back very soon!



{Beach Bums} | Gwinnett County Photographer

If you're like me, you look forward to an annual beach trip every summer. I love creating these memories for my children and try to capture them at every visit. Since I shoot portraits for a living, I sometimes find it difficult to be creative while trying to relax and forget about work for a week. I decided a few years ago that I wouldn't focus on getting posed photographs of my boys, but rather document them as they play and interact with the sand and surf. I am less stressed about getting "the shot" and they get to enjoy their time too instead of always posing for Mommy! Next time you and your family get away, I suggest trying to capture them as they are- you will enjoy your R&R a lot more! 



{Fun With Backlighting} My Boys

This session is long overdue, but this Spring has been a whirlwind of activities! Between my birthday, Easter, festival planning, a wedding, and First Communion, and random thundershowers, there was very little time for me to take my babies out for their spring pictures. I started brainstorming what I wanted during the dreary winter months while doing my daily blog surfing. I was inspired by a few "sunset sessions" and knew I wanted to try some backlighting techniques. So finally, I packed up the boys and a few props, and off we went to a random field near my parent's house. The grass was super high and I was afraid they might object, but to my delight, their eyes lit up as they began scouring the land for bugs and sticks. They did, however, refuse my request to go barefoot. I had pictured bare toes running through the field, but alas, I settled for stocking feet instead- and happy kiddos! 

Little guy is on an apple kick right now, so I thought what better way to keep him happy with a prop!