My New Nephew, Owen

After 36 long weeks of waiting (yep, I was there when my sister took the test), I finally got to meet my brand new little nephew, Owen. He was born last Thursday, weighing in at a respectable 7lbs, 13oz. I may be a little biased, but I happen to think he's quite adorable :). I was thrilled to get to try some newborn photos with him at only 3 days old and I can't wait to get ahold of him and do some more soon. I still can't believe how well he slept for me and how much he let me move him around and pose him. And as a bonus, I got to try out some new props. I'm pleased to introduce my new favorite little man, Owen. In his little hat that I made especially for him, and maybe a bit for his daddy :)

Baby Olivia

Yesterday I got to play with a lovely 9-day-old baby girl named Olivia. She was oh-so-cute with her big blue eyes and her strawberry hair. She wasn't very fond of having her photos taken while she was naked, but settled right in once she got a dress on and a bite to eat. It was nice to work with her mom and dad again too, after having done their maternity photos, and I hope that I get the chance to work with them all again soon. Until then, here's a little peek at sweet baby Olivia, her mommy, and her daddy.

Fuzzy

When Kathy asked me to take some photos of her horse, Fuzzy, I will admit that I was a bit hesitant. Any of you who follow my work know that I have never taken photos of animals. I have done bellies, babies, children, grads, families, but certainly never a horse. I decided to take on the challenge and am so glad I did. It was a totally different type of session, but I was amazed at how much horses and little kids are alike when it comes to posing for photos - it's all about bribing and shooting on the go. It was a really fun experience and I might even take on another horse shoot someday. Until then, meet Fuzzy.

Richard Family

Last night I went out to do a photo session with the Richard family. The star of the show, Ben, is only 13 months old and absolutely adorable. It was a pleasure to follow this little guy while he toddled around checking out everything around him. I loved that he didn't stop chattering to himself the whole time we were out and would love to know what kind of stories he was trying to tell. Although he didn't want to stand still for long, like any toddler would, we did manage to sneak in a few shots of him with his mommy and daddy. Here's a little peek!

My 3-year-old Ella

Well, I have to tell you, I never thought it would happen. I never thought Ella would happily go with me and have her photos taken. I have been planning her three-year-old shoot in my head for months now, but I was dreading every moment of it. I knew our experience with photos - the fighting, the bribing, the threatening, the screaming and the crying, and I was definitely not looking forward to it. Then last week I decided that it just could not be put off any longer and I had to just bite the bullet and take her out and try to get some decent photos for her. That's all I had come to expect, just decent. Just one photo in which she wouldn't be crying or screaming or making funny faces at me.

So for the two days before her shoot I started to talk to her about it. We talked about what she would wear and how much fun it would be and how beautiful she would look. She almost seemed excited about it. Then on Saturday morning she actually was excited about it. She willing let me try clothes on her and get her ready. Weird, I thought. This must just be the calm before the storm. When we arrived in the park she was still excited. She let me fix her hair, we gave her some balloons, and she was happy as a clam. And that's when the really amazing thing happened - she let me take her photos. She went where I asked her to, she posed, she let me change her clothes, she LISTENED. This child of mine actually cooperated with me. It was like a miracle! I don't think I could have been happier.

I was so thrilled that I ended up taking way too many photos, but here are some of my favorites. Yes, there are a lot. That's because I am still so proud of how well she acted for me. It gives me hope for the future and makes my heart smile. So here she is, my three-year-old (when did she get so old?) Ella. Little Miss Attitude!And we had to get a shot of our new friends, Buzz and Woody.

Marley's Last Maternity Shoot

That's right, everyone, I have even more maternity photos of my sister, Marley, and her husband, Nathan. We have been taking plenty of photos throughout her pregnancy and we decided to go out again the other night before their little man decided to make his appearance (he's due on the 28th). I also wanted a chance to try out my brand new lens, which I am in LOVE with, so it was good all around. So here are the last few shots of my first nephew while he's still in the belly. The next time you see him, I'm sure he'll look a little different :)

Melody and Jack

Early yesterday evening I headed to Waterside beach to take some photos of the adorable Jack and his mom, Melody. In true two-year-old fashion Jack was not the least bit interested in looking at my camera, or even in my direction, but I had a lot of fun following him around and trying to capture him as he explored the beach. Here's a little sneak peek for Jack and his mama.

The Melanson Family

After having to cancel two shoots with the Melanson family because of rain and poor weather, I was finally able to go out and meet them on Friday evening. I had a wonderful time taking photos of them and really enjoyed watching the two children, Olivia and Sam, explore the trains and slide down the railroad plow. Sam even asked if he could skateboard down the plow, but his parents (and I) didn't seem to think that that would be the best idea. Sam and Olivia were absolutely perfectly behaved and didn't complain once about having their photos taken, making my job super easy. Here's a little peek at a few of my favorite shots from the session so far.