Mini Me Monday

Fall is finally in the air here in Florida.

well at least we are pretending that it is!

=)

Happy 1st Birthday Addyson!!!

This session was for one of the cutest little girls I've had the pleasure of photographing. On top of it, it was for a big moment in her life...

Her first birthday!!

We started our shoot with some smash cake action and after we filled up on lots of sugar we headed over to the beach to burn some of it off playing in the sand and surf.

=)

Such a cutie, wouldn't you agree :)

Words for Wednesday

Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.

~Yoko Ono

Words for Wednesday

no famous quotes for today...

Just a simply stating that on today, 11 years earlier my husband and I shared our first kiss, starting the greatest journey I could possible travel.

I'm so lucky to have my other half as my co-pilot on this ride.

Love you

My Lobster

Mini Me Mondays

An After bath time mini session with G-money

=)

Such a trooper!!

10 Years

Ten years ago I set me alarm clock to wake me and my now husband up an hour and a half later then normal. You see we had Senior pictures this day and our appointment was in third period so we decided to skip the first two classes and meet our friend Catie for breakfast before our pictures. But instead of getting up to our alarm we woke up to a frantic mother, at first we thought that her panic was a result in our over sleeping, but then she informed us that a plane hit one of the towers of the WTC. My only reaction was "what" as we walked into the living room to watch CNN for updates, with hope that it was an accident. Then the second hit... with fear in our hearts we proceeded to finish getting ready for school and our breakfast date. We meet Catie and discussed all the possibilities for what was going on, but really we had no idea what to expect when we walked down the narrow hallway into the common area of our high school.

It was eerily silent as we headed to a classroom we had entered 100's of times before, and the only place we thought to go. Our newspaper room, we found a classroom of 30 english students glued to the news and our advisor sitting in the back clutching a tissue with tears running down her face. She asked where we were suppose to be, we looked at her confused, and after a second of exchanging glances we stated we weren't sure, but we wanted to stay with her. It felt safe there, after spending the better part of the our high school career in this room, reasoning with other teachers to let us miss their class to spend that time working on our stories and countless hours after school working on layout, most nights until we were kicked out by the last of the staff. She tearfully told us to go do our pictures and come back if we wanted she no longer had lessons planned for her remaining classes. She also informed us that we could go home, that a lot of students were leaving early.

We did as she told us and headed three doors down to do our pictures only to return 45 minutes later. We walked into an almost empty classroom, the only students present were fellow our fellow newspaper staff and our advisor. After a few minutes she pulled my friend Justine and myself aside, she informed us that we were witnessing history in the making and we needed to go capture some images of reactions and quotes because it was going to be important. Not only as real world learning experience, but moments that were going to change the world we live in.

Justine grabbed her notebook and pen and I headed to my locked cubby to grab my SLR, on loan from the school of course. As we walked down the halls of our quiet school, you could feel it in the air. We discussed how we were going to do this, we knew it was important, but we both admitted to pits in our stomachs as we turned the knob to the first classroom. Most of the teachers were welcoming, the students willing to give quotes on what they were witnessing and I was able to capture the reaction of my fellow classmates.

Later that week we were approached by our advisor again, she informed us that a reporter from the St. Petersburg Times contacted her to see if any of her staff covered the tragedy. And the reporter took quotes from Justine and a photo from me from their own story. We were touched that a big paper wanted to write a story to show the point of view from a Senior in High School. Click Here for the story (now the writer got that facts mixed up and used the wrong name in the story, and a correction was printed two days later. :( I was bummed at the time, but in the bigger picture I learned so much from the experience.)

Fast forward 10 Years...

On this day I woke up not to an alarm, but to my baby boy yelling mamamamama over the monitor. A great and very normal way to wake up in my house. The next few hours were challenging due to very sleepy children and their refusal to nap. After finally giving into the idea my daughter woke up with an apology and an admittance of crankiness. Silly little lady :)

We went through the day playing and watching cartoons until the time came for me to go to work.

I was heading to a session at Honeymoon Island. My clients were the cutest family a photographer could ask for. I love watching the interactions between a mother and father and their children, it's magical to watch.

After settling down on the couch to cuddle with my hunny and babies, I realized how different the day was 10 years earlier and how thankful I am to the people who serve our country and my thoughts go out to the people that lost their loved ones tens years ago. And how amazing it is that after ten years we, as a country still stand together and send our love to all effected by this tragic event.

Expose Yourself Project

Day 5: The Apple of my eye:

The apple of my eye is so easy, my babies!! They are my reason for getting out of bed each morning. They are the reason I picked up my camera and followed my dreams, because I want so much for them and having a server for a mother would make it hard to give them the things I want for them. They give me the courage to overcome my fears and go out there, if it turns out I fail in the end, at least I know I gave it my all. And I know without them I never could have looked at it that way, I would still be wondering what if. I love them with my whole heart and I am so thankful to have them in my life.

Expose Yourself Project

Day four: My Biggest Mistake:

my biggest mistake would be the space above my desk in my office that doesn't house my college degree. I attended college for 6 years, at that, so how you might ask did I not end that time period with a degree. Well I spent most of the time with no goal, no specific degree in mind. I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career, well I knew I wanted to be a photographer, I always wanted that, but I was terrified of pursuing it. Instead I went after degrees I considered safer, but was completely unhappy with them and in the end I ended up leaving school empty handed, when I found out my daughter's due date was in that semesters finals week. I have hope that one day I'll go back if for no other reason then having that degree to hang on my way as a result of all that money I dumped into it.

And I also must add that I've overcome my fears and spent the past year focused on my photography, and I know I don't need that piece of paper to tell me that it's the path I was meant to walk down.

Expose Yourself Project

Day 3: Me in an object

The object that I relate the most to would have to be this old school Polaroid camera. It’s funky, it’s pictures aren’t perfect, but really when you take a better look they are amazing because of their imperfections. I know that I’m not a perfect person, but I try my best on a daily basis to give a 110% on everything I do. That way if something I do fails I know that I did everything I could. Just like this camera, it’s tries to give all it has in every picture it takes. I personally love the results it gives, but someone else may not see the beauty I do in the pictures.

You know what they say better late then never :)

Expose Yourself Project

Day Two: I am influenced by:

This was an easy one, there was a time where the answer to this would have been the environment. The way nature fills our lives with beauty and wonder on a daily basis.

Visit The Bouncing Bean :)

But on May 13, 2009 that all changed. After nine long months, two weeks in labor, nine hours in the delivery room, and an emergency c-section there was a moment; a split second, were I held my baby girl in my arms and the world as I saw it changed forever. Now after that moment the answer to this question is and will always be: my family. Watching my children grow and learn has opened my eyes to the most beautiful world. I am so lucky to have two amazing children and the best husband ever. I would not be who or where I am today with out them.

My beautiful family!!

My picture today is the one below, it is a piece of art my family and I made for the bedroom in our new house. I walk by it every day and am reminded about how lucky I am and how they influence every decision I make and every goal I set.

Waiting on Baby Urijah

This next couple is one of the cutest I've ever had the pleasure of photographing. I cannot wait until baby makes three =)

Hurry it up little Urijah I can't wait to meet you!