Julia - 2 Years Old

I'm going to be honest. A few weeks ago I discovered Julia's session was lost because of a corrupt SD card and I was devastated. I was so disappointed in myself that I would have to let Julia's mama know that we had to start all over - IF she even wanted to work with me again after my mistake. Thankfully, she is the kindest soul, was willing to do it again, and I took this as an opportunity to make sure Julia's session wasn't just great, but PERFECT. So I chucked that dumb camera card and together Julia and I ROCKED her session redo. I left feeling still very bummed at what happened but sooo excited because this session is just plain wonderful. It hows sweet Julia exactly how she is - intelligent, spunky, and just downright beautiful! God always does things for a reason!

Enjoy my favorites from Julia's Session!

Hailey - Newborn

 

I have been waiting for Hailey to come along practically since I met her parents years ago.  Hailey’s mom and dad are the CUTEST couple and I could not wait for them to start a family! So here is this beautiful girl that has been long awaited! And she was so worth the wait. 

Hailey had a bit of a rough start into the world so her session came when she was a few weeks old. She didn’t love being on her belly but she LOVED laying on her back, wide awake which was so fun because most babies hate that! We got some beautiful smiles, incorporated beautiful props that Hailey’s mama brought along, and she even hung out in her dad’s guitar case without a single fuss. Enjoy favorites from Hailey’s session!

Airlee - Newborn

I loveeed this session! Firstly, Airlee and her family are some crazy form of family that are just SO good at being in front of the camera. There was no awkwardness or forced smiles - they are really just this sweet and endearing when they’re together. Airlee’s big sister is kind of the best at her job. I got the sweetest shots of her shhh-ing Airlee to sleep (a definitely favorite of mine!!!). And if that wasn’t enough - Airlee was wide awake AND fast asleep during her session so we got a lot of both. I’m kind of a sucker for green and purple (and lavender!) but if I were to pick a favorite set up, it would probably be the guitar shots we did just for dad. Airlee also has a very special birthday - the 4th of July!!! - so it’s only fitting that she gave the biggest grin while holding the American flag.

Enjoy this sweet session!

Nathan - Newborn

Some how in the hurry and scurry of the past week, I forgot to put Nathan on the blog and this is NOT a session I don’t want documented for all to see.

I absolutely adore this family. Nathan is the sweetest, calmest babe and I can guess it comes from his parents and brother - who are so loving and soft at all times. I got a little too excited when Nathan’s dad dropped firefighter gear on my studio floor. I just happenedddd to have a fire truck prop at home just waiting to be used! These are some of my favorite portraits - from tons of sweet family shots, Mom and Dad’s nurse/firefighter gear being incorporated, Nathan’s beautiful little face, and lots of GREEN (a color I don’t get to work with much) this session is kind of Heaven for me.  Big brother was my buddy, too ;)  Don’t these boys belong in a child’s magazine?!

Enjoy lots of favorites!

Jaidee - Newborn

I’m going to be honest with you. Jaidee had ZERO interest in sleeping for her newborn session. She was much more interested in what I was doing - notice the one eyed thing going on ;)  But her and I made a deal - she was allowed to stay awake if she stayed nice and happy for me. And she did! This gorgeous girl was joined by her twin sisters and parents and seriously… have you ever seen a more good looking family?!  They were all a joy to work with. Somehow these twin 3 year olds managed to stay so well behaved for Jaidee’s almost 3 hour long session.  Big props to Jaidee’s Mama for some of the cutest props. That hand painted sign is to die for!  Enjoy favorites of this sweet girl. I could NOT narrow it down to just a few!

Eliut + Alisha - Married!

Eliut and Alisha’s wedding was long awaited. They are high school sweethearts and Eliut even proposed to Alisha at the happiest place on Earth and her favorite place on Earth, as well - Disney World! Now, they weren’t able to actually get married in Disney World but their wedding was just as magical as any place because of the love they share between them.

As I always say, tears make the best pictures!  We got the bride, groom, siblings, Mother of the Bride, AND Father of the Bride all tearing up in this gallery (Booyahhhh!).  Alisha is also part of a sorority and had a special moment with her Big before the ceremony. You’ll notice the flower girl is missing for the ceremony after a little burn mishap but she makes some appearances later in the gallery - looking like the cutest little hand-wrapped MMA fighter, ever.  Oh, and the wedding party was pretty hilarious.  We battled some injuries, crazy weather, and time restraints but all in all, it was a beautiful night with a couple that I personally can’t get enough of. It was a perfect little fairytale.

Also, knowing that Alisha is a Disney fanatic, I added a little “magic” into one of their couples pictures. Can you find which one? :) Enjoy some favorites of this beautiful wedding. Eliut and Alisha - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for choosing me to join you on this magical ride! Xoxox

Kevin + Alyssa - Engaged!

Kevin and Alyssa are two of the most beautifully compatible people I’ve ever worked with.  Their chemistry was undeniable to photograph. Kevin was always doting on Alyssa, gently playing with her hair and ready for the kissing poses… but mostly he was completely hilarious and had me dying of laughter their whole session and what made it funnier was how Alyssa would go right along with his jokes. Not pictured below are the shots of him trying to dunk her into a pond and him sucking on her hand (however, I did have to post at least one blooper collage of his hilarious faces).  Alyssa is one of my favorite people and it makes me happy to see her with the perfect partner. I also work with her sister quite a bit so I have a bit of a soft spot for her and her family ;) From the fun details I’ve heard already, I’m impatiently waiting their Big Day (lets just say, I will be eating as much “cake” as I can shove in my mouth).  Thanks, Kevin and Alyssa, for being so stinkin’ fun to be around. Enjoy some favorites!

Kolbie - One Year Old

Kolbie is exactly the child I would expect from my dear friends Seth and Kirsten.  At only one year old she is smart, sweet, loving, and determined. For her first year of life she wasn't really a big fan of smiling for me but she did have the cutest face where she would stick out her bottom lip and stare with those big beautiful eyes.  This time I got LOTS of smiles! And even more importantly - we got her in the tutu that she absolutely hated as a newborn :)  When your Mom own a dance studio, tutus are a must! Enjoy some favorites of this birthday girl!

Addie - Cake Smash!

 

This very loved, special girl is turning one and I can’t even believe it.  Just like the poem goes, “I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep”.  Addie is practically the size of her parents now and has the spitfire, funny personality that she was destined to inherit.  I feel like just yesterday I was snuggling with her and getting all the feels when she sucked her thumb.  Addie’s mom had the BEST idea for a Cake Smash - a mermaid theme! I think it might just be one of my favorite girl set ups yet!  We jam packed lots of goodness into this session - parent AND grandparent shots, the cutest pictures of Addie in her little romper and dress, and squishing around in some cake!  Enjoy some favorites from this adorable session. Happy almost birthday, Adalyn!

Tim + Laura - Engaged!

If I am to get up at 4 in the morning for anyone, I’m glad it was Tim and Laura. These two are a super fun (and hilarious!) couple that have the most amazing chemistry to photograph.  Between playing with cats (our little friend makes an appearance in a shot below!), chasing the sunrise, dodging dead fish on the riverfront, and splashing around in curiously warm water, I forgot that I was actually working and not hanging out with friends.  Their wedding in October is going to be a favorite of mine - I can tell already. Enjoy some of my favorites from their session!

Asher - Newborn

I had JUST shot Adam + Amber’s maternity session a week before when Asher made an early arrival. So early that I never got to blog their maternity session (which was one of my all time favs so obviously I needed to post some today).  Now Asher is here and he has got to be the most handsome guy I’ve ever met. He’s nice and tall with the cutest little hair curl in the front! He slept and smiled through his whole session so he’s pretty much model material in my book.  Enjoy some of my favorites of his session and alsoooo some favorites from Adam + Amber’s maternity session!

Finallyyy posting some of their beautiful nautical themed maternity session!

Steven + Brittany - Married!

I shot one of my favorite engagement sessions when I worked with Steven and Brittany the first time so I had high expectations for their wedding. They far, far exceeded those expectations.

Steven and Brittany’s wedding was soft, sweet, and the perfect day from start to finish. Just a few of my favorite parts - Brittany’s beautiful jaw dropping dress (and the boots… obsessed with her BOOTS!), all of the families coming together and enjoying s’mores and games, the beautifully spoken ceremony, THE FIRST LOOK (the best one yet!), the hilarious wedding party, their epic cake smashing the fun, and of course, how beautifully and gently they showed their love for each other through out the day. Oh, and the amazing amount of portraits I was able to capture thanks to their awesome time management of their day!

God gave Steven and Brittany the most beautiful day and I know they deserved it.  I cannot say enough about their friends, family, and the venue coordinators for making this the perfect day for them. I would go back and reshoot it every weekend if I could! I wish you both a lifetime of health, happiness and love!

Enjoy some favorites…

Charlie - Ice Cream Smash!


This. Little. Boy. I can’t tell you how much I love photographing him. I have been squealing over how cute and sweet he is since the day I met him for his newborn session. At Charlie’s newborn session his mom mentioned she didn’t really want a Cake Smash - something different.  The same idea of celebrating his big 1 with something special but cake just wasn’t the ticket. So with that, our Ice Cream Smash idea was born! After the adorable fishing set up we did we headed over to my favorite ice cream parlor (maybe favorite place, period?!) Rakestraws, located a few blocks up from my studio in Mechanicsburg. If you have never been there - GO! NOW! RUN THERE!  They have the best ice cream around and the best service!

Charlie and his family chowed down on some Peanut Butter Curl and then we headed to the studio where we let this big guy have his own Birthday Cake favored ice cream cone. He was a little ice creamed out by the end but not before we captured some of my favorite portraits to date!  Look at that brain freeze face!  Enjoy some favorites of this cutie ... oh and some shots from his Mommy + Me Mini Session!

Kate + Kevin - Maternity

I HAD to do a blog post for Kate and Kevin because their session was Heaven for me. I got to photograph with some of my favorite things: horses, water + a fun couple!  I was even gifted a bottle of wine at the end of our session that Kevin made himself (Side note: if any other customers would like to do this, I wouldn’t be mad ;) ) I had the pleasure of photographing the Osbornes’ beautiful wedding last year and now I am able to do the same for their next walk of life: becoming parents! All I’ve got to say is if Addilyn is anything like mom and dad, she is going to be one gorgeous, big hearted little lady!  I’m waiting patiently to meet her!  Enjoy some favorites xoxox

Grace - Cake Smash

 

Almost exactly a year ago the sweetest little girl made her way into this world.  Grace is the epitome of spunk and beauty. This gal was born with the biggest smile - but she only shows it on her terms ;)  The Seltzers are a family I have watched grow right in front of my camera - from their engagement session, wedding, maternity session and then Grace came around and made things just that much cuter. As always, I need to give props to her parents - her are full of patience and amazing ideas that I cannot even take credit for. This session had over 250 pictures. The reason for this is because her rents always works their butts off for these sessions - complete with homemade props (that I love them for than donating to me), one-of-a-kind private locations, fresh flowers straight from their garden, a big love for their little girl.  Oh, they also have the cutest model pup that stole the show in a few of these shots. 

 

Enjoy some of Grace’s Cake Smash session!

And just to make everyone feel extra nostalgic - Grace the day I met her :)

Bryce - Newborn

My biggest little guy went to the same preschool as one of these little guys and I was so excited to hear they would be adding another brother to the family.  I couldn't wait to find out what Bryce looked like and once he was finally here, I could not get over all his hair!!! I must have played with his hair and rubbed his head the whole session.  Another thing that struck me was how much he looked like his big brother, Caden.  Bryce's dad was in the Navy so it was their idea to add a bit of a nautical theme at the end. I have to say, I think the world of these guys! These boys spent 3 hours sitting in a hot studio with me and they barely made a peep while I coaxed their little brother to sleep.  

Enjoy some favorites from Bryce's newborn session! (The first session of manyyy newborn sessions heading your way the next few months!)

The Bilous Family

These are my kind of people. These three (and a half) are so dang sweet and caring with each other that it doesn't take much to create a perfect session like this. And if that's not enough to impress you, they also came equipped with super hero gear! At the end of our session it began to rain so what did we do? We hopped in the creek and got the most gorgeous Mama/daughter portraits. I think the world of this family and can't wait to meet the new little miss soon!

Evan + Danielle - Married!

I could write a novel about Evan and Danielle and their wedding day butttt I know two very excited people who are ready to see their gallery.  So I will keep this short and simple.

It’s very rare to find a person that is genuine, good-hearted and honest in this day and age.  I was lucky enough to find that in Evan years ago and was even lucky enough to be his friend. And now, fast forward almost 10 years, and I am in awe that a woman as incredible as Danielle exists. Even more so, that such beautiful people were able to find each other.  This wedding was simply beautiful - it wasn’t loud and flashy. Even with downpours the whole day, no one was stressed. This wedding was truly about family, real love and the celebration of two of the best people I know becoming one. 

(On a side note, while you are scrolling through these portraits I’m sure you are going to be thinking things like “Wow, these too are so freaking good-looking!” like I was. And the best part about that is Evan and Danielle are so humble, that they don’t even know how beautiful they are inside and out. So make sure to give them some love in the comments section!)

Evan and Danielle - it was an honor to photograph this day for you and it’s an honor to know you. Now go have some gorgeous babies so I can photograph them! 

Enjoy lots of my favorites!

Sam + Shelby - Married!

I attended high school with Sam and Shelby - Sam was in most of my classes growing up and Shelby I recall seeing around our high school halls. I had never actually been around them when they were a couple but only a few minutes into our engagement session and I knew they complimented each other perfectly.  From our time together, they were both so laid back and fun to be around.  

It had been a rainy month but on the day that Sam and Shelby were to get married the sun came out and it was absolutely beautiful. They started with a Catholic ceremony and then went by trolley to a nearby park for bridal party shots.  I have to give them props for fighting off bugs and swampy grounds without a single complaint (again, there’s that laid back personality of theirs ;) ) Lastly, their reception took place at the Park Inn.

This day was full of happy tears, hilarious moments, and the party hadn’t ended by the time I left that evening.  It was the best kind of wedding.  I am in loveeeee with this wedding gallery! Enjoy some of my favorites….