Preschool Ballerinas | Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dance Photographer

For the last 4 years, I have had the pleasure of teaching preschool ballet at our church as an after school elective for the preschool. Each year I have had such a wonderful group of little girls who are so sweet and enthusiastic about being beautiful ballerinas. And this year was no different! I had 7 cuties and we learned ballet through movement, balance exercises, basic ballet moves, and we even learned a couple dances (including a tap dance)!

Our end of year recital occurred this week and was a wonderful evening where we showed off everything that they've learned over the year. The girls were so excited to perform for their parents and I was so proud of the show that they put on! Before the show began, I took the opportunity to take some photos of the girls all dressed up for the big evening. Enjoy!

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two year old lifestyle photos | Johns Creek Family Photographer

I just wrapped up an amazing course over at Clickin Moms- Mastering Natural Light Indoors. This is one that I have continually heard about and has been on my wishlist of courses since joining CM. The timing of this course was perfect, especially one in which I could work on indoor shooting while it's cold outside!

This class did not disappoint. It challenged me and in the process grew my understanding of light, how it behaves, and how to utilize different types of light and light sources in my images. I'm excited about continuing to use all that I've learned in my indoor photography of both Jack and my clients.

Here is my overshare of images I took during the course!

Be sure to check out the February posts from these ladies in my blog circle:

Jana Knupp

Betsy Morgan

Annie Fox

Amber Yarnevich

Adrienne Russell

one year old little guy | Atlanta Baby Photographer

Joseph, how in the world are you ONE?? Wasn't it just yesterday that we did your newborn session? Crazy how fast time flies.

I have absolutely LOVED being able to photograph this little guy during his first year of life. We did sessions when he was a newborn, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and now one year.  It has been a pleasure to watch him grow and see what new things he's doing at each stage. Joseph is such a precious and beautiful baby and his mom and dad are so loving and attentive, he's lucky to have them.

Thank you so much, Alicia and Josh, for hiring me to be Joseph's first year photographer. I can't begin to describe how much fun I've had at our sessions, how I've enjoyed getting to know you all, and how much I've loved seeing Joseph grow! 

The Koehnke Family | Atlanta, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, GA Extended Family Photographer

Another awesome extended family session for the books! I met this family at their home in early January. We were hoping for pictures by the lake in their neighborhood, but the weather betrayed us and it was freezing outside! So we moved the session to their home which was beautiful and if we had to do it indoors, their house was perfect for it.

All of their family members had come into town for the occasion of this family's son's baptism. It's rare that they are all in the same city- usually only once per year- so they contacted me to update their family portraits. 

I had a wonderful time with all of them and can really tell that they enjoy each other's company and were so glad to be together for such a special event. 

Thank you, Koehnke Family, for inviting me to your home to capture all of your family members together. Your home served as a beautiful backdrop and I enjoyed helping you make memories of this time in your lives!

sweet little siblings | Alpharetta Family Photographer

I was so excited about this session for my friends the Gersters and hoped that we would get lucky and have a warm December session. Not so much, it was freezing!!!

We got some really sweet shots in the short time we were together but will be finishing this session on a warmer day. So look for more of this beautiful family soon!

beautiful sisters ~ family of 4 | Atlanta Family Photographer

Really love this sweet family. I first met the Bakers when their daughter, Abigail, was 3 and started taking preschool ballet with me. That was a little over 3 years ago! I can't believe how much she's grown and continues to get more and more beautiful. 

Now, I have the pleasure of teaching ballet to little sister, Kiersten. She is just so full of life and energy and is constantly making me laugh. Not to mention that she is another beautiful daughter they've added to the family. 

All that to say, I was thrilled when Cheryl called me to book their session. We had to get together quickly because Abigail was going to lose one or both of her front teeth any minute! We worked out the session, had perfect weather, and Abbey lost her tooth 3 days later! Talk about perfect timing. 

I had so much fun with your beautiful family, Bakers, and I thank you for inviting me to your home to photograph your family and create memories for you all. XOXO.

fun family of 4 | Johns Creek Family Photographer

This family was so much fun to photograph. I met them for the first time at our session and they were so easy to talk to, great senses of humor, and all around lovely people! They really enjoyed each other's company, which I love to see that with families- It just warms my heart:) And I really think that comes through in their images. 

Love the variety of backdrops at this location that we used and the perfect weather made it that much better!

Thank you, Tenbrink family, for allowing me to capture your family. I truly enjoyed it and absolutely love all of the images from your session! 

9 month old cutie pie | milton family photographer

I can't say enough about how much I love this family! I have had the pleasure of photographing cutie pie Joseph when he was a newborn, at 3 months, 6 months, and now 9 months. It has been so fun to see how much he's grown at each milestone and I have really enjoyed getting to know his parents.

This little boy is so loved by his mommy and daddy and has such a precious personality that you can already see at just 9 months old. For this session, we met at a historic park and covered bridge in Ball Ground. Joseph's mommy always chooses beautiful locations and this one was no different. We had a great evening and I absolutely loved capturing Joseph at this stage of his sweet little life:)

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handsome brothers | Johns Creek Child Photographer

What a fun session. These are the handsome boys of one of my closest friends here in Atlanta. Like I've said before, I'm so honored when friends ask for a session- it really means so much to me that they like my work and would trust me with something as important as their family photos! 

Brendan and Colin are such great boys and did everything I asked of them even though they didn't always think my jokes were funny:)  It doesn't hurt that they're so photogenic, either.

Thank you so much, Amy & Brian, for asking me to do this session for your guys! I loved it!

Morning Routine & Kid in the Kitchen | Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Atlanta GA Lifestyle Photographer

My next installment for our lifestyle blog circle group!

I combined two of our topics since I missed last week and these two just worked together for me this time! Here's a glimpse at our morning routine and jack in the kitchen on a typical school morning.  

Make sure to visit the websites of the rest of the ladies in our circle (links at bottom of post).

Jana Knupp | Macomb, Illinois

Betsy Morgan | Scottsville, Kentucky

Annie Fox | Framingham, Massachusetts

Amber Yarnevich | Kansas City, Missouri

Adrienne Russell | Birmingham, Alabama

Melina McConnaughy | Brooklyn, New York

Carrie Nelson | Washington, D.C.

baby girl baptism | Atlanta Family Photographer

I had the pleasure of photographing Juliette's baptism last Saturday. It was a super fun session and a beautiful and meaningful service and I truly enjoyed being part of this day for the Rudolf family. 

The Rudolf's are friends of a friend of mine and after talking with Cheri I realized that I had met her mom once before at a cookie swap last Christmas. They are an incredibly fun family and I totally felt welcome and like I was one of the guests on this important day.  And Miss Juliette was the happiest baby ever- all I had to do was call her name and she would give me the hugest grin!:) 

I love how all of the images turned out from the baptism and am honored that I was there to witness sweet Juliette's baptism.  You have a beautiful family!

Thank you, Rudolf family, for asking me to capture this special day for you! 

Johnson Family Session | Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek Family Photographer

The Johnsons are a family that we know from church and always enjoy their company. Through birthday parties and a Christmas eve party, we've met the whole extended family so I knew this would be a fun evening.

Mimmy and Poppy wanted to have the session at their amazing home which Poppy designed and built before he retired. It really is gorgeous and the perfect place for family photos.  I couldn't have picked a better spot if I tried.

I seriously felt like I was part of the family during this session. Not only did we have the best time during the shoot, but I was invited to share dinner with them and hang out. And, not to mention, Mimmy is an amazing cook!  It was a great night. One of the granddaughters even told me that I was the "funnest photographer ever" which is one of my favorite compliments ever!

Thank you, Johnsons, for allowing me to capture your beautiful family this year! I had the best time with you all.

Tub Play | Alpharetta Photographer, Atlanta Family Photographer

Our little guy LOVES bath time! One afternoon, we decided to let him have a go in the big tub in our master bath. He had a blast, of course. As you can see, there's a large mirror right above the tub. Jack used that to come up with this game... he would squat down in the tub, call "jaaaaackiiiieeee," and jump up and *surprise* himself. It was great fun for him and we love watching him come up with cute games on his own. We look forward to lots more "bathie" games with you, Jack!

tuscaloosa newborn photographer specializing in baby, child, and family portrait photography. RSS

Garbarge Truck Tuesdays | Johns Creek Family Photographer, Alpharetta Lifestyle Photographer

In true little boy fashion, Jack is crazy about the "biiiiiiii guck" that comes to our house every Tuesday. He hears it coming through the neighborhood and will hurriedly grab my hand and rush me outside to wait for the truck's appearance on our street.

The men that bring the "big guck" down our street are always so nice to honk for jack and wave at him. I was so excited that I was able to capture this moment of him waving to the service man! 

It's so much fun to watch this toddler's joy over such a routine occurrence. What a great memory this will be to look back on in the years to come!

Fall Mini Sessions | Johns Creek Family Photographer, Alpharetta Family Photographer

Now booking fall mini sessions! The weather should be nice and cool & we'll have beautiful fall colors for our backdrop:). This is a great deal if you are looking to have family photos done on a budget.  Mini sessions are also held at a perfect time to be ready for your Christmas cards!

Location will be announced closer to date but will be held at a convenient and scenic atlanta area location. Most likely a park on the northeast side of Atlanta.  

Spots are limited so contact me today to reserve yours!  rebeccaortonphotography@gmail.com

Lifestyle Photography- Sandbox Story | Johns Creek Child Photographer, Alpharetta Photographer

The more I learn about lifestyle photography, the more I love it. I've always thought that I would love for my pictures to tell a story. That's exactly what lifestyle photography is all about. Here's my "sandbox story" from a jack and daddy session recently:)

Leaderman Family Session | Sandy Springs Family Photographer, Johns Creek Photographer

Cookie and Papa Leaderman wanted to hold a family photo session at their beautiful home in Sandy Springs on the occasion that all of the children and grandchildren were in town (Son, DIL, and baby live in NYC). I am honored that they asked me to capture their family at this wonderful stage in their lives.  

Their daughter Jenni and I quickly became good friends after meeting at church. Before I had Jack, I used to babysit their girls and Jenni held a baby shower at her home for me. Jenni and Gabe have been great friends to us over the last 6 years that we have known them. Gabe even let jack borrow the crib that he built by hand for his girls! They are a talented and fun family and we are thankful to call them friends.

Because I enjoy Jenni, Gabe, and girls so much I knew this session would be awesome. And it was so much fun, they were so welcoming and I felt like I was just over to hang out while we all enjoyed each other's company. The evening was perfect and I am thrilled with the images that we captured.  

You have a beautiful family, Leadermans!

Here's a sample of some of my favorite images from our session... 

6 month old sweetness ~ family of 3 | Johns Creek Baby Photographer

Sweet little Joseph is six months old! This is such great stage and possibly one of my favorite baby ages. They'll sit still and smile for you but can't crawl (or run for that matter!) away.  I have thoroughly enjoyed each session with his family and this one was no different for sure. 

Joseph was an excellent model during our shoot... big blue eyes, chunky baby legs, and a huge, sweet grin that really came out when his mommy would sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider." Alicia and Josh, I am so honored to have the opportunity to document this stage of your life with Joseph. You have a beautiful family!

Newborn AJ - Cumming Newborn Photographer, Johns Creek Newborn Photographer

Precious little AJ surprised his family by arriving a month early! When I met AJ, he was exactly two weeks new and such a sweet guy. He didn't want to sleep much and I'm sure it's because he doesn't want to miss out on all the fun that his sisters are having! His big sisters were so cute and their mommy had dressed them up in the most perfect fluffly dresses. They kept me laughing all afternoon and we had a great time together.

I loved getting to know you all better, S family, thank you for inviting me into your home to photograph your beautiful children! It was a wonderful session:)

beautiful one year old | Johns Creek Baby Photographer

I was thrilled to hear from my college sorority sister, Emily, when she asked me to do her beautiful Bailey's one year session. On my way to meet them, I thought about how I hadn't seen her in almost 9 years! How is that possible?? I can't believe I've been out of college for that long. It sure has gone by fast. 

We had the best time on this evening at a Roswell Park. It was great to catch up with Bailey and meet Derek. Love this little family. And Bailey was just as cute as she could possibly be. I so enjoyed being her photographer:) 

Thank you, Emily & Derek, for asking me to capture your sweet girl! She is beautiful!