one year old cake smash | Atlanta Baby Photographer

Happy 1st Birthday Millie! 

This precious girl is the cutest ball of joy. Always cheerful and grinning, she was a great model! Big sister Claire is one of my son Jack's friends- he loves her and talks about her almost daily. Sweet kids. 

Millie's session took place at her home and we made sure to get some sweet shots of the birthday girl, big sis, and the two of them together. It was a super fun morning.  We ended the session with a cake smash where cake ended up everywhere! Even between Millie's toes:) I'd say it was a success!

Thank you, P family, for hiring me to capture Millie on her 1st birthday! Your girls are so sweet and I'm so thankful to have you all as friends!

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

sweet sixteen photos | Johns Creek Senior Photographer

Caroline is sixteen! I can't believe I've known this beautiful girl since she was just 8 years old. She has been telling me about how much she wanted to do a photo session for a while, but her mom secretly contacted me and we planned a sweet sixteen photo shoot!

We met in downtown Roswell on the evening of her birthday. I had so much fun with Caroline and her mom and thought she was a perfect model. I think you will too, after seeing her images.

Thank you so much, Haley, for asking me to do Caroline's sweet sixteen photos. What a great surprise for your well deserving girl! 

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.

gorgeous toddler girl ~ family of 3 | Johns Creek Family Photographer

Oh, the Garcias. I love this gorgeous family so much! 

Monica and I met at Gymboree classes when our now 2 year olds were just 9 months old. We quickly became friends and have continued to hang out even after we ended our Gymboree time. Jack always loves to play with "o-yi-yi-ya," especially since she likes to play with cars, trucks and trains plus she recently taught him to love Toy Story:).

Our session felt like we were just getting together as an evening of friends hanging out with a few pics taken along the way. They chose the beautiful setting of Sims Lake Park and the perfect time of year. In mid November we still had beautiful leaves and it was not yet too cold outside. 

The love that this family has for each other is so obvious and I think we totally captured the love and fun that they share throughout our session. Paul and Monica, I hope you love your images as much as I do! What a beautiful family you have:)

handsome high school senior | Johns Creek High School Class of 2014 | Johns Creek Senior Photographer

After this session with handsome Jordan, I must say that Seniors are one of my new favorites to photograph. They don't run away from you, they stay where you put them, and don't require any crazy animal noises or bribes! I truly had so much fun hanging out with Jordan and his family during our time together. Jack even came along for the fun and loved Jordan, his doggie, and his big truck and then was thoroughly entertained by his new best friend- Jordan's daddy.

I met Jordan's family through church a few years ago. They are great people and I enjoy spending time with them. Jordan's mom talked to me back in the spring about a senior session for Jordan sometime during his senior year and I've been super thrilled about this one ever since we first discussed the possibility! 

We decided to meet in November at the lake in this family's neighborhood. We caught the leaves just in time, had a perfectly sunny day, and had the perfect temperature. Jordan's senior pictures were the main focus of this session but we also took the opportunity to get some sibling shots and full family shots while they were all together.

Jordan is a super cool guy, so fun to talk to, easy going, friendly, and is the captain of the Johns Creek HIgh soccer team. He has a very bright future ahead of him. I know mom, dad, and sister Brooklyn must be very proud of him!
 

Thankful | Blog Circle Week 6

I have totally slacked on my blog circle posts but thankfully Jana encouraged us to brush off some dust in our group and get some posts up! Thank you Jana:)

Today I am thankful for this man. He NEVER lets me snap photos of him so I think this may be the only image I've ever taken of just him. I'm so glad that he let me take this, I know I will love having it and Jack will, too. 

Without getting too sappy, I'm thankful to have John in my life, for the love, support, and encouragement he gives me every day. I'm thankful that Jack has him for a daddy and that we get to love him too!

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Be sure to check out the thankful posts from these ladies:

Jana Knupp

Betsy Morgan

Annie Fox

Amber Yarnevich

Carrie Nelson

Adrienne Russell

Melina McConnaughy

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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Pumpkin Patch | Alpharetta, Johns Creek, GA Lifestyle Photographer

Last Thursday we took our second annual trip to Berry Patch Farms to visit their pumpkin patch. We love this pumpkin patch because it's small, easy to get to in Atlanta traffic, close enough to attend on a weeknight, and the crowds aren't out of control. 

Jack was not really in the best mood and was much more into the tractors and throwing rocks and didn't want much to do with the pumpkins. It didn't surprise us that he was into the tractors but he's been so interested in pumpkins, even naming them as we drive by homes in our neighborhood. Oh well, I guess it isn't all that surprising that in the mind of a little boy the tractor will always take precedence in a tractor vs pumpkin competition! 

It was a fun evening, even though we had one tantrum when Jack didn't get on the tractor because mommy wanted a picture. But that signaled the end of our night!

Be sure to visit the blogs of the other talented ladies in my group...

Jana Knupp

Betsy Morgan  

Annie Fox

Amber Yarnevich

Melina McConnaughy

Adrienne Russell

Carrie Nelson

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.

adorable 2 year old | atlanta child photographer

I'm always so flattered when a friend asks me to photograph her adorable child(ren). So I was beyond excited when my friend Kelly asked me to do a 2 year session for her daughter, Emma Claire. We met at Gymboree when Emma Claire and my Jack were still little crawling babies:). Jack loves to play with "Care" and I have loved building a friendship with Kelly. We recently met Trey at Emma Claire's birthday party and think he's pretty great, too!

The night before this session, I took Jack out to try to photograph him- needless to say, I didn't get near the amount of cooperation from him as I did Emma Claire. She was a breath of fresh air! So cooperative, fun, and adorable!  A dream model. And the cutest outfits which included a dress that her aunt wore in her own 2 year photos!

Thank you, W family, for asking me to capture Emma Claire this fall! I had the best time and love the images of her. I hope you do as well:)

Golden Hour | Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Georgia Photographer

This is my first post as part of a new lifestyle blog circle that I've joined. I met a group of women during the final run of an amazing course over at Clickin Moms called "Lifestyle Photography with Kids," taught by the wonderfully talented Ashley Spaulding.

Several of us decided that we needed continued motivation to shoot images of our children weekly so we joined together to create a blog circle. Jana, who came up with the idea of this group, has suggested ideas for us to follow this month- in our posts this month you'll see "kids in the kitchen," "pumpkins & fall," "morning routine," "golden hour," and "wild card." We will each choose the topic that works best for us each week and will be posting weekly. Once you get to the bottom of the post, you'll find links to my friends' blogs- check them out!

This week, I went with the golden hour theme. I could tell that the light was perfect on Saturday evening and there are a couple fields near our house that I have been DYING to test out. This assignment gave me the push that I needed to take jack out there and shoot! I must say that he is an almost impossible photography subject but each time I take photos, I'm so happy that I did.  I'm in love with both of these fields - images 1-6 are in the first field and images 7-9 are in the second- we'll be going back often! 

Of course, my other motivation was to get some images in the Bama shortall and elephant shoes:) And I have to add that he did seem excited as we drove and said "yay, picture mommy!" 

Roll Tide! 

Lifestyle Blog Circle:

Carrie Nelson | Washington, DC

Betsy Morgan | Scottsville, KY

Jana Knupp | Macomb, IL

Annie Fox | Framingham, MA

Melina McConnaughy | Brooklyn, NY

Amber Yarnevich | Kansas City, MO

Adrienne Russell | Birmingham, AL

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