Winter Wonderland: A Snow Day in Photos

It snowed!! Finally one really great snow storm! I know some areas are pounded with snow all winter and they beg for it to stop but not here in NC. We usually never get more than a couple inches here and there. So when the forecast called for up to a foot of snow in our area we were ecstatic! A real snow day (days actually)...finally! We are excited to get to play in the snow at our new home where we have lots of outdoor space to run! It was absolutely beautiful. Our city was completely shut down, which meant daddy got to join in on the fun without taking a vacation day! Awesome! Nothing but sledding, snowballs fights, snowman building and coffee and cocoa drinking for us all day! ~sigh~

We just love our new home! This is an exterior view. It is a cape cod style and I love it's cozy cottage vibe! The snow makes it even more beautiful!

We got between 9 and 13 inches depending on where I measured. This one was taken before it finished snowing. We got an additional 2-3 inches on the 2nd day of snow.

Oliver left his mark on the enclosed patio. The snow blew through the screen and he seemed to enjoy sniffing around. We took hime outside briefly but he was clawing at the patio to get back in. Not a fan of the deep snow! He's an indoor kitty for sure!

Isn't it just peaceful looking?! We feel so blessed to be here!

I love that you can see the family playing behind the house in this one!

Dreamy!!

Ella Goes to Kindergarten: A Vintage Back to School Styled Photo Shoot {greensboro nc childrens photographer}

Summer is nearly over! How can that be? We've had a wonderful and busy summer but it has passed in the blink of an eye. We've taken a few mini vacations, the kids have enjoyed multiple summer camps, we joined and enjoyed a great community pool, and we busted our bums cleaning and organizing our home and put it on the market a few weeks ago! That's right..we are selling! It's craziness over here! We are excited to see what the future holds but trying to remain patient as we wait for the right buyer to come along.

In the midst of the busy-ness a new school year has snuck up on us once again. This time it means my baby is going to Kindergarten. I'm excited to begin this next chapter, as it means my children are thriving and growing, but sad that I'm closing another. I'll be an empty nester from 7:15 until 3 each day. No more babies to feed and change, no more toddlers pulling on my leg, no more pre-schoolers begging me to play yet another game of Hi Ho Cherry-O. My "baby" is going to be a kindergartener and she's joining the "Big kids" club...sigh. I know I will cry. I'm already preparing myself for the inevitable. But despite the tears my heart will be happy. I am so incredibly thankful that my children are healthy and thriving and that their futures are bright. God has truly blessed us.

Ella is incredibly excited about her big day so I knew I needed to take her out and do a special back to school photo session just like I did for Halle two years ago. We grabbed a few props and headed to my favorite little place for vintage school sessions. It has an adorable old school house that was once in use between 1870-1898. I just love how the school house had an American flag leaning against the window which added a little something extra to make it patriotic. Her dress was a vintage find from etsy. The session was a quick one (she wanted to go eat) but we were able to get some adorable images to document this special time in her life! I especially love the 2nd image in b&w...so timeless...and those Lashes!! Happy back-to-school!!

Sweet Baby Ellison {greensboro nc newborn photographer}

I haven't posted much of my professional photography stuff here lately but had to share this sweet girl's images from yesterdays session. Little Ellison Skye is the newest addition for my dear friend Melissa! She and her husband have 2 school aged girls but decided they wanted one more and they were blessed with a 3rd little angel! She is precious and I just loved getting to spend some time yesterday creating these special images for them! It almost makes me want another one ;)... almost! Congrats Davie & Melissa on your beautiful baby girl!!

Rain Watcher

It's just another cold and rainy day here in NC. I think everyone is pretty much over this yucky weather. I'm thinking we need to have a little pow-wow with Punxsutawney Phil and see how he got this early spring thing sooo wrong! We are spending another day indoors trying to stay warm and dry. I think Oliver, however, is thoroughly enjoying watching the rain...and all the birds playing in it :) He is 10 months old now and tomorrow is THE day. You know....THE day...Oliver has his little clip & snip appointment in the morning. I kind feel bad because he has no idea what's coming. He'll probably know somethings up when I pull his food bowl up tonight and then have to ignore his hungry mews in the morning. I'll be ok as long as I don't make eye contact...he's really good at doing that pitiful eyes thing when he wants something. Wish him luck for a smooth appointment and quick recovery!

Happy St.Patrick's Day

Hope your day is full of lucky finds and happy moments!! This is an image from the beginning of my photographic journey and I thought it fit pretty great with the theme of today! Have a great one! Don't forget to check back this week for the "after" of the dresser in my last post!

6 Simple Tips for Photographing the Little Moments

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things." Robert Brault

As a photographer I know the importance of capturing the little moments in life...but sometimes as I mom I can take those little moments for granted. The day to day of raising children can be repetitive and exhausting and sometimes I'm just too busy or too tired to pull out my camera. However I know that time flies and children grow and change so quickly and one day I'll look back and wonder where my babies went. It is incredibly important that we not only document the big milestones and birthday celebrations (those are important too) but that we also take the time to preserve those little everyday moments and the tiny details that can easily go unnoticed...for it is these moments, these details, that truly tell our story. It is in this spirit that I put together these simple tips that will hopefully help you to be more purposeful when it come to photographing your children during everyday living.

#1 Photograph them being themselves, just doing what they do. It doesn't have to be something amazing. It can be very simple...in fact it should be simple. Maybe your child has a certain toy that she drags out and plays with every single day. Or maybe it's the way she sits in her chair in the morning with her feet crossed while eating breakfast. One day you'll forget these things unless you have them frozen in time in pictures. My youngest daughter, Ella, starts her morning by picking out her princess gown for the day. And then she picks out a crown and shoes. It's not uncommon to find her room littered with various princess accessories (and she has a lot of them)!! Then she'll proceed to drag out her books and toys.

#2 Step back and get the big picture. Photograph your child from far away so you can capture their surroundings. This will help tell the story of this moment. Use elements in the foreground to help frame your subject. This could actually be a separate tip but I think they work well together. I love how the blurred-out doorway in this image gives the feeling that you are sneaking a glimpse of a secret moment! Oftentimes if you photograph your child from a distance they won't even notice your (or your camera's) presence and you'll get a more authentic image of them being themselves.

#3 Change up your angle. Don't just shoot from one spot. Shoot from above, shoot from below. Back up, get in close. A variation of angles will give you a different perspective of the moment. These shots will be great for creating a cluster of images or a framed collage.

#4 Photograph the details. Tiny fingers and toes. Their favorite toys and books close up. The way her hair curls up at her shoulders. Whatever it might be. All of these elements are significant and should be photographed as an important part of the scene. These detail images are great for creating an album that really does tell a story.

#5 Step away from auto and turn off the flash. Get to know your camera's capabilities and learn how to expose an image manually using ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. There is a plethora of free information on the internet on this subject. Use it! You can do a Google search using keywords such as "blog shooting in manual" that will produce many links to exposure tips! This is a great resource! Make use of that beautiful natural light. Sometimes a flash might be necessary but any time you can photograph your children without it, do it! Natural light is so much more, well, natural. There is a soft innocence about natural light that harsh flash lighting just can't mimic. You will thank me later for making you learn your camera :)

#6 Repeat often. Keep that camera handy. Consider a Project 52 photo challenge where you try to capture a series of images each week of the year. One day you'll be so thankful that you took the time to document those sticky fingers and messy bedroom floors where imagination ran wild :)