Motherhood in it’s most honest form.
I adore truly adored capturing this beautiful motherhood//nursing session for Krysten. She is a friend from high school and I’m so honored that I’m able to be even a small part of her Motherhood journey. It was a beautiful evening in a field full of wildflowers. So dreamy and perfect. Honestly… just give me all the mama’s, flowers, and chunky babes + I’ll be in heaven<3
These are the best types of sessions.
No stress. No posing. No getting all dolled up.
Just you, your family, and the willingness to love and connect with one another. The best part? You don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home. Seriously. There’s just something about these sessions that are so calming and relaxed. I adore them. My time with The McGees was no different. They were an absolute JOY and I loved being able to document a small part of their life for them.
Have you ever considered booking an In-home Lifestyle Session? If you’ve been thinking about it but are still on the fence, what’s holding you back?! The price? You don’t think your house is “up to par”? I’d love to know your thoughts. Comment below and tell me! <3
I have really been slacking in the blogging world. It’s been several months since I did one and I really want to get more consistent- so I figured why not start now by sharing some images of my own little family.
My sister in law stayed with us for a few weeks and volunteered to help me capture some precious moments with my crew. I fixed my settings and directed her on which shots to get and she did such a great job, I’m so thankful I have these of us<3
Trey and Kimberly’s session was so different from anything else I’ve done. Not because the location is unique or anything, but because these two are soooo goofy and had me CACKLING the entire session!! They are hilariously and wonderfully themselves and I’m so glad they answered my model call. I asked to hear a little about their love story and seriously, they are the absolute cutest humans ever! They said I could share with you guys so here it is…….
Apparently Trey was completely smitten from the beginning. Kimberly, however, took a bit more convincing ;) Despite the MANY failed attempts at getting her to go on a date with him - Trey didn’t give up. The boy was RELENTLESS and good thing too because after several months of occasional texting and persuading on his part, she finally agreed to go out with him. Kim still wasn’t keen on the idea and SWORE it was not a date….but as fate would have it, the two of them clicked instantly! She said it was like they had known each other their whole life and were best friends already. She still kicks herself for not agreeing to it sooner but she also enjoys teasing him for “stalking” her for 9 months HAHA. Now 4 years later they are married with 2 beautiful babes and 3 awesome pups ❤️
The sweetest right?! Check out their session below <3
I always offer help to my clients when deciding on wardrobe because what you wear can really play a major role in the outcome of your session. When it comes to choosing what to wear you really need to think about the different colors, patterns, and textures you use! You want to wear something that flows nicely, but you also want to make sure you wear something that fits YOUR STYLE and that you are comfortable in! If you don't like what you see in the mirror, you definitely won't like it on the camera. To help make choosing outfits for your session easier I put together a few tips below as well as some links to inspirations boards and a list of my favorite shops. Let's get started!
I'm going to be honest, having everyone in the same color and matching shirts is boring! It makes everyone blend in and your photos lack personality and "pop." An easy way to dress your family is to put one person in a pattern with a few different colors. A floral dress or shirt is a perfect example. This will serve as the base to your color scheme! Then you can simply just select colors from that pattern to dress the rest of your family.
This sounds obvious but I have had clients show up in long sleeves and jeans during the middle of Summer here in Florida! No matter how much you love an outfit, if you are going to be sweating and miserable the entire session - it's not worth it! I always tell my clients to dress in layers, that way if it's too hot you can always remove an article of clothing and vice versa if it's too cold.
Like I said above, dress in layers. Vest, scarves, and cardigans are great if it's cold out. You could also do a cute jacket over a maxi dress. If you are pregnant, a lace kimono over a bandeau top is a gorgeous way to show off your bump! For little boys, add suspenders! I love rings, bracelets, and hats of all kinds! If your husband wears a hat and doesn't want to take it off - just buy him one that matches your outfits. Others may not not agree but at the end of the day all we want is for everyone to be happy during our session together - so if your husband wants to wear a hat, let him;)
When it comes to choosing outfits you need to choose a good color palette. DON'T wear neon or extremely bright colors. They create terrible color casts on the skin and reflect light in an unflattering way. I always tell my clients to choose versions of the primary colors; brick/maroon, mustard, rust, olive, navy, royal, teal, etc. Neutrals like tans, ivory, light pinks and blues also work really nicely together! Crazy patterns and shirts with logos/numbers should also be avoided!
For your in-home session I recommend wearing solid, neutral colors ONLY. This keeps it from being too distracting and works nicely with all types of home decor. Just keep it simple and you can't go wrong!
V-neck, henley tees, and button ups in solid colors with fitted shorts/pants work great! Rompers and suspenders are adorable on little boys - jeans and no shirt also works well for summer time.
Long flowy dresses help create a feeling of movement and emotion in your images. Choose solid colors or gorgeous prints that compliment your skin tone. I also highly recommend wearing your hair down in your images!
As always, these are only suggestions! If you have different tastes and love lots of color, feel free to put as much personality into your wardrobe as possible! If your session is near a body of water, bring towels and extra clothing because I love to have my clients get in the water! I have several dresses ranging from size small-large for women and several outfits for children! Client wardrobe is available for use with the purchase of ANY session! Feel free to bring a few things that have meaning to you (a special quilt, a guitar, etc). I really hope these tips help you when choosing outfits for your family session! Below I linked some inspirations boards for the different seasons and a few of my favorite places to shop :) If you have any questions, please ask! Also feel free to send me as many pictures of your choices that you want! I promise I am HAPPY to help! <3
FOREVER 21 (Women)
FREE PEOPLE (Women)
H&M (Women, Men, Kids)
OLD NAVY (Women, Men, Kids)
TARGET(Women, Men, Kids)
ASHLEY ROSE CLOTHING (Kids)
VICI (Women)
BAILEY'S BLOSSOMS (Kids)
PINK BLUSH (Women, Maternity)
PIPER AND SCOOT (Women)
ZARA (Kids)
This bride and groom are an absolutely gorgeous couple. They were surrounded by the sweetest, most welcoming friends and family- I truly enjoyed capturing their day. The Wedding took place on a beautiful little horse farm in Santa Rosa Beach. From the decorations to the food, everything was amazing.
My favorite moment from the entire day was the feet washing ceremony. How beautiful it was to watch 2 people promise to serve Christ and one another for the rest of their lives. In John 13:17 the Lord promises that when we have that of a servant's heart, we will be greatly blessed. I truly believe these two will be blessed for years to come.
Thank you Holly + Dustin for allowing me to capture your beautiful day!
I just adore being able to get my family in the frame. All of my sessions hold a special place in my heart, but sessions with my family are even more special, for obvious reasons.
If you haven't met my sister Heather, just know she is amazing. She is stubborn and sarcastic and funny and always speaks her mind- she may even cuss a little much... But she has a heart of gold. She will literally do anything for anyone in need. I've witnessed first hand the kindness in her heart. She has done so much for me personally, and for my little family. I will never be able to fully thank her or repay her for the things she has done (and continues to do)- but I hope she knows just how much I cherish and love her. I adored her session with her babes and I hope she does, too.
Heather, Elijah, and Lillie<3
When I was pregnant with my first child I was 100% positive that I was going to breastfeed him. But, as every Mom knows, this journey with kids is so unpredictable and things don't always go as planned no matter how badly you want them to. I was in active labor for 14 long, unmedicated, hours when I was told that I would have to have a c-section. Was it the end of the world? Well no, but for someone who didn't even have it in the back of her mind at all, it was pretty devastating.
Of course everything went great, my little guy came out healthy as could be and I loved him more than anything in the world. It was definitely one of the best days of my life! But I was in a lot of pain. I didn't really get much help from the staff with breastfeeding and getting him to latch properly, so by the time I got home my nipples were cracked and bleeding. If you've never experienced this, lucky you, because that crap hurts haha! Between that and my c-section incision I was so miserable. I also believe I was dealing with a little bit of postpartum depression which just added onto to the misery.
That first week was such an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. I just cried and cried and cried. My husband didn't know what to do, I wasn't even close to enjoying motherhood, and I just felt like I was completely failing my boy. As much as I wanted to, I felt like I couldn't give up breastfeeding because "formula is bad" and what will people think and will we have that same kind of bond that breastfeeding moms do???? It was such a difficult decision for me, but eventually I did give up and I felt so guilty about it for the longest time. But then I had a moment where I realized- my baby is happy, healthy, and thriving on formula. I'm happy. I'm enjoying motherhood, my husband was able to help me feed him (which he LOVED), my son and I had an INCREDIBLE bond and overall everything was so much better for our little family!
So in this case, for my family, formula was what was best for us. However, I did successfully breastfed our second child (18 months) and it has been a completely different but amazing experience! I have enjoyed every single moment of it. But you know what? The results are the same-- two happy, healthy, beautiful, amazing little boys who love their Mama unconditionally. Which just goes to show it isn't about the way you feed them, it is about the way you love, nurture, and care for them!!! Let's be honest, our babes aren't going to remember how they were fed as infants, they are going to remember how you raised them. So please please please don't let the choice between formula and breastfeeding determine your worth as a mother. If you are trying your hardest to make decisions with your child's absolute best interest in mind, you are doing a good job Mama!
I am so thankful for these 5 ladies who came out to support one another and help advocate that Fed is Best! They were amazing and just absolutely stunning. There was a lot of laughs, a little conversation, some baby loving.... and then they nourished their littles in a way that was best for their family<3 It was a such beautiful evening and I'm so thankful I was there to document it all! If you missed out, don't worry- I'll be doing it again next year with hopefully even more Mama's! Until then, here's the rest of the images from this gorgeous session... enjoy <3
Kennedy won the Motherhood Session Giveaway I held back in April... it only took 3.5 months but I'm finally sharing the images from her session. Better late than never, right?! Plus these were totally worth the wait <3 <3
We ended up starting our session a little later than planned and right before we began the sun hid behind some clouds. I was bummed because I really wanted that golden sunlight coming through, but I'm so happy that it didn't turn out that way because I really love the moody vibe it created!
These two were so so adorable and sweet and playful-- I really enjoyed my time with them! One of my favorite, most relaxed sessions to date!
Oh this little session just pulled on my heart strings<3
As a Daddy's girl, the photos I have with him are SO important to me. I will cherish them forever. He was {and always will be} my safe place. My protector. My hero. My first love. He's taught me so many things about life and love that only a Dad could teach you. He has helped shape me into the person I am today and I am so beyond thankful for him- I don't tell him nearly enough- but I am so so thankful. Honestly, I feel like today Father's are totally underappreciated and it's unfair. They are just as important as Mother's and should be celebrated in the same way.
Every year around Mother's Day I see SO MANY people booking their Motherhood Sessions and messaging me to get gift certificates for their significant others or Mother. But then Father's Day rolls around and nothing. Why? There are so many amazing Dad's in the world that support, nurture, and share the responsibility of caring for their children- even some single Dad's who do all the raising on their own- but for some reason I never have anyone book a "Fatherhood" Session.
Maybe it's because men don't usually like being in front of the camera. Maybe it just seems "odd" because no one else is doing it. Whatever it is, we need to change it because our children NEED these moments with their Dad to look back on. And years from now when you're sitting at home in an empty house, you'll need them to. So if you're the wife to an amazing man who is also an amazing Father- book a session for him! If you're a single Dad doing it all on your own- book a session for yourself! I promise to make it fun and as pain-free as possible. No posing or forced smiles, just Dad + his kiddos making memories.
For those interested, I'll be doing Fatherhood Mini Sessions for a special price- message me for more info<3
In the meantime, enjoy some photos from this super sweet and fun Father + Son Creek Session.
I love photographing mothers. There's just something so special held within their hearts that shine through every in-between moment..... THAT is what I love documenting.
