The Big Yellow Chair

          First off, I must say THANK YOU to everyone for their support over the last year. We have grown in leaps and bounds and we have met some really amazing people along the way! We are so grateful, and it's just humbling to have the honor to have met each person, as well as the amount of support we have received!! I could not have seen my dream become a reality without each and every person, whether it be by having a session, or just spreading the word, sharing an image, or commenting on a photograph! Photography is not something I do... It's who I am.

          I like to run a contest every now and again, and the first contest of 2012 exceeded my expectations three fold!!! I was AMAZED by the amount of contestants, and then the fight to the top to win a free session with us! I had completely underestimated just how well this contest was going to go, and I think it took a little while for the shock to wear off! But when the final minutes finally passed, we had but one winner - and it was a close one! 

Our Contest Winner! Miss Ayda!

         Little Miss Ayda not only won, but she won with this image above that I had taken last year when she was 7 months old! (That was kind of like a double win for me!) Ayda's mom has used the same image in numerous beauty pageant competitions since our shoot last year, and has won - to date - every competition for Most Photogenic with this image. So this makes that an award winning photograph... and I'm an award winning photographer by default, right? :) Only kidding. Ayda is just beautiful in her own right, and I only had the privilege to photograph her. She's the real winner. I'm just happy for her (and mom and dad!) that I was able to capture that time for her (and them!) and I was thrilled to be able to do so again this year, along with her big brother Davian! 

        I was completely pumped about this session... the night before, I received a message with a picture of this big, old yellow chair. And I was INSTANTLY in love with it! I could have literally been picked up off the ground after seeing it in person... It was just, for a lack of better words, AWESOME! And the images - ahhhh! I could have died! It just really made each one of them POP! I'm still just head over heels for this chair... I could go on and on about how much I love this old thing... but for your sake, I won't. Instead, I'll quiet my fingers, and let you enjoy the sneak peek images from Ayda's contest winning session!!!!

 

 

Isn't big brother just handsome?!

 

Ballerina in training!

         So there you have it folks! I hope you enjoyed these as much as I enjoyed shooting them!

The Mills Family

          I met Christi a few years ago, when we both were starting out as newbies for a Veteran's Affairs contractor. We started out in different departments, before moving into the same department and sitting probably a little too close to one another. Haha. We used to cut up, make jokes, and pull pranks... and were instant friends. Although our time in the same department was short lived, and we both went on to move into separate management positions, before both finally moving onto new jobs completely, we have still kept in touch.

          I was more than thrilled to be able to capture their family portraits - which they said they had NEVER done. Personally, I don't believe it - but was ecstatic to be able to take an updated family session for them. We decided on doing them near the Ocoee river, and the day couldn't have been more perfect. It wasn't incredibly hot, there was a little breeze, and it was undeniably peaceful at our location!!!

          Christi's son had only one request for pictures - that he get his picture made with his doggie. How could I say no to that?  So, since he was such a good sport and smiled so handsomely during our shoot, we snagged some pictures just for him. It was absolutely adorable to watch him with his best bud and you could just see the love they shared together while they played!

          So, as I like to keep these intros short - because I know you guys just come here to see the pictures and not listen to me gush on and on,  and everyone knows I LOVE to talk! -  I'll put my fingers to rest and let you enjoy these wonderful images.

         

A Boy and his dog...

Ella & Scott - Engaged!

            I met Ella last year during a wedding I was shooting. It was great catching up on life with one another in the course of a year. Now she is planning her wedding, and the bride from the wedding last year is expecting their first baby... It's crazy how life can change so quickly in a year!And I was over joyed to be a part of capturing her engagement!

          One thing that has really amazed me in the past year of shooting, is how I seem to know everyone in some form or fashion. I knew Ella from the wedding... but Scott actually works as IT in my office, and I know for a fact, has called to help me fix my computer at least, if not twice! (I break my office computer at least once a week...it's quite ridiculous!) 

          Luckily, the rain held off long enough to capture some great shots, and the heat hit right as we were wrapping up. We could not have planned that any better if we had tried!!! But enough about me, I know you came here to see a few pictures from our session. So, here you have it!!! The beautiful, Ella, and her handsome husband-to-be, Scott!

Don't make faces... I just might catch it! :)

 

Found a four-leaf clover while walking through the grasses. How cool is that?!

 

Check out that RING! 

O.M.G!!!!

Congratulations to Ella & Scott!!! May you be blessed with many, MANY years of happiness!!

Casey : Spring has Sprung!

    I used to work with Casey's mom not that long ago... although by how much Casey has grown from such an adorable little girl, into such a beautiful young lady - I'd swear it had been multiple, many, MANY years!! Although it is still technically winter, you couldn't tell it by the 70+ degree weather - and all the blooming flowers and trees!! It was beautiful for March... and Casey just rocked this session. She made it all look so easy, and could have easily been mistaken as a pro!