Fort Fisher │ Merritt Family Fall Session

When a wonderful past bride, Amy, contacted me (see their engagement session here, their amazing wedding post will be up sooooooooon) to schedule a family session for her maid of honor Michelle, I was so excited! Michelle was pregnant with their little boy at the wedding, and has an adorable 3 year old daughter, Chloe who I could not wait to photograph again. They chose a favorite location, Fort Fisher, which never disappoints. We started our session with baby Carter, a bundle of snuggable baby thighs and the poutiest baby lips ever!

Once Chloe had finished picking out her outfit, she joined us for our little walk exploring around Fort Fisher. She couldn't wait to push the buttons on my camera (which is typically the bribe I use for the kiddos to find a little patience when the photo session is almost over) and was absolutely adorable from start to finish! 

How stinkin' cute is Chloe? I asked her to show me her favorite happy face and this is what she did: 

She is the best!

The sweetest moments from our fall photo session at Fort Fisher came when Chloe got to hold her new little brother all by herself. She was so proud! 

Thank you Merritt Family for spending the evening with me and my camera! I loved seeing you again and can't wait until the next round! Your family is absolutely wonderful.

Wilmington Newborn │Jordan

You guys... look at that absolutely perfect little face!!! When Ronda emailed me to book her newborn session, I was so excited to meet their new little boy. Her family & home were absolute dreams for our shoot and I could have snuggled that baby ALL.DAY.LONG. My favorite moments were of course the images we captured of the older siblings cuddling with their baby brother. It is such a sweet thing to witness! 

Can you believe that head of hair? He is just so precious. Doing an in-home newborn photography session is always something I look forward to because you get a feel for those first new moments as a family in your client's personal space. My job is to make things as easy as possible for you, you have enough going on with a newborn in the home, and I don't want you to have to worry about what you need to do to make your house "good enough" for a newborn session! Within just a few minutes of walking around the Manuel's home, we found the perfect light in their master bedroom which was an ideal spot for little Jordan's session! 

I just love him!!! Next up was a little camera time for Jordan's sweet sisters, Ryann and Kameron. They were such good listeners and couldn't wait to hold Jordan's teeny baby hands and snuggle him on the big bed. Basically, my heart imploded and I blame those three peanuts ;) Aren't those first sibling moments the BEST??

Manuel Family, thank you so much for inviting me into your world for a little while! I loved meeting your children and I hope that life treats you so well as a family of 5. Congratulations!

Fall Minis!

It's hard to believe but it is that time of year again: FALL MINI SESSIONS! If you're anything like me, you love the idea of a full photo session but can't seem to find the time to do a full hour session with your family, and the next thing you know your year has flown by! That's what makes these sessions absolutely perfect, especially for this time of year when we are all gearing up for the  holidays which will be here before you know it. This is the only time I offer mini sessions each year and they do tend to book quickly, so please contact me as soon as possible to book your preferred date & time! 

Our $125 Mini Sessions will include:

20 minute mini session

10 digital images in online gallery

Print Release

This year, I will be holding Fall Minis in specific locations on specific dates, please review the  info below to pick out the session that best fits your mini session needs:

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Fort Fisher

Beautiful natural landscape as far as the eye can see! Fort Fisher is the perfect location for those families who would love images that revolve around gorgeous trees, fields and the ocean!

Evening minis on Sunday, September 17th: 5:45 pm, 6:15 pm and 6:45 pm

Evening minis on Wednesday, September 20th:  5:45 pm, 6:15 pm and 6:45 pm

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Abbey Preserve Nature Walk

 

This is one of my favorite nature walks in the area, with gorgeous natural light and tree-lined trails through the forest! The fall colors typically pop mid-October thru November.

Thursday, October 12th: 9:30 am, 10 am, 5:45 pm and 6:20 pm

Saturday, November 4th: 9:30 am, 10 am, 5 pm and 5:30 pm

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Downtown Wilmington

This is the perfect location to take advantage of all that our beautiful city has to offer: beautiful waterfront boardwalk, cobblestone streets, beautiful buildings and tree lined streets. 

Friday, September 22nd: 5:45 pm, 6:15 pm and 6:45 pm

Morning or Evening Minis on Wednesday, September 27th: 8 am, 8:30 am, 5:45 pm, 6:15 pm and 6:45 pm

All Day Minis Sunday, October 1st: 8 am, 8:30 am, 3 pm, 330 pm, 5:30 pm, 6 pm and 6:30 pm

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If you would like to book, please contact me as soon as possible to reserve your preferred time and date! All mini galleries will be delivered to clients within one week of your photo session. You may download & print your images as you see fit. I do offer prints, canvases, holiday cards, etc which you may purchase through your gallery! Easy peasy, friends! 

• Fort Fisher: September 17th & September 20th
• Abbey Preserve Nature Trail:  October 12th, November 4th
• Downtown Wilmington: September 22nd, September 27th & October 1st

Click Here to Book Your Fall Mini!

Oak Island │Family Session

On what was quite possibly the windiest day I have ever experienced in my life, Courtney & her lovely family and I headed out to the beach for their family photo session while they were visiting North Carolina! It was so great to see them and to meet their newest little one, Tucker, who is an absolute doll. So adorable! The key to a family session with weather circumstances that are less than ideal, I have found, is to go with the flow and let the little ones have as much fun as they possibly can. These images capture their children just being kids and enjoying the beach, their family spending some time together on one of the last days of their North Carolina vacation and introducing their new baby to the ocean. Loved having you all in front of my lens, cannot wait to see you all next trip! 

Elizabethtown Vineyard Elopement │ Thomas & Gillian

I have been so fortunate thus far in that this career has set me directly in the path of meeting so many incredible couples. I have been able to witness and photograph moments in their lives that will likely be looked back on as some of their absolute happiest days. When I was contacted to photograph Thomas and Gillian's Cape Fear Vineyard elopement ceremony, I was so excited! I love this location and couldn't wait to see this couple say "I do." It just so happened their wedding day was VERY LUCKY, i.e. it poured down rain for the majority of the day, ha! Luckily, their simple ceremony took place under the cover of the property's lakeside gazebo. The rain held off just long enough to whisk the couple away under umbrellas to the ceremony spot and we were off! In this area, there are only a handful of wedding venues that include a beautiful vineyard, lakeside ceremony gazebo, beautifully landscaped grounds as well as carefully curated lake cottages to accommodate your out of town guests: Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery is easily the one of the best local vineyard wedding venues if you are on the hunt! Thank you so much for including me on your wedding day, Thomas & Gillian!

After a little bit of wedding day good luck torrential downpour rainfall, I joined Thomas & Gillian in the vineyard and around the property of Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery for their official bride & groom portraits. Such a beautiful place and love the ease of this vineyard elopement! 

“Congratulations, you two lovebirds! All my best, Tiff”

Cake Smash │Josie Kate

I. adore. this. kid. 

She just kills me with those big brown eyes and her adorable little smile, so so sweet! Josie and I go waaaaay back, you may remember her Mom's maternity shoot, Reveal Party, and Josie's newborn sessions!  When Katie called me to book Josie's 1 Year Cake Smash session, I first had to pinch myself because there was no possible way a full year had already flown by and we were prepping for a first birthday for that sweet newborn. Seriously you guys, how in the world is it all flying by so fast?? I of course jumped at the chance to see Josie for this photo session and I think you would have to agree that her Mom pulled together some pretty sweet props for us! Thanks again, Katie and happy birthday, Josie! Check out the super cute Mini Cake Smash cake by CCupsCupcakery in Southern Pines.

How cute is that little outfit? Ha, I can't even! I tell  you what, there is nothing more fun for parents than that 1st birthday shoot where you can sit back and look at how far you've come in just twelve little months!

Look how teeny she was in that framed photo! 

I think it's safe to say that the red velvet cake by CCupsCupCakery was a huge hit with Josie! Did you see her little face when we tried to move the cake away so I could get in position before letting her eat it??? Hahaha! Kids are the BEST.

Josie Kate, you are so loved! I hope you had a wonderful 1st year and I cannot wait to see what the new year brings to you, sweet girl! 

Rhode Island │Baby Renton

There's just nothing like it. Sarah and I have been best friends since my junior year of high school in Newport, Rhode Island. 21 years later, having been through so many important life moments together, I was introduced to the new love of her life: her son, Renton. And you guys, he is perfection...

This blog post will be unapologetically long, filled to the brim with newborn photography because I was set loose in my brand new nephew's home for a few days with plenty of time to chase after him with my camera. I loved seeing my own daughter interact with him, it was just the sweetest thing listening to her speak to him with such a soft voice, kissing his baby cheeks and rubbing his little belly. One of these years, she will make a fantastic big sister (if we're lucky!) but for now, she is loving her new cousin "Baby Renton" her new "bess fen".

A month or so ago, we took a trip to Rhode Island for Sarah's baby shower and we were able to decorate Renton's nursery which I am in love with!! Really adorable. This room is so filled with love already. Definitely one of my favorite DIY projects to help out on to date!

As luck would have it, the timing of this trip for me meant that I was able to see little Renton have his first bath! He did a lot better than Isla, that's for sure. While I still don't think he was a huge fan, he did have the tiniest baby cry in the history of all baby cries, and that little pouty lip ((sigh))! So sweet watching Hess & Sarah scoop him up and comfort him as soon as they got him out of the water.

I could stare at Renton's little face for hours, and I'm fairly certain I did. It's just the most surreal thing to watch your best friend become a parent! We started our friendship just a few weeks after I learned to drive, Sarah was not even old enough to drive at that point. We went to college together, worked together, lived together, traveled across the world together, stood by each other as we went through some of the hardest moments of our lives, and now that she's celebrated with me as I became a parent, I am so thrilled to get to experience that with her. 

Sweet little Renton, I could not love you more. For now, I will leave you with a little song I like to sing Isla every night at bed time, until I am able to get back to Rhode Island and smother you in kisses and snuggles: 
 

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy when skies are gray.

You'll never know dear how much we love you,

Until you hold your babies one day.

Topsail │Family Session Kelly

Okay, Kelly. The family genes are strong and GORGEOUS in your family line. Look at those kiddos! Another beautiful Topsail Beach photo session, but this time it was just the girls in the family who wanted to capture a few moments of their Girl's Trip before heading back home. How many moments will you have in your lifetime where the most important women in your life will be all together, just enjoying each other's company? I loved the idea of hiring someone to document a small portion of that quality time. I truly hope that these photos are something you look back on fondly in the years to come, Kelly. Look back and remember that your girls were still under your roof and while they were looking very beautiful and grown up they were also still playful enough to try to carry each other across the sands, while your Mom and sister were still teasing you about your mother having a "favorite child".  

Document your days, friends. Don't just take the photos, make sure you make the effort to be in them! Time flies and years go by and while the intention is usually there to do just that, I know how easy it is to let the everyday moments sidetrack you and before you know it, those days of your children being little are past tense. Celebrate all of those little moments! 

Thank you so much for the invite, Kelly! 

Topsail │Family Session Tara

I love finding new places to photograph vacationing families and Topsail Beach did not disappoint! Absolutely stunning landscape! We could not have gotten a more beautiful sunset for our photo shoot had we ordered it. Thank you, Tara, for inviting me to photograph your extended family on Topsail Beach!

Hampstead │Engagement Whitney & Chad

Introducing another awesome 2017 couple of mine, Whitney & Chad! I cannot wait to photograph their Oak Island wedding day in just a few weeks. This couple was game to head out to Abbey Nature Preserve and find a few out of the way location gems that basically make my heart skip a beat every time. Give me allllllll the overgrown grass, fall colors and that last burst of sunset light shining through the branches (((swoon))). Whitney & Chad, the next time I blog about you will be to show off your wedding photos, can you believe it???