Baby Belle {a newborn portrait}

Baby Belle Godwin is the baby that really introduced my daughter, Sasha, to what a growing belly is all about.   Sasha was just about to turn three years old when her little sister was born, so she didn’t really understand my pregnancy.  She was a year-and-a-half older when her lead teacher, Ms. Carrie, started showing a little life form inside of her, and Sasha soaked it in.  So Baby Belle Elizabeth, as Sasha calls her, is a special one to my family as we watched her make a belly grow.  And she is an adorable one.

 

Newman Family {Phoenix portrait session at The Farm}

So happy to see more of and share more from the Newman family… after the focused baby portrait session at their home, we scheduled a family portrait session at The Farm at South Mountain.  I like to start my sessions with more traditional shots…

and move into the fun shots, in motion and interacting…

And, as all parents can probably relate, when Megan and Ryan changed their focus to each other rather than their new family addition, the gesture was a little foreign to all, and even baby William showed his surprise and actually tried to nuzzle between them to get their attention back.  It was adorable.

And here’s the holiday card that we put together, I provided the template and Megan provided the suggestions for some customizations that turned out beautifully.

 

Baby Jacob {a newborn portrait}

A precious new life by the name of Jacob Reynolds entered the world about one month ago. I had the privilege of capturing some of his earliest moments.  Thank you, Kathleen and Mark, he’s beautiful!  I’m looking forward to watching him grow into that wonderfully wrinkly newborn skin of his.

 

Faiza + Kamran : An Indian Wedding in NYC’s Central Park

A Muslim Indian/Pakistani wedding that was destined to be too big if held in their hometown in Georgia was beautifully located in the Boathouse Restaurant in New York City’s Central Park, the site of Faiza and Kamran’s first date (…their first date after growing up as close friends all those years…).  A wonderful love story for a strong, beautiful couple and a wedding that I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of.   Thank you, Faiza and Kamran, for allowing me to be a part of your special day and weekend.

I’d also like to thank Sonal Shah, for introducing them to me and taking care of the couple and families with your amazing event planning skills and professional team; Jane Zarzynski, for your wonderful support second shooting and exploring The City with me, and to Johnny and Lane of Life Stream Video, you were a pleasure to work with.

No photos or video are allowed during a Muslim wedding ceremony. The ceremony itself takes place mostly sitting in chairs and is inspiring with its quiet prayers and blessings.  These images below were shot after the ceremony and heading into the reception:

It had been raining all day so we were elated when the clouds dried up just in time after the wedding to grab some outdoor portraits at a place of significance for Faiza and Kamran.

 

Faiza + Kamran {Mehendi & Garba} in NYC

A sneak peek with more to come from this amazing wedding very soon…

These images are from Faiza and Kamran’s mehendi and garba event at the Vermillion Restaurant the night before their wedding at the Boathouse in New York City’s Central Park.  What a fun and colorful evening of celebration!

 

baby love : a portrait

It brings me such joy too to be able to follow families through my photography as they grow.  Megan and Ryan Newman got married over three years ago at the lovely Royal Palms in Phoenix.  As you can see in this image from their wedding, they openly show their love and have fun with life.  And they are another family in the baseball world – I hear that Ryan is the youngest minor leagues manager out there.

And their little guy, William, is one happy fellow.  Just five months old for this portrait session and so precious.

 

“…Only Small Things with Great Love”

We can do no great things, only small things with great love.  -Mother Theresa

This statement is so wonderful and powerful.  It’s something that I’m trying to embrace and wrap myself around both in my life and photography, and, hopefully, as I begin to share some new projects in-the-works, this Great Love shows through in the Small Things I’m able to do.

 

Our hometown home run king and his queen are glowing

Here are photos from my recent maternity portrait session with my newest friends, the beautiful and glowing Kathleen Reynolds and her home-run-hitting hubby, Mark.  They are the sweetest couple and wonderful to work with (just like all my clients – I love you all!).  I can’t wait to meet their little guy due in November (how’s that for perfect end-of-season timing!).

In their premiere session we’ll try out some antique finishes to complement their home decor:

And here’s my own modern style mixed in for fun:

 

The Call Family – A Family Portrait

And another family portrait session from the spring, please meet some more friends…the Call Family! :

A late add to this post, but it had to be done because it’s just so true to family life (as well as to photo shoots):

 

The Chavez Family – A Family Portrait

I’ve been listening more and hearing lately that people really like to see their photos featured on photographer’s blogs and websites unless they specifically request privacy, so I’m going to start updating my blog with both recent and older work (of course, as long as the permission has been granted!).  Here’s a family portrait session from this past spring…meet my friends: The Chavez Family!