Brand New Baby H! - Belmont, NC Newborn Photographer

I recently had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Josh, Leah, Mr. J and Brand New Baby H! This gorgeous family was wonderful to work with and as you can see, Mr. J is an extremely proud big brother!

For some reason, it seems like I've had more newborn boys than girls, so getting to cuddle this precious little one was a real treat! She definitely wins the title of baby with the most hair among the newborns that I've worked with. And the natural highlights gilding those soft curls were to die for!

After recently investing is some macro equipment, I was so thrilled to have a chance to document those adorable baby bits up close! Seriously, I cannot get enough of baby toes!

Because I've had so few newborn girls, I was super excited to bust out my crafting gear and whip up some new headbands and crowns for this little one. I haven't had much of an excuse to craft lately, so it was nice to dig out some ribbon, beads and my glue gun and put it all to good use.

I think you all know how much I love my ever expanding basket collection, so I have to break out at least a few of those. After all, I absolutely do think, "Can I put a baby in that?" pretty much every time I go to the store!

This little sweetie was just a dream to photograph. She hardly fussed at all and was perfectly content to snuggle up in my warm, soft blankets while I snapped away!

* Note the "chin on hands" pose below is a composite of multiple photographs where the baby was supported at all times.

One of my favorite parts of any session, is when clients have a personal item that they want to incorporate. I can't stress enough how much meaning that adds to the photos. In this case, Leah has a wooden rocking horse that was hers when she was a little girl. She named the horse O.J. and he is still part of their family today. I was so happy to get a chance to photograph the newest member of their family taking a "ride" on O.J.

 * Note the image below is a composite of multiple photographs where the baby was supported at all times.

Thank you so much, Josh and Leah for letting me preserve this special time in your life! I know that Mr. J and Miss H will be fast friends and bring you so much joy in the years to come!

Twins In Tuxes! - Lake Wylie, SC Children's Photographer

The beginning of the year means I get to spend some quality time with two of my favorite little guys for their yearly birthday photo session! Their mom, Kim, always comes up with some fun ideas for each of these sessions, to make them a little more special for the boys and different from the family photo session that they do with me each fall. This year she purchased tiny tuxedos for her twins! Say that five times fast... ;-)

Both boys looked so dapper in their tuxes. I knew of a perfect location to fit in with the formal, but still fun, vibe that the tuxes added to the photo session.

I think the boys might have been channeling James Bond. I assume they like their chocolate milk shaken, not stirred...

The addition of sunglasses gave the look more of a "Men In Black" feel. Meet Agent N and Agent L! They were two cool little dudes!

I had fun spending a little individual time with each of the boys. Their personalities are so different and they had a great time hamming it up for me in front of the camera.

We had some amazing light in the woods as the sun started to set. I just love how their black tuxes pop off of that warm, golden background!

We finished the session up with a few studio shots so the boys could show off their trademark green and blue birthday sweaters. They even remember who gets which color from year to year.

Happy birthday, boys! I had so much fun at your session and I know you did, too. And if anyone out there is desperately seeking two adorable ring bearers for your wedding, give me a call. I'm pretty sure I can hook you up!

Kevin & Cassidy say "I do" - Clover, SC Wedding Photography

I hadn't had the opportunity to photograph a wedding in a while, so I was very excited when Kevin and Cassidy asked me to document their special day!

Cassidy's dress and flowers were just beautiful. She picked a deep, rich red as her accent color, so classic red roses were a perfect choice in her bouquet.

Cassidy and her bridesmaids got ready in her home. They had a great time together doing hair and makeup to prepare for the main event.

Cassidy's bridesmaids each wore a quintessential "little black dress" which is always a great choice to flatter the ladies in the wedding party and make them feel beautiful, too!

Even though the wedding was held in January, we had a rare beautiful day. Although it rained the whole week beforehand and we still had cloudy skies, the sun peeked through here and there and the temperature made it feel more like early spring.

Kevin made such a handsome groom, and his and Cassidy's son was an equally handsome ring bearer!

One of my favorite moments is always catching the look on a groom's face when he sees his bride for the first time on their wedding day. Kevin's smile did not disappoint!

There were so many special moments during their ceremony, I was so honored to be there to capture them all.

And of course, the kiss and the introduction of the newly married couple are also favorite moments for me, as well! It's easy to see the joy in Cassidy's big smile!

Cassidy was able to take a few minutes with her mother and sister after the wedding. All the ladies in the family looked gorgeous for this special event.

These are my favorite photos from the day. I just love Cassidy's soft smile and stunning brown eyes! She was a truly beautiful bride!

Of course we had to get some group shots of the wonderful friends and family who shared this special day with the couple. I love the expressions in the photo of Cassidy with her dad.

Next it was time for a photo of the new family and a few fun shots with the wedding party.

Then we cleared out the church to make time for a few private moments with the newlyweds. While they enjoyed a little bit of quiet time after the hectic day, I got some close-up shots of their gorgeous rings. Cassidy rings were so tiny that her wedding band completely fit inside of Kevin's!

No wedding is complete without a gorgeous cake! I loved how the black swirls on the cake coordinated with Cassidy's black and white reception color theme.

Cassidy couldn't pass up her once in a lifetime opportunity to "cake" her groom! Kevin was a good sport, although it's probably pretty lucky that he had already very nicely given Cassidy her piece of cake beforehand.

Then it was time for the toast. Best wishes for many years of happiness for this wonderful couple!

As the reception wound down, it was time for the bouquet and garter tosses. Kevin surprised the men with a little slingshot-style garter throw!

Kevin and Cassidy must have some great friends, because both of their vehicles were very nicely decorated for their departure and no one went overboard with anything crazy, as far as I could tell.

Congratulations, Kevin & Cassidy! Thank you so much for letting me document your special day!

This Little Cowboy is Turning 1! - Clover, SC Child Photography

I can't believe it's already been a year since this little cowboy's newborn session. Somehow, it seems like that was just a few months ago! A year ago, we were snuggling him inside that red wooden bucket, and now he's sitting on top of it. It's easy to see just how much he's grown.

Little Mr. C loves balloons and his birthday photo session was the perfect time to use a few to create a fun backdrop!

He wasn't so sure about the cake, but he had a good time digging out the baby snack puffs that we sprinkled on top of it.

This little guy had so many cute expressions, I think he had a fun time, even if we couldn't quite convince him that he really would like the cake...

Train-tastic! - Belmont, NC Child & Family Photography

I am so privileged to have a number of families who have been with me since the very beginning of my business. If you've followed me long, then you know that Marty, Kim and their adorable twin sons are one of those families. They are definitely Speechless VIPs, and I am so honored to feel like I have watched these boys grow up over the last few years!

The boys were happy to help me when I told them to tickle their mom and dad. I'm not sure who laughed more, the twins or Marty and Kim!

With this gorgeous mom and handsome dad, it's easy to see why the boys are so cute! As a side note, I just love Kim's boots! She always does a great job of choosing the clothing for her family for their photos.

I just love these individual shots of the boys. We do something similar to this at each of their sessions, and it's so fun to compare them and see how much they have changed.

This family session was held in Belmont, NC, which is a great area for family portraits. The kids always love the train and the nearby park and variety of restaurants make it convenient to have a fun night out after the session. This vibrant red brick wall was also a wonderful feature to include as a backdrop for their photos.

 Every great photo session should end with a little leaf fight... I think so, anyway!

The Best Christmas Present Ever! - Lake Wylie, SC Child & Newborn Photography

I just finished taking down all my Christmas decorations, and I'm already missing the warm glow of twinkling lights. Looking back at this session that I did before Christmas helps to bring back that festive holiday feeling.

Parents Michael and TJ got a wonderful early Christmas present this year, a beautiful newborn baby boy! Welcome, Baby E!

You can tell Little Miss R enjoyed modeling her beautiful Christmas dress for me in front of their tree.

Their gorgeously decorated Christmas tree made a fantastic backdrop for family photos during the holiday season. I just love the lights and ornaments in the background.

Baby E enjoyed all the excitement of his first professional photo session and even smiled a time or two.

Little Miss R is already taking her duties as a new big sister very seriously. I just know these two little ones will grow up to be fast friends!

Albert, Jennifer & Little Mr. A! - Fort Mill, SC Family Photographer

I'm sure you remember Albert, Jennifer & Little Mr. A from their family session last fall. I love catching up with my repeat clients each year and this beautiful family is no exception!

If you can't quite place them, then I'm sure the photo of this little guy with a leaf will help jog your memory. He was completely fascinated by them last year, and that was something that hadn't changed!

Since I remembered that little Mr. A loved having fun things to hold and check out, I brought some shiny, shatter-proof ornaments with me this year. He loved twirling them around and throwing them in the grass!

I couldn't get over how much this little cutie had grown up since I had seen him last! He was standing tall and buzzing right along with Mom and Dad close behind.

Little Mr. A has the sweetest disposition, he is such a happy little guy!

This is one of my favorite images from the session. I just love those sparkling brown eyes and sweet smile!

And since Mr. A was having a ball with those over-sized ornaments nearby, I was able to get a few photos of just Albert and Jennifer together while he played. I know that it's always nice for busy parents to get a couple of pictures of just the two of them.