Little Monkey Birthday

Jackson is back, and he's one year old!
For this 1-year combo session, we started with an adorable outfit and some silly grins, switched gears to some 'beach bum' poses and a July 4th outfit, and ended with a very silly, very messy, very adorable 'Little Monkey' cake smash.
He like the frosting, and was certainly having fun picking it off his toes, but wasn't a big fan of messy hands.
A big challenge to this session was the speed of little Jackson! He crawled and scooted around quicker than the click of my camera, so we had to do a bit of trickery in the form of snacks or toys to make him stay put!
Overall we ended with some super cute shots of this happy birthday boy...

All in the Family

When I was driving to this session last weekend, I didn't know exactly what to expect. I was meeting some new kiddos and their parents, driving to somewhere I had never been, and wasn't sure how long or exactly what the session would entail (and it didn't help that my cell phone had taken a plunge in the potty minutes before leaving, and I only had my prescription sunglasses, as my regular glasses had been left behind...)
That being said, it was a super fun time! The family, parents and kids alike, are all so friendly and sweet, the house was beautiful (although poor indoor lighting and harsh outdoor sun did pose a challenge), and even though the cousins were less than perfect when it came to staying put for a few pictures, we did manage to get some great pictures and collages made that I'm sure Nana will love!

Here are some of the sweet faces that I had the pleasure of photographing last weekend... 

Momma's Boy

I had the pleasure of photographing another handsome birthday boy this week, and our session was (as usual with 1-year-olds) lots of fun!
He started off Mr. Serious (which worked out well, as he was wearing his 'formal' shirt and tie), lightened up a bit when we went outside to play in the wagon and washtub, then when it was time to Smash, he was all giggles and grins.
I love his pudgy cheeks and happy, sparkling eyes.
Say "Happy Birthday" to Anthony!

Snakes, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails...

... Isn't that how the nursery rhyme goes?
Well this little guy didn't bring any snakes or snails with him, but he is definitely all boy.
He did such a great job smiling for us, and even after an hour of propping, posing, and outfit changes, he didn't whine or grump even once.
His mom came prepared with some super cute outfits, and we used some fun props, too, like some cool cowboy boots and a cereal set.
Here are some of my favorite images from this very successful session with handsome little Anthony...

'Tutu Cute' contest winner Lainey Rose

... and her adorable big brother!

I had such a blast with these two sweet little ones (and their mom and grandma!)
Lainey Rose, with her big gummy grin and chubby cheeks, could make even the grumpiest grump happy. And big brother Gavin, with his innocent eyes and sweet little grins, was such a good boy.
Lainey, of course, came prepared with her Blossom Bands tutu and matching accessories, and we let big brother play with 'boy' things, like trains and tools (and his favorite teddy blanket).

We ended our session with a few outdoor shots (while being entertained by a some meandering chickens...) and I hope mom is pleased with the resulting images from our session.

I love how the personalities of these two really show through in their pictures...

The Golden Window

There is a very small time in a baby's first year that I like to call 'the golden window'. It's a span of just a few short months that are just perfect for photographing baby. (Not that any time is a BAD time to photograph a baby! Some moments are just better than others...) Between about 6 and 10 months a baby can sit up unassisted, most won't crawl (or run) away, and they are very easy to make laugh and smile.

Sweet little Allie, at a 'roley poley' 7 months, was just a doll during our 60-minute session. She sat where we put her, she gave lots of big smiles and silly faces, she put up with accessories and outfit changes, and made it the full hour without any tears!

Take a look of some sweet portraits of mommy's little "Allie Kat"...