A little star

This adorable little sweetie pie is just growing like a weed. I shot her when she was barely 2 weeks old, then at 3 months, then at 6 months, and this weekend at 9 months. I even planed my first trip in for portrait sessions this fall around this little star's birthday. I feel like she's my niece, I swear when she gets older and I'm taking her picture I'm going to be saying "smile for aunt avery!" She just gets cuter and cuter and I just get crazier about her every time I see her. And her mom makes me laugh like no other. I always know a day at her house will be a fun one. :)

Well the big moving day is almost here. I will be in Texarkana to shoot a wedding and several portrait sessions next week, then I'll head to our new home to unpack! I'm totally booked for my Texarkana trip next week but never fear, I will be back so if you still would like a session just e-mail me and we'll work it out! I need to get off this computer and do some packing, so I'm off! I'll update again after the move! I never do selective color, I think it takes the attention off the kiddo and it can be really cheesy, but these shoes were just crying for a little SC so I broke my rule this once. :) I think Lillie inherited great taste from her mom. :)

baby fever...

...this little guy gave me a serious case of it. I stepped in the front door, looked up the stairs at him sitting in his moms lap... then he gave me a big smile and I was done for. :) I just loved hanging out with him, he was really an angel, didn't fuss and let us drag him all over the house for different photo's without complaining one bit. His parents were so sweet and had a real calm relaxed way about them that I think just set the tone for the day (oh and they had the best taste, they had some awesome art in their house). I never got stressed or tired, the session just flowed naturally (and I have a lot going on right now so I needed that!) I can't wait to see him and his family again. :)

It must run in the family

I photographed the youngest two of this bunch in the spring and they are just as handsome as they can be and I guess it runs in the family because I shot them with their cousins today and this is just too much goodlookingness at one time! (no it's not a word.... and yes I'm keeping it...) :) The oldest two (the brother and sister) got along so well, after the session I was driving home and remembering by brother and I at that age and my mom used to force us to hug each other for like half an hour because we would fight so much, and she knew us holding onto each other for that long was the worst punishment possible. I can't imagine that happening with these two, they held hands if I asked, hugged each other if I asked, even danced together when I asked...I was just amazed. :) And these four cousins really have a special bond, they were so sweet together and you could tell they all really loved each other. I was super close to my cousins growing up and I know what a special bond that is so I'm so happy their moms decided to have me capture that. They definitely grow up too fast! I usually only post 3-5 photo's but I just couldn't pick a few.. there are so many I love and I figured... more kids....so more photo's! (Plus it's my blog so there...) :)

The look like they belong in a jcrew crewcuts catalog here.I have a load of photo's of these two looking at the camera and smiling like angels(seriously, these two are super models)... but I'm still kind of partial to this one :) The Great Lolly Pop Tragedy of 2008

It's hot...for real

Seriously, when did it get so hot? I remember not that long ago thinking "man, the Georgia summer is really mild! It's not been that hot at all!" and then BAM it's freaking boiling outside! Today a beautiful senior and her beautiful friend and I shot in downtown and then at an orchard and they were such troopers despite the heat and all the people. Luckily we were able to dip into Opulence every so often so the girls could change, we could cool off, and I could shop. :) If you haven't been to Opulence you must go, it's a fantastic boutique in downtown Athens on Clayton. Anyway, I am super happy with the pics I got today, I know I am going to have a lot of favorites, and I had a blast hanging out with these two, they are really great girls, their parents should be very proud. :) (Oh and the last photo is one of my new all time favorites, I just LOVE it. )

Orchard Baby

I adore this wee one , seriously when I am holding her I just can't stop kissing her! She's just the most kissable thing, I mean look at those cheeks! And those chunky arms and thighs and that belly! Ahhhh! I can hardly stand it! I have been wanting to take some shots like these for quite some time, but to take shots like these... well you have to do things that are inconvenient, like drag furniture out of the house and traipse across a field and it just isn't for everyone (it's for me! but I don't want to put all my clients through the ringer for my crazy ideas). Well this cutie pie's mother is a dear friend of mine (and seriously, she ranks in the top 5 nicest people I have ever met.... ever...) So she and her sweet hubby helped me do a little trespassing and drag a chair out onto an orchard and provided the cutest little model around, and I am over the moon about these photo's. If you aren't afraid to do some things that are a little odd to get a really unique photo, then just tell me you want the "Avery treatment" and I'll take care of the rest!

Conversations with a 2 year old

I love kids, I love their sweet little voices, their big bright eyes, even their mischievous ways, but I think the thing I love most about them is their honestly. When I'm shooting an adult I could ask them to do something that they may not want to do or wear something they may not want to wear and most of the time they would just say "ok, sounds great!" because adults for the most part want to be polite and not hurt your feelings (well my clients at least, they are the nicest people around). But Mr. J wouldn't play that game. :) We went to a lovely park and took some photo's, then I told mom and dad to take a break on a bench while Mr. J and I played on the playground. Our day went something like this:

me: will you look at the camera for me?
Mr. J: Cover me up with sand! (we were playing in the sand)
me: ok, but will you look at me first and then I'll cover you with sand?
Mr. J: hmmm....ok (glances at me for all of 2 seconds)
me: (I start to cover his legs with sand)

You can't renig on a promise to a 2 year old, even if you did only get 2 seconds of shooting time!

But seriously, I love that about kiddo's! They let you know exactly what makes them happy and what they have absolutely no interest in. My job is to find out what they want to do and try to keep them happy doing it so I can... well get photo's of them in a good mood! And also my job is to trick them into wanting to do what I want them to do. :) Mr. J for example, I wanted him to just look at me, because you can't ask for much else from a 2 year old. So, this first pic was taken while I was telling him a story... that I made up... on the spot...and it wasn't that great... but he didn't call me out on it. :) I decided to have a little fun with this one in photoshop. All is needs is a cape and he'll look like a super hero! :)The beautiful family :) His eyes are just stunning!

I'm awful, I know...

So, it's been about a month since we got back from our vacation and I am just now sharing photo's. I just spend so much time on everyone else's photo's that I neglect my own! So cliche, I know :) But one thing that has kept me from working on them is that I am in denial. I can NOT find any of my Paris photo's other than the ones I took on the last day there. Either the card they were on was deleted or I lost a memory card, I'm not sure which. Anyway, it makes me sick and I keep thinking they will turn up but so far... no luck. Well here are a few, our trip was to Paris, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terr and Venice. Every place we went was so different and special in its own way. We saw so many amazing things, The David, The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Arc de Triumph, The Mona Lisa, The Louvre, the streets of water in Venice, Saint Mark's Square, The Duomo, The Coliseum, The Pantheon, Vatican City, and I could just go on and on... It was truly an incredible experience. I can hardly wait until the next trip!

The Duomo-Florence

The David

The Coliseum

French girls playing outside the Louvre

Cinque Terr, Italy

Venice

Venice

Saint Mark's Square

Me on the Duomo in Florence

Crazy in Love

These two are just so in love it made my job beyond easy. I almost got a little teary eyed just watching them together. Two people in love just have this way about them, it's like... if I ask them to sit together and cuddle up then they just seem to meld together naturally, you can see the woman just nestle into the man and you can tell she's nestled against him that same way many times. They are just comfortable being close and being in each others arms and it's apparent that they love being there. It's something I can't really direct or "make happen", it's either there or it's not and with these two... well it was there and then some. :) (click photo's to view larger)

I love this kid

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We spent the weekend with some great friends who have a daughter that I just ADORE. She's just so beyond adorable and sweet, every time I'm around this cutie pie I have to pull out my camera. How could I not? I've also included a pic of us hamming it up at the fireworks show (a pic of me on this blog will definitely be a rarity, but she looked so cute I had to share!). I miss the little munchkin already!