fort lauderdale

real life with elena at menchie's | davie family photographer

What do YOU value most? What are some of your favorite moments with your children? Do you have your answers? Now imagine having professional photos of these kind of special moments that you can cherish forever.

Think of an activity you love to do with your children & I'll tag along to document it.  Maybe its when you bring your kids to get ice cream after school & they tell you all about their day... or your weekly trip to the library when they get to pick out a new book.  Maybe its getting to pass down your mom's signature cookie recipe & baking together at home... or perhaps its simply the moments before your kids go to sleep when you climb into bed with them and read a story... I can give you a million ideas, but my challenge for you is for you to identify the moments you value the most.

one hour with family of 3 on vacation | fort lauderdale beach family photos

Can we just take a second to acknowledge that I seriously have the most beautiful clients? Like, for real. I also happen to live in a very beautiful place. And when you're visiting a beautiful place like South Florida with your family, it becomes a perfect time to capture some updated photos & document your memories here. That is exactly what this family of 3 decided to do while in town from New York & it couldn't have been a more perfect morning. I arrived to Fort Lauderdale Beach just before sunrise to meet them near their hotel & was surprised to see several people already there at such an early hour. (Now that I think about it... if Florida does stay on daylight savings time year round, this will be my very last super-early morning sunrise photo session.)  It was the first day of a "cold front" & was definitely chilly before the sun made its full appearance, but the light was gorgeous & seeing the sun rise always makes the early wake up call worth it. At just 7 months old, the youngest obviously stole the whole show - those little smiles have been killing me while working on the gallery. Here are just a few of my favorites from the session...

2018 Holiday Mini-Session Alternatives | Fort Lauderdale Family Photographer

Another holiday season snuck up on me & my 'in-time-for-holiday-cards-and-gifts' weeks are filling up fast! I will not be offering my normal holiday mini sessions this year, but I am offering some AWESOME deals on 2 different short sessions on a handful of dates through December. I'm talking like $200 off my normal prices, people. And it gets even better... these photo sessions take place at your home, so you can forget the getting-everyone-out-the-door-on-time stress - I'll come to you anywhere in Broward County. 

45-Minute Family Session - $200:

For those looking for the well-groomed family portraits in a short & sweet session, this is the option for you. It takes place in & around your home, which in addition to convenience, means more meaningful photos & the bonus of your kids (and you!) being their most comfortable.These sessions are also great for planned activities - baking cookies, decorating the Christmas tree, reading stories, etc. I'll find the best light & the best spots to shoot and while I do provide gentle direction for posing in these sessions (& capture a couple everyone-looking-at-the-camera- portraits), my personal favorites are the in-between moments & the candid shots that show your family connection. Included in this 45-minute family session is a private gallery to view & share all of your final images, plus a code to deliver your favorite 15 images as high-resolution files. I also offer professional prints & wall art perfect for gifting![tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="10048" layout="contain" columns="3"] 

2-Hour Documentary Family Session - $300:

Documentary sessions capture your family's life in a more honest way - creating images of real moments that carry more of an emotional significance than a fancy-clothes portrait. These sessions are unscripted & not directed or posed in any way. They're most meaningful when I'm documenting a typical day in the life of your family, the things you want to remember forever. Do you play board games every Monday? Do you always go to get ice cream as a family on your way home from the park? Maybe your favorite moments are in the evenings when it calms down after bath time & you cuddle up for a story... or how a dance party breaks out in your living room when you try to cook dinner. Included in this 2-hour documentary family session is a private gallery to view & share all of your final images, plus unlimited high-resolution downloads of all images. I also offer professional prints & coffee-table books perfect for gifting!

These family photo session deals are specifically for the 2018 holiday season & available in Plantation, Davie, Cooper City, Weston, Sunrise, Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale & all of Broward County. Get updated family photos for your holiday cards, photo book gifts & for your own frames & walls.

Engagement Session | Tree Tops Park Photographer

Just six weeks prior, I had been a complete ball of nerves shooting photos of these two, knowing that Michele was about to pop the question.  But this time didn't involve any surprises... there was no diamond ring hidden in my camera bag... and we weren't in a race with Mother Nature.  Whew.  We met at Tree Tops this time, on a beautiful & surprisingly cool Sunday (okay, okay, "cool" meaning low 80s - this is South Florida, after all).  Everyone must have been taking advantage of the great weather because the park was very crowded... The good thing is that when you're with a couple who is so enthralled in each other & constantly making each other laugh, it seems like we were the only ones for miles.  Congrats again, Michele & Greter![tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="9158" layout="wide" columns="4"]

Surprise Proposal | Colee Hammock Park Photographer

It hadn't been a super nice Labor Day weekend - rain was coming & going all day.  By the time Michele & Greter arrived for their session at Colee Hammock Park in Fort Lauderdale, my weather app told me it was going to start raining in 23 minutes.  I suddenly realized that we needed to take full advantage of the late afternoon light & FAST... there was a lot to do.  While Greter thought the surprise was the impromptu photo session, Michele had me involved in something much bigger.  Hidden inside my camera bag was a beautiful diamond ring & I know Michele would not have lasted another day if rain tried to delay her plans.  Our timeline sped up quickly but before any rain fell, under a beautiful shade tree along Tarpon River, Michele got down on one knee.  Greter was completely shocked but glowed with excitement, wiping away happy tears, while I couldn't help but keep snapping.  Congratulations, ladies!!  It was so awesome to be a part of this day in your story... I can't wait for our follow up engagement session![tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="9162" layout="wide" columns="4"] 

Part 2, Baby's First Year Package | Fort Lauderdale Baby Photography

There's a reason why I discount my sessions so much when you book a baby's first year package... its because I LOVE growing up with families, especially in this first year of a child's life.  Its great to get to watch a 2 week old baby quickly grow into a little boy - the fact that I get to document it all in photos too is just an added bonus!  Little Jaxon was born back in January, where I shot photos of him as a 15 day old newborn with his family.  Now halfway through his first year of life, we met again for part 2 of the baby's first year package - this time at a neighborhood park.