south florida

real life with morgan at marando farms & ranch | davie child photography

in , ,

It wasn't until we pulled into the parking lot of Marando Farms & Ranch in Davie that we realized it was the old Batten's Farm. Growing up not too far away, I have a lot of memories, going to Batten's to get milkshakes & visiting the cow out back (Bessie? I keep hoping the name will come back to me). At just 18 months old, Morgan loved visiting with the animals at the this petting zoo.... I think her favorite was the turtle but she was the goats' favorite - they constantly followed her around. This kid has zero fear - literally getting face to face with animals 20X her size, not to mention trying to get as close as possible to every single animal there. We skipped the pony rides this time, since she's a little too young, but we'll be back!

2018 Holiday Mini-Session Alternatives | Fort Lauderdale Family Photographer

in , , ,

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

in , ,

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

in ,

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"] 

Family Mini Sessions, Tree Tops Park | Davie Family Photographer

in , , ,

Every year, I try to offer at least one or two days of mini-sessions before the holidays.  This allows me to provide an inexpensive, low-hassle way for you to get your updated family photos for your Christmas cards - without having to do any real planning at all.  I choose the location and afternoon, you choose your time slot.  To make sure each family gets the right attention (and to prevent complete exhaustion), I only offer a very limited number of spots each day, so these sessions book very quickly!  This year, four families joined me at Tree Tops Park in Davie, Fl for their own 30 minute family session.  I got to hang out with 5 kids, 2 teenagers and 7 adults... and shoot family photos at one of my favorite spots in Tree Tops Park with perfect light!  I love letting the sunlight fill my frame to capture its direct relationship with my subjects... in hopes that I can capture it in a way you may not even realize it exists.  Here are some of my favorite shots from the day... (and if you want to be notified about any upcoming mini-session dates, sign up for email alerts!)

4 + 6 Year Old Sisters | Davie Children Photographer

in , ,

Mia and Marley came to Tree Tops Park with me to do some location test-shooting (for the following week's mini-session date) and they were the perfect models!  There was a fashion show, an impromptu dance, swings and much more.  Six year old, Mia loves the camera and loves the chance to do her best modeling moves... Four year old, Marley, on the other hand, is shy and needs some warming up.  I love the challenge of capturing that natural moment that really shows kids' true smiles... even if it means following them down the slide at a playground.  (That may or may not have been what happened in one of the following photos...)

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

in , ,

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.