welcome 1 month old baby girl | coral springs newborn photographer

Beautiful miss Alesandra was just 4 weeks old when I met her & of course her proud new parents were excited to show her off. We had a relaxed Sunday morning session at their home, which allowed us to integrate some personal items & show off some of the baby's nursery which was AMAZING.  All the details worked together so perfectly, including the most adorable little lace onesie.  Admittedly, my baby-fever was super strong for this newborn session... I mean look at those perfect little lips & all that new-parent love & adoration!  It was so great to meet you all.  Welcome to world, Alesandra! [tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="9094" layout="wide" columns="4"]

real life at 1st birthday party | kids party photographer

It was so much fun celebrating little Morgan's first birthday!  And helloooo... we practically had the entire Pembroke Pines YMCA Aquatic Center to ourselves.  It may have been the gray clouds & morning drizzle that kept everyone away, but the weather ended up being super nice, so jokes on them.  I had never been to this place & was pleasantly surprised by the size & everything it had to offer.  While the little ones (& birthday girl) hung out in the splash pad close to all the adults, the big kids were testing out the big water slides & perfecting their poses off the diving board.  In hindsight, I should have brought my Dicapac waterproof case for my camera but I took some chances anyway getting close to the splash action because I was having too much fun.  There is nothing like the joy on a kid's face when he comes splashing down a water slide.  Happy birthday, Morgan! [tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="9042" layout="wide" columns="4"]

welcome 6 week old girl + big sister | lifestyle newborn photographer

More than a year and a half after Finley's 1st birthday shoot in Wynwood, I got to make plans with this great family again to welcome baby girl #2.  Hurricane Irma, however, had different plans & we had to reschedule not once, but twice because of the storm & recovery.  Newborns change so quickly, but its never "too late" to have photos done.  Posed newborn photographers have a more limited window to work in because they need the baby to sleep the whole time & be comfortable in super squishy positions.  My style is very different & I actually celebrate those open eye photos like the one above... I mean, just look at those big, beautiful, blue eyes.  It would have been a complete bummer if I never got to capture those.  At 6 weeks old, Makenna spent most of the morning checking out as much as she could around her, while big sister, Finley proudly gave me a tour of her playroom, toys & bedroom.  I can't believe how much she has grown since I've seen her last - she is such a proud big sister and so sweet to baby Makenna.  Kids are so much more comfortable at home, which allows me more opportunity to capture those truly natural moments.  Not to mention, it gets your fur-babies involved as well.  Looking at these photos, you'd think we went to great lengths to get their family dog in as many photos as possible, but... nope.  He did that all on his own, always staying close by.  It was great to see this recently-turned family-of-four & catch up!  Congratulations on the beautiful new addition! [tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="8931" layout="wide" columns="4"]

one hour with the wolf pack | davie family lifestyle session

Not counting the polaroids while playing dress up in the 90s (which will never be shared here), my photo collection of my best friend, Kristen started when her & her now husband were first engaged.  Since then, I've shot hundreds of photos of her first two boys between newborns, birthdays, baptisms & other milestones... Now six months after they welcomed their THIRD boy, I was so happy to finally get him & his proud big brothers in front of my camera.  We spent a late Sunday morning just hanging out at home, first venturing outside (SUPER QUICKLY) to get a couple portraits in the trees, but holy heat.  If you're not in a body of water, being outside mid-day in the summer in South Florida is just not recommended.  More of a reason to embrace all the fun we can still have indoors... not to mention embracing what really happens when you try to force 4 kids to sit still for a posed photo.  I can't help but love the complete photo-fail of the 3 boys with their cousin, where half of them were crying & the other half were completely disinterested.  Real life, y'all.  As the morning went on, things got super relaxed & turned into a big tickle party... and those real moments are always my favorite.  <3 [tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="8716" layout="wide" columns="4"]

real life with the g's | family photojournalism

Knowing that tomorrow is never promised... what do you want to remember the most?Maybe its how your family cuddles into your favorite spot on the couch... or how happy your kids get when you take a trip to the local ice cream parlor.  Maybe you always want to remember how your daughter once used anything she could to play dress up... or how your son used to turn any piece of furniture into a fort... Whatever it is, I have to guess that your favorite memories do not include the painful hour of bribing your perfectly-groomed children for forced smiles in an unfamiliar park.  So why are those the photos we tend to hang on our walls & share with our family?Meet The G's - Grant & Grace.  I got to spend 2 awesome days with them hanging at home, going for ice cream, watching Harry Potter in the park & taking a trip down the street to Wekiwa Springs.  Thanks to my Dicapac case for my Fuji camera, I was even able to jump in the water with them & still never stop shooting.  The result was over a hundred photos that will forever serve as uncensored memories of The G's story at that moment.

Click here to find out more about my documentary family sessions.

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welcome 2 week old girl + proud big brother | lifestyle newborn family photography

Introducing, baby Amaya.  2 weeks old.  Little sister to proud big brother, Nicholas.  Totally adored by mom & dad.I spent a late Saturday afternoon hanging out in the comfort of this family's home... and a little earlier in the month than expected.  While Amaya was 2 weeks old when I first met her, her due date was just 2 days prior, so we definitely had some last-minute change of plans for this session.  I could not have asked for a more perfect session though... The afternoon started with getting the house tour from her big brother & taking a bunch of silly-face photos while we waited for the baby to eat.  Once it was baby Amaya's turn to be in front of the camera, she was so perfectly content with whatever we did.  As a lifestyle newborn photographer, I prefer babies to get comfortable themselves over forcing them into unnatural poses... and this beautiful little girl had no problem getting comfortable.  She slept through almost our entire session, but just as I was getting ready to wrap up, she woke up stretching & smiling, giving me even more poses for the camera. I love shooting at people's homes, because it not only allows me to capture the nursery & get everyone involved including the family dog... it also allows me to incorporate important items such as family heirlooms into the photos, which makes the final photos that much more special.  I think my heart may have exploded multiple times throughout our afternoon, especially watching the way big brother was in such awe of his new sister... staring at her tiny little fingers & toes, so amazed & in love.  Welcome to the world Amaya... so loved already & a beautiful addition to this beautiful family. [tg_masonry_gallery gallery_id="8269" layout="wide" columns="4"]

one hour with 1 year old + family at mounts botanical gardens | family photographer

On Saturday, I met this great family at Mounts Botanical Gardens in West Palm Beach, which was my first time there.  I'm so unfamiliar with anything outside of Broward County, its slightly pathetic for someone born & raised in South Florida, but I'm appreciative of my clients who force me out of my norms with just a little travel time.  Mounts is a beautiful garden with so many areas to photograph, but since they do not open until 10am, it got really hot, really fast in the sun all morning.  These 90-degree days are a constant reminder that our summer is fast approaching & the days of these outdoor sessions are soon going to be very limited.  Although it may be hard to tell in these photos, sweet 1-year old Emma was not feeling great & was happiest hanging with her grandpa or curled up in mom's arms for a nap.  In fact, the session ended with her falling asleep on one of the garden's benches in the shade.  Awake or not, I couldn't get enough of her cute little arm rolls & those adorable Tom's she was rocking with her pink dress so I never stopped shooting.  We were able to take things real slow & anytime she needed a break, we used the time for some group portraits of all the adults - something we often forget to do when there are adorable little-human subjects to steal all our attention.  It was fun to have the whole family there, including big brother who was in town on Spring Break... thanks for choosing me to document the visit & your family, including your adorable 1-year old star!  It was so great to meet you all![tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="8251" layout="wide" columns="4"]

real life with elena | documentary family photography

The first photo in this gallery was the instant reaction to pulling my camera out while playing with 4-year old Elena in her room.  I immediately realized that documenting truly candid photos of the day could be a difficult challenge for me.  She was clearly used to the camera & loved to give me her best hand-on-the-hip model pose & smile anytime I pointed it toward her.  However, in the end, the day was still completely unscripted.  Our at-home document session consisted of an introduction to all of her books & baby dolls, a game of tickle monster (with the greatest tickle-monster gloves ever), riding around the neighborhood in her sweet pink Corvette, a pillow fight & so much more... I'm not sure who had more fun in the process, Elena or me.  The photos that resulted capture so much natural emotion & laughter that would not have been easy to achieve in a boring studio... and the added bonus is that they are so much more personal & special having taken place in their home.[tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="8235" layout="wide" columns="4"]

welcome 11 day old newborn girl | at-home lifestyle photography

After a 100-mile drive across Southern Florida, including 6 gator sightings & a lot of swampy nothingness... I got to meet this little 7lb bundle of perfection.  Preslee Rose was born just 11 days prior & I think its safe to say this day of photos (although the first of many, I'm sure) was her biggest, most active day yet.  She was more interested in being in mommy or daddy's arms than sleeping or modeling anywhere solo, but that just meant a lot more photos of these new parents embracing their new, tiny bundle of joy - which was fine by me!  Newborn lifestyle photos are all about allowing you to remember how your child once fit into your arms so perfectly & what it felt like in that first week of having her home... (including every detail, like how the 4-legged "first born" was always sure to stay close by).Congratulations on your new addition - she's beautiful![tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="8779" layout="wide" columns="4"]

real life with avery & jackson | at-home family documentary photography

Crafts, smoothies, Mario Kart & more... a typical Sunday morning for this awesome family & it was great to be a part of it.  I guess its safe to say that these two cuties have grown up with my camera.  From newborn sessions, to large family portraits, cake smashes & birthday parties... this time we decided to do something a little different: an at-home documentary session.  I'm always striving to find the real moments within posed sessions at a park or beach you may have never even been to... so these take it one step further.  More personal, more candid & more real life.  There wasn't much of an agenda, because letting life happen results in moments like a private patio dance performance to Sia's The Greatest... or an unprompted hug for mommy or an angry drum solo... & course, lots of laughs.  The snowflakes they made turned out much cuter than I had imagined - or tried to imagine when they first started, but I should have known not to question the ideas of the creative mind behind Hello Whimsy Designs.  It was a stress-free, relaxed & FUN Sunday morning... and it resulted in a huge collection of real moments that made it very difficult for me to choose my favorites.It was so great to see you all again, congrats on the new house![tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="8375" layout="wide" columns="4"]