hristmas in Florida may look a little different, and honestly, that’s part of the fun.

Instead of snow boots, mittens and freezing temperatures, we have bare feet, sandy beaches and some of the prettiest fall sunsets of the year. My Beach Snowman Holiday Mini Sessions put a Florida spin on traditional Christmas photos and give kids something fun to actually do during their session.

I often take on personal projects. This allows me the creative opportunity to explore new locations, lighting and posing that helps me to be a better photographer. During my busy season, it is really difficult to find the time to do so, but when my daughter asked for a photoshoot, I couldn’t say no. She loves having her photos taken and I love capturing her in a way that is authentic to her personality.

When parents contact me about booking a session, they often are worried about getting their child to sit still for pictures. It is not realistic to expect toddler aged children to sit still for an hour for photos. In fact, most adults wouldn’t even want to do this. Instead, it is important to give children the ability to move freely, explore and interact during a photo session. This freedom will help to facilitate natural and authentic moments and expressions in images. It is for this reason, that I feel so strongly about scheduling outdoor portrait sessions instead of in the studio. Quite simply, children tend to feel more relaxed outdoors because being outdoors gives an immediate feeling of freedom. It eliminates all of the pressure fo feeling like the child as to perform for the camera.

Your child’s First Holy Communion is a meaningful milestone and is one that deserves to be remembered with care and intention. As a Jacksonville First Communion photographer, I create natural, heartfelt portraits for families who want images that feel genuine, relaxed, and true to this season of life.

I photograph Communion sessions throughout Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, St. Augustine, and surrounding Northeast Florida communities, offering a calm, guided experience from planning through delivery.

I am so excited to announce my Spring lineup of mini sessions. I offer Spring sessions annually and these sets are perfect for a wide array of occasions. This year, I am offering two different sets, both of which are bohemian inspired and are perfect to capture a multitude of milestones.

The first set is definitely the more bohemian influenced of the two sets. It features a brick wall adorned with macrame hangings. Vines of potted green plants and an array of textures such as a rattan chair, jute rugs, and crochet blankets complete the set. The set can be used for updated portraits of your children, for a mommy and me photoshoot, a maternity session, six month milestone session, Easter portraits, Valentine’s day portraits, for a birthday, or even for Communion photos. I absolutely love the images and plan on using these images to commemorate my youngest daughter’s sixth birthday.

Although we are in the clutches of Winter, Spring is just around the corner. For many of you, this Spring is particularly special because your little ones will be receiving their First Holy Communion. I am particularly excited about this upcoming Communion season because my eldest daughter will be receiving her sacrament in May.

I love to document children on their Communion day. This special moment is the perfect time for me to capture a wide array of classic portraits of your child. My communion portrait sessions are centered on capturing candid and natural images of your child, as well as beautiful and artistic images that encapsulate this very special rite of passage for your child. Some of my most favorite photos I have ever captured are those of children on their Communion day. I just love the dramatic natural light that a church provides for portraits, but it also seems that this special day allows for a child's whimsical nature to shine through and I love capturing that silly and relaxed side of children too. Scheduling the photos before the communion day ensures that you capture beautiful portraits of your child in a natural and relaxed way, without the stress of rushing around on the day of the ceremony. Plus, most kids love the opportunity to dress up in their special outfit before the big day.

I can hardly believe it, but my oldest daughter is going to be eight this weekend. As I reflect on her birthday, my wish for her is to have confidence, know her self worth, have the strength to chase her dreams and to always know how deeply loved she is. Showing her how much she is loved is the easiest part of motherhood; however, nurturing those other qualities can be a bit of a struggle.

If there is anything I have learned in these past eight years of parenting, it is that children learn by example and not by what they are told. I try my best to be very cognizant of how I behave and what I say; of course, I am not perfect, but I do always try to show her that she can do anything that she sets her mind to, as long as she is willing to work and put forth the effort to accomplish those goals. Fortunately, my little firecracker is fierce and determined. She does not shy away from a challenge and if she can’t do something, she keeps trying until she masters it.

We had a stretch of warm weather this past week here in the Northeast and it perfectly coincided with the gorgeous peak of the foliage in the area. November truly is such a perfect time to photograph families. The hues of the foliage are gorgeous and the warm November light adds such beauty to the captures. Images from a Fall session are timeless and can adorn your walls for years to come and be used for holiday cards.

I recently photographed this beautiful family during my annual Fall mini sessions. Their 11 month old daughter is so adorable and was mesmerized by the fallen leaves. Mom dressed her in the most adorable pink skirtall from Zara, which is a favorite vendor of mine for children’s attire. I love the way the pink pops agains the orange and brown tones of the foliage. This sweet baby is already walking and a quick game of peek a boo with her helped me to capture the adorable images of her with a big smile on her face.

I have been photographing so many families with six month olds lately and I absolutely love it. This is the perfect age to capture photos of your child. Babies have so much personality at this age. They can sit up, laugh, play and really interact with the family. Although I love photographing newborns, I have to say that this stage is probably my favorite to capture.

Many of the families that I have been photographing had babies during the COVID quarantine and, therefore, were unable to have newborn photos taken. For many of them, their Fall family photo session is the first time they are capturing photos of their child. I have been making sure to capture plenty of photos of the family together, as well as portraits of the baby as well. Some of my clients will finally be sending out birth announcements using photos from their session.

Even though I love photographing newborns, the six month sitter milestone session is becoming a favorite of mine to photograph. It is amazing how much your little one grows, develops, and changes in those first six months of life and the half birthday is the perfect time to update your images of your bundle of joy. At six months old, babies have vibrant personalities that are evident; they can sit unassisted, clap, wave, laugh and smile. It is such a pleasure to be able to document all of those precious moments for my clients. I always have so much fun during these photo sessions.

Because of COVID, there were so many families who were unable to have newborn photos taken this past winter. This session is the perfect opportunity to finally capture images of your little one.

I have just packed away the last of my holiday decorations and I can hardly believe that the holidays have come and gone. The holidays are a whirlwind of family gatherings, activities, preparations, and, of course, shopping. Although I enjoy the festivities, I also like the few weeks afterwards, during which time I can decompress and get my wits about me again. Now that I finally have my head above water again, I am focusing on the Spring. Yes, I know, we are still in the clutches of Winter, but just remember, with each passing day, the days get longer and bring us one step closer to those beautiful Spring blossoms and mild weather.

For many of you, this Spring is particularly special because your little ones will be receiving their First Holy Communion , a special milestone that I know you want to document. I love photographing this special moment because it is the perfect time for me to capture a wide array of classic portraits of your child. My communion portrait sessions are centered on capturing candid and natural images of your child, as well as beautiful and artistic images that encapsulate this very special rite of passage for your child. Some of my most favorite photos I have ever captured are those of children on their Communion day. I just love the dramatic natural light that a church provides for portraits, but it also seems that this special day allows for a child's whimsical nature to shine through and I love capturing that silly and relaxed side of children too. Scheduling the photos before the communion day ensures that you capture beautiful portraits of your child in a natural and relaxed way, without the stress of rushing around on the day of the ceremony.

To bring some vibrancy and color to the photos, we opted for a garden location for their birthday/family session. The night of the session was absolutely gorgeous and the sunset was beautiful. We started the session with a few posed family portraits and then continued with some birthday photos of the twins. Thankfully, there was an array of flowers that were in bloom that allowed me to capture this family with a variety of colors and textures in the background.

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone! I hope you are spending this weekend with your families, barbecuing, relaxing, and, most importantly, remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

For most people, this weekend signifies the unofficial kick off for the Summer season. It is a time when we feel rejuvenated and refreshed by the first warm days of Spring and we are busy making plans to catch up with family and friends. This season is my favorite time of year. I love the warm weather and I try to soak up very last minute of the weather here in Long Beach. We spend almost every minute of the day outside whether it be at the park, the beach or simply just lounging on our deck.

Even though I love photographing newborns, the six month sitter milestone session is becoming a favorite of mine to photograph. It is amazing how much your little one grows, develops, and changes in those first six months of life and the half birthday is the perfect time to update your images of your bundle of joy. At six months old, babies have vibrant personalities that are evident; they can sit unassisted, clap, laugh and smile. It is such a pleasure to be able to document al of those precious moments for my clients. I always have so much fun during these photo sessions.

As I am typing this blog post, it is snowing steadily outside. At this moment it does not quite feel like, it but we are only twenty days away from the official start of Spring. It has been a long winter and I am looking forward to the warmth and beauty of Spring. I am also looking forward to all of the exciting sessions I have planned for the season, including an Easter mini session, which I am offering for the first time ever.

I have just packed away the last of my holiday decorations and I can hardly believe that the holidays have come and gone. The holidays are a whirlwind of family gatherings, activities, preparations, and, of course, shopping. Although I enjoy the festivities, I also like the few weeks afterwards, during which time I can decompress and get my wits about me again. Now that I finally have my head above water again, I am focusing on the Spring. Yes, I know, we are still in the clutches of Winter, but just remember, with each passing day, the days get longer and bring us one step closer to those beautiful Spring blossoms and mild weather.

For many of you, this Spring is particularly special because your little ones will be receiving their First Holy Communion , a special milestone that I know you want to document. I love photographing this special moment because it is the perfect time for me to capture a wide array of classic portraits of your child. My communion portrait sessions are centered on capturing candid and natural images of your child, as well as beautiful and artistic images that encapsulate this very special rite of passage for your child. Some of my most favorite photos I have ever captured are those of children on their Communion day. I just love the dramatic natural light that a church provides for portraits, but it also seems that this special day allows for a child's whimsical nature to shine through and I love capturing that silly and relaxed side of children too. Scheduling the photos before the communion day ensures that you capture beautiful portraits of your child in a natural and relaxed way, without the stress of rushing around on the day of the ceremony.

September is only a week away and that means it is time for my annual holiday mini sessions. I recently announced this year's family campfire sessions and now it is time for me to reveal this year's beach holiday session. I am thrilled to finally be able to share the details of this year's holiday theme and I think you are all going to love it as much as I do.  

Last year, we built a sand snowman together on the beach and this year, I invite your child to set sail with me into the holiday season with my nautical themed holiday session. Your child will board my handmade driftwood sailboat, which will be decorated with subtle holiday decorations and a strand of globe lights.  The boat will be placed along the shoreline to give the appearance that it is about to set sail.  Your child will even be able to hoist the sail of the boat!  

With the exception of the Winter months, I always encourage my clients to schedule their child's first birthday session outdoors. There is nothing more beautiful than using nature as a backdrop and photographing outdoors allows me to capture your child exploring the world in a natural way.

To capture that soft and gorgeous golden light, I only schedule beach photos at sunset. I have recently been photographing families who have young children at sunrise. Because sunset is so late in the summer, this time of day seems to work better for toddlers. I will be the first to admit that getting up early enough to catch a sunrise at around 6 am is very difficult; however, the light at this time of day is absolutely breathtaking and I can't think of a better way to start your day than watching your child frolic and play in the sand while the sun is rising.   

he holidays have come and gone and although we are in the dead of winter,  Communion season is almost here and now is the time to book your photographer.   Communion Mini Sessions are the perfect way to document this milestone in your child's life.  A mini session can be scheduled anytime before the actual communion date.  Taking those photos before the communion day ensures that you capture beautiful portraits of your child in a natural and relaxed way, without the stress of rushing around on the day of the ceremony.

I am excited to announce my winter limited edition indoor sessions. Although it is freezing outside, my winter session has the look and feel of a Spring day.  This is not a standard mini session, but rather a special and limited session that I will offer on select days this winter.  The set is a gorgeous glowing white set with a beautiful canopy tent adorned with pretty cherry blossoms and floral vines. When I originally came up with this idea for the set, I had the idea of offering it as an opportunity for moms to get pictures of themselves with their children and offering it only as a  mommy and me session; however, once I built the set, I realized this would work for a mini birthday session, a six month sitter session, Valentine's Day photos, or even for beautiful and natural maternity photos. Like most of my studio work, the set has a very natural, classic, and simple look, which will allow me to create timeless images that capture your relationship with your children and your natural beauty.