First a little business…

ATLANTA DATES: I will be available for sessions in and around Atlanta from June 14 to 18, and again from July 5 to 11. Call or message me if you are interested in discussing or reserving a time slot!

MOTHER’S DAY is THIS Sunday. Do you have a present yet? Gift certificates are available in any denomination and can used towards session fees, or prints (for future or past sessions).

This grandmother called me a few weeks ago in anticipation of her daughter’s visit and her two grandchildren being together at her Ponte Vedra home. I’m always thrilled to get to photograph not just one, but several branches of a family’s tree. Lots of family means lots of pictures, here are a few of my favorites.

I’ve mentioned several times how much I treasure grandparents, and especially how grateful I am that my girls get to have such a sweet relationship with theirs. Here is a series of shots I captured of VC with my mom, whom she calls Lola, hanging out in the shade on our last visit. I loved them so much I thought they deserved their own post, and probably a special place on the walls of my home.

I enthusiastically encourage families to consider doing family sessions that include multiple generations, or where it’s specifically grandparents with grandchildren. Mother’s Day is coming up, and a gift certificate would be a wonderful gift for moms or grandmothers. The photos that result will be treasures for generations to come! Consider this, too, if you have out of town family coming to visit this summer. Gift certificates can be purchased in any denomination.

Even if you don’t have me come over to take them, or until you do, grab your camera and take a few of your own pictures. Not only the ones in front of the mantle with the kids in your or your parents’ laps. The moments where your favorite people are enjoying and loving one another are, in my opinion, so much more meaningful.

Lately I’ve been working mostly with families with boys. It’s made me realize that if I ever were to have a son, there would be whole new learning curve to endure, but also a lot of fun to be had. This guy was quite the charmer. Did not need a second to warm up. In fact, he was less than thrilled when Mom and Dad wanted to get in on his shots.

Love this father-son moment. I must say that it’s not uncommon for dads to be the most reluctant member of the family when it comes to picture time. It’s amazing how the kids relax when Dad lets his guard down. And I guarantee that Mom will be so happy to get this shot.

He took the old “watch closely and my big lens will wink at you” trick very seriously.

What a cutie.

“Barcada” is a word in tagalog (Filipino) that means “a group of friends,” but for me, and the barcada that I was fortunate to grow up with, it means family. The family you see here is a special part of that larger group.

One of the reasons I love to photograph multiple and older generations of family is that respect for the eldest members is something that was ingrained in me. Lolo A was a great buddy of my own grandfather. All of my grandparents have been gone for several years now. I so wish that I had been able to spend more time with all of them, done a little better job of being appreciative and respectful (youth is my poor excuse), and that I could have captured some portraits like these for my family.

This family with two little boys gave me a workout! Good thing it was a little cooler than usual on this Atlanta morning. I did work up a bit of a sweat, but this is what it’s all about for me. Kids being kids, and families doing their thing.

I was excited to hear that the boys’ grandparents would be in town for their session. I absolutely love it when I get to work with multiple generations of family.

Miss M was only 12 days old when I had the honor of photographing her and her family. Mom was a classmate of mine way back, and it was wonderful to meet her sweet family and get a glimpse of the charming life she has built.

Let’s not forget about big sister. Check out these eyes.

And I mean quick. I just have a few minutes to share some shots from the last few days in Atlanta. Full posts to come AFTER my vacation. Families, I will be racing to get your galleries to you as soon as I get back!

If you are in Atlanta and missed me this time around, please join me on Facebook or check back here to see upcoming return trips. I will be posting travel dates in the next couple of weeks.

Whew. October and November were so busy. I’m incredibly honored and grateful to all of the families who trusted me with their family’s portraits this year. Now that the Holiday Mini Sessions are all complete, I have just a few more sessions to fit in this month and then I am taking a couple of weeks to enjoy my family and get ready for 2010. There are a lot of exciting things in the works, including a new blog, travel calendar, and a big giveaway! Please stay tuned!

Since so many of my recent sessions were intended to be surprises for Christmas, I can’t share too many of those pictures. That’s all the excuse I need to squeeze in a few of my own family. My girls are lucky to have great relationships with all of their grandparents, great grandparents, and even one great-great grandmother! I cherish every opportunity we have to bring the generations together. These are from Thanksgiving weekend.

VC and her “Papa”

CM and “Memo”, her great-great grandmother.

When you give someone the gift of a portrait session you are

…giving them an opportunity to record, preserve, and CELEBRATE themselves and their families.

…giving a gift that they will have and cherish for years to come.

…giving them the experience of a photo session where they get to be themselves and then see how beautiful that really is.

Gift Certificates can be purchased in any denomination and can be sent either to you or directly to the recipient.

This is also something you could register for if you are expecting a baby.

Contact me to register or purchase a gift certificate today!

If the image above looks familiar, it might be because you saw it here. Mom wasn’t kidding when she told me that really captured her son the first time around! This time we were on the beach and at their home in Fort Lauderdale.

Baby M is not saying much with words yet, but those eyes are definitely talking.

And they could be saying, “have you heard I’m going to be a big sister?! I’m not sure what to think about that yet.”

Congrats to the whole W family! Thank you for being such generous hosts and friends to me and my girls. Next time, really, we have to get A in there…along with the new baby!

I have too many favorites of these guys to post here. Check out the JMP Facebook page to see more!

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JACKSONVILLE – Just a few slots left for Holiday Mini Sessions! See Investment page for details.

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