From This Morning =)

Remember Grayson? He was back today for his second photo session, and made the journey all the way from Bowie, MD. (Thanks for making the long drive!)
Mom, Dad and big brother Kiernan joined us too!
The weather forecast has been iffy, but no dodging raindrops today ;-)

Ellie

You are going to fall head over heels for her...i promise! Ellie is the last model i have had the honor to photograph for the Down Syndrome Association of Northern VA's 2009 calendar.
This was taken yesterday in the studio as we weren't really sure if the raindrops would hold off.
It's hard to put into words how much emotion filled my heart during this session. To see the love and the connection between Ellie and her mom was a work of art in itself. I will try and post a couple more before the weekend. It's been crazy busy around here lately =)
Thanks for sharing yourselves with me (((Dianne and Ellie))))

BEAUTIFUL Family!

Okay i know i am behind in posting sneak peeks and i am going a little out of order tonight..or should i say today since it's after midnight lol! But i just had to put a few up before calling it a night.

This weekend was just glorious...the weather...the clients..everything was really wonderful.

Late this afternoon i had the privilege of photographing a truly amazing family...very fun...very active (think soccer!) and they were also very patient. My fave shooting spot was PACKED to the gills so it took awhile before we were finally able to get to the sand. In the meanwhile we found some other neat spots, and i really had fun when it was all said and done.
A special thanks to Austin for hanging in there! xo
Mrs C, i tried to get these out earlier but *you know who* had other plans for my night ;-)

Ducking Rain Drops =)

What a contrast from yesterday's weather. In addition to the rain, it was CHILLY!
I managed to get a few photos despite having to head for cover a few times, but ultimately Hannah's session was cut short and we'll need to finish up at a later date...so stay tuned!
Mom, Dad and especially Hannah were very patient and hopefully when we meet up again the weather will be more accommodating!
Here are a couple we managed to capture in spite of it all =)
Check out those sweet little teeth!!



Such a sweet profile. i love how her hair curls under her ear =)



Thanks for looking!

Caterpillar to Butterfly: Shayla Yesterday and Today

Well the sun finally came out in my neck of the woods so off we went to one of my favorite spots!

My companions were the lovely Shayla and her family. Shayla is now a graduate of the caterpillar to butterfly sessions, though i can NOT believe she's already a year old!!!
In honor of her 'graduation', I thought it would be fun to go down memory lane a bit and post a few from sessions gone by...look how much she's grown!!! Big hugs Shayla...and to big brother Perrin...i hope you are feeling better, sweetie!!! (((Perrin))))

Shayla before her debut ;-)



Just a few days old!



At 6 months old:



And this morning =)







Thanks for looking!

Ashley....a total doll baby!

Oh what a day! I don't usually post personal stuff here, but today was just one of those days. Woke up to a completely flooded basement....the second time since October. Ironically the baseboards were put in on Wednesday and the new carpet was to go in tomorrow...ain't gonna happen =(
Thankfully, there was some light at the end of the gloomy, rainy tunnel in the form of little Ashley. Ashley is the 3rd model to be featured in the calendar to benefit the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia. If you scroll down you can see two of the other models! I will keep you posted when the calendar will be ready for purchase. It's a wonderful cause!

Ashley is SUCH a good baby...i mean a total dream...sweetest disposition, most adorable chubby cheeks and gorgeous brown eyes that i believe can see your soul! Here mom was a real trooper and did a great job assisting with the session. I really enjoyed our time together. Thank you for coming out on such a rainy, chilly morning!

1 From yesterday...1 From Today =)

Do you remember Caitlyn the little newborn from January? She is almost 4 months old ALREADY! I have been posting most everything in color lately so here's a black and white...how about that hair...too stinkin' cute for words, no?!!



And here is the precociously lovely Kristina! She is the 2nd model i have had the privilege to photograph for the Down Syndrome Association of Northern VA's 2009 calendar. Kristina along with her Mom Tina and big brother Conner were kind enough to make the ride to the studio from Manassas today. I loved meeting you all so much!

Karsha

Sometimes people come into your life, and you instantly know that you will never forget them.
Saturday i photographed a delightful young lady named Karsha, and her wonderful mother Gail. Karsha was chosen to be one of the models for the 2009 calendar to benefit the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia

The foundation holds a very special place in my heart. One of my dearest friends named Michelle lost her beautiful daughter Carina Hope to complications from Down Syndrome. Carina would be 3 years and 4 months old today. She is loved and missed by all of us, though i am greatly comforted knowing there is a special angel looking after me.

Karsha is the first of the four models i will be photographing during the month of May. When the calendar becomes available, i will post the information on how you can purchase them. All proceeds benefit the DSANV. Click the link to see how else you can help!
Thanks Karsha and Gail for letting me be part of your life *kisses and hugs*...Gail...please tell Karsha "miss you" for me!!!

Amira...from today.

You may remember the lovely Miss Amira if you scroll down the blog a bit! She is the eldest sister in the "Ax3+B" post =)

Tomorrow she makes her First Holy Communion so it's a very exciting time!!
Amira's dad is still serving our country over in Iraq, so this sneak preview is especially for him.

Kevralyn's Special Day....is coming up soon!

Today was just lovely....warm...breezy...a perfect Spring day!

You may already recognize the adorable Miss Kevralyn from my galleries...the sweet little freckles and the impish grin. Well next week she will be making her First Holy Communion so Mom wanted some traditional portraits to commemorate the special day.
We did some inside the Church and a few outside where the azaleas were in bloom.
I am so happy to be part of such a wonderful milestone. She truly looks like an angel!!!
Good luck next weekend, Kevralyn!!

Argentine Dogo...aka ZEUS!

Meet Zeus!....or for those of you who remember him sporting a Santa hat from my 'eclectic' gallery, here is the handsome boy as he looks today =)

Miss Olivia, the lovely little companion of Zeus is one of my original 'baby plan' clients. It has been a pure delight to photograph her and watch her grow and change into the little lady she's become.

Today's session was prompted by some serious news given to Olivia's/Zeus' parents....Zeus has been diagnosed with Liver cancer and his prognosis is uncertain. I wanted to capture some special moments including the whole family that will hopefully remain as keepsakes for many years to come.

If you are the praying kind, please keep Zeus and his family in your heart. He really is a special boy.

Fine Art Prints FINALLY available!

This has been a long time coming...i actually set up my Etsy account over a year ago and am finally making time to list some of my 'other' art work, after many requests from those who have seen some of it.
In addition to my portrait work, i also have a strong passion for photographing the flora and fauna that surrounds me...as well as the interesting subjects i find on my travels.
i will soon be listing some lovely fine art prints of the landscapes of Hydra, Greece, the majestic Wild Horses of the Outer Banks of North Carolina as well as various florals and butterflies, exotic sea life of the Tropics and more.
i will continually be adding to the listings and i am always open to custom work/suggestions!
Just let me know.
Here is a sampling of the prints available for purchase:











*Part of the proceeds are donated to charities supporting brain tumor research, down syndrome research and breast cancer research. More charities being added.

*CUSTOM ORDERS ACCEPTED. Contact me for details and thank you for making a difference!
The Etsy link is over to the right of this page and also linked in my website.

So these aren't really from a recent session..but =)

i thought i would share just the same!
As mentioned in my previous post, i won a ticket to see Pope Benedict celebrate Mass at Nationals Stadium in Washington DC yesterday.
These are just a few of the images, and were shot by me from quite a distance away.
i will remember my experience for the rest of my life.
Thanks for looking =)