Columbia SC Photographer | Life Gets Crazy

I am a candid, upfront, don't hold back and lay it all out real kinda person. I would like to share with you all a little piece of my corner of the world today. We homeschool, have three kids, are packing up to move in with another family, building a house, dealing with death of my dad and living life on the edge.

It doesn't get much crazier than this.

Until you throw the emotions in there and all the stuff you can't see and no one really talks about because it's too hard. Bring on the hard stuff. I am ok with telling people about these things because it shows I am honest and real. I won't sugar coat anything unless it's for humor. This week we took a little break from all the monotony to focus on our blessings and visit our new home that is under construction. It doesn't look much like a home right now but we are beginning to fill those walls with love already. We are not perfect by any stretch. We fight, argue, have little fits and act selfish so this is not a display of look how great we are. It is a reminder of how desperately we need God's protection, His armor, His favor, His grace, His love, His compassion and how every single day we need to be wrapped in His mercy because lord knows we can't do this life alone. 

As the days unfold leading up to the big move, I am reminded of God's provision and faithfulness. So clearly I can remember tears and prayers to God for this moment to come to fruition and now it is here. I couldn't help but try my best to put Him at the center of our home. We took a little trip over to bless our house and these are a few of the images we came up with. Enjoy. 

On his bedroom wall, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Praise Jesus. My favorite photo from this day. Lexington SC

Isaiah 61

Madison Park, Lexington SC

That it one of the most difficult of all Bible verses.

Columbia SC Photographer | Before and After Photography Transformation

This day was an time of celebration for Vicky. She was beginning a new chapter in her life, moving and excited about her weight-loss journey. She came to me with her two beautiful children to create some family photos. We took this day to make it all about Vicky. She got her hair and makeup done professionally and we dressed her a beautiful crimson gown. She could have stopped traffic. 

Can you just imagine her excitement when she saw how beautiful she truly is? Her face lit up and for the first time she was able to see herself how others see her. Confident, unguarded and gorgeous!

 Her kids had a fun time too! Her little girl got some lovely curls and lip-gloss so she could fit right in with her mom! And oh, her son was so handsome! They were the picture-perfect family for their special photos. 

Before...

After...

Just before sunset, they danced.

Right at dark, we continued on capturing the sweetest moments. Warm Christmas snuggles and Coke.

From single portraits to babies and mothers, I love capturing every little detail. Telling the story of your life is my thing. 

Columbia SC Photographer | How to Prepare for Your Newborn Photography Session

It has been a long nine months and your little darling has finally made it earthside to be with you. If this one is your first, surely there is a deep desire to get everything picture perfect. I know you want to give he/she the best of you and then some. So I am going to give you a few tips on how to best prepare and what to expect before and during your session.

1. If you will be having your hair and makeup done in the studio, we will have already pre-arranged this and discussed wardrobe and preferences at our consultation. We will plan the look and feel for your session at that time as well. The only thing you need to do is shower, dry your hair and show up! That's it.

2. It is easy to say get some sleep but moms know to well that with a newborn in the house, that is not likely so just go to bed early. For every hour before midnight that you sleep, it is as good as two hours after midnight. And you already know you are going to be up some of those a.m. hours so do yourself a favor and try to put baby down by 8 or have dad take him for a while so you can rest. 

3. Deep breaths, no heated discussions on the morning of your session. We want to see smiling faces and happy hearts. Emotions transfer to photos. This is a joyful time, let's make it memorable and beautiful.

4. Consider the color of your undergarments for the wardrobe you have chosen. Wearing white? You will want to bring a white bra and underwear to match.

5. Be mindful of what foods you eat the day before and morning of your session. Some things such as dairy, caffeine or tomatoes can give baby an upset tummy or keep him awake right in the middle of the time we really need him to sleep.

6. If you have a dear family heirloom that you want included in your photos, please bring that. I will do my best to include that for you.

7. It will be a long morning, possibly up to three hours. I will have some snacks available for you but you may choose to pack a little bag and that is fine.

When you arrive, you may take your time getting dressed and relax. You may go ahead and feed baby to get him full and sleepy. We will begin our session then. These little ones run the show so there will be plenty of time for breaks, feedings, changing etc...

We will do each parent/sibling with the baby then a family photo before I begin to work with the baby alone. I also include some lifestyle photos in all of my sessions.

After your session, I will begin working on your photos. It will take up to two weeks to get them beautifully retouched and I will give you a call to come view them. This will be the moment you have been looking forward to where you get to select each photo that you want printed. After the order is placed, the photos should be back in about a week. 

I hope that gives you just a little insight on what a hand-crafted newborn session looks like. Let me know if you have any questions.

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Newborn baby girl in Lexington, SC