Palm Trees and Pumpkins

Palm trees and pumpkins in the same photograph? Now that's what I call spooky.

Halloween in Jacksonville still seems odd to me. I grew up in a colder climate, where it wasn’t uncommon to squeeze a puffy winter coat underneath your plastic superhero costume. I remember coming home after trick-or-treating and feeling more excited to get out of all those layers than I was about the candy! Maybe this is why I appreciate the idea of a good 'breathable fabric' from Lululemon.

I do miss the fall leaves and spectacular midwest colors. We always had to be careful of the neighborhood prankster hiding out in the piles of leaves. Don’t get me wrong, fall in Florida is great, but we just don’t have seasons here.

Take a moment and share some of your own halloween memories with your kids this year. Go ahead and dig out those pictures of you as a kid in your halloween finest—that’s what those pictures are for! As you’re making lots of new memories this year, be sure to take some photos of the getting-into-costume moments as well as the gorey, smudged-make-up, sticky-finger aftermath. It’s all part of the fun.  

Comfort Food Family Vacation

How long has it been since your last vacation? At our house the day starts at 7am (if we’re lucky). And there’s no sleeping in on weekends. The daily grind of school, work, meal prep, sports, and baths can get tiring.

If we see an opportunity for a long weekend getaway, we take it. With Disney World just a couple hours away from my home in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, it makes the perfect trip.

I’ve lost count of my visits to It’s a Small World. And I’m on a first name basis with most of the princesses. Yet, it doesn’t get old. We always return home with a special memory from those few days. I call these little trips our comfort food vacations. We get away from the day to day routine to spend some quality time together in one of the best family vacation spots in the world! As the kids grow, I’m sure the priorities will change, and spending time with mom and dad might not make it to the top of the list. In the meantime, I’m always up for a spin on the Tea Cups.

Everyone has their own favorite vacation spots. The important thing is to take that next trip. You never know what special memory you’ll come away with.

Here are some family portrait tips for your next trip:

At Disney, follow the character's lead. They are trained professionals. If Rapunzel tells you move over, do it! If you’ve seen the movie, you know not to give her a hard time. Seriously, all the staff is pretty good at helping you through the basics.

Stow your carry-on. As you make it up to a character spot, take an inventory of your backpacks, fanny packs (yes, you’ll see them), sunglasses, hats, water bottles, etc. Odds are you probably don’t want these items featured in your photo. So be ready to set them aside.

The Disney Photo Pass service is a great option to take the stress off the moment. Just hand your card to a photographer and let him do the work. If you ask nicely, he’ll even take a shot with your phone.  Make sure you get some photos with the whole family. Being the family photograher doesn’t get you out of all the family photos.

Probably the most important tip — just enjoy the moment. Don’t get so caught up in trying to capture the perfect photo that you miss making the memories with your family.

Christmas Countdown 2013

I haven't seen any holiday decorations around Jacksonville yet, but with less than 90 days until Christmas, it won't be long. Now's a great time to get a jump on your holiday shopping with some family portraits. 

I've put together a few holiday portrait packages as starting points. But I'm always happy to customize a package based on your needs. 

Sessions are limited, but if you book by November 1st, and mention this blog post, I'll include 25 holiday cards with your package! 

Contact me today for details or to schedule a session. And have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season!

Her New Baby Brother

This summer, in addition to turning 3, Lexi got a special birthday gift—a new baby brother! While she's got a lifetime of gifts ahead of her, a new sibling tops them all (although the return policy is a little tighter than normal).

Sure, between the hugs, there will be fights, hair pulling, and name calling. But as they grow up, they'll always have a buddy. They'll enjoy countless memories together—moments that only siblings could share. From parental quirks to family jokes, through happiness and in times of struggle, siblings will endure.

Lexi turns 3

After meeting and photographing her new little brother, I had the opportunity to work with Lexi.  She recently turned 3.  

We had typical sticky Florida summer weather for the session.  But, a nice soft rain moved in during the shoot.  So after working inside, Lexi put on her ladybug rain gear and headed out to play.  It's obviously pretty tough to plan for rain, so it was great to make the best of it.

Happy birthday Lexi!