Evan is such a cute little dude! He just brought a smile to my face with everything he did. Such fun to photograph a busy and happy little guy! Mom and Dad, we did good! Enjoy!

He loved looking at the birds and talking about animals. Such a smart kid! Captured a sweet moment with momma…

Loved that his Mom thought to bring the rainboots for a few shots while feeding the fish. Thanks, Evan, for such a fun day at “work”!

It never fails. Talk about a princess to a little girl and she will light up! Walt Disney sure knew what he was doing…no doubt about it. I mention a princess to a little girl and it almost always gets me a smile. Last week I spent some time with some little princesses of my own. It was great to work with two little girls with whom I have worked with since they were tiny babies. Love, love, love having a relationship with my 1:17 kiddos and seeing them grow. Such a joy!

First up, sweet Mallory! Love this little one so much. She couldn’t be any sweeter. I first worked with Mallory years ago when she was about a year old. She is turning into such a beautiful little girl whose heart is as sweet as this beautiful face. We talked about soccer and Ariel, her favorite princess. Just what life should be all about at four years old. Just makes me want to hug her. 😉

Next up, Miss Isabella! Isabella was around 4 or 5 months old when I first photographed her. Last week, at the beginning of the session she actually gave me a little heart attack. I wasn’t sure we were going to break through the shy barrier she was putting up. But, we finally did and…wow! Love the personality that shows through in these photographs. As much as I love a great sitting and smiling photograph, my passion is capturing a child’s personality. Isabella has such a fun and loving spirit. Actually, I just want to hug her, too! 🙂

A big thanks to Mallory and Isabella’s mommies for sharing your princesses with me. I just love ’em!!

I am loving this! When I first started my business years ago, I had the joy of photographing this beautiful little girl’s momma for her senior portraits! What an honor and privilege to be asked to photograph her little girl’s one year old birthday pictures! I’ve come full circle with this one. Miss Izzy is a doll-baby and we had such a great time walking around the Botanic Gardens the other day. She has such a sweet smile and I really loved how she would hold up her little finger to show me that she was “1”! Hope you like the Sneak Peak, Molly! So many more to choose from. Izzy is adorable. 🙂

Last week I think I should’ve just brought a sleeping bag and camped out at the Botanic Gardens! I had the joy of photographing three very stylish families and using every last bit of the colors of spring in our portrait sessions. The colors this spring have been so beautiful and the clothing choices these families made were just the icing on the cake to balance them out and make the images pop!

The first family is one of our closest friends! The mom is crazy-talented in so many areas. Would you believe she sewed the dress on her daughter as well as fashioning the little outfit on the smallest brother out of a shirt her husband wore on their honeymoon? I know…amazing!  I call her “Martha”–ha, ha!  If I didn’t love her so much, I’d hate her! 🙂 Jen, you asked for “portraits of the kids loving on each other and having fun”. I think we definitely accomplished that! You have a beautiful family and we are so happy to have you in our lives!

I just adore this one! Makes my heart happy to see it!

Friday morning I photographed two families back to back. Each had a brother/sister pair! The first set was a little older which is always such fun for me. I love that my job is never that same day to day. Lily and Daniel were so much fun to hang with and had superb wardrobe selections. The entire family just smiled and had a good time during the session. That’s really what it is all about anyways. If you are able to relax and have fun at the portrait session, then we inevitably end up with images like these. Thanks, Lily and Daniel for starting off my Easter weekend with a smile!

And, this one, ahhh!! LOVE!! So sweet…

After Lily and Daniel, came another Lily and her big brother Michael. So precious. I loved working with this fun family. They were just gorgeous and a joy to be around. Again, Lily and Michael’s Mom did a fabulous job picking out her family’s clothing choices and they ROCKED it!

These last two make me catch my breath…simply beautiful children…inside and out! 🙂

How appropriate that I get to make a post about New Life on Easter weekend! I had the joy of photographing my friend, Courtney, and her family for a maternity session. She is such an amazingly beautiful pregnant woman. This is the second baby that I will have the privilege of photographing for this sweet family. Big brother, Sam, recently completed his baby plan last summer. This time it is going to be a girl! It is such an honor to be asked to share in this special time…especially for the 2nd time around! Little sister will be particpating in the Little Gifts Newborn Club as well so beginning in June, you’ll see lots more images of this little one throughout the next year! I love the visual of new life in these photos. The emergence of spring trees and flowers is the perfect companion to the growing life inside this mom.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14

Saturday was so awesome! After not really doing much photography over the last few months due to the cold and dreary winter, it was so amazing to be out in the beautiful spring weather all day long photographing some incredible families! We had our first-ever Mini Sessions at the Arlington Town Square in conjunction with the Happy Heart Clothing Store. Jodie came out and assisted me and it was so wonderful having her around! I can’t wait for all of you to see your session proofs. They all turned out so great. All but one are new customers and we are happy to welcome you all to the 1:17 family! I love shooting at the Square as I think the rustic look against the softness of the kids clothes and skin is such a feast for the eyes! Long post ahead…but, I think you’ll love ’em!

What a way to start the day! These sweet sisters were ready to get us started on the right foot! Soo sweet…

Doesn’t this sweet baby just melt your heart? Love the vintage look here…

Immediately…I fell in love with this precious little girl’s eyes! Awww….love!!!

You’ve seen these beautiful ladies before! I love photographing them! Mom was going after a vintage look here and incorporated their violins. Additionally, the baby’s dress was mom’s dress when she was little.  It’s the little personal touches that make such a big difference!

This family loved each other so very much! You can see it just looking at this little glimspe into their world…

Saturday was a day of sisters. Mom came in worried that the little one wouldn’t be in the mood for pics because she had missed her nap! Well, might I suggest always skipping naptime before the session for this little one? These two were full of personality and smiles!

I had a soft spot for these two. Almost the same ages as my two. I love seeing brother/sister interactions! Check out that face when I asked them to kiss. HA!

The last session of the day ended an already perfect day with an almost perfect session! These adorable sisters have a newborn baby brother, just born last night!! Lucky me, I get to take his pictures next week! So excited. But for now, take a look at these beauties!

Happy Heart…you ladies are WONDERFUL!! Thanks for a great day. Can’t wait to do it again!

Saturday morning I had the pleasure of photographing two of the most well-behaved little brothers I’ve had in a long time. I was beyond humbled when I learned that this family was going to drive all the way from Starkville, MS to have a session with me. Wow…pressure!! I shouldn’t have worrried though. This sweet family was so much fun. These boys kept us laughing the entire time and I loved watching their interactions with one another.

The day was perfect and God was showing off his handiwork at the Botanic Gardens. Everything was beyond breathtaking! I was doing a happy dance all the way home knowing that, hopefully, Beau and Buddy’s parents will think that these images were “worth the drive”! Thanks so much, guys, for driving all the way here for me! What an honor! Enjoy a little sneak peek of what’s to come!

I was super excited yesterday to do my first spring photo session of the year! I met up with sweet Lorelei to capture some portraits for her One Year Old Birthday! I first “met” Lorelei, and her wonderful parents, at a maternity session last year. She was a part of of Little Gifts Newborn Club giving me the joy of seeing her grow from a tiny newborn to a very fast moving…high energy…smile that’ll melt your heart…beautiful one year old! Lorelei gives hugs like she does her smiles and I loved them! I have so enjoyed working with this family this past year. We spent much of our session yesterday chasing this little one…much like this! She sure was happy running around on her own though! 🙂

But, we persisted! We sang songs and clapped and were determined to capture a few of those smiles for Mom and Dad! And…it worked! Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Thirteen years ago on this date was the most exciting day in my life up to that point and still ranks as one of my favorite days ever! On March 22, 1997 I married my high school sweetheart and very best friend! Without him,  my life as it is today would not be. He is my biggest fan and without a doubt the one reason that 1:17 Photography even exists! About five years ago, I happened to mention to him one day that I would love to be a children’s photographer. And his response to me, “well, why aren’t you doing it then?” . I came up with 1,000 reasons why it would never work. Within a week, a brand new Nikon dSLR arrived on my doorstep…a gift from a very loving and supportive husband. From that day forward, he has been cheering me on and pushing me to do things that I never would have dreamed possible. God knew to put this incredible man in my life. I really don’t embrace change at all…in fact, I hate it. Jack, on the other hand, loves a challenge. We make a pretty great team! Even today, Jack is such a huge part of our business. He takes care of ALL the things I cannot stand that come along with a business such as accounting, bills, taxes, business licensing, bookkeeping, etc. Yuck! Without a doubt, I couldn’t continue to do what I do without him taking care of that side of things. I get to do all the fun part! 😉

You might wonder why I put this out here on the blog for the world to read and the reason is simple. The love we have for one another as well as the belief that he is a true gift from God is so important to what I do everyday in this business. My camera and photographs are an extension of my heart. With every click of the shutter, I am seeking to capture for my clients the love that they have for one another and their children. The love and joy that I have in my personal life is a part of every photograph I take. It has been 13 years of marriage, and I am happier than I ever thought possible back on that spring day in March. I am beyond grateful to the Lord for granting me with this amazing man with which to share this journey. Happy Anniversary, baby!

I am so excited to announce that for the first time ever we are offering Mini Sessions in the spring! This has been a much requested event over the years from my customers and we have listened. We have partnered with The Happy Heart children’s clothing store for this event. Details are below, but here’s a few highlights…

There will not be any sitting fees for these Mini Sessions; however, you are asked to have some fun shopping and to spend $30 at The Happy Heart to in order to schedule your session and secure your place. If you saw my last post, you will realize that there is no shortage of wonderful things to buy at the Happy Heart. There are children’s clothes for all ages as well as many great little gifts, frames, shoes…the list goes on! And, yes, gift certificates do count! All you need to do is make your purchase and pick your session time. The Happy Heart has the schedule at their store so you can take care of everything is one trip.

The sessions will take place around Happy Heart and in the wonderful Arlington Town Square, which just so happens to be my new favorite location to photograph. So many great little spots! All photographs taken from the shoot posted yesterday were in the square and inside Happy Heart.

Sessions will be limited and we expect them to fill quickly. Need directions to the store or have a question? Give the ladies at Happy Heart a call and they’ll be “happy” to help you, 901-867-3703.

And, finally, because what is a photo blog without photos? Here is the announcement about the Mini Sessions as well as some photographs of a few of  many treasures you can discover at The Happy Heart. I hope to see you on Saturday, March 27th!