Baby Portrait Session :: Twin Boys = Twice The Fun!!

Or is twice the RUN?? These adorable boys can MOVE!! Their mommy, Robin, forewarned that this portrait session would be much different from the one last summer, when they were six months old~ but of course I am thinking, really, how fast? but I should have been asking, how many directions at once? (the answer is any direction away from the camera and all directions at once!) We had a gorgeous, warm summer evening to spend together for the boys' 18-month portrait session and all of the right elements came into play: a relaxed and unhurried Mommy & Daddy, who let their boys be boys; a new playground location for the boys to explore; a great surrounding location with the perfect trees filtering the sunlight, green space and beautiful evening light; boys who were happy, well-rested and free to run, jump, run, slide, run, play, do somersaults and run!; a prepared Mommy with snacks, drinks and toys; and a photographer wearing running shoes. Yes, it was all around the perfect opportunity to capture these little ones just as they were and we had a lot of fun doing it!

Robin and her husband, Eric, take the boys to the beach during the summer and play a game on the sand dunes with them, where they countdown and the boys run to them~ it was the only way to get the boys in one spot at the same time and made for some of the cutest images~ priceless! Thanks letting me spend some time with you and your precious family~ Love you guys!!

okay, so there are a lot of images for this post,  but I had a hard time choosing... twice as many makes sense, right?

Children's Portrait Session :: Time for a Tea Party!

I really do have the best friends and clients. And I love it when they appease my 'vision' of creating something special for a children's portrait session. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I love the option of using this creative freedom and having it spill over into revealing something special about a child or family. After all, God created each of us with something special in mind! This sweet four year old loves dressing up and playing with her animals so we broke out the tea set, a blanket and had ourselves a little party!

Admittedly this little girl has my heart in more ways than her sweet smile, blue eyes, curly hair and funny antics. She also happens to be our God-daughter, so time spent with her is always a little extra special. I think maybe the best part of the evening was a trip to the ice cream shop for a cone~ not much sweeter than a kid and ice cream!

A tea party with some special friends!




a convincing Sleeping Beauty


love the joy in her face while catching bubbles


and of course, while eating ice cream!
(a vintage finish to these images below~ what do you think?)

Baby Portrait Session :: Baby N's 1st Year~ Happy Birthday!!

Wow~ time really flies! When Baby N's mommy contacted me last fall for baby portraits, at that time, this tiny little girl's birthday seemed so far away~ but now it's here! As a part of the Watch Me Grow! baby portrait plan, we photographed this adorable little one at 3 months, 6 months and now 1 year. What a great 'documentary' of her first year of life~ I especially like the one of her pouring 'tea' for her daddy~ so sweet. Happy Birthday Baby N, you are truly loved by so many people in your life!

Baby Portrait Session :: Six-Month-Old Sweetie

This week I am feeling a little nostalgic/sentimental/sappy with the realization that my sweet little baby girl is headed to middle school in a few weeks. Looking through the images of all the beautiful baby girls from this spring really hits home with how quickly they change and grow up~ people tell you this all the time, but it's hard to grasp until the time has zipped on by. Looking at this sweet six month old baby girl, I see so many of the hopes and dreams her parents, Melissa and Aaron, have for her and and a bit of mystery as to who she will become.

This little one is truly the apple of her mommy and daddy's eyes~ but how can they resist? I love the creases in her wrists and the dimples in the back of her hand and on her elbows. She had her Mommy working hard for this session~ Melissa admits her little love is usually quite serious but also gives the sweetest, heart-melting looks and grins which is, of course, what every mom wants to see in print! So it's neat that many of these cute looks are directed at her mom & dad. And although her schedule was a bit off on this day, she was quite happy to go along with whatever we did with her despite the heat and juggling of her, her baby stuff and all of my equipment. Thanks again for a wonderful time, and enjoy every hug and snuggle with your little blessing!

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Newborn Portrait Session :: Precious Little Boy

Today I got to spend time with one of the sweetest, most content newborns I've ever met~ seriously, this little guy made me think "maybe that newborn stage wasn't as difficult as I remember it"?? But he really is a gem. His mommy, Jamie, contacted me last week and I was expecting her call~ she had received a Circle of Life Photography gift certificate for a newborn portrait session at her baby shower from her friend Morgan. What I wasn't expecting, and apparently neither had she, was that her baby boy arrived 15 days early!

So a little rearranging of the schedule and we had a lovely morning enjoying this little one's funny faces, grimaces and occasional squeaks. I don't think he cried once! Here are a few of my favorites~ thanks for being a patient mom and helper Jamie~ you are blessed with a beautiful baby!

Senior Portrait Session :: Brynn {Manheim Township}

Sometimes clients have interesting stories of how they came across Circle of Life Photography~ this one starts with a corn field! Several years ago, Brynn's father was contacted to see if a field owned by the company he works for could be turned into a corn maze as a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network. Every year since that time, her parents attend the annual CMN Ball fundraiser held in Hershey, PA and last fall they came across my silent auction for a high school senior portrait session and won it (lucky me, and them!) The total raised from that one Miracle Ball totaled $139,000 ~ giving back rocks!

Brynn attends Manheim Twp. High School~ she was so easy to work with, and to make it even more special it was her birthday! (Just can't help but smile when it's your birthday!) Her mom, Elaine was a great 'assistant'; we had a fabulous time walking all over Mt. Gretna on a gorgeous summer day, finding spots with good light and fun places to photograph. Here are just a few of my favorites from Brynn's senior portrait session~ love her choice of colors and those beautiful blue eyes!

Children's Portrait Session :: Cutest Farm Boys

When Heidi mentioned wanting to update her boy's portraits, I was so excited~ after all these guys were my original models from when I first started photographing and beginning a business! Let me tell you~ looking back at those original images I could just cringe! But thankfully Heidi tells me she loves them because they are her boys~ and it's a good reminder for me to see how far I have advanced technically and visually in just a couple of years...God has blessed me in many more ways than I can explain!

These little guys are so funny and cute and remind me a lot of our boys~ they are VERY serious about what they like, but also a bit silly at times. Their dad Eric is a local farmer, and farming definitely runs in the family~ these two boys are completely enthralled with anything relating to farming, farm equipment and construction. I got a few lessons in farm equipment terminology during their portrait session and several stories about events happening at their farm. We had a blast playing at their great-aunt's home just down the road~ skipping stones in the pond, chasing balls, playing on the swingset and sharing wagon rides up the lane. I have to say, our evening photographing was so much fun~ they did a great job just being themselves, we got some great images, and they wore me out!

Heidi~ this is the image I was envisioning...


but this is definitely my new favorite~