Another family session and another new house!

Congratulations to the Everetts for finding their dream home and to Charlotte for being in the world for 6 whole months!

I feel like it was just yesterday that I was slogging my way through the heat of June to take her infant photos and now here I am all bundled up for Christmas photos. 

To say Charlotte has changed a lot in six months would be an understatement. Charlotte underwent her fair share of struggles as she adjusted to this big world and she has come out on top of them. She is a bubbly, happy, delightful little girl now who, on this particular day, was eager to give me smile after smile. She was also quite eager to show me her tongue, which made for some absolutely adorable shots. 

I'm sure her parents are looking forward to showing those off when she's an easily embarrassed teenager!

Sorry, Char.

Although the Everetts just moved in, they had the house as festive as can be for the upcoming holiday. We made sure to get lots of pictures by their gorgeous Christmas tree and roaring fireplace. Although I loved the pictures of the whole family, there is just something about that cute tongue that I just can't get over, so I that's the one I chose for this post. 

So happy to continue capturing all the smiles that sweet little lady provides!

I can't begin to tell you how happy I was to be asked to take the Olson's holiday photos this year.

I may be slightly biased, but Evelyn is one cool baby. She is one of the most inquisitive little things I've ever encountered which is why I knew hanging by the tree with all those ornaments within reach would be the perfect setting for this shoot!

We did get some photos of the whole family, but Evelyn stole the show. Dressed in an adorable sock monkey onesie, she went right to work exploring every single ornament she could get her hands on. You could see her happiness (and surprise) that we weren't stopping her.

Just this once, baby girl.

I used a high ISO on my camera to really get the feel of the glow of the Christmas tree and I am so glad I went with that option. Not only did the tree glow, but so did Evelyn's eyes. There are tons of adorable photos from this shoot, but the one below is one of my favorites. There is just a ton of magical happiness in that face and I have to admit, I squealed a little when I came across it in the group.

I hope to continue capturing photos of this whole family in the years to come. Merry Christmas to the Olsons!

As someone who grew up in Catonsville, I have a deep appreciation for the gorgeous little town just down the hill from us, Ellicott City. Not only does it offer a great number of shops and restaurants that are just too much fun to explore, but it is a fantastic place to take photos.

There are so many spaces and textures, it is all I can do not to go hog wild with my camera every time I'm there.

I've done an engagement shoot before, but this time I was taking some Christmas themed photos for Claudia and her little man Jacob. It was a chilly, but bright day and we got right to it. Jacob was recovering from an ear infection and a cold, so I have to give him credit for being such a champ about the whole thing. 

Although I absolutely adore taking photos in Ellicott City, what really stood out to me about this shoot was the magic of the holiday season. Although Jacob wasn't feeling his best, any mention or sight of something Christmas related brought a huge smile to his face. It was clear that he absolutely loved Santa and the elves and anything that sounded like a jingle bell. It made me realize that although Christmas was magical as a child, it's just as wonderful to watch that childhood magic as an adult. 

I wish a very merry Christmas to these two and wish them a wonderful New Year in 2014!

There is something special about photography as a Christmas gift. Especially when it is a surprise given to you by your children (and their children!)

Lauren contacted me asking if I would take photos of her siblings and nieces and nephews as a surprise Christmas gift for the grandparents.  We met up at Centennial Park in Howard County and got right to work capturing some smiles.

If you've never been to the park, it's a fantastic space filled with fields, trees, and a pretty rockin' playground. Of course, we would never use the playground as a bribe! (Ok, I'm lying, playgrounds make great bribes for kids during photoshoots).

Whenever I'm shooting a family with small children, I try to get the important, posed photos first while they are still cheery, or, in other words, before they realize what is happening. We snapped up photos of the entire family and then moved on to some candid shots of everyone hanging out and playing around. It was crazy, but so much fun!

I hope the grandparents enjoy their gift!

I cannot believe it has already been a whole year since little Noah came into this world. A year ago, I was turning up the heat in the Braswell apartment and preparing to take his infant photos. Today, we headed out into the chilly weather and I watched little Noah waddle his way across the front porch of their new home.

As always, being with the Braswells was wonderful. Noah's personality is really coming through and he had lots of smiles to share with me. (I swear he broke out in a smile just after I snapped the shot in this post!) He loved playing in the leaves and didn't even notice when he got all wet. I think he could have stayed out there all day if I we had let him.

This has been an exciting year for this little family and the excitement continues. This spring, they will be welcoming Boy #2!

I am so excited to meet their new addition, and, of course, snap lots of pictures of him! Noah was my very first infant session ever, and I have to say, I have learned a lot in this one year. He has no idea what's coming!

I wish the Braswells the best as they finish out their last few months as a family of three (plus their Jack Boy of course!) and settle into their gorgeous new house.