Leila Hunt Photography

Valentine's Boudoir Sessions are coming!!!!

2012-01-03T17:17:00.000-08:00

THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL...IF YOU WANT TO GET ON THE LIST FOR THE NEXT ONE EMAIL ME AT LHuntphotog@live.com. I could do them again as soon as next month if there is enough interest!

This is something I have wanted to do for awhile. I tried last year but it didn't work out, so decided to try again this year. The response has been good enough to work out the details so they are as follows...

Date: January 22, 2012 (first time I have written 2012 :)
Time slots will be in 1.5 hour blocks (overlapping by 30 minutes) which will include hair, make up, and shoot time. I encourage you to come early and stay late to get some much needed girl time and allow extra time if needed to prepare. Start and stop time will depend on the number of participants and will be determined later. First come first serve to fill the time slots.

Where: My home studio in Mount Juliet. I will have several set ups available as well props to pose with (i.e. chairs, rugs, pillows, etc). The look and feel I am going for is simple, clean and classic. I will have a black backdrop that is timeless and sexy as well as a bed set with beautiful bedding.

What to wear: That is totally up to you! If you want lingerie, totally fine. If you want to wear jeans and a t-shirt, fine. Husbands work shirt, sports jersey, a nightgown, nothing, all fine. While I am calling this boudoir it by no means requires anything beyond your comfort zone! Now, I KNOW there are lots of Moms out there like me who are self conscious about your post baby bodies and I am here to tell you camera angles and posing are your best friends! I can make you look amazing no matter what. A strategically placed blanket or scarf to hide those stubborn areas (which for me would be that stretched out belly post 3 kids :)is a simple way to make it work while still being sexy. I had some done last year and wore capri jeans, a corset, and heels. I was not showing anything but a little cleavage but felt like a million bucks. It was awesome and so empowering to feel like a woman and not just a mom. I would definitely recommend some sexy heels though as that can make all the difference no matter what you are wearing! There will be time for 2 "outfits", so plan accordingly. I do have some pretty hair accessories, feather boas, hats, a feather fan, chinese umbrellas, and other goodies you can use as well.

Pampering: I will have ladies to do your hair and make up for you if you chose while you relax and enjoy a few drinks and snacks (spirited or not).

Price: Package one: $125- includes hair, make up, and 5 edited full resolution files on a CD with reprint rights and one 8x10 or smaller print

Package two: $150- includes hair, make up, and 10 edited full resolution files on a CD with reprint rights and one 8x10 or smaller print

Want more images to choose from?? Let me know and we can work it out!

Add on a mini brag book which is a 5x5 spiral bound album including all 5 or 10 of your pics for $20.00. Perfect way for hubby to keep all your pictures close in a nightstand or brief case ;)

I will offer a 50% discount off regular pricing for any additional products you wish to purchase.

Email me at lhuntphotog@live.com to get on the list! THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL

Here is a sample of an image I took last year. Simple and smokin hot without showing a thing!!!

Worst blogger ever!

2011-12-17T19:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know my last post was months ago but I have a good excuse, really I do. I am just finishing up with my busiest fall ever and I barely had time to keep up. Okay, honestly I wasn't keeping up, but finally managed to get it all done. Blogging takes extra time and I just didn't have it. Between the house, my three kids, and the business I was living on about 5 hours a sleep a night, and I am tired. You can check out my facebook page to see sneak peeks of every session I did, as they are allllll there. All 30 of them. I normally only take one session a week, so that was what normally would be 7.5 months of sessions crammed into 3 months. Really 2 months as I didn't do a whole lot during December. I adopted the mantra "just keep swimming" to keep me going. I feel so blessed and excited though that I got to capture images of so many amazing families. I got to spend time with bellies, welcome new babies, celebrate lots of birthdays, and meet lots of new people. I really love my job and always feel so honored people choose me to capture their memories. Making it a fun experience that produces beautiful imagery is always my goal, and based on all the pretty smiles, I think I did a good job ;) Anyways, now that life has calmed down, I am going to get back to blogging. I think most people are on facebook, and if you aren't a "liker" of my page, follow the link on the right and join me! I am going to attach just one image since a post isn't complete without a picture. Think I will close my eyes and pick since there are just too many cute ones to have a favorite! Okay, well that wasn't so hard. An image I loved so much it became a new image on my splash page (the first page you see on my website). It won't be too crazy around here since the winter is definitely the slow season. A few bellies and a few new babies to keep me entertained through the cold winter months. I think it is kind of a cycle of life thing to allow the photographer to rejuvenate after the fall season of photography. A few slow months lets me catch up on my own family photos, catch up on updating the website, paperwork, and let's not forget about taxes :) Soon enough it will be Spring and it will be time to get back outdoors!

Christmas Minis Are Coming!

2011-09-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

Christmas Card Mini Sessions are finally on the books.

Date: Sunday October 23, 2011, time to be determined- will start after 3 PM though. Nine spots available, several already filled. Please do not wait to contact me if you are thinking about it because the spots will fill. Email me at lhuntphotog@live.com or via my website

Where: An outdoor location in the Mount Juliet area

Who: Everyone welcome to participate whether you have kids or not

What: A 15 minute mini session that can be used to get portraits for your holiday cards or just to update portraits. Approximately 10 images presented to choose from.

The cards: Custom designed 2 sided 5x5 cards on watercolor paper. Envelopes included. Over 60 designs to choose from. Fully customizable. They are gorgeous!!!! The beauty and quality can not even compare to your typical cards on photo paper from Walgreens, Snapfish, etc. Already had a family session recently? No problem... just let me know which pictures you want to use and I can design the cards for you. What if you are not my client? I can still design cards for you if you send me the digital images you would like to use. If you are using another photographer's images, I will need a print release.

Price: $75 includes session fee and one 8x10 (reg price $25) or one digital file sized down to not print over 5x7 if you prefer printing your own cards. Minimum $75 print or digital file purchase required per session. Pack of 25 cards $60, pack of 50 $100. Gift print packages will start at $100 and a la carte items will be discounted as well for mini session participants (including gallery wrap canvases, bevel mounts,etc.) Digital files will be available for purchase. Contact me for more info on pricing.

Eeeek, how has it been almost a month...

2011-09-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

After every session I do I post a sneak peek to facebook and then always intend to blog it. However, I always seem to get busy working on the sessions and it just doesn't get done. I think most people follow me on facebook so I don't stress much but for those of you that don't, I apologize :) I think there are 3 or 4 sessions over there now I have missed. I will post a few from this mornings session here as I have three sessions waiting to be edited, so sadly don't have time at the moment to blog them all. I wish the pictures were uploaded the proper size b/c all the resizing is what really takes so long. The only big news for now is Christmas Minis are coming up. I am about to pick a date but it seems this season is proving to be really busy already and my weekends are filling quickly. It is looking like the end of October most likely though. I am going to have a booth at the MJCA Extravaganza this year, so I am looking forward to that. I will also be at Halloween In The Park, so 2 great opportunities to showcase my work. So, here are a few of my faves from today with a sweet little 6 month old.

The "L" family

2011-08-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

I met up with the "L" family for a Saturday morning shoot. So, while last weekend I wasn't so lucky with the rain, this weekend I lucked out. I had some gorgeous overcast light to work with so got to go some places I usually can't use for morning sessions AND the rain held out until I pulled into my driveway and got unpacked. I haven't photographed these kids since the youngest was about 6 weeks old, so almost 2 years. They were so cute and fun and just all boys. Lots of trying to keep them clean, horseplay, and general silliness. I love boys. There are a few more pics of them over on the facebook page, so be sure to check them out there. Scheduling updates while I am at it... August I can squeeze one more in, full or mini. September and October both only have one mini session available. November only has my Christmas minis. I haven't put out the official announcement on these yet BUT have my annual regulars that I know will come, so several spots are already filled. Let me know if you want to get on the list for these for updated pictures and custom holiday cards.

I think there should be a rule that all little boys have to go shirtless for sessions.

One of my new faves, I adore the sweat in his hair and his dirty fingers. All boy!

Big bro is pretty stinkin cute too!

Sibling hugs crack me up. They always end in choking or the whole group falling to the ground :)

The "B" family on a very rainy day

2011-07-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

I met up with the "B" family today for a family session. The weather said 30% chance of rain this morning. So, not thinking much of it I jumped in the car and headed out. As I am driving it is getting darker and darker to the West, but I am headed East, so figured maybe we could outrun in. I talked to Mom a few times on the phone and we decided to go for it since our location was 45 minutes away, it was not easy to just come back another time. Right at 9:00, the official start time, the bottom fell out. I mean really fell out. It rained for 2 hours straight which I am sure has not happened all summer. Thankfully our location had lots of covered areas so we still managed to complete the session with only minimal wetness. I am sure thankful my camera is splash proof because it got a little bit wet today. I have always wanted to do some fun playing in the rain shots but since I never intentionally have a session in the rain, I never have. So, I got to get some great wet shots today that I adore. This family came to me as a referral so that means they get a free 8x10 and the referring family does as well. After 5 referrals you get a free session! So, don't be shy about letting your friends know about me ;)

It was a free for all at the end and he loved it!

I adore this in soooo many ways!

Adorable

Professional model this one, he was totally working it for me

Cutey pie

My favorite of him, the storm made some beautiful light!

The "C" boys

2011-07-30T18:59:00.001-07:00

I met up with the "C" boys a few days back. Let me just say they were the BEST, most well behaved group of three boys ever. Seriously. So cooperative and polite, I was supremely impressed! They are obviously adorable to boot, so they made my job pretty easy. It was the baby's 6 month session primarily but the big kids got in on the action too. There are a handful more of these guys on my facebook page if you would like to see more!

I am getting back into this monochromatic look. Clean and timeless...

One of the most hilarious baby faces ever!

Total heartbreaker at only 6 months old

The whole adorable crew

The "R" family

2011-07-25T09:45:00.001-07:00

I got to meet up with the "R" family Friday evening for a little family fun. I had met the youngest kiddo before and instantly fell in love with him, he is so sweet! So, I was excited to work with him again. Being the mother of three I know that picture day can be a little nerveracking for mother and photographer :) Or in my case being both at the same time to my crew is downright scary sometimes! So, admittedly it is always a little bit of a challenge to connect with each child to be able invoke real smiles and loosen them up when there are multiple children but somehow I can always work it out. I love watching the family dynamics and the relationships between siblings. It allows me to think on my feet and figure out how to best work with everyone to get them to do what I need them to. This session we were just doing a mini session so we had about 20 minutes to get it done. Nothing like working under pressure :) They did great and I got some wonderful images of them. Their Daddy is in Iraq and has been since October, so I hope these images bring him a little closer to home.

R turns 6 months

2011-07-23T10:21:00.001-07:00

"R" was back for his 6 month session. I didn't blog his 3 month session but you can find it on my facebook page. He is a super chunky monkey and just a gorgeous baby. His eyes are amazing just like his big sister. He was in a great mood and didn't cry one bit during our session. Our biggest challenge was his rolling. So Mom got her work out putting him back in place again and again. I can't wait to see him again in 3 months!
Scheduling updates: August through October are full but I will take people on a wait list in the event of cancellations. November Christmas minis will be my first available regular bookings. Pending how on top of things I can stay I MIGHT open up a few mini sessions for the fall, so please contact me ASAP if you would be interested in this.

tap, tap, tap... Is this thing on?

2011-07-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

Geez, I didn't realize it has been almost a month since I have posted. Not that I haven't been doing anything, but in fact too much :) There are lots of session posted on my facebook page if you haven't been there and want to see what I have been up to. The year is going by so quickly and I am almost completely booked through the end of the year! There are lots of babies on the way, so I will get lots of baby fixes (and admittedly some baby fever) as the year goes on. I only have 2 sessions available in August. September, October and November are full except for my Christmas minis in November. Several of these spots are already booked as well, so while I KNOW Christmas is not on anyones mind (except mine) if you want me to update your pictures and design your cards, please get in touch ASAP. I do have several spots open in December still though I am sad at the thought of having to shoot indoors over the winter. Perhaps it will be a warm one so I can be shooting outdoors on December 31st again :) I will take people on a wait list as I sometimes have cancellations or reschedules and can fit more people in. So, that is about it for now. If you are not on facebook you should be so you can see everything I have going on!

The "C" family

2011-06-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

I spent this morning with the "C" family. We met at my favorite morning spot for a little family mini session. I was a little surprised to see a big tree had fallen right in the middle of the little spot I shoot in, but we managed to make due shifting back into the woods a bit. We had a super fun time and little "J" did awesome! He is almost 3 years old and was so cute and fun. He was soooo smiley!!!!

W and R turn three months

2011-05-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

I had the great pleasure to meet three month old identical twins this weekend. They were sooooo good for me and made things run smoothly. We decided to start with some "lifestyle" portraits, which I love and finished it up with some backdrop pics. They are such handsome little guys and Mom and Dad have being the parents of multiples down already. There are a lot of pictures to post, so I will get on with it!

How beautiful is this mama???

You know I am obsessed with baby feet, so 4 of them was heaven ;)

The whole sweet family

I love how they are arm wrestling, boys will be boys!

Little bear

Baby "R" fell asleep almost as soon as we set him on the couch, so funny

I love how he is touching Daddy's beard

Love the eye contact here

How sweet is that little smile and pokey little bottom lip???

There are a lot of sessions over on the facebook page I didn't blog, so don't forget to go check them out. "Like" me while you are there to stay up to date with everything going on. 20 comments will win this family a sweet little gift, so leave them some love!!!

Mother's Day Mini Sessions

2011-04-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

So, this will be a first for me. Mother's Day Minis. Photographing mothers and the connection they have with their children is a passion of mine, so I am not sure why I haven't done this before. So, for this special event I am making it very affordable for familes to come and see me. These sessions are for Moms and the kids only. You Mommies must participate as well, I will not be focused on just the kiddos alone this time. This can be for Mommies with big kids as well, so don't be shy if your babies are all grown up! I love doing generations as well, so don't forget grandma too:) Pending how this goes I will consider doing one for Father's Day as well b/c I certainly don't want to leave out the Daddys. So, instead of trivial things like flowers and perfume this year, get something that will last a lifetime. Something that actually increases in value over time! Due to the very special pricing I am offering for this event I suspect they will fill quickly, so don't be slow in reserving your spot! Please contact me with questions via the contact form on my site, my facebook page, or at lhuntphotog@live.com

Awaiting the Arrival of Baby "S"

2011-03-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

It has been over a year since I have seen this family and I was so happy to see them! Little "M" is two and all boy. I had such a fun time playing with him and watching all his boy antics. When photographing 2 year olds it is usually about tricking them into doing what you want because they usually are not willing to just do as you ask :) So, it is always fun just kind of letting them do their thing and waiting for the moment you can get what you need. Mom is 27 weeks along with baby number 2, another little boy, and is looking amazing as ever. I did get lots of shots of Mom by herself, but the interactions of this family were the shots that were really tugging at my heartstrings. I have been a bad blogger and haven't posted my last 3 or 4 sessions at least, so don't forget to go to my facebook page and see what you have been missing!

Just the right amount of wind blowing in her hair...

just plain love this one...

probably my favorite family shot EVER and that is saying a lot! It is perfection in my mind...I love how everyones arms are in just the right place making them so close

Just hilarious

Lovin it!

THIS is a photo shoot with a 2 year old boy :)

The new spot we tried out, beautiful!!!!

Looking and smiling at me, it can be done!

I just adore his sweet face in this one

Boy did I have to work a game of "I am going to get your chair" for this one ;)

A little Easter action

and this is what 2 year old boys do with Easter baskets :)

Thank you "M" family for an AMAZING session! I am having the hardest time narrowing down the gallery, always a great sign!

Easter Minis Are Coming!!

2011-02-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

I am happy to announce 2011 Easter Minis!!!! I was so sad to miss them last year but I was just about to have a baby so figured as soon as I scheduled them he would arrive early :) This year they will be occuring on Sunday March 27th. The time will be determined but will be in the afternoon so as not to interfere with church. If the afternoon fills, then I will also do a morning session. They will be held in the Mount Juliet area. Details will be given to the participants. You can certainly do it up with Easter clothes and baskets, etc. but you may also just use them to update regular pics if you do not want to be "themey" :) I will have pettiskirts, tutus, and fairy wings availble for little girls and a very cool vintage firetruck pedal car for boys available.

Date: March 27, time to be determined
Where: outdoor location in the Mount Juliet area
Cost: $50 for a 20 minute mini session including one 8x10 ($25 value). 10-15 fully edited proofs to choose from in an online gallery. Discount print and digital packages available with the session starting at $75 for a package including one 8x10, two 5x7's, two 4x6's and 8 wallets (regularly priced at $110). Option to add a digital card to send out to family and friends for $15.00 (you may send it digitally or print it to mail, print release is included). $50 minimum print purchase per session.
Slots will fill on a first come, first serve basis and I will need the session fee paid to hold your slot (check or credit cards via paypal accepted).

Contact me with any further questions or to book via my website, facebook, or email at lhuntphotg@live.com !!!!

If you haven't been to my facebook in awhile, head on over as there are 5 sessions "sneak peeked" there I didn't blog.

Welcome to the world "R"

2011-01-23T16:45:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to meet 6 day old "R" this morning for his newborn session. It has been about 6 months since I have had a newborn, so I was soooo ready to get my hands on him. He is a total chow hound and is keeping his mamma busy just keeping his belly full. He was totally awake when I got there and I worked HARD to get him to sleep. Turns out he is a total snuggle baby and only likes to sleep while someone holds him, can't say I blame him really. So, he gave me some sweet sleepy shots with his mamma and a brief time by himself but other than that he was awake! I am sure he slept well once I left :) He is a pretty chunky baby weighing almost 9 pounds at birth so he had some great chubby cheeks. He is the baby brother to one of my favorite kiddos "P" and I know she will teach him all her tricks! "R"s mamma likes to come see me every 3 months when they are babies, so you will be seeing a lot of this little guy, and "P" as well, throughout this next year. Slow season is officially over, so I will be back to blogging on a regular basis!! I have got three babies due in February, so it is going to be a crazy, fun busy month of new babies, ahhhhhh, perfection...

"J" turns 6 months

2010-12-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

So, baby "J" came to visit me yesterday as well. He is a big 6 months now!! It really seems like last week we were doing his newborn session. Mom said he can be a little shy around strangers but he did great with me. He is probably the best 6 month sitter I have had, all by himself and straight up too! He has the sweetest Momma and Daddy and they just adore him to pieces. Such a wonderful family all around. He was a trooper and was on board for everything except the naked booty pics, but I managed to get a cute one between fusses :)

Santa baby!!

Snuggly in Christmas jammies

Totally posing for me...

Mommy kisses are the best!

"P" is getting a baby brother!!!

2010-12-23T12:44:00.000-08:00

Miss "P" is my most photographed kiddo hands down, so I am super excited she is getting a new baby brother soon since I know I will see him just as much. This also assures I get to keep seeing "P" every 3 months as well, so I am a happy clam. She has ALWAYS had so much personality, even as a tiny baby, so now that she is 2 and talking up a storm, she is hilarious. Mom is looking good with only a month or so to go. Baby "R" will be my first newborn of 2011!!! On with the pics...

Ack, getting behind on posting again...

2010-12-18T07:28:00.001-08:00

I have missed a few posts on the blog but they are on facebook, so as my usual posts go, jump on over to my facebook page and check them out. I will attach a couple from my session yesterday. A and M came to visit me for a little mini session. Did you know I offer mini sessions now???? These are only $60 vs the standard $115 session fee and are a 20 minute session at my home studio or an outdoor location in the Mount Juliet area. A great way to update family pics, 1/2 birthdays, etc. Big sister was so much fun and so full of personality. I loved her! Little sis was just sweet and very cooperative, oh and did I mention just beautiful!!! I had such a fun time with them... There are a few more on facebook I didn't post here and also a post with a super cutey rolly polly baby :) I have a belly session on Monday and then I am off for a few weeks for Christmas, so things will be quiet. I will be back mid January with some fun things going on!!!

Calling all you hot mamas out there!

2010-12-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
Soooo I know at this time in the year we are all go, go, going with Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching. Lots of time cooking, buying gifts, and catering to our families. So, I KNOW Valentine's day is nowhere on your radar BUT I am working on something and need to start planning now. I am wanting to host a "Boudoir" mini session event just for all you Mama's out there. Now, I know what you are thinking, ummm, boudoir, no thanks BUT just hear me out. By boudoir I am not necessarily talking lingerie and certainly NOT nudity but I am talking about a session JUST for you! I know most all of you have probably not had pictures focused on just you since, well, your high school senior pictures which for me would have been about 17 years ago, gah! I want Mom's to have a chance to be pampered a little, get dressed up in whatever you feel comfortable in and have some beautiful portraits made. No chasing kids and being stressed. I plan on getting a very nice hotel suite to host in and having people there to do hair and make up as well. So, if you feel pretty in jeans and a t-shirt, fine do it. If you want to be a little bit or a lot sexy, great, let's do it. How about your husband's work shirt or his favorite sports jersey?? You can do sexy without being revealing. If you are like me I am sure you have your insecurities about your weight, or your post baby bodies, but trust me, I can make you look beautiful and believe me it is all about posing and camera angle. I will remind you that you are a beautiful woman! I had my hair and make up done and then portraits when I was 8 months pregnant with my second child. For the first time in a LONG time, I felt really pretty and liked the way I looked, even at 8 months pregnant. We will focus on your best assets and you will come away with portraits you love that will be awesome both for you and to give your hubbies for Valentines day. It will be a chance to take down our ponytails and put on some make up more than just a little powder and lipstick and show ourselves that we still have "it". Even if "it" is not the same as it was in our early 20's:) I have no details worked out yet, I am just putting out feelers to see if anyone is interested in this since I will need a minimum number of participants to cover the cost of the suite and to get the hair and make up ladies in line. I do know it will be held mid January sometime so there is time to proof and get orders in before Valentines day. So, geez, that would be about 5-6 weeks from now! So, please send me an email if you might be interested in participating and if there is enough response, I will get it in the works. We ALL deserve a chance to feel pretty and good about ourselves as we are now. Our husbands love us and think we are gorgeous, so lets have a little fun and make this Valentines exciting!!!!

Sweet baby "A" turns one

2010-11-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

I met up with Miss "A" this evening for the final session of her "grow with me" plan. Sigh, another baby graduating, where do the months go! She is a sweet and tiny little angel, reminds of a little pixie. She is just so cute and delicate. She holds a sweet spot b/c she is one of only a handful of brown haired, brown eyed beauties I work with. I love my blondies, don't get me wrong, but I am a sucker for big brown eyes. She did a great job and never even had a melt down which is no small feat for a 12 month old session. One thing I am learning as time goes by is that 12 month olds hate pettiskirts. I don't think girls really appreciate how fun they are until they get to be about 2 or 3. At this age they are just an annoyance :) So here is this sweet little girl in all her ridiculous cuteness!!

This was "A" the first time we met in January- she was 3 months here

Look at her now!

I would have this big in my house if it were me!

Pretty eyes

Pixie

Another "M" family

2010-11-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

I had the priviledge of meeting up with the "M" Saturday evening for some family pictures. Mom has been wanting to have me do this for a long time, so I was soooo happy to finally get to work with her family. I scoped out an amazing spot right near their home, so that was exciting. I love the spot so much they may be seeing me around the neighborhood from time to time with other clients :) They are a family of three boys under 6, so you know this Mom is one tough cookie. I will call them the three D's, D1 being the oldest and D3 the youngest. When I arrived D2 and D3 were napping which is both good and bad. Good they were resting but bad when you have to wake them to go and take pictures. D1 was the star of the show and was very into having his picture taken, so that is always fun for me. D2 was a little more serious but I was groovin' to his cool dude vibe. D3 is fast! I couldn't keep up with the little guy. He has the most beautiful eyes and precious curls. We got some wonderful shots and we had a lot of fun. I am only posting a few here, so visit my facebook page for a few extras.

D1- camera lover

D3- fastest baby on earth

D2- see what I mean, cool!

The whole precious family. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this shot!!

The "M" family

2010-11-19T19:33:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post a REALLY quick sneak peek. I am only posting one pic here but there are 4 more on facebook, so if you want more, go on! These were the winners from the MJCA Extravaganza Silent Auction. Sister "S" is just beyond beautiful and very sweet and little brother "S" is all boy. He had quite a good rock collection going during our session :) He even got to take one home! I was only supposed to shoot for 20 minutes since this was technically a mini session, but as I am prone to do with cooperative, beautiful children, I overshot and we ended up going about twice as long ;) I am not disappointed though b/c everything turned out great. I was very happy to get to use my favorite field again, as I usually am not shooting out there this late in the year. It was so warm and nice though, it was perfect.

That's me behind the computer...

2010-11-11T17:39:00.001-08:00

Yes I am here, just crazy busy. So busy I have shot 8 sessions since I last posted to the blog. There are sneak peeks up on my facebook page, so hop on over there and check them out. Blogger takes forever to upload images and then I have to resize them to make them bigger, so every post takes at least 30 minutes and at this time of the year I don't have an 30 extra minutes :) Perhaps when I am bored in January I will come back and archive all the sessions that haven't been blogged yet. Facebook is the "in" thing anyways, so I guess I shouldn't worry :) Now go, click on the link to the right to get to my facebook page...

Fantastic family fun

2010-10-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

I met up with the "G" family last night for a fall family session. Mom had requested she wanted to have some fall color in her photos, so I set out to find the perfect spot. After 2.5 hours of traveling the roads of Mount Juliet I found it. I hadn't realized quite how perfect it was until we got out there and started shooting. There were three very different but all equally beautiful spots all in this one little corner of the world. It was like the perfect trifecta of spots all sitting right next to each other. Sadly though it is in an area that will be developed in the next few years, so it won't last forever. Until then, I can see myself spending a lot of time there :) I already have plans of taking my daughter out for some pettiskirt, backlit action in the field. Okay, enough about the spot and onto the family! Little Miss "G" is just about to be 2 years old. She hung in there and made it through the shoot and gave me a ton of great shots, too many in fact ;) Hopefully Mom is a good decision maker because it is going to be a tough one! Through a few tears and lots of sweet talk, toys and snacks we made it through almost an hour and a half, which is a long time in a 2 year olds world. Here are the sneak peeks with a little glimpse of all three fabulous spots! I am pretty sure this is where I will be holding my Christmas mini sessions for those of you attending. I will get you the details soon!

Sitting pretty

Tickles are always good for a smile

I am completely in love with this one

What kid doesn't like to get to stand in a chair??

It is like a pink party

Here is the field with this beautiful light

I love these colors against the yellow and orange trees

A little daddy action and how pretty is that sun??

Fall fun, fun new location

2010-10-17T03:57:00.000-07:00

So, I have been dying to try out some new locations and finally got the chance to on Friday. I am super thrilled about the results and only wish it was closer. I guess a 45 minute drive is worth it to get shots like these, and I hope more families will want to make the trek down to this spot. Not feeling wordy this morning so I will just get on with this very large sneak peek. I actually posted even more on my facebook page, so if you are just so taken with these you want more, hop on over there. I am winding down for the season. I have 2 or 3 more regular sessions and then Christmas minis November 6th (3 spots still open). Then I will have a little break over Christmas to just enjoy my baby and family. Then maybe I can get caught up on editing pics of my own kids. I have 2 different sessions with my baby and one with the bigger kids that hasn't even made it off the memory card yet. At least they are taken, so I can feel good about that :)

Christmas Card Mini Sessions

2010-10-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Christmas Card Mini Sessions are just around the corner. I only have 3 spaces still open, so if you want in please let me know ASAP!

What: 15 minute mini sessions focused on getting Christmas card photos. You will be presented with 5-10 images in an online gallery to choose from within 10 days of the session.
When:November 6th and possibly another date if the 6th fills, late afternoon/early evening- time to be determined closer to the date.
Where: An outdoor location in the Mount Juliet Area- to be determined later. I will have a gorgeous ottoman and some simple decorations (removable if you don't want them) for a clean, modern alternative to posing in front of a Christmas tree, etc. Also I will just have nature available if you want a simple outdoorsy feel.
Cost: $50.00 with one 8x10 included ($25 value)- minimum $50 print/card purchase per session. The session will need to be paid for within 30 days of the scheduled date to hold your place- pay pal or checks accepted
Who: Open to anyone, "grow with me" babies are welcome- only 8 families will be scheduled. You don't have to have children to participate and pending the location pets may or may not be allowed...
The cards: I am offering 2 sided, full color press printed cards printed on watercolor paper. These will be stylish 5x5 square cards. These are all my original designs, exclusively for my clients. My catalog currently has over 60 designs to choose from and I am still adding more. These cards are gorgeous! See a few samples below. I will also bring samples to the event. They will include one or more pictures on the front and back (pending design) and the greetings will be customizable. Envelopes are included and they come in packs of 24. One set of 24 will cost $55.00, 2 sets or 48 cards will be $70 (special sale pricing on 2 packs). NOTE: the special pricing on 2 packs will expire Nov 24 at which time the cost will be $55 for the first set and $50 for each additional set. Contact me for pricing on additional sets over 2. I will send you the username and password to the Christmas Card gallery once the session fee is paid.
Other card options: If you prefer to print your own cards, you may purchase up to 2 digital files with full reprint rights for $50 each. Resolution will be lowered to prevent printing over a 5x7 size. I am also offering a large quantity 4x6 discount for those of you who like to make your cards or just include a photo in your cards. These will be printed on professional grade photo paper and come in a lustre finish. A set of 25 (all same image) will be $60 or a set of 50 will be $110 ( a custom quote can be prepared if you need a different quantity). 4x6 prints are regularly priced at $15.00 each, so this is a substantial savings.
The Packages: I will have some gift print only packages as well as some card and gift print package combos available. Gift print packages start at $155 and include 12 various sized prints. Gift print and card packages start at $225 and include 48 cards and 8 gift prints. My full collection of mounting options will be available for a la carte purchasing at regular pricing (see the "print option" gallery on my website for pictures of my products).
I will accept families up until October 25th and the session will be closed after this time. No "walk in" sessions allowed. So if you are interested please send me an email at lhuntphotog@live.com or you can contact me through my website. Several slots are already filled, so don't miss your chance to have some gorgeous cards this year.

Front design #41

Back design #41

Front design #39

Back design #39

Front Design #46

Back Design #46

Front Design #59

Back Design #59

Front Design #65

Back Design #65

I wish I could photograph products as well as I do people, b/c these pics don't do these cards justice:) These are just a few of the over 65 designs I have available

Here is the link to some of the pics from the minis last year (copy and paste). Also if you go to the blog archive to the right and go back to October 2009 you can see the pics from several other of the minis from last year. These are all of the kids mostly, but parents are encouraged to participate :)
http://leilahuntphotography.blogspot.com/2009/11/more-christmas-minis.html

The "K" family goes urban

2010-09-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hi there,
I am just going to post one sneak peek here of my Urban shoot from Sunday morning. The best way to do downtown Nashville is a Sunday morning, early. The streets were almost empty, allowing us to do whatever we wanted. The "K" family was so fun and spontaneous and we had a great time tromping around the streets. So much so that I posted 11 pics to my facebook page for a sneak peek! I rarely get to go urban so I was thrilled when they agreed to give it a try. It is so much fun experimenting with the light and textures you can find there. I am short on time as I have 2 galleries waiting to be edited now, so skip on over to my facebook page to see the rest of this huge sneak peek. I really wish it was easier to get everything posted and resized here, but it just takes forever! Become a fan while you are there so you can stay connected to my posts all the time :)

Always a sucker for a brown eyed beauty

Miss M turns one!

2010-09-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

Another of my sweet babies turned one last week and came to see me today for her official one year shoot. I have had the honor of documenting her first year, my favorite part of the job. I have one more in the group from last year coming up and then my one year old rush is over. So, then I can just look forward to the 2 year old rush next year :) Miss "M" is absolutely beautiful and has the most amazing blue eyes. I always have to include some close ups of those eyes! She was a trooper this morning b/c she was very tired. She pulled it together for us quite a few times and dried her tears and got back into it. I could not have asked for more. The gallery is going to be huge b/c she did such a good job and I couldn't stand cutting out more of the cuteness :) Here is my little friend "M"...

Welcoming sweet baby "L"

2010-09-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this little bundle every since Mom got pregnant 9 months ago! I have photographed her big sister since she was just a wee newborn, so I was beyond excited when I heard they were expecting another sweet angel. "L" was a really good baby and slept well for our session. We got to do lots of stuff and got some great shots, one of which is one of my new all time favorites. Considering I take thousands of pictures this is a pretty big honor! Baby "L" looks exactly like her big sister except with a little darker hair. This is good news b/c "MM" is a little cutey, so "L" will end up being a cutey as well. Here are the sneak peeks. Please feel free to leave a comment, I love to know what you think!

This is my fav! I think it is the earthy feel and colors that really draws me in.

"T" turns one

2010-09-13T18:02:00.001-07:00

Another baby plan comes to a close. You have been seeing Miss "T"'s face every 3 months, so I am sure you recognize her by now. The best thing about last August and September is I had a huge rush of newborns and now sadly they are all turning 1. This is great of course, but I just enjoy seeing them regularly and watching all the new things they do each session. I am sure you have noticed the abundance or 1 year old shoots here lately, so lots of bitter sweet sessions for me. "T" has a special spot of being only 1 of 2 babies (that I can recall) that didn't cry a single tear during their 12 month shoot. 12 monthers are a notoriously tricky age b/c if they are happy we are great but if they are not there is often not much you can do to turn it around. She was very smiley and fun and gave me lots of great images. She is also the best cake smasher in town! No hesitation on her part. I am not sure if I will have any more sessions in the field this year, I sure hope so b/c I am not ready to say goodbye yet! I LOVE it sooooooo much. Thankfully I have used it a ton this year but thinking of it turning all brown makes me sad. Anywho, onto the sneak peeks...

I am one!

Pretty smile and she is trying out my new (old) chair I picked up at a yard sale

You know I love feet!

Drumming on the presents was funny

Look at her go

R turns one, happy and sad...

2010-09-07T15:10:00.001-07:00

Another "grow with me" baby is graduating their plan year. I am soooo happy to have gotten to see her every 3 months the last year but selfishly sad I don't get to keep seeing her every 3 months too! 12 month olds are always a funny age. The faces and silly poses they make always keep me laughing. I felt extra special because "R" stood up unassisted for the first time from sitting to standing while I was shooting and I got to capture it! How cool is that??? She was so funny because she did not want to get dirty from the cake at all. So our cake smash ended up being a light tasting. The cake was in such good shape I think Mom and Dad got to take it home and eat it :) So, here is the amazingly beautiful R in all her chubby cuteness...Don't be shy to leave a comment for her Mom and Dad!

"Hey you, did you just see me stand up all by myself?"

gorgeousness

Has there ever been a cuter thigh?

Missing me????

2010-08-31T18:40:00.000-07:00

I am around and working a lot! I have just been too busy to blog as it takes a lot of time to get the pics resized and all for this blog. So, I have just been adding sneak peeks to my facebook page, so click on the link to the right and go check it out AND become a fan! Facebook is far quicker to add pics to, so when I am short on time the blog suffers. I do promise to get back to blogging soon hopefully! Don't forget Christmas Minis are coming up November 6th. They are filling up, so don't wait too long!

Introducing Regular Mini Sessions...

2010-08-17T14:47:00.001-07:00

Soooo, I have had some requests and have been thinking about adding regular mini sessions to the options list. I currently have a package that includes 2 minis and a full, but then only offer stand alone minis for Christmas, Easter, etc. So, basically a mini session will be a 20 minute session with the goal of presenting 15-20 fully edited images to choose from. Regular sessions will typically result in 45-50 (or more) images. Mini sessions will be ideal to update family portraits, half birthdays or even regular birthdays for kids over a year. I don't recommend these for a 1 year old birthday as these always take longer than 20 minutes to get lots of cute stuff. If you have multiple kids and are wanting individual portraits, booking a full will be better. Minis work well for familys or one or maybe two kids, but we get pretty crunched on time. There are a few "rules" regarding the minis. These will be at an outdoor location only in the Mount Juliet/Lebanon/Hermitage area. Basically within 15 miles of my home. I can recommend locations. If you want to do an indoor session with the backdrops then you will need to book a full session. There is just too much set up and packing/unpacking involved with doing this on-location for a mini session. I will consider doing indoor sessions with the backdrops at my home studio for established clients only. Mini sessions will be $60.00 (over the regular $115) and will have a $100 minimum print purchase required (over the regular $200). So, this will be a great way to come see me for about half the price. I am offering these on a temporary basis for the rest of the year to see how they work out and if people are enjoying these.

Another baby girl turns 1!

2010-08-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Sigh, another baby is graduating out of that precious first year. I hadn't seen "A" since her newborn session, so I was really excited to see her again. She looks very much like she did as a newborn, only bigger of course :) Some babies change so much in their appearance, all my kids did, but not her. This worked out in her favor b/c she was such a beautiful baby, so in turn she is a beautiful toddler now. She was in a pretty serious mood this morning, but we did manage to squeeze a few smiles out of her. Despite this, we had a great session and her gallery is waaaay too big at this point, but as usual I am having a hard time cutting down. I guess this is not such a bad problem to have. Anyways, we did lots of outfit changes so here is a sampling of the morning...

This was the very first shot we took. I think she is saying "hey, what's up?"

My new "1" onesie and of course a petti

I could not resist these little painted toes

For all you Titans fans

And the cake! This cake smelled so good I wanted to eat it up myself :) Looks like the heat was melting the icing right off the cake!

I am off for a couple of weeks, so hoping my next session will be welcoming a little cooler weather!

P turns 2

2010-08-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

The very popular and famous "P" came to see me for her 2 year session. Still can't believe she is 2!!!! This was our, hmmmm let me count, 9th session (10 counting inside the belly) in her short 2 years. I super duper adore her and am always thrilled to see her. Poor kid fell asleep on the car ride over, so as any of you with children know, this is not a good thing to then expect them to perform for pictures. So, after trying to bribe her with everything in my car we just had to dive in. She warmed up snuggling with Mom for a bit, then we did the sucker (which I usually save until last for obvious reasons), and Mom managed to pry that away from her for a little bit as well. In typical 2 year old fashion by the time we were done she was all smiles by the cars getting ready to leave. As always though I don't expect smiles for all the pics and in fact usually like the non-smiley ones best. Mom already booked for my Christmas mini sessions, so that means I get to see her again in a few short months, woo hoo! This is the same field I always shoot at, so you all may remember it in June all full of pretty white flowers. Now look at all these black eyed susans! I love this location sooooo much and hope it never gets developed or I will be heartbroken.

My fav of the day...

I adore her little hands

So, glad I thought to bring this or we would have been out of luck!

Introducing Baby "C"

2010-07-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Miss "C" came all the way from the other side of Nashville to visit me this evening. She was a teeny little 6 pound and changer. So cute. Thankfully she decided to cooperate after a little bit of a rocky start. Little girls are feisty! I got to use some more of my new goodies, so life is good! Here is baby "C" in all her cuteness...

Oh how I love this, looks very Ralph Lauren to me...

My new baby crib, soooo cute!

Ahhhh, mommy love...

Ahhh sweet slumber...

2010-07-12T22:14:00.001-07:00

I have been dealing with a crazy desire to work with newborns lately, so I have been looking forward to this session in a big way. Mom told me that baby "M" was really sleepy, so I was cautiously optimistic we were going to have a good time. She had been unusually awake today and was awake when I got there. However, she soon fell asleep and despite stirring when we were moving her around, she was out like a light! I was having so much fun with different set ups and props I had NO idea that I had been at their home for 3.5 hours! I am constantly buying new props and goodies at a rate faster than I can use them, so I got to use a bunch of stuff on her that has been lurking around for quite awhile. I really had the BEST time and IF these were the only images I got I would be happy. However, there are so many others I am struggling to narrow down my gallery. Here is the beautiful 2 week old "M".

I am so in love with this I can't even stand it...

This wrap looks amazing!

This ottoman has been waiting to be used forever and it did not disappoint

How beautiful are these girls???

Scheduling updates...

2010-07-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post scheduling updates...
July- I have 1 spot still open
August- I have 2 spots open (one weekend spot and one weeknight spot)
September- I have one spot open
October- 3 spots open- start thinking about holiday cards people! Holiday card mini sessions October 30th and/or November 6
November- 3 spots open
December- 4 spots open

New baby "J"

2010-07-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

2 week old "J" came to see me this evening for his newborn session. I did Mama's belly pics a few weeks back, so it was fun to see the results! This couple is so sweet and so in love with their new baby boy. I love to get to be a part of that. "J" was a tough egg to crack and wanted to stay awake almost the entire session. He finally gave us a few solid minutes of snoozing in the last 20 minutes or so. No matter though, we got some great shots of him awake too :) So, help me welcome this sweet baby boy...

Big D turns one

2010-06-27T11:28:00.001-07:00

Another baby turning one. How does it happen so fast? It literally seems like a few months ago we were doing his newborn session. Before I know it I will be doing his senior pictures :) Big D is a major cutey and did very well for a 12 month old. It is one of the most difficult ages in my opinion, so I am always a little nervous what these one year olds will do for me. He was a super star and did wonderfully. Check out these toothy grins and gorgeous blue eyes. Little heartbreaker!

The "D" family

2010-06-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

I got the pleasure of working with the "D" family this evening. It was hot and the girls were tired, but we managed to get some great shots. Big sister "A" was totally working it for me. Little sister was a little tougher to crack, but in the end I won :) I love so many that I am having a rough time narrowing down my gallery. Lots of pretty and fun, silly ones so hard to choose favorites b/c they are great for different reasons. I will work it out though so the decisions aren't too hard for Mom and Dad :)

Mommy love...

Love her kind of sideways look, so sweet!

There is nothing I don't totally adore about this shot

This was going on behind my back and thank goodness Mom called me over to capture this. I TOTALLY adore her little hand on his face. Melt!

"T' turns 9 months

2010-06-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

I went to meet up with baby "T" for her 9 month session. This was our 4th session together, so I like to think we are friends now :) Mom decided to do a real "lifestyle" type session today which I was really excited about since I shoot at parks, my fields, etc. and often when we shoot at someones home we use the backdrops. So, it was fun to do something a little different today. We started outdoors and it was H-O-T so we didn't last too long. Inside her beautiful nursery is really where the magic happened anyways. It was a photographers dream. Beautiful room, super cute crib, adorable outfits and hair accessories, and the cutest little car EVER! Oh and don't forget the gorgeous baby of course. I super love sooo many of the shots I got in her room I am having a hard time narrowing them down!

This one was screaming for a vintage look

Love these eyes

Yummy necklace

The brown eyed girls

2010-06-06T21:15:00.001-07:00

I met up Sunday afternoon with the adorable "M" family. I first met them about 6 months ago for their baby girl's newborn session. After a very fast 6 months flew by it was time to meet again. I have been getting some serious use out of "my" fields this week. I just totally adore them this time of year. Baby "R" came out of the gate like a supermodel with lots of smiles for me. Big sister "S" gave me some smiles at first but quickly tired of my antics. We joked she is 2, so that is just the way it goes. We got plenty of cute ones, so I am not worried. I was excited because this family came in turqoise just like my family yesterday whose wardrobe I loved so much. That color is fantastic in the field, so I really scored with 2 days of great wardrobe choices. Anywho, on with the pics...

E turns 1

2010-06-05T20:56:00.001-07:00

I finally got to meet up with 1 year old E. We were a little past her birthday since I was out on maternity leave. This was our third session together and the last of our plan year, so always makes me a little sad :( Hopefully I will see her again sometime though. Mom did an awesome job with the family's outfits. She totally gets the whole coordinating but not matching thing, so go Mom! On with the peeks...

This just makes me smile...

Pretty smile

Love her little toes

Family Fun

2010-05-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

I had a risky session Friday night. I say risky because we were really taking a chance with the weather. It held out for us thankfully and we got our session done. I got to meet with the "B" family who won a gift certificate at a charity auction, so that was fun to meet them. They have two funny kiddos. "L" is a talker, much like my son, and little "G" was all girl. She was soooo excited about my pink chair and umbrella. She wasn't really into being my friend until I brought the goodies out :) I got some wonderful shots of them. Lots of great candid moments with genuine smiles and lots of fun. Here are a few of my faves from the session...

I feel special...

2010-05-27T16:29:00.000-07:00

My second session yesterday was a sweet couple expecting their first baby. The sex is a secret to everyone but them, so I know everyone is soooo ready for this baby to get here. I always feel special when I am chosen to be the one to document this momentous occasion. Due to scheduling we were pushing this session to the end, so this baby should be here within 2 weeks, FUN! So, check back soon for the big reveal. In the meantime, here is this beautiful belly...

Baby A

2010-05-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

I got up VERY early this morning to meet baby A for an 8 AM photo shoot. We decided to try and beat the heat and the harsh sunlight by meeting early and it worked out. It was still a little hot but nothing compared to later in the day. It always makes me giggle the antics we as parents (or grandparents in this case) go through to make our little ones smile. We had Mom, Dad, and Grandma in on it this morning. I don't know what they were doing but it sounded like a lot of hard work and "A" seemed to appreciate it. This was our second session together and she told us both times when she was done. I always like when the baby calls it quits because I often will just keep on going and going when I am having a good time with a happy baby. So, onto the peeks...

This smile was thanks to Grandma...

Love the colors and how she is peeking out...

Beautiful "R"

2010-05-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

Miss "R" was back for her 9 month session last week (yes I am a little late on blogging!). In my defense I did post to my facebook page in a timely manner :) Anyways, I super adore "R" to the point I am sure her Mom and Dad are tired of me telling them how adorable she is. I could seriously photograph her every day. She never disappoints. We ended up scheduling our session for around noon outdoors which I never do because the light is way too harsh. With her nap schedule and my schedule that is what worked best. However, we were expecting rain at 2 so I hoped we would have some good cloud cover. We ended up with the most amazing light and for noon this was an even more amazing day. Just as I pulled out of the parking lot the drizzle started, PERFECT timing. I think I should start scheduling all my sessions just before storms if I could get that light again :) Just kidding, too risky. Anyways on with the pictures...

Look at this light at 1:00 in the afternoon with no shade!

Love a rolly polly

2010-05-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

This is baby "S", a sweet 4 week old. She has had four weeks of milk to chunk her up to delicious rolly proportions! She was really great for our short and easy session. She gave me lots of easy sleep and good stretches and yawns. I look forward to watching this cutie grow, grow, grow as the years go by. Another sneak peek to come soon of the ever adorable "R". I am back in the full swing of things, so check back at least weekly to see what I have been up to. You won't be sorry!

Scheduling updates...

2010-05-10T08:23:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update on scheduling...
May- full
June-full
July-two open
August-one open
September-one open

Please book soon if you know you want to come see me!

It's a BOY!!!

2010-04-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

My little man arrived about a week ago now and it has been a struggle trying to find time to get his pictures made. He is a pretty light sleeper and if awake likes to be held (or loud screaming takes over), so I have tried 2 days in a row and only got a handful I really like. So, I figured I would start with a few and will add more as we have success. My big dreams of all these cute things I would do with a soundly sleeping newborn are fading fast, but such is life. Awake newborns are always challenging b/c they make so many funny faces all the time. Thankfully the weather was so nice today we got to shoot outside. I have been really wanting to shoot a newborn outdoors, so that was really fun and different. I won't be shooting any clients for about another month, but check back for more pics of my baby!

Sweet slumber

Looking for some great accessories???

2010-03-31T20:52:00.001-07:00

I recently came across an amazing designer on Etsy and immediately fell in love with her products. They are so stylish and unique. There are a million people making hair accessories for kids on Etsy and other places but hers grabbed my attention in a big way. So you can imagine my excitement when she asked if I would photograph some of her products for her. I have some more goodies on order, but for now thought I would showcase one of her headbands. One of her diaper covers is also featured in the post "Pretty on pink".
You can find her awesome line at http://www.etsy.com/shop/onesisterswhimsy

This look kills me!

One hot mama!

2010-03-17T20:48:00.001-07:00

It is way past my bedtime, but I was just so anxious to get this sneak peek up I am up and working. I got to work with the "C" family this afternoon for a maternity session. They are expecting their second baby, a little girl, in about 6 weeks or so. Mom looks amazing and has this beautiful slender body and long, lean lines so I was totally grooving on this kind of high fashion vibe. Lots of long poses, serious faces, and just elegance. I really had a blast. Anyways, without further delay here is one good looking family!

Scheduling updates...

2010-03-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
It has been awhile since I posted scheduling updates and not much has changed but that post is buried pretty far down now so wanted to bring it back to the top. Baby planners you are already on my monthly schedules, so not to worry. So here it is and also a recent belly pic of me... I am looking at 3-4 weeks now if all goes as planned! I am excited but sad too knowing this is my last pregnancy and it will be over all too soon. Of course, having the baby in my arms is the ultimate prize BUT I will miss feeling those little feet kicking me and that closeness of having the baby with me all the time. I am so blessed though to have had three amazing pregnancies and two perfect babies in my arms and hopefully one more coming soon. So, for now just enjoying these last weeks and of course having the normal anxiety of worrying about the baby being healthy until I can hold her/him in my arms and see all is well. Sorry about the serious face but I didn't like any of the smiley ones of me, thus the reason I am the photographer and not the model!

March-full
April-off on maternity leave
May-full
June-two open
July-three open
August- one open
Sept- one or two open

Pretty ON pink...

2010-03-15T20:44:00.001-07:00

I just have to say that I have sure had a good run of gorgeous babies lately. I am a pretty lucky girl. This is Miss "T" who is now 6 months old. This is our third session together and she has been a perfect angel every time. She wasn't wearing pink today but sure looked adorable on my pink backdrop. I have been getting good use out of it lately with all these baby girls! So, here she is...

There is nothing about this picture I don't love!

I love the look on her face and how her hand is on her knee...

She is too cute in her Easter basket!

Baby blues

2010-03-13T20:45:00.001-08:00

I met up this morning with Miss "M" who is now a whopping 6 months old. I had the honor of photographing Mom's belly and also her newborn session, so a sweet treat to get to see her again. She was really good for her session especially considering she only got a 20 minute nap before I got there. Mom is smitten with her gorgeous blue eyes and I have to admit I am too! I love her creamy white skin and giant blue eyes. So, without further delay here is "M".

Love the "lifestyle" style of this one

This is the reason for the title of the post!

"M" is 1 year old

2010-03-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

I met up with 1 year old "M" on Saturday. As I got home to check email my laptop told me it could not detect a hard drive and so the drama began. I am still in the process of getting this worked out which is why the sneak peek is so tardy, but such is life I guess. All my editing software is on that computer, so without it I am lost. Anywho, "M" was not really in the mood for pics but we managed to get some adorable ones despite this. I always say 12 month olds are the hardest age to shoot b/c I find they are not easily persuaded to change their mood. It really is a hit or miss with them and I have had to reschedule before b/c it was just so not happening. Thankfully "M" didn't make that happen and although she wasn't totally toothy for many shots, I still love what we got. Mom was a little stressed I think (as we all do when we feel our kids are't cooperating), but I think she will be pleased with what we got despite it seeming like she was cranky the whole time! She is the adorable yawning baby up at the top of the blog at her newborn session. This is the last session of her plan year, so always bitter sweet. Hopefully I will see her again when she has more lovely locks of that gorgeous red hair.

Mom says she is a Daddy's girl

She was playing peek a boo with me (or maybe it was Daddy behind me), so cute!

I don't know why I just love this one so much...

A little festive birthday action. I have been dying to use this new wrapping paper I got at Christmas time :)

Trend setter...

2010-02-23T14:05:00.000-08:00

I met up with 18 month old "P" this morning. You all may recognize her from my website and also the banner up top here. She is my most photographed baby for sure, so she is all over the place. This was our 8th session together in 18 months :) Her Mommy likes to get her pics every 3 months, so I see a lot of them. Plus, her Mom is super awesome because she gives the best baby shower gift ever... a gift certificate for a session with me! As a matter of fact she got another one this morning for a sweet baby girl to be born this summer! "P" has somehow turned into a toddler since I saw her in November, so it was a little sad for me. She is walking and talking and in general a big girl now :( It is so unfair how fast these little ones get all grown up on me, my own included. It was a challenge trying to keep an active toddler interested and on the backdrop but we managed and got some adorable shots of her. I guess we haven't worked indoors since her 6 month session, ah seems just like yesterday. The shot up top is from that session. I call her the trend setter because she does not like to wear her pettiskirts or tutus on her waist. She likes to pull them up to make them a top. I figured this should catch on in Hollywood anytime now:) Anyways, here are the sneak peeks...

The "P" original petti top

Throwing this frog was our source of entertainment to keep her in the chair :)

The few moments we got with the petti on the waist.. You can see the blur in her hand as she is about to try to pull it up :)

I am off for about 2 weeks, so hopefully these 3 days of sneak peeks will tide you all over for awhile!

3 girls and a boy

2010-02-21T20:44:00.001-08:00

I was so glad the weather was perfect for my first outdoor session of the year. The temperature was perfect and I had some nice clouds rolling in to soften the light. It is always risky working outdoors this time of year b/c it can be quite chilly, so we really lucked out with a high of 66 today! I met up with the sweet as pie "M" family. Dad is a little outnumbered with three girls in the house, but he seems to take it all in stride. I photographed baby GG as a newborn, so it was good to get to work with her again. Big sister "C" is a typical toddler, lots of funny faces and cheesy grins. Anyways, enough babbling and onto the pics...

Baby "GG"

Big sister "C"

Momma love

The whole sweet family

Swoon...

2010-02-20T19:59:00.001-08:00

Oh Miss "R", how I adore you! "R" is 6 months old now and she just gets cuter and cuter. This is our third (fourth if you count inside the belly)session together and I couldn't be happier that I get to see her again in 3 short months. We had a fun mid-day session today. She wasn't in a particularly smiley mood, but that doesn't bother me a bit. She is so pretty I don't think she could do any wrong. I did get some smiley ones but am saving those for the gallery, so for now just three of this little beauty...

Scheduling updates...

2010-02-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh, I feel like time is just flying by! I have 7 weeks until my due date. It is getting a little rough crawling around on the floor now working but it is good for me. Most of my sessions coming up are my 6 month baby group, so they shouldn't be moving too fast yet! I do have one 12 monther and an 18 monther, so they may give me more of a run for my money. I wanted to put out my scheduling updates as this is the time of year business picks back up.
February- full
March-full
April- will be busy having a baby so I am off
May- supposed to be "off" but ended up with 4 sessions :) So full!
June-3 sessions open
July-3 sessions open
August-1 session open
September-2 sessions open

PLEASE SCHEDULE EARLY if you know you want to come see me. I really dislike turning people away so plan ahead! Thankfully my 1st year baby plans are my most popular package, so I get to watch lots of babies grow up which is the best job perk. However, they do take up most of my schedule as well, so I have very few slots open a lot of months for anyone other than my planners. This is also a good reason to get on a plan b/c I always have spaces reserved for you since I know when you are due for sessions the whole year. Otherwise it ends up being first come first serve. I do have an awesome photographer in the area I can refer you to if I can't get you in, so just give me a call or email me for her info! I won't be able to host my Easter minis this year since it is so close to my due date :( I was thinking of doing some Halloween/fall minis and then of course my popular Christmas minis. So, there will be a few opportunities for those of you who prefer the minis over full sessions. I have 2 sessions today and one Tuesday so check back for sneak peeks in the next few days!

Longing for the warm weather...

2010-02-17T20:07:00.001-08:00

So, after having more snow this week I am really longing to see green again. Back in August I got to do a super fun urban shoot with one of my top models "H". "H" is the daughter of my very best friend and she is a total natural, so nice to do something for my girl and get some great stuff too. If you have visited my site you will see her often. We get together at least once a year for our annual shoot, it would be more if she didn't live in Texas. Anyways, I am embarrased and proud to say we had so many great shots from this summer I am still working on edits. In my defense, she came to visit about the time my schedule got out of control so I was struggling to keep up. Good for me but bad for her it didn't let up until December. Mom did however get to go through the proofs and pick out all the ones she wanted to order AND got an awesome gallery wrap as a birthday gift, so she can't complain :) I am however just picking through a few stragglers and wanted to post some more pics from the session even though it was 6 months ago. The green grass and summery dress make me long to feel the sun on my skin (with sunscreen of course) and to get back outdoors to work. I also want to showcase how much fun an urban shoot can be. I find almost all my clients like to do the nature thing, which I totally love, BUT urban is super fun too! It is a fun, modern alternative. Anyways, I was supposed to have Miss "P" come over for her 18month shoot tomorrow but we had to reschedule. So, Saturday I will be working with 6 month old "R" and hopefully the "M" family if the weather holds out, so I can get you some current stuff to look at. Enjoy a little trip back to summer '09!

This pic just makes me smile...

Love the perspective and the sweet little smile on her face

My girls... love "H's" sassy little stance and face

Just sweet...

This wall is amazing!

Are you missing me??

2010-02-02T16:43:00.000-08:00

I am totally missing blogging on a regular basis and I am sure you all miss me, right?? Things are about to kick back into high gear around here, so hang tight a few more weeks. I have three little girls and an adorable family coming to see me later in the month, so plenty of eye candy for you. My pettiskirts arrived all the way from Hong Kong and they are sooooo adorable. I can't wait to use them this month. I might be able to squeeze one more session in if anyone needs to get in for February. I only have one opening left for March which is when everyone starts coming out of the woodwork, so I imagine this will fill quickly as well. However I have to say I will be pushing it a little if I schedule to the end of March since the baby is due April 13th. My other two were a week late, so hopefully this one follows the same schedule and I don't get surprised in March sometime. I am going to try to schedule everyone as early in the month as possible just in case! I will be out April and May and most likely part of June unless I am going stir crazy. Don't stop checking the blog though b/c I have a few of my baby planners due for sessions in May and June and of course I will be taking tons of pics of my own babe. I have a head full of things I have been wanting to try but for one reason or another I haven't gotten to do yet with client's newborns. My husband is so not looking forward to all the cute daddy and naked tiny baby shots I want to do. For some reason he thinks it is gross to get tinkled on :) I can only hope my delivery goes smoothly and my recovery is quick so I am up for the work a newborn session entails just a few days after he/she arrives. I am really wanting to shoot with a very fresh baby less than 5 days old. Okay, okay I am so rambling on. I should have some sneak peeks next week sometime (still working on a reschedule), if not for sure the following week. Two of my favorite girls for Valentines week, how appropriate since I totally "heart" them.

Hello my first 2010 baby!

2010-01-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh, I finally got my baby fix to start the year off right. I got to meet 3 month old baby "A" this morning. I was a little smitten with her and her beautiful brown eyes and hair and olive skin. I love black and white pics but her skin is so pretty I hate to turn the color pics black and white :) As often happens I had my bag full of tricks but she let me get away with just enough to complete the session and she called it quits. I always say this is a good thing because otherwise I end up shooting forever and end up with way too many pics to choose from. So, thanks to "A" for keeping me in check. Hopefully we can use the pettiskirts next time I see her!

See what I mean about this skin!

Is she so cute or what???

I love her little "o" face...

Pettiskirt madness!

2010-01-16T14:20:00.001-08:00

Okay Moms I just bought FIVE new pettiskirts to add to the collection of four that I already have. So, that means I need some little girls to photograph :) I have to admit I am slightly addicted to pettis but they are just so cute I can't help myself. These are coming from far far away, but I will take a pic of the whole collection when they arrive so you all can see what you have to choose from. Spring is only a few short months away and there is nothing more adorable than a little girl in a pretty green field in a big colorful pettiskirt. Maybe I will have a pettiskirt mini session. I guess here in Tennessee the wildflowers really don't come out until May and last all the way until September, so plenty of time for me to use these guys. I have my first baby of the year tomorrow, woo hoo, so check back in the next few days for some cute new pics!

One of my fav pettiskirt pics from last year...

Reworking the website...

2009-12-28T07:54:00.001-08:00

So, I finally had some extra time to re-do my website galleries. I have broken it up into categories (i.e. maternity, newborn, babies, etc.) vs having it in color vs b/w galleries. I am still doing some reformatting and adding some pictures, but for the most part it is up and running. Said goodbye to some of my old favorite pics to make room for new pics. I REALLY have a problem cutting down the number of pics b/c I just love them all so much. In the industry, it is recommended to only have small galleries with 10-15 pics each, but well I just can't do it :) I figure if there are too many and you get tired of looking, just stop, but if you want more there are plenty to see. I personally find when I visit other photographers websites I often end up wanting to see more in tiny galleries, but then sometimes I find people that have about 100 pictures all in one gallery and I get bored. So, I ended up with about 30 per gallery, so middle of the road I would say. Anyways, let me know if you like the new format or as always I am open for suggestions of ways to improve the site.

It's Me!

2009-12-26T11:54:00.001-08:00

Well, I decided so many of you have let me take pics of your bellies over the years that I would share one of myself. This is my 25 week belly pic. The pregnancy is going really well and I have no complaints except for maybe my double chin :) I still have a long way to go so there is no telling how big my belly will be in another 3.5 months! In case you are wondering, yes that is a tattoo on my belly, it is not henna. It was once much smaller but after 2 kids it is a little bit stretched out. I will chalk that up to the crazy things you do in college, the tatoo, not the kids, ha, ha. I had planned on taking pics of my belly every 4 weeks starting at 16 weeks and was going to do a storyboard at the end tracking how my belly grew. I have to admit I was a little bit behind this round since my last one was at 16 weeks, but I vow to do better and will finish this project! If you are an expectant mommy and are on the fence about having maternity pictures taken, do it!!!! I know how it is when you feel all big and maybe not that cute, but you will be sorry if you don't do it. I have soooo many Moms look at my maternity work and say, man I wish I would have done that with my kids. You can't go back and get a do over, so better to just get it done, you won't be sorry!

Nature photography, crazy I know!

2009-12-23T17:32:00.000-08:00

My family went to Colorado back in October and I am just getting the pictures off my memory cards today almost 3 months later. Sadly my own pictures take the back burner often times. At least I got them though, just a little slow doing something with them. Anyways, anyone who has been to Colorado knows it is one of the most beautiful places on earth, so I decided I wanted to try to do a little nature photography. I played around doing some big, wide landscape type photos but wasn't really finding any enjoyment out of that, so opted to get in close and personal. This is where I found something to peak my interest. All the colors and textures are so intriguing to me and I find them so beautiful. So, I just wanted to share some pictures of something a little different than the usual kiddos. Usually if there are not people in the pictures I am kind of indifferent to them, but I really enjoyed taking these. My mom, who is an avid landscape photographer, would be proud though she is more of a wide landscape type lover. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of 2009 and I look forward to seeing many of your beautiful faces in 2010! Let me know what you think of these nature shots!!!

"T" is 3 months

2009-12-16T18:11:00.001-08:00

Well, today was my last session of 2009. What a crazy year it has been. My client base grew about 6 times over what I did in 2008, so needless to say I feel very happy and fortunate. Word of mouth has been huge for me, which of course is the biggest compliment I can get, so thanks to you all. So, on to "T". This was her second session with me (third if you count photographing her in the belly) and we have 3 more to go taking her through her first year. She is a very good and cooperative baby, so she makes things easy for me. She looks like a little doll to me, porcelin skin and sweet little cheeks. She is a beauty. I am sharing 4 sneak peeks instead of the usual three, since I will be absent for awhile. I will likely post some personal pics and general news, so don't forget to check back even though I am "officially" on vacation for the next 6 weeks. I am open to taking appointments after January 1st should anyone need to get in to see me. I only have one session left for March and two for February, so do not be shy about planning ahead! Like I said in a previous post, no working people in this year, when I am booked I am booked and if it happens as it did last year this will likely happen quickly and several months out :)

I was so loving this red tutu with the candy cane stripe ribbon!

See, a little doll, seriously...

Festive!

A little smile...

"O" turns 1 year old

2009-12-13T09:26:00.001-08:00

I met up with "O" on Saturday for our final session of his "grow with me" plan. He is a cutey with some big blue eyes and lots of chub. I just want to squeeze him. We had to do an indoor session since it is just a little on the chilly side here now, so always a different dynamic. I always worry trying to keep a 12 month old on the backdrop but he did really well. I have one more session next week and then I am on break for about 6 weeks! I am excited to have some time to catch up on my own kids photos, putting prints into albums, finishing up their yearly books, etc. I am also going to be revamping my website galleries and changing some things up getting ready for 2010. So anyways a peek of this kiddo at our first session a year ago and a few now that he is all grown up :) I hope I get to see him again for his second birthday!

"O" as a sweet and tiny newborn...

Love this little half smile...

He loved my duck...

You have to do a smash cake at a 1 year old shoot!

The last newborn of 2009...

2009-12-01T17:27:00.001-08:00

It has been a crazy year of babies for me, so photographing my last one is bitter sweet. I have been so lucky to welcome so many new families into my life, but I feel sad knowing this is the last one for the year. I am sure 2010 will bring many more, including my own, so I try not to be too sad :) I met 2 week old baby "R" on Sunday and her 18 month old big sister. "R" did not sleep a wink during our session but didn't cry hardly at all either, so overall a very good newborn session. She has these adorably chunky cheeks and an amazing head of hair. Big sister is such a cutey pie too with some big old brown eyes and chubby little cheeks too. She loves her new baby sis and loved giving her kisses. So, here are two adorable little girls...

See what I mean about these cheeks and her hair :)

Love this little smile looking down at baby sister...

Oh how I love a teeny tiny little hand...

Some of my own peeps...

2009-11-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

I was excited when my sister in law asked me to photograph her family over the holidays. I have taken "unofficial" pics of the kids before, but this was our first planned full on session. Living several states away from each other makes it a little tough to get together. Litte "T" is a total ham and kills me with his shy smiles. Big "T" is pretty silly herself and a total doll. We had a good time and I got a ton of great shots. So, here are a few of my faves from the day...

TOTALLY love the love here

I love how the wind is gently blowing her hair

I worked with a newborn baby girl this afternoon, so check back in a day or two for pics of a cutie with a rockin head of hair!

A lot to be thankful for...

2009-11-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

I had the annual opportunity to photograph my oldest friends kids this week. We have been friends for about 26 years, so we go waaaaay back! I have so enjoyed watching her family grow and watching these kids go from babies to toddlers to now pre-teens, gasp. We joke every time I see her oldest that she will be taller than me next time I see her. Well, she almost made it this time. She was up to my nose. I guess next year will be the year that I have officially been outgrown by a friend's kid :) I knew it would happen and very likely will happen with every kid I know, but it is still funny to me. Her girls are always very good for the camera, though the oldest was starting to give me the "are we done yet?" b/c she wanted to be texting her friends, ha, ha. The youngest was really shy at first and then all of a sudden like magic he jumped up on a bench with his sisters and started cheesing it up. We shot at my very favorite garden center in Texas. I soooo miss this place and wish like mad it was in Tennessee. I have never seen a place take so much effort to make a gorgeous place to look at as well as sell plants. Seriously it is amazing! So much gorgeous stuff. The sun was very bright so we were shade searching out there, but we managed okay. I am thankful for my friendship with "S" and for the opportunity to be her official family photographer. So, on with the sneak peeks...

All the stars lined up for this shot. My fav of the three of them.

The oldest "A", oh my gosh she looks so grown up!

The middle kiddo "E"- she is the quiet, sweet and shy one

The oh so handsome "R", the baby of the family

OMG, could she be any cuter??

2009-11-22T19:30:00.001-08:00

I got to meet up with the oh so amazingly cute "R" on Friday. This was her 3 month session and man has she changed a lot in 3 months. Don't get me wrong, she was adorable as a newborn, but 3 months of life has blossomed her into a little cherub. She is all squishy and cute and full of funny faces. I told her Mom that she will be my muse for the next year, I could just look at her all day :) I am soooo super excited she is in my premium grow with me plan, so I get to see that adorable face every 3 months for the next year. That is by far my favorite package because I really get to watch these babies grow. I get to see all the fun stuff, smiling, rolling over, crawling, walking, all the wonderful things a first year brings. So, here she is in all her chubby cuteness...

Her very adorable Thanksgiving outfit...

Sweet little smile...

Could you just pinch these cheeks or what??

You won't be hearing from me again for a little over a week, so everyone have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for all of my amazing clients and blog readers too near and far :) I have had visitors from as far away as India, the UK, Australia, and Indonesia. The internet is an amazing thing! Thank you clients for allowing me into your lives. I really believe getting to be the one to capture your memories is very serious business and feel so fortunate each and every session I do. You all are what inspire me and your beautiful families bring me so much joy along with watching my own cute kids grow year after year. I am thankful for so many things, but you all allow me to live a dream and that is very humbling. So, thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart :)

Brown eyed girl...

2009-11-16T20:33:00.000-08:00

I got to meet up with 8 month old "E" on Sunday for the second of her "grow with me" sessions. She was not all smiles and giggles but was very good for our session. Like I always say, I have no problem with serious faces, so I was happy. We did manage a few smiles at the very end, but I am saving those for the gallery:) I have soooo many blue eyed babies I work with, I am always smitten to get a brown eyed beauty. There is just something so soulful about dark eyes, I love them! Here she is...

Look at these eyes...

My favorite thing about babies this age, fascination with their feet!

We tried for this shot last session, but she was so not having it. So I am glad we got it this time!

Have you missed me???

2009-11-14T21:33:00.002-08:00

I am around not to worry. I have had a few reschedules, so it seems as if I have been scarce lately. I have one tomorrow and one later this week, so I promise some beautiful faces this week. I am just looking at my calendar thinking this year will be over in what will seem like a few weeks. I am working on doing some restructuring around here next year. For anyone who doesn't know yet, I am expecting baby number three in April, so I am feeling amazingly excited of course, but also overwhelmed at how I will handle my day to day workload with THREE kids. I will be working through March provided I don't deliver early and will be off for April, May and part of June most likely. I do have some "grow with me" babies that will be due for sessions during this time, so I will still take care of them. I will not be able to take on any new clients during this time though. I know I have talked to a lot of you here and there who have said you want to come and see me next year, so what I am asking is if you know you want to come see me next year anytime, please let me know now. I would like to get everyone on the schedule from January to December who I know will come see me, so I can see what I have left to work with. My business has grown so much these last 6 months that the possibility of being booked 3-4 months in advance has become a reality. I do already have appointments booked into August next year. So, while I love this, I get a guilty conscience when people want to come see me and I am booked. I did learn my lesson though this summer when I overbooked myself and got stretched too thin. So, this year, I am setting my limits and sticking to it! I have to for the sake of my family and my sanity. These kiddos grow so fast and I am so fortunate to get to stay home with them that sometimes I feel like while I am here with them, I am not really here. This will be our last baby, so I want to treasure every moment of that precious first year and get back to being Mom first to all the kids. Of course, I will still deliver the attentive service you all expect and amazing photographs as well, but I am just limiting my work load is all. I am not asking anyone to pay for their sessions now, sessions need to be paid for within 30 days of the actual session date, but just want to know who is coming to see me. I will take my "grow with me" babies first, then fill in remaining dates on a first come first serve basis. Like I said, no working in people this year, so schedule early!!! I am going to have some cool new products and packages coming next year and may even start to do some "themed" mini session events later in the year. For example, a "cowboys and indians" with a Tee-pee and western theme, tea party with lots of frilly girl stuff, Halloween, etc. So, if anyone thinks that is a good idea and would want to attend these minis let me know to motivate me to put it together! Anyways, that is all for now, so check back this week for some pics of some cute baby girls!

"M" is almost 1!

2009-11-04T19:43:00.001-08:00

I got to meet up with almost one year old "M" on Sunday. We met at a park down in Spring Hill. The park is special because Mom and Dad did their engagment pictures there, we did their maternity pictures there, and now "M"s one year pics. I am a sucker for sentimentality, so I love the storyline using the same park. I hadn't seen him since his newborn session, so it was really good to see how big he has gotten. Mom had some good ideas for this session and hooked me up with a cool old truck of her Dad's to use and also some hay bales (good thing b/c I could have never fit them in my car with the rest of my stuff). Mix that in with my trusty red wagon and my new red trike and we were set for some fun. "M" did great even if he wasn't all smiles. I am happy as long as we don't have tears! I love a serious face, so I was not upset a bit. So, here he is...

All little boys love sticks!

Handsome little man

Yippee!!!

The sweet "A" couple

2009-11-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

I got to meet Mr. and Mrs. "A" Sunday morning for a quick Christmas mini session. It was a fun session for me because it was just two people in love, no special occasion. They wanted pictures just for fun! They were both very photogenic and comfortable in front of the camera so we whipped through it in no time. I always forget how much time and extra work it takes when kids are in the mix. I almost felt like it was too easy:) It was a cool morning and I was wrapped up like there was snow on the ground and here comes "K" in short sleeves:) I am a total cold wussy I know that. The light was so soft and romantic in the woods, perfect for this session. I had a great time meeting them and hope I get to work with them again sometime in the future...

"K" this is totally the pic I would get as a big canvas! I ADORE it:)

More Christmas minis

2009-11-02T09:33:00.000-08:00

Here is the ever adorable Miss "P". Faithful blog readers will probably recognize her since she graces the blog every 3 months. That is her on the banner above chewing on a giraffe leg at her 6 month session. We just did her one year pics almost 3 months ago, so it was time for me to see her again anyways. It always makes you a little nervous when a baby starts crying the moment you set them down for pictures, but "P" sure put on a show after a few moments of crankiness. I think she just wanted to remind us that she is in charge :) She gave me a million toothy grins and big smiles, perfect shots to brighten everyones holidays when they get a card with her cute face on it. I have got one or maybe two more sneak peeks coming today, so check back soon!!

I love her squishy cheeks!

Big smiles!!

Blond cuties..

2009-10-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

Last of the mini sneak peeks. This is big brother "A" and little bro "H". "A" was not camera shy at all though after 5 minutes he asked me "This is the last picture, right?" I guess it was a good thing it was a mini and not a full session or he really would have been disappointed:) A little candy corn bribery managed to get us to the end. Little bro was a little shy one though. Mom had told me ahead of time, so I was prepared. He would give me these little sideway glances and meek looks, too cute. Mom and Dad managed to get a few grins out of him, but he was a tough egg to crack, especially in only 15 minutes. Usually for a kiddo like that we will take 15-20 minutes with no camera just to make friends. However, time was not on our side for the minis. Not to worry though, Mom is already making plans to come and see me in the summer when all the fields are in bloom, so we will work on him next time. It is like I told Mom, that little shy face is who he is, so I love being able to capture that even if we are wanting big old belly laughs and smiles. Let me just say both these boys have the cutest hair. I have been dying to photograph "A's" awesome curls since the first time I met him, so I am glad I finally got the chance. Also, another big thank you to Dad again for packing up my entire car while I was talking to Mom about the print options! Such nice manners here in Tennesse, his mother would be proud ;) Here they are...

Is he the cutest or what???

Doesn't it look like he is totally trying to hold a smile in???

RESCHEDULE UPDATE: My one appt rescheduled for November 1st at 9 AM, so I will take one more appt for a Christmas mini at 9:30 AM. If you are interested, please contact me for details. Same pricing as the mini session event you can find in the archives.

Big J and Little J

2009-10-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

The second family I had at the minis were the two "J's" and their parents. Big "J" was a total ham and little "J" is like a shy little pixie. I just wanted to put her in my pocket and take her home:) Her smiles were sweet and small just like her. Big "J" was just posing and making faces and really working it for me! They were a hoot and Mom and Dad were pretty fun too. I had no problem picking the first image to blog because it is soooo super sweet. Then I couldn't decide if I should do a family shot, and if I did individual kids then I had to do both, but decided since I only wanted to blog 2 per mini and I only had a few family shots to just do one and be happy! So, here is my favorite...

Vintage Baby

2009-10-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

I had my Christmas mini sessions yesterday afternoon. My first appointment had to reschedule due to illness, so we started with 1 year old "E". I have had the pleasure of photographing her since she was still in Mom's belly, so always a special treat to get to see how my babies have grown. I last saw her about 6 months ago. The biggest change is of course she is bigger and she actually has some hair now :) One thing hasn't changed, her amazing blue eyes. She had a long day with her birthday party that morning, so she wasn't really into the whole photo shoot thing to start with. She was totally into snuggling with Mommy however. We did manage to get some adorable shots and I always love Mom and baby shots, so I was not complaining a bit. She was wearing a very cool vintage looking dress that made her look like a little Christmas doll. So here are the sneak peeks... Check back soon for peeks from my other 2 sessions.

Aren't her little hands the sweetest thing ever???

A little smile from my sleepy friend...

NOTE: Since I had one of my minis cancel, I will have to reschedule them in a week or two. SO, if anyone missed out on this round and still wants a chance to get a mini session done, contact me and I will let you know when we reschedule. I will only take 1-2 families, so don't wait if you want in!

Sassy, spunky "S"

2009-10-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting 3 year old "S" this evening for a field session. The weather was great, so I was thrilled. Little "S" was so hilarious and kept me entertained the entire session. She is adorably cute with an equally adorable personality. She was full of silly faces and lots of fun. I was so excited to see the pics I had to get them downloaded and start working on them right away. So, here she is in all her cuteness... As a matter of fact I am posting 4 peeks instead of 3 just b/c there are soooo many great ones :)

One of my immediate favorites...

Pretty smile...

Oh how I love this kissy face...

Playing hide and seek with me...

Christmas Mini Sessions Details...last time!

2009-10-15T20:44:00.001-07:00

UPDATE 10-21-09- THE MINI SESSION IS NOW CLOSED, NO SPOTS REMAINING, SORRY!!!!
When: October 24th- starting at 3 PM- ONLY ONE SPACE STILL AVAILABLE
Where: An outdoor location in the Mount Juliet Area-participants have been notified of my selection. I will have a bench or loveseat and some simple decorations (removable if you don't want them) for a clean, modern alternative to posing in front of a Christmas tree, etc. Also I will just have nature available if you want a simple outdoorsy feel.
Cost: $50.00 with one 8x10 included ($20 value)- minimum $50 print/card purchase per session. The session will need to be paid for prior to the session to hold your place.
Who: Open to anyone, "grow with me" babies are welcome- ONLY ONE SPACE REMAINING... You don't have to have children to participate, sorry no pets. (** I am having a mini session event at a veterinary hospital in November if you want studio setting portraits of your 4 legged friends**- contact me for details)
The cards: I am offering 2 sided, full color press printed cards printed on watercolor paper. These will be stylish 5x5 square cards. These are all my original designs, exclusively for my clients. My catalog currently has over 60 designs to choose from. These cards are gorgeous! See a few samples below. I will also bring samples to the event. They will include one or more pictures on the front and back (pending design) and the greetings will be customizable. Envelopes are included and they come in packs of 24. One set will cost $55.00, two or more sets will be $50.00 each. I will send you the username and password to the Christmas Card gallery once the session fee is paid.
Other card options: If you prefer to print your own cards, you may purchase up to 2 digital files with full reprint rights for $100 each. Resolution will be lowered to prevent printing over a 5x7 size. I am also offering a large quantity 4x6 discount for those of you who like to make your cards or just include a photo in your cards. These will be printed on professional grade photo paper and come in a lustre finish. A set of 25 (all same image) will be $90 or a set of 50 will be $130 ( a custom quote can be prepared if you need a different quantity). 4x6 prints are regularly priced at $12.00 each, so this is a substantial savings.
The Packages: I will have some gift print only packages as well as some card and gift print package combos available. Gift print packages start at $155 and include 12 various sized prints. Gift print and card packages start at $225 and include 48 cards and 8 gift prints. My full collection of mounting options will be available for a la carte purchasing at regular pricing (see the "print option" gallery on my website for pictures of my products).
I will accept families up until October 19th and the session will be closed after this time. No "walk in" sessions allowed. So if you are interested please send me an email at lhuntphotog@live.com or you can contact me through my website. ALL BUT ONE SLOT are already filled, so don't miss your chance to have some gorgeous cards this year.

Front design #41

Back design #41

Front design #39

Back design #39

Front Design #46

Back Design #46

Front Design #59

Back Design #59

Front Design #65

Back Design #65

I wish I could photograph products as well as I do people, b/c these pics don't do these cards justice:) These are just a few of the over 65 designs I have available.

Missing sneak peeks??? I had two reschedules one last week and one this week, so you will have to hang tight until next week to see more of my adorable clients:)

2 Handsome Little Men...

2009-10-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

I got to meet up with 6 month old "D" and his big bro yesterday morning. We had an awesome cloudy day, so the light was delicious. Big brother "G" is one of my favorite clients b/c well he rocks. This is my third time to work with him and he has yet to disappoint, not even for a second. He totally digs getting his picture taken and will do anything I ask, so I am pretty crazy about him. Plus he is sweet as sugar and a cutie pie to boot. Baby "D" is pretty darn cute too with his rolly polly self. He was in a bit of a serious mood but Mom managed to get a few giggles out of him. Two handsome little guys, amazing light, and the colors at the park, awesome! I am totally loving the fall greens, so soft and muted. I had a good morning to say the least, so here they are...
P.S. this is the location I decided to use for the Christmas minis October 24th, so the people on my schedule this is what you can expect. I have a few slots remaining and will only fill them for about another week, so contact me if you want in. If you go to the blog archive to the right under September, scroll down and you will find all the details.

Are they little heartbreakers or what??

Smiles for Mommy...

Can you see why I totally heart him?

I am back up and running!

2009-10-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my sick but bored husband he got my server back online quickly. So, I am once again complete. I have some pics to post from our vacation, but looking at the back log of sessions I have with 2 more sessions this week I would not look for them anytime soon. Perhaps I will post them as a Christmas present to you all during my Christmas break, sounds like a nice gift. Don't be shocked but these pictures will not be of children! I was trying a little nature photography up in Colorado. I discovered landscapes don't really do anything for me, but macro photography getting up close and personal with things is far more interesting. I love the colors and details of flowers and bark, etc. It was fun to do something a little different, but I will be glad to get back to my kiddos this week. I have a 6 month old and his big bro and a 7 month old baby girl this week. Plus, I got confirmation on one more newborn little girl coming to see me in November when she arrives, so I feel better I will get a newbie fix before the year is out. Check back for sneak peeks later this week!

My website is down...

2009-10-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

I haven't been out of town 12 hours and my site went down. I host out of my house, so until I get back in a week I will not be able to deal with this. So, anyone with posted galleries I will extend them as needed to account for this problem. Anyone trying to access my site for general info etc. I apologize for the inconvenience and hope to have this corrected by next Wednesday. I am in the mountains with no cell or internet, so of course I am freaking out about being out of touch and now my website down. Sigh, vacation is supposed to be relaxing right??? Ha, ha I am sitting in a wal mart parking lot in town using my husbands cell phone to post this :) Thanks for your patience everyone!

UPDATE 10-7-09:
Well we made it home and got the cut cable line fixed but it appears my site is still down. It looks like there is a problem with my server and since this is so not my department, I have to wait for hubby to fix that issue for me. As luck would have it he is under the weather, so my website is not top priority at the moment. I am not sure how much longer it will be down, so hang in there. If anyone needs information about anything, etc. please feel free to call or email me. My website being down totally freaks me out, so lets hope it is a quick and easy fix!

Out of "Office"

2009-09-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

Since I don't really have an "office" unless you consider my TV room an office it sounds a little funny to say that. None the less, I will be out of contact from October 1st through the 6th. I MIGHT have email availability at times, but may not and if so not often. So, if you need something please just email me and I will get back to you ASAP. I just didn't want anyone to think I was ignoring them by not responding to emails for a week. Also, all orders received yesterday through my return will be processed upon my return, so please expect your prints to arrive in about 3 weeks. Pending galleries I will be working on you while I am away, but will be unable to post anything until I get back. I am such an internet junky the thought of being out of touch freaks me out a little :) Anyone interested in the Christmas minis please send me an email and I will fill the remaining spots on a first come first serve basis. Have a great week!

Third times a charm...

2009-09-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

I finally got to officially meet little D and J after our third try at a session. We fell victim to the terrible rain we had the last few weeks, but finally got a sunny day on our side. I say officially meet these twins, b/c I actually was talking with Mommy one day at a local park about non-photography related stuff. Of course, in my head I was thinking, man would I like to work with those cute twins! However, it is not my style to pimp myself out at any chance I get, so I was very happy when Mom contacted me from an ad she saw of mine:) Funny how the world goes round. Anyways, we met up at my favorite fields. They are starting to look a lot more "falley" now with some new grasses and remnants of the summer flowers, so I was totally loving the new textures out there. It is funny I have to scope it out before every session b/c it is such a dynamic spot I never shoot in the same place twice. D and J just turned 12 months, so I was honored to get to capture their official 1 year shoot. I have to say they were not so into the whole photo shoot thing today, but we managed to get some adorable shots of them none the less. 12 month olds are almost always a tricky age for me, so multiply that times two and it is a whole new game:) I had a great time working with them and hope I get to do it again some day.

There is nothing I don't absolutely love about this shot. The colors, the bokeh (the blurred background and all the little light orbs for you non photog people), the softness it has. It kind of takes my breath away quite honestly!

A smile from my serious friend :)

This is kind of an out-take but it just makes me laugh. I love how she is going after his cake and he is just kind of looking at her like um, what are you doing??

My last newborn of the year...

2009-09-29T10:11:00.001-07:00

I got to meet Miss "M" on Sunday for her newborn session. It was bitter sweet b/c I always love meeting new babies, but she was my last one on the books for the year. I have gotten so spoiled in the last 6 weeks with so many newborns I will miss them. Not to worry I have plenty of older babies still coming to see me before the year is out, so you all can still get your fix of cuteness here. "M" was a pretty awake baby for much of the session, but she finally gave me some good sleep near the end. I managed to blow up my heater near the beginning of the session, but thankfully we managed without it. Good thing it happens to be heater season, so I can get a new one ASAP. I am sad to see it go, it has been a good little heater.

NOTE: I will be away from email and phone for the most part from October 1st through the 6th, so I will return all emails upon my return. Also, any orders received from now until then will be processed when I return.

Sweet slumber...

The benefit of an awake newborn, you actually get to see those pretty eyes...

I always love some tiny, little wrinkled feet.

Meet Miss "T"

2009-09-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

I got to meet the very adorable and well behaved "T" today for her newborn session. She gave us a little scare when she started crying the first thing we tried to do with her, but after a little extra Mom time she was good to go. She was soooooo good for our session and let me do lots of cute stuff with her, so I was in heaven. I blogged her Mommy's maternity session awhile back and talked about how I was dying to blog the nursery. Well, now that she is born and everyone now knows she is a girl, I can show you guys the nursery. I am posting my favorite maternity picture from that session and of course a few of the new little cutie. I have the last baby of my baby rush tomorrow morning, so check back soon for my last newborn for the year. Hopefully next year brings a whole new crop of babies so get busy people! I love, love, love the newborns:)

This place is like a fairyland, and the green damask bedding you can't see TOTALLY my thing!

My favorite image from the session...

Can't leave you without an artsy black and white :) Mom says she always wrinkles her brow like this...

Christmas card mini session details

2009-09-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

When: October 24th, late afternoon/early evening- time to be determined closer to the date.
Where: An outdoor location in the Mount Juliet Area- to be determined later. I will have a bench or loveseat and some simple decorations (removable if you don't want them) for a clean, modern alternative to posing in front of a Christmas tree, etc. Also I will just have nature available if you want a simple outdoorsy feel.
Cost: $50.00 with one 8x10 included ($20 value)- minimum $50 print/card purchase per session. The session will need to be paid for within 30 days of the scheduled date to hold your place- pay pal or checks accepted
Who: Open to anyone, "grow with me" babies are welcome- only 8 families will be scheduled. You don't have to have children to participate and pending the location pets may or may not be allowed... (** I am having a mini session event at a veterinary hospital in November if you want studio setting portraits of your 4 legged friends**- contact me for details)
The cards: I am offering 2 sided, full color press printed cards printed on watercolor paper. These will be stylish 5x5 square cards. These are all my original designs, exclusively for my clients. My catalog currently has over 60 designs to choose from and I am still adding more. These cards are gorgeous! See a few samples below. I will also bring samples to the event. They will include one or more pictures on the front and back (pending design) and the greetings will be customizable. Envelopes are included and they come in packs of 24. One set will cost $55.00, two or more sets will be $50.00 each. I will send you the username and password to the Christmas Card gallery once the session fee is paid.
Other card options: If you prefer to print your own cards, you may purchase up to 2 digital files with full reprint rights for $100 each. Resolution will be lowered to prevent printing over a 5x7 size. I am also offering a large quantity 4x6 discount for those of you who like to make your cards or just include a photo in your cards. These will be printed on professional grade photo paper and come in a lustre finish. A set of 25 (all same image) will be $90 or a set of 50 will be $130 ( a custom quote can be prepared if you need a different quantity). 4x6 prints are regularly priced at $12.00 each, so this is a substantial savings.
The Packages: I will have some gift print only packages as well as some card and gift print package combos available. Gift print packages start at $155 and include 12 various sized prints. Gift print and card packages start at $225 and include 48 cards and 8 gift prints. My full collection of mounting options will be available for a la carte purchasing at regular pricing (see the "print option" gallery on my website for pictures of my products).
I will accept families up until October 19th and the session will be closed after this time. No "walk in" sessions allowed. So if you are interested please send me an email at lhuntphotog@live.com or you can contact me through my website. Several slots are already filled, so don't miss your chance to have some gorgeous cards this year.

Front design #41

Back design #41

Front design #39

Back design #39

Front Design #46

Back Design #46

Front Design #59

Back Design #59

Front Design #65

Back Design #65

I wish I could photograph products as well as I do people, b/c these pics don't do these cards justice:) These are just a few of the over 65 designs I have available.

More baby girls!

2009-09-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

The baby madness continues. I got to meet another sweet baby girl on Wednesday. She was very awake for almost the entire session but really, really good for me. She has an exciting life as a little fashionista ahead of her since we started her session with 4 different outfits. She is one fancy baby! You all know for newborns I am a total sucker for simplicity. So, despite all her splendid get ups, I chose a simple face shot to post first. I had TWO more baby girls born this week, so more baby girls to come in the following week:)

Almost a baby smile and I love her little hands...

Her first fancy outfit :)

E turns 2...

2009-09-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

I got to meet up with little Elyza a few days ago for her official 2 year old session. She is a high energy little girl, so I was ready with my running shoes on. We had fun with some outfit changes and my flowery fields are still looking great, so I got to visit them yet again. So, here she is in all her cuteness:)

This is probably going to be my favorite from the session...

I am such a sucker for just a sweet simple gaze...

I struggled to find a b/w b/c the colors were so pretty...

E's first sucker ever! I think she liked it:)

SCHEDULING UPDATES!!!!!
I am not accepting any more full sessions for the remainder of the year. I can refer you to another local photographer if you need to get in with someone. She is awesome, so you will not be disappointed. I will still take people for my October mini session until it is full, but those are my only open dates left for the year. You do not have to use the mini session only for Christmas card photos, it can be just a regular session as well. I will begin taking session appointments again after the 1st of the year (i.e. you can book them at any time though, so if you know you want to come see me, I would schedule ASAP). Baby planners you are already on my schedule, so not to worry. Thanks to all my wonderful clients for the referrals and helping me grow so much this year.

Another beautiful baby girl...

2009-09-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

I am excited to introduce another sweet baby girl into my little photography family. Baby "A" arrived about 12 days ago now. She is a sweet, tiny, sleepy little girl. She was sooooo good for our session. I really had fun with her. I am not in a chatty mood, so onto the pics...

I like the rough texture of the basket and the softness of a baby girl

How sweet is a little newborn smile...

Summer is coming to an end...

2009-08-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

I was thinking at my session yesterday evening that I probably won't get a chance to do very many more green and flowery field shoots this year. Hopefully I can find some equally cool brown and "falley" looking fields to work in the rest of the year. The spot I worked in a few weeks ago got mowed, so I had to find a new location. The new spot had these awesome big yellow flowers and these tiny little purple ones down at baby level, so I was not too disappointed. I got to meet up with 6 month old "M" and her parents last night. We had a gorgeous evening to work in, so that is always wonderful. Little "M" is a spitting image of her Mommy right down to her beautiful red hair. Okay, well she is still a baldy, but there is red coming in in the back for sure! You can see her at the top of my blog as a newborn, that sweet yawning baby. "M" was a trooper and gave me some adorable grins and funny faces. I had a great time hanging out with them. So, here ya go...

Is she gorgeous or what??

Love this happy face

Here are those gorgeous yellow flowers and the whole sweet family

P.S. SCHEDULING UPDATES...
I am almost booked for the rest of the year. I have ONE each month left for October, November and December. I do still have several openings for my Christmas card mini session. I will accept appointments up until March 2010 if you know you are wanting to come see me in the new year. As always, baby planners you are already on my schedule, so not to worry.

Meet Baby "R"...

2009-08-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

I got to meet baby "R" a few days ago. She is the new arrival of the couple featured in my previous blog post about a "rad couple". Her sex was a surprise, so I was excited to hear a sweet, healthy baby girl arrived. I always find it amazing that even at only a few days old, these kiddos know what they like and don't like. She gave me a very short period in the diaper cover only and then could not be persuaded after this point. She wanted to be swaddled and there were no other options :) Even laying in front of my toasty heater, she was not having it. So, she gave me a good challenge trying to figure out new and interesting ways to photograph a swaddled baby. She has this very serious brow. I can't wait to see her again in 3 months when she will be smiling at me! She is such a sweet little girl and Mom was cool as a cucumber through the whole process. It always amazes me that somehow Mom's just know how to take care of these little babes and all the little secrets to make them content. So, without further delay here is baby "R".

Pretty in pink

I am a sucker for these simple black and white images...

I like the mix of patterns here

Christmas Mini Sessions Details...(again)

2009-08-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

When: October 24th, late afternoon/early evening- time to be determined closer to the date.
Where: An outdoor location in the Mount Juliet Area- to be determined later. I will have a bench or loveseat and some simple decorations (removable if you don't want them) for a clean, modern alternative to posing in front of a Christmas tree, etc. Also I will just have nature available if you want a simple outdoorsy feel.
Cost: $50.00 with one 8x10 included ($20 value)- minimum $50 print/card purchase per session. The session will need to be paid for within 30 days of the scheduled date to hold your place- pay pal or checks accepted
Who: Open to anyone, "grow with me" babies are welcome- only 8 families per event will be scheduled. You don't have to have children to participate and pending the location pets may or may not be allowed... (** I am having a mini session event at a veterinary hospital in November if you want studio setting portraits of your 4 legged friends**- contact me for details)
The cards: I am offering 2 sided, full color press printed cards printed on watercolor paper. These will be stylish 5x5 square cards. These are all my original designs, exclusively for my clients. My catalog currently has over 60 designs to choose from and I am still adding more. These cards are gorgeous! I will be posting pictures as soon as I get my samples in and will also bring samples to the events (samples should be up by mid September). They will include one or more pictures on the front and back (pending design) and the greetings will be customizable. Envelopes are included and they come in packs of 24. One set will cost $55.00, two or more sets will be $50.00 each. Some designs will have the option to add a ribbon embellishment for an additional $13.00 per set of 24. I will send you the username and password to the Christmas Card gallery once the session fee is paid.
Other card options: If you prefer to print your own cards, you may purchase up to 2 digital files with full reprint rights for $100 each. Resolution will be lowered to prevent printing over a 5x7 size. I am also offering a large quantity 4x6 discount for those of you who like to make your cards or just include a photo in your cards. These will be printed on professional grade photo paper and come in a lustre finish. A set of 25 (all same image) will be $90 or a set of 50 will be $130 ( a custom quote can be prepared if you need a different quantity). 4x6 prints are regularly priced at $12.00 each, so this is a substantial savings.
The Packages: I will have some gift print only packages as well as some card and gift print package combos available. Gift print packages start at $155 and include 12 various sized prints. Gift print and card packages start at $225 and include 48 cards and 8 gift prints. My full collection of mounting options will be available for a la carte purchasing at regular pricing.
Since it is only August, yes I am a planner, I just wanted to get these details out since I always have traffic through my blog and there are sure to be people out there like me who are early planners. I am taking names on a first priority wait list, so if you are interested please send me an email at lhuntphotog@live.com. I already have a few people on my list, so I am not the only one thinking about Christmas in August!

Miss P is one!

2009-08-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

Sigh, one of my favorite babies just turned one :( I am particularly attached to her b/c she is adorable first of all and I have gotten to see her for 6 sessions over the last year. So, I adore her. Don't be too sad though as mom and I are working out a second year package for her, so I will still get to see her often! Mom is totally my kind of client b/c she lets me do all kinds of cool stuff for her like birthday invitations, thank you notes, etc. Even better she just lets me design whatever I want, so I get to have lots of creative fun. So, here is the very chunky, super cutey patootie P...

Love her in my pink cowboy hat even if she didn't really want to wear it

She looked so adorable in her tutu, but she thought it was too itchy :)

She had a good time with the cake!