We had a lot of fun around the studio this morning with little guys N and A! And, when I say “around the studio,” I mean it! These little guys were all over the place!! While some people may call that chaos, I just call that kids being KIDS! In fact, I like it! In my opinion, the more fun the kids have when they’re here, the more of their true selves will come through in their photos. Kids are not supposed to just sit still and smile– how boring! Here’s one of my favorite shots of Mr. A, who’s just shy of his second birthday!!

There was no parting with his sucker, but that was ok– Again, I think it just shows another side of what life is like at 2!

You’ll find many people have negative things to say about Cleveland this time of year. The weather’s turning colder, days are shorter, the beautiful autumn leaves have fallen to the ground… seems like a lot of endings. Not around here!  We are surrounded by new beginnings… Starting with our AMAZING new website and look designed and developed by Purely Branded (www.purelybranded.com)!  I’m so excited about the new features this site offers, and just how easy it is to use!  Take a look around, and enjoy :-) See something missing? That’s definitely my fault– I’m working on it!  Make sure to check back as we continue to update it!  Before you jump ahead to start exploring our new site, take a look at some of other new beginnings we’re seeing around here…

On his first photo shoot, Baby W slept like a log… ;-)

Another little guy, Baby S, worn out from his first photo shoot!

Baby S posing for his first photos!! He did great!!

Little J on the first day of standing!! A little stressfull…

Little J's first pile of leaves– Not a big fan!

New Puppy Jocko!! My parents' new puppy!!

Jocko did great on his first studio shoot!!

This time of the year is a photographer’s dream– the changing colors of the trees, the carpet of fallen leaves on the grass, and when that gets mixed with the 70-degree weather we’ve been blessed with around here lately, what we have is a outdoor photography playground!  Yesterday was no exception– I got to go out and photograph good friends of my husband and mine (and their kids of course)!  We went to one of my favorite locations for child and family photography… Horseshoe Lake in Shaker Heights.  There’s so much for the kids to climb on and play with, and such pretty scenery for great photo backdrops!  To me, the best pictures happen when the kids have no idea that they’re being photographed… when they can be themselves, and have fun.  That’s when you get the pictures that remind you of THEM!  Here are just three of my favorite shots of my little friends and our photo play-date yesterday!

A couple weeks ago, a sweet little girl came into our studio FULL of smiles. She had no fear of being in front of the camera and it was an absolute joy having her here. But the reason we decided to post this blog is to let you see that brides aren’t the only ones that can wear white around here! For many of you who have come in for family portraits, specifically newborn photo sessions, we typically use the black background and recommend that mom and dad wear black. We do this because we want the focus to be on your face and not on the clothes that you are wearing. We’re portrait photographers, not fashion photographers :) We want you to feel your best and we’ll take care of making sure you look your best! So for those of you who sometimes wonder and ask if you can wear white on white, the answer is YES! Even if you use bleach to wash your clothes, I promise that our background will still be whiter and your clothes will show up! But what will show up even more, are the smiles, the laughs, the expressions and beauty of the child or family…our goal is to capture you and only you. White on white is simple but unique and your photos will always be one of a kind.

Since I started working here, I’ve come to learn the various developmental stages of the different age groups that come through our studio. Some are bundled in their parent’s arms without a peep, some are crawling around our studio floor mumbling their own gibberish, and others, are running non stop up and down the our entry ramp screaming. Their physical and language skills are across the board and yet no matter what stage they’re  at they all are so cute in their own unique way. I came across this video on youtube and it absolutely blew me away. Most 2 year olds form 2-3 word sentences, but this little boy’s language skills are far beyond anything I have ever heard. His memory and expressions are amazing. There is honestly nothing more I can say, so you’ll just have to see for yourself!