You know that stage.
They roll over with confidence.
They think you are funniest human being on the planet.
And they are now starting to sit on their own…
It’s the little things that fills us with pride.
Milestones | Baby Photographer Miami
Armrolls, this is the only time in your life when they are welcome.
Those eyes, chubby hands, rolls…
The Unexpected | Newborn Photographer Miami
Today I heard the saddest news. A dear friend is suffering. Her marriage is in trouble and both parties, with lots of love still in their hearts, have decided to take a break. This makes me sad. Really sad. Because every time I heard them speak they were loving and caring and kind to one another. My heart aches for her today as I know there is nothing I can do or say that will alleviate her pain. It’s deep and it has no words. It can’t be described, it can only be felt.
I’m scared too. I’m scared because there has been many times when I have thought of divorce and separation. When the stress of it all has overwhelmed me and I’ve pictured walking away with my little ducklings and starting over, but something stops me and I keep fighting. Sometimes I think it’s worthless. All the time and energy spent and trying over and over again. All the pride lost in looking over things I always said I wouldn’t look over. But I do, and I stay. Because I believe that he and my babies are worth fighting for. I stay because the fight needs to be fought in the arena and the day I walk away it will only be upon defeat.
Today I’m also thankful that he is in the arena with me. That knockdown after knockdown he lifts himself back up and keeps on fighting. I’m thankful that he too believes we are all worth fighting for.
Thank you for your continuous fight.
Family | Family Photographer in Miami
Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.
– Author Unknown
WHAT KIND OF PHOTOGRAPHER ARE YOU?
“What do you do? I’m a photographer. Oh, what kind?”
This is a common question I hear people asking photographers. Almost as if a “kind” is specific to what you photograph. They expect to hear: I’m a wedding photographer, or I’m a portrait photographer, or I’m a newborn photographer, but really my “kind”, my “style” is not based on the people I choose to photograph, but in how and why I photograph them.
When I first started photography back in 2009 I was scared and naïve. I followed the crowd and I really thought that my “niche” was who I wanted to photograph. It took some soul searching this time around to really figure out what makes me happy and who I am as a photographer. Mind you, this is an ongoing process, but I’ve learned that my photography is more than a person. I don’t and won’t limit my craft.
I take photographs to capture moments. Not something that is, but the essence of what can or will be.
I want to capture the way you look at the man of your dreams; the way you feel when he places his hand on your belly and you realize that life will soon be different and full.
My “niche” are those who are not afraid to be themselves and don’t hold back. Those that let me in – just a little – to capture an intimate moment.
My niche is not defined by age, gender, education, or interest. They are everyday people who know the value photograph.
So what “kind” of photographer am I? I’m the one that wants you to feel something when you look back at your images. The one that pushes you to let me in and goes above and beyond to capture the essence of your life, just as it is, right now. Something that – only years later – would make you realize just how important this moment truly was.
WHY SHOULD YOU SCHEDULE AN ENGAGEMENT PHOTO SESSION?
I read this article on the Huffington Post and it expressed so well how I feel about photos in general that I need to share it with all of you.
If you’re engaged to be married, then quick, tell me why it’s worth it to have an engagement photo session?
I was reading a thread on a wedding forum where brides weighed in about that. And all the comments were offering the same two or three opinions:
“It’s a chance to get comfortable with the photographer,” “can use it for the save the date,” “it’s a way to see how I photograph.”
And there were those who saw no value in it at all. “What for?” “Why bother?” “Who needs it?”
But there’s something big about engagement photos that no one ever thinks of. No bride, no groom, no photographer, ever seems to consider.
Because consider this: here’s this little window of time in your life. A slice of time that perhaps may be only a few months to a few years long. Not a lot of time at all, really, compared to your entire life.
But yet what happened in this small, tiny, sliver window of time is disproportionately huge.
In fact, something’s happened that impacts the rest of your entire life.
In that little window of time, tiny little miracles happened.
Because in that tiny little window of time, you found someone. And they found you.
You fell in love. They fell in love with you.
And you both chose to make a life with each other. Commit to each other. Maybe bring a new family line into this world.
This changes the course of both your lives. And correspondingly like a ripple effect in a pond it affects everyone around you. And in time, the descendants you’ve brought forth by virtue of your commitment, will affect everyone in the future, until the end of time. Because as your generations go out into the world they will heal, help, sacrifice, influence, and in many ways touch the world around them.
You have literally changed the course of the world.
That’s why I can say your engagement is huge.
And to photograph this historic chapter of your life, to have this time forever preserved so it’s there to be seen whenever you wish to pull back the curtain of time and revisit this time in your life and feel the emotions again…
Priceless.
Because photos aren’t for today. People who see engagement photos as a mere test shoot for the wedding or as a way to get familiar with being photographed are seeing photos as only for today.
But photographs are for the rest of our lives. There’s the joy it brings when your memories have dimmed to be able to see these times again. And there’s something magical about being able to literally show your memories to someone new. Someone who probably hasn’t even been born yet. And to be able to say, “Look. This is me and your grandfather when we were young, at the beginning of our love.”
Not only to visit again the beautiful, historic times of your life, but in time, for all your generations to see from whom they came, and the love they came from, too.
And that’s the real reason to have photos like these made.
Article: The Real Reason to Have an Engagement Photo Made // Author: G.E. Masana
Long Awaited | Newborn Photography in Miami
Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned and our dreams don’t unfold in the rigid timeline we set. We get frustrated, sad even, thinking that maybe it’s not meant to be or it’s something we don’t deserve. Yet if we could peek into our future we would see that things are coming, and when they do, it will be at just the right time – not sooner.
Tips for a beautiful Newborn Session – Part I
Before I get to the tips, I want to preface this by saying just how much I love and enjoy motherhood. When Joshua, my oldest, was born and at only 20 years-old I was scared, but in that cool December morning I was on top of the world. Nothing compares to the feeling a first time mom experiences when her baby arrives.
To say that I love newborns is an understatement. These sleepy little souls with tiny wrinkles are perfection and the true meaning and purpose of life. I sometimes find myself in a wave of sadness just thinking that my little babies will one day leave the nest. These thoughts are what help me get better at being present and remind me to capture the little glimpses of personalities that we see along the way.
I record my memories in albums and every time I opened them, they fill me with joy and bring me back to that very moment. This is why I do what I do, because I want you to remember this time in your life and reminisce just as I do when I open the pages and travel back in time.
So now that I’m done with my ranting; I want to give you some tips for a successful newborn session. This will be an ongoing series on the blog; for now, I will start with the first two:
- THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM. Book your session early! I’m not saying this for my benefit or the benefit of your photographer, even though I would love to have you as a client, I’m saying this because photographers get booked in advance and most newborn sessions occur during the first two weeks of the baby’s life. This leaves very little time for a photographer that is already booked to schedule you in. If your session was previous scheduled with a tentative date, the photographer is aware and knows the amount of sessions they can schedule around your due date.
- THE EARLIER THE BETTER. If possible, schedule your session when your baby is between 3-7 days old. This time is when they are the sleepiest and stay curled up just as they were in the womb. After around two weeks, they start stretching and the curl pose that came natural to them starts to change
That’s it for now – can’t wait to share more. Next week I’ll be talking about natural light, outdoor sessions, and bringing on the heat…
The Beauty is in the Mess | Baby Photographer in South Florida
We try to mold them and make them fit into a pretty little box of what is considered normal. But she is not normal; she is full of love, passion, and imagination like no other. Her dreams are big, her imagination wild.
She does many things at once because her brain can’t stop. It bursts with ideas, constantly.
This is my daily struggle with my 6 year-old. Her room is in a constant state of turmoil. Barbies on the floor, dresser, closet; clothes scattered in corners; makeup on her bed; blue eyeshadow dust on her dresser.
How can I stop her if when I do I feel like I’m crushing her. I hope to one day soon find the balance. In the meantime, I think I will sit back and appreciate the beauty of her untamed soul.
The Simplicity of Newborns
There are many reasons why I love newborn photography sessions; each is so very unique. Even at such a young age, you sometimes get a glimpse of their personality.
Trenchbowl by: Traditions in Thyme // Lambskin Cover: West Elm