Jodi and James welcomed Ava Marie into the world over the weekend!  She arrived New Year’s Eve and was the last baby born in 2011 in that hospital.  I’m so honored to have been there to photograph the birth and help welcome her into the world.  I wanted to share a few of my favorites from her maternity session from a few weeks ago.  :)

And here’s one of my favorite mini human:

April 2010 I had the honor of capturing one of the sweetest weddings, between two people completely devoted to each other.  Caitlin & Mike were married at the Sweetwater Branch Inn, in a beautiful outdoor ceremony.  (Here’s an image from their wedding ;)

I was so happy to hear from Caitlin a few months ago, that she was pregnant and wanted me to capture her newborn when he was born.  I had fun spending a little time with them and baby Jonah at the newborn session.  Caitlin & Mike are wonderful parents, and Jonah is so lucky to have them as his Mom & Dad.  :)  Here are a few of my favorites:

Here in Florida, it’s currently 75° with a projected high of 80°.  It doesn’t really feel like Christmas to me.  I love being snuggled up by a fire with my hubby during the holidays.  While I am thankful that we don’t have to worry about dealing with snow and ice, a little chill in the air would be nice.  Either way, I’m going to enjoy a few days of celebrating the holidays with my family and in-laws.  I hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday with your friends and family this year – where ever you are, whatever the temperature!  :)

Here are the holiday cards that we sent out to our friends and family:

And here is the front and back of the cards that went out to past and current clients.  These had a hole at the top with a ribbon so they hang on the tree as ornaments.  Chevrons are big right now, and I couldn’t resist using them on both cards.  :)

When I saw on twitter that friends of mine had adopted their newborn daughter I was beyond happy and excited for them! I was even more thrilled when they asked me to photograph her newborn session for them. Aletha Rose has to be the sweetest, most mellow, newborn that I’ve met to date. She was such a happy (and then sleepy ;) baby throughout the entire session. A.J. & Ryan, Congratulations again!

Each year the Alachua County Emerging Leaders (ACEL) holds their annual dinner meeting.  This year’s event was held at Sweetwater Branch Inn with entertainment from locally renown singer/musician Michael Claytor.  Since their go-to photographer was unavailable that evening, they asked me to photograph the event.  Sweetwater did not disappoint with a lovely, as always, backdrop for this lively and friendly bunch.

To see the entire gallery and purchase prints and/or downloads please click here.  Thank you!

Are you getting married soon?  Know someone who is?  Do you want to meet some of the premier wedding professionals in the Gainesville area, all in one place?  Then the Florida Bridal Expo is for you!

Solutions Bridal is holding their semi-annual Florida Bridal Expo this Sunday, the 11th at the University of Florida Hilton hotel.  I’ll be there with beautiful images, sample albums, and my smiling face.  :)  Come by my booth and we’ll chat about your wedding!  See you there!

Back in February I had the honor of meeting Jaide and shooting some images of her for a story HOME Magazine was doing on her.  Jaide was born with arthrogryposis, which resulted in limited arm movement in her case, as well as affecting her spine and limiting the flexibility in her legs.  However, in spite of all this she is a record-breaking Paralympic swimmer.  She was just named to the USA Paralympic Pan American team, and is currently training for the Pan-Am Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico in November!

Oh… and she’s thirteen.

Jaide and her coach Jennifer Davidson of High Tide Aquatics:

Pick up a copy of the newest HOME Magazine to read the full story about Jaide and her accomplishments and goals. I am honored that I was able to meet her.   :)

Are you graduating from college?

Well, congratulations!

Before you leave your fun college town and start your new life somewhere else, why not have a Graduation Session?  It can be a session with just you alone, or we can have it with a group of your closest friends – to commemorate your friendship and the close bond you generated through late-night study sessions and commiserating about classes together.  ;)  You don’t want to leave this phase of your life without documenting this monumental achievement.  Let’s go take some pictures!

Sessions start at $300.  Please contact me for more information.

I know it’s been quiet on the blog here lately.  But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy.  In fact, I’ve been busier lately than I’ve been in a long time.  Recently I started shooting for HOME Magazine, a local publication in the Gainesville area.  They are very active in the community and are also focused on sponsoring and advocating for deserving charitable organizations in the area.  HOME’s mission statement sums them up pretty well:

Our mission is to be the leading lifestyle publication in North Central Florida, while giving back to those who consider the heart of Florida HOME. By providing relevant information to enhance our community’s well being, we value the opportunity to entertain, educate and inspire you– our neighbors.

The magazine is free and widely distributed in and around Gainesville.  If you see a stack, pick one up.  You’ll see some of my images inside.   ;)

My sister and her husband recently adopted a new dog.  Rosa is a rescue from a local shelter, and one of the sweetest dogs I know.  She’s a great addition to their family, even if she has more energy than she knows what to do with.

After a recent health scare with Bumble, it was even more important that we capture some images of her with her new sister.

Old lady.   :)

My favorite pet image to-date.   :)