Nostalgia Portraits: Capturing Your Life...

Family of Three and Three-month old!

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:49:00 +0000

'Tis the busy busy busy season! Right about now, the phone calls are pretty much nonstop since everyone's realized that the holidays are right around the corner!!! Just thinking about it gives me heart palpitations. Although I LOVE the holidays, they seriously stress me out. When I start hearing Christmas music playing at the Falls, that's when I really start to come undone. :/ I met this adorable family yesterday and soon they will be a family of 4! That's right, Miles is going to be a big brother! And this morning, I had the chance to see the scrumptious Ashton who not so long ago I captured fresh out of the womb. He is absolutely delicious and still has not lost one strand of hair. Perfect!

Miss Chloe...

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 20:35:00 +0000

Warning: This post dates me! When I received a call from Zasha (Chloe's mommy) that she had just had a baby girl, I was like "It can't be. She's so young." Then it hit me: it's been a good 6-7 years since I see her. My goodness where does the time go? Zasha was a sophomore at high school when I met her while I was teaching. That was over 8 years ago. Since then, she's graduated from UM with her Master's Degree, gotten married and now has a baby girl. Incredible! And what can I say about little Miss Chloe? She slept like an angel for me and she's already 4 weeks old. Love it when I get sleepy babies!!! I'm thrilled to know that I'll be seeing Miss Chloe more often now as she's part of our "Grow With Me" package. Yay!!!

Knots of Hope...

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:16:00 +0000

Let me tell you a little about a wonderful charity started a few years ago by a seventh grader! Yup, you heard right. With a little motivation and a whole lot of help from Mom and supportive friends, Priscilla Suzal-Wright was able to make this organization what it is today. She is now an 11th grade IB student at Coral Reef Senior High. Knots of Hope was founded in order to raise awareness about organ transplants and donation as well as to raise necessary funds to help families that are affected by this. By coming together, making, and selling beaded bracelets, this group of now 35 girls have been able to help raise funds for The Transplant Foundation. They are also having their very first Knots of Hope Gala this October with the goal of raising money for their cause. For more information about this group, please visit
http://transplantfoundation.org/knotsofhope.asp
and to become a fan of their Facebook page and find out how you can contribute, please visit http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Fans-of-Knots-of-Hope/105334536187413?v=info&ref=ts

Founder Priscilla Suzal-Wright...

Officers...

Moms of members and organ recipients as well...

Miss Samantha...

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:31:00 +0000

Oh my, the life of a two-year old... If you want to learn the power of distraction, just ask any parent of a two-year old. One minute, fiercely upset, the next, laughing at the top of our lungs! It's always exciting in their world and these sessions are never dull or boring. Miss Samantha has the most intense eye lashes and the most beautiful smile. She's waiting for her baby sister to arrive in just a couple of weeks. I had the pleasure of getting to play with her for a little while and I think I was able to capture that spirit of hers!

Another Pretty Mama!

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:21:00 +0000

Lots of pretty ladies having babies lately. September and October always seem to be peak season for maternity and newborn shoots. Those holidays really work magic on a couple, don't they? ;) Here is the lovely Ariane! So modest, yet stunningly beautiful! Reminds me a little of Claire Danes, huh? I can't wait to meet Mr. Nathaniel!

Miss Brooke!

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:29:00 +0000

Now while I don't normally like to schedule sessions at 2 months age, I have to say this session went beautifully! At two months, babies are finicky creatures. They're wakeful and irritable, don't smile a whole lot, and rarely look at the camera. Hello????
Little Brooke obviously did not get the memo on normal 2-month behavior. Just look at this beauty! All smiles and eye contact! She didn't even cry until the very end (really mean reflux :( ) and by that time, she had pretty much given us what we needed. It also helped that Daddy was there. She doesn't even have to see him. Just the sound of his voice set off that adorable toothless grin. A true "Daddy's Girl" she is. Without further ado, I present to you Miss Brooke...

Studio Kinda Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:43:00 +0000

With South Florida's unpredictable weather, the studio's been my friend!!! Saturday's three sessions were full of color, smiles, and rain-free weather. :) Here's a peek at all 3...

Stop this Train...

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:30:00 +0000

This song... ALWAYS makes me cry. I can't even get through the first verse without getting all choked up. I have this slide show in my mind that constantly plays when I hear certain songs and this is definitely one of those. Although I love the idea of watching my family grow, I just want to freeze this time. I've lost so many important people in my life that the thought of losing one more... can't even finish the sentence. I guess it's just one of those nostalgic days. Here is that wretched song and here are some of my favorite snapshots revisited...

Beautiful Luna!

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:01:00 +0000

How I love a happy baby! Luna's in that perfect laugh-at-everything stage. We played tons of peek-a-boo and dressed her up in all kinds of cute outfits and accessories. I just love her expression in the one with her purple outfit. Sooooo cute!

Itty Bitty Belly...

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:49:00 +0000

When this beautiful mommy contacted me for maternity pics at 34 weeks, I envisioned myself at 34 weeks. Ha, ha, not so pretty. I had 3 huge bellies, so much so that my maternity pics were done at about 28-29 weeks. After that time, I'd get the wide-eyed look from people asking me, "Any day now, huh?". Well, in comes Jennifer with her tiny little belly. She looks fantastic (even though like every pregnant woman she thinks she's huge)! I also loved that she brought things to make this session personal, like her flag football league shirt. Together with my fab Marshall's finds (scarves), we came up with some pretty great shots!!! Can't wait to meet her little man!

Emily and Frankie...

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:23:00 +0000

I love it when I get a set of twins that couldn't be more different! It didn't take me long to figure out that Miss Emily is the leader. Frankie spends so much time looking at his sister, she must seem so cool. ;) He loves his trucks and cars, such a boy. LOVE it. And Emily is a very girly girl, dainty and poised. The two are an adorable pair!!! I'm so glad they came!

Miss Sabrina!

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 01:42:00 +0000

What a joy to have those big blue eyes in my studio! She is just a ball of deliciousness from head to toe. She didn't seem too much in the mood for smiles until we started singing all kinds of songs. That was the secret! Aren't her hats the best? And those butterfly wings and matching headpiece... to die for.

and here's one for Grandma...

Waiting for Baby Audley...

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:01:00 +0000

This post sort of dates me. I still remember having Sandra's maternity session when she was pregnant with Miss Siena and here we are more than 4 years later with a baby boy on the way. Yay! It's been so great watching Siena grow and now I'm looking forward to meeting Mr. Audley (Jr. that is...). A huge congratulations to Sandra and her gorgeous growing family!!!

Baby CJ...

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:14:00 +0000

This little man was complete perfection. After his belly was full, he pretty much let us do whatever we wanted with him. I love when I walk into a colorful home! Here, there was this bright marmalade wall in the dining room which served as a perfect backdrop for our session. Mom confessed this is her favorite room as well. CJ + beautiful home = GREAT SESSION!!! :)

Learning from Beth Jansen!

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:12:00 +0000

I've been so busy lately that I was craving some "Me" time. When I got wind that Beth Jansen was going to be in town, I jumped all over it and I'm sooooooo happy I did. She is so easy to work with and an open book about her workflow, how she styles her shoots, how to look for the best light, and her post-processing work. I was a sponge! You can see her creativity and fantastic use of color on her blog: http://www.bethjansenphotography.com/blog/

Our small group had the opportunity to shoot in all kinds of situations: urban, beach, window light. Of course, my favorite was the newborn session. We were fortunate that Baby Ben was an absolute dream to work with! Here are a few images (including some of Beth working her magic) from our sessions. I used some of her processing on my images as well and I love how they all POP!!!! Thank you, Beth! It was an amazing experience to work with you!

Baby Andrew...

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:38:00 +0000

This bundle of cuteness made his way to my home this morning! He was so excited to see me, he just couldn't fall asleep. :) It was a battle of the wills for a while between he and I, but in the end I think I won. I think...
Big sister Emma was as sweet as ever. At 2 going on 3, she managed to memorize the lyrics to "Rock-a-bye-Baby" and worked really hard to help Andrew fall asleep. That is until the play room called to her. Colorful shots were on our to-do list and after a little help from Grandma's Target morning shopping spree, we did just that. :) Congratulations to this beautiful growing family!!!

And Boy make 4!

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:11:00 +0000

Part of what makes my job so enjoyable is getting to watch families flourish! I can still blink my eyes and remember going through Rush Week with Analin at UM. It all seems like yesterday, yet here we are all grown up with babies! I'm honored that she and Chris chose me to capture their growing family and now I'm so excited to have just learned (about 5 minutes ago actually) that another little boy is on the way! Nicholas is going to have a little brother! Congratulations to you guys!!! Thank you for letting me be part of your joy! xoxo

Time Flies...

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:31:00 +0000

I can't believe it's been a year already since Adrian first came to my studio. He was such a perfect little baby and every session this year with him has been a dream. He never skimps out on smiles and for his 1 year session, he didn't disappoint. In fact, the session was absolutely blissful (except maybe for his aversion to the sand). I photograph at this park regularly and it's always a great place to visit, but on some days, you get the most perfect light anyone can ask for. I'm glad it made it's way to our session! Here is a peek at my first impression of Adrian followed by who he is today!!!

Color!

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:50:00 +0000

That about sums up this session! One of the reasons I still brave going to Jimbo's is because we just get great color. Plain and simple. I love how they were dressed. These kiddos were fun to capture. We even had our very own posing assistant. I totally should have posted the picture with him in it, LOL. An adventure this session was, but a true success in my book.

Blondie in Red Polka Dot Hat

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Sometimes things just line up correctly to get that perfect image! We got the blazing sun that's been scorching Miami this summer. We got Mom who picked out the most colorful outfits for our session. And we have Valentina...beautiful blondie with soft, porcelain skin! Yep, I'm pretty happy with how this all turned out. What say you???

Hello Miss Molly!

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:49:00 +0000

I had sooooo much fun photographing this sweet pea! She was as soft as jello, so soft, she kept sinking in to the blankets, LOL. Still, I'm so happy with the images we got. For the one on Daddy's shoulder, he actually thought about switching her over to his other shoulder to not have the "U" tattoo!!!! No way!!! Love it when I have die-hard Canes for clients! Congrats on the arrival of your little girl. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek.

Check out the cute chin dimple she inherited from Daddy!

Who's sleepier? Big brother or Molly???

Scotty takes the Cake!

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:46:00 +0000

This sweetie pie came in for his very first photo session! I was honored! It took a little while to melt away his inhibitions, but by the end of the session, he only had eyes for me. Hee Hee!!! :) Love it when that happens. Baby sister is expected to arrive sometime in November so I'm hoping he'll be back again to capture some of that sibling love!!! It was a pleasure to meet this wonderful family!

Leader of the Band...

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:41:00 +0000

I've had the pleasure of knowing this family for many years so I was thrilled when they asked me to come photograph their latest addition, Christian. He is the 3rd boy in this clan and he's the sweetest thing ever. Mommy is absolutely stunning, although she doesn't think she is. She also can sing, shhh. It was a joy to hear her sing softly in her little boy's ear as he gazed out the window. The words of the song resonated with me. I leave you with the images and the lyrics. Picture perfect, huh?

Must keep walking

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:27:00 +0000

Ask any parent if they can remember the age their child was most tiring, 99.9% will tell you 1 year. Right after they start to walk. Imagine that times two!!! These adorable kiddos were fit for a marathon and with 4 adults chasing them, we still couldn't keep up. :) We even started the session with a walking casualty, LOL. Poor Ben! I hope his nose is better. After all the running, we settled on the swings and got some true smiles! Yay! This family is relocating to Wisconsin in a few weeks so I wish you much luck in your next home!!!

Can't Say FFFFlowers

noreply@blogger.com (Nostalgia Portraits) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:14:00 +0000

Arianna lost her top tooth this morning. She's lost a few teeth already, but this one seems so significant for me. I guess, because she looks like a big girl. How many moms can say that their kids take out their own teeth? I admire her determination. She sat there in front of the mirror twisting and turning that stubborn tooth until she heard the cracks. I've never seen a little girl so happy to see her bloody tooth hanging by a thread. The first thing she told me was that she looked like her big cousin, Mumi. Even she sees how different she looks. Then, she tried to say something that involved the word "Flowers" and started laughing, "I can't say flowers, ha ha ha. " Another few images to store in my long-term memory...