There is something about being in Alabama that makes me feel at home. We only lived there for three years and yet, each time I go back, I am flooded with the open sky and good memories. There is space to breathe and a slow pace of living that I always find refreshing. In my most recent visit, I was able to stay with a good friend of mine in her heirloom home and take some portraits of her little girl in the blooming azaleas. Children are probably my favorite to capture, because of the challenge it is! One of the easiest ways I've found to take portraits of small children, is by letting them play naturally and working to get those smiles and laughs. It was easy with Rylee because this was her "home." She loved picking berries and flowers and running down the dirt road. We were outside in the middle of the day, but the contrast in lighting really made for a beautiful scenery. This entire shoot took about 20 minutes - simple and quick - but now they can cherish these adorable portraits of her at this age forever. 

Mother's Day weekend, I had the honor of photographing four beautiful women representing three generations - grandmother, mom and her daughters. It was my first session here in Jacksonville, so of course we had to go to the beach! :) I have known the two daughters, Ashley and Amber, for almost 10 years now. They are sweet friends to me. One thing I love about both of them is their enthusiasm for life, and photographing their mom and grandma made it easy to see just where they inherited it. This is three generations of grace, class and beauty.