1st Photoshoot

I love the heaviness of my camera resting in my left hand. I love capturing beauty with the click of the shutter. And I absolutely LOVED doing my first photoshoot.

I have wanted to do a legitimate photoshoot for some time and I finally got up the guts to offer just that to my friend and her adorable daughter. So we set a date...

And I had the best little model who was more than happy to smile for the camera. All she wanted to do was run, play, laugh. It was perfect.

We ran across the grassy field, with her squealing and me laughing, snapping pictures like a crazy person. I ended up taking over 200 photos in under 45 minutes. It went by in the blink of an eye. And if I learned anything from this particular photoshoot, I know to "just go with it", especially with an almost 2 year old.

I brought her bright orange gerbera daisies to keep her entertained and they were great props!

She had adorable glittery shoes that she thought looked better left behind in the grass. We eventually just laughed, took her shoes off and let her go barefoot. And it made for some super cute shots.

She was so excited to be outside and running around.

 And I wasn't sure what she was going to think of the flowers but it turned out she loved them.

As the sun set I started to get nervous that I would not have the right amount of light, but it turned out that we finished just as dusk took over the park.

The laughter of this little angel was intoxicating and everyone that walked past us smiled and pointed.

She might very well be the happiest little girl I've met. And she has been this way since she was born, sooo happy all the time.

She is a lot like her mom, laughing and happy, but she has her serious moments as well.

We did three different outfits, and it was moments when her mom was slipping on a shoe or rolling up a pant leg that I caught some of her sweetest expressions.

The thing that I love the most about this shoot was that I somehow managed to capture her little personality. Her facial expressions that make her so endearing and that I hope her parents will look back on and remember her at this age.

This shot was her mom's idea, she recently got her newborn footprints tattooed on her shoulder and wanted a photo with them included.

This shot reminds me of Baby Gap or an Urban baby clothing advertisement. I love that this shoot wasn't planned, it was spontaneous. We ran, we climbed, and we just had fun.

Her little personality and her childhood beauty truly came through and that is what my goal was. I wanted REAL photos. No cheesy smiles or awkward positions. And the best part, I had an incredible time, from the time I showed up to the park, to the nights spent editing and critiquing, until I handed over the CD with the photos to her mom two days later.

THIS is something that makes me happy. Can't wait for the next opportunity. :)