Bella Vita Photography » Babies

Destin Childrens Photographer | The story…

admin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:14:40 +0000

This morning, I’d like to share with you the story behind another of our Small Miracles, a collection of childrens portraits aimed at benefitting the American Cancer Society… little Bella – Small Miracle # 16, daughter of Emily. This story is especially moving, coming from the perspective of little baby Bella:

Everywhere I go and everyone I meet, is always commenting on my big “blueberry” eyes. I hear my mother always politely saying “thank you” and looking at me with a huge warm smile. If I could say “thank you” to any one person, it would be my late Great Grandma Bonnie. My mother always says she was a warm spirited, loving, and kind person. Great-Grandma Bonnie, was always known for her “blueberry” eyes and always received comments from everyone she met. Sadly, she lossed her battle with Lung Cancer, and I never had the chance to look into those loving “blueberry” eyes, that everyone commented on. As my mother lays me down to sleep at night, she always wispers in my ear, that Great Grandma Bonnie, is looking down from heaven, with a big smile on her face. I know Great Grandma Bonnie is smiling down, because she passed her “blueberry” eyes to me. I know she is proud of me, for being apart of a charity that can help those who are suffering from Cancer and maybe give them one extra day on earth with the people they love the most.”

Thank you,
Bella

Thank YOU Bella & Emily

And here is beautiful little Bella, with her amazing blueberry eyes:

Thanks again to all the parents who brought their little ones out for their portraits to benefit the American Cancer Society & don’t forget to purchase your calendar now!

Destin Childrens Photographer | I proudly announce… the 13 Small Miracles

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:45:30 +0000

I am so happy, words cannot express how grateful, humbled, and amazed I am by the work of all the wonderful people in this community & across the country. When I first decided I wanted to do this project, I was sitting in a classroom of about 20 passionate women led by Lori Nordstrom, a woman who truly inspires me – not just through her photography but through her actions, her life, etc. We spent several days in this classroom, laughing, crying, and sharing with each other our passions, our goals, our hurdles, our strengths, and our weaknesses. Without turning this into a long story, I knew when I left that class that I had to do this project.

I’ve volunteered with the American Cancer Society in the past, and it was a cause that I identified with, and I knew many many other people in our community did as well. Little did I know that this would turn out so wonderful, so chaotic, and so fulfilling… all at the same time!

Anyways, standing in the kitchen one night, brainstorming with my husband… we settled on the name “Small Miracles” for the calendar. Quite quickly “Small Miracles Make a Big Difference” was the natural “slogan”. Again, little did I know just how true that would prove to be.

Here I sit at nearly 2 a.m., less than 2 months from the time I first approached the American Cancer Society about my hair-brained ideas (I tend to have a lot of them!), looking in amazement at the number of votes that came pouring in, and equally amazed that I survived it all! LOL

After 2 wonderful weeks of voting, I sit here, looking at the 13 images that made it into the calendar. So happy that I didn’t have to choose them myself because there was no way I could choose just 13, ecstatic at the number of votes that flooded in, and thankful for ever single person that participated. And so… that moment that everyone has been waiting for… I proudly announce the 13 images that will be featured in the 2010 Small Miracles Calendar to benefit the American Cancer Society… proving that Small Miracles DO make aHUGE difference!

(Gosh, even *I* have butterflies TYPING this!) (Names will be added with permission from their parents)

Miracle #9:

Miracle #8:

Miracle #42

Miracle #7:

Miracle #11:

Miracle #1:

Miracle # 31:

Miracle # 19:

Miracle # 12:

Miracle # 38:

Miracle # 6:

Miracle # 41:

Miracle #15:

And there you have it, folks… the 13 amazing Small Miracles!

In all, we received over 5,500 votes… an amazing accomplishment, especially considering this is our VERY first calendar. Rest assured, this is absolutely something we will do each year (though we will start much earlier in the year next year lol… no more shooting, editing, and voting marathons for me!).

And don’t forget, calendars are still for sale – we will be opening the gallery back up with the option to vote removed, just so you can see the cuties & purchase calendars at the pre-sale price of $10. Expect it to open sometime later in the day!!!

Thanks again for all your help, and to all the photographers & businesses who have helped make this possible! Stay tuned as we share with you the inspirational stories that were shared with me through out this journey!

Destin Maternity Photographer | Lisa’s little package – Maternity Session

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:42:52 +0000

Ok, so maybe not *quite* so little, but she’s expecting a package nonetheless. I did these a few weeks ago for a girl I met & know through La Leche League and Bradley birth classes. She’s quite awesome if I must say. Aside from her photogenic-ness (is that a word? I probably don’t know because it’s not a quality *I* personally possess!), she’s a stellar mom to a really cute little girl! And – she’s keeping the good genes alive by bringing another little girl into this world! So here are some really cool pictures of Lisa, her daughter, and her soon-to-be-arriving little one! I was so happy to have them out to the studio here in Crestview for this fabulous maternity session that also turned out some great portraits for her little girl.

Which reminds me, now is as good of a time as ever to mention my Grow With Me packages – catch them now while they’re at a good price. With new changes in November & December, I can bet the packages will increase in price! So book now & get it at the deal it is now! And of course, stay tuned for Lisa’s little arrival! I hope to see her back out at the studio for her newborn session soon!

Destin Family Beach Portrait Photographer | The Isder Family

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:12:22 +0000

I actually did these family beach portraits for this wonderful cute new family a few weeks ago, but I’m just now catching up to them & posting the sneak preview! Rainy days seem to be the theme, as this was another rainy day that turned out some awesome pictures on our beautiful Destin Beaches. That’s the great thing about the Emerald Coast & Florida Panhandle – rain is a common theme, but sun is never far behind it when you’re on the beach! They just moved away, so hopefully this reminds them of sunny days and beaches back in Destin, Florida! (And the previous post about Gustav probably reminds them of all the reasons they’re glad to have PCS’d! hahaha).

So – enough of my babbling – and lets see their family & their little bitty cutie (who as you’ll see, likes a high sodium diet of Florida Sand!).

As you can see, he loves the beautiful white sand of Destin so much, he even was willing to take it off Daddy’s feet! He probably won’t remember just how much he loved the Florida Beaches, but at least he’ll have this as proof when he grows up! All in all, we had a great time, and the gallery will be online soon! We’ll have more family beach portraits from our beautiful Destin Beaches to come!

Eden Garden Child Photographer | Guatemalan Princess – Celebrating Adoption

admin — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 07:11:31 +0000

I am so eager to finish the editing on these, sweet little Cara was so much fun & what an adventure our shoot was! it was on my shoot with Cara that we meet Mr. Lubber the Grasshopper out at Eden State Gardens (past Destin & Sandestin, north of 30A, and still in Walton County but not quite to Panama City and just across 98 from where Alys Beach is).

But, I will say – Cara gave us all a run for our money – and I do mean RUN. Mostly, this is what I saw for the majority of our shoot:

Yep, that’s right – the tail end of Cara. She was on a mission, and she was FAST! But, luckily I’ve been trained by my two little ones & I can book it! So off I went, chasing Cara around:

Oh, and I just have to post these. Not only did Cara collect sticks, pinecones, and pretty much everything and anything else that wasn’t firmly planted & rooted into the ground (she even tried to catch a fish!), she loved to smell things. I am always amazed watching kids explore the world, and I always try to think about how they must see it from their perspective. Only kids can inhale, smell & actually appreciate the smell of a pinecone & smell a flower 20 times over & never grow tired:

Or – also in Cara’s case – climb the stairs of the porch at Eden State Gardens 1,743 times and never once grow bored!

Oh, and I just had to post this one – I’m not sure why I like it so much – because I’m not quite sure if it shows just how big the tree is or just how little Cara is – maybe a little of both:

But as Cara’s mother says, she is in fact, a little Guatemalan Princess – or doll, take your pick!

Thanks for being so much fun, Cara!

And if you haven’t checked out or been to Eden Gardens in South Walton yet, definitely check it out. If you’re in town visiting, it’s just north of Hwy 98, and a must-see! It’s also a state park, so there is a small fee to get into Eden Gardens, but it is well worth it & gorgeous year-round! (But because it’s not on the beach, there’s less breeze, but also far more shade!)

Alys Beach Child & Family Photographer | More Tani & Brayden

admin — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:08:06 +0000

Ok, I’m having withdrawels from blogging, so you’ll have to excuse me – but before I post the others, I had to show you guys these up close ones – they just make me melt! Again, we’ve got the beautiful Alys Beach as the backdrop, and absolutely everything in Alys Beach is gorgeous. Add these two kids and it’s almost unbearably cute children’s portraits!

Grayton Beach Family & Childrens Portraits | Tani & Brayden;

admin — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:48:43 +0000

So not too long ago I headed out to Grayton Beach and Alys Beach, just past Watercolor & Seaside along 30-A in Walton County to do some children’s portraits, which fell under our “Celebrating Adoption” portrait sessions.

Here’s an update/sneak peek as I upload all the pictures from this session just a couple weeks ago. View this Post

Tani & Brayden were absolute dolls. They’re not twins, just really close in age, adopted from Russia. They were such fun, and while I normally would post some really sweet & sentimental pictures, I’m gonna break the mold today. Why, you ask? Well, because while Tani & Brayden were certainly sweet, they were two of the funniest kids you’ll ever meet! Now, Brayden was a little sweetheart, he will certainly be a little ladies man before too long – but Tani reminds me of my daughter. She wears the pants for sure, and has the funniest & goofiest little personality. The world is her stage for sure! Here is a sneak peek of what it’s like to hang around Tani for a bit:

Yes, they’re definitely two peas in a pod!

And heres a picture that normally wouldn’t have made it through the editing process, but considering Tani’s face, well who can resist…

My littlest baby, Azlin, often sits on my lap as I edit photos late in the evening, and she saw this and giggled her little behind off. All she kept saying was “Baby punny mommy, baby sooooo punny”.

(For those not accustomed to little ones – punny is toddler-speak for funny!)

Ok, now in all seriousness… I can’t just post these without at least a few of the sweet sentimental ones! After doing the pictures you just saw with our portable studio set up at their home off 30-A, we headed out to Alys Beach. If you haven’t been out to Alys Beach, it’s a definite must-see when visiting our beautiful area especially if you’re already in Walton County & on 30-A. So many people already know Seaside, which is a beautiful community on it’s own. But take Seaside, less crowded, and certainly as beautiful if not more so, in a very modern, elegant & sleek Mediterranean way… and you have Alys Beach in all it’s wonderful Glory! It’s got a fabulous little children’s park, and a lush green lawn that walks right up to the white sandy beaches. Anyways, here they are with their sweet sentimental moments out in Alys Beach:

Alys Beach has the most wonderful architecture and doors that are made for taking pictures:

Who can resist baby feet:

As you can see, Alys Beach is almost as beautiful as these two cuties! It’s nice because it’s so not crowded, but in the same token… not just any photographers are allowed to shoot. Even we had to call ahead and get special permission before shooting out there!

Ok, More coming soon with a sneak peek of them playing in the park & on the big winding hill!

The Bakers – A "Celebrating Adoption" Session

admin — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:18:37 +0000

I recently got the chance to head out to the community of Seaside out past Destin, FL. for an awesome portrait/photography session. Let me tell you – Seaside is beautiful, albeit crowded! I remember travelling out to Seaside quite often growing up when it was still blooming… my how it has changed. Ok, ok, enough reminiscing!

First a pic of the beautiful beaches of Seaside, clearly showing how we got nicknamed “The Emerald Coast”:

Now, for the Bakers. First let me say that Habi is truly a special little guy. He melted my heart within minutes, hes got a firecracker personality, and he definitely ranks in the top 5 of my most favorite people! He was adopted from Africa only a short 3 months ago, but he stunned me with his vocabulary & smarts. For only 3 short months, hes picked up so many words & so much of the American Culture (as you’ll see!), it was just amazing & a beautiful reminder of how resiliant children are, and how we don’t give them nearly enough credit!

And of course, his parents & big sis were awesome. You can definitely see the bond. The Bakers got married here at Seaside, so this was especially sentimental to them!

What a cool dad – Shake & Bake!

Habi definitely loves his mommy & he means the world to her…

My mommy loves me THIS much…

One of my personal favorites, “Peace Dog”…

Only one more, I’m having trouble picking just a few faves!

Ok, thats all the sneak peek for today! More from my other sessions soon!

Destin Child Photographer | Baby bunz on the beach!

admin — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:26:50 +0000

I absolutely love childrens photography! Just recently I got the chance to take some really cute pictures of little man Tae on the beach on Okaloosa Island between Fort Walton Beach and Destin. Nikki & her husband and brother tagged along & Tae gave us all quite the show! Who knew that a “just barely over 18 months” could be such a poser!? I swear, I think hes headed straight for the Abercrombie & Fitch Fall 08 catalog!

So without further ado, here is “Handsome” himself!

Now who can resist this smile:

Here are those baby bunz:

And with just a tad more decency, and a tad less crack:

And I have to say – we should consider ourselves lucky to live on some of the most beautiful white beaches in the world right here in Destin, FL. Nowhere else can you get such amazing beach portraits!

Ok, thats all for now, keep an eye out for this little looker!

Destin Childrens Photographer | The new & improved Bella Vita Studio!

admin — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:50:50 +0000

So – on a whim – I’m redoing my “studio” this weekend! More info coming soon – but I’m changing from my once “throw it up when I have a client” studio to a permanent office/studio upstairs (the WHOLE upstairs so I have plenty of room for coolness). I’ll probably run myself broke making new sets lol – so let’s hope we have enough clients to make this worth while!

I’ll be running plenty of specials to get the most use out of this thing, thats for sure – so keep one eye on me! We’ll mainly be doing our Maternity, Newborn & Children’s photography here, accepting clients from all over the panhandle including Destin, Crestview, Niceville & Fort Walton Beach.

Angela