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!

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!)

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!

]]> http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2008/07/grayton-beach-childrens-portraits/feed/ 0 http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2008/05/destin-baby-child-portrait-contest/ http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2008/05/destin-baby-child-portrait-contest/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 16:42:19 +0000 admin http://bellavitaphotos.wordpress.com/?p=27

I’m sending out a newsletter, but this is just to let everyone ELSE in the world know!

I’ve decided to take on a limited number of portrait sessions to submit in the 2008 Miller’s Baby & Child Portrait contest. The rules are pretty simple & the prizes are pretty sweet! So all of you that have spawned some cute little kids, nows the time to get the portraits you’ve all been putting off! Those little cuties could be worth up to $5,000! (I’ve been telling mine for some time now they need to get a job! I guess this is it!).

Only one picture from each session can be included (those aren’t MY rules, that’s THEIRS!), so if you want more than one submitted, then go ahead and book more than one! But just keep in mind, I am limiting my sessions pretty strictly because of the submission deadlines!

So – you want more details? The down & dirty is this: there are 4 categories: Color, Black & White/Sepia, Special Needs, and Humorous. There are two submission deadlines left: May 21 and June 21. So that means my last session I take will probably be June 15. Currently I’m only booking evenings & weekends, but don’t worry – I am taking them in my house, or at yours with my portable studio set up, and also on location (you pick the place!). We’re fortunate enough to live in one of the most beautiful places on the Earth, so I say we take advantage of that for this!

And finally, I’m offering special sessions for $75 (usually $100). In addition you get 10% off your prints (online ordering & viewing of course available), and a free storyboard/collage design using the photos from our session! Things are booking up quick, though, and I am ONLY going to allow a set number of sessions! I cannot stress this enough! So let’s get this thing rolling, shall we?!  Book your child’s portrait session now, they can be done on location in Okaloosa, Walton or Santa Rosa County:  in Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach, Seaside, Niceville, anywhere along the Emerald Coast!

(and for the official low down, visit Miller’s.)

Heres Dalton!

Watch me go mom!

Mom Cant Keep up!

Daddy showing me how…

I can’t wait for their next family portraits, I’m sure Dalton will have grown even more, but it’s such an exciting thing to watch.  I’m already thinking of something fun to do next!

This is down a neat little path up here in Crestview with an awesome creek. It almost looks artificial it is so perfect, but I assure you – this is the “real thing” – a “true” little fishing hole. Perfect for first time fisherman!