 Oh, what a sweet way to start out my Saturday morning with this beautiful baby girl in front of my camera! It’s always exciting when I get to start out my weekend with a session, but when this precious baby girl was immediately all smiles for me, I just knew we were going to get some of the sweetest portraits of her for her upcoming pageant!
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 It was a misty summer morning, and the clouds enveloped the top of the tallest buildings in downtown Spartanburg, obscuring them from view. The quiet downtown streets were just starting to come to life in the early Saturday light, and the two sweetest puppy parents and Lily, their most precious beagle, strolled down alleyways and sidewalks as we stopped here and there to capture some sweet moments of their family of three. Although the morning was cloudy, there was so much light and joy — Lily had just completed her chemo treatments for her battle with lymphoma and was now cancer-free and in full remission!
I don't know about you, but I cannot BELIEVE it is already July 1! That means this year is already half over... how in the WORLD did that happen?!
May and June are always busy months for me, but this year, they absolutely FLEW by. And so much life has been packed into them. Our son is officially 2 ½ years old (cue ALL the tears!). My husband and I celebrated both our birthdays (as well as a half dozen family birthdays!) and toasted our 7th anniversary. There have been home projects, lazy afternoons, and family outings. We have blown hundreds of bubbles blown, spent dozens of afternoons splashing in the kiddie pool, and etched oodles of chalk drawings across our driveway. We've been on the go with doctor’s appointments, meetups with friends, and visits with family. Essentially, we’ve packed a lot of life and memories into the last 61 days! Summer, to me, always feels like a time for reflection. I think it’s almost ingrained in me after all my years as a student and then as a teacher. I’ve been doing lots of reflecting and goal setting, and it still amazes me to think about where I was a year ago and how far I’ve come in the last year! There are some BIG changes on the horizon with this little business of mine, and I can’t wait to share those with you soon! In the meantime, HAPPY SUMMER! I hope you're finding some time to enjoy the season (and perhaps a slower pace of life for a few months!).  Happy Father's Day to all the incredible dads out there! While I know this day can be a hard one for both dads and those who would be celebrating them, I love that there's a special day dedicated to honoring the special men in our lives and all that they do for us and our children!
 Mother’s Day. Family and friends gathered from near and far to celebrate all that it means to be a mother — even through the most difficult times that a parent can endure. Together with their community of faith, the Anderson family stood in front of their church family at Salem United Methodist Church to dedicate the newly renovated nursery space in honor of their son, “Warrior William,” their sweet angel who fought a brave and courageous fight against childhood cancer.
 Happy Mother's Day to all you beautiful mamas out there! I have been so honored to be able to capture all the different stages of motherhood for so many incredible women — from welcoming first babies to celebrating their first year of life, from toddlerhood to teenage years, every stage is so beautiful and worth celebrating.
Joyful Spring Golden Hour Family Session at Furman University | Greenville, SC Family Photographer5/8/2019  Golden hour light streaming through the trees. Strolling down brick sidewalks across the beautiful campus of Furman University. The sweetest baby, dressed in the most adorable ensemble complete with suspenders and overalls. A sweet, joyful mommy and daddy absolutely smitten with their little guy. I can’t think of too many better ways to spend such a gorgeous spring evening that truly felt like a taste of the summer days to come!
 One of the things I love most about photographing sessions with young children is that you never know what’s going to happen. If you happen to catch me out at a session with little ones, you might hear me singing silly songs, telling cheesy jokes, playing games of peek-a-boo or Simon Says, or inviting some good-spirited tickling! I love the challenge of finding out what makes little people tick, discovering the things that make them light up with joy and excitement. The goal, of course, is always to get some sweet, traditional photos with everyone looking at the camera and smiling, but my favorites always tend to be the photos where they are “in their element” — the ones where I capture them running, exploring, climbing. I always love seeing the true essence of their little personalities shine through, as though I’m able to freeze these moments in time for their parents to look back on down the road and remember the way life was right now.
 I absolutely love being a family photographer, but I have to admit that there is just something so special and magical about being able to photograph my newborn clients at home! The environment is always so relaxed and calm, and I love being able to meet a new little one in their own space — their first home, the place where they will spend their first months of life and experience all of those big first year milestones! During our newborn session, I always think about how I'm walking through the same front door where baby's parents first brought them home. I see the table where they will eat their first foods and think about all the meals the family will share together there over the years. I walk across the same floors where they will start to crawl and take their first steps, imagining all the memories that will happen inside these walls as they grow up. It’s a humbling experience, and it always fills me with so much warmth and gratitude for the privilege to be a part of capturing such a special time for a family!
 I reached an important milestone last week: I got my first smartphone.
Yes, dear friends, before this, I was still toting around my trusty flip phone, texting with T9, scratching my head at emojis translated into rectangular boxes. “How does it feel?” my friend Alissa asked when I sent her my first text from my new, shiny, fully-activated device. “I feel like a real, grown-up lady!” was my reply, complete with the requisite slew of accompanying emojis. When I made the decision to switch, I will admit that it felt like the end of an era. I was always the holdout. The girl with the flip phone. The millennial who didn’t need a smartphone, who didn’t even have texting until four years ago, who was just fine living the simple life without the added encumbrance of one more device, thankyouverymuch. I realized that a lot of my hesitation wasn’t so much about making the change, but feeling like I was losing part of my identity. |
Hi! I'm nicole!I love photographing families in every stage of life, creating warm, bright, and natural images that you will treasure for a lifetime. What I love most about being behind the camera is telling the story in front of me, highlighting the joy and relationships between loved ones and capturing each personality! let's connect!Categories
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