The Goodmon Family | Durham, NC Family Photographer

As soon as I walked through the Goodmon's door, I was welcomed by a tremendous energy.  Whether it was the small cousins running around playing with each other showing me their cool games, or the adults in the kitchen sharing some laughs, it made for an amazing morning of photos!  I had such a wonderful time hanging out with everyone and capturing some fun moments along the way.  The true spirit of the family really came out though at the end of the shoot when the cans of silly string were passed around to reveal the gender of the newest addition to the clan.  There's nothing more genuine than grandparents and grandkids pelting each other with gooey globs and I had so much fun being a part of it all.

Congrats to the Goodmons on the new little guy on the way and thank you so much for letting me partake in the fun!

Durham, NC Lifestyle Family Photographer

The Gallagher Family | Scituate Light Family Photographer

Andy and Suzanne literally have their hands full these days…but with such amazing kiddos that had me smiling and laughing the whole time we were shooting.  I hadn’t seen Lucy and Connor since they were tiny Christmas elves, so I had no idea what to expect.  When I got to the house, Connor coyly walked in from the other room with a smile glued to his face.  I bent down to say hi and he showed me his new kicks.  A minute later, he and Lucy proceeded to lift up their shirts and show me their belly buttons, and I knew at that moment I’d been let into the friend circle.

We headed to Scituate Light and the twins had me running around the beach trying to capture any moment that I could.  It was clear that these two love the beach, so when the shoes were kicked off and they were set free to go in the water, there was no getting them out…except Andy scooping them out.

The newest addition to the family, Ellie, is such a content and happy baby.  She didn’t make a sound the entire time, and totally lit up when it was time for her close up back at home.

I’m so glad happy to have been able to catch some photos of this truly amazing and genuine family.  I hope the pictures show how much fun I had with these guys!

South Shore Family Photographer

The Minnie Chronicles | North Carolina Lifestyle Photographer

Matt and I travelled to North Carolina over Thanksgiving and the New Year to spend some time with his family.  The mornings would often start with Matt walking downstairs early in the morning, me still groggy in bed waking up slowly, but hearing a tiny voice from the kitchen asking him “where’s Lala?”  My guilty conscience and eagerness to see what adventures our two-year-old niece would bring got me out of bed pretty fast.  I have so many photos of my buddy, Minnie, that I needed a separate post to feature them all.  She’s quite a character and I always have so much fun following her around and hanging out, with a perfectly reasonable excuse to act anything but my age.  These photos are a small collection of the Minnie adventures during a couple of weeks over the 2014/2015 holiday season.

Raleigh Lifestyle Family Photographer

A Weekend with James | North Carolina Family Photographer

“I’m in my crib with my Bubbah after a nice long snooze and the door creeks open.  ‘Hey James!’ she says softly, and then out of nowhere, there it is – that big strange black box she always seems to be carrying.  She brings it up to her face and sticks it right in mine.  I just stare back blankly at her.  ‘Seriously?’ I think to myself, ‘I just woke up!'”

I’m sure that’s a fairly accurate depiction of James’ stream of conscience when I greeted him after his nap with my camera in hand.  It didn’t take long for him to warm up to it though and over the course of the weekend he eventually forgot it was there.  The adventures to ensue were many: driving the cars in the driveway, playing with cousin Minnie, running up and down the driveway, collecting leaves, swinging in the park, you name it.  Luckily, my camera was always close by.  Here are a few of the highlights of my weekend with James.

North Carolina Lifestyle Family Photographer

The Cecil Family | Raleigh Family Photographer

When you’re almost 2 years old, getting a little brother out of nowhere can be tough.  Everyone’s attention suddenly becomes divided as they ooh and ahh over the new little man.  Hugo arrived in October, and since then Minnie has been figuring out how to share the spotlight.  As expected, some days are easier than others, but overall she’s been embracing the new Cecil family addition (sometimes a little too tightly – see photo 1: exhibit A!) and little by little you can see that Hugo might have his work cut out for him as he grows up with Minnie in charge!  I spent a sunny afternoon capturing these new siblings and though Minnie was more interested in running around in the (amazingly golden-lit) field than sitting on a blanket with her little bro, I did manage to catch a few moments of her sisterly love.  Enjoy!

Raleigh Family Photographer

The Cook Family | World's End, Hingham Family Photographer

I now present you with the Cook family: one of the most laid back and genuine families around.  We spent an unusually warm fall afternoon wandering through World’s End in Hingham and they sure made my job easy!  I truly enjoyed my time with them – there aren’t enough kind words that I can say about them so I’ll just stop writing and just show you the photos.  Enjoy the Cooks!

Boston Family Photographer

South Shore Massachusetts Family Photographer

The Tavans | Boston Family Photographer

When Mia asked me to take the Tavan family photos I was honored and excited to capture her and her boys.  We spent a beautiful afternoon in the Boston Public Garden where Zach met a horse for the first time, watched some swan boats, and got to sit with his parents on the bench where Ethan proposed to Mia a few years back.  When Zach snapped out of his post-nap haze, he was an absolute natural for the camera.  Enjoy some of these beautiful Tavan family moments!

Boston Public Garden Family Photographer

Ryland Flaherty | Brookline Maternity & Family Photographer

It was about 2pm when I got a text from my good friend Jes.  She was pregnant with her second baby boy and was hoping to have a family photo shoot before he came into the world.  We tried to set one up throughout her pregnancy, but it looked as though Ryland might beat us.  However, if you know Jes, you know she would not let that happen!  The text went something like this: “So I’m having some cramps – some may say they’re contractions…ha!  I’m wondering if you’re free after work to take our photos.   I know this is crazy but I’d really love to get a shoot in before he comes.”  So 4 hours later, when I finished work I hurried to meet Jes, Steve and Coleman for a nice walk in the park and a family maternity shoot.  Despite the brief contraction breaks, Jes endured and Ryland waited to make his debut until much later that night.  It turned out to be a great last-minute chance to catch some great moments with soon-to-be-big brother Coleman and his parents.

Two weeks later, I met Ryland and instantly fell in love.  Apparently he was as excited to hang out with me as I was with him because he refused to sleep for most of the shoot, but he’s a pretty good model regardless.

Now, without further adieu, enjoy the Flaherty family/maternity shoot and Ryland’s photo debut!

Brookline Maternity & Family Photographer

Boston Maternity & Family Photographer

Wilhelmina Cecil | Seattle Newborn Photographer

You know, I may be biased because she’s now my niece, but I must say Wilhelmina (pronounced Will-ah-meen-ah), aka Minnie, is pretty darn cute.  Matt (my trusted second shooter/now husband) and I went out to visit his sister Katie, her husband Sean and their new baby girl in Seattle and as expected, my camera was out the whole time.  I couldn’t stop snapping the faces she’d make, the interactions between her and their dog, Lucille and cat, Boo, and the pure joy in everyone’s smile when they got their turn to hold their neatly swaddled little package.

Enjoy Minnie’s first photoshoot!

Seattle Newborn Photographer

A Raleigh Christmas | NC Lifestyle Family Photographer

This Christmas was a special one for the Raleigh Hunters.  With the addition of three new family members in 2013, everyone made it down south, and the house was at capacity.  Matt and I flew in on Christmas evening and were greeted with the smell of baked goods and by Minnie, the first addition to the family, now 9 months old and crawling everywhere.  The cameras were drawn immediately.  James, addition number 2, joined us the next day.  Now almost 5 months old, he’s about triple the size he was when Minnie saw him last in September at Matt and my wedding (yup, I’m addition number 3).  After exchanging a few slaps on the head and a handshake, Minnie and James became quick buddies.  They ate together, pooped together and fought crime together as Superman and Wonderwoman, thanks to Aunt Laura and Uncle Matt.  Believe me, they kept things exciting!  With a total of 10 adults, 2 babies, 4 dogs and a cat, there was never a dull moment!  Here are a few goodies from the trip.  I’ll start with Matt, the dog whisperer:

Raleigh Lifestyle Family Photographer

Connor & Lucy | Scituate, MA Newborn Photographer

I think the best way to celebrate a birthday is to spend it with these two cuties: Connor and Lucy.  Andy and Suzanne definitely have their hands full, but with faces like these who needs sleep anyway??  There’s not much to say to explain how awesome these guys are, so I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.

Scituate Newborn Photographer

South Shore Massachusetts Newborn Photographer

The Bjorlin Family | Pond Meadow Park Family Photographer

If Luke and Lucy don’t scream cute, I don’t know what does.  I had a great time with these guys at Pond Meadow park playing in the leaves, sliding down rocks and snapping some pics.  Enjoy the Bjorlin family!

South Shore Family Photographer

Boston and Massachusetts Family Photographer

The Woods Family | Red Lion Inn, Cohasset Family Photographer

When Meghan reached out to me asking to photograph her wedding, I was beyond excited.  Growing up, Meghan, Katie and I were best friends.  We hung with the athletic crowd, playing soccer, running track and swimming together.  I remember during the indoor soccer season, we’d pull our hair back in tight pony tails and spray the crap out of it until it was hard and crunchy.  We couldn’t be bothered by hair distracting us while we were trying to score goals!

Over college we didn’t stay in close touch, but being granted the opportunity for a reunion was so great.  The day before Meghan and Joe’s wedding, I was asked to shoot a family session with everyone, since it’s not often they are all in one place at the same time.  Though there were a few more (amazingly cute) additions to the family, everyone was basically unchanged, and I felt right at home once again.  The weekend was such a blast!

South Shore Family Photographer

Massachusetts Family Photographer

The Greene Family | Hull, MA Family Photographer

The Greene family was vacationing in Hull, Ma and asked me to take their family portrait.  Little did I know that when they said they got a house on the beach, they meant the entire extended family was there as well.  Needless to say, we had a small paparazzi following us around on the shoot with their ipads and iphones, but it made things that much more easy- going and fun.  The smiles were never fake and the laughter kept up the whole time.  It's sessions like these that make my job worth it!

Hull, MA Family Photographer

South Shore Family Photographer

The Cullen Family | Quincy, MA Family Photographer

There's nothing better than shooting a group of people who know exactly what to do in front of the camera.  The Cullens were just those kinds of people and they certainly made my job easier!

Quincy, MA Family Photographer

South Shore Family Photographer