Rock the Shot July Photo Challenge - Summer Vacation

I am not sure there is an image I have captured that screams "Summer Vacation" more than this one!  The sea, the sand, the sun and spending time with family.  That is what this image depicts!  I captured this moment for my dear friend Jamie while our families were on our summer vacation together a few weeks ago to commemorate the first moment her son, Jaxson saw the ocean...the first time he felt the salty sea water and squishy sand between his toes. 

When I saw that Rock the Shot was doing a July Photo Challenge for "Summer Vacation" images, I knew I wanted to enter this image.  I have never entered an image into a photo challenge before, but this situation just seemed too perfect! :)

Check out the other submissions at www.rocktheshotforum.com or click on the button below...

Camera and Lens Info:  Canon 5D Mark III with Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L

Sam's Maternity Session - Quad Cities Maternity Photographer

About 2 years ago, Sam started working with my littlest as his teacher.  She would come into my home and love on my baby and was so amazing with him.  Over the course of the time she worked with him, we got to know each other better and I knew she was someone I wanted to be friends with.  She was always so professional and so I wasn't sure if it was "ok" for us to be friends.  My baby turned 3 and he moved onto the next phase of his education and Sam was no longer his teacher...within months our husbands met, our kids met and what I knew would happen did!  We became friends...and as an added bonus, our husbands have now become friends and enjoy spending time together and our kids do too!  We are so excited for her to welcome another little girl into her family!

Sam wasn't super interested in maternity pictures the first time I mentioned it, but if you know me at all, you know that I can be pushy.  I insisted.  I pushed.  I drove her crazy.  Finally, I texted her and said, "Meet me and X location at 7:15 tomorrow night with Eden.  We are taking your maternity pictures."  She listened...smart woman. ;)

And I managed to get lots of pictures of Eden as well while she's still the only child...

She is excited as everyone else for her little sister to arrive!

Aren't you glad you listened, Sam?!  I usually know what I'm talking about! :)

Now, if I can just talk you into letting me photograph your birth!  I'm not giving up!!!

Thanks for listening to me, Sam!  Can't wait for sweet baby "Judy" to arrive and to have her officially in front of my lens!!!  And seriously, you NEED your birth photographed...like I said, I know what I am talking about! ;)

Life's A Beach - Quad Cities Family Photographer

Jamie and I have known each other for quite sometime now.  We met at a previous job and hit it off right away...the rest is history! :)

We both had our own personal photography businesses for a few years before deciding to join forces for Vantage Nine19, our wedding photography business.  Annually, we take family photos of each other and THIS year, we are vacationing in Florida together so what better place than here to do our photo swap?!

Oh, and it was Jamie's birthday yesterday when I did her pictures!

Jamie is such an amazing friend, we "get" each other...always have.  We have the same humor and love to laugh together.  We are not mushy gushy at all with each other...we are HONEST with each other always though and know that we are each able to take each other's criticism and also praise.

I love her though.  And I think she might think I am an okay friend too. ;)  lol

She has been such a blessing in my life and her friendship means so much to me, so to be able to celebrate HER and photograph her with her beautiful family while on vacation with my family has been just so special and fun and exciting!

And these were the first moments that her boys saw the ocean, ever.

LOVE!!!

They are amazing parents and have amazing little boys!

Love you guys and am so happy we are here together!  We look forward to more vacations down here with you all in the future! :)

Strength ~ Courage ~ Hope ~ Love - Quad Cities Family Photographer

Sometimes pictures speak louder than words, but I am going to attempt to put some words to these special images!

This is Barbara...

...and she is a 15 year breast cancer survivor!

Yesterday was the Race for the Cure and her incredible family participated in her honor...and they are so incredible!

This is just a small portion of the wonderful people she gets to call family and the group that I had the honor of photographing yesterday!

Look how much love there is between Nana and Grandchildren.

I love this image!

And each grandchild happily hopped into Nana's lap and loved up on her for pictures!

I adore each and every one of these images and the love that just jumps off of them!

Barbara with her daughters Heather and Heidi, who is also a 16 year cancer survivor!

See, incredible, right?!?!!

You can kind of tell they're related. ;)

Heidi with her 3 beautiful children...

Heather with her 2 beautiful children...

A fun shot to end the session...

It never ceases to amaze me how special of a job I have.  To capture such incredible people photographically so they have images to cherish for years to come is just such an incredible honor!  I am always repeating myself over and over again about how amazing my job is and how much it means to me that each of my clients trusts me to capture the images that I hope they hold dear, but I mean it every single time.  I am so blessed to get to do this!

So thank you Barbara, Heidi and Heather for spending some time with me yesterday!  Yo

The Dillie Family - Quad Cities Family Photographer

I am so thrilled to finally share images from this special session I shot a couple of weeks ago!

Sean's Nurse Manager at work contacted me to take these pictures and asked if I could keep them a secret from Sean until they announced their pregnancy.  Turns out, I tell Sean everything and this task was going to be a lot harder than I expected!  I did it though and he was shocked. :)

It was so hard to keep these images a secret because I adore them so much!

What a beautiful family!!!

And this little Sweetie is so loved and going to be an amazing big sister!

My camera loved this beauty...so stunning!

Bryan and Codie were so fun to photograph...their love for each other was so evident and beautiful...

Thank you guys for allowing me to photograph your beautiful family and trusting me to photograph such a special time for you all!  Glad I was able to keep it a secret! ;)  I am so happy for you all as you venture into being a family of 4!!!  Congratulations!