Reflections by Luna

When I was a military wife, I got called superwoman, super mom, super awesome but there are women out there that deserve that title more than me. Single moms. Yes, I was alone w/5 kids for months at time but daddy always came back and was there in the background providing support as much as he could be. Single moms are just that; single. They don't have that constant support of another parent to help or give them a break. They literally do it all. They are doctors, teachers, providers, defenders, protectors. The very definition of a superwoman can be found in any single mom working hard to raise their children and provide for them on their own. My client on Saturday is of those superwomen. She has three amazing children who absolutely adore her. I had the pleasure of capturing that adoration and love between mother and children this weekend. Grandma was there as a support but she is still one strong momma. Balancing everything can be difficult but she does it all. So he...

There is a time when sorrow can hit. A time for joy, and a time for pain. It may or may not be expected. The loss of a child is a tragedy that defies all others. It might happen during pregnancy, infancy, childhood or even adulthood. No matter when it happens it leaves a hole in the heart of those left behind. Miscarriage/infant loss is something isn't talked about often because of the different feelings it may come up. The rainbow is a symbol of hope and peace. It’s also a symbol of joy. A rainbow baby is a term used to describe an infant born after the loss of another child. 1 in 4 women experience infant loss during pregnancy or even birth. Any child born after that is considered the "rainbow of hope after the storm." This child may be extra special. Not only do they have a family here but also up in heaving watching over them. Celebrating the creation of life during pregnancy is amazing but it’s even more special when that child holds special meaning and has...

The journey between mother and child begins before baby is born. It begins in those first moments of creation and continues for eternity. There is a huge bond between a mother and child and especially when they are young, that child looks to their mother for life, for knowledge, and for nourishment. This weekend, I got to capture a mommy and me session. As a mother myself, I am usually the one behind the camera and that was the same for this mom. She wanted to capture those daily moments that might not be captured otherwise. Holding hands, singing songs, playing games, special moments that are normally not caught on camera are what I was able to capture this weekend. Moments that when little O is older, mom can look back at and moments little O can look back on when she is older or a mom herself. Thank you L and O for letting me capture these special moments for you.

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of photographing an amazing couple. They have spent the last 8 years together and have been engaged for 2 and will be tying the knot officially in May. It was so much fun to capture their love story. It didn't take much to make them laugh and smile. Even after 8 years you could still see how much they loved each other. Capturing the very essence of their emotion and their connection was my goal and it was so easy with how expressive they were. One of my favorite movies growing up was Beauty and the Beast. The main lesson of Beauty and the Beast was "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." (Eden Ahbez) You guys have learned to love and are continuing to love. During the good the bad, the ugly, the amazing, remember that love that you have nurtured together. Never forget to just love each other no matter what. It's hard to find true love but you got it! Congrats on your engagement and th...

Tips for eliminating Fake smiles Kids are completely unpredictable. They can be so adorable and easy going and laughing uncontrollably one minute, and the next minute, turn that charm off completely. They will typically smile for you all day long until you put them in front of a camera, then they freeze up like a deer in headlights. We want to avoid the gritted teeth and bug-eyed forced smiles during our session. Here are some things you can do to help all of us have a fantastic session and guarantee that the smiles that I capture are genuine smiles and not forced. If you have any other ideas/suggestions please feel free to comment on the post and I can add them for future clients. My goal is to capture the best memories possible for you and your family. Here are some things you can do: 1. Make a list of things that your child thinks are funny and send it to us prior to the session. This way, we can be prepared and add these things into our bag of tricks. 2. Also...

Christmas time and the holidays are one of my favorite times of the year. Its a special time were families become closer and really focus on what is important things. Sometimes family is far away and you can only talk via phone or video chat. But sometimes they are able to come and visit. This year was a special year for the W family. For the first time in several years. the entire extended family was together. 6 families, 22 people, all in one house. 4 generations. I had the privilege of photographing this family on Christmas eve. There was so much love and excitement. Sisters, cousins, aunts, grandparents, great grandparents, grandkids, and great grandkids. All together sharing joy and laughter. I love capturing memories like these. The patriarch and matriarch of the family were still very much in love which was shown when they did their couple pose they immediately kissed. The rest of the family just cheered them on. They created a beautiful legacy and it was a gift ...

Earlier this year I did a maternity session with this family. Mom was 37 weeks pregnant and so ready to meet baby Lucas. Dad was just oozing with pride and love for his little family. Baby arrived approximately 2 weeks after our session and is now a month old and is the cutest little guy. Yesterday I had the pleasure of doing his 1 month photos as well as taking pictures of the family together with their new little one. The love that flowed from these two to each other as well as the little guy was overflowing. They were so happy and I loved being able to capture these sweet little moments of new parenthood for them. I am looking forward to continuing to capture these moments in the future as the little one grows up. Being new parents can be rough and comes with its own set of challenges. Baby L was born with infection and had to be in the NICU for a week. Mom choose to stay with him while daddy continued to work. It was a rough first week but they made it through. There will b...

There are special moments and then there are moments that take your breath away. I am sure that is how this couple felt when they met way back in high school when they were 15. They have been together ever sense and as B said "They just don't make men like that anymore." She definitely got a keeper. Their kids were just as cute. They adored each other just as their parents adored each other and their kids. My favorite part of this session was capturing the one picture I wasn't planning on. It was a spur of the moment picture that turned out amazing. While I was taking their couple pictures the little ones were crawling around. I was able to capture the kids playing and being kids as well as the emotions and love the parents have. It was again one of those moments that take your breath away. Did I plan that shoot? No. But it is probably my favorite shot from the entire session. I love how it turned out. Oh and if your wondering... The best way to get an 18 month...

The family dynamic of this family was a little different than those I have photographed before. There was a 7 year age gap between the kids but you could hardly tell. They acted like best friends. When I asked the brother to give his sister a piggy back ride, he only hesitated for a second and her only reaction was "I hope he doesn't drop me. But she loved every second of it and you could tell they had a strong bond. The family picture with them holding hands was a little different for them but when I added in a fun prompt of "look at the funniest person in the family" it started everyone laughing as they looked at the dad and they all seemed to relax. You could tell how close knit they were. No matter how I arranged them, they always had a smile on their face. Probably one of my easiest families to photograph. I really enjoyed capturing these memories for them and hope to continue to do so in the future.

This couple has been together for a while and recently got engaged and is expecting their first little one. C and her fiancé A have a great relationship and can laugh at a moments notice. He made he feel at ease even though she feels huge at 37 weeks pregnant (adorable as well) They are super excited to meet baby J. When she said she could go anytime, she apparently wasn't kidding. Baby J is currently on his way to make his appearance. The one thing she wanted was a way to remember her pregnancy with him. She really wanted maternity pictures to capture these precious moments and memories that will be hard to hold onto once he is here. I am so glad I was able to put this in stand still. Baby J you have awesome parents. These are moments you will never forget and that you can look back on. You did it. You carried a little one for 9 months and now he will be here to celebrate Christmas for you. Being parents is amazing and he just couldn't wait to meet you!