Oh boy, do Boxers hold a special place in my heart. I only thought I knew what patience was until our own Boxer came around. That puppy completely turned my life upside down in ways I didn't know possible. I swear, a newborn baby is less work than a Boxer puppy. And no, I'm no kidding. I am 100% dead serious. But I will say this: the bond you will form with your Boxer is unmatched. This dog will be your best friend for life. And in Ginny's case, this is so, so true. Their bond is absolutely heartfelt.
So, when this couple contacted me about a family session to capture the bond between man and his best friend, I jumped at the chance. I know Boxers. I know their quirks. I know the tricks they have up their sleeve- I'll share their secret with you- they are lap dogs. The most goofy, loveable, solid muscle, loyal, protective, heavy, clumsy, funny, expressive lap dogs.

Here in Chesapeake (and Hampton Roads in general), we are so close to the ocean and our weather changes minute to minute. It's the least dependable thing in the world. You've just got to plan your day and make changes as it goes along. Our session, because it was both in home and in the back yard, needed to be rescheduled several times because of inclement weather. And most dogs don't love thunder anyways.
I know I have said it before, but I love shooting at sunrise. It's such a beautiful time, quiet, serene, and the light is just amazing. I like it better than sunset, I think!
I suggested a sunrise session and it paid off big time. After a morning cup of coffee and "waking up" on the deck, explorations of the backyard, and a play session, Ginny was ready to come inside for some snuggles and belly rubs with her very best friend. 

These are important stories to share, to document. These relationships that we form are cemented into our hearts and become a part of who we are, they become a part of our FAMILY. Their story is just as worthy of telling as ours is. I read a quote by a man named Roger Caras that said, "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." And truly, they enrich our lives in ways we could never even imagine. They fill holes in our heart we didn't even know we had.

If you'd like to schedule your own session incorporating (or even focusing on) your family pet, click HERE or on the Contact tab above so we can get to work telling your story.

I think we all have things about ourselves we'd like to work on. Things we wish we were better at. Things we wish we did more often. Things we wish we made time for. You know what I mean.
I'm no different. I have a list a mile long of things I wish I did more often, but I also have things that I'm glad I DO often and I'm glad I can honestly say that I'm working on it.

1. My personal hashtag on Instagram is #thebravestoryteller and I'll be the first to say that I don't think I'm very brave. But it's something I work on every. single. day. and I'm proud of that. I feel like I'm a whole lot braver behind my camera- I think a lot of photographers feel this way. It's something I know. It's my comfort zone. But what I wish I did more often is walk up to stangers and ask to take their picture. I have soul crushing anxiety about doing this and I don't do it often, but I'm working on it. And I did do it and I am proud of that. I took a picture of this gentleman that sits on his steps every night with his martini and a canister of treats for nightly puppy visitors, I watched him for a few minutes and got the courage to ask to take his picture and he happily obliged. He could have said no, but he didn't- and the result was awesome. I wish I had also gotten a portrait of just his face, but I wasn't quite so brave (I didn't have a zoom lens on my body at the time, only my 35mm).
2. I wish I did yoga more often. Again, working on this daily. Sometimes I get a good 45 minute session in and other days I get a namaste and a deep breath and call it good... and I'll be honest, some days I just slap out forget. It happens. I'm human and I'm working on it.
3. I wish I did more photo walks. I love taking walks with my kids and dog, but it can seem to be a daunting task to compose a picture when I'm juggling everything, the kids are getting too far ahead or are not paying attention, the dog sees a squirrel or another dog, and the baby is crying because I stopped walking. I'm a walking circus, I tell ya! But it's something I will be working towards in the future.
4. I wish I taught classes more often. I'd love to eventually host quarterly classes geared towards moms and helping them to learn to take better pictures of their kids. Helping them to document those everyday moments and to learn more about their cameras and how to use them (whether that be a phone camera, point and shoot, or DSLR- photography principals are the same no matter what you are shooting on). As of now, these classes are purely on an on demand basis, but I'd love to make them a regular thing!
   
5.  Sleep.
   

I have to say, this is probably going to go down as one of my favorite sessions.
I don't shoot Seniors very often, but it's certainly not because I don't enjoy them. Teenagers are so much fun!  I just shoot more family photography than anything.
I wanted to approach this session in my style and I wanted to stay true to who I was as a photographer, while still getting some great portraits. After all, that is the whole point of a Senior session right? Individual portraits? Environmental portraits fall under the umbrella of documentary photography, so we headed to a place where teenagers hang out and a place where he'd feel totally comfortable...and that led us to his local Waffle House. Honestly, who doesn't love Waffle House?
The best thing was (especially to a teenage boy) that we were in and out in 45 minutes and there was no uncomfortable posing!

Dr. Suess said that "you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory", so enjoy your Senior year and cherish all of those moments because your adventure is just beginning!

If you are interested scheduling a Senior Portrait Session with me, click here or on the Contact tab above to shoot me a message!