Family of Elves Holiday Photos - South Florida Portrait Photographer

"So, my mother-in-law bought us all these Elf pajamas for Christmas..."

And that's how GREAT photo sessions are born!!

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This family was all about doing something fun and different this year for their holiday photos. (Mission accomplished!) It's really such a special story. Mom & Dad were on a date years ago...dinner and the movie, Elf. Dad proposed that night. So a tradition of watching Elf began and continues today with their boys enjoying this now family classic.

I'm SO thrilled to be a part of such a special memory & tradition in their family.

(Buddy/Will Farrell would be SO proud of Dad jumping on the bicycle!)

Enjoy!
xo Mary


CLICK HERE to head over to YouTube to see all the cuteness in a slideshow!

Super Boys | South Florida Portrait Photographer

I would have never thought that I could get these boys photographed in 3 different outfits...with a flyby rain shower...in an hour. Wonders never cease! These boys were made for photo shoots!! ;)

Our goal was to update their photos from last year (see those here), but we had some time towards the end to mess around a bit with some "super hero" moves! Great stuff!!

Enjoy!

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Unscripted Exploring with Kids | South Florida Photographer

I love these moments. Unscripted. Childhood. Moments....Childhood happening.

I so enjoy photographing my girls and capturing beautiful moments in the process. It makes my heart swell...truly. This time we're on vacation, enjoying a great day out exploring. I was thinking, "Maybe I can get a nice portrait. All of them participating in a smile."

But, walking up and down the beach, picking up sticks, trying to catch crabs and stacking rocks...it was all we needed. Just part of exploring with your kids and enjoying your time with them.

As a photographer...and a mom, I occasionally I add some words of encouragement for YOUR own photographic efforts. Sometimes I'll challenge you (yeah, you...you there with the camera) to take a different look at how you see photos and hopefully taking pictures yourself.

I posted some of these recently on Facebook with a bit of a statement:

Yeah, I said blurry is OK.

I believe telling the story is MORE important than having "technically" perfect images. The movement of the girls digging in the sand or walking across a fallen tree. That's more important. The story of our day is what I'm capturing.

Think about telling a story the next time you pick up your camera, and maybe not so much about everyone smiling looking at the camera. (Or god forbid...saying "Cheese.")

I LOVE the first group of images...not one of them is looking at me. This was actually towards the end of the afternoon...they were getting tired.

Another favorite is the one of my youngest laying on the tree branch...oh my heart.

Her sisters were busy running over, under and around the fallen trees that were scattered on the beach. And she's simply laying on the tree.
So, I ask her, "What are you doing?"
She replied in a very quiet, still voice, "I'm listening to the ocean with the tree. I could sleep here like they do."

Like I said, oh my heart.

Enjoy!

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Flags & Fireworks - A Fabulous 4th of July

We've made a tradition of heading north every year to visit with family and friends in the oldest city, St. Augustine. Every year we have the MOST amazing vantage point across from the Fort Castillo de San Marcos across the Matanzas River. It never disappoints. This year was no exception.

Every year I'm afforded the opportunity to experiment and stretch my creativity with the fireworks. (See some previous years work at the bottom of the post.)

This year one of my girls was happy to pose with our nation's flag for some truly beautiful images. Yeah...I'm saying it out loud...THESE ARE GORGEOUS!

Enjoy!
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     Previous Years

     2012

     2013

Hello Summer, My Old Friend | South Florida Photographer

Like most kids I spent the school year anxious to be out of school, wanting to run head first as fast as my legs could take me into the warm & wonderful freedom of summer.

I grew up in a South Florida that was transitioning to home air conditioning. I spent most of my younger summers playing in the backyard and our carport, or roaming the few short blocks from our house because it was just as hot in the house. As I got older, my bicycle transported me a world away to friends homes, the beach and parks. (OK...in actuality, only a few miles in total.)

At the end of every school year, I get that same pull and yearning to fly out of the house and head to the beach or embark on a roadtrip. I continue to be thankful that my younger girls are just as anxious to get out and experience, hot or not, the sweetness of summer.

Giggling with a towel over their shoulders, flip-flops on their feet...walking out to the summer sun.

(and yes, these adorable feet are now my Facebook profile pic and my computer screen saver!)

Enjoy!
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Capturing Childhood (While I still can)

"Who wants to go by the park?" I ask while driving back from an afternoon of errands.
A trio of resounding "Me!" booms through the car.

I'm SO thankful at 8 & 11 years old they still want, and love, to go to the park. Their heads aren't buried in electronic devices. A cell phone isn't plastered to their ears. They are aren't begging to go the mall.
Not yet....not yet.

I know that time is coming. It's right around the corner. I see it every day...little glimpses of what's to come. But...in the meantime, I'll take every moment I can to capture them still enjoying childhood. Throwing their legs forward, their heads back laughing and pushing the swing even higher up into the sky.

Enjoy!
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(Special thanks to Let The Kids Dress Themselves for featuring this first photo on their Facebook page for their May theme [Simple].)

UPDATE 6/13/2014: Another HUGE "Thank You" to Wendy Laurel and Let the Kids Dress Themselves for featuring my image on their WEBSITE!!! Huge honor to be featured with so many talented photographers.

Lensbaby Love | Learning Something New

It's good to stretch yourself and learn something new. This vast world of photography never disappoints with new avenues to pursue.

If you aren't a photographer or haven't heard of Lensbaby, I'd recommend wandering over to their site for a quick overview. Lensbaby lens allow creative, manual manipulation of your depth of field and blur by tilting/angling the lens. They have a whole series of creative lens with different affects depending on your own tastes. It takes some practice...and patience, but worth it.

I have admired Lensbaby work for sometime now and kept an interested eye on how this lens that seemed to be so popular for flowers and details, then became a go-to portrait lens.

Here's a bit from my first go at using the lens. Manual lens manipulation, holding an umbrella, in the rain no less! I love them!

My thanks to Deb Schwedhelm and her fantastic photog class "Breaking The Mold" over at The Bloom Forum. As a photographer, if you get the chance, take this amazing eye opening, soul reaching class. It really was what I needed to help push to the next level in my craft.

Enjoy!
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Winter Light | South Florida Photographer

"Girls, you want to go make some pictures?" A chorus of "Yeah!" sounds throughout the house.

I was hoping for a GLORIOUS colorful sunset. Instead what we got was this odd "flat" light. I call it "Winter Light". It was a bit chilly out. The girls weren't exactly in the jumpin' around mood. (But I did convince them to do one.) The light partnered with this perfectly.

The result...beautiful, reflective, soft images. These are REALLY some of my favorite images of the girls.

The best part...it showed me that you don't always need to have the "perfect" golden light. (Don't get me wrong...I'm not going to stop chasing that light.)

Enjoy!
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The collage below is one I'm putting up on the wall.