The perfect Valentine Mini – draw Cupids bow and shoot and arrow right into your heart! Sessions last about 20 minutes , session fee 50.00. Props provided.  Contact me to sign up for this Limited Edition Mini Session.

Boho

I am kicking off 2012 with a series of mini sessions for my “Boheme” branch of Willow Hollow Photography ; and first of the list is the “Boho” mini, featuring open sunlit fields, with a soft organic gypsy vibe, this is the perfect opportunity to do a quick shoot for your senior portraits, sweet sixteen or just to have fun.  Spots are limited and booked on first come first serve.  The session fee is $50.00 and the first round starts on January 31st.  I was also be holding a B/W Portrait mini which will showcase simple striking images.  This is great for all ages but will be limited to no more than 2 people.  It is recommend for ages 5 and up or Mothers will small children that they can hold [ 18 months or younger ] Contact me for details and visit facebook for more dates and session samples!

I first met beautiful baby “M” in late December when he was still in his Mommy’s tummy [ see below ], and she wanted his first pictures to reflect her style :  simple, organic, and beautiful.  When Naples dipped down into the 40′s last week we had to postpone his shoot for several days so we could get the look we wanted and be sure he would remain warm and safe.  I was a bit concerned with him being a week older that maybe he wouldn’t be as sleepy and easy to handle as he would have been  earlier, but boy was I wrong!  I placed this little snuggly bundle into the beautiful wooden bowl his mom brought along, he gave a big yawn, curled up and slept for the rest of the session ~ not a cry, not a dirty diaper, he wasnt even hungry; he was without a doubt the easiest newborn I have ever had the pleasure of working with.

I kicked off the new year with a “Boheme” session, my favorite and Sweet Ms. M was such a breeze to work with ~ happy , easygoing and beautiful.  As we began our session we had typical Naples weather; warm and sunny, but as the session moved toward the sunset hour and we headed down to the beach, a cold front moved in, leaving the usually crowded beach to ourselves , along with heavy winds and a stormy sea. She was such a trooper braving the cold water and high winds to get the shots we wanted.  I’m so excited to expand my Boheme session this year with a few fun and stylish session options to come, Young girls today are fearless, smart and sophisticated and capturing that inner beauty is the essence of Willow Hollow’s La Vie Boheme Sessions!

Every year I look forward to working with this lovely family, they are all just the nicest people, have the best taste in clothes and to top it off ~ BEAUTIFUL. This year mom requested we go back to the spot where I took her oldest daughters first communion photos a couple of years ago. See post here [http://willowhollow.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/first-holy-communion-sneek-peek-naples-fl-first-communion-photographer/] and I was happy to accommodate since it is one of my favorite spots.  It has been a hoppin’ holiday portrait season and I feel so honored that wonderful families like this have trusted me with capturing their family memories, It has been so busy in fact that I haven’t had the chance to keep up with my blog posts – but be sure to join Willow Hollow on Facebook for up to date sneak peeks, giveaways and specials.  Ho ho ho…

Last night, I worked with beautiful Carly. She wanted a location that blended vintage with a bit of woodland goodness – and we found just the perfect spot.  The light in Southwest  Florida is so wonderful this time of year so we followed the sun as it peaked thru the moss covered oaks and danced over her shoulders.  There are so many different scenes and looks from this session , that as usual with me and Boheme shoots – I had to narrow it down to just a few…

Being a photographer is not really about capturing images with a camera, it’s more about capturing moments ; telling a story within the frame of a photograph in a way that conveys the emotion of that time.  It is a privilege to share intimate moments with families, get to know them and watch them as the grow.  I had the honor of meeting this family a couple of years ago when she was expecting her first little girl.  You can see that session here :  http://willowhollow.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/great-expectations-naples-fl-childrens-photographer/    Now, 23 months later they are awaiting the arrival of the newest member of their family.  As one of the “Inspired Giveaway” winners, this was Mom’s entry   “I love the idea of being draped in beautiful fabric and sitting up in an old banyan tree looking to the Gods above with my little girl naked below, my new baby bump glowing with light and my husband in awe at this beautiful moment! Showing all the essences of my Goddess self and our beautiful, magical lives….”     At nearly 38 weeks along, logistically ~ putting her up in a tree didn’t seem like a realisitc idea, so we decided to shoot around a HUGE beautiful Banyan tree with the evening sun filtering thru before moving to a grassy knoll where their little girl could take a break and enjoy herself.  Often working with families, I don’t need to direct them – they get along just fine without my help and this was one of those sessions , It was my job to just sit in the distance – watching and waiting to capture those moments as they unfold and to tell their story.

When Mom gives me a call and tells me she wants some family portraits, one of the first questions I ask, is the ages of her children.  When she replies “2 boys , one is 3 and the other is 17 months” [ or insert similar numbers here] I know immediately chaos is going to follow.  Little boys are always long on energy and short on attention. But the good news is – that’s okay , it’s actually lot of fun! You have to keep on your toes, look at things at a new perspective and work hard to capture their little - big personalities. You get to capture true family moments – it is a little snap shot into the daily life of a young beautiful family – tears, laughter, lots of running, lots of boo boos – lots of laughs, hugs and kisses.  I had so much fun chasing these two around and watching them with their parents – so much fun, so much love, sooo much energy! They all made me smile!