Shannon Holden Photography

I’m sure blog readers remember the fantastic birthday party I recently covered for two precious young ladies. We had such a blast that day. But one thing proved to be quite a challenge … keeping two 2 Year Olds in one place at one time …  in the middle of a party … on a farm! “Yeah, no thanks, crazy photographer lady!” Their mom and I agreed that we wanted to capture “just a few more” outside the hussle and bussle of the party, where we could focus on just them and their sisterhood.

So, their mom and dad brought them over to my house on a wonderful Fall afternoon, and we caught just a few more. I couldn’t resist sharing not only the images, but the email exchange from yesterday …

First, Tiffany replied to my email with a word I won’t share here on the blog, expressing her (good) frustration at having more images she loved to choose from. Heehee. Then she asked me my favorite image for a canvas. She said, “My birthday is Saturday and I think I just found what I want for my present.” I suggested the one of the twins hugging, because it was just such a sweet momento of their relationship as best friends. Tiffany then emailed me: “Well, I just love being first to have a brilliant idea. I told my husband, and he and the girls sang happy birthday to me over the Shannon Holden website.”

That mental picture just cracked me up.

Happy Birthday, Tiffany!

That is the question in my head right now. Answer: Yes, I will. I think I can. I think I can. It’s November, so the light has appeared at the end of the tunnel! September and October are crazy every year in the portrait world. November brings a sigh of relief as my holiday sessions slow down, the cards get designed, and the orders get printed and delivered. By this time of year, I have an unusually strong sense of accomplishment when I just mark one thing off the to-do list. Until I look at the rest of the list. One down … 452 items to go.

And what I find particularly ironic is that at this session, my friend and client asked me how the season was going. I jinxed myself by answering that was actually not as stressed as I was in years past, and I wasn’t even very far behind on my workflow. That day was the last day I felt that way.

This beautiful family belongs to one of my dearest friends from college. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing her adorable daughters before, and they just get sweeter every time I see them. I love their dark hair and dark eyes, which sparkle light the evening sunlight on a lake. And their relationship is even more beautiful.

I think we can all agree, this Autumn in Georgia has been positively breathtaking. I have found myself yearning to be outdoors as much as possible in these last few weeks, to drink in the delicious color all around me.

My family and I love our nature walks. We have been seeking out some new spots to hike and explore in the evenings, and tonight I brought along my camera. The color seems to be dissolving into its latter stages now, and I wanted to capture a few images before it was gone. As it turned out, we reached our trail along the Chattahoochee just a little late tonight, as the sun began to sink beyond the trees. There was barely enough light left for shooting. But I did catch a couple. Maybe we can hit the trail just a bit earlier tomorrow night.

Some sessions just flow so smoothly. I’ve seen time and again that when Mom and Dad are relaxed and enjoying the session, their kids also relax and enjoy themselves. It goes the other way, too … when the parents get stressed, the kids get stressed. So that is why I would call this a role model family. They met me at the park with such a sunny demeanor, ready to have fun at our portrait session. We had a really pleasant morning together. The children were so playful and well-behaved. Mom and Dad were friendly and warm … I enjoyed chatting with them like old friends. And we had luck with absolutely perfect weather! It all came together beautifully!