Shannon Holden Photography

Once again, I got the chance to spend a morning with Ava, Henry and Robert for their annual portraits. It never ceases to amaze me … seeing how children grow from year to year. Ava is becoming a young lady, a tad quiet but opening up after a few minutes. She is lovely and sweet. Henry is full of energy (like my own middle child), with a handsome, bold confidence. And Robert, who was still a baby when I saw him last year, is turning into a little boy right before our eyes. Look at those eyes!

Photographing three siblings can be a challenge, but thankfully my own three kids give me plenty of practice. Little Robert was especially reluctant to smile for me at first, but patience (and a little creative enticement from Mom and Dad) won out. Our session happened on another of our recent sweltering days so we were all glistening a little. Thankfully the park offered a tiny creek and a chance for the kids to cool off their feet in the water. I love the classic feeling to the images we captured then, with their seersucker outfits and the lush landscape.

To the D Family, as always, thank you for choosing me as your photographer. I always love working with you!

This was such a fun session. I love outdoor maternity sessions. It’s an opportunity for such a relaxed, fun time. We had absolutely perfect weather! And as I mentioned before, meeting this beautiful couple’s two furry children was a delight.

Thank you, P Family, for choosing me as your baby’s first photographer. I can’t wait to meet the little one very soon!!

In every session presentation I prepare for a client, I pick about 6 to 10 of my favorite images from the session and mark them as the Artist’s Faves. I started doing this a couple of years ago, because I so often got a call or email from a client after seeing their presentation asking me to help them choose. As I pick my choices from the session, I don’t always choose the one with the biggest smile or the perfect little pose, although I do love those images. Instead, I pick the ones that I feel really express my voice as a photographer, the ones that I would hang on my own studio gallery wall.

Well, in this session, I couldn’t pick my favorites. Mr. B was just the perfect little subject. (You might recognize the scenery from his mommy’s maternity session, and I met B for the first time when he was just a newborn.) On first pass, I had 95% of the photographs marked as my favorite. Not very helpful in narrowing down decisions for a client, is it? Well, sorry W Family! You’ll just have to cope with too many choices this time!!

B’s Mommy also told me she loved the Vintage look I shared recently on the blog, so we set out to capture some images that would suit that processing style well. With his hoodie and curious expression, I think we succeeded.

Keep smiling, beautiful boy! I’ll see you in a few months! You’ll be sitting up, giggling, and maybe even mobile by then. We’ll have a blast!

I just got in from a fantastic session. This spectacular weather we’ve been having in Atlanta has sparked a serious case of Spring Fever in me, so I was very excited to get to shoot outdoors today. And then to see the beautiful parents to be who were my subjects, and also their precious furry children who came along … it was a photographer’s dream today!

So, I just couldn’t wait to get home to see these shots. I think you can see why! Here’s just one … I must show restraint. I have three other sessions to edit before this one. But I couldn’t help but share this sneak peek.

Thank you, Coco and Kayla, for being such perfect little subjects today! Please tell your Mommy and Daddy that I had a wonderful time photographing your family! I can’t wait to see what you think of your baby brother in a few weeks. Belly rubs to all of you!