Shannon Holden Photography

It’s 11:15, and I’m wrapping up an absolutely wonderful day with my family. In addition to celebrating our country today, my family is also celebrating my son’s 6th birthday. We have made it a tradition for the last few years to gather at my dad’s house in Marietta for a family cookout. His backyard is high on a mountainside overlooking Marietta Square and Kennesaw Mountain. It is a perfect vantage point for watching the fireworks launch from several spots. I haven’t made photographs of the fireworks in a few years, so I broke out the camera & tripod tonight. Here are a few quick edits.

Now I’m going to catch up on some sleep. Hope everyone had a happy, safe, and patriotic weekend!

Technical details for the photographers interested: Shot with the Canon 5D Mark II, 135L, 200iso, f/10, 4 second exposure. A couple were at f/18 with a 6 second exposure.

I know this mom has been waiting so anxiously for her full sneak peek!

Miss A is a year old! She is a Milestones baby, and it has been a pleasure and an honor to be her photographer this year. From the first time I met her, those sapphire blue eyes stole my heart. She is dainty and sweet, with just the right amount of spark under that gentle personality.

She’s learned to walk recently, and all us parents know what that means … don’t pin her down! Her mom and dad and I found a few tricks and treasures to entice her to sit still for a second during her session, and only for a second! I love this age so much. I love seeing these babies blossom into children, to see them discover miraculous things in ordinary moments. What a blessing to experience the magic of childhood with them!

D Family, thank you, thank you. I have loved getting to know you and your precious baby girl this year. I hope I have the opportunity to be your photographer in the years to come. And I hope you enjoy your sneak peek! I’ll have your full presentation on the way very soon!

Meet Miss L, and her baby brother N. Look at the resemblance in these two. Their eyes, their smile … you can tell they are siblings! These two children were so precious, and so well behaved! I even called my husband on the drive home to tell him how enjoyable this session was, and how impressed I was with their gentle and sweet demeanors. And L had the cutest little painted toenails.

We met at a park in Smyrna, which has a long walking path we followed from one photo spot to the next. Just a few steps into our walk, darling Miss L tiptoed up beside me and reached up to hold my hand as we walked. Oh, how she stole my heart!!

I also loved watching N’s curiosity as we plopped him down here and there. Of course, he tried to pick up and eat a few things off the ground … as babies his age so often do. Dad stayed on alert for foreign objects while I photographed N’s discovery of the world around him.

Thank you to this lovely family for a truly enjoyable afternoon, and for sharing your children with me. It was a pleasure! I’m especially thankful for my new friend.

Every so often … well, very often … I have a session from which I cannot wait to race home and see the photographs. It’s such a thrill for me to see what I have captured on camera, and start playing with my favorite images. Today was one of those sessions. This completely adorable baby girl was full of smiles. And those eyes!! You know what a soft spot I have for big blue eyes!!

We had storms in Atlanta today. This was the first session for this family who has joined my Milestones Plan, to capture their daughter’s first year in portraits. When I arrived this morning, her mom and I worried about the dark skies and the low light for our session. But we made it work, and it worked beautifully. To capture this shot, I had Mom and Dad holding their daughter in their open front door. I was outside, in the rain, to get the right angle. Yes, I got drenched. But it was worth it. Anything for the shot!

To the D family, I hope you enjoy this sneak peek! And thank you for choosing me as your daughter’s photographer for the coming year. I had a wonderful time meeting you today and I am excited to be getting to know you this year.

PS – Look at those little baby teeth, Mom! We got a photograph of them after all!

PPS – I really can’t decide which finish I like better for this image, so I’ll share both. How about a vote? Which do you all prefer? Color or Black and White?