Maybe it was when the baby dipped his tiny toes into the sand for the very first time. That day she twirled around like the princess in one of her very own fairy tales that Daddy tells at night. That day he wanted every limb of his body buried deep into the sand while everyone laughed together at the beach. Some days we have milestones. Other days feel more ordinary. Each day matters. Stacked up, one upon the other, they are the building blocks of their childhood. Often these daily rituals of ours fade slowly as they grow out of them. When we look back on these ordinary days, years later, we remember those simple times as extraordinary. 

We will always remember how much they loved bubbles. An age old pastime for children. But, do we really ever outgrow the fascination of these floating rainbow spheres? Magical smiles and shrieks of laughter as we simply blow this soapy mixture. When we slow down for a minute, we realize what really brings us joy. Spending time with these little people. Watching them, sharing in their delight. Getting caught up in these gleeful moments and feeling like children ourselves. We live for these memories. The knowledge that this perfect, happy time when this simple activity thrills them so much will float away like one of those bubbles as they grow older, makes it all the more sweeter.  

​And for some, happiness is simply holding their own bottle of bubbles! Here's to sibling love, choke hold hugs and childhood independence, even if it means spilling every container of bubbles! 

Childhood is a time of wonder and excitement. Your sibling is your best friend. She will reach for your hand and follow you anywhere. There is a special bond between siblings. Each day is a new adventure you will discover together. Days are spent using your imagination and playing secret games with each other. They are the only ones who know how you grew up. They share that experience with you. Thick as thieves one moment, sworn enemies the next. The friend you can't get rid of. They sometimes know you better than you know yourself. The happiest memories of your childhood include them. You are always practicing on them. Arguing, sharing, fine tuning the art of patience. Lessons learned the hard way and tough love, even at your weakest points. Your sibling. They make you the person you will become. Your forever friend. 

I was so happy that this worked out and I was able to photograph this sweet family again while I was back in Buffalo. This location is a special place because mom and dad had their wedding right here. And now they are a family of four. So full of joy and happiness. The last time I saw them, that little girl was still in her momma's belly. Now she is 6 months old, smiling big gummy smiles and sitting up on her own! I am so grateful to watch all of your families grow and to capture memories like these along the way. And those baby gams. Always those baby legs and toes, I just love them!!

I was recently asked to try out the Strike a Pose Portrait Workflow by Sleeklens. I thought some updated headshots would be a good way to try these Lightroom presets out. Mary was a trooper, had the cleanest hair of our group while we were on a playdate with 9 kids, and was willing to put on makeup. Thank you Mary! 

The Strike a Pose Workflow for Lightroom is very user friendly. I found this package easy to install and I like that the presets are stackable. Generally speaking, these presets seem to be a little on the warmer side, but can easily be adjusted. I like the Duo one click black and white conversion and the Studio Headshot presets. There are a lot of options, but I haven't found any that really work for the light and airy style I prefer, without a lot of tweaking. Perhaps my favorite thing about this workflow is all of the Lightroom brushes. It saves me time from moving back and forth to Photoshop. I can make all of my adjustments and portrait enhancements right in LR. If I can not pull a photo into Photoshop for editing, that's a win in my book!

Thank you for the opportunity to try out these presets. I look forward to experimenting more in the future!  

Studio Headshot Preset with Brushes

Some days, we are able to really embrace what is important in our lives. These little souls that seem to have boundless energy, also have unconditional love to give. They bounce from question to question and run from one place to the next. They long to soak in everything we are willing to share with them and provide us with snuggles filled with the sweet smell of baby shampoo. They see our good and bad and they love us for exactly who we are. In the midst of coming and going, sometimes, we are able to stop for just a moment and realize this will not always be how it is.  Like anything else destined to bloom, they too will grow.  They will soon have answers for all of our questions. Hugs will come more sparingly. We will miss the endless playing and eagerness to cuddle. We have the opportunity now, to bask in this time like warm sunlight pouring through a window. Embrace it and know, we're going to miss this. Be present in this moment, holding on to their hands and to these long days. We will look back on these images and remember when they  would dance and laugh together amongst the blooming trees. How they screamed wildly when they were tickled.  They won't always be little, but we will always have the pictures we made to look back on and remember what life was like when they were young. Just as every flower is different, so is every family. Not always perfect, but perfectly us. ​