We did this session in the downtown section of Elizabeth City.  Living in a small town definitely has it’s perks, but one of the downfalls is that it can be hard to find new locations that haven’t been overused by every other photographer in town.  While going for a walk with the kids last week I happened upon a little alley that, upon further exploration, turned out to be a little hidden gem.  The setting sun just pours into it and I will definitely be using this spot again.  Besides all the poison ivy that we had to watch out for, it was a great place to shoot.  I also noticed last week that some builders had torn down a building and exposed this fun mint colored brick wall.  I filed it away in my “locations” folder and was glad that we were able to get some shots by it before it gets repainted or covered up.

I shot this session, as I do most of my outdoor sessions, in the hour or so before sunset.  Photographers (and maybe other people too) call this the “Golden Hour.”  It really is the best time to shoot pictures and I try to emphasize that to my clients when planning for a photo shoot.  While it’s definitely not impossible to shoot at other times, the evening light just has a way of bringing out colors and textures that you can’t get at other times of the day; if you are thinking about scheduling a photo session soon, keep this in mind, because it can be the difference between “ho-hum” and “incredible.”

The many faces of Moriah <3

As a general rule, I don’t hand my camera to clients at the end of a session and let them snap away.  Hey, rules are meant to be broken.  Thanks for this special shot, Moriah!  You rock!

The first time I met Moriah, she was this teeny little skinny kid running around our church’s elementary wing and giving these amazing hugs to all the little toddlers who followed her around.  She just has this way with people….babies, toddlers, kids, her peers, adults….it doesn’t matter.  Everyone.  Loves.  Her.  That includes me.  And my kids.  Yep.

So, about 2+ years ago, Moriah asked me to do a photo session with her.  Maybe I asked her.  I don’t remember.  The point is, we have been meaning to do this for a really long time.  For whatever reason, it just never worked out.  I have to say, though, I’m glad it didn’t work out sooner, because tonight was just meant to be.  The weather was amazing.  The little downtown was buzzing with activity.  She looked adorable.  It really was photographic perfection.

This is just a sneak peek, because there were way too many pictures to choose from.  I’m going to work on editing through them tomorrow, because the rest of them are just as fantastic as these ones.  This girl doesn’t take a bad shot.  Nope.

Moriah, I love you, girl!

I don’t usually process my images very heavily.  At least I don’t think I do.  This one, though, I had some fun with.  It just felt good.

I love when I get an opportunity to shoot a session that is “outside the box” like this one.  Smiling toddlers are pretty awesome, but a moody etherial field makes for a happy photog.  Often clients will come to me with an idea of vision they have for their session and it’s always a joy to help them actualize their dreams and to make a really special memory.  I have done sessions with all kinds of random props and at obscure locales.  This one was void in the prop department, but a site like this one is a prop, in and of itself.  I have used this spot a handful of times for family sessions, maternity, and even to shoot a band, but this day just felt like it was exactly what the house was built for (yes, mom, i ended that sentence with a preposition).