Day in the life detail moments with a toddler

If you have a toddler you know it’s definitely not easy but it is rewarding. They transition from babies into this little young child with their own personality and desire to do what they want when they want. Is this sounding right?

I wanted to do something a little different on today’s blog post. I typically share images from family sessions but this time around I wanted to share something a little more personal to me. Time is precious. Yes, cliche, but precious nonetheless. I make a goal of taking out my camera once a month to photograph our daughter with whatever milestone/day/event/holiday that comes to mind for that month. These photos are from a trip we took in the fall and looking back on them brought me all the feels.

I’m a lifestyle family and newborn photographer and I love moments like this.

Here are some images of detail moments of daily life with my toddler that I don’t want to forget:

snacktime & independence

man oh man are we in the “I do it!!!” phase. I love her little hands with some of her favorite go to snacks- pouches and fruit cups!

showing emotions

she’s been furrowing her brows since she was a baby and I hope she never stops. Not only this emotion, but a toddler shows a wiiiiide range of emotions, sometimes several within a few minutes.

onesies, stained pajamas

We are finally at a point where we aren’t having to buy clothing so often and she can wear the same pajama set for several months. Along with that comes dirt and stains. But I’m such a sucker for my toddler in footed pajamas. It makes me feel like she’s still a little baby!!

playing & hide and seek

She’s not *really allowed to play in this tv stand but I felt like it would be appropriate to entertain the hide and seek for a quick little game. She’s so into it right now and we have fun!

loveys

Loveys! She likes to take a different one to school each day. At night she sleeps with at least 5-7 of them. I absolutely love this. My mom told me that when my brother and I were little we weren’t attached to any lovey’s or blankets and for a while our daughter wasn’t either. Now, she will tell us which one she wants and she has an attachment to the idea of the lovey and taking it with her to school and sleep.

following their lead

Toddlers truly have a mind of their own. I like to follow her lead for what she wants to do (within reason). After all, she’s 2 years old! It’s so much fun seeing her brain, language, and social skills develop and I think it’s important that I’m not always the one with the agenda. Sometimes she just needs to be able to run around outside looking at flowers or playing chase, other times I guess she needs to play in the blinds with her friend?

Thanks so much for being here and I hope this blog post makes you feel more comfortable and relatable to me! I love getting to know the families I photograph. I love when they trust me to capture their family and more importantly when they come back year after year and tell their friends about me. Happy February!

atlanta family photographer | {zembillas family}

I love meeting new families and photographing them for lifestyle family sessions! Typically families reach out to me to welcome a new baby, celebrate a birthday, or because they want some updated blog/business portraits but I think summer is the perfect reason (and season) to have family photos taken! That's right, you don't have to wait until a holiday to take family photos!

I hadn't met Dad until today but I had taken Mommy and Me photos of Cole and his Mama and you can tell they have so much fun together. I love taking photos of families doing what they love to do. In this case, this little guy is so into rocks and throwing them into the pool (sorry Mom and Dad) so I wanted to incorporate that into our lifestyle family session. Of course during these lifestyle family sessions, there's always room for snuggles, hugs and kisses too. This little guy also loves chalk so I definitely wanted to capture the little artist at work.

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do! Interested in booking a family session? Head on over to my contact page and send me a message. I also have a FAQ page to let you know what to expect. Interested to see what else I offer? Head on over to the blog! 

{kaleb} | kaleb turns one | marietta lifestyle family photographer

They say time flies when you're having fun, and I assure you, Kaleb had so much fun turning one! I was excited to document his first birthday party, because ya only turn one once! 

He's such a lucky little guy to have so many family members around him. From getting help looking like a cutie wearing a bow tie, to getting help opening presents, and then eating birthday cake outside, it was sure of a day!

If you'd like to enjoy your child's special day, allow me to take the pressure off and help to document the birthday! Head on over to my contact page or check out the family gallery here!

{carrion family} | christmas fun | dallas family photography

Although we aren't technically family, I enjoy every bit of the time I get to spend with my best friend's family. They take me in as their own, and I get to play with the two silliest, smartest, cutest little girls (okay I might be a little biased) a couple times a year. I have watched these girls grow over the years and I enjoy the time I get to see them. I bring along my camera to document the activities and silly games because it's always a treat to look back on them even just a few months later to see how much they've grown!

We began our day outside as the girls showed me their new Christmas gifts. They were so excited to show off their new clothes and their new bikes. Don't they just look so cute? We spent a little time inside to take a break to color, and then ended up going back outside in the backyard. They live in a small town north of Atlanta and they have so much land on their property. Living in the city you wouldn't get as much land as they would, so we definitely take advantage between having the bonfire going, the 4-wheeler rides, and letting the dogs run free. The backyard was such a wooded dream! The family stayed warm between having the bonfire going and staying warm with snuggles.

What I love about lifestyle sessions is the ability for the family to carry on the way they would as if I wasn't there. I just happen to be at the right place with my camera, ready to click! With two fast-moving little girls they definitely keep me on my feet and I love the way the photos tell the story. They are used to getting their photos taken but I still sometimes try to be sneaky so I can capture the genuine expression and emotions when they are playing. 

Check out the blog for other recent sessions such as this Newborn Session and this lifestyle session at Ponce City Market in Atlanta!