Melching Field at Conrad Park in DeLand, Florida engagement session of Tori and Matt

Matt and Tori are a rare couple, they actually live somewhat close to me. This means they are familiar with our awesome little town. It also means that Matt is a coach at Stetson and has been around baseball his entire life. So when your life is all about baseball, what better place than Melching Field at Conrad Park, one of the nicest baseball fields in Central Florida.

Athens Theatre in DeLand, Florida real life portrait session of Alex, Dana, Alexandra and Lorelai

The Athens Theatre of DeLand should be declared one of the whimsical wonders of the world. It sits at the end of a red brick street with a sign lit up by bulb lights. Those lights are like a beacon for photographers saying "photograph me." I've taken many opportunities to photograph outside, but a family real life portrait session gave me the chance to photograph inside.

I had one of the perfect families with Alex, Dana, Alexandra and Lorelai. They were just there to have fun! I could see it in their eyes how much fun they were really ready to have just as the clock started to tick down how much fun they were really ready to have. They only just started to get warmed up for this session, I can't wait to see what happens next time we get together!

The theatre staff was awesome to work with too. We are so appreciative that they opened the door and turned the lights on to such an amazing place. We hope to head back soon!

DeLand, Florida, Real Life family and baby session with Joshua, Kim & Quinn

My favorite thing about babies is that you can just let your emotion flow into them and completely forget everything else around you. This can make time fly by. Not just 45 minutes that you might have a photographer in the room, but days, weeks, months and next thing you know that first year is gone so quickly!

There are so many firsts, and capturing every moment is all that important. Having someone else there so that you can actually treasure those moments is a treat that everyone should give themselves.

Going into a families home just once for a limited amount of time just doesn't seem like enough, I wish I could go every couple weeks and watch the magic happen. I've watched my own son grow up and it's such an amazing experience that just disappears.

Even if I can only visit a family once in that first year I think it's so important. One awesome moment captured will last forever.