I have learned over this last year, that sometimes... my favorite shots come from catching a moment, and NOT from tons of planning and staging. My girls were outside on a typical Sat. afternoon...climbing the neighbors tree (as is their recent custom!!) :)  I just whipped out the camera and started shooting and I am so happy with the result. I wasn't stressed out - they weren't stressed out. We were just having fun!! And enjoying the moment!  Now I have updated portraits to decorate their room with... and... they still like me!!!

I had so much fun with my girls, just catching them in the moment.  All too often, as moms, I think we get so stressed out preparing our kids to have their pictures taken.  Hours picking the outfits, fights over the hair-do's, anxiety over them getting their picture-ready clothes dirty before the shoot...  Ugh!  I've done that SOOO many times.  This, may I say, was much more preferable!!  Lesson learned!

The second shoot was with an adorable little 18 month old named Isla; {pronounced eye-la}.  (Don't you love that name?)  She has 4 older brothers and sisters and as the baby of this family...she has a strong personality and knows her own mind.  She toddled all over the garden where we shot the photos and had lots of ideas of what she wanted to do.  However, those ideas did not include smiling for my camera!! :)  What I learned through this shoot however was two-fold.  A.)  You can create beautiful images that don't necessarily include a smile.  And, if you're patient, and maybe a little creative...you might find a smile at just the right moment too!  Lesson learned!

It was a good week for lessons!!

Some photos from both shoots...

My girlies...

Sweet Little Isla!

there it is!!