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Harris Family Maternity Session – Glencairn Garden, Rock Hill, SC

Harris Family Maternity Session – Glencairn Garden, Rock Hill, SC

This past weekend I got to be a part of my friend Rashaan and his beautiful wife, Tia’s, maternity session!  I’m always honored when people choose me to be involved in one of the most special moments in their lives.  And it means even more when your clients are your friends and you’re excited for this next chapter in their lives.

I had been in contact with Tia for several weeks prior to the shoot and I was excited to finally get a chance to meet her.  From the moment she stepped out of the car to begin our session she was glowing!  There’s just something about a woman carrying a child that gives off a certain radiance.  I immediately fell in love with her gown from Sew Trendy Accessories.  I suggest that all moms-to-be take a look at their website for any upcoming maternity sessions that you may have.  Their gowns are stunning and will help you to look your very best on your session day!  And who doesn’t want to look like a goddess during their session?

Although we shot early in the morning, the SC weather was muggy, but that didn’t stop us.  We managed to get a lot of wonderful shots of the couple, Tia on her own (looking regal and elegant), a few shots of Avery’s adorable booties and Simon!  Simon was the star of the show!  He didn’t want to cooperate with us for long (for a dog in a park there’s way too much action for him to sit still for more than 30 seconds) but when he did we managed to get some wonderful shots.    I wish Tia and Rashaan nothing but the best for their delivery and upcoming bundle of joy, Avery.  I’m excited for this new journey in their lives and can’t wait to see her!

Styled Session Spotlight: The Crew

Styled Session Spotlight: The Crew

A styled session is only as good as the people that work with you to help bring your vision to life.  I’m very, very, very thankful that I had a wonderful group of ladies willing to donate their time and talents to this project.  When I first began to put this shoot together I contacted my sister, Olivia and good friend, Zaakira to see if they would be interested in modeling for me.  Neither has any modeling experience but I knew they’d be able to play well off of each other and they’re both striking women that I knew my camera would love.  I’m grateful they wanted to participate and were excited about being a part of all of this.

Sirena, of Aneris Photography, has been such a motivator for me.  She’s an amazingly talented photographer that is willing to go above and beyond for her craft.  I was so happy that she was part of this project and her images are outstanding!  Definitely take the time to check out her website, Facebook and Instagram pages to see her take on this shoot.  I can already see us collaborating on many future projects and look forward to it.

Last but not least thank you to Lonnie for spending the day out in the fields with us to make sure that everything went smoothly!  She was our assistant, helping whichever photographer needed her at the moment, our Periscoper and Instagrammer, taking videos and photos of our behind the scenes action, and our comic relief.

The five of us gelled so well that I felt it was a dream team of amazing women!  None of this would’ve been possible or turned out the way it did had they not participated.  I will be forever thankful for knowing each and every single one of them.

Styled Session Spotlight: AddiBug Designs + Mooi Cherie

Styled Session Spotlight: AddiBug Designs + Mooi Cherie

I have been extremely blessed when it comes to Etsy shops.  For those of you that may not know much about the site let me give you a little insight before delving into why it’s so amazing!  Etsy is a website where people can buy and sell handmade, vintage items, art, crafts and supplies.  When you support Etsy you’re supporting businessowners that love what they do and put so much pride into it.  I’ve been a fan of the site for years so when I did my first styled shoot that was the first place I went to seek vendors.  And they graciously helped me with my project.  This year was no different.  As soon as the bohemian theme came to me I knew I had to search Etsy for accessories.

First up was the floral crown.  I knew I wanted one of my models to dawn a beautiful headpiece so I began my search and came across AddiBug Designs.  I found a floral crown that I knew would be perfect for my vision.  Kristin, the shop owner, was more than happy to comply.  And I loved the fact that she seemed excited about this project!  Whenever someone else is on board with my vision it makes me that much more excited about it as well.  Her crown was beautifully hand crafted and exactly what I needed.

Next up was jewelry.  I knew I needed earrings but I wasn’t quite sure as to what kind.  So in the search box I typed in ‘boho earring’s and up popped the modern gold earrings from Mooi Cherie!  They were simple enough to not overshadow the model, but still had a lot of intricate details that were perfect for a bohemian feel.

Each of these vendors have wonderful (and affordable!)  items in their shop and I encourage you to check them both out.  I can’t thank them enough for their help with this project!

Styled Session Spotlight: Swank Desserts

Styled Session Spotlight: Swank Desserts

First up on my Boho Sunflower Styled Session Spotlight is Swank Desserts!  Swank provided us with a delicious naked layer cake, lemon macarons and brown butter blondies.  The care and detail placed into each of these desserts was noticeable from the minute I laid my eyes on them.  After the shoot wrapped we were finally allowed to indulge in these sweet treats, which was definitely one of the highlights of our day.  The lemon macarons were fresh, sweet and soft.  They practically melted in our mouths.  The brown butter blondies had a nice thick consistency throughout and had just the right amount of sweetness, not too much and not too little.  We saved the naked layer cake for when we got back to my home and could eat it properly with a little wine on the side.  Talk about delicious!  There were several layers and each one better than the next.  Swank Desserts did a phenomenal job and I can’t wait to try out more of their goodies!  They are based in Charleston, South Carolina but offer a delivery service for their desserts.  Definitely check them out online and put your order in.  These desserts are perfect for weddings, parties or just if you want to treat yourself to something sweet.  You have to indulge every once in a while and when you do it might as well be on something as delicious as Swank Desserts!

Boho Sunflower Styled Shoot – Rock Hill, SC Photographer

Boho Sunflower Styled Shoot – Rock Hill, SC Photographer

So what do you get when you combine a field full of sunflowers, two creative photograpHERS, two wonderful models, an awesome assistant and some great vendors?  Magic!  Every year I like to come up with a stylized shoot to get my creative mojo going.  Last year’s theme was ‘whimsical tea party’, this year I opted for something a bit more laid back.  The thought of a field full of beautiful sunflowers came to mind and I envisioned a bohemian woman walking amidst the blooms.  So I began my research and found that there was a nearby sunflower field so my planning began.  I got my sister, Olivia and good friend, Zaakira, on board as models (because two is always better than one right?!) and then began putting together my vendor list, which included some amazing accessories from Etsy shops.  The vision in my head was finally coming to life!  I told Sirena of Aneris Photography, who I’ve gotten to know very well over the last few months, about my upcoming shoot idea and she loved it and wanted to participate alongside me.  She got in touch with Swank Desserts located in Charleston who agreed to supply some delicious (and beautiful!) sweet treats for our shoot.  Things were coming together in a wonderful way!

The last couple of weeks were spent getting final décor items and Sirena and I discussed plans for the set up, etc.  I had my model fittings a few days prior to the shoot and then the time finally arrived.  We opted to make a fun girl’s weekend out of it and all of us spent time gabbing, eating some great food and discussing the upcoming shoot the night before.  We probably stayed up a little longer than we should have, but your art is worth suffering for, right?

The day of the shoot everything went perfect from start to finish.  Even I can’t believe it all ran so smoothly.  From waking up at 5am to go get the make up done by Brenisha of Estilo by CX, to the two hours we spent in the field creating gorgeous imagery, to Lonnie our amazing assistant Periscoping some hilarious videos of our behind the scenes work, to finally enjoying a celebratory drink and some of the delicious layer cake from our shoot, everything was wonderful!  I honestly could not have asked for this day to turn out any better than it did.  We had a dream team of amazing women that made this happen.

Thank you once again for everyone that took part in this project and to help my vision come to life.  I’m already plotting for next year’s shoot!  And stay tuned to the blog over the next few days because I will be spotlighting certain parts of the shoot in separate posts.  Enjoy!

Makeup Artist: Brenisha Wells of Estilo by CX

Desserts: Swank Desserts

Floral Crown: AddiBug Designs

Modern Gold Bohemian Earrings: Mooi Cherie

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