The Scarborough Family

My good friends from Orlando were visiting New Smyrna Beach last week and I went up to get some family portraits for them. Sheli and I worked together in Orlando with Young Life there and it has now been 7 years since my family moved away to Clearwater (then here.) Our experience in Orlando with Sheli and Jason and Young Life was a true bonding experience! Sheli is such a genuine person and all around good friend. Jason is one of the funniest guys I know and I can't imagine a single person who doesn't love being around him. He wanted to take some "special" pics just for Dana (my husband) but we ran out of time. Sorry Jason, we'll definitely have to take a rain check on those because I know they would have been fun! I am totally leaving out their beautiful children but only because the majority of these highlights are of them and are just so self explanatory. One thing I loved about these is that they reminded me so much of a season in my family when Logan and Mary were about the same ages as Sheli's kids below and had the same sweet relationship. In fact, I have some very similar images of them on the beach together.

I wanted to bring this red lifeguard chair home with me...

Love this one. feet of course, but hands too. bonus.

Love to see their personalities come out here.

I thought this was a fitting series on how family portrait photography can evolve within a session. Beginning with above the sometimes reluctant faces of young children when asked to be still and smile pretty....

Then the family dynamic can take a negative turn if mom and dad catch on to young children's lack of cooperation. (Or if photog. asks them to make ugly faces hoping to get the opposite response next...)

Phew. Look at those happy faces. I can't help but love the grumpy ones best (wouldn't it make a statement on a Christmas card?) ..but this is what we were going for.

This is so him.

This is so her.

And here they are doing their "thing" together.

a favorite.

Grandparents joined in...
love the one below of the grandparents because I feel like you can sense the unique relationship they offer. The love of grandparents can be like a specialty store. Sort of like the Christmas Cottage downtown with the gazillions of trees and every themed ornament you can think of. Some of it is down right silly. Absurd even. Extravagant. The store holds a special purpose for only one particular audience and because it focuses on that, there is no need to worry about anything else, or to be practical in any way. It's just special and you can usually find exactly what you're looking for there -assuming you came looking for something unique. When you walk through the doors, it even feels like fun and you're freed up to just take it all in rather than just mark off your list what you came for. Can you tell on their faces how good it feels?

Successful store.

Sheli and Jason are celebrating 10 years this summer, just like Dana and I!
Don't they look great?!

love this one

Dana's Graduation Pictures

I shot Dana's senior pictures last week in downtown Melbourne. She loves flowers and we couldn't find a good garden but did find the most awesome dead flowers ever (above) and my favorites from the session. They are so Tim Burton. I heart Edward Scissorhands --for you old school people. So, Dana just graduated from Eau Gallie High School and she is such a nice girl!
Off the subject, I am 7 hours away from my husband getting home after being gone a whole week. The tough part about that is how he will think he is so tired even though we all know that three kids on your own, in the summer, while working, most certainly wins the
i-need-rest-prize. But I'm proud of him and the work he does so I'm going to be generous and give him a few hours tomorrow morning. After that, I'm thinking pedicure... on my way to tomorrow night's session of course!

Love this one.

We finished off at the beach right at sun down and yes that may look like the sun but since we are living on the East Coast that is actually the moon!

Chris and Mandy are having a baby!

I met Chris and Mandy for maternity photography last week. We started at their home and finished at Gleason Park. When Mandy called me and told me her last name I knew she had to be Chris's wife! I have known Chris since he was little (and me too.) He is my little brother's age and my family used to hang with his when we were all small, then he and Devon went through school together and his sister Andrea graduated with me (just yesterday really. not really. but maybe if you believe me we can just go with that.) I actually ran into him at the bowling alley last summer. Our lanes were right next to each other. It was my kids first time ever bowling. We were all very lucky to get through it without an injury -including Chris. Logan, my oldest and my perfectionist, was freaking out when he didn't knock down enough pins. Thank God for the bumpers. My dtr was better at throwing the ball rather than rolling it and little Davis was running wild like the animal he is. Now picture Chris and his buddies trying their best to have guy time. Poor Chris and his buddies.

So, he told me then that they were expecting and now months later it was really fun to meet Mandy and get to capture this special time for them. There really is nothing like the expectancy of your first child. Their nursery is beautiful and all set. Mandy looks gorgeous and Chris has the new dad nervous excitement thing going. I love the series I put up top but there are a few others competing for my favorite!

This is just hysterical. Poor pup. I hate to break it to you but it is all down hill for you now. Relish your last moments as the baby...

I have a love-hate relationship with this one. I love Mandy's beautiful face and yellow bench and the composition. I hate the thought of laying upside down as a pregnant woman and I start to feel my stomach in my throat when I look at this. She wasn't really tilted, the camera is. I wouldn't do that to her. It was bad enough to ask her to lay flat on her back! (I'm gasping for air just thinking about it.) She looks great though right.

super tan belly. I never did achieve this myself.

I love how Chris has to bend over to kiss her cheek -this is another fave for me.

and this one.

they got married right here.

oh yeah this one too.

this one's hot.

stay tuned for newborn!

As You Wish Catering and Events

As You Wish Catering and Events is a unique option for those of you looking for a caterer in Melbourne, FL and surrounding Brevard County. AYW offers more than just amazing food, impeccable service and presentation. They will also go the extra mile for your event; be it decor, center pieces, chair rentals, you name it. I shot these images last week at the Lansing Island Club House and because I was not the photographer for the actual wedding, I was not there during the main course but don't worry, I will get some images of the yummy dinners offered and put them up here soon. I am impressed by the finished product and artful presentation but especially the pride this business takes in it's results. Leave comments and reviews here if you have worked with As You Wish!!

I'm going to dig up some Lansing Island Club House pics to show you more of what this venue has to offer... To be continued...