Life Through My Lens: Christmas Photos 2010

My Falls and Winters for the past few years have been packed full of taking lots and lots (and lots) of photos of children (young and grown) and entire families and dogs and everything in between. I have an absolute blast with every single group, and I consider it a high honor to take these photos. More often than not, these pictures either end up as Christmas gifts for loved ones or as Christmas Card photos (and in Winston-Salem, Christmas Cards, I quickly learned after moving back from college and entering the "real world", are do or die around here. Insanity. No pressure on me at all...)

But to think that these photos land in hundreds - or really total, thousands - of mailboxes and in an array of frames for moms and dads and grandparents and aunts and uncles as gifts is a REALLY big deal to me. I am so incredibly humbled to be asked to step behind the camera and capture any of these folks.

I have learned that...a duck call will totally crack kids up (and me too, for that matter)...that noses turn red VERY quickly in cold weather so you have to work quickly...it is a scary thing to shoot near a fountain...a lollipop can make anyone smile...there are some very interesting ways to shoot in the rain...I should really think to not wear heels to take pictures of insanely mobile toddlers...a suddenly injured and bleeding subject probably means we're done...just giving in and giving the baby the keys will make him/her much happier and won't really ruin the photo...grass stains will happen...bows are overrated...and dogs make things awfully interesting. Just to name a few. :)

I, of course, can't share any of these until after Christmas has come and gone. So, now, the wait is over.

Here is a personal favorite from every shoot I was able to cram in between football games and work and everything else this year. Enjoy!

lexie & harris & prescott