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About a month before mama’s due date, I took my sister, brother-in-law and niece to Fort Story beach to do their maternity/family photos. Golden hour was kind to us, although it was pretty cold for a May day! I loved the fact that my niece, Aliyah provided some ideas and had fun helping me while mama and daddy were in front of the camera.
Golden hour always is the BEST! Just a few of my favorites from the session.
On a Saturday in late April 2021, we threw a baby shower for the mama and daddy to be. My sister Bree wanted to incorporate her second favorite color, yellow. And immediately loved the sunshine and sunflowers idea, so the sisters (Jami and I) planned an epic baby shower for their siblings!
Games ranged from Diaper Pong (which was a hit with everyone) to the typical games like guess the amount of candies in a bottle, baby emoji pictionary and guess when baby Alaina will arrive. Just a few of my favorites from the day!
My little sister is a married woman. Let me repeat that. My LITTLE sister is MARRIED! My sister Bree married the love of her life on February 1st, 2021. Keith has been a part of her and Aliyah’s lives since what feels forever. Keith and Bree first met in 2015 while in Ocean City, Maryland for H2Oi, a car rally where thousands of car enthusiasts from across the country gather during the last weekend of September.
Fast forward to 2021, Bree and Keith were married in our parents home, in front of a handful of family and friends (thanks COVID), and live streamed on Facebook for family and friends that were unable to make it.
We all ventured to Sushi King in Downtown Norfolk for their reception.
WOW. The only word that comes to mind after the whirlwind called 2020. As it has already been a long time since I last posted in the blog, 2020 made that even worse. Personal trips canceled, many events and weddings rescheduled, downsized or completely canceled, needless to say, 2020 was not a nice year for the wedding and event industry. We thank those that still proceeded with their event or wedding. Although things are still crazy today, it breaks my heart seeing so many of my fellow wedding professionals struggling with these regulations and guidelines that continue to affect our industry.
COVID has definitely made me sit back and reevaluate my business as a whole. Thanks to my friend and fellow vendor Kristine French of That Skin Lady , Kiyomi Photography is slowly shifting to elopements and intimate events. So, stay tuned as we revamp the site and change gears!
Boy, has it been crazy since this year started! More specifically, the apple of my eye, my little boy, Joseph turned ONE on April 12th! How can it be that he is already a one year old? How is it possible???? My little 8 pound, 7 ounce, 8 days overdue, emergency c-section baby. He's not tiny anymore, and I still can't grasp that concept.
Since he is literally OBSESSED with it, the theme of his birthday party was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Of course, being that when a baby turns a year old, it's a big deal. We had Mickey and Minnie ears for the kiddos (even though mainly the adults were wearing them lol), a few fun games, and of course, themed menu. A lot of the decorations and food items were hand made, and boy, did we have a time creating them. I have to send out a HUGE shoutout to Ms. Kadi Spruill of Kadi Bakes for making a last minute smash/birthday cake for the party
Thank you to my family for your help with everything and to everyone that came to celebrate with us! I meant to send out thank you cards to everyone that graced Joseph with a gift, but life got in the way. So, THANK YOU!!!!
Katie & Jay are regulars in front of my camera. I have shot their engagement photos, Katie's bridals, their epic Smith Mountain Lake wedding, and finally got to meet their little man, Lucas. They also have their two furbabies, Ghost and Goliath, that have made their debuts as well. Katie & Jay took advantage of my Fall mini sessions, and opted to have their session at Back Bay of First Landing State Park, the same location as their engagement session. Now, if you have visited the Back Bay before, I am pretty sure if it's a beautiful day, you will see both stand-up boarders, tons of photographers, or a little bit of both. It was definitely a bit of both that day. But thankfully, there were a lot of areas to choose from.
To say the least, with a baby and two adorable doggies, it called for a very eventful session, but it never fails... I always get great shots of Katie & Jay! And how about little man Lucas?!?!? Isn't he just the CUTEST?!?!?!?
Now that the new year has started, we all know what will rapidly make its approach.... Valentines Day! Been wanting to get some updated photos of you and your honey? Contact me! Or, if you want to wait for another time to book your session, you can also purchase a gift certificate that will allow you to schedule your session anytime in 2017. We are offering TWO options: a mini session as shown below at $149 plus tax, or a full session for $299 plus tax.
Contact me today if you should have any questions or are ready to book your session!
2016 was definitely an eventful year for me, even though I only had a handful of sessions and weddings to capture. In February, we moved from our Virginia Beach apartment to a house in Norfolk near NOB; in March, my husband left for training and his overseas deployment with the Air National Guard; in April, I gave birth to our son, Joseph Colin 24 hours after being induced due to him being over a week past his due date; in May, I shot Brian and Kristi's Yacht Club at Marina Shores wedding; in June, I shot Alexis and Corey's Woman's Club of Portsmouth wedding and Eddie and Catherine's Mount Ida Farm wedding in Charlottesville; in July, I shot a fly-in homecoming for my friends, the Scott family; in August, I shot a special first birthday for Ms. Bella and a special baptismal for the Woodwards; in September, I second shot two weddings, the first one with Nicole of Nicole Jean Photography for her wedding in Fort Lee, Virginia, and the other with Leslie of La Bella Bonita Photography for her Water Table wedding; in October, I second shot another wedding with Nicole Jean Photography, on the day Hurricane Matthew decided to visit the Hampton Roads area, and DADDY CAME HOME from his deployment; in November, I spent some time with some friends shooting their fall mini sessions, Katie and her family, and Liza and her family, and baby's first Thanksgiving, which to say that least, he thoroughly enjoyed...
which brings us to December. Baby's first Christmas. Having my husband home and spending time with my family as a whole again. So much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to in the new year, especially since little man will be ONE in April (insert sad emoji here)!
Thank you to all my clients that made 2016 a fun and memorable one! I look forward to 2017 and what it will bring to me and my family, as well as my clients!
Happy New Year!
The day has FINALLY come!!! We have waited 7 months for this moment. Well, Joseph has waited his entire life to finally meet his daddy in person. Seeing my husband and my son finally meet face to face instead of via a computer screen brought me to tears. It made me remember the day I checked in to Chesapeake General for my induction, to the emergency c-section I had to have because of a cord prolapse, to all those sleeplessness nights and half awake days trying to finish homework assignments. All I knew was that I was finally getting the other half of my heart back and I wasn't letting him go.
The morning of, all I could think about was getting to work, keeping myself busy until I got to leave to head over to the base. Of course, they flew into the AMC terminal, which meant their plane was going to fly RIGHT over my office. Every plane that flew over, I'd excited, thinking that it was him. But once it got closer, I KNEW it was their plane based on the sound alone (thanks to my husband that is obsessed with naval aviation and has rubbed off on me). The moment I heard their plane, I immediately starting running through the office, trying to look out the window to watch it make its way to the AMC Terminal and started to tear. But of course, my girls Stacey and Liza, would took time out on their lunch break to give me a mini makeover, I couldn't start bawling like I wanted to! Hearing that plane fly over was definitely a sigh of relief. No more sleeping alone, no more late night and early morning chats, no more!
Video captured by Langley Public Affairs:
So glad that daddy is finally home and he is finally able to meet and play with Joseph.
WELCOME HOME RED HORSE!!!
TO THE HORSE!
Hurricane Matthew. I am sure we all remember when Hurricane Matthew made his presence known in the Hampton Roads area a couple months ago. And I am pretty sure that Lexi & Justin will remember it forever. Hurricane Matthew was already making a mess of things, and while they were getting ready, the storm was already starting to rage. As we all traveled from the hotel to the Suffolk Planter's Club, the rain was coming down pretty bad and the roads were already flooded in many spots. There were a few leaky spots in the roof, and the lights were flickering.
Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Lexi & Justin made the best of their special day!
Thank you to my gal Nicole of Nicole Jean Photography for allowing me to be your second shooter! Even though I was stranded at my parents house in Greenbrier (Joseph was staying with Nana and Papa while mommy worked), and my car almost crapped out on me, it was still a beautiful and memorable wedding!!
FOUR years old. I cannot believe that little miss Aliyah Mae turned FOUR this year!!! I remember the moment I finally got to meet her.... and cannot believe how big she is now! She is definitely a strong and beautiful girl, just like her mama.
Aliyah, please stop growing! Auntie doesn't want you to grow anymore, and I am sure mommy is thinking the exact same thing!
My sister pulled together an AWESOME Little Mermaid party for Aliyah. Every last detail was perfect!
Catrinna and Glen were married at the Village Church in Virginia Beach off of Indian River Road, and celebrated with their closest friends and families at The Water Table down by the Oceanfront. Thank you to Leslie of La Bella Bonita Photography for allowing me to second shoot with you!
Here are a few of my favorite captures of Catrinna and Glen's special day:
As some of you may not know, my son, Joseph was born just after his daddy left for a deployment with the Air National Guard. He is a Staff Sergeant with the 203rd RED HORSE Squadron, which RED HORSE stands for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers. They are essentially the equivalent to the Navy SEABEES (they also train at NCBC Gulfport in Gulfport, Mississippi). We were hoping that Joseph would make his appearance before daddy left, but as any military family (even though we are a Guard family) can tell you, things don't always go the way that you plan it!
Although we have been together for over four years, this is our first deployment together, and he has missed his birthday, two of the kids' birthdays, as well as our first wedding anniversary, which was on October 5th. Thankfully, where he is at, we have been able to keep in contact with him pretty much every single day. Although I can't really discuss when daddy is coming home, but all I can say is that we are ready for daddy to come home and we can enjoy being a family again! They say that keeping yourself busy helps pass the time by a lot quicker, and I do have to say that it actually does seem to, especially since I returned back to work from maternity leave and have shot three weddings, second shot a few weddings for my gals Nicole of Nicole Jean Photography and Leslie of La Bella Bonita Photography, as well as a few other sessions. And let's not forget about the classes that I am still taking in pursuit of my Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice through American Military University.
Daddy, we can't wait for you to come home and for you to finally meet Joseph face to face for the first time! I already know I will be a blubbering mess that day and I know that I will need to ensure I have several boxes of tissues with me!
It's almost officially time for my favorite season of the year.... FALL!!! Time for Pumpkin Spice Lattes, comfy boots, and shorter days. Wanting to send out an updated photo in this year's Christmas cards? Let's get that session scheduled today! Mini sessions are $150 and include a 30 minute session, 20 digital images, a private online gallery and print release! Sessions can be any location of your choice in the Hampton Roads area, but I may be able to travel to your neck of the woods!
Contact me TODAY to get your session scheduled!
Catherine and Eddie are recent graduates of William & Mary. I first met Catherine and Eddie at their wedding consult at a Starbucks near the Peninsula Town Center. After a few minutes of talking, we hit it off and by the time we all left, it felt like I was talking to old time friends!
Their wedding day came, and I swear it felt like it was just the other day we were talking details about the wedding. My partner in crime that day was Nicole of Nicole Jean Photography, and we drove up to Charlottesville that morning. The drive alone was amazing, as I am always in awe of the mountains. As crazy as it sounds, this beach bum would take the mountains over the beach any day! It was rather hot that day, however, everyone remained as cool as they could and had the time of their lives!
Thank you Catherine and Eddie for allowing me and my right hand gal, Nicole for being there to capture your special day!
Alexis is a recent graduate of Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!) and Corey is in the Army, currently stationed in Hawaii. To say that I was jealous that he was stationed in my home state, is an understatement! When Alexis first contacted me, we chatted back and forth due the distance between us and it was just easier to keep in contact. Our first face to face meeting was just a few weeks before the wedding to discuss the finalized plans and met Corey for the first time on the day OF the wedding! Alexis and Corey is such a cute and wonderful couple, and their wedding party definitely was a blast to spend the entire day with!
They were married and celebrated at the Woman's Club of Portsmouth, which happens to be one of my favorite venues to shoot at. Thank you Alexis and Corey for allowing me to be there to capture your special day!
Kristi & Brian are both teachers for the Virginia Beach Public Schools. They were married and celebrated with their families, closest friends and colleagues at the Yacht Club at Marina Shores. The weather was a little wonky that day, as it went from raining to humid to clear in a matter of hours. Thankfully, the ceremony was under a covered deck and the reception inside! It was such a beautiful wedding! And needless to say, when you get a bunch of teachers together and away from their students, they definitely get crazy and have fun!
Do I dare mention there was an EPIC dance-off to Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe"??
Thank you to Kristi, Brian and Braelyn for allowing me and my sidekick Amber to capture your special day!
She is a Retail Merchandising Marketer for Hurley, and he is a Law Enforcement Officer for the City of Norfolk. The were married at Saint Pauls Catholic Church and celebrated with their family and closest friends at the Woman's Club of Portsmouth. It was definitely a beautiful day!!!
Thank you, Gabrielle and Ian for allowing me to capture your special day!! It was definitely a blast!
Gosh, it has been awhile since I have last posted! Life happened. Little do most people know, I got married last October to my love of my life, we moved to a house in Norfolk in February, gave birth to our son, Joseph Colin in April, and daddy is currently on deployment. But of course, I couldn't just mention about Joseph without sharing his cuteness!
I was due on April 4th, but Joseph decided he was too comfortable and was evicted. Although I planned on having natural birth, he entered the world via an emergency c-section due to a cord prolapse (you can read more about cord prolapse HERE). Like everyone knows, they take photos of the newborns, just like we had when our parents had us back in the day. But they are totally nothing like ours!
Joseph Colin was born at 7:09 AM on April 12th. So far I am enjoying maternity leave, and I can't believe how quickly it is coming to an end... I just wish it wasn't only 6 weeks! :( I'm gonna miss seeing my baby boy every day. Recently, we had photos done, which happened to be on the day he turned one month old (I need him to stop growing now. I cant't believe that he's already a month old!!!! GAH!). My photog pal, Tricia of Teal Tree Studios Photography & Design took some AWESOME photos of our little man. And at least I know that he's a ham in front of the camera; mommy should have no problems with getting photos of him as he continues to grow!
Here are my most favorite photos from his newborn session with Tricia.
Joseph, mommy wants you to stop growing! Before I know it, you'll be a year old! :(
Now that Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years has passed, another big day is coming.... Valentine's Day! Currently scheduling Valentine's Day mini sessions now through the first weekend of February. Rather have a full session with love? We can schedule a regular session as well!
Contact me today to schedule your session!
