You Are My Sunshine - Knight Baby Shower | Chesapeake Event Photographer

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!

All I Can Say Is.... WOW. | Personal

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!

A Whole Year Later | Personal

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 + Lucas | Virginia Beach Family Photographer

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?!?!?!? 

Two Thousand Sixteen | Hampton Roads Photographer

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!

Daddy is FINALLY Home! | Personal

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!

A Little Mermaid Birthday | Aliyah Mae turns 4 | Chesapeake Portrait Photographer

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! 

Just a Little Life Update... | Personal

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! :( 

Garcia Family | Virginia Beach Maternity Photographer

Kathryn contacted me for her maternity photos, just in time before their bundle of joy, little Mr. Ezekiel arrived in the wee morning hours of August 31st. Kathryn is a fellow military spouse and It Works! Distributor in the area.  We originally met several months ago while participating in a photo project for our friend Angel Whisenant, who photographed us for I Am Her Voice, that was part of a campaign to help bring awareness to Sex Trafficking (http://www.angelwhisenant.com/nopriceisworthmyvoice).

We met up on the trail side of First Landing Park to capture some photos along the wooden walkways, then headed across the street to the beach side and captured some awesome sunset photos as well. I tell ya, just something about that golden hour.... I can't get enough of it!  


Joggin' For Frogmen 5K & 31 Heroes WOD | Hampton Roads Event Photographer

Bright and early on a Saturday morning in August, thousands of people gathered at Town Point Park in Downtown Norfolk to honor the sacrifices of our service members and veterans, as well as remembering those that have fallen and supporting their families.  Joggin' for Frogmen is to activate communities from around the world to honor the sacrifices of our service members and veterans, and to support the families of our fallen heroes.  The races they coordinate bring communities together, in which they celebrate the lives of America's fallen and to express our deep gratitude to those that still serve today.

Being a Air Force veteran and Air National Guard spouse, I am always involved in the military.  From homecomings to command functions, my life revolves around different military members, whether veterans, current service members, as well as their spouses and family members.  The military community has always made me feel as if I were part of a big family, and has brought different people in my life.  I was honored to be a part of this special 5K, and providing my services for such an awesome organization meant a lot to me. 

After the 5K, the 31 Heroes WOD started.  Groups and groups of crossfitters from all over Hampton Roads, took part in this special WOD; With a partner, the duo completes as many reps as possible in 31 minutes. They must complete 8 thrusters of 155 or 105 lbs, 6 rope climbs (15ft), and 11 box jumps at 30 or 24 inches high. While one partner is completing the WOD, the other completes a 400m sandbag carry.  Once the partner completes the carry, they switch places and continue on.  Let me just tell you, watching the waves and waves of crossfitters giving it all they got to honor our heroes, it was awesome seeing the dedication and determination that each person had.

A bunch of my photos haver been shared on the Joggin' For Frogmen 5K website (http://www.jogginforfrogmen.com/race-photos/), but here are my favorites!


North Carolina Adventures: Corolla, Outer Banks | Personal

Jake and I decided to go on an adventure on our own ever since the last time we ventured down to North Carolina.  Instead of heading down towards Kitty Hawk and Cape Hatteras, we decided to drive to Corolla.  After I heard about the awesome beach that we can actually drive on and encounter wild horses, we knew we had to take the Jeep for some sand and sea therapy.  As we drove down, we were in awe of the beautiful homes and rentals we saw, wishing that we could just move into to one right now.  Once we finally arrive at the beach, we were just amazed at how beautiful it was.  Windows rolled down, the smell of the sea and the serenity of the waves crashing just a few feet from us.  We continued down the beach to a location where cars were allowed to park in the middle.  Feeling the sand between my toes again made me miss home even more!  All I can say is that I can't wait to go back down again and spend the entire day there.  Seriously with every visit that we make to the Outer Banks, it makes me want to move out of Virginia Beach.  I'm a water baby at heart; I belong at the beach!  

On our way back to leave the beach, we came upon some wild horses that we heard that frequent the beach from time to time.  I swear when we first passed the spot, they weren't there.  But glad that we were able to see them before we left the beach.   Seriously, can't wait to go back!!


Oh How Time Flies By.... | Personal

Tomorrow, I will be celebrating three years with my love, Jake.  Oddly enough, it's also his birthday (He can NEVER say he forgot what day our anniversary is on!).  I met Jake during a rough patch in my life (those that know me personally will know what rough patch I'm talking about...) and meeting him was at the most perfect time.  He has been my sounding board when I needed to vent, my shoulder when I needed one to cry on, and my cheerleader when I needed support.  Like any other normal couple, we have had our ups and downs, but have always stuck by each other no matter what.  We may not be the perfect couple, but we are perfect for each other.

I love you Jake and always will. No matter what.

Love, 

Your future wife


Outer Banks or Bust | Personal

A couple weekends ago, we made a spur of the moment trip down to the Outer Banks. Jake had been working HVAC jobs down there with a friend and couldn't stop gabbing about it. Despite the cold and dreary day and a short snowfall (which was more like sleet), the beach baby in me felt like I was back home again. 

The vibes that I felt reminded me of home, from the friendly and helpful locals, to the overall chill vibe, reminding me that I wasn't in the hustle and bustle of city life like in Virginia Beach. Who knows, maybe  eventually I might make the move down there like Amanda Hedgepeth and her family did last year. And as Amanda quoted when we chatted about the Outer Banks; for an hour away, it really is a WORLD away!  

A world I definitely plan on visiting again soon! 

Working For That Smile | Smithfield Family Photographer

Kendrea is not only a friend, but also a co-worker.  We both work for the Navy JAG on Naval Station Norfolk.  We were chit chatting one day, and she mentioned about getting some updated family photos, since the last time they had photos done was before little man was around.  We discussed about locations, and I mentioned Windsor Castle Park in Smithfield.  She looked at some photos from other sessions that were held there and fell in love! So we set the date and crossed our fingers that the weather will cooperate for us (we all know how bi-polar Virginia weather can be!).  Earlier in the week, the weather was being a pain in the butt, and we worried that it was going to be bad for the weekend.  

Well, we lucked out. It rained like crazy on Saturday, but Sunday, was awesome.  And when I arrived at Windsor Castle Park, I was surprised that there was NO ONE else there shooting sessions! It is really rare because Windsor Castle Park is a choice location by a lot of photographers in the area.  Guess we just lucked out! I have to say, little man definitely made me work for some smiles throughout the session.  In the first few frames, I swear he was giving me the "what do you want LADY" look. Kendrea even joked about how mean he initially is when he first meets someone new.  But let me tell ya, by the end of the session, he was all about giving me hugs and posing for the camera!

Thank you Kendrea for allowing me to photograph you and your family! 


Celebrating Momma and Grayson | Virginia Beach Photographer

Before the Clark family left Hampton Roads for their big move to GA, Sarah and I met up one last time at California Pizza Kitchen to partake in lunch and our favorite ending to a great meal, the DELISH butter cake.  We never leave California Pizza Kitchen without having one!  While waiting for our noms, she shared a little secret with me; another was joining the Clark clan!  Of course, we drooled over the thought that it could be a girl, but talked about how awesome it would be if baby Clark was a boy.  A little while later, they announced their soon to be addition and that it's a BOY! 

Fast forward to last month.  The Clark clan made their way back to the Hampton Roads area to attend a friend's retirement ceremony.  Sarah's partner in crime, Jill, threw her a baby shower while the Clark clan were here.  Needless to say, all the ladies that adored Sarah and her family were present and ready to mingle.  Mind you, it was not your typical baby shower. There were no games. There were no "what's in the diaper" nor the clothespin game.  It was full of catching up, chit chatting, and eating the delicious food that Jill made.  I'd must say though, the highlight of the day was during the book reading..... You'll see which book it was!

Congrats Clark clan, and can't wait to meet little Mr. Grayson when he makes his appearance in a few more months!!

Ladies, to see all the photos from the day, here is the link:

http://kiyomiphotography.pass.us/sarahs-hampton-roads-baby-shower

An Afternoon with The Korrells | Suffolk Lifestyle Family Photographer

Amanda and I go WAY back.  I mean, like back to Hawaii.  We first met in Hawaii when our ex's were deployed at the same time.  We hung out almost every day! We'd have sleepovers and act like tourists, driving around the island.  But as military life, I ended up moving to Virginia in 2009, and that was the last time I saw her.  We kept in touch on Facebook, even after she returned to the East Coast and moved back to Maryland.  But it wasn't until recently when she and her family moved to Virginia that we decided to actually meet up again.  When she first moved to Virginia, they were living in Newport News. Still close, but a drive over the HRBT that I hated driving on.  While her hubby was deployed, they bought and moved into a cute house in Suffolk.

One Sunday afternoon, I headed up to Suffolk.  The drive was so beautiful! Definitely made me think about moving up there.... But then I remembered how the traffic sucked going to base.  The further away I move from Norfolk, the worse it will be! Maybe one day. Soon.  I arrived at their house and immediately hugged Amanda as she greeted me on their front porch.  I mean, it has been SIX years since I last saw her!!  We hung out and chit chatted, reminiscing about the fun times we had when lived in Hawaii, to the craziness we both went through when we moved from Hawaii.

Previously, I told Amanda that I wanted to do a lifestyle session with them.  How could you not want to take some photos of their little cutie?!?! Thank you guys for allowing to spend the afternoon with you! And Amanda, like I said, let's not let 6 years go by again!

little cutie
toy story toys
daddy and son
hiding in the cabinets
putting on his new hat
lunchtime!

Brrr... Baby It's Cold Outside! | Virginia Beach Family Photographer

Emily contacted me to get some holiday photos done since I was booking Holiday mini sessions.  We set up their session for one of my favorite locations, the Adam Thoroughgood House in Virginia Beach.  Earlier in the week, we were worrying mainly about the rain that was forecasted for the day of the session.  Unfortunately, that was least of our worries.  On the day of the session, it was a crisp 40 degrees.  And let me just tell you, they definitely rocked it through the harsh cold weather! 

Marley
Silly faces
oh my they're kissing!
talking
Marley2
Westfall family