Get to know Emily:

I live in a three-ring circus. In our tiny, happy, ivy-covered house live 5 people, two cats, a dog,  and a small colony of dust bunnies.  Our three energetic, mischievous boys have taken years off my life and added innumerable grey hairs to my collection, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
Life is busy; life is stressful; life is messy. But it’s the only one I’ve got, and I want to remember it the way it is. The way my precious family is now. The scraped knees, the wonder, the endless eyelashes on my babies, the mud puddles we find to play in.  And I’m passionate about doing the same for my clients.

I am utterly devoted to my craft. To pursuing excellence every time I click the shutter, every time I customize a photographic experience for my clients. I’m committed to creating something unique for each family; an authentic portrait of life. Art that lasts, and speaks, and says something true about you.

© Woven Studios

A bit about the session:

Birth photography is my passion. There are a host of big moments that make up a life, and the two that stand out most to me are saying “I do” and giving birth. For all the time and money we spend on weddings and wedding photography, it seems strange to me that we don’t go to such lengths to make sure our children’s entrance into the world is as beautifully documented. When a former professional photographer, Catherine, contacted me about shooting her birth, I knew immediately that she “got it.” When we met for coffee to chat and see if we were a good fit for each other, the first thing she said to me was, “You know that look when a groom sees his bride for the first time on their wedding day? I want you to capture that look on my husband’s face when he meets his son for the first time.” Magic.
Catherine ended up having a very long, very difficult labor, but she held up like a soldier. I say this about every birth, but I truly was inspired by her grit and perseverance. And, of course, the payoff was *totally* worth it.

 You can see more of Emily’s work on her  Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook Page.

The Fort would not be where it is today without Nichole.  She wasn’t just a business partner, she is one of my best friends, and I will greatly miss getting to work with her on a daily basis.  I know how much she values quality time with her kids, and I think we can all agree that ultimately family comes before business.

That being said, here’s a note from Nichole to you:

“Dear Fort Readers,

When Laura and I first started talking about creating The Fort the first emotions I felt were excitement at all the possibilities and of course a little bit of apprehension at the thought of adding more to my already busy schedule.  Four kids, a photography business, and I was, at that point, working like a crazy person trying to get everything together for the launch of my first set of actions.  I was one busy lady.  This magazine was a dream project and still is.  This is why this post is a little hard for me to share with you all today.  Although my time with The Fort has been AMAZING, my family life and my other businesses have been suffering, and I can no longer balance everything.  My children are growing like weeds and thankfully so is my business.  I’ve decided to scale things back a bit for this new year in order to spend more time with my family so with that, I am saying goodbye to The Fort.  

I’ll go ahead and add that my goodbye doesn’t mean I’ll be gone completely.  I’ll still be The Fort’s BIGGEST fan, and I still plan on submitting sessions for The Fort’s Session shares! Seriously! Laura is going to take this magazine to the next level with every single issue and I cannot wait to see where she goes with this!!

Sincerely,
Nichole”

The Fort is about building a community of photographers that are there to support each other.  I want Nichole to be happy, and I hope all of us can root for her as she moves on to new adventures.  Please rest assured that the show will go on!  I want you to know that I’m going to put my all into The Fort.  I love getting to know all of you and your work, and I hope that we can continue to grow together.  The 5th issue is already well under way, and it’s going to be a all about the Groom.  I hope that you’ll stick with The Fort during this transition, and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns via email info@thefortmag.com.

Sincerely,

Laura

We found this cute graphic on Eighteen25!

About Bloom Theory:

BLOOM THEORY was born from a dream. A fantasy Vania and Christine, founders of Simply Bloom Photography, LLC, envisioned in late 2011 to one day revolutionize the world of camera accessories. It wasn’t long before the European gals began working hard to make their dream come true. After months of product and market research, engineering, delegating, sketching, testing and designing, their dream had become tangible. With an acute sense of aesthetic, the girls strive to create designs that are unconventional, dramatic, yet still practical and efficient.

Learn more about Bloom Theory on their  Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter.

***This is just one of the amazing prizes that will be given away with our Winner’s contest.  We will be announcing other sponsors weekly, so don’t forget to check back!***