My name is Jaime Lenhart, I am a portrait photographer in Canton, Ohio.  I don’t eat the ends of French Fries.  Marrying my husband was the best choice I have ever made.  We have 2 beautiful daughters and 1 adorable son.   When I was little I always wanted applesauce and grapes for my birthday dinner.  I love being outside.  Growing up I wanted to be a teacher, a marine biologist, or a mermaid.  I’m scared of rubber bands. I love the feeling of a baby sleeping on my chest.  I have taught 2nd grade, and community college and currently hold my most important position yet: mom.  I love to dance.  I have an unbelievable group of friends.  I hate feet.  I love the “order” of which my life has happened.  My family (both immediate and by marriage) support and encourage me like no other.  I like to take pictures and now think I might want to be a photographer when I grow up. I am thankful for every day.

A bit about the session:

This session is one of my favorites! I always encourage clients to think about what their child is “into” around the time of their session and then bring that thing/toy/activity along to their shoot.  Giving kids a sense of purpose during a portrait session makes for more interesting and genuine images.  This little guy, Nathan, was really into painting and actually, the idea for this shoot was his idea. Which leads me to another important piece, listen to kids! They are creative and have great ideas!  Nathan’s sweet Mama brought the art easel and paint, I scouted a great location, and then we just let Nathan go to it! The results were unique, authentic and will always be a lovely reminder of who Nathan was at 6!

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

I am a single mom. I support us 100% with my photography business. I am a survivor of domestic violence, a survivor, not a victim. I am a teacher, an artist, a mentor, and a student.
I began studying photography from one of my professional photographer uncles 26 years ago. I learned the real art of photography with film long before digital photography came about. I’ve been a professional photographer for 18 years (I look much younger than I actually am). I photographed my first wedding 14 years ago and I’ve photographed more than 400 weddings since then. I can’t even begin to count how many portrait sessions I’ve photographed over the years.
I have a picture framed on my desk. My grandmother and grandfather, 62 years ago, right after they were married. I look at it every day. What I wouldn’t give to see their wedding day, to transport myself back there and see the love, the light in their eyes – the same light I could still see when they were together, before my grandfather passed away. Unfortunately there wasn’t anyone there to capture their day. I’ll never see her dress, her nervous excitement, their hands clasped together, or the look on his face when he caught his first glimpse of her.
I want to capture stories. Your stories. Love stories of each and every kind. I want to capture all the little details of peoples lives, who they are, what they love, how they love. I want to make it last forever. 62 years from now I want you to be sitting with your grandchildren showing them the stories of your life.

A bit about the session:

This amazing family have been clients of mine since their wedding 7 years ago. They own a Yacht, which they live on much of the time, and wanted to do something with water for their first son’s photos. They gave me free reign to decide what to do. So we borrowed a rowboat, I scouted the perfect location, and here they are.

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

Hi! My name is Monica Stanley. I am a wife, mother of 3 and I love photography! A little more than 2.5 years ago, I got my first ‘digital’ camera, and after a series of major events in my life, and losing my mother to cancer, I started to see my life and the world around me a little differently. It gave me the courage to take a leap of faith, and I started to do photography professionally! My wish is to use this gift to bless my family, as well as those around me; to capture those precious moments that are fleeting, but ensure they will never be forgotten! It really means a lot to me when someone trusts and chooses to work with me! To give back, I am also a volunteer photographer for The Gold Hope Project. The Gold Hope Project’s mission is to raise awareness of Childhood Cancer through photography by giving a fighter/survivor and their family a memory of fun and beautiful pictures too!

© Jenn Schell

A bit about the session:

Meet ‘Sheriff Noah’! This is my 5 year old nephew who lives on Ocracoke Island, the Outer Banks of NC. He visited us here in AZ recently, and in no time, was a ‘beach boy turned cowboy’…welcome to the Wild West! We took him to a local attraction, Rawhide, where he got to pan gold, ride mules and watch a ‘real’ shoot-out! Boys and guns…as I read many times before I even had a son of my own, boys will make ‘pretend’ guns out of anything they can get their hands on (and even with their hands)!  I hope that this series is seen and appreciated for what it is…just a little boy who wants to catch a bad guy, and be a hero!!

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

Hello y’all, my name is Tirzah, pronounced Tear-Za. I’m a mother to two little boys & we have a baby on the way. We moved up to the Idaho area in March of 2012 after living most of my life in Las Vegas. It’s been a huge change in many ways but we really are loving where we live. I’ve been shooting for several years but I finally got serious about after my first baby. I took an online workshop by Sheye Rosemeyer that really pushed & encouraged me to do things outside of my comfort zone & since then I have been on a never ending journey to learn more & more. It seems I just can’t get enough of learning new techniques. I honestly don’t know all the technical aspects to photography, but I guess I don’t believe in rules when it comes to my art. I know what I like & if I don’t know how to achieve it, I go on a relentless search to find out. I love capturing moments that otherwise pass & are forgotten over time. My favorite is working with children because they are so fun, candid & honest .. however, I truly enjoy working with all my clients. I still have so much to learn & I’ve made a lot of new friends in doing so. Networking has been a life savor for me both professionally & to keep me sane =). I hope you enjoy this session.

© Shayna Harrison Photography

A bit about the session:

These images were taken at the end of autumn just before winter arrived. Mornings were definitely pretty chilly so it took some serious encouragement (ie: donuts for breakfast which we never do) to get my 4 year old out at sunrise to do these for me. It took me a few weeks of planning as far as what props I wanted incorporated & I knew I had to get it done before the snow joined us for many months. We didn’t have to go far as the train tracks are really all around us, we love to hear them throughout the day laying on their horns & feeling the ground rumble if nearby. Anyways ~ we spent about an hour with this session & he was very cooperative & really I would just ask him to do something & he would do it but in his little way which was perfect. I guess he’s gotten used to me taking pictures of him all the time, haha.

To see more of Tirzah’s work, you can visit her  Website  |  Facebook Page.

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.

Get to know Kelly:

As an English Lit major in college, I had originally sought to live my adult life as a high school teacher. It wasn’t until I happened upon a Visual Technologies course as part of my Fine Art minor, in my last semester of undergrad, that I discovered a sincere interest in Graphic Arts and Photography. Instead of enrolling in a teaching credential program that next Fall, I instead signed on for an accelerated design program at UCLA, offered through their extension program. From there, my journey as a Graphic Designer and Photographer took flight. And what a wonderful journey it has been! Lifestyle Photography has become the cornerstone to my business since becoming an LLC in early 2010. I find it a tremendous privilege and blessing to be invited into my clients’ lives, to capture the magic of love that they share between one another, and in turn, the love that they share with me.

I’m mom to my adorable and energetic two-year-old son, Luca, and married to an amazing husband and father, Micah. We live a simple life just north of Los Angeles, in Thousand Oaks, Ca. When not working, you can find us at the beach, camping in Yosemite, or riding our bikes through town.

© Kelly’s Hubby

A bit about the session:

Inspiration for this session came primarily from the fact that it was a warm winter evening and what better than to parade around the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains? A friend since high school, and a dancer, I knew this beautiful momma-to-be would allow me to push the session a bit more than I’d feel comfortable with a typical client. Barely clad and willing to do just about anything, we went for a more earthy, free-spirited style. The wonderful thing about maternity photography is that it exudes these qualities all on it’s own. Our aim was simply to embrace the natural beauty of pregnancy.

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

Get to know Tanya:

Photography has always played an important part in Tanya’s life.  Capturing the joy and innocence of the young children of some family friends lead her to find her inspiration and ultimately, her business.  Her ability to put her subjects at ease and to capture those beautiful, subtle moments that are the essence of childhood are what makes her work so unique.

© Yvette Roman Photography

A bit about the session:

I first met these boys when the oldest was 2.5 and the youngest was still in his mama’s belly.  Five years later, we did our first official photo shoot.  These boys are boys in the truest sense full of energy and drive. Skateboard, Scooters, and Capes (handmade by Grandma) created the perfect ingredients for a magical, playful, inspirational shoot.

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

Get to know Isabella:

It would be easy for me to say that I’m a photographer because I love taking photos. Although that IS true, it’s about much more than that. Ella Photography started as a rebellion and ended with a goal to make a change. When I started taking photos in the fashion industry, too many people would compare themselves to my photographs. Photographs of people that had been fully retouched for advertising purposes. It was frustrating. So frustrating that I decided to change industry all together. I needed to take photos of people. People like you.. and me. People that, from time to time, seem to feel down and wish they were more. However, I believe that life doesn’t have to be like that. Everyone is beautiful and everyone needs to feel that they are. I’m sorry, I tend to babble when I talk about my business. But it’s all true. I take photos of people so that they see that they (and their life) is awesome just the way they are, no change required.

I photograph boudoir, weddings and families because I want to show you how amazing you, your day or your LIFE is. And enjoy the photos for years to come. My style is natural with a touch of awesome. Yea, that’s a thing. I promise. I’m a girl that does love to take photos but I also have a goal to redefine what the word “perfect” means by making you feel beautiful and make you feel comfortable about being yourself. I’m located in Montreal but also serve New york and travel worldwide.

© James Correia

A bit about the session:

I’m a wedding photographer. Often however, I heard of family and friends complaining that their life is overwhelming. Moms felt tired, bored or didn’t feel like their life was all that glamorous anymore. I soon realized that my outlook of defining beauty shouldn’t just stop at “self” but should show parents that, although it seems hectic sometimes, It’s important to slow down and admire what they have in their lives. So I started photographing families.

It’s one thing to have shoot outdoors with posing and playing around, however when Anastasia (mom) contacted me, I wanted to have a more intimate shoot to really be able to capture the families life and rituals. Playtime in their home reading books and playing Cars and having coffee in the morning. Simple things. Things that happen every single day. Those are the things where I need to prove to mom and dad that they life is awesome.

We started out in the bedroom to have a “getting up in the morning” feel. The kids run in and wake up mom and dad and then they play whatever they like to play as a family. Then, we went downstairs in the playroom for coffee and more hanging out. The entire shoot was done in natural light from the windows.  I asked Anastasia to write me a little blurb about the experience. This is what she had to say:

“The experience was wonderful! It felt natural and gave our family a moment to slow down and appreciate one another. I wish we could do this every Saturday. I was so impressed with how beautiful our family and home looked! Does that work?! [She's asking me if it was ok for a blurb] I didn’t want to be to over the top. But I think this type of photo shoot is therapy for the soul and you get a chance to see pictures of how really awesome your life is. A healthy loving family is the greatest lottery to win, and you capture that in a way that most photographers can’t . . .”

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

Get to know Jac & Jules:

jac&jules is made up of two girls from the Jersey shore who share a love of photography, family and FuN!  Our style combines posed and candid portraits shot on location, primarily using natural light.  We love to mix it up!  It might be partially due to our indecisiveness… but we like it that way We are always on the move but love to be social.  You can always catch up with us on the blog, facebook, or check out what we’re up to personally on Pinterest (Jacqui or Julia) and Instagram!

© Mikey Wristen (aka Jac’s Hubby)

A bit about the session:

When these guys stepped out of the car for their session we were super excited, and totally loved their outfits. Once the session began we were thrilled to find that they were not only a super adorable family with great style, but the kids were well-behaved to boot… a photographers dream!

You can see more of Jac & Jules work on their  Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook Page.

Get to know Angela:

I first picked up a camera when I was barely out of preschool. Photography has played an important role throughout my life, and was a passion I shared with my father, who inspired me to really see through the lens. I love being behind the camera, and capturing those precious memories. I’ve become a historian unintentionally, as I document the lives of my family and my client family. It’s simultaneously humbling and exhilarating to be included in these major milestones of life.

When I’m not behind the camera, I’m spending time with the loves of my life: my husband, daughter, and two furbabies (a yellow lab and a miniature schnauzer). I believe they are an important part of what I do, as they inspire me to create, connect, and share. I couldn’t do this without them!

© Quinn LaCasse Photography

A bit about the session:

David came to me when I was looking for senior guys to work with. It’s easy to get the girls in front of the camera, but the fellas are always a bit more reserved. Well, David’s enthusiasm for the session was inspiring – he was ready to get to work! We chatted a little bit about school and sports, and it became clear that we needed to make baseball a BIG part of his session. (He’d been playing since the age of 4!) Because I wanted to focus on David and his connection to America’s favorite pastime  I wanted to use simple locations that would draw the eye back to the focus, but without sacrificing color or texture. (Texture plays a large role in many of my sessions!)  I decided to go with an urban feel, and we headed to the local downtown area, which is going through a revitalization.  We shot in alleys, vacant lots, and even found an old blacksmithing shop, which lent a masculine feel to the images without detracting from our focus.

As we progressed through the session, David was so natural and just himself, and it shines through in his portraits. I’ve found in working with teen guys, they are much more relaxed when you can keep them in their element, and for this session, baseball was that element! I also find that it is helpful for my seniors to bring a friend along to coach them. They know their friend best. David brought along his girlfriend, to help with the important wardrobe decisions. Time passed so quickly that morning, and we had a great time! David’s smile and laugh are definitely contagious, and I was honored to capture these important moments in his journey!

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