a walk in the park

it was a beautiful late summer morning--the type that brings the warmth of the sun and the crisp coolness of fall. and it was early. read my lips. i am not a morning person. however, on this particular morning, i bounded out of bed, down the stairs, and to my shoot 45 minutes early. i was beyond excited, a bag of nerves, and honestly wanted to throw up...my first shoot ever. the setting? a local park with plenty of character and great shooting opportunities. the light was perfect, giving off a warm honey glow. i checked and rechecked my camera and settings. i was ready. 

the glow of her eyes, the fairness of her skin, and her beautiful smile spoke for themselves. i swear this little lady could be a magazine cover model! i can't express enough thanks to my friend Kelli who gave me the wonderful opportunity of shooting her adorable one year old daughter, Riley. from the first click of the shutter, we were laughing, running, chasing, and making weird and funny noises to keep her attention. we had an amazing couple of hours and i couldn't be more pleased with the results! here are a few teasers for now--look for the final cut soon!

(i love this shot, especially knowing what it took to get it! we were standing on a bridge overlooking a pond. i was trying to distract her by drawing her attention to the ducks that were floating on the water. instead of looking through the railing, she decided to lay down and look underneath. note to self...invest in knee pads!)