I am so happy this beautiful and fun-loving family contacted me for a child/family photography session! They are just lovely people and were so relaxed and easy during our shoot. Lucky for them – and me! – they live in a beautiful community with lovely manicured areas but are extremely close to a field of tall grasses and an old wood barn! Yay! I am so glad dad got a good laugh about my love/hate relationship with untamed nature!!! I did make it out into the grass for some lovely images…..one that I am showing in black and white because it just screamed for a black and white conversion to me…..although it is also lovely in color as well.

And the second part of our session took place in the rooms of these lovely little princesses! I was soooooo happy to be photographing these little girls in their beautiful everyday environments! They were just as sweet and girly as can be as they jumped on the bed, twirled to the music, played with their toys. I felt drawn back to my childhood when I loved to dress up and dance and dance and dance! These days are so precious!

And as little sister started to tire, big sis was sweet enough to climb up in the rocking chair and look through books with her. It totally melted my heart to see how willing big sis was to love her little sister in this way:)

Mom and Dad, it was my pleasure to spend this time with your lovely family! I hope you enjoy this preview. Have 35 unique friends or family members leave a comment on this post (along with an email address) and receive a complimentary 5×7 desktop print or your choice! Receive 50 comments and you may choose an 8×10!

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amy: Oh how I love this session. You always rock it.. Great work.. The girls are adorable and the interaction you captured.. Is a WOW.

Zoe Berkovic: Oh Ashle, I love these! Such beautiful kids! You captured them in such a vibrant fun way!

Lisa: love the dancing pics....too cute. can't wait for our shoot!

Jason: Is it me or do your clients have the BEST light in their homes?? Wonderful job again :)

Sandra: You captured the Beauty, Happiness, and Love in this precious family. Wonderful photographs.

Jessica: Love the ones of the two girls in the chair together reading!! So cute!!!

aseel: Love this session! LOVE their rooms!

Tina: Great photos of beautiful little ladies.

Belle: awe these are so precious!

Jennie Barton: Great pictures should be models.

lindsay: LOVE the family shots in the field and of course your at home lifestyle shots are to die for!

will: beautiful moments captured of a beautiful family!

Veronica: Love these pics......to cute...the girls are growing so fast....you all look so happy!!!!

Shelby: Another amazing session. Great family shots and I love the ones of the girls in their rooms.

Leiba Bernstein: Wow I love these Ashley! Especially the ones in the bedrooms! So vibrant and full of life!

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Oh yes! Diva indeed! This beautiful little girl already knows what she wants and she knows how to get it! And mom and dad are happy to indulge their little princess – just as it should be:) We had a wonderful time dressing her in some wonderful things her mommy had picked out. I’m telling you……I wanted to stick that little red hat in one of my bags as I was packing up!!!

This is the first of a large cluster of newborn and baby sessions over the next couple of weeks that are sure to keep me on my toes. You won’t hear any complaints from me……I love the time I spend working with babies and their families! Be watching the blog to see them all:)

Mom and Dad – it was an absolute pleasure to photograph you and your precious baby girl. I hope you enjoy this preview of our session. And as always, have 35 unique friends and/or family members leave a comment on this blog post (along with their valid email address) for a complimentary 5×7 gift print. Get 50 comments and I will gift you with an 8×10!

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Brandi: oh my goodness she is so sweet! I always love seeing your newborn work :)

Fiona Colvin: How super-duper cute :) Love them all!

Kara Layfield: Total Sweetness!! I love everything about this session...the lighting...that amazing hat...and the beautiful princess!! Mom and Dad must be totally thrilled with these.

Kathleen: Oh my! Such cuteness. I love all the outfit changes for the little diva. Everything is just just cute!

Jen Gasper: Oh my goodness isn't she just perfect? I love it! I love that she is already a diva! Precious!

Sylvia Borgo: Ohhh, sweet, sweet baby! I love the lifestyle shots as well!

Kari Wright: Those are so cute! That feather hat is too much - diva indeed!

Kris: Oh my goodness! Isn't she sweet?! Love the tutu one.

Katherine: How gorgeous! These are absolutely beautiful!

Kim Barragan: Its all about the accesories!... but she looks PRECIOSA with or without them!!

Marzena: LOVE the variety of setup! I'd be beyond thrilled with such polished looks. Gorgeous little girl.

Erin Johnson: B is indeed beautiful! What wonderful pictures.

Bonnie Bromagem: Oh my gosh, she is gorgeous! That red hat is to DIE for!

Maria: She's absolutely fabulous!

Maria: I, for one, want the red hat in my size! Something tells me I wouldn't look anywhere NEAR as adorable as this little Diva is! Great photos with vibrant colors and amazing serenity all at the same time.

Kevin: We absolutely adore these photos and can't wait to see the rest. You have captured our diva in her full glory. Thank you Ashley!!

Liz: Oh. My. Gosh. These are so cute! I love them all.

Jennifer: Beautiful baby and beautiful pictures!

G: I absolutely love the pictures! They are fabulous and I am so happy with the way they came out! I enjoyed working with you and love your artistic vision and passion! You are one amazing photographer :) Thank you!

StephMay: WOW, these are too too too cute for words!! What a sweeeeet little newborn and beautiful family!

Julie Wagoner: What a precious little diva she is! These are so girly and sweet!

ashley honeycutt moore: everyone is stunning... i'm blown away!

Kristin Robertson: How adorable!

Christen Corning: Stunning!

Dusty: She is so precious and the photographs are all wonderful! I cannot wait to see her in person.

Tina Blackwell: These are the most beautiful photos that I have ever seen taken of a baby...Wow! Incredible work! And, what a gorgeous little girl!

beverly: oMG! that smile in the first shot just melts my heart and brings a smile to my face.

Charlene Clancy: Diva I is stunning! Her hat collection makes her ready a royal wedding. What great photos!

Claire: These are gorgeous Ashley!

Ashley Petersen: Those pics are incredible!! I, you are one special little diva. I love you very much!

Ivanova Rodriguez: The photographs are amazing. You were able to capture her beauty. She is a diva! She is my little princess. Your work is fantastic.

Brandi-lee: That red hat and blanket look awesome, total Diva style! She's gorgeous and I really like how you've matched the animal print blanket with that huge lion, it really shows how little she is.

Mariajose: absolutely beautiful, a little princess!! wowow

laura: beautiful! Where did you get all those adorable hats! enjoy her! They grown quickly!

Jason: WOW, these are ALL so good!! My fav is the 1st image on the red blanket! Great pose and awesome hat :)

Jo Ann: I can't believe how much she has grown and how many hats she has. Pretty sassy!

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Yes, I am alive! I don’t think I have ever been away from my blog for this long before and I promise to really really try not to ever let this much time go by without a post again! It has been a wild few months with workshops and business developments and a fun-filled amazing wedding week at Folly Beach. But before I go there….just a few things I need to let my friends, clients, would-be clients, and general blog stalkers know about.

I want to thank all of my clients and all my supporters for spreading the word about Ashley Ward Photography. I am so thrilled with the growth in my business since returning to Columbia a year ago. It has been amazing and I am so very grateful. At this point, I am actually having to decline some sessions because my calendar has filled up so well. I hate to turn away any client who appreciates my work and wants me to document their family, relationships, celebrations, and happiness. But to be fair to the clients I already have scheduled, I have to be careful not to overbook. I am starting a waiting list for session inquiries for appointment from now through mid-September. If you are interested in a session during these times, let me know as soon as possible. I currently have 2 spots available in late September, 2 in October, and 1 spot for any kind of session in November. That is only 5 more spots for family sessions until the end of the year! However, I have a couple more spots for newborn and baby session in November and December each, provided no prints or products are required before the holidays. If you need a session in a certain time frame, please contact me as far in advance as you can. For newborn and baby sessions, early bookings are extremely important.

Now for the good stuff:) So, my sister married an amazing man on July 10th at my mother and step-father’s home on Folly Beach…..a man I am so happy to call my brother-in-law. My daughter must have told me a hundred times how happy she was that “Mr. Mike” was now “Uncle Mike”. Amy and her new husband were surrounded with the love and support of family from both sides, and a great many of their close friends who traveled from New York (where my sis and Uncle Mike call home) and LA and lots of places in between. I know there were many more who were there in spirit and who sent their love and best wishes in all kinds of ways.

The celebration of this union was truly special. Despite the heat and the spells of rain that put a few things on hold, it was a beautiful wedding. The bride wore a pink lace Betsy Johnson frock, some killer shoes and a petite crown, and carried a lovely bridal bag that was hand-made by and borrowed from her dear friend Robin. The groom was so dapper in his seersucker suite. The flower girl and flower girl/ring bearer were precious in their gray and pink dresses – even if the smaller one made a rather quick (but precious) retreat from the spotlight! The ceremony took place in front of the little tea house in the Folly House back yard and was highlighted with readings from the groom’s mother and bride’s father and music from friends.

The celebration afterward was fabulous. I have no doubt everyone enjoyed all the sinful southern dishes and incredible entertainment. Amy and Mike started the entertainment off by singing and playing to friends and family and were followed by their fabulous friends who performed their own musical tributes to the couple. Some even wrote songs just for the occasion – tender or hilarious! Everyone was really treated to an amazing show of talent and friendship. The show was followed by decacent desserts, including the surprise delivery of gelato trucks by a dear friend who was unable to attend. Yummy! Then, dancing, photobooth mania, sparklers, hot tub soaking, pool……it was crazy fun.

I am not a wedding photographer. But I was honored to be asked by Amy to document the joy. Just sharing a few images from that week and the blessed day itself:) I hope they can relive some of the emotions and beauty of the day when they see these. I love you guys!

(oh – and I have to add a thank you to my husband, Jeff, who worked so hard helping me and who I never could have done this without:)

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Kari Wright: Who says you're not a wedding photographer? This looks like the most fun wedding EVER. I love the pink dress too!

Shelby: What a fun wedding! You captured this special even perfectly! Oh, yes...definitely KILLER SHOES! Love them!

Dawn Kitley: Wow, Ashley, it looks like it was such an amazing and fun occasion. LOVE the one of you and your daughter on the chair!! Yes, LOVE the shoes.

aseel: omgosh. those are so much fun! It looks like an awesome wedding. LOVE!!!

Fiona Colvin: Ashley these are fun and colourful and I think really capture the day so beautifully. It looked like a great party. Oh and you're daughter could so easily be your sisters, they're so alike :)

Kimberly Kyle: What an awesome, colorful and fun wedding! You did a great job. What perfect memories. :-)

Jason: I'm SURE she loves these!!! You did an amazing job! I really like the pictures at the beach...

lara: holy cuteness. could they be more adorable??!!!!? FABULOUS work Ashely!

Kris: What a fun wedding! Amazing pics! And a side note, I know where Folly Beach is and have been there.

Amber: LOVE these Ashley! The wedding looked like so much fun and you captured it perfectly!

EmilyC: I love the personalities that you have captured...that is what makes the memories!! Great, great job. LOVE them all. You should do more weddings:)

amy: Man oh Man do I wish I was a fly on the wall for this wedding.. Way to cute.. Love them all. Congrats to the new bride.. love the dress.

Tiffany Bender: These are so much fun....I felt like I was right there- or wanted to be!!!!!! Awesome work

stephanie beaty: I know you don't typically shoot weddings..but you should! These really capture the spirit of the day and are infused with such personality! I hope she loves them!

Jen Reif: This looks like such a fun wedding! Huge congratulations to the gorgeous bride and groom!! You can tell that they are madly in love :)

Jamie Siever: Wow. This is amazing - the colors, the love, everything about the day/s. Gorgeous! And, I agree w/Kari. Weddings seem to suit you!

Kara Layfield: Oh my gosh...what a fun wedding!! I love the brides funky pink dress and shoes that ROCK!! This looks like a good time and the bride couldn't have been prettier. Those photbooth shoots are super cute!

Belle: these are so cool! congrats to your sister!

Nichole Van: Love these! Seriously! And some amazing flash work too . . . . love love love!

desi: these are really great! i especially LOVE the first lot. well done

lindsay: flippin' awesome my dear!!

Katie: ahmazing!!

Ashley: Thank you all so much for the lovely comments! I am all smiles reading them and I know my sister will enjoy them too:) In case you didn't know - the lady in the middle on the second to the last row of images with the crazy pink hair......that's me - bestowing love on my little piece of sunshine:)

StephMay: WOW, you rocked this session!! Really, this is about the coolest, most fun wedding photography I have EVER seen. These are great!!

Michele (Pinkle Toes): Oh shut up! These are incredible! I love the sweet softness of the ones under the pier, too!!!!

nancy: CANNOT believe you worried about being the wedding photographer--these are AWESOME!!!!!! (of course, I expected nothing less!) btw, LOVE the turquoise chair and NEED those shoes!

Carrie: Oh my goodness what a super cute and fun wedding! It makes me wish I was there enjoying all the fun! Great job girly!

Brandi-lee: Wow, girl, these are great. They all look so full of joy in every shot! Love the photo booth!

brandi: whoa! what an awesome surprise! i haven't seen amy in years, and this is the best way to get to see her after so long. she looks madly in love with the world. you are such a fantastic photographer. all my best to the happy couple. also: flans and goldwasser? adorable.

Jen Gasper: These look like so much fun! Oh my goodness! I love the colors and would have loved to have been a guest!

Sylvia Borgo: Great captures. The images of the bride and groom by the water are dreamy!

Amy Miles: Yes, I am the luckiest sister in the world. I knew Ashley was an incredible photographer, but I am still blown away at how these pics turned out. She really captured the energy there and was just amazing!!! Love you Ash!!!!!

Kevin: Amazing photos that capture the joy and overwhelming emotions of a wedding.

Danielle: Ashley!!! These are amazing!! It looks like SUCH a fun party and you captured that beautifully!!! Congrats to your sister! I know you have been looking forward to this event for a while!

Before I tell you all about this session, I want to give some updates to my availability for sessions. June is booked. I will be traveling on business next week and will be shooting my sister’s wedding the following week. With my current July bookings, I have 1 or 2 available slots for July. If you are interested in a July booking, please contact me now. There are no available appointments for August. If you would like to be put on the waiting list for that month let me know.

I am currently booking for the rest of the year. I will only take a limited number of clients each month and already have bookings for every month until the end of the year. Because fall is the most popular time of year for family sessions, you should book now for preferred dates and to guarantee you will be on my schedule. Expecting parents should contact me as soon as they have a due date to reserve a time slot for newborn sessions, especially this time of year. And remember that the best results of newborn sessions come when it is held in the first 2 weeks after birth.

It has been a terrific year so far. I truly believe I have the best clients ever and have just loved meeting and working with new families, being able to document the changes for returning families, and enjoying the crazy growth both me and my business have seen. Thank you, thank you.

And now…..on with the show!!

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This family got quite a bit bigger in a pretty quick way recently when they brought home 2 beautiful baby girls! At almost 3 months old, I was surprised and oh so happy that they actually did sleep for a while for me:) Little angels, for sure! And big brother was just about the sweetest little man I ever met, with genuine love and concern and affection for his baby sisters. Mom and Dad definitely have their hands full but big brother seems to be off to a fantastic start in his new role.

Mom and Dad, thank you for choosing me to capture some images of your new bigger and even more beautiful family. I hope you enjoy these images and I look forward to seeing you at our proofing session! Have 35 unique friends and family members leave a message on this post along with their email and receive a free 5×7 gift print of you choice on me! Receive 50 comments and I will gift you with a free 8×10:)
See you soon!

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Leya: OMGoodness, Ashley. This is a HARD session and you ROCKED it!!! I'm sure they will be beyond stoked with these great images~!!

Zoe Berkovic: Gosh these are so amazing! I would want all of them in HUGE in my home if they were mine!

ShellyS: These are beautiful. What a lovely family and look at those babies! Gorgeous images!

Leya: OMGoodness, Ashley. This is a HARD session and you ROCKED it!!! I'm sure they will be beyond stoked with these great images~!! I just had to add, that this last pick would be a fantastic blog header!!!!

Jason: Yup, awesome as always :)

Julie Wagoner: Ashley, what you have accomplished here is truly awe-inspiring! Two three month olds and a big brother...you totally rocked it! :)

Kari Wright: I can't believe you even attempted this - TWO 3 month olds would be hard. You rocked it girl! Does everyone in SC have a gorgeous home or what?

Shelby: Beautiful family and awesome photos! GREAT work Ashley.

kellie: Uh ...... Oh my goodness!! These images are beautiful!! What a LUCKY family. I only wish I had something like that when my children were little:)

Laura: Ashley, these are fantastic. The family is so cute! ANd the twins are adorable! Wonderful work!

aseel: Those are preciuos, Ashley! What a beautiful family.

Fabiana: You are my hero. Amazing images that this family will treasure for a lifetime. LOVE LOVE LOVE how these turned out.

beverly: oh my goodness - they. are. just. so .precious!!!!! beautiful family and beautiful images.

Anita: Very nice. you rocked it !!!!

Justyna: Aww so beautiful! Love the family images you create. And the sibling portraits are so adorable!

Emily: Wow - you did it! Thank you for taking the time and having the patience necessary to beautifully capture this crazy time in our lives. :-)

Lina: Love your family images. They are always so full of life. Lovely lighting too. I can not imagine what a day looks like in this family - must be quite adventurous!

Missy Hagood: The photos are beautiful! You had a wonderful "smiling" family to work with! Great Job!!! Thanks, Missy

Ashley: These are absolutely amazing pictures. I actually got a little teary. Do you come to Summerville?

alpana: omg! those are the cutest little babies! the parents will treasure these forever.

Nicole: Love those smile shots!!! You did a fantastic job!!! I am sure they will love them!!!

Cynthia Fowler*: These are awesome girl. The parents will love them. Love the ones of them snuggled up together.

Charlotte: Every picture is great. All the kids are beautiful.

Jenny: What a gorgeous family Emily and fabulous pictures! The ones of the girls snuggling are just precious!

nici comer: yay, ashley! what an awesome job. my faves are the first one and the one with C&C with arms entwined. just precious. E, hope you love 'em! you have a beautiful family!

Mary: Adorable! What a great looking family.

Jacque: The children are beautiful --as are the parents. My favorite is the one in which one of the twins is smiling! They are all precious and I don't know how you and Ellis will choose.

roopal samuels: awesome pics! not sure how you will choose...

Laura: Ashley these are fantastic!! Twins are such a difficult shoot and you really knocked this one out of the park. Beautiful work! Love, love, love the sleeping babies shot. How on earth did you accomplish that? My hat's off to you girl! Beautiful family!

SPS: Love the ones of the sleeping girls!

Jennifer: I love these pictures! Can't wait to get a birth announcement!!! :-)

Mary: These are beautiful pictures of a wonderful family!

Wende Trew: I LOVE those!! What a gorgeous family!! I know they are going to love these. I would have a hard time choosing my favs!!

Brandi-lee: Amazing work, love these!!

Peter Held: I like the compositions and the lighting, the creative setting, plus what attests to a lot of patience to get the excellent group pictures. The individual pictures of the children picked up precious expressions.

Dawn: Ashley, these are SO great, especially of the ones with the twins, just the two of them. Precious! Great job, as USUAL!!!

Anna: gorgeous Ashley!!!! Beautiful and perfect!!

Dori: oh my goodness, Ashley, what lovely images! I don't know how you were able to capture them with the ages of the children. I guess that's why I'm your devoted fan! I seriously want you to do my family images! Dori

Kate Craft: Beautiful! I'm with Zoe if these were my family I'd be printing them big for my wall. Great job

Holly: ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS!!! What great pictures!!!

Gail: Oh my goodness these are AWESOME images! Considering you had double the workload, you sure make it look easy! LOVE these!!!

Steve: Fantastic pictures!

ruth: these are wonderful. The twins' photos are precious.

Amanda Leatherberry: Fabulous session! I esp love the ones of the babies sleeping together :)

amy: great job with these!!! love them all especially the ones of the two babies...so sweet!!

Darren: Congratulations this is a great session !

Kris: Amazing as always! Love the ones of them sleeping!

Jennifer: Girl... I SO wish I had known you when my twins were born... you captured these perfectly!!!

Katie: Lovely!

Amber: Once again, another amazing session! Beautiful babies and family =)

This is the follow-up post with images from my work with other photographers a couple of weeks ago. I have been so busy preparing for and wrapping up loose ends and finishing up work before my workshop in just over a week in Salt Lake City! I am really looking forward to studying with one of my favorite photographers! But I’ll tell you all about that a little later. I’m also preparing for my sister’s wedding the week after that. I hope to have some gorgeous images to share with you about that:) And I hope you will forgive me for being short on words tonight. I should have been asleep long ago but knew if I didn’t post this before the weekend, these images might not ever see my blog!

The really cool thing about checking out the images from the different photographers who were at this get-together is seeing how differently we all saw the same scene……each artist with their own voice!

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lisa lucky: ashley, those are beautiful! it IS fun to see the different visions from the same shoot:)

Laura: Ashley these are gorgeous! I LOVE the ones of the girl in the field. Beautiful! And the maternity shot. Love it! Oh, and the chunky baby. Divine! Okay, I just love them all! LOL.

Lina: It was so nice to meet you, Ashley! And your images look nothing like mine - so interesting to see how different we all see the same things :)

Leya: Love them. Ashley, you are soo talented, and I am always amazed at how differently people see the same thing!!!

Slavie: I don't know how you do it. Each image is better than the next. All the different types. From baby to maternity to senior. They are simply beautiful.

amy: girl, you just keep on breaking through to the other side. fantastic work friend.

aseel: Gorgeous images, Ashley!!! I love them all :)

Jason: Ashley, these are ALL amazing!! You are sooooo good! I am always in awe! Knowing that we use the same gear gives me something to strive for!

Anna: what an absolutely gorgeous and beautiful set of photos!!! LOVE them all!!

Julie Wagoner: Ashley, love seeing your versions of the images! You have a creative vision that is beautiful!

Shelby: Ashley, these are absolutely beautiful. LOVE them.

alpana: lovely work, Ashley!! and the last one of the little babe...too cute!

Belle: these are all so precious!

Brandi-lee: beautiful!! All of them are gorgeous!

Zoe Berkovic: Gorgeous! I love how you processed these! So beautiful!

Laura: These are fabulous! ALL of them!!! Wonderful wonderful work.

katecraft: beautiful just beautiful

Kevin: I love the pictures of the baby, all smiles and with a great use of the chair.

OK, so if you know Dad, please don’t clue him in. This adorable family of 3 lovely ladies and 1 little man decided daddy didn’t need another tie for Father’s Day! What could possibly make a better gift than the smiles of those he loves and who love him?!! I am so glad they chose me for their photo session:)

The two little ladies were adorable and although holding frogs no bigger than your pinky nail and the old croaking bullfrog from in the water were pretty exciting, I think the most joy of the morning came when I pulled out the giant lollis! What child can resist brightly-colored SUGAR:)

Mom, you did great and so did your clan! I hope you will enjoy this preview. Tell everyone to check this out and if 35 unique friends or family members leave a comment on this post (along with their email address), you can choose a 5×7 desktop print on me. Get 50 and receive an 8×10:)

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Kari Wright: Adorable! Daddy will be thrilled!

Kelly Stein-Marcus: I LOVE THEM!! You are truly amazing. I'm ready for another session! Daddy will be eternally thrilled. Can't wait to see the rest!!

Fabiana: What a fabulous father's day gift. He is going to love them. Beautiful work, again, Ashley!!!

Leya Stefanski: Fantastic Ashely. Love these, What a wonderful gift!!

Shelby: These are beautiful. Dad will love them! Great work Ashley!

Kris: Ashley you make it so hard to pick a favorite! Love the last one especially! And the girls with the pops. Did you make your yo-yo mat? I just learned how to make yo yos and am loving it!

Lindsey Abdelnor: These are gorgeous- OMG they turned out fab!! Glad I could help

Caryn: Awesome pics!! You guys are so photogenic!!

Brandi-lee: What a great idea for Dad, these are going to knock his socks off, they're gorgeous. Love all of them but have to say that 4th one of the little boy melts my heart, love his expression!

Ashley: Kelly, I am so glad you love them! And thanks for commenting here:) Thank you everyone else for the awesome comments!

Amy: Just fantastic.. I love these all.. Those kids are just adorable.

shalonda: WOWEEEEE! thats one lucky dad!

Marci: these photos are amazing! everyone looks beautiful.

Carrie: Kelly, these are fabulous! I love them.

Diane Vengel: What fantastic pictures! I love them. They are all amazing.

Claire: Dad will love them.

Julie Wagoner: Oh, what a happy dad this father is going to be! These are just gorgeous. It's hard to even choose a favorite but I do love that fourth shot so much!

Lucy Calvary: Beautiful! Matt will love them.

Dawn Kitley: Ashley, you captured a light and airy feeling in these, as you always do. Fabulous!!!

brittani: awww!! they are beautiful. this is a great daddy's day gift. =) great job!!

Wende Trew: those are sooo beautiful!! I love all of them!!

Kerry Siereveld: Fabulous, fabulous! You are one talented lady!

Lina: What a smart mamma! And hot too! Those are fun captures, beautiful work, Ashley!

Jason: This location is awesome!! You did a great job on these!

Zoe Berkovic: sigh. You capture connections and color so well!

Laura: I love the family picture! Daddy is getting a great Father's Day present!!

Kevin: Wonderful, warm pictures. Really show off the incredible beauty of the family.

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Oh you lucky little girl! You were blessed with a great set of parents!

I had a wonderful time chatting with mom and dad all through our newborn baby photography session yesterday. We shared stories and laughed and had a great time while working together. And this much-loved baby girl was so good! She was a little over 3 weeks old when I photographed her, but slept like an angel!

Check out the precious nursery! I just love shooting in the nurseries. Rooms like this are so much fun!

Mom and Dad, thank you so much! I can’t wait to meet with you guys for your proofing. In the meantime, send your friends and family members this link to see your sneak peek!
If you receive comments from 35 different individuals (along with an email address), you will receive a 5×7 desktop print of your choice on me! Get 50 and receive an 8×10!!! Enjoy!

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Amy: Ashely.. These are just extremely precious. I love them all I have such a hard time to pick I am sure the parents are over the moon with there. You so Rock.. Keep up the awesome work.

Laura: Oh Ashley what an adorable baby! I LOVE the shots of her on the baby bed! Cuteness overload!

Fabiana: What a precious little one. She is beautiful and you photos have captured her so well. Beautiful work...beautiful family!!!

Shelby: Beautiful family, great nursery, and AWESOME shots!

Wende Trew: Wow!! Those are sooo wonderful!! Beautiful family!

Fiona Colvin: Totally gorgeous as always! Love that little quilted blanket - I need one !

Proud parents: We are definitely over the moon! Very proud parents here are blown away by the pictures. Fantastic, Ashley! There goes her college savings. Poof!

Wendy: These are the sweetest baby pictures I have ever seen. And the backdrop of the dreamy house and nursery is beautiful and precious. Wow!

Katie: Ahmazing! Really love this session!

Rose: Beautiful pictures of a beautiful baby--and not too shabby parents!!!

marrion: Every picture is a masterpiece! You have captured the emotions of a beautiful new family.

Patrrick: Love the bunny ears - calendar girl !!!

Holly: Absolutely fantastic photos! What a way to capture such wonderful memories, they're simply amazing. Lily is one blessed little girl :-)

Marguerite: What gorgeous pictures!

Craig: Now that is one cute baby. I hear her parents are cool too. Lucky girl!

nancy rader: Most adorable pictures I believe I have ever seen. What a beautiful family....made me smile

Penny: I LOVE naked baby pictures. So glad they're still in fashion. They will embarrass her later in life, but then she'll understand when she has one of her own.

Megan: These pictures are WONDERFUL! I love every one of them! Congrats Charlton & Kelly on such a beautiful little baby girl!

Jessica: What aborable shots! She is such a cutie and the pictures are amazing.

Dana: What a gorgeous family...

Merrie Beth: Wow, what neat images!! I wish you were close by to us!

Abby: These pictures are amazing!! You've really captured their happiness! Everything is so sunshiney and bright...love them!

Sara King: Such beautiful pictures of a beautiful girl...I especially love the one with the hat!

Hollie: Beautiful child, and beautiful loving parents. Lily is so very blessed. Wonderful photos!!

Sam: Beautiful family, baby and pictures!

barbara jennings: A match made in Heaven - Charlton, Kelly and Lily - you outdid yourselves! When can I come and play in the nursery with Lily??? Love, Babs

beverly: ashley! these are GORGEOUS!! i love the last image and that little bed shot!! they are a beautiful family.

Tara: These are gorgeous!

Susan: These are beautiful! I'm so happy for the two...make that three...of you!

Dawn Kitley: Ashley, you have AMAZING style!! Wish you were in WA so you could do my newborn shoot in Sept!!

Jenny: What beautiful photos and such a precious little girl. :)

Belle: so precious!

Ashley: I am so happy mom and dad are enjoying their sneak peek:) Thank you all for the amazing comments here. I have been reading them all via iPhone this am. I love hearing what you think and I know mom and dad appreciate the support! Oh, and note to self....late night blog posts = typos! Those will have to be fixed when I get back to the office;)

Merry: The pictures are beautiful. You will cheerish them forever.

Susannah: So darling! Congrats to the G's!

Craig: Great photos! What beautiful baby. Looks like a nice cute pink blanket too!

Amber: These are just gorgeous. What a precious memory you will have of your newborn days and that beautiful room!

Jenni: Love them, Kelly! Especially the one in the pink hat--too cute!

Gayle: Absolutely gorgeous! What a beautiful family- -I think Fabiana summed it up when she said, "you captured her so well!" I'm ready to babysit!!!!

Nicki Wilson: Love the photos and the amount of light exposure. LOVE the nursery! (esp. since i have the same bedding. Hee Hee.)

Lou: Unbelievable photos. She's absolutely perfect! (How did you get her to stay asleep when you moved her from pose to pose?) Love that pink hat. I want one for me!

Nell: Oh my goodness! I love the last photo with that adorable hat!!! You captured such love and that is indeed a gift to all.

antigone: She is just gorgeous - so are these photographs

Kris: luv!

Jennifer: These pictures are so beautiful...brings tears to my eyes. Love,love,love them!

Kemn Dodds: Beautiful baby! Loving parents! It's a perfect match! God bless you all!

s.e.: You captured Kelly's happiness and Lily's early days just beautifully. It was great you let her show off your work on her blog!

Aunt Lucia: Congratulations to the genius of the camera, a better picture than the other, in all capture the feeling of parents and angelic purity Lily. For the folks I can only say that I love and I thank God that the arrival of Lily is reunited us. I never get tired of seeing and reviewing the pictures ... amazing ... !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love aunt Lucia

Joanie: What wonderful pictures!! Now I am jealous that we do not have infant pictures of our boys...7 and 3 years too late...Lily is the perfect little lady!!

Kahla: Just precious!

Emi: What a beautiful baby! I love all pictures taken in beautiful nursery.

rockwell: Creative pictures that show off a beautiful granddaughter.

Barbara: Love the last picture with the hat, but they are all adorable!

Hilary and George: These pictures are absolutely breathtaking. Thank you for sharing them with friends in MA!

sally: What great photos of a precious and beautiful baby and her family!

Sherry: Fabulous pictures!! Beautiful baby. Gorgeous family. The last one with the feathery rabbit ear hat is too cute.

Lindsay Dyess: Precious baby girl and awesome pictures!

Sara Tyler: These pictures of Lily are GORGEOUS! Makes me want a girl! Or at least, I want some pics of Landon taken by this photographer.

Kim: Ashley, these pics are amazing! You have done such an incredible job capturing the love in this wonderful family. I LOVE all of these pictures SO much!! Especially the last one. Such a precious and beautiful baby!

Debbie Jeffcoat: Absolutely gorgeous, God bless.

jenn: these are beautiful Ashley! What a precious little one...LOVE the one on the little bed - so sweet!

Kristal: Fabulous photos!

Jjoy: What wonderful photos. I particularly love the one with the flower quilt. She is so gorgeous.

Nancy: Kelly and Charlton, what a beautiful precious daughter you have! You will treasure these pictures for many years. Warm wishes for the best adventure of your life!

Heather Taplin: What beautiful photos! She is a lovely little girl.

Genie: What a little cutie!

Brandi-lee: Love all of them so much! The light and fresh nursery colours go so well with these.

Ashley: Thank you, everyone, for all the lovely comments! I adore blog love and I know the parents love this too:)

Sharon: These are so beautiful!

Claire | NJ photographer: So adorable. I love the hat.

Marley: WOW! Ashely once again you have done an amazing job! Ashley is truly fabulous and very gifted!! Beautiful Family and love the pic at the end!!

Jason: The 4th picture is my fav!! What lens is that?

Jinny Potter: Adorable! I hope to meet this previous little girl sometime soon.

This past weekend I had a wonderful opportunity to meet up with a group of photographers from across the United States. We met in North Carolina for a “workshop” of sorts. I learned so much and can’t believe what a fantastic group of ladies these were. Although I haven’t known this group for a long time, they treated me as if we had always known each other. Everyone was willing to share openly and contribute in any way they thought might benefit the group. We photographed teens in a downtown, urban setting, children and families in a fabulous decorators paradise of a loft in trendy Highpoint, and children again in a garden and amazing field of high grass and wild flowers. We had meals together and a late night of editing madness and pizza. We observed a couple of newborn sessions. I’m culling through all my images now and am loving them! I am going to post just a few right now and post some more after the weekend:)

Next week I will have plenty of opportunity to put what I have learned to good use with three sessions lined up! I love my job:)
Have a great weekend!!!!

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jenn: Beautiful images...amazing color!

Julie Wagoner: Ashley, these are absolutely gorgeous! It was a pleasure to meet you and spend some time together!

shalonda: wow ash sounds liek a wonderful experience....beautiful shots and i adore the loft decor....cant wait to see more

beverly: sounds like an awesome time of learning!! i'm in love with that field of grass!!

Karen: beautiful! Looks like you had a blast and got some fantastic images!

Shelby: These images are beautiful. It was great meeting and shooting with you!

Nicole: Really beautiful Ashley!!! That second shot is super sweet!! It was an amazing weekend!! One I won't soon forget!!

Brandi-lee: Magical shots. The lighting is stunning!

Ashley: Thanks so much, ladies! It was sooooo much fun! Can we do it again really really soon!!!! xoxoxo

Wende Trew: Those are beautiful Ashley!!

Darren: ohh these are just superb - The lighting in them is just wonderful !

Laura: Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful! The lighting, locations, models and your amazing talent!

Kari Wright: These are beautiful Ashley!

Claire | NJ photographer: Looks like great times, great locations and great shots!

Dawn Kitley: LOVE the loft pics! Absolutely gorgeous lighting and lovely interaction between Mom and Girl. Love it!!!

Lina: It was nice meeting you, Ashley. It was great time together, wasn't it?

Kevin: Wonderful shots, amazing use of color; you definitely bring out the best of people in your pictures

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Oh my goodness! This cutie patootie had smiles for miles!! I think I laughed through the majority of this session….and that’s a good thing. This precious baby girl was an absolute doll for her photographer. Baby photography is sometimes challenging, sometimes exhausting, but always rewarding!

A very short post today! I am preparing for my daughter’s elementary school graduation (sniff sniff) and a trip this weekend for 3 glorious days of hanging out with other lady photographers and lots of education and sharing and shooting and editing and who knows what else. I hope to have plenty of images to share when I return:)

Thank you, mom, for a wonderful morning! I hope you love the images. Have 35 unique friends and/or family members leave a comment on the post (with their email address) for a free 5×7 portrait of your choice from this session. Get 50 comments and receive a free 8×10!!

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shalonda: incredibly stunning...and that second pic, wow makes me gasp!

Danielle: LOVE!!!!! I love all of them!! Such a sweet doll baby - and wonderful pictures!!

kris allbright: wow, these are incredible..I love everyone of these beautiful shots, Ashley..

Katie: Ashley- They turned out beautiful!! I can't wait to see the rest.

Amy: Wonderful work Ashley.. Just way to cute of a baby. she is a doll.

Rachel: Oh wow!! I love them all! She is so smiley and those eyes are amazing!!

Mary Sue: Beautiful!!!! Gerber baby watch out!

Jan: My granddaughter is adorable - so is her mother..great pictures.

Erica Davis: These are the absolute more adorable baby pictures I have every seen! You two girls are just so beautiful and so happy - it really made me cry! I can't wait to see even more of these pictures when I come visit!!!

nici comer: second one is my fave. and i love the vivid, crisp color of these photos. lovely!

Faye Stumbo: Just want to get hold of her and love all over her. She is beautiful!! Was so glad Joan shared these pics with me. I have a grandson,Noah, that is turning two in June and I have found him a girl. Ben I know you are so proud!! Mommy and daughter look so happy!!

Kris: Just beautiful! So nice and airy!

Lauren Corder: Amazing! You both look so happy and beautiful. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to more pictures. I miss all of you!

Micki: These are absolutely adorable pictures. They are beautiful. I love the baby blue eyes and the gorgeous smiles.

Katie: What a beautiful baby! Ashley, great shots!

Brandi-lee: Wow, these are adorable. Your clarity and lighting is flawless. Beautiful beautiful shots!

Heather Hammond: These are gorgeous! Enjoyed looking at all of the pictures.

Gloria Barker: Beautiful session! Love all the bright colors. You did such a fantastic job on this!

Carolyn: Beautiful pictures of a beautiful baby Ava and her beautiful mother!

maggie: beautiful baby and wonderful pictures :)

John: Pretty, pretty girls!

Brenda Newsome: these pictures are great! she is beautiful

Brandi: what a stunning little beauty!! Really beautiful session, Ashley!

regan ackerman: wow! amazing pictures. so bright and vibrant! you will definitely cherish those forever.

Rosey: Katie, these pictures are wonderful. What beautiful eyes Ava has!

Jen: Such beautiful eyes. Wonderful pictures.

Tammy Wahl: These are so cute. I love the expressions and all the colors. Beautiful!

stacy: she is sooooo cute!

adam: She couldn't be any more adorable. The quality of the pictures really show how beautiful she is.

Joan: Mom is beautiful and baby stole my heart.

Wende Trew: Those are sooo gorgeous!! Love the lighting!

Jessica Snipes: My little princess did such a great job in her 6 month photo shoot. She is the most beautiful child that I have ever seen!! And of course Katie looks amazing!!

elizabeth Snipes: beautiful! Jessica has been telling me how beautiful the "little princess" is! I have to agree!

jaynie (faye's daughter): Oh my goodness....what a beautiful smile on that baby girl....she is gorgeous!!!

Gordon: wowzaa! you all look so pretty and happy.

Chris: What amazing photos of Ava. Beautiful!!

Alice: What a beautiful family you have. The photos are just so wonderful. The colors are great. Great job

MaryClaire: These photos are absolutely beautiful! It helps that she had two beautiful subjects to work with:)

Darren: Amazing, what a stunning set of pics !!

Joyce: this little doll has me smiling too! beautiful!

andy: What a beauty!

Ben: Absolutely beautiful pics of my family. Thanks Ashley for this amazing work. I like to tell everyone that she gets her looks from me but it's obvious where she gets them from. I love you both so much!!!

Benjamin: What a beautiful baby girl. The most stunning pictures I have ever seen. So clear.

jenn: Wow! Love your work - your color is gorgeous! And so is your little model! Gorgeous!

Alicia: Ummmm.....I am speechless!!! This photos are AMAZING!!!!

Ashley: Thanks for visiting and for all the love, everybody!

Erin Dorling: Ava is beautiful! Great pictures!

Abswheeler: beautiful! great eyes!

Martine: Prettiest baby I've ever seen!!!!

Delray: We think she is so gorgeous!!!

Kari Wright: What a little doll! She is gorgeous, the last is my absolute favorite.

Claire | NJ photographer: She is precious!

Lina: Well, some kids are just way too cute! Beautiful captures, and I love crispiness and clarity of your shots!

Jason: My goodness the light in these are amazing!!

Thanks for visiting my blog! I don’t say that enough. So let me take this opportunity to tell you how much I appreciate your visit, your blog love (comments), and your support. I especially love the blog love!! I can’t help it. It makes me feel good to know that you enjoyed what you saw here:)

No sessions to blog this week. I had a couple of sessions that have been postponed due to weather and allergies. That’s ok. I still have lots of work. I am creating some great new coffee table books and proof boxes, a deluxe album, custom dvd slideshows and custom cases, some jewelry pieces, and prints. These are the things that keep me busy when I am not actually out shooting. But I did want to go ahead and blog this week and I’ll try to do it again before my session next week.

Next week is a huge week personally and professionally. My daughter graduates from elementary school next week. I just can’t believe it! I still remember the first day of first grade like it was yesterday. I see her smiling at me in her little red, white and blue jean jumper and her long red hair….that was so curly back then…..pulled up in doggie ears with red ribbons. She was so proud to be a big kid! I hope to have some hands to hold on to during this ceremony. It is going to be really rough! I couldn’t be more proud of her, but watching them grow up is really bittersweet, isn’t it?

At the end of the week I will be doing some traveling for training and am completely thrilled! I’ll be meeting up with an incredible group of women photographers and we will have training opportunities in several areas. I’m most excited about the newborn and child segments. And there will be late night pizza and editing parties too. Yeah, maybe that doesn’t sound too exciting to you……but I can hardly wait. I’m hoping to come back from my time with these women inspired and excited to use all that I learn! I will also be attending some training in June out west with one of my favorite photographers! It will be some pretty amazing and intense training and I’ll blog more about that as the dates approach.

I need to go ahead and make some announcements about available dates for 2010 also. Thank you for making this such a great year so far! I have had a wonderful time working with previous clients again and meeting some wonderful new clients. August is such a funny month this year! With the bookings I took today, I only have one available session space for August. So, if this is an important time for you, (ie you have a due date in August!), please book right away. November is the next month that will book up. I have 2 appointment spaces available in November for print delivery available before the winter holidays. I have a few openings left for June and July still.

I think that will wrap it up tonight! Thank you again, clients, perspective clients, friends and family of clients, supportive photographers, and basic blog-stalkers….you all rock! Oh and here is an image I took of my “other” girl last week…..just because:)

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Rebecca Knowles: Have fun on the trip! Wish I could be there with you ladies! Her puppy face just makes me want to kiss that nose.. too cute!

Darren: My boxer would love to be inside on my couch like this :)

Laura: Goodness sakes this is why the saying "its a dog's life" came about. Too cute!

Christi Stewart: OMG I love this!

Jennifer: I LUV YOUR DOG!!!!