Wordless Wednesday is something that I will now be doing weekly! I will take a photo of something, anything at all,  that may be reflecting how I am feeling, things that are going on in my life, or just any object that I find inspiring in my environment. There will be no words on the post besides the title of the post and my signature. I hope that I can begin spreading my horizons beyond just portraiture. After all, still life is how I began my passion. Somehow, I lost my love for photographing my own environment when I found my love for portraiture. Anyway, I hope to find that love again!
From now on, Wordless Wednesday really will be wordless. Promise;)
Smiles and lots of Love, Taylor
 
Gorgeous hair, squishy cheeks, pouty lips, dainty features. Yes, Ava was a dream to photograph.
I'm double dipping on these last two, because I just I just can't get enough of them.
I was lucky enough to have some "behind the scenes" shots taken of this session (yay!). I am working on a newborn safety post, and I will be sharing that as soon as it's finished. Stay tuned! :)
Smiles and lots of love, Taylor
 
Well, for starters, you must be a friend. A comforter.
 You must hold motherly instincts. 
A business woman and a comedian.
 A magician. A therapist. A mindreader.
 You must be able to put yourself in other's shoes and see things from their point of view. 
You have to be able to learn, and most importantly, accept that there is always more to learn. A student, but also a teacher.
 Sometimes, you have to be a mother. But most of the time, you just have to be a kid.
 You have to be a repairman and there are times that you may actually feel like a mailman.
 You must be a financial advisor and an artist at the same time, and it's important that you understand the difference.
 You have to be an acrobat and a master at yoga. 
You have to be a weather forecaster, a night owl, and a circus clown (but never at the same time). 
You are your own receptionist and accountant. 
You have to have an abundant collection of strange noises, songs, and nursery rhymes.
You have to patient. Very patient.
It's important to be sure that you don't take anything too seriously or personally.
You have to understand that everything doesn't always work out exactly as planned.
And that's why you have to be great at improvising.
You have to hold secret powers. A baby whisperer. 
You must know and record due dates of expecting mommas that you haven't even met yet. And LOTS of them.
You must be a puppet master, a fly on the wall, and an organizer.
Lastly, you must be a photographer. It isn't always easy being everything at once. You have to love it (even when it feels like you might hate it). You have to really really love it.
Ava's full session sneak peek will be posted soon, but I couldn't resist quickly posting these timeless black&white shots.  She was a dream to photograph. 
Have a wonderful week, everyone!
Smiles and lots of love, Taylor
 
They have one of those homes that you walk into and just instantly feel welcome, like you've known them for years. You can imagine that I was overjoyed to find that they continued that vibe in front of the camera. They are naturals. I feel so lucky to have been given the opportunity to capture this beautiful family. Is it just me or do Claire's eyes just seem to a say a little something that is beyond her two years?
Smiles and lots of love, Taylor
 
What you receive from it, all depends on how you play it.
Sometimes, I feel like my other true passion(the obvious one being photography) gets hidden away. Yes, it takes up a huge chunk of space in my studio, my clients sometimes use it as a table, and maybe I sometimes use it as a table. Maybe I get a little frustrated when I feel like I need the studio space that it takes up. Sometimes, I may use it as a protective place for antique props to keep from toddler's hands. Maybe I play it less than I should when I need it, and more than I should when I don't, but one thing is certain:
I feel quite blessed that both of my passions reside in the same room (equally in my heart, as well). 
Enjoy River Flows in You by Yiruma and please excuse the hiccups. I play for fun and for the love of playing which means that I do not play perfectly, nor do I try too hard to do so (because that just results in a lot of frustration which takes away the fun). :)
Smiles and lots of love, Taylor
 
It's sessions like these that make me wish there was such a thing as a repeat button. The way Mya sweetly said "I'm in Taylor's house" when entering my studio- repeat. That beyond adorable little scrunchy-face laugh- repeat. The fact that she's a carbon copy of her daddy, but completely has the personality of her momma- repeat. The way she pointed her little  face at the beautiful blue sky and softly asked, "airflane?"- repeat. Overcoming a fear of slides at the playground- repeat. And laughing even while landing flat on her bottom after going air born off the slide- repeat. Pointing her little baby finger at her own shadow on the pavement and being observant of every rock and stone that lay there as well- repeat. All of the silliness, sweetness, and joy that a little two-year-old body can hold. Repeat.
Oh yes, we had fun. I love that Mya's mom suggested the playground almost as much as I love her pretty face peeking in the window in the bottom shot. :)
Has it really been a year and a half since I first photographed this gorgeous girl? Time, please slow down. Please?
Smiles and lots of love, Taylor
 
I had my second session with a very special little three and a half month old "newborn". Her first session took place in the monitor-filled NICU. It truly is mind boggling, remembering her then and looking at her now. Seeing her now makes it hard to believe that she was ever 2 pounds, 6 ounces. Amazing.
a few more of my newest cousin...
Stay tuned- two little sweeties just turned two and they are both as cute as can be!
Smiles and lots of love, Taylor

XOXO

2/14/2012

3 Comments

 
I have truly enjoyed reading everyone's comments/entrees to my contest! I wish I had time for all of you to be winners. Unfortunately, I could only select one. That lucky winner just happens to be #3:
AND the third entree just happens to be
Britni Butler
Britni, please email me at [email protected] so we can chat about details. Can't wait! :)
Congrats, and thanks to you all who entered!
Since I have a violent cold (as I describe it), I am spending the rest of this evening curled up under a blanket with a box of tissues, my Anatomy and Physiology notes, a cup of hot cocoa, and these delicious cookies- courtesy of Kyle's Grandma (thank you, Karen!). They were just too cute not to photograph. And believe me, they really are as delicious as they look. :)
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! <3 <3 <3
Smiles and lots of love, Taylor
 
Her first appearance on film was when she was just days old: 
She returned to the big screen about 6 months later with a whole new look:
Now, she's back and she's got all kinds of tricks up her sleeve (and she's cuter than ever, let me tell you).
Lights, cameras, ACTION!
America's Sweetheart:
Woman of Mystery:
She even does her own stunts.
We did a quick wardrobe change: a gorgeous designer lavender tutu- perfect for just about any occasion. I thought for sure she would love it, but...
...she prefers a simpler wardrobe involving vanilla cake and frosting. Well, now I know.
I've called Emyrson my "star" ever since the photo I took of her as a newborn won at the Governor's Show last Spring and trust me, she is a little star with a shining personality. She is so much fun to photograph and she is one of the few babies that actually enjoyed her cake. Okay, maybe "enjoyed" is an understatement. She LOVED it!
 Thanks for an awesome session sweet girl, and happy first birthday! <3
Have a great week, everyone!
Smiles and lots of love, Taylor
 
I've got a weekend full of sessions, so stay tuned for those sneak peeks. But for right now, I would like to share the story of one of my new favorite props: my new white chair! 
Early November 2011 is when I first saw my beloved white chair in store. I was shopping with my mom, and she was on a mission, so I decided to try to forget about the love affair I had going with the chair, and we just continued to shop.
Late November 2011 is when I went back to purchase the chair. This time I brought in back up: my two sisters. I went in the store with good intentions, bought the gorgeous chair, and attempted to shove it in my car. My attempts failed, but amazingly, Jamie managed to shove the chair in the passenger seat. There was only one problem. The car was impossible to be driven- legally. So, I did what I had to do. I twisted and pulled the chair back out of my car and returned it. My heart was broken.
Mid-January 2012 I went back to that store with my entire family. At this point, the white chair was just a faint memory. Until, I saw it in the store $100 DISCOUNTED!!! Tears of complete and utter joy: 
Picture
Photo Credit: Allie Elchert
The problem this time was that, again, we drove a car. We all knew that it wouldn't fit in the car, but my dad was determined. He saw how much I loved the chair, and wouldn't let me leave without it. So he headed over to the nearest store searching for bungee cords. Unfortunately, they didn't have any (or so my dad thought), so we ran to Sears and to our surprise, THEY. HAD. NONE. So, we headed all the way back to that first store searching for some kind of rope that might work when Allie spotted them: bungee cords, half off. YES! So, my dad strapped my newest addition in the trunk - haphazardly, in my opinion - and we were on our way home (with a very nervous photographer in the backseat). Luckily, we made it home with little complications and lots of happy Elcherts. :)
 Now the chair sits in my studio, with all of the beauty that 60% off can hold...
Okay, so I'll admit it, and by the looks of my studio, it's obvious: I'm a propaholic. And this isn't even the half of it. I have most of my stuff out in the garage, and maybe I did a little more shopping after this photo was taken. I just can't help myself, it's a disease people.
Smiles and lots of love, Taylor
P.S.- Thank you to everyone to contacted me regarding my last post. Again, I am so blessed. xoxo <3