Summer and I have several mutual friends, attended FSU during the same years and we’re even active in some of the same activities; but this was the first time we’d had the opportunity to meet in person. Summer’s husband actually gave her this session as a birthday gift! What an awesome guy huh?! What could be sweeter than celebrating the love of your family and capturing tender moments forever?

We met up early, EARLY Saturday morning when the lighting was gorgeous and it wasn’t terribly hot. Ok, the lighting was perfect, but scratch the last part! I thought we might melt. Despite the conditions, their sweet little kiddos were such troopers. I was serenaded by Aggie and Repp swooned me with his big blue eyes! Just see how cute they are for yourself!

I adore little R in this one! It shows that a family picture really can show some personality!

When I asked Miss A to stand with her brother, she responded in this way. I think my heart melted then and there. Doesn’t yours?

One word: Adorable.

Hello Mr. Blue Eyes!

Isn’t Aggie precious here?  She was getting a bit antsy (to be honest, we all were…remember it felt like it was 110 degrees!!), so I was able to take her aside for a few minutes… just us girls. It gave her brother some time to run off his energy and provided the perfect opportunity for her to shine. This is one of my favorite images from our little “girl time.” She’s precious! 

Can I say this again? Adorable!

I love the way Aggie  held her dress as she ran through the field… so girly. 

This one might be my favorite image from the entire day. I love the interaction, the emotion, the way Dad is sweetly looking at his beautiful family… and again, the light- the beautiful sunlight!

One stunning hubby and wife wouldn’t you say?

Siblings…plotting something? Maybe! 

Here are a few more shots from my “girl time” with Aggie!

Oh, and then there is this little handsome guy.

As a mom of 4, three of them being boys, this next image is perfect… priceless! Can’t you simply feel the joy of being 2 again?

Beautiful mom.

Oh, G family how you brightened my day with your songs, your smiles and your sweet love for one another. I pray these images have not only captured your commitment to your family, but that they will speak boldly of your love for one another many years down the road.  I can’t wait to work with you again…maybe sometime around March?!!

I’m always excited to receive an email from possible clients, but I was beyond thrilled when this request for a Heritage Session arrived! I had already had the honor of spending some time with this sweet family capturing the generations on Bobby’s side. Martha was now requesting some images of her grandmother at the young age of 88, her mother (who also happened to be my High School AP English teacher and one of my favorite educators of ALL time) and her girls Kate and Lizzie.

As I continued to read her email, I was captivated by the rich history of their family and the home where we would meet for our time together. Martha’s great grandfather built this home. There have been  5 generations on the same piece of land and 4 generations of women who have lived in this same house. Isn’t that amazing?

We had a wonderful time reminiscing about the past; and I soaked in all the stories they generously shared. I especially loved how Martha’s grandmother got the name “Gonsie.” (My sincerest apologies for the misspelling!)

The original deed for the land.

This is one of my favorite images from the day! I love “Gonsie’s” hands holding the picture of the home from days gone by!

I feel like this next one could be in Southern Living. The girls quietly playing in the garden, in front of this amazing home, rich with history and abundant memories speaks volumes.

Could it get any sweeter than this?

If you’ve ever wondered whether a Heritage Session is for you, I’ll just let this picture speak for itself.

We finished up with Martha, Bobby and their charming little girls.  Aren’t they such a gorgeous family?

Martha, thank you for inviting me to be a part of this wonderful morning with your precious family. The blessing was all mine!

Your statutes are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.
My heart is set on keeping your decrees
to the very end.

Psalm 119:111-112

This morning I had the pleasure of meeting up with a grandmother, her daughters and her sweet little grandchildren who were in town from out of state. Our session had a few unexpected twists and ended a little quicker than anticipated, so I just knew coming home that I would have to share a couple of sneaks right away to: 1) insure them that we captured some precious moments and 2) to put a smile on their faces and in their hearts.

Thank you for trusting me with these sweet little guys. I pray everyone is feeling lots better!

Now, be prepared for some serious cuteness!

Future heart-breakers!!

These next two are all about the eyes! My goodness these are some handsome kiddos!

Mr. L loves his mommy and I LOVE this image of their sweet snuggles!

Mr. L’s mommy is also expecting another little bundle of joy. We wanted to capture the “3″ of them together, but it’s not always easy getting a 2 year old to cooperate. As soon as the trucks came out though, we bought ourselves some more time.

It wasn’t long before Mr. L leaned over to use his mommy’s tummy as a road. How cute is this?

Giving his baby brother a little hug…

…and a little kiss too!

Adorable Mr. B and his mommy.

Look at that smile!

Mr. B loves his snuggles too!

Having 3 boys, this picture just makes my heart happy! Don’t you love the personality in this image? What a great way to end our session!

Don’t forget to leave some love, by posting a comment below!

Your statutes are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.
My heart is set on keeping your decrees
to the very end.

Psalm 119:111-112

———————————————

When Sharon contacted me about getting together with her extended relatives for a gigantic session I was so excited. I’ve known this family for many years and have treasured their friendships in ways that words could not even express. As we began working out the details of how to coordinate nearly 30 people, I started to think about the heritage of this family, their love for one another and their increasing love for the Lord. You just can’t help but to be inspired and motivated when you are in the presence of these individuals and so I wanted to make sure their images reflected their incredible bond. These pictures needed to be special, unique, memorable and full of personality- just like this awesome family.

Sharon had a fabulous idea: using their property – both pastures and orange groves as the backdrop. I loved everything about this idea and thus, the Heritage Session was born.

What makes the Heritage Session so special? The images are still captured on location, in a place of importance to your family. They quickly turn into treasured heirlooms and provide the opportunity to freeze in time this season of life with those you love the most. They are a gift that keeps giving! In fact, every year, during our annual beach vacation my family does this very same thing. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents- the works…and while these images are often more posed than my typical style, they connect generations, focusing on relationships and the value of family.

What could be better?

So, take a look. Here are some of my favorite images from the Durrance Family’s Heritage Session.

Of course, I have to start with the kiddos and these black and white images take my breath away every time I look at them!

Certainly one of my faves of the day!

As is this one too! I love the way that big brother J.D. is touching his new brother’s head. You can feel the love dripping off of this image!

There is something so simple, but so breathtaking about this sibling shot!

Cousins dancing in the field. Love it too!

How adorable are these sisters?

I love the symbolism of the Great Grandmother to these little children sitting on the roots of this tree.

And I love how much she smiles!

Pure. Joy.

Some seriously special sisters. (Gorgeous too!)

Every year at the beach, my family does a cousin shot as well. We are super close, almost like siblings and adore one another. I think that’s why these images speak to my heart. I love the playful spirit of them, but more so, I think I appreciate how much of their love for one another shines through! 

You can’t be in an orange grove without peeling into at least one!

Miss A. was certainly enjoying her juicy treat! Look at those eyelashes! Geesh!

Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a true “heritage” shot! This one is hands down my favorite of this incredible family.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19

I had a great time with a super awesome family this morning. When I shot this image, I knew it had personality! Naturally, it became my pick for their super sneak peek. It’s proof that even mini-sessions are full of excitement! Lots more to come!

Thanks Mr. D and Miss L for such a fun time together!

Forget to schedule a session before the rush of the Christmas season?
Running out of time?
Need a great gift for the grandparents?
I’ve got the solution!

A Mini-Session is just what you need and includes 30 minutes of shooting, an online gallery with the best 10 images edited, Christmas Cards and prints. Mini-Session packages begin at $125.00.

Hurry… there are only 2 slots left! Email annieagarwalphotography@gmail.com for more info.
First come, first serve!

Don’t forget, if you’ve had a session this year you can order your images on fun Christmas cards. It’s not too late!

Yes, this is another one of those super sneak peeks. Why, you ask again? Simply because this sweet family has been waiting on little “L,” their miracle for so long that I couldn’t stand for them to wait for a picture too!! Lots, LOTS more to come. But for now, feast your eyes upon the cutest new baby boy I’ve had the privilege of  holding, photographing and swooning over!

Enjoy Wes and Jess! He’s absolutely perfect!

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27

What a great morning I had getting to know Mr. J and Miss S! They were simply adorable and such sweet little kiddos. I’ve had the honor of hanging out with their awesome Mommy at our MOPS meetings and I was so excited to finally meet her entire family. They were just as incredible as I had imagined.

Here are a few of my favorites from our super early session!!

Of course, with their outfits, this incredible door from one of my favorite stores (thanks to my cousin Sarah) was just the perfect backdrop! Could these two get any cuter?!

One of my faves: Nothing like a little sister looking up to her big brother!

What a handsome little boy!

Miss S was so precious! There is something so sweet and girly about this image that makes me giddy when I look at it! Don’t you just love how she positioned her feet?! How adorable.

More “girliness” with this spontaneous pose!

Yep, he’s a heart-breaker for sure!

I love these sweet expressions!

All morning long these two collected acorns, stuffing them in their pockets and handing them over to their mommy to hold. How could I resist when their hands were overflowing? Kinda like our hearts when we think of all the blessings in our lives too!

This may be my favorite of Mr. J! Look at that smile. Doesn’t it just say “All boy?”

This one of Miss S’s eyes takes my breath away! How gorgeous is this little gal?

And just for fun, I couldn’t resist posting this one! The kiddos munched on some “Bogles” throughout the morning. At one point, Miss S. looked up at me in the middle of her treat and I caught this priceless expression. I immediately showed it to her mom,  but wanted her to see it “in real life!”

Thanks G family for being so awesome and for being so patient. My sweet hubby hurt his back last week and has been out of commission, which means editing and posting have gotten a little backed up. However, as I always say: “Family First.” Thanks for understanding!

Hope these brought lots of smiles!
Don’t forget to post those comments!!

I first met Daniel, when he was an intern at the USF BCM, where my husband is the director. So, when he and his fiance’ asked me to capture this season of their lives; I was super excited. Amanda has 2 adorable little children and we started off the morning with them.

Look at these big eyes!

Boys = little explorers

These were too sweet not to include!

After the little ones were whisked away to preschool, I spent some time with just Daniel and Amanda. Despite the humidity, the lighting was gorgeous and gave us an awesome warm hue to shoot with throughout the morning. These are seriously some of my favorite engagement shots ever!

I love laughter!!

How stunning are Amanda’s eyes? Amazing!

Amanda and Daniel love to take walks together so these images just seemed perfect!

I love that this moment happened all on it’s own!

Oh, Amanda’s eyes again- simply stunning every time!

The ring!

So tender!

Couldn’t resist a little fun at the end of the session!

Thanks Daniel, Amanda, Miss R and Mr. J for such a fun morning!
Hope these brought big smiles to your faces!

Don’t forget, post, post those comments!!