​1. Pick out everyone's outfits sooner rather than later.
    a. Wear something you're comfortable in, and make sure that your little(s) are comfortable in their outfit as well.
         b. Think coordinating/ complimentary not matching.
         c. Avoid busy patterns.
        d. If you're concerned about your little ones getting messy or rumpled in the car on the way to your on-location session, just wait and dress them after you arrive. I always build a little cushion of time each session.

​2. Make sure everyone is fed and rested (that includes you too).

3. Consider bringing the following with you:
         a. non-messy, quick snacks (goldfish crackers, Puffs, apple slices), water, a bobby pin or barrette if you're worried about the wind, lipstick or gloss for touchups, and a hair brush
         b. for beach sessions - a towel. It's FUN to finish your session splashing in the water!
         c. PJs for your littles - If it's a mid-summer session, we won't be finishing up until close to 8pm. If there's a possibility your little one(s) might fall asleep in the car, bring their PJs with you so you can go ahead and change them before strapping them in for the ride home.

Well-rested and fed children are cooperative children! 
happy children photographed in Orange Beach, AL,  Perdido Key, FL, and Gulf Shores, AL

​4. Prepare your children (and anyone else who may be a bit on the fence about the session).  Talk up the session, let the kids pick a must-have shot, and feel free to pick a good bribe (ice cream and suckers are the most popular).
         a. If you're concerned your child might be nervous, consider bringing a favorite book, small toy, bubbles, or something else that they enjoy or brings them comfort.

5. Ladies - Even if you don't usually wear much (or any) makeup, wearing a little for your session will do you nothing but favors! Even just a little foundation/powder, mascara, and a swipe of lipstick will look amazing!

6. Once the session has started, relax, play, smile, kiss, and hug. I'll get "the shot!" I don't expect anyone's kids to be angels. I'm a new person, my camera can be intimidating, and your children are probably wearing new clothes. I promise that I'll work with them and get some great photos, and your kids will be relaxed if YOU are.
         a. Also, don't forget that you don't have to look at the camera for all of the pictures! I will still get a few more traditional, family portrait-type pictures, but I bet your favorites will end up being the ones where you're interacting as a family!

7. Let me take individual pictures of each child. Every person, every child has their own personality. Let's give them their minute in spotlight to shine!

8. And let me take a picture of just you and your partner! We need more than just a selfie with our significant other! I'm actually a master at holding an infant on my hip while grabbing a quick photo of the two who started it all!

​And finally for the in-home family photography sessions...
9. Take a couple of minutes and de-clutter the space where I'll be photographing your family. I'm not saying your house needs to be magazine ready, just consider stuffing those magazines in a drawer, throwing the alarm clock under your bed, and putting a few toys away.

It's that time of year again...time to start planning for your Pensacola and Perdido Key Christmas Photography pictures!
This year's Christmas Mini Sessions will take place on 4 dates with your choice of 2 locations and morning and afternoon session times. Beach sessions will be the afternoons of November 16th, 23rd, and 24th and Woodsy sessions are available the afternoon of November 17th and the morning of November 23rd. Specific location addresses and times will be given after booking.

2019 Christmas Mini Sessions - $100
Each session is 10-15 minutes
Unlimited family members
Your choice of 3 high-resolution images via digital download with print release

NOTE: Date and time slots are notated Beach or Woods and have the time frame listed. Make sure you choose the location and time of day you want.

Custom designed holiday cards, prints, and additional digital image downloads will be available for purchase when you receive your viewing gallery. Viewing galleries will be up within 7 days of your session to ensure plenty of time for selection and any additional products you may decide to purchase.

These amazing mamas were strangers when they arrived for our photography session that evening in Perdido Key, FL. 
Each of the pregnant mamas are due within a month of each other, and by the end of our sunset session, they were all friends. In fact, they're still in touch with on another on their journey!

Have you or someone you know suffered a loss?
Whether you realize it or not, the answer is yes.
Here's a link to a great website with information on how you can support a friend or family member who's going through or has gone through a loss.
​https://starlegacyfoundation.org/how-family-and-friends-can-help/

A rainbow is a promise of sunshine after rain, of calm after storms, of joy after sadness, of peace after pain, and of love after loss.

Pensacola Photographer | Pensacola Family Photographer | Northwest Florida Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photographer| Gulf Shores Newborn Photographer |Pensacola Maternity Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photography | Gulf Shores Maternity Photographer| Pensacola Birth Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photography| Orange Beach Family Photographer | Pensacola Maternity Photographer | Gulf Shores Maternity Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photography

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - it's so important to take yearly family photos! Babies grow into toddlers in the blink of an eye. In the next blink, that toddler is a sassy 5-year-old. Faster than you can even imagine, that sassy 5-year-old is telling you that a boy (with a car) asked her to the Homecoming dance!

The triptychs of the girls only cover a 3.5 year span.
Harrison's (at the top) covers a 4.5 year span.
Each of them, though, has changed in only a few short years!

I try to take pictures of the kids each spring, family pictures each fall, and a Christmas pajama photo each holiday season. I'll admit that I've missed a couple of springs over the years, and my husband and I don't always make it into the fall family photos. But I make sure to update the kid's portraits at least once a year, and we never miss the annual Christmas pj portrait.

These photos were taken in the springs of 2015, 2016, and 2018 respectively.
I try to vary our locations, and now that the kids are getting older, I let them have a say as well. On the left, the kids were 11-months, 8, and almost 10. On the right, they were 5, 11, and 13!

As I said, we don't miss our annual fall family photos! The top photo was taken in 2015 and the bottom is from last fall, 2018. We haven't taken this year's photos yet, but a color palette was picked, outfits are being chosen, and the girls have decided on this year's location. As soon as my husband is home for a couple of days, we'll go take them.
Now that the kids are older, between marching band, chorus, and soccer finding time to have our photos made as a family requires more planning to schedule but is just as important. Last year's photos were spontaneous - we were all home at the same time, the sun was getting lower in the sky, and everyone was in a good mood - so I threw outfits at everyone and off we went to Tarklin Bayou State Park.
If you decide to roll with spontaneity like we do, having a handful of good Pensacola area photography locations in mind helps a lot! We've had sessions at Tarklin Bayou, Johnsons Beach and Naval Live Oaks (both part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore), The photo in front of the gorgeous azalea bushes was taken at the home of Leila's violin instructor. We've also utilized pretty green spaces in our neighborhood as well as local parks.

An annual Christmas pajama photo is also a requirement around here! I prefer to have them just include the kids (and the dog when he's willing), but last year the girls really wanted my husband and myself in the picture too. 
If you can't tell, I have one kid who marches to the beat of her own drum and prefers to "coordinate but not match." 

Looking back over these photos also reminds me of the drama, threats, and bribes that often occurred to get some of those smiles. (I'm looking at you Christmas 2016 and spring 2016.) But that's the other thing, allowing the kids to have input into outfits and locations nowadays has helped with the attitudes as well. If you take nothing else away from my trip down memory lane, I hope you remember that - let the kids help plan something (even something as small as what necklace or hair bow they wear - if they have a stake in the game, they're much more likely to be willingly cooperative!

Finding Beauty in the Ordinary Photography offers Family Photography in northwest Florida that captures your family’s connections, emotions, and moments in a fun, natural way. Located in Pensacola and also offering maternity, newborn, and birth photography, service areas include but are not limited to Perdido Key, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Beach, Navarre, Pace, Milton, and Cantonment in Florida and Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Foley, Fairhope, and Daphne in south Alabama. Family portrait sessions tend to book up to one month in advance, while maternity, birth, and newborn sessions should be booked early in the second trimester to ensure availability at the time of delivery. Amanda offers a full service experience including a pre-session consultation, exclusive access to her Maternity and Newborn wardrobe, an online proofing gallery to share and download your included high-resolution digital images, and an array of professional print, canvas, and album options. I can’t wait to hear from you and help create your own beautiful heirloom memories!
 
Pensacola Photographer | Pensacola Family Photographer | Northwest Florida Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photographer| Gulf Shores Newborn Photographer |Pensacola Maternity Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photography | Gulf Shores Maternity Photographer| Pensacola Birth Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photography| Orange Beach Family Photographer 

Mom, Jennifer, had a plan.
She wanted her second baby, a girl, to be born vaginally.
Having had her first baby, a boy, a little over a year and a half before via cesarean, this meant she needed to find a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) friendly obstetrician and that she'd need to deliver at Sacred Heart Hospital. Finding a truly VBAC supportive provider isn't always an easy task, but Jennifer found a wonderful, supportive doctor AND she made the decision to hire a doula to offer additional support for herself and her husband.

The evening before Lilly's grand entrance into the world, Jennifer texted to let me know that she'd been having strong, but inconsistent contractions all day. Just under 3 hours later, they were headed to the hospital to get checked.
By midnight I was on my way to the Maternity and Women's Center at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, FL. 
Jennifer was amazing. She was so calm as she tried out just about every position in the book to labor her baby down. Her husband was so involved and sweet to watch as he did everything he could to be a helper and part of their baby's birth.
And, much to mom's surprise, dad was right there with me when I was capturing our first glimpse of baby's crowning head!

Baby girl, Lily, made her grand entrance earth-side just before 5am 6 days before her "official-due-date."

Other than the VBAC, mom's main desire was for a lotus birth. She wanted for the placenta to be delivered while baby was still attached to it via the un-clamped umbilical cord.

Did you know that dads can do skin-to-skin?
They totally can! And it's SO precious!
This dad had his shirt off within a couple minutes of his baby girl's delivery and was more than ready for his one-on-one time.

After photographing this big, beautiful girl's stats, doula, Lindsey, with Belly to Cradle, LLC and I headed out so this family could get a bit of rest of snuggles.

One of my lesser utilized photography session options is my Petite Newborn Portrait Session. This is a 1-hour, in-home newborn photography session that is perfect for the family who's maybe on a budget but still wants to make sure their new baby's details are captured.

These sessions are awesome because, since baby is wrapped for all or most of the session, baby will be happy and content and doesn't have to fall asleep. In fact, this little girl didn't sleep a wink until the last 10-minutes I was there. But her her pictures turned out fabulously!

If you're looking for a newborn portrait session without all of the bells and whistles that still captures all of baby's perfect new-ness, give our Petite Newborn Portrait Session a try.

Finding Beauty in the Ordinary Photography offers Newborn Photography in northwest Florida that is timeless. Located in Pensacola and also offering maternity, family, and birth photography, service areas include but are not limited to Perdido Key, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Beach, Navarre, Pace, Milton, and Cantonment in Florida and Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Foley, Fairhope, and Daphne in south Alabama. Portrait sessions tend to book up to one month in advance, while maternity, birth, and newborn sessions should be booked early in the second trimester to ensure availability at the time of delivery. Amanda offers a high-end, full service experience including a pre-session consultation, exclusive access to her Maternity and Newborn wardrobe, an online proofing gallery to share and download your included high-resolution digital images, and an array of professional print, canvas, and album options. I can’t wait to hear from you and help create your own beautiful heirloom memories!
 
Pensacola Photographer | Pensacola Family Photographer | Northwest Florida Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photographer | Gulf Shores Newborn Photographer | Pensacola Maternity Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photography | Gulf Shores Maternity Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photography | Orange Beach Family Photographer 

This is my fourth year photographing this sweet family!
When we started, little man was not yet even 2. Now he's a big boy in kindergarten and big sister is in middle school!

For this year's family portraits, we decided to walk around downtown Pensacola. Downtown is full of beautiful buildings, grassy spaces, public parks, and art installations - all perfect for a nice range of photography backdrops.

Stumbling upon this awesome Pensacola sign behind the TT Wentworth Museum was extra cool.

 ​Finding Beauty in the Ordinary Photography offers Family Photography in northwest Florida that captures your family’s connections, emotions, and moments in a fun, natural way. Located in Pensacola and also offering maternity, newborn, and birth photography, service areas include but are not limited to Perdido Key, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Beach, Navarre, Pace, Milton, and Cantonment in Florida and Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Foley, Fairhope, and Daphne in south Alabama. Family portrait sessions tend to book up to one month in advance, while maternity, birth, and newborn sessions should be booked early in the second trimester to ensure availability at the time of delivery. Amanda offers a full service experience including a pre-session consultation, exclusive access to her Maternity and Newborn wardrobe, an online proofing gallery to share and download your included high-resolution digital images, and an array of professional print, canvas, and album options. I can’t wait to hear from you and help create your own beautiful heirloom memories!
 
Pensacola Photographer | Pensacola Family Photographer | Northwest Florida Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photographer | Gulf Shores Newborn Photographer | Pensacola Maternity Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photography | Gulf Shores Maternity Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photography | Orange Beach Family Photographer 

The first time I chat with upcoming birth clients, one question each asks is some form of, "When do you come to the hospital?", "When should I call you?", "How do I know when to call you?" My answer is always the same - my goal is to be with you by the time you're at 6cm or before you enter the transition phase of birth.

I ask that my clients call or text me as soon as they "think" labor may be starting. This doesn't mean always I'll head to the hospital. This just gives me a heads up that today may be the day. For some clients that call may be a false alarm, but for other clients, like Alison, that call may come as she's getting in the car being rushed to the hospital by her husband. Sometimes labor goes slowly.

And sometimes labor goes FAST. 
Alison warned me when she booked that her two previous labors had been very short, so I was on red-alert leading up to her due-date. I knew that she would have a 30-40 minute drive from her home to Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, AL and that it would take me 45-50 minutes to get there myself. When Alison called me around 7:30 that morning to tell me she was headed to the hospital, I asked how she was feeling and if she thought I should go ahead and head her way or if she'd rather I  wait until she got checked in. She said I should hurry. And thank goodness she did!

I was changed and out my front door in under 5-minutes.
Zipping across Baldwin county, Alabama, I arrived at the hospital 45-minutes later (thank goodness for valets) - only 10ish minutes after Alison and Sean's arrival at the ER. By the time I got to their room, Alison was already in transition even though just over an hour before she'd been going about her morning like normal.
Baby was coming and he was coming now.
Four minutes after I arrived in the deliver room, Alison's obstetrician arrived from his office next door to check her only to tell her it was time to have her baby. 
Four minutes later, their baby boy was born!

Every labor is different. Every birth is different. Every baby is different. 
But I will do everything in my power (and break some speeding laws) to get to you in time when at all possible!

Another question my birth photography clients always ask is how long I stay after the birth. The short answer is 1 - 2 hours. The longer answer is: I stay to document golden hour as you bond with your baby, I stay to capture baby's first weight and length and footprints, I stay to capture baby's first latch (if you decide to breastfeed), I stay and quietly click away capturing all of the special moments and details while the Oxytocin courses through your body as you breathe in your new baby!

This year's Global Big Latch on with Belly to Cradle, LLC was such a fun event! Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola kindly gave us use of the Greenhut Auditorium for the event and it was amazing to have all of that space to meet local breastfeeding moms and area businesses.

Just before the Big Latch On itself, this year's speaker - Kelly Rowland, local mom, business coach, and host of The Balanced Podcast shared about her NICU experience with her twins, life as a mom, and the upcoming release of her new book!
Then, the highlight of the event: at 10:30 am (CST), moms from all of the globe latched on and nursed their babies together!

After the Latch On, we wrapped up the morning by drawing raffle prizes donated by some amazing local businesses.

Throughout the event, yours truly was set up in the atrium offering free breastfeeding portraits to any and all attendees. Below is just a sampling...

A finally, a list of all of the amazing local vendors who helped make this event what it was!
MOMS Club of Pensacola-SW-FL
MOMS Club of Pensacola-NE, FL
MOMS Club of Pace/Milton
Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition
Emerald Coast Alliance for Breastfeeding Support
Community Health Northwest Florida
Natalie Zepp Photography
The Strength Group
Lauren Maschner, Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant
Advanced Dental Concepts
Margeaux Gibson, Heart-Centered Holistic Therapy for Women
Pensacola Kids Dentistry
Treehouse Therapies, LLC
Over The Moon Prenatal Massage
Simply Royal Princess Parties

Additional raffle items contributed by: 
Emily Ehlinger/Renu - A Skin Studio
Angela Jarvis/ Mydetoxhealth
Solly Baby
Plant Therapy
Emily Ley
Countertop
Mom Bodies Physical Therapy
Nested Bean, Inc
Doula MK

A short 90 minute drive east down I-10 from Pensacola, will take you to the small town of Ponce de Leon, FL, Once you get off the interstate at exit 96, you're no more than a 10 minute drive from one of the three (3) stunning, crystal-clear springs!

On a hot day in late July, I packed the kids into the car and we headed to one of those springs - Ponce de Leon Springs State Park. 

Our youngest has zero interest in leaping into the water, so he spends most of his time splashing in the spring run - where it's more shallow and a tad warmer.

The park and spring are open year-round. Some winter visitors even refer to the water as warm when compared to cooler outside temperatures. So, if you're looking to get out of town and explore the gulf coast, give one of Ponce de Leon, FL's springs a try.