I ♥ Faces -- "Holiday Bokeh"

I ♥ Faces is having a just-for-fun "Holiday Bokeh" challenge until the end of the month... which, oh yeah, is today. Whoopsies! Way to come in at the last minute, me. Anyway, these challenges are always lots of fun... Be sure to check it out at iheartfaces.com!

I ♥ Faces -- "On Your Feet"

This was from my first "official" photo shoot, taken this summer. The session is so far still one of my faves, and this picture was one of my favorites from the shoot. Such a sweet image of trust and confidence that a little boy has in his dad. I ♥ those chubby little legs and baby feet!

Lots of cute feet over at iheartfaces.com this week... Check it out!

UPDATE:
My picture made Amy & Angie's Favorites list!! You have no idea how excited I am!!! Maybe all these exclamation points will give you a hint!!!!!! ;-)

I ♥ Faces -- "Autumn Splendor"

This week's theme at iheartfaces is "Autumn Splendor." Although this picture doesn't have foliage as the focal point, I just loved all the color that it brought to the background! I also loved the autumn colors that this young lady chose for her family's photo session. And of course I love her pretty face! :-) To view more of their session, click here.

And be sure to check out more autumn-themed photos at iheartfaces.com this week!

I ♥ Faces -- "Black"

I had a session a couple weeks ago with some friends of mine. Having grown up in a large family and having a few little ones of my own, I am very accustomed to taking pictures of small children, and I love it... But this was my first time doing a family session where all the children were older than 5, and I have to say, I loved this, too! It is nice to have a little more predictability once in a while. ;-) I also enjoyed this lovely autumn setting, and this path leading into the woods... It felt almost like a fairy-tale. And of course I think this young lady looked just beautiful here in her black dress. She is a sweetheart, and I think the tone of this picture fits her personality very well.

Check out all the other black-themed pictures at iheartfaces.com this week!

I ♥ Faces -- "Let Them Be Little"

Being the mom of three kids under 5, I am surrounded by little ones every day. (One is leaning up against me on the couch as I type, while the other two play in the next room.) I debated whether to post a picture of one of them here, but in the end I decided to share another favorite from the newborn session I had last weekend. I just love the image of this tiny little girl, snuggled up against her mama, her tiny head cradled in her mother's hand. She had been a bit crabby and unsettled a few minutes before as I tried to take pictures of her by herself, but here with her mama, she was perfectly content.

More pictures from this session here.

Check out all the other adorable pictures of little ones at iheartfaces.com this week!

I ♥ Faces -- "Tickled Pink"

I'm very excited that this week's theme at I ♥ Faces is "Tickled Pink," because it goes along perfectly with my first newborn session, which I had this weekend with this adorable little girl. This was one of my favorites from the session. I just love tiny baby feet!

More pictures from this session here.

And don't forget to enter your favorite pink-themed picture at iheartfaces.com this week!

I ♥ Faces -- "Raise Your Hands"

My first major photo shoot was done for my little brother and his adorable fiancee. Having not spent a lot of time around the two of them together, it was fun for me to follow them around and just watch them be a couple for an hour or so. One of my favorite shots from the session was this one, showing off the engagement ring on her hand. I was so excited I was able to focus on the ring while still showing their sweet affection for each other in the background.

Ever tried entering your photo on iheartfaces.com before? If you haven't, you should! It's a tough competition... lots of awesome photographers out there... but it is a great growing experience. My goal is to do my best, maybe get a few comments (yay!), then see what others have done and be inspired!

I ♥ Faces -- People's Choice

Sooo excited about this week's entry! I got my first new lens this past week (a 50mm f/1.8), and WOW! I am loving the results. This picture above is my favorite from the new lens so far, featuring one of my daughters. This kiddo lucked out and got her daddy's reddish curls, and I am oh-so in love with them! I was so happy that I finally caught a picture that does them justice!

Check out lots more awesome photos during iheartfaces' People's Choice week and vote for your favorites on iheartfaces.com!

I ♥ Faces -- "A Touch of Sun"

[Link to photo not working at the moment... sorry!]

One of my favorite shots from a session a few weeks ago. I loved how the sun lit up the background with a touch of gold. (More of this shoot on my official photography business blog, http://mirrorsoflifephoto.blogspot.com/.)

Check out lots more awesome photos with "A Touch of Sun" theme this week on iheartfaces.com!

I ♥ Faces -- "White"

I had a photo shoot with this adorable family this past week. Thought it went perfectly with the theme of "white"! (You can view more of their shoot on my official photography business blog, http://mirrorsoflifephoto.blogspot.com/.)

Check out lots more photos with this theme this week on iheartfaces.com!

I ♥ Faces -- "Beautiful Eyes"

http://mirrorsoflifephoto.blogspot.com/

My baby girl has some special eyes. She has always had some amazingly long lashes, and I discovered when she was several months old that her eyes are actually slightly different colors. (One looks darker than the other in the picture -- it's not just the lighting!) She has also had surgery on her eyes for strabismus... I am biased, but I think they are more beautiful than ever now!

Head over to iheartfaces.com to see lots more photos of beautiful eyes, and join in the fun!

I ♥ Faces -- "Water"

I tried to teach my four-year-old how to drink out of the hose this week. She wasn't getting the idea that she didn't have to stick the hose right in her face. She did this twice and then refused to trust me enough to try it again. Lucky thing I got a good shot on one of those tries. :-)

Head on over to iheartfaces.com to see lots more "Water" photos, and join in the fun!

I ♥ Faces -- "Props"

First off, I have to note that I am not a professional photographer. (Maybe someday...) I am just a stay-at-home mom, so I don't exactly have a lot of money to throw at photography props. But occasionally, I think simple props that can be found around the house are just about as good as anything else.

Prop #1 in the picture below is one that I have used in spontaneous little photo sessions with all my kids, usually because I find it convenient to plop them in it (to keep them contained and entertained for a while) and then realize how cute they look. Who knew a laundry basket could be so photogenic?

Prop #2 (if you can call it a prop... perhaps more of an accessory?) is my daughter's headband with the large pink flower. What may appear to be a fairly simple accessory is actually a trinket that happens to be very dear to my heart... see below.

This kiddo has been through quite a lot in her 15 months of life. She was born with a condition called craniosynostosis, in which one or more of the sutures of the skull (the gaps between the bone plates) fuse together prematurely, causing abnormal head, face, and brain growth. If untreated, it can cause pressure on the brain, resulting in anything from headaches to developmental delays to permanent brain damage, so it is potentially very serious. So for our daughter and most children like her, this means major reconstructive surgery on the skull. This surgery requires a huge incision that goes from ear to ear, and it can sometimes be a challenge to hide the shaved hair and the scar. But through a support forum for those dealing with this condition, I found a woman who was just starting a charity to make and ship free headbands to little girls who need a little something to help hide their scars. My daughter was one of the first to receive a headband. This awesome lady has now really gotten going on her foundation and has currently sent over 250 headbands (and now pirate caps for boys) to children all around the world. If you are interested, please head over and check out her web page! http://www.cranioangelnetwork.com/

I love my baby girl... she is such a little trooper!

Don't forget to check out the other entries on iheartfaces.com!!

I ♥ Faces -- "A Touch of Whimsy"

This is one of my daughter's little friends with whom I got to go on a little photo shoot. My SIL was the main photographer, but I enjoyed tagging along and snapping as many of the more candid shots as I could. I loved the shots I got of this girl by a quaint little pond and the fence that encircled it. This kid sure knows how to work that camera with her spunky, playful, sweet personality and pretty face. It says a touch of whimsy to me... how about you? :-)

Check out the other entries on iheartfaces.com!

I ♥ Faces -- "Bright and Vivid"

My little red-head is terrible with posing and doing what I ask when I'm trying to photograph her. When I can capture a candid shot, however, her bright, vivid personality shines clearly through. All three of my girls have plenty of personality, but this one takes the cake. I'm pretty convinced she's going to be an actress when she grows up. This picture shows just a mild example of what I see every day. Please let me know what you think of this picture! (I'd appreciate any compliments OR criticism!)

And don't forget to check out the other fantastic entries on iheartfaces.com!

I ♥ Faces -- "From a Distance"

I understand this picture isn't necessarily of the greatest quality, but I love seeing what a fun time my little girl was having dancing on the beach when I took it.

Check out lots more wonderful entries on iheartfaces.com!

I ♥ Faces -- "Yellow"

I love how my little strawberry-blonde curly head looks in yellow, so naturally my photo for the "yellow" category had to be of her.

I'm guessing the "yellow" theme has something to do with the approach of summer, and summer has certainly come to visit us today. Ninety degrees, humid, and HOT!! But we braved the outdoors (and the buggies, of which my daughter pictured above is apparently terrified) at least long enough to get this picture. I'm glad we did. :-)

Check out lots of beautiful "yellow" photos on iheartfaces.com!

I ♥ Faces -- "Motherhood"

The following photo is not the one I was planning on entering this week. I had planned on entering a sweet picture of a friend with her daughter, sitting together, sharing a tender moment. The photo below was actually an attempt by my husband to get a decent picture of me and my girls on Mother's Day. You can see for yourself how it turned out.

One girly goofing off, the next not paying any attention, and the last throwing a royal hissy fit. Classic.

This picture says "motherhood" to me because very often motherhood is not about the sweet and tender moments. Motherhood is filled with challenges, frustrations, dirty diapers, and lots of tears (from children and quite often from mom!). As the mother of three children under four, there are very often moments like the ones above where it seems like life has descended into total chaos. When this happens, there are two choices: we can throw up our hands and scream (which I will admit I have done many times), or we can throw back our heads and laugh. A sense of humor is a great asset for a mother... It always goes better when we choose laughter. So as this picture was being taken, I was a little disappointed that we were not going to get a picture-perfect portrait of me and my girls, but I also just had to laugh at the humor of the moment and imagine how great this picture would turn out to be. :-)

Check out lots more "motherhood" entries at www.iheartfaces.com!

I ♥ Faces -- "Soft and Sweet"

My two oldest girls having a little snack... "Sweet" represented by the strawberries (although I think these girls are pretty sweet all by themselves, but I'm kinda biased); "soft" represented by the photo style.

Check out lots more soft and sweet entries at www.iheartfaces.com/!