South Haven holds a special place in my heart. I’ve been “summering” there for (cough) 25 years or so now. I enjoy all of the activities (live music on Thursday nights, the blueberry festival, fly-ins, pancake breakfasts, art shows, people watching, a few Tonya Marie Photography portrait sessions, and of course the amazing beaches!), a laid back schedule, and spending time with my family.

I always look forward my sister’s visits and this year I was even more excited. She is currently living in England with her husband and beautiful daughter Miss A. My sister is also pregnant and expecting a little girl who has Downs Syndrome. You can read about her story HERE. And you can check out the rest of her adventures HERE.

So of course we had to do 2 year portraits for Miss A. And I even did a few maternity images for my sister. Feel free to leave comments below…what pregnant woman doesn’t like to hear that she looks beautiful and her daughter is adorable!?! Share the love.

Here’s one of my favorites.

This makes me laugh.

Showing off South Haven’s spectacular beaches.

“Off the beach” portraits are lovely too.

Such a great laugh!

My gorgeous, strong, and amazing sister…can’t wait until my newest niece arrives!

I LOVE photographing seniors.

The high school senior year is full of excitement. And a time that should be celebrated with beautiful portraits.  It’s a point where you say goodbye to childhood and hello to adulthood. Figure out what to do with your life…yeah, that’s a biggie. And make memories that will last a lifetime. Definitely one of the most important occasions to hire a great professional photographer.

It can also be a sentimental time for the moms. I really should keep a little pack of Kleenex in my camera bag because, quite often, a few tears escape during my senior sessions. And I can see why. It happens so fast. They grow up.

Repeat clients are awesome! I just adore watching the kids grow, seeing their personalities develop, and creating portraits that will be loved for years.  Another benefit of having returning families is we establish a level of comfort and trust that makes working together so easy…plus this family is just plain amazing. And this session at the beach in South Haven, Michigan was breeze. Literally!

This family always has the most amazing unposed moments.

Sentimental moment: this mitt was used by J’s grandfather when he played baseball as a child.

Hello Miss Blue Eyes. Aren’t you the sweetest thing!

And this may be one of my favorite sibling photographs. Ever.

One of my favorite parts of Tonya Marie Photography is watching my clients grow up. I love getting to be one of the first people to hold them as babies. To photograph kiddos when they are just sitting up. And then chase them around with my camera as they learn to run, dance, and play games. And it all happens so quickly. Seems like just yesterday I was at Miss E’s house for her newborn session.

And already she is this vibrant, energetic, beautiful little girl with a sparkle in her eye who will steal your heart before you know it.

Did I mention she’s energetic? Gotta be fast with the toddler crowd.

Love her sweet expression here.

I’m still working on my Angola and South Haven schedule for 2010. I have a LONG list of high school seniors, kids, and families I’m trying to schedule in. I should have dates to offer to people who have been in contact with me by late Sunday so check your inbox. Also I’m playing with the idea of having Limited Edition May Mini Sessions. These are special mini sessions where you get a little taste of a Tonya Marie Photography session. They are perfect for Angola residents who want a few updated portraits of your kiddos. And since we will only be offering a very limited number of sessions, I expect them to fill up quickly. More details to follow. Email me if you are interested.

I was glad to get out last weekend and captured a few photos I want to share. Now my model wasn’t exactly cooperative. But I got to create an image I’ve had in my head since last spring!

Rain, rain, go away. Did I really hear snow in the forecast? Anyway, I know it will warm up. And it must be getting close to summer because my inbox has been full of clients wanting beach sessions in South Haven and seniors wanting to grab a spot before we get filled up.

Yes, I said it. I believe my schedule will be booked very soon. Which is an honor…and at the same time scary to think that my schedule will soon be full for the remainder of 2010. And I promise, my summer/fall availability will be “released” very soon. It just takes a fair amount of coordinating while working out of South Haven/Kalamazoo, Michigan and Angola, Indiana as well as leaving time for my 3 kiddos and a husband who tournament fishes on the weekends.

Besides my boring schedule updates, I want to share some recent portraits. What’s a post without pictures, right? So here are a few quick images I captured in-studio of the lovely and charismatic Miss *C*.

Her mom was sweet enough to bring this gorgeous chair to the studio. Love it!

Don’t you just want to squeeze those cheeks!

Showing off her sweet side…

And her moody side…hey, she’s gorgeous and versatile! Those soulful eyes really draw you right in, don’t they?

I’m always so excited and honored to see my repeat clients…to know that I’m trusted to capture those precious memories year after year truly means a lot to me. And I was especially excited to see *Baby R* again given that I first photographed him when he was a tiny little thing at about 5lbs. Yes, I know how quickly they grow up. How fast they change. How time passes by. But I was still surprised to see this charming, exuberant, and incredibly handsome almost 3 year old boy when he hopped out of the car. There really was no better way to kick off outdoor portrait season at Tonya Marie Photography! Perfect weather. Perfect model. Perfect location.

I love finding little nooks around downtown Angola. This was literally a parking space with a car on either side of us. Don’t you love his pose!

Yep. He lucked out in the looks department. Those sparkling eyes. That amazing hair. The fair complexion. And a sweet personality to top it all off. Ahh…

Kids think I’m funny…here’s proof.

I knew this was going to be one of my favorite portraits as soon as I clicked the shutter.

…doesn’t he just melt your heart!

Spring must be coming, right?!? Well, the calendar now says March and I have lots of people ready to schedule summer sessions, so it must be. In honor of spring, we did some updating to the official Tonya Marie Photography website so pop on over there and take a peek.

And don’t forget to check back there as we will be adding images of new products for 2010 and some fantastic display ideas.

From the looks of things, it’s going to be a very busy spring and summer for Tonya Marie Photography. So whether you are interested in a session in South Haven, Michigan (oh, I can’t wait for some nice sunny days at the beach!) or Angola, Indiana…don’t wait too long.

And before I get too busy to get my camera on my own little one…here are some recent portraits at age 6-9 months.

Breaking News: it is cold and snowy outside. Okay, I guess it’s not really news. That’s just what happens in the winter in Indiana and Michigan! So all of my recent portrait sessions have been in studio…though I’m always game for some outdoor snow portraits as well!

I thought it’s about time I shared a few new pictures and share my philosophy on studio photography. When I’m photographing little kids, I want the emphasis to be on them. I create clean, simple, and classic portraits that showcase sparkling eyes, adorable expressions, and budding personalities. I prefer natural props that complement the subjects rather than compete with them. Ultimately, I want to create portrait that you will love to display on your wall now…and 10 years (or more!) from now.

Miss A’s gorgeous eyes and charming smile are featured in this image.

Great portrait clothing is another important aspect. This knit sweater adds the right amount of texture to contrast with her soft skin.

In this image, we incorporated a family heirloom. And I LOVE it when clients bring their own props. It just adds that extra personal touch.

This photograph has an especially timeless and classic feeling to it.

And the portrait below is a little more modern with the bright pop of color.

It’s portrait season and I’ve been busy. I’m almost done with sessions for 2009 and I’m already starting to schedule for 2010! That is such a crazy good feeling to have clients planning that far in advance. I’ve been working like crazy editing, ordering, shipping, and delivering portraits. Meanwhile on the home front, Mount Laundry is about to erupt and it looks like some sort of unknown natural (or would that be unnatural?) disaster has hit our home! But I just had to stop in and share a few pictures of my baby who is officially 6 months old today.

I love to laugh and this one cracks me up making it one of my odd favorites.

I love the contrast here…little baby vs. big road. Makes me think Dr. Seuss’ Oh the Places You’ll Go.

Funny I picked out mostly non-smiling photos to share because she is the happiest, most good natured, sweetie ever. She is my frosting.

Love the light in this…see how it shows off her new hair growth.

And special thanks to one of my friends who gave me the extra push to take this family portrait. No, it’s not “the one”. And when I look at it I see how I really need to have my hair cut, how I could stand to lose some more baby weight, and how little C isn’t looking at the camera (note to self: do not attempt your own family portraits without some help. ever. again.). But I’m so glad that we have a portrait with all 5 of us. So yes, I know how hard it is to get everyone camera ready. I know how challenging it is to fit a photo session into busy schedules. I know how difficult it is to catch everyone in the right mood. But it is worth it.