I “met” Caitlin before either of us ever moved to Sicily and I instantly knew we would be friends. Caitlin is kind, empathetic, and loves animals. She also is a mom to two ADORABLE littles! I always hoped I’d get to photograph her beautiful family. You can image how excited I was when we put a date on our calendars for a one-year anniversary shoot in the lush parks of Catania. It’s the perfect place for littles to run around and for a nice Sicilian backdrop for family photos.
While the backdrop was gorgeous, the Larvicks were STUNNING! I already knew they would come ‘dressed to impress,’ but they really went above and beyond! Bella’s little tutu dress, mom’s formal gown, dad’s suit, and Axil’s cute little button-up shirt were all just what every photographer dreams of!
One year in Sicily down, three more to go for the Larvicks! Happy one-year Sicily anniversary, you guys! I’m so glad to know you and thankful you asked me to document this time in your lives. I hope you love the photos!
The Larvick Family
You may recognize Elizabeth and Matt from their Aci Trezza maternity shoot back in November. If not, you can take a peek at their dreamy seaside images here. One of the things I loved most about that shoot (besides Elizabeth and Matt, of course) was the location. Yes, The Aci’s are beautiful, but I loved the fact that Elizabeth picked the location out specifically because it was meaningful for them. It is their home here. And really, that just gave me all the feels. This time, I visited their actual home-home to get some some lifestyle newborn images of the newest Crosetti, George!!
I already loved working with Elizabeth and Matt, and baby George proved to be just as natural of a model as his parents. To be completely honest, I actually started crying when I began editing all of the images. Their love is just too beautiful and contagious and I just couldn’t hold back!
Elizabeth and Matt, thank you so much for having me again!! I am so thankful for your trust in me. I hope you’ll treasure these images for years to come!
Elizabeth + Matt + Baby Crosetti | Lifestyle Newborn
If you regularly read my blog then you’ll recognize the Browns from the Ortigia family travel shoot I did back in early December. Aren’t they just the loveliest family?! This time, I captured the Browns in the Austrian Alps for a stellar Alps ski family vacation!!
Katie is a fabulous travel planner – I know because I’ve used her services and she is a LIFESAVER!! (Check her out here, y’all!!) So, frequent travel is her middle name! When she invited me to photograph her family’s ski vacation in the Austrian Alps, I didn’t even think about saying no! We first flew to Munich and then rented a car to drive to Achenkirch, Austria. The drive was easy and the scenery, simply STUNNING!! Even if skiing isn’t your thing, the views alone are enough motivation to make the trip.
One morning we set up a little shoot to capture the Browns all together in the serene Tirol snow. Little Bella even got some sledding in with her little husky “woof woof.” Isn’t she just adorable?
Thank you so much to the Browns for inviting me along to photograph your skication!!
Austrian Alps Family Ski Vacation
When you talk about dreams coming true, do you ever think about having a photoshoot at THE Eiffel Tower in Paris? Because, granted I am a photographer, but it was definitely on the top of my list when I visited!! Last week, I met up with my beautiful friend, wife, and momma to four, Nellie and her family for exactly that – a photoshoot in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower!!
Originally, Nellie contacted me to schedule a shoot for Christmas card photos. However, the rainy season in Sicily this fall was too crazy, so we ended up having to postpone. When we chatted about when to reschedule, she mentioned she was going to Paris for her 30th birthday and wished I could come for an Eiffel Tower shoot. And just like that, the plan was born, tickets were purchased, and we started getting excited for the big day!!
As I mentioned previously, the photoshoot took place the morning of Nellie’s 30th birthday. What an unforgettable way to ring in 30, right?! What’s more is that Nellie and her husband Joe had been to Paris together before when they were dating. It was incredibly special for them to return years later with their four children. I loved hearing their story, meeting their incredibly well behaved and ADORABLE children, and spending time with their crew on such a special day for Nellie.
I have to say, Nellie, Joe, and their family are some of the kindest people I have ever met. It’s so infectious. Thank you guys so much for letting me crash your vacation! I hope you had fun and love the photos!
Simoneau Family | Paris 30th Birthday Photoshoot
One of the things I love about photography is getting to meet so many cool people from so many different places. If you have read any of my perspectives of an expat posts, you’ll know how much I enjoy hearing about other’s immigration and assimilation experiences. When Falk contacted me for a Sicilian beach holiday session, I absolutely couldn’t say no. Falk and his wife, Kristina, are both German expats. Their son Fynn has only lived in Sicily. It was pretty cool to hear about how Fynn is learning three languages at once (German, Italian, and English)! What an amazing skill to have when he grows up!
For their holiday session, we decided to incorporate the Sicilian beach feel with traditional Christmas images. We had a ton of fun exploring the sandy beach in a nature reserve we found here. Fynn had a lot of fun building sand forts from sticks and collecting any interesting artifact he could find! Check out this beautiful family below and email me to set up your holiday session today!
Plankenhorn Family | Sicilian Beach Holiday Session
In honor of Veteran’s Day and Military Family Month, I hosted my very first mini session giveaway. The response was completely overwhelming, which of course, made me super excited! Out of 437 entries, the beautiful Clark family was randomly selected for the shoot!!
Even though our community here is relatively small, I had never met the Clarks before. However, through our session planning, Stephanie and I found out that we have so much in common (especially when it comes to wardrobe)!
The Clarks met me in a place that I personally find stunning, Ortigia Island, which is located on the southeastern coast of Sicily. We walked and talked and just generally hung out while little baby Hadley stole the show! She’s undeniably the most photogenic baby I’ve ever seen!
Stephanie, Will, and Hadley, I am so grateful to have your family as my very first giveaway winners. You guys are so much fun; I can’t wait to photograph you all again!!
The Clarks | Veteran’s Day Mini
Living in Sicily presents ample opportunity to explore Europe and “country-hop,” as I like to call it. I’ve met some people who don’t care to travel and others who LOVE it as much (or more) than I do! Katie and her family are definitely the latter. Before I even stepped foot on the island, I happened to stumble upon Katie’s blog, Planes Trains and Babies. Planes Trains and Babies is essentially a family travel blog that provides practical advice and resources for traveling with children. Through reading about her experiences and travel tips, I started to get really excited about our move abroad. Little did I know, we would later form the perfect photography-travel partnership! To say I’m excited would be an understatement!
To begin our work together, Jordan and I met Katie, Jon, and Bella in Ortigia for our a family shoot. The purpose of the shoot was not only to snap some beautiful family photos, but also to provide more focus for creating her family travel brand. Not only is Katie a travel writer, but she is also an independent family travel consultant! I have already utilized her talents and believe me when I tell you, she is SUPER HELPFUL!! Travel planning has never been something I particularly enjoy (I just love the trip!!), but Katie is amazing and makes the entire process exciting and seamless.
If you’re planning a trip (big or small), contact Katie here. In the mean time, check out the magic we created together this past weekend 🙂
The Browns | Family Travel
If you’ve ever read my blog before, you probably know I write about two main subjects: photography and travel. Besides my little family, they are my greatest loves!! So, when the opportunity presented itself to combine the two in Barcelona for a family session – I jumped!!!
For those of us who live in Sicily, it’s a big deal when family members come to visit. Rachel and AJ are a part of our community here, and to commemorate a visit from AJ’s parents, they wanted a family photo! Originally, Rachel inquired about photographing their family in Sicily, but I was (fortunately?) unavailable on the date she requested. Upon talking with her more, I learned they were planning an amazing family adventure to Spain, Portugal, and France with AJ’s parents! So, I thought, “Why not just photograph this beautiful family in another country?” And thus the planning began!
The Eustaquios’ first destination was Barcelona, so we met up there for an iconic sunrise shoot at the Arc de Triomf. Although it was early, we had a ton of fun and LOTS of laughter.
Rachel, AJ, Eric, and Carmen – Thank you all so much for including me in a small part of your family vacation! I hope you had an absolute blast and love the photos for years to come!
The Eustaquios
You guys know how much I LOVE couples and maternity sessions! So, I HAVE to start out by saying Yvonne and Edward are THE SWEETEST couple I’ve ever met. They are seriously so sweet and I love them so much for that!!
The moment I first met them in person, they both assured me they they were not models and that they would be horrible at taking photos. So silly. Because they were both complete naturals!!!! Once they got into the shoot a little bit, I think they might have even had a little fun 😉
I know you won’t believe this, but Yvonne was basically nine months pregnant in these photos!! Little baby David came into the world just a few short days after. I, personally, never would have guessed!
Yvonne and Edward – thank you sooo much for entrusting me with your maternity photos. You guys are naturals in front of the camera!! Little David is so lucky to have such sweet and caring parents and I am so lucky to have met you both. PLEASE let’s do another one!!!
Yvonne + Edward
I know they are traditionally called a “cake smash,” but this one was definitely a “cake bash” because the whole family had fun! Little Lincoln is turning O-N-E soon and his parents wanted to commemorate this special time with a smash! His mom did an ahhhhmazing job making all of the decor (I mean just LOOK at that banner!!). Lincoln was seriously crazy for the cake. He tried his best to dig in on his own, but it was just too difficult for him to get into. So, mom, dad, and big sister Hailey joined in on the fun! Everyone took turns feeding Lincoln, he fed himself, and there was even and impromptu cake fight!!
Kelsey and Justin, thanks so much for having a blast with me this morning! I’m not sure I’ve laughed that hard in a long time. I hope you LOVE the photos!! Happy FIRST Birthday, Lincoln!!
Lincoln Turns ONE | Cake Smash
