Catherine, Noelle, & Laura are just a few of the high schoolers that Josh & I work with through our church’s youth group ministry.  And these three girls are some of the ones who like their photograph taken the most!  I love high schoolers – they just tell you what they want.  I got a text from one of them a few weeks ago saying, “Mandy, we want new pictures.  Let’s do them downtown.  When are you available?”  Haha!  Just like my little ones!  I had an open early Saturday morning & they came!  We met in Downtown Annapolis at 8am on a Saturday – that’s dedication!  They simply wanted some photos of them hanging out, and that’s just what we did!

I’ll be the first to admit over & over again & don’t have much photography experience with the male species – babies, kids, teens, adults, whatever.  Maybe it’s not in their nature to get their photos taken as much as females – I don’t know.  But I do know that I was stoked that Jake’s mom made him get his senior photos done with me last weekend.

I’ve known Jake for quite a number of years & it’s been a joy to watch him grow in to the man he is now.  He’ll be leaving us for the great state of Texas after he graduates, but I hope he’ll keep in touch.  And Jake, if you do keep in touch, maybe one day my daughters will actually speak to you.

Here’s Jake….

For the past four years I have been photographing my nieces annually for their birthdays.  I started doing this with my daughters as a way to officially document their growth.  Now granted, I take photos of them almost weekly, but these once a year photos are a great idea for any parent to look back on and reminisce – and cry (*sniff sniff*).

Yesterday, in between the trickles of rain, I got to play in Downtown Annapolis with my youngest niece, Delaney.  She has recently reached the incredibly fun & energetic age of two!  I can not believe it’s passed so quickly!  She can run, jump, sing, dance, babble about everything, name colors she sees, & do just so many things!

When she wasn’t jumping like a crazy girl, I managed to get her to give me a few quick glances.

And I also talked her mommy into popping in to Nostalgia Cupcakes on Main Street for a celebratory birthday cupcake!  It looked yummy – I say “looked” because Delaney liked it so much that she would NOT share!

Since her mommy put her in the same outfit that her sister wore during her two year pics, I couldn’t resist putting together this little collage of the two of them.  Don’t cry too much, Laura, because I know I want to!

I got the chance to photograph this wonderful family last week in the middle of what seems like a never-ending heat wave!  They were so gracious & flexible & the kids just kept on smiling!  Thank you Schuetter family for sweating with me!  You all were so much fun.  Enjoy your sneak peek….

Mackinzie is my niece…in case you didn’t know.  And every year since she was two I’ve taken her out around her birthday for her yearly pictures.  When she was two we went to Downtown Annapolis.  When she was three we visited Canton in Baltimore.  This year, we were supposed to visit Annapolis again, but it began to drizzle!  So, on a whim, her mommy & I decided to visit Westfield Annapolis Mall.  Oh, and we went on Thanksgiving so the mall was closed!  Never fear though, Mackinzie & I found lots of cool places outside our newly renovated mall to shoot.  And the best part is you can’t even tell it’s the mall, unless you have a super extensive knowledge on what the outside of the Annapolis Mall looks like.  So here is Mackinzie, or Mack-Crazy as we sometimes call her, on her four-year-old debut!

**Oh, and if you’re a Gymboree model scout, yes, Mackinzie is available to grace the cover of your ads with all her sassy & sweetness.  Have your people call my people.