Sabrina – RVA Tween Photographer, Who I Am Project

Sabrina came in for a Who I Am session and brought her beloved puppy, Athena. We had so much fun!

Sabrina loves horseback riding and hugging Athena. She loves to eat Fettuccine Alfredo and spends time playing outside with her friends. 

“We went on a Disney cruise last summer. I loved being on the cruise. The restaurant last had delicious food. The food was my favorite part. We went snorkeling and saw some islands.  I liked the Tour we took in Tortola too.”- Sabrina

“Our daughter is a very intelligent, kind, and insightful child.  Sabrina is filled with wonder and curiosity. She is compassionate and wants everyone to be happy.  Her laughter and glee make me happy no matter what is happening in my life. She sings beautifully.  She can teach herself to play on the piano music she’s heard without having seen the sheet music.  She has a firm grasp on scientific method and how to use it to make inferences that are often correct.

I have many happy memories with her. One particular memory that I’m fond of is dealing with the sun.  I had been telling her things about the natural world and how earth orbits around the sun but I wasn’t quite sure she was listening.  Her favorite show at 2 years of age told it’s audience that Mr. Sun was going to sleep.  At 3 years old we were driving somewhere and the son was setting and I said to Sabrina “Look Sabrina, Mr. Sun is going to sleep.” to which she replied “No Daddy!  The sun is not going to sleep, it’s going to China!”” – Dad

“Sabrina is a sweet, intelligent, loving person. She has an amazing heart and great sense of humor. She adores her family and friends. She is loyal, kind, and generous with all that she has. She works hard in school, which shows in her excellent grades. She enjoys horseback riding and art class, takes piano lessons, and likes to sing. She always seems to have a song in her head and sometimes sings i even realizing it.  And she’s beautiful, both on the outside and within. She’s gaining a lot of analytical ability and shows a great aptitude for science and social studies. Her sense of humor bowls us over sometimes–she has a quick wit. She’s growing more mature, which makes her a lot of fun, but she’s still that sweet little girl that we adore. She makes me enjoy life more. I was such a serious person–much more serious than I realized. Sabrina loves being silly, playing games, doing fun things. She’s given me permission and has provided me a reason to relax and have fun.” -Mom

 

Thinking about booking a portrait session for your tween?  Find out more here.

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What’s happening around RVA in June – RVA Photographer

There are so many things to do in June.

One of the things I am excited to check out this month is the Lavender Fields.

The lavender is at it’s peak in mid June. Cost is $6/person with children 3 and under getting in free.

They are open from 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday.

Check out their website for tours an other things happening on the far.

 

The butterflies are flying about at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.

Cost is $13/adults, $8 Children ages 3-12, and free for ages under 3 and Garden Members.

They are open 9am-5pm daily. Butterfly release time is 10am and Saturdays 10am and 2pm.

Check out their website to see all the fun and adventurous things going on with Butterflies Live!

Do you remember Gumby, slinky, and spirograph? The Virginia Historical Society has toys from the 50s, 60s, and 70s on exhibit. Talk a walk down memory lane and hear about stories from the kids who played with them.

Cost is free for VHS members, $10/adults, and free for children under 18.

They are open from 10am-5pm.

Check out their website for more information, and more things you can discover there.

 

Did you know Richmond has a Shakespeare festival?

When I was in college in Southern Utah, my university hosted the Shakespeare festival each summer. It was a wonderful opportunity to experience so many enriching plays. Each night they even performed a Green Show before the main performance in a Globe Theatre replica.

Playing at Agecroft Hall Thursday-Sunday June 1-25 is Love’s Labour’s Lost and July 6-30 is Macbeth.

Check out their website for more info and to purchase tickets.

There’s so many things to choose from. Richmond Family Magazine online is a great resource to check out as well.

I wanted to highlight a few and hope you can find time to enjoy them. Leave a comment below if you do check them out and let me know how it was!

 

 

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Bella – RVA Tween Photographer, Who I Am Project

I have been photographing Bella since she was about 5 years old. It has been so fun to watch her grow and I was honored to photograph a tween session with her. We had a blast!

Bella loves to play kickball, basketball, and Capture the Flag. She loves to eat lettuce wraps and pasta.

“I love horses and horseback riding.  I like art and being with my friends.” -Bella

“My dad took us to an awesome trip to NY.  We stayed in Times Square, I saw my first Broadway play (Matilda) plus Blue Man Group and another play.  We did a carriage ride through Times Square and then finished with a trip to the American Girl store on 5^th Avenue.  I had a personal shopper and got my own AG doll.”

“We went to Costa Rica twice last year.  It was beautiful and we stayed right in front of a volcano.  The second time we were on the Pacific Ocean and I got to try stand up paddle boarding.” – Bella

“Bella is the coolest little girl to be around.  She is fun, warm and loving.   She loves her horses and Hess trucks.   She is very special and I wouldn’t trade her for anything! What I love most about my daughter is that even though she’s getting older, in some ways she’s still a little girl. She still wants to sleep with her parents from time to time. Her biggest achievement is her spirituality – continuing to show that she loves her God Jehovah. Bella is the best daughter any father could have.” -Daddy

“Bella is quite simply, my joy. She is funny, quick witted, social and sensitive. I enjoy watching her move through the phases of her life. Currently, she’s a cool kid to hang out with.  Our conversations can go deeper now because she’s able to reason on things, provide thoughtful feedback and ideas that I may not have considered.  I really enjoy our communication right now. Bella has always been a socially outgoing kid. We were on vacation a couple of years ago and had a long layover at the airport. We gave Bella instructions to not speak to strangers around us and she let us know they were “just friends she hadn’t met yet.”  That quality is still strong today.  We have a local restaurant we frequent near our house.  Bella walks in, pops up to the bar to speak to the staff and then starts conversations with the local patrons.   It makes me proud and scared to death at the same time!

Bella has recently discovered her writing skills. She wrote a story for school and read it to her father and me before submitting it.   We were blown away by the storyline, vocabulary and dialogue.  I didn’t know she had that kind of talent!   She was very pleased with herself and so were we!

Her best way to make me laugh is when she tries to make up jokes.   They are TERRIBLY bad!   And she knows it!   She keeps it up and enjoys watching us groan and make faces at these really bad jokes!

I tell Bella that she is by far, the best thing I’ve ever done. She’s helped me see the importance of being in the moment – and incorporating her into those moments wherever possible.   She also helps me realize I don’t need to take myself so seriously all the time. I am immensely proud to be her mom.  ” -Mommy

Thinking about booking a portrait session for your tween?  Find out more here.

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Natalie – RVA Tween Photographer, Who I Am Project

It was a great honor to photograph Natalie for a Who I Am session. She is truly a remarkable young lady with a big heart and bit of a sweet tooth.

Natalie enjoys playing soccer, writing, drawing, and cooking. She loves to eat – sushi, noodles, mac and cheese, anything sweet, bread, lasagna, all fruits, jumbalaya, and bok choy.

“Last summer my family brainstormed a weekend summer camp for my sister and I. We invited all of our friends and had glow wars, painting, balloon fights, and camping. It was so much fun because it all happened right at our house. We all got eaten alive by mosquitoes and compared our number of bug bites. We had morning yoga and “hunted” for bagels in the trees. It was a huge blast and I loved every minute.” -Natalie

“I have been to many places in the world but still none as beautiful as Scotland.  we stayed for 2 weeks; 1 at my mother’s best friend’s family’s house, and the other at a sheep farm. The first week was fantastic, we went on rope swings in their meadows and played dress up with their old clothes. I was allowed to keep one of the dresses and didn’t grow out of it until last year. Then, the second week was even better, I met the cutest ball of fluff named Lucky. he was a little lamb probably less than a year old, I loved that lamb so much. While we were there we had the most mouthwatering food, it was so amazing I could only feel slightly guilty it was made with lamb. there were also two dogs: Daisy and Maisy, we herded hundreds of sheep down the hills.” -Natalie

“On the weekends I like to hang out with my friend Jason down the street or read a really good book. In the summer I like to swim and go for bike rides.” -Natalie

“Natalie is a uniquely independent, brilliant child with a very strong will and insatiable curiosity. she is very loyal to her friends and family. She loves bugs and soccer and music.  She is quite mischievous at times. She likes to climb trees.  She likes to clean toilets.  She loves hamsters and dogs and fish.  She is a gifted writer.  She likes to sing.  She is very kind to old people.  She has great political skills.  She likes Taylor Swift and pop music.” -Dad

“Natalie is strong willed and determined to do things her way regardless of your desires.  As long as I can remember she has been this way.  At age 2, I caught her stuffing toilet paper down the bathroom sink.   I asked her what she was doing and she stated simply, ” I am putting the toilet paper down the sink”.  I asked why, “Because I want to”  she stated.  I then took the time to explain why this was not a good idea.  She listened attentively and nodded.  I left but then I never saw her leave the bathroom.  I returned to find her putting the toilet paper down the sink.   Slightly exasperated, “Natalie, I just told you to stop and why”.  She nodded and stated , “But I wanted to put the toilet paper down the sink drain to see what happens.”  So this was the beginning of many more similar interactions. She is a defender and protector.  One day after school, she had the nanny arrive with the cart and she proceeded to pick up all the trash on her way home.  On her walks to school, she saves the worms on the road.  The position she plays on the soccer field is defender and few get around her.  She stands up for her friends.  In many ways,  she is a modern day super hero.” – Mom

 

Thinking about booking a portrait session for your tween?  Find out more here.

 See more tween sessions at stephaniegarr.com

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clara b. – Local Small Business Feature – Stephanie Garr Photography

One of my awesome tween clients from last year told me about clara b. and I was excited to visit. I went in to clara b. to look for client gifts for this years tween sessions.

Alletta was so helpful and wonderful to visit with while we looked for a few things my clients might enjoy. She helped me pick out great gifts for my upcoming tween sessions. And I loved looking at the other things in the shop.

Alletta started clara b. last summer after trying to find fashionable and age appropriate clothes for her tween daughter. Her goal is for you to enjoy shopping with your daughter. She curates clothes from the latest designers in LA, NY, and London.

The clothes are so fashionable, I wish I could shop there for myself! Ellie found a few items she loved as well. She would have gladly picked up a few extra purses and necklaces, and she fell in love with a large stuffed penguin who became her new friend.

I loved visiting with Alletta. She is sweet and kind and very knowledgable. She will help you find what ever you need for your tween daughter and you will have a great time shopping at clara b. I highly recommend checking them out. You will not be disappointed!

 

clara b. is located at 5716 Patterson Avenue, near the intersection of Libbie and Patterson.

Visit shopclarab.com to find out more.

Follow them on Instagram and facebook.

 

Stay tuned for next month’s featured business, Perk! Coffee and Lunchbox.

And if you know of a local small business we should check out, let me know!

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Celebrate Mothers’ Sessions – RVA Photographer

I had so much fun photographing mothers with their children! This year I incorporated something a little special for Mom to remember her children at these particular ages. I love seeing these families grow as the years go by. What amazing and sweet girls these are who absolutely love their mommas!

Here’s a little peak at what we created for Mom this Mothers’ Day.

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Professional Portraits – RVA Head Shot Photographer

I have had the pleasure of photographing the physicians at Pulmonary Associates of Richmond. It is always tough to get an entire office of physicians together at one time in one place, especially if they have more than one office location. We worked out a plan to photograph the physicians with their busy schedules and were able to create a great portrait for their offices and website. You will soon see their portraits hanging in their offices. So check them out! And visit their website to find out more about how they can support you.

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“Who I Am” project – Richmond Tween Photographer

I am so excited to photograph tweens for my “Who I Am” project!

Babies are so cute, new and squishy. Toddlers have those big, bright eyes and can give you a run for your money with their sass. But those tween ages are often forgotten, they are sort of… inbeTween. At ages 10-12, kids aren’t children anymore but aren’t quite teens.

I’m making it my personal mission to capture those lost preteen years. The goal is to help tweens look and feel beautiful and have unshakable confidence in themselves when they hit junior high.

Last year these sessions were a HUGE hit! I loved getting to know these lovely individuals. I was quite impressed with what some have already gone through and achieved in their few short years. Each person has his or her struggles, yet they continue to press forward and improve their lives and the lives of those around them.

And what talent! I photographed dancers, athletes, artists, and inspiring young people who are making a difference in their communities. One young woman spoke before her city council and urged them to design sidewalks in to their community planning so they had a safer way to walk to the library. Each draft prior to her speaking never included a sidewalk, despite many adult community members pleas. She spoke, the city listen and the next draft included a sidewalk. One young woman sews items to sell and donates them to her favorite charity, Autism Speaks. She also raises funds for another charity, the March of Dimes. One loves piano so much and has practiced and practiced to achieve great strides in a short amount of time. One is on a traveling soccer team. One has major medical complications, but she is the spunkiest and most full of life young woman and was a delight to get to know. One struggles with speech and dyslexia, but continues to be an inspiration to her teachers and classmates. She is always trying to help her classmates with what ever they are struggling with despite any challenges she faces. I photographed tweens who love to write. And I photographed a few comedians who kept me laughing our entire session.

I can go on and on. This project has been one of my favorite things to work on and I am so excited to continue the project this year. If you have or know of a tween you think would be great for this project, please read more about it here, and send me an email, stephanie@stephaniesportraitdesign.com. I will be photographing these sessions in the next few weeks and can’t wait to meet more amazing young people!

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Welcome Back

I seem to have disappeared off the face of my blog. Since my last post, I have been busy chasing after two little monkeys. We now have two delightful little girls who keep me busy, on top of taking care of my wonderful clients. My goal this year is to get back to keeping up with my blog to tell you all about the fun sessions we are having in the studio and around RVA and much more.

Our cute little monkeys :)

Last year I started the “Who I Am” project, photographing preteens, working to instill them with confidence as they transition to their teenage years. It has been a very fulfilling project that I will write a post about soon. And I’m planning to do the project again next month.

You can find out more here.

See you soon!

Feature Family: Perkins

Post by Stephanie

So I started this post a day or two before I had our beautiful baby girl (the end of June) and have not returned to it until now.  I apologize.  Time flies when you are taking care of a newborn, as many of you understand.  Even as I type this now, it is with one hand, as are most of my typed communications these days.  Anyway, here is the post as was written.  Also note, Haley had a beautiful baby girl the end of July.  We are so happy for them and their growing family.

First of all I want to say a huge THANK YOU to Haley for helping out with the blog the last many months.  There have been so many things I’ve wanted to talk about but did not have the time while photographing all of my wonderful clients.  She is having a baby in July so will be quite busy with her two adorable children.  So I will miss her, but have greatly enjoyed having her on my team.

I am also expecting to have this baby any day now that we have been anticipating.  Well, baby was due last week, but is not in a hurry, so we are just waiting it out.

Something I have been wanting to do is feature my wonderful clients on my blog.  You all have so many amazing talents and fun things happening in your lives that I would love to share your stories.  So here is our feature family for the month, the Perkins Family.  I hope you get a kick out of some of the fun stories they have to tell.

Eric and Chrissie have two beautiful daughters, Alexandra and Madison.  They were so much fun in our session.

Eric and Chrissie got engaged on top of the Empire State Building, have dined at the Eiffel Tower, and gone scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef.  Eric once matched five out of six numbers in the Virginia Lottery and is a whiz at magic tricks.  I know who is going to be the entertainment at our next party.  Now if only Eric’s magic tricks could make the baby appear.

Together as a family, they like to play tennis, go to the movies, go to Disney World, and Dave and Busters.  I think these guys have a lot of fun together.  I tried to get them to take me along on one of their next adventures, but I don’t think I was convincing enough.

Alexandra is active in competitive gymnastics and tennis.  She finished second overall at her biggest gymnastics meet ever in Tampa in February 2013 and won her first tennis tournament in May 2013.  Congratulations Alexandra!  I am amazed at Alexandra’s tennis skills.  I think I should have her teach me because I can not get the ball to land in the court on the other side of the net.

Madison dazzled the audience at her first ballet recital in June 2013.  She enjoys swimming, ballet, gymnastics, and tennis.  And she has a great sense of humor.  She kept us all laughing during out session.

Both of them dearly love their “third parent” Keri.  We had so much fun creating images with Keri in our session.  I love the interactions between the three of them.

Something that I really admire about Eric is that he co-authored “Richmond-One of America’s Best Tennis Towns” chronicling over 100 years of tennis history in Richmond.  The book is a community service project with all proceeds going to the Richmond Tennis Association and has been nominated for a Library of Virginia Literary Award.  Visit www.richmondtennis.org for details on how to purchase a copy or just drop by your nearest Barnes and Noble.  Really, check it out.  There is a lot of great tennis history from here in Richmond.  I know, who knew.  Okay, you probably did.

Chrissie is working toward a Ph.D. in nursing education while also working full-time as a member of the faculty at Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing.  As a busy working mom, Chrissie is still managing to work on her Ph.D.  She is amazing.  She also enjoys teaching children’s Sunday School and going clothes shopping with the girls.  I can just see the three of them out clothes shopping.  A fun adventure to be sure.

Where do the girls love to eat?  Alexandra loves eating at Osaka and Baker’s Crust.  Madison loves Chik-Fil-A.  Both of them are die-hard Sweet Frog fans.  All of them devour Keri’s yummy cupcakes.  I have yet to be a recipient of these yummy cupcakes.  Ahem…

So every child needs a pet and I love the pets in this family.  They had a lovely group of Sea Monkeys for about three months and a hermit crab that lasted about two weeks.  Now, I don’t know much about Sea Monkeys or hermit crabs, but they seem like fun pets to me.  I am a fan of thinking outside of the box.

Eric is a business attorney with Perkins Law, PLLC (www.ericperkinslaw.com).  He focuses on business startups, acquisitions, and other business transactions and compliance, franchising, capital raising, and nonprofit organizations.  His clients include entrepreneurs, executives, accountants, financial advisors, engineers, architects, physicians, real estate sponsors, and professional wrestlers, among others.  He is also chair of the national tennis rules and regulations committee for the United States Tennis Association.

It has been fun getting to know this family and I am grateful for the honor of creating timeless memories for them to cherish as the girls get older and they continue to have more and more adventures.  Thank you to you all for allowing me to share your story.