Picture of the Day

Amelia Island, FL

Picture of the Day

the ultimate summer portrait! - pure joy running through a sprinkler in the yard

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Finds (episode 8)

This weekend is the Children's Boutique Warehouse Sale at The Works. All the adorable clothes, toys, room decor and shoes you can find at the local boutiques, like Sugar Plum Kids, Limetree, and Wiggle are on sale up to 70% off at this huge warehouse sale.

Children's Boutique Warehouse Sale at The Works - Click the link or the image for more info and directions.

Invite your friends for a fun mom's day of the sale and lunch at Star Provisions, Figo Pasta or Taqueria del Sol down the street!

Picture of the Day

Josie

Click the image to view the slideshow.

These are Josie's footprints. After playing in the baby pool in her backyard, she stopped here for a moment before moving inside to eat lunch. I love how she left her little mark. :) Josie is an adorable 14 months old with a beautiful, light-up-the-room smile. It was so fun documenting a day in the life for her and her parents.

I don't often get to photograph pet cats because A) if my clients have pets, they are usually dogs, and B) they normally don't want to have anything to do with me or pictures. But Josie's wonderful cat seems to love Josie just as much as she loves her parents. The cat (sorry, I've forgotten her name!) was a rescue and really the first baby in the family, so it is appropriate that she gets some picture-love too. I just the adore the series of her with mom and Josie reading a book. Enjoy the slideshow!


Sara Speert - Decatur children's photographer, family pet photographer

Me, a judge?

On Tuesday, I had the honor of being asked again to judge the ImageMaker's Competition, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America annual photo competition. Students compete in local competitions to reach the national competition where I and two other professionals judged the entries. It is such a great complement to be asked to judge. And it was wonderful to see how young children and teenagers use creativity to see their everyday world. Many students wrote about how photography has allowed them to see the world in a different way and opened their eyes to new things. I love that photography has that power and that they've had that experience!

John Sharp (professor at SCAD Atlanta) and Connie Jackson (professional photographer) looking through the portfolio entries.

One of the beautiful images entered by a student.

Another beautiful entry - a dandelion.

Ethan & Eli

I met Jen and Adam two years ago when they asked me to photograph their wedding vow renewal ceremony and dinner. They are beautiful people - inside and out - genuine and truly nice people, so when Jen contacted me recently to schedule a portrait session for their family, I jumped at the chance to see them again and meet Eli, the newest member of the family.

On a side note, Jen has an amazing blog that I love reading. I subscribe to many blogs to keep up on my friends and other big-name photographers, but Jen's blog is different. For one, take a look at the description she's given to it:

Stories of the frazzled and funny days I spend living life with two boys. Read on about how I manage motherhood, marriage, faith, friendships and all the little twists and turns along the way that keep it interesting.

Plus, I love the name of it - Tales of a Southern Yankee. For all you mom's, I think you'll be able to relate to everything she writes about. So, if you do visit her newly designed blog, be sure to leave a comment. We blog people love comments!

Last week I posted a POTD (Picture of the Day) from their session. And today's the day for the slideshow. So without further ado, to-do or ago....

(click the image to watch the slideshow)

This beautiful scene is right in their backyard! How amazing!

Sara Speert - Kennesaw portraits, family portraits, Gwinett County portraits

Picture of the Day

Happy Belated 4th of July! Hope you had a wonderful weekend with family & friends. Nick and I had a great day on Saturday. We headed up to the north Georgia mountains to a blueberry farm and picked delicious blueberries. I had to sample them while we picked to be sure they were "ok." It was a great way to take a mini-vacation and do something different. And we've been enjoying them since. Blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes....

These pictures are from my iPhone. Not bad, right?

Then we headed back home. Parked the car and walked to Avondale Estates fireworks. Although we've been living in our house for 2.5 years, we never seem to be in town for the 4th so this was our first time going to see the fireworks there. Avondale Lake is just a mile away and it was so nice to be able to walk there, not deal with the car and parking, set up our chairs and join the huge crowd. And we had no idea the fireworks would be so good! The "show" lasted at least 15 minutes. And it was fantastic. The moon was just to the right of where the fireworks went off so it was a really beautiful sight. I took a few pictures with my iPhone and they looked amazing on the phone but when I downloaded them.... hmmm, not so great in real life. So you'll just have to use your imagination.


So here's the next Picture of the Day! Enjoy!

Grace

Grace and her parents are one of the lucky families to win a free portrait session from Gymboree at Toco Hill. So last Wednesday, we met at a Decatur park for some exploring. Grace is precious and so expressive. She had a great time exploring, collecting rocks and running around. Ok, I admit it; I was chasing her. :) I love the vivid colors of the authentic Chinese dresses she wore. And the image of her peering through the bay window is one that will be very special to dad. Everyday when dad leaves for work, Grace runs to the window to wave goodby as he drives away. How cute is she?!

Click the image below to watch the slideshow.

Sara Speert - children's photography, toddler photography, portraits at the park

Cole's 2nd Portrait

Last week, I visited Cole and his mommies for a second time. The first session was a blast and it's hard to believe how much he has grown since then. He looks so much more like a little boy now than a baby. He is learning to walk on his own and is definitely proud of this new found ability.

I absolutely love the picture below of Cole. He stopped for split second to rest while playing on the couch. It is such a peaceful moment and I love that I was able to capture his tranquil expression. And those eyes! So beautiful!

Sara Speert Photography - Decatur children's portraits

Picture of the day - sort of

After so many great responses to yesterday's Picture of the Day, I'm inspired. I have high hopes of being able to post a favorite image every day. (Those hopes may be a bit ambitious, but it's worth a try, right?)

So here's today's. Although it's not an image of a client, per se, I think it still qualifies. It's a shot of a collage in Cole's bedroom. The collage is from his first portrait session in December. I love the soft colors of the images (an effect I call "old film"), the rustic black edges and how amazing it looks on this walls of this colorful and playful room.

Sara Speert Photography - children's collages, children's room art, children's photography

Favorite shot of the day

On Saturday, I had another great opportunity to second shoot with Matt Yung in Athens, GA. I truly love second shooting weddings with Matt. It was a lot of fun to be able to take some more creative shots and move around a lot more. As the lead photographer, I generally am concerned with getting a lot of "necessary" shots, in addition to candid moments, to be sure that I cover everything. But as the second photographer, I can be a bit more relaxed and look for the unique angles and candid moments that can often be missed. It refreshed my creative eye!

This is my favorite of the day.

Sara Speert Photography - Georgia's photographer's photographer

Harper - 9 months

I visited with Harper and her parents last week for her second portrait session of the Growing Baby Collage Package. Harper is just about ready to walk which is so exciting. Whenever she can, she will walk with mom and dad's help. And just like her first session, her smile is infectious.

I started playing with some new effects during the retouching process and I love the way these have turned out. Some are a bit retro looking, like they are old photos that were taken some 30 years ago or more, and others are just different and fun. My favorite image is the one below. A tender moment of Harper and her mom reading one of her favorite books. I love that it has so much emotion and yet leaves much to the imagination.

Enjoy the slideshow below by clicking the image.

Sara Speert Photography - expressive and artistic portraits

albums, albums and more albums

I've been a bit neglectful of blogging recently. Sorry! I still love you all! I have however been posting to our Facebook page so be sure to become a fan.

I've been working on 4 album designs simultaneously, which is a new record for me, in addition to retouching a bunch of portraits and orders. I know that Christin & Jason are really anxious to see their wedding album and although it isn't complete, I can't wait any longer to show them (and you!) a few of my favorite pages. Their final albums, yes, I wrote "albums" because they're getting two to hold all the pictures from their 2-weekend celebration, will be beautiful Queensberry 18x12 Duo albums. The Duo means that the album is a combination of matted pages and flushmount/magazine pages - the ultimate in design.

Harrison

I had the pleasure to meet Harrison and his parents last week for an afternoon portrait session at their home. He is a very happy baby and seemed to enjoy everything. We started off with a bath, then some dinner (mmm, spaghetti!), and then went in to the yard to play on the new swing set. I must mention here that Harrison's dad built the swing set - very impressive! And although it's not yet complete, Harrison is already enjoying it. Just look how happy he is on the swing!

The truck that he's playing with here was passed down to him from his Great Grandfather, for whom he's named. Imagine him playing with the same toy at Harrison's age - so amazing. I love that we incorporated this special toy into the session. It makes a beautiful memory.

Enjoy the slideshow!

Sara Speert Photography - baby, children & family portraits

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Finds (episode 7)

My vacation was fantastic, albeit too short as most vacations are, but it was great. Got to spend some much needed time with my family, including my 9 month old niece, Elizabeth Sophie. I'll post some pictures soon.

In the meantime, it's been a bit difficult to get back into the swing of working after being off for a week, so I mosied (is that a word?) on over to YouTube to watch my favorite Muppet who always makes me laugh. Thought I'd share it with you...just for laughs. Amazing how much laughing can relax a person! Ok, I mean me...

Evie, Duncan & Bennett

Saturday morning I met twins, Duncan & Bennett, and their big sister, Evie, at Piedmont Park. With all the newborn portrait sessions I've been doing recently at my clients' homes, it's been a long time since I was at the park and it was great to get back. I was reminded how nice it is to photograph there, except when there's an event going on. So it turns out that Saturday morning was the Peachtree Junior Road Race. I had no idea there was such a thing, but it looked like a lot of fun. With so many people in the park, it's often difficult to take pictures of my clients without someone in the background. But I was up for the challenge. I figured out one wonderful advantage to photographing a portrait session in the park on the day of an event - MUSIC! We had great music to listen to throughout our session and it made the beautiful day even more fun. Hmmm...maybe I should start bringing music with me on all my shoots. :)

Thanks to Evie, Duncan & Bennett for a fun morning! I definitely got my workout for the day trying to keep up with the twins. If you're a mom with little ones who are suddenly walking, you totally understand.

Enjoy your slideshow. Click the image below to view it.

Sara Speert Photography, Piedmont Park photographer

Reese

Reese has grown so much since I first starting photographing her a year ago. She is walking and talking now, and she has beautiful blond curls. I'm liking this look a lot better than the bald baby look. :)

I am really excited to start designing her baby album from all three portrait sessions. I'll be sure to post a few pages here when it's complete.

Click the image to watch the slideshow.

Sara Speert Photography, Decatur, GA baby photography and baby albums

Joshua

Have I mentioned how many of my friends are having kids? I guess there's just something about my age, but it seems like all my friends who are married are having babies. And as you'd imagine photographing my friends' families is SO AMAZING. I pride myself on getting to know my clients and knowing what moments and images will be most meaningful to them. Add that I know my friends even better, sometimes for years, and it makes the process of documenting their little ones even more special.

I've known Dan & Rachel since college. We all attended the University of Rochester (in fact, that's where they met) and I am so grateful for their friendship. Photographing Joshua was an especially fantastic experience. I can see how he resembles mom and dad in so many ways and it's so wonderful to see how much their love reflects in his eyes.

Click the image below to see a few of my favorite images from their session last weekend.

Sara Speert, Dunwoody, Georgia children's portrait photographer

Published! - Professional Photographer Magazine

I am honored to be included in the May issue of Professional Photographer Magazine. I have been reading this magazine for years, folding down page corners and tearing out articles, getting new ideas, and being inspired and re-inspired by other photographers, technical tips and marketing ideas. So to be included is amazing! Being interviewed for this piece was one of the highlights of my professional career and I couldn't be happier to, at the same time, bring some attention back to New Orleans, a place that still needs help 3.5 years after Hurricane Katrina.

To read the full article, click below.

For more information:
View my New Orleans documentary movie
Jewish Funds for Social Justice
St. Bernard Project
The School at Blair Grocery
The House of Dance and Feathers
Beth Israel Congregation

For more information about volunteering with other organizations:
Volunteer New Orleans