Yearly Archives: 2017

I have a love/hate relationship with social media but one of the things that I do love about it is seeing families together and all these super fun halloween posts these last few days!

Halloween is my absolute FAVORITE and October is usually my best time of year.  This year, however… October brought many different challenges our way!

But despite the crazy October, and the stitches that landed us in the hospital emergency room the Sunday before Halloween, we had a super fun and laid back trick or treat!  Honestly, that was all I wanted!

When I was growing up, Halloween was incredible!  I couldn’t wait for it all year long and I still get butterflies in excitement now as an adult.  I think it’s partly because my childhood neighborhood knew exactly how to celebrate halloween!  My dad and our neighbor would take all the kids out and we would rule the neighborhood!  There was so much more to halloween than just trick or treating.  We had parties in the cul de sac’s and activities and it was a true chance to see and catch up with all the families in our neighborhood.

When I had Linc, I worried about how halloween would play out because the world is such a different place now.  It’s not as safe anymore and things are just not the same.  I wanted him to be able to have the same feelings and experiences that I did on Halloween:  fun, adventure, the magic of play and most importantly a sense of community pride and spirit!

Now that we have moved to Celebration, I have to say there is nothing like this town when it comes to celebrations and halloween is no exception!  This town goes ALL OUT from the decorations, the partying, the trick or treat stations with treats and tricks hot dogs and popcorn, to the block party we always feel like we are at while we dance through the streets!

Although we missed our biggest Mario (daddy) thanks to a last minute trip out of town, this halloween was exactly what Linc and I needed after a hectic month!

We walked around with friends of ours and Ivan and I kept chatting about how amazing it is to live in a town where there is so much spirit and celebration (no pun intended).

In our little town, families dress up together!  Our town is small so we all just break out the strollers and the back packs and walk around in costume together~  It’s like one big mass of super hero’s, princess dress and gory creepy creatures!

Families choose to get bused in to our neighborhood because it’s just that cool!

For us, this halloween wasn’t really about the candy… Linc hardly chose to get any and we haven’t even looked at what is in his pillow case yet.  He was more excited to see his friends, kiss all the dogs he was allowed to touch that were in costume and dance in the cul de sac where the DJ sets up each year.

And for me:  it was the perfect ending to a very strange and hectic month!

I have to say… I think he was one of the cutest little Mario’s around!

 

 

 

“Just when you think you know love, something little comes along to remind you just how big it really is!”

I just adore this quote because it couldn’t ring more true if it tried!

I’m a boy mama and there is no love out there like the love a little boy has for his mother.  It is something so special and so dear that I just couldn’t describe if I wanted to.  There just are no words in our language.  So the best I can dream of possibly doing is to capture it in images.

But ya’ll… that love between a mother and a daughter… gahh!

One of my best girlfriends was recently blessed with the most delicious little squishy baby girl!  She is a dream!

She has the coolest little boy so she understands that boy love that I was talking about above, but now… now she gets to experience the mama daughter love and I could not be more happier for her!

One of the best parts of being a photographer is being able to give the gift of “love” to those I love.  I know that sounds silly but it’s why I actually fell in love with photography in the first place.

When I pick up my camera I see the world in a different light.  I actually see the bonds of love through that lens.  I feel things stronger and more intensely than I do when I am without that camera in my hands and I can actually put those feelings into something tangible.  I can put those feelings into something that those on the other side of that lens can hold and see and touch for as long as they wish to visit those moments!

That is something that still to this day will give me goosebumps, will bring me to tears, or make me laugh… whatever emotion that I felt at the time will come right back up to the surface again.  That is the gift that photography can give!  It’s amazing to me.

And that is what I wanted to do for my friend Colleen!

We took maybe 10 minutes… something simple and sweet.  It wasn’t too formal and it wasn’t planned.  It was just a snapshot out of her morning in her bedroom.  Just the two of them together!

Something to hold on to in the moments when baby E changes and grows.  Something to remember when she isn’t quite so little anymore or when she becomes a mom herself one day!

But for right now… just capturing their normal!

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Whenever I go back home to Virginia Beach, I always make it a point to see these two gorgeous girls!  They are some of the best friends anyone could have.  They are fun and silly and have the biggest hearts of anyone I know.  Recently, Casey found out she was expecting and what was more amazing is that their family is expanding and will be hearing the pitter patter of little BOY feet pretty soon.  I knew it was absolutely necessary that we get some one on one girl time between this dynamic mother and daughter duo before they added a wild and free spirited little boy to the mix.  So that was exactly what we did!  We met up at one of our favorite spots on the beach for a gorgeous (and quick) mommy and me session that just exploded my heart into tiny little pieces!

Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography

I honestly believe that every mother should have a daughter like E!  I’m telling you, she is the BEST~  She is the sweetest and if I could bottle her up, I would in a heart beat and I would give her away for free!

While we were walking along this path, I told her she was just getting to be so big!  I told her I wanted her to stop growing up!  Being in Florida it amazes me how just in a few months time, how these little ones that I love so dearly grow and change so much.  Do you know what this big little 3 year old told me in answer to my statement?!  She told me “I have to grow up because I have to help with my baby brother!  I have to change his poop diapers and help mommy!”

Now she said it in such a cute way with that little 3 year old accent.  You know the one I’m talking about, with the emphasis on the w sound.  The one we love so much and we hope never goes away.  Well… it does sadly.  When they are 5 they get big and all that cuteness and emphasis on the lisping and the l’s that sound like w’s… it goes away.

So for me, capturing E in this exact moment, before baby brother comes into the fold and she is still the only one… it was more important to me than I could ever describe!

Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography

We made it down to the beach about 3 minutes before sunset, so we didn’t have a whole lot of time, but you know what?!  That’s all we need really.  We ran down the beach and we just played together!

We had cotton candy skies that night and a breeze that washed the salt over your skin and washed away any troubles you thought you could ever possibly have.

It was truly magical…

Here are some of my favorite moments from our evening spent playing at the beach… one on one E and her mama!  There’s a special bonus at the end so keep an eye out and stick around!

Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography Beautiful beach mother and daughter photographer, virginia beach child and family photographer brooke tucker photography

Part of the reason I picked up my camera in the first place was because these moments fly by so incredibly fast. we don’t get to keep them and more often than not, our memories fade and we can’t quite remember all those little details we want to remember so desperately.  Photography helps us to do that.  Images help us hold on to those details forever so we can re-visit them any time we like.

More importantly though and recently I’ve been trying to add in a little something extra for my clients when I can… and that’s movement and music.  I think there is something that just touches us emotionally when we can see how our  moments play out with stills and real life and then hear it as well.

So Casey.. this is my gift to you!

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Please make sure your volume is turned on!