New Year More Love

• January 16th, 2019 •

Each January I “claim” a word for the new year: a word that is focused around having a single simple word or theme to guide me in what I want to embrace more of in the coming year.

This year I claim LOVE as my word because the world needs more LOVE, I need more LOVE, my family needs more LOVE and my business needs more LOVE!

LOVE is all around us in all of our relationships. We forget sometimes to focus on the love and instead focus on the bickering, the rushing to get to work or practices, the financial issues, the chores, the disappointments, etc. We get so busy in the day to day of life that we forget to actually see the love right in front of us. This year my goal is to give and share more love and in business to work hard to create opportunities for more people to capture their love in print.

I want to do better at encouraging people to capture the LOVE in their relationships. I want to photograph the beauty and love between a mother and baby, the time tested love of a couple married 40 years, the love for oneself in boudoir, the love between siblings who fight like cats and dogs but also have grown up as each others playmates. I want to photograph LOVE in all the relationships of life.

For families, I want to focus on encouraging families to CAPTURE the love they share. Too many times I have heard “It’s been 10 years since we took family portraits” or “I can’t do family portraits until I lose the weight.” Yet I have also heard after deaths in families “I don’t have any recent picture of my dad with is grandchildren, now it is too late” “I wish I had recent pictures of my parents together that weren’t taken on a cell phone.” Too often we want to wait for the right moment and forget to recognize that the right moment is RIGHT NOW!

One area I am especially going to focus on this year is capturing LOVE in marriage. I am not going to say that there are no perfect, never argue, he/she is exactly what I need and want them to be all the time, marriages out there, but in my experience almost ALL marriages have times of extreme struggle. Look at the divorce rate that keeps climbing- marriage is HARD work.

I have been married for 18 years, together for 22. We fought tooth and nail for each other even when we didn’t like each other. But the LOVE was there, just hidden beneath the hurt, pain and trauma. The photographs we have during the good times, smiling and loving each other and our children are reminders that LOVE overcomes. Our children remember the good times because those are the memories we have on our wall and in our albums. They see and remember the LOVE their parents have always had for each other.

I photograph families all the time and often take time to get portraits of mom and dad together as well. But it’s not often I get a full session dedicated to the love between a husband and wife. That will change this year as I bring back my “Renew” sessions and introduce my “Romance in the Simple Moments” session. I cannot wait to photograph love that has been TESTED. Marriages of 5, 10, 15, 30, 50 years. Marriages that, like mine, have gone through the storms and come out battered but stronger than before.

I also need to claim LOVE for myself more this year. Last year was a very trying year for me and I let self love fall away as I worked so hard to support my husband, kids, family and business. All of their busyness kept me so overwhelmed that taking care of me took a back seat. I gained weight and spending time with friends rarely happened. This year I claim SELF- LOVE for myself. I am determined to loose 40 pounds by eating better and getting back in the gym. I have already been away on a fabulous girls weekend in NYC with two of my besties. I can’t be the best Devon I need to be if I am not loving myself enough to take care of my mental and physical health. So this year, I will embrace loving myself better.

I am claiming LOVE this year for my business and for myself. My marriage still has rough patches and places where we can improve the ways we love each other. Like many of you, we get caught up in the kids and their busy lives and schedules and realize we are more roommates than anything else. We need to focus of US because without a strong US our family is not as strong as it should be.

Do you have a word for 2019 that you are claiming? Share it with me, I’d love to stand in agreement with you!

Superhero Kent

• January 11th, 2019 •

Kent was 6 months in December and he was happy and ready to celebrate his new ability to sit up on his own! He was also pretty excited about Santa coming to visit later in the month! Nichole, Kent’s mom, had to take a conference call during the portrait session so she spent time in the office while Kent and I got some fantastic portraits of him in the studio. Kent was such a superhero for his portraits! Thank you again for letting me photograph your handsome little man!

I continue to be proud that I made the decision to expand my space last year because it gives my clients and I the much needed space during the sessions!

Truly Inspired by Grace

• June 27th, 2018 •

I feel so lucky that I had the privilege to photograph Grace for her Senior Portraits. Grace is a very unique and inspiring young woman. Grace graduated High School early to give her time to dive into her art and prepare for her college experience at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

For Grace’s portraits we traveled to downtown Norfolk and her fun and quirky personality gave life to the urban landscape around her. I was blown away by her unique look and how comfortable she was behind the camera. We got to explore her interests and her personality making this session one I will never forget. I found it extremely difficult to find only a few images from her session to share because they all embodied her fierce confidence and beauty.

It was a pleasure getting to know Grace. I know that she will lead a very creative and fulfilling life and that makes me so excited for her and her family. VCU will be lucky to have you. I look forward to seeing you succeed in the future. Good Luck Grace!

Newborn Photography and Safety for your baby | Hampton Roads Photographer

• June 20th, 2018 •

I adore photographing newborns! My youngest is 12 so, my littlest clients give me my baby fix! They are so tiny, new, squishy, and adorable!! I love molding them into little naked balls, swaddling them into little beans with my wraps, and perfectly inserting them into baskets and bowls. That said, a newborn shoot is not easy – with much of the work happening before I even book a client!

When I take your little one out of your hands to photograph them, I am accepting the greatest gift you have ever been given. I am taking the baby that just days ago you had only ever held in your womb. I have a HUGE responsibility to care for that baby and make sure he/she is safe and sound. I take that responsibility seriously and I have put in the work to make sure I am educated on how to photograph your baby safely. I have attended newborn workshops and classes to make sure I know how to mold, swaddle, and insert your perfect little bundles into the beautiful poses you often see in newborn portraits.

Often the pictures you see are not single images- but two or three images composited together where I am photoshopping out my assistants hands and fingers that are helping hold that perfect little baby in that pose. The beautiful pictures of babies hanging from tree limbs- often that baby is just two inches off the ground- not hanging freely as the photograph would like you believe. Expert and trained newborn photographers know these tricks and tools to keep your baby safe while still creating amazing art of your precious baby.

You are probably aware that newborn babies can’t support their own heads- so the famous pose with the little one holding their head on their tiny hands, is IMPOSSIBLE to do without doing a composite. I always tell a client I can’t promise that shot because unless the baby is relaxed and completely asleep- that shot isn’t going to happen. If your 6 day old baby doesn’t want to be in a certain position, I will not force them just for a picture. I still capture amazing images for my clients that express who their baby is and what they like even at such a young age.

The point of my post is to encourage people to research your photographers ESPECIALLY for newborn portraits. You only get one chance to do newborn portraits (they change immensely after the first 2 weeks) and you don’t want your first portraits of your little one and your first portraits as a family being done by someone without the experience your child deserves. While I understand cost becomes a big deciding factor for many people, for the safety of your newborn I beg you not to hire someone with price in mind. An amazing deal doesn’t equal proper training and education to provide you with a safe environment and portrait session for your newborn.

I continue to take classes and attend workshops on newborn photography. I want to stay up to date on all the information out there so that I can enhance my client’s portrait sessions. You and your little precious munchkin deserve experience, education and passion.

Look at examples of a photographer’s work and try to find the photographer with the style you are looking for. When looking into a photographer, make sure you ask many questions such as:

How many newborns have you photographed?
Do you have an assistant with you during newborn shoots?
Are you educated in newborn safety during shoots?
Are you a licensed photographer with business insurance?
How long have you been in business?
What tools do you use to help my newborn calm down when they start to cry?

Get the information you need to make the very best choice for your little munchkin. You want your session to be something you remember with fondness and love, not fear and unease. Choose the photographer who will make your session easy for both you and baby, and will create amazing portraits you’ll cherish forever!

Here are a few composite images I have complete for my clients. Enjoy!

Why Hanging Portraits Help Children | Hampton Roads Photographer

• February 5th, 2018 •

Many parents, like mine, have hung every portrait ever taken whether it be just their children or family portraits. It has been proven to boost a child’s self esteem when they see themselves in portraits hanging around the house.

According to David Krauss, who is a psychologist from Cleveland Ohio it’s important to have those family/children portraits. It helps children see themselves as an important and valued part of the family unit.

As a photographer, I am biased, they say that there is something powerful in touching your fingers to an actual print. There’s stimulation of the brain when you have that sensory experience like touching a portrait. There isn’t really any of that in the digital world with all the social media that exists. You are touching a keyboard, mouse or a touchscreen but you are not touching the actual image that involves your child or family.

Children like to feel like they belong, especially in this world that we live in today. Photographers get to create an image where the child feels safe and protected. They can look back on this even when they’re older and remember that safe feeling.

So yes, not hanging portraits doesn’t do any harm, but hanging them could help your child!

Here are some photos from my clients of them hanging portraits I captured!

Why You Should Get Maternity Portraits? | Hampton Roads Photographer

• December 13th, 2017 •

Many women debate wether they should invest in professional maternity portraits. Some women struggle with body issues, or not feeling beautiful but you are a glowing wonderful women who is creating a human!! How amazing is a woman’s body to grow a tiny human for 9 months?

With that being said, here are a few reasons why you should get maternity portraits!

1. You are growing a tiny little munchkin! It’s hard work but most women even say they feel their best when pregnant. Even if you don’t feel fabulous, you are beautiful and you are creating this little miracle. I may be biased but I can ensure that you’ll feel beautiful after allow me to create some amazing portraits for you.

2. Although it won’t be long before this little addition is added to your family, now is the perfect time to just breathe. Get some family photos of what your family is now before the little one is added. It’s a perfect time to update family portraits but it also reminds you of what this time of your life was like! Portraits trigger emotions and memories. Plus, your children will love to see what mama looked like while carrying them!
3. If this isn’t your first child its a perfect time to involve your munchkins in a maternity shoot! It’s so much fun to see the excitement of the older brother/sisters as they wait on their new sibling! I can capture this happy time in your life!
4. The obvious reason… celebrate EACH OTHER!!! What a perfect time it is to capture this moment with your significant other. You made that tiny human, enjoy the love and happiness that comes with it. You can create amazing portraits showing those emotions!
5. You can get so creative! So many funny, serious and beautiful portraits can be created for you! One family we did a black background and white and black angel wings. We even once had a dad that wanted in on dressing up and got into a maternity gown with his wife!! We also can do the typical gown on the beach or you and your significant other holding your belly etc. We can bring in rainbows if this is a rainbow baby! Theres so much you can do with these sessions!

6. Maternity is the start of your munchkins very fast first year. I actually offer a babies first year program where I capture all the milestones of your childs first year of life.
If you don’t think these are enough, just remember you are absolutely beautiful no matter what is happening to your body. I know that I can help you feel amazing and have fun while we do it!

If you’d like to book a maternity shoot, I would LOVE to help! Contact me today to book!!

Tis the Season! |Hampton Roads Photographer

• December 13th, 2017 •

It’s the Christmas season which means it’s time for Christmas portraits! Meet the Coopers! I have worked with this amazing family before and they’re just a blast to work with!

Mia wasn’t in the Christmas spirit but thanks to my awesome assistant Olivia who gave lots of tickles and bragged them with candy canes, a few smiles were able to break through.

These little munchkins made mom get teary eyed because out of all their family photos they have never gotten everyone to look at the camera which made mom super excited!!!I think these portraits turned out AMAZING. It was such a fun shoot!

If you’d like to get some Christmas portraits there is still time! I’m having a Christmas mini session! It’s $50 for a 15 minute in studio session with a $25 print credit! These make wonderful gifts or amazing Christmas cards! Contact me today to book!

Devin 2.0 is Here! | Hampton Roads Newborn Photographer

• December 13th, 2017 •

Welcome to the world sweet baby Devin! Not only did I get to capture portraits of momma’s new munchkin, but I got to capture BEAUTIFUL maternity photos!

Mom and Dad Urie are both in the military, so I would like to take this time and say thank you so much for your service! This couple was an absolute blast to work with. They are so in love and so silly together! There was a lot of laughter and sweet moments while capturing portraits for this lovely family!

I was so excited when I got the call that baby Devin had made his appearance! The little munchkin marches to the beat of his own drum and wasn’t sure how he felt about being the star of the shoot. No matter how he felt he was cooperative and I was able to capture some very sweet portraits for Mom and Dad to keep forever!

Andrea and Jamison thank you so much for allowing me to capture these sweet memories for your little family!

If you’d like to book a newborn or maternity shoot, please feel free to contact me!

Santa Clause Came Early! | Hampton Roads Photographer

• December 8th, 2017 •

Santa Clause made an appearance at the beach this year! The weather was chilly but I’m sure that made Santa feel at home! We had so many great families!

We love when Santa on the beach mini sessions because we get to capture so many beautiful portraits for families and help a family in need. Instead of a session fee we ask that those participating donate a toy for a family who may not get a Christmas this year. We actually over filled a big box of toys for the munchkins we are helping out, how awesome is that!?!?!

We had so much fun with this shoot as you can see below! Each family was super awesome and we were able to capture such great portraits that we love so much and hope you do too!

Santa Is Coming Early! |Hampton Roads Photographer

• October 17th, 2017 •

There are so many people in Virginia Beach who consider themselves Beach Bums… and years ago Santa got jealous! The cold in the North Pole got to be too much so he has made it a point to visit our beach every fall!!!

We are so excited to bring back a session everyone has requested… Santa on the beach! We know all our clients love this session, and so do we! You’ll have a chance to get some amazing family portraits with santa and without. We ask that you make a $25 deposit to hold your slot, which will go towards print credit. In place of a session fee, we do ask that you bring an unwrapped gift so that we are able to help children in need during this time of year.

Unfortunately this will most likely be the last year we get to do this at the Lynnhaven Fishing Pier. If you haven’t heard, the up-keep with the bridge and all the finances that go along with it were just too much to keep up with. They are closing the bridge in a few weeks for good and have sold it to Westminster-Cantebury, who haven’t disclosed their plans for the pier yet. So who knows what our santa on the beach looks like next year?!?! If you are a frequent “Santa on the Beach” client, don’t miss out this year to get what could possibly be the last year with our amazing pier in the background. (Don’t worry, we will still have Santa back next year no matter what happens to our beloved pier!)

Even with all the sad news, we are super excited to create awesome portraits with everyone! Remember if you haven’t put your deposit in, you should do that quick! Please make your payment to Devon@DevonShanorPhotography.com. Slots are going quick… Saturday is nearly full!! We wouldn’t want you to miss this awesome activity!

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