Devon Shanor | Blog

Tag: children portraits

  • Mermaids with Mommy | Hampton Roads Mermaid Portraits

    Heidie and Nala were my first and perfect mommy and daughter duo! Heidie decided to make a special surprise for her husband and surprisingly it wasn’t Nala who spilled the beans to dad after the shoot, it was Heidie!  She loved her video so much she showed him the video as soon as I produced it! 

    The session was AMAZING. We shot at Chicks Beach and it was a beautiful day despite the water being just a tad chilly.  Nala, our little mermaid was upset when she got her tail wet, but momma stuck it out! 

    These sessions are still available but not for long as the chilly weather is approaching! Contact me today if you are interested in making your mermaid fantasy a reality! Heidie Nala_0008 Heidie Nala_0009 Heidie Nala_0010 Heidie Nala_0013 Heidie Nala_0014 Heidie Nala_0015 Heidie Nala_0016 Heidie Nala_0017 Heidie Nala_0018 Heidie Nala_0019

  • 2017 Graduate Kendall | Hampton Roads Senior Portrait Photographer

    Twelve long years of school finally come to and end!!! I have watched this young lady grow up over the past 10 years and I am so excited to see how she has blossomed and grown into this beautiful woman.  She will be starting her schooling all over next year at Liberty University, her parents Alma Mater, and couldn’t be more excited.  

    We had a great session, even if we did get attacked by gnats and bugs.  🙂  Kendal rocked every minute of her session and her portraits turned out amazing.  

    I am so very glad that we did a few family portraits at the end as well.  It’s important to do family portraits before your kids go off to college, who knows what the next few years may bring. 🙂  There might be additional family members, people may move away and spending time together as a whole family may come less and less.  It’s so important to take family portraits when you have the chance to capture your family, as your kids are born and your family is growing, as they are growing up and toothless and all legs and arms, and as they are embarking on adulthood and about to go spread their wings.   It’s moments and milestones that we remember, but havign portraits to show us those moments is such a treasure!

    So, thank you Kendal and the Farnsworth clan for allowing me to capture these moments or your family and this amazing milestone.  Kendall, I am so proud of the woman you have become.  <3 <3 

    photography_052photography_047 photography_048 photography_049 photography_050 photography_051photography_054 photography_053 photography_055 photography_056photography_058photography_046 photography_057

  • Gabriel Turning One | Baby’s First Year Photography Hampton Roads

    Happy Birthday little man! I love that I have gotten to watch you grow over your first year.  You are such a charming and happy little guy.  Your first year portraits session was the EASIEST I have ever done!  You were a little model- laughing, smiling and clapping for the camera. You DEVOURED your cake- ate more than any other one year old I photographed and hated it when we took it away! Mom and dad don’t like the camera as much as you, but with you they complied to be in the portraits as well!  

    I hope to be able to photograph you as you grow up.  I can tell you are going to be an amazing addition to this world and make it a better place.  Honored I was able to photograph the first year!

     

    photography_023 photography_025 photography_026 photography_027 photography_028 photography_029 photography_031 photography_032 photography_035 photography_036 photography_037 photography_038 photography_040 photography_041 photography_042

  • Sweet Sianna | Baby’s First Year Portraits

    All these little babies!!!  I am loving all the newborn session I’ve been photographing lately.  Little boys, girls, twins… bring me ALL THE BABIES!  I have a great program called my “Baby’s First Year Plan” and I love when my clients book them so I can watch them grow during that amazing first year of growth!

    Meet the beautiful Sianna.  Her mommy bought my “Bump to Baby” plan so I got to photographed her both in the belly and in person at just a week old. What a great shoot.    Mommy wanted it to be just for little Sianna, as daddy was working, and she was a perfect little model.  Enjoy some of the highlights from both the maternity and newborn sessions!

     

    photography_002 photography_003 photography_004 photography_005 photography_006 photography_007 photography_008 photography_009 photography_010 photography_011 photography_012

  • A Year in Review | Hampton Roads Photographer

    Another amazing year has passed.  Last year at this exact time, I was just so thankful 2015 was almost OVER.  It was a year filled with so much sadness and loss. I prayed for 2016 to be a BORING year at least!  I just wanted to get past all the pain of 2015.  God answers prayers and more.  Like he states “There is a time and a season for everything.”  The BORING year I was praying for didn’t happen, instead He gave me so much more.

    Personal highlights of 2016… I started the year off on a cruise with my family.  The first cruise we have done together and it was a beautiful welcome to the new year!  In the spring, I visited  NYC with my son and godson and got to see my childhood crush, Will Smith (aaaaahhhhhhh) film the movie Collateral Beauty.  (Seriously, I was like a giddy child- and the coolest thing was it was an unexpected surprise to see him on set!!  Thanks to an amazing friend who set it up!)  In the summer, I visited Ethiopia again, with Habesha Momma, and got to start the process of opening a home for homeless and trafficked children.  I also FINALLY got to take my husband to NYC.  I love NYC and Brett has said for years  “NEVER” when I ask if he’d like to go with me.  However, he finally agreed and we had a fabulous time together enjoying the big city!

    One of the biggest personal and business highlights was I moved my business out of my house and into a true commercial space!!  It was a HUGE leap of faith but I am so very thankful I took the risk.  I LOVE having my own space.  I’ve been a successful photographer for years BUT having my own name on the outside of a building makes me feel “I’ve made it!”  It has been an amazing whirlwind of a year!  I had a phenomenal Open House in my new space and felt so much love poured out.  I have been blessed by the opportunity to photograph so many amazing people, families and projects.  I truly love my job and don’t take for granted the fact that I am given the gift of creating moments in time for each of you.

    This blog every year is one of my hardest… to go through the year and pick my favorite images to share.  Each one of you are so special to me, all of our shoots hold special moments and laughs.  In every single session- I am creating memories that I pray will be cherished for generations to come.  Narrowing that down to 15-20 images to show my year in review… it is SO HARD!  But here are some of the highlights I was able to narrow it down too… and once again thank you.  Thank you for trusting me, thank you for supporting me, thank you for allowing me into your family.  

    I pray blessings, love and lots of laughter in 2017!

    photography_009photography_014photography_015photography_011photography_008photography_012photography_013photography_025photography_016photography_944photography_901photography_018photography_019photography_020photography_021photography_022photography_023photography_024photography_030photography_026photography_027photography_028photography_029 bestyearthankyoucard-5x5-front

  • An Answer to Prayer: Welcome 3D | Virginia Beach Newborn Photograher

    Watching families grow is simply one of the best parts of my job.  I can remember years ago photographing the David family while they were praying for another child, and getting to see where they are now is such a honor.

    Welcome Little Moses the third!!  This little guy is such an answer to prayer for the David family.  God’s timing is always perfect and while “not yet” was hard to hear for so many years, we are so very thankful for His perfect timing! 

    We welcomed Moses (aka 3D as he is Moses David the THIRD) in July and he was such a star during his session.  He cooed and smiled and slept like a champ!   Already a superstar like his Daddy.

     Big sister Amani is in love with him too, I love seeing older siblings love on their baby siblings and I can already tellt hat Amani will be like a second momma to little 3D!

     Enjoy the David family and some of their favorite portraits from their session.  <3 <3 photography_997 photography_995 photography_993 photography_992 photography_990 photography_988 photography_986 photography_985 photography_984 photography_983 photography_007 photography_006 photography_005 photography_004 photography_001 photography_998photography_002photography_999

     

     

  • Lifestyle Maternity | Baby’s First Year Photographer

    Baby number two is on the way for Raf and Claire!!  They are longtime clients that I am OVER THE MOON excited for as they welcome a new sibling for little Jack!   Claire called me and asked for a family session that would include a few maternity portraits, but WOULDN’T focus on the “belly” the whole time.  She is such an adorable and beautiful pregnant mommy… but just didn’t want a ton of pictures withe focus being on her belly! 

    Since it was SUPER HOT and had been raining for days, we decided the best bet was a lifestyle session at home.  We are all so glad we did as the pictures turned out amazing .  As there will likely be a household move in the future, these portraits will be some amazing treasures showing the love in the home where both their children were born and spent their first years.  

    Of course, as I LOVE maternity portrait showcasing the bump- I did convince Claire to do a FEW in a maternity gown that focused on how beautiful she is with that beautiful baby bump!   Enjoy and say a pray for Claire and Raf… they are officially past the due date and ready to welcome their newest little one! 

    UPDATE:  I wrote this blog and guess who arrived the very next day?  The beautiful Katherine… a perfect little girl to add to this amazing family!!!  Great job Claire, I am finishing up her newborn portraits now and she is so adorable with her chunky little legs!  I can’t wait to share with you! 

    photography_944 photography_951 photography_952 photography_953 photography_954 photography_955 photography_956 photography_957 photography_958 photography_959 photography_960

    photography_946photography_961photography_949photography_947photography_948

  • Actress Headshots: Megan | Hampton Roads Headshot Photographer

     

    Megan is an up and coming actress in Hampton Roads- already doing amazing things in the area… and she’s still in high school!!!  Next year she’ll be heading off to college and has some very big dreams.  So very proud of her and can’t wait to say “I photographed her when she was just a teen!”  

    Megan- you were a joy to photograph and can’t wait to see all your dreams come true.  Make sure I get an invite to your upcoming shows this year!

    photography_930 photography_932photography_931 photography_933 photography_934photography_935 photography_936 photography_937 photography_938

  • Jaita Turns Two

    Turning two is a pretty big accomplishment and grandma (GiGi) wanted to celebrate with a photoshoot!  Little Jaita totally rocked her two year old session.  (Of course, like any two year old, she wasn’t completely cooperative and attentive the entire time… but with a little patience and bribery we made it work.)  

    We included her momma’s favorite team, the Cowboys, much to dad’s surprise (not HIS favorite team) Elmo and her favorite baby doll.  Jaita is such a beautiful little lady and I love seeing her sassy little smile every time I get to photograph her!

    photography_913photography_921photography_918photography_919photography_915photography_925photography_924photography_922photography_914photography_929photography_927photography_926photography_916photography_917

  • Welcome Mr. Gabriel | Newborn Portrait Photographer

    Mr Gabriel was ready to come into this world… so ready he came the very day we had scheduled his mommy for her maternity portraits!!!  So sadly, we don’t have maternity portraits for mommy and daddy, but we do have some amazing newborn portraits!  He was such a little star during our session.  He slept and cooed and was such a joy to photograph.  Mom and dad did pretty amazing too!  I can’t wait to watch him grow and I look forward to our next session!  

    Check out Mr. Gabriel in all his adorableness! 

    photography_772 photography_774 photography_779photography_775photography_776photography_778photography_787photography_773photography_780photography_781photography_782photography_783photography_784photography_785photography_786photography_788photography_789