Devon Shanor | Blog

Tag: Family photography

  • Sweet Sofia Stokes|Virginia Beach Newborn Photographer

    I’ve been privileged to take newborn portraits for a second time with Stokes family! Shana and Donnie recently welcomed sweet Sofia to the family and she is adorable! Sweet Sofia was such a good baby who slept most of the time which made my job super easy! We captured some amazing portraits and she looks bee-utiful! 

    I was blessed to photography their first daughter,  Adalynn, and I got to watch this sweet girl grow with the Baby’s First Year plan! I’m so excited to get to do the same with Sofia! 

    Adalynn is a big girl now and a big sister. It’s tough being three and patient while waiting for newborn portraits but she rocked it and we got some adorable portraits of these precious girls!

    I’m so thankful that Shana and Donnie continue to trust me to capture these moments. I am so excited to watch their little munchkins grow into not so little munchkins! 

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  • Happy Bradley Turns One | Baby’s First Year Portraits

    Baby Bradley is no longer a baby, toddler hood here we come! Bradley may not be able to talk quite yet, but his smile is infectious… this little guy loves to laugh!!!! We had such such a great shoot with mommy and daddy.  It was awesome to get some family portraits because daddy was about to leave on deployment. We thank you for your service Aaron!

    Bradley absolutely loved his cake smash. Unlike most of my one year olds, he didn’t want to put his cake away, he would have eaten all of it if we had allowed it!

    We absolutely love how the portraits turned out and I am so grateful to photograph this adorable family once again!  

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  • Welcoming baby Daxel | Baby’s First Year Portraits

    So excited to welcome little Daxel to the DSP family!!  Baby D was not only SUPER cute, but he was my first baby in the new office!! He was not so sure at first but when we finally got him settled he was a superstar! This shoot was extra great because my new assistant Kennedi got to assist on her first newborn shoot.  We had so much fun and we got to try a few new poses… I may be biased but I think they turned out amazing with our little munchkin!

    Alex, Daxel’s big brother was also a superstar. It isn’t easy being five sitting in a hot office all day but he did great and we captured some adorable portraits of the two brothers.   Beautiful momma Melissa has served our country for 20 years, and we are super thankful for her military service. I’m so grateful to help her welcome her second little munchkin.   Take a look at this adorable little family!  Enjoy 🙂 

     

     

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  • 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

  • Mermaids wash ashore in Virginia Beach | Mermaid Portrait Photographer

    Gabby came to me with the idea of doing mermaid portraits.  She had been thinking of doing them for years but hadn’t found a photographer she felt could capture her vision of what she wanted.  So we discussed what ideas she had in mind and searched for tails, accessories and props.  We decided to go for it and create her dream portraits. 

    This session was AMAZING.  Even the sunset seemed to work with us in creating perfect portraits and gave us amazing colors and beauty.  Gabby was a magical mermaid!!  We even has a little girl come up wanting to see the “real life mermaid” on the beach. 

    These sessions are available to book now!  We have openings in late July, August and September.  I can turn your children into beautiful little mermaids or even make your own mermaid dreams come true.  Book a mommy/ daughter session or a session with your best friend.  

    Contact me today if you are interested in making your mermaid fantasy come true!

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  • 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 

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  • 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!

     

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  • 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!

     

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  • 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!

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  • 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