Family in the City | Norfolk Family Portraits

• October 8th, 2022 •

I have know this family since before the kids were even born! They are some of my oldest friends and I was so happy to photograph them in the city. We literally STOPPED TRAFFIC! I love all the personality and uniqueness of each of them. We had such a great time.

Mom and Dad needed some updated headshots too. When you book with Devon Shanor Photography there is no need to book a separate session for that, we can just incorporate that right into our family session!

Look who’s FIVE | Birthday Portraits Virginia Beach

• October 6th, 2022 •

Little Q turned FIVE this year and we celebrated with cupcakes in the woods and splashing in the ocean! We had such a fun time taking her birthday portraits and had such beautiful Virginia Beach sunset. We even tried sparklers for the first time but she wasn’t quite sure what she thought about them!

First Landing State park is so beautiful and I love photographing portraits there!!

Don’t forget the Love | Couple Portraits 757

• October 5th, 2022 •

During every family session you book with me, I will make sure to capture some romantic and couple portraits of mom and dad. Too often, once we become parents we forget to focus on each other. We’re too busy focusing on the kids and the house and the budget, etc! So no need to book a separate session for you and your spouse- I’ll make sure to get it during your family portraits. Take a look at G and L in Town Center Virginia Beach. I LOVE them together and had such a blast with them and getting to photograph them again. I love being their Lifeographer!

Baseball with Dad | Photography Virginia Beach

• October 2nd, 2022 •

One of my favorite things about my job is getting to stay connected with families and clients. It makes my job seem less like a job and more like connecting with old friends!

I photographed this little guy while he was still in momma’s belly so getting to photograph him now, as a little baseball player, is so much fun. I did his new sisters newborn portraits, but before them we took some time to photograph him and his dad (and coach,) in his baseball uniform!

Such a fun little session and I loved creating some amazing portraits for his family to remember his first years in the sport- who knows maybe the will be pitching in the majors one day!!!

First Grade to Forever | Couple Portraits Hampton Roads

• September 10th, 2021 •

One of my very favorite things to photograph is couples that have been married for decades. So often we forget to truly appreciate and cherish the love in a marriage when kids, school, careers, sports, activities, bills, church and EVERYTHING else that comes with running and family and a household, comes FIRST. We forget that two people started it all, two people who fell in love are the foundation of it all. Too often we forget where it all began and truly celebrate each other and the love they share.

My Treasured Love Sessions are such an important part of my business. They bring me so much joy and hope! These session celebrate the couple and their journey through life, love, commitment and sacrifice.

I was SO honored to photograph Joe and Faye. They met in FIRST GRADE! They have so many decades of memories, from coloring and recess, to sock hops and cotillions, from football and cheerleading to building a family, to retirement and grandkids. It was such a blessing to “walk down memory lane” with them as they shared so many of these special moments with me and reminisced on a life well loved.

We even photographed Faye in her wedding gown… that still fit!!!! She looks as beautiful now as I am sure she did then, and her grooms eyes are still focused on her!

During our session planning, I had them each answer a few questions without the help of knowledge of the other. I used their answers to “write” them a letter from one to the other. It was such a special moments as they read their letters to each other and then danced to their favorite song.

Enjoy this little walk down memory lane with us as we celebrate the love between Joe and Faye!

DSP Candids of the Week! | Candids

• March 10th, 2021 •

Portraits are supposed to be fun! Posing and staging is only half of it! Personally, Candids are my favorite! One of my favorite things about Devon is her ability to make any session fun. It doesn’t matter if it’s a tantrum, nervous mom getting her first boudoir shoot since kiddos, a Dad that “really hates getting his picture taken” or that senior that is only doing portraits to appease Mom and Dad… It’s a fun experience here at DSP!

Here are some of our favorite candids that we absolutely love!

“I love my baby brother!!!!… Sooooooooo much!”

“Don’t mind me… just struttin’ my stuff with the newest fad… Wear necklaces around our teeth!”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEAUTIFUL MATTHEWS SISTERS!!!

“Nothing like a cold ocean touching your toes to make you run like the wind!”

Keep checking back for more candids on the blog!

Working with Family | Personal

• February 23rd, 2021 •

Anybody who has talked to me about working with Devon has heard me say “I don’t work with Devon just because she pays me…” and that statement is more than true…

I started as a client, I wanted to do newborn portraits for my son Bradley and I tried to do them myself… I procrastinated and finally said I need a professional to do this! Devon was sweet and understanding and we did a “newborn” style shoot when Bradley was three months old. I was so happy to have newborn portraits, even if he wasn’t really still a newborn. She was so patient with me as a new mom, especially one that was suffering from Post Partum Anxiety and didn’t know it at the time.

We loved them and the experience, this woman even got my husband to enjoy getting his photo taken. I even got him to agree to do family photos once a year! So the following year, we did Bradley’s one year portraits…. this was so much fun! Devon had just gotten back from her latest trip to Ethiopia with Habesha Mama so we got talking about what she does there for kids in need. It was such an incredible story that just made me love her as a person even more. (keep an eye out for a post about Habesha Mama if you’d like to hear about it!) We talked and laughed and bonded.

The following year, Andrew was born. Needless to say I didn’t hesitate to get newborn portraits right away! Andrew was 13 days old when we got his newborn photos and I will treasure them forever! This time Devon learned more about me, she found out I was a real estate photographer, and had some significant experience with graphic design.

The following year… (yes, I got my husband to do pictures FOUR years in a row with Devon!) for Andrew’s one year portraits we were already family. My kids looked forward to seeing her, and my husband was not nervous about pictures and as a result, I wasn’t stressed out about getting ready for pictures.

After his cake smash, during our inevitable hour chat, Devon told me that busy season was coming and what was on the horizon for her and Devon Shanor Photography. I told her that if she ever needed a hand I would be happy to help out! A few months later, she took me up on it! It started as a small edit here, to collages, and evolved into so much more.

Here we are in the fifth year, I’m integrated into Devon Shanor Photography more than I ever expected to but I LOVE IT. A little bit of graphic design, little bit of office management, little bit confidant, little bit organizer, and so much more. Jack of all trades is an understatement when it comes to what I do for Devon Shanor Photography…. But let me tell you, Devon SAW that in me.

I work for Devon… not just because she pays me, but because it’s like working with family. There is a comfort and openness that I’ve never had working anywhere else. My opinion is valued and appreciated, and my skillset is valued and even encouraged to grow. There is an honesty and respect that you don’t usually see in big work place politics. We aren’t scared to put each other in their place. She tells me I’ve gone off on a tangent and got distracted (ADD… Just saying, it’s brutal!) and I’m not scared to tell her that the fifteen different folders for the exact same thing really gotta go. There is respect, love, friendship, Christ, honesty and so much more working with Devon, because that’s WHO SHE IS, and it’s who we have become as a team. Devon always says this, but Dev, MY TURN! I LOVE MY JOB! 🙂

Family Portraits in Laos

• October 25th, 2019 •

I had an amazing time traveling Asia with my mom and daughter this summer to celebrate Olivia’s graduation. While we were touring Laos, we met an amazing man, Thong, who showed us all the beauty of his country. He was such a wonderful man and we loved his story! He met his wife and married her within a week!!!

They are still happily in love with three kids! He is known in his town as the man who drives with FIVE people on his little motorcycle. Many people drive with three or four but he is the only one who regularly travels with five. As we were touring the country, I mentioned that he needed a portrait of that and he agreed! So when his wife came to pick him up she brought all the kids and we did a mini photoshoot for his family.

My camera wasn’t very happy with the very humid morning after spending the night in air-conditioning (dang condensation!) but we pushed through and still captured some fun family portraits for my new friend!

Crowning Glory with Toby Family

• March 14th, 2019 •

Cheyla approached me about a unique portrait session idea and I was so excited to dive into her ideas with her. This vision took us on a journey into her faith in God and her beliefs. Giana and Naomi joined in and were each crowned as well. The studio portraits and the family portraits at 64th street showed love both in faith and in family, even a blended family. It was a beautiful representation that love isn’t defined as blood alone and that our faith gives us strength and builds us up. I am so grateful that Cheyla and Eddie trusted me with their idea and their family. This was a session I will never forget! I hope it inspires others to think of unique sessions where photography can assist in capturing an important moment in their life!

I hope you enjoy these incredible portraits as much as I did. It was difficult to pick my favorite ones to share!

Women are Incredible

• March 7th, 2019 •

Woman are the backbone of this country! We are homemakers, doctors, lawyers, soldiers, business owners, role models, caregivers, and so much more. We juggle roles without even realize we are doing it. We can kiss a boo boo and put on our high heels in the same breathe. We bring forth life into world as mothers while also running empires. We are statistically more kind, loving, grateful and better at handling stress. We are super-powerful women!

This week we celebrate International Women’s Day. A day to celebrate women all over the world and how far we have come as women. I personally want to celebrate woman empowering women! I see a trend of women uniting together and empowering each other. We need to do more of this. When I first started out in business I had three AMAZING women who mentored me. Women who guided me, gave me advice and encouraged me. (Thank you Andi, Dee and Dana.) Their guidance gave me the ability to believe in myself and push forward on a dream I knew very little (at the time) on how to accomplish. Now, I mentor women doing the same thing. They aren’t my competition, it’s my way to give back and cheer on another superwoman!

We need to empower each other. Cheer each other on, give each other feedback! We need to stop judging each other and our life’s choices. I am successful business owner who chose to stay home and raise her babies for over 10 years. Your choices aren’t going to be my choices. Whatever you are doing with your life, you are a an empowered woman. Do you stay home and raise your little ones? Are you a single mom doing everything by yourself? Are you a military member who has to say goodbye to your babies for months at a time? Are you a military wife caught between being a single parent and a married one- juggling the two at a moments notice? Are you a career woman pushing to achieve your dreams and “soccer moming” it as well? Wherever you are you are a superwoman! You need to celebrate that.

I want to help you celebrate. Come see me in the month of March. Let’s celebrate your womanhood! Let’s celebrate your superpowers.

– For some that might mean professional headshots celebrating your success in your field.

– For some that might mean a boudoir session showcasing your sensuality, beauty and uniqueness.

– For some that might be a “Model for a day” session where you get to just celebrate YOU with different outfits and ideas.

– For some that might be a Cultural Heritage shoot as we celebrate all of your unique cultures that make up who you are.

Contact me for your own personalized session. 50% off all individual session fees if you mention “Empowered Women” at your consultation!

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