Category: Uncategorized

02 Jun

Cap. Gown. Glow Up- 2025

Your graduation is more than a moment—it’s a whole vibe. 🎓✨

Whether you walked the stage already or still have senioritis in full swing, there’s still time to book a fun, expressive cap-and-gown session in the studio. These photos? They’re not just for grandma’s fridge (though she’ll love them). They’re for YOU. To celebrate your smile, your journey, and your glow-up.

At Devon Shanor Photography, we keep it fun and relaxed. Want glam lighting? Classic clean white? A few shots with mom that make her tear up? Yup. We’re doing all of it.

Graduation portraits don’t have to be stiff or boring. Let’s bring the energy, the confidence, and the sparkle—and capture portraits that feel authentically YOU.


🎓 Already graduated? No problem. You can STILL book!
This isn’t about a date on a calendar. It’s about celebrating the person you’’ve were’ve been, current are and are becoming!

30 May

Last Call for 2025 Seniors

Senior Year Isn’t Over Until You’ve Got the Portraits to Prove It

Class of 2024, this one’s for you. 🎓
Yes, the tassel’s been turned. Yes, the cap’s already tossed. But here’s the truth—you STILL deserve amazing senior portraits that capture who you are right now.

If senior pictures didn’t happen earlier in the year (or maybe just didn’t feel you), we’ve got you covered. At Devon Shanor Photography in Virginia Beach, we’re offering studio mini sessions for high school seniors—even after graduation.
Quick. Easy. Totally personalized. And full of images that celebrate your vibe, your accomplishments, and your unique story.

Whether you want sleek and simple with bold black backdrops, something soft and natural in studio, or a vibe that’s unapologetically alternative—we’ll bring your vision to life.

👟 Cap and gown? Got it.
🖤 Converse and confidence? Yes please.
🎯 Just want to feel seen in portraits that feel real and expressive? That’s our thing.

Don’t wait. Your senior year deserves to be documented—no matter what the calendar says.

Let’s schedule your mini session now and finish the year with portraits that feel just as strong as the journey you’ve walked.

29 May

Simple First Birthday Portraits That Shine

Not every one-year session needs cake-covered fingers and sparkly backdrops. Sometimes, the magic is in the simple. The soft smile. The curious glance. The little toes peeking out from a tutu. At Devon Shanor Photography, we know some parents prefer a classic, no-fuss portrait session—and that’s exactly what we delivered here in our Virginia Beach studio!

This sweet girl didn’t need a cake smash to steal the show. From soft yellow florals to a vintage tub surrounded by rubber duckies, every setup was intentionally calm, clean, and timeless. And her expressions? Pure gold.

Whether you’re looking for bright and bold or soft and simple, your baby’s first birthday portraits should reflect your vision. We’re here to create a personalized experience that lets your little one shine—props or no props!

📸 Want a clean, classic one-year session without the bells and whistles? Let’s make it happen. Whether it’s a simple outfit, a cozy blanket, or a favorite stuffed animal, we’ll turn it into something beautiful (and totally frame-worthy).

Want to learn more about booking your own one year session? Book a free consultation by clicking here!

10 Mar

DSP Candids of the Week! | Candids

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! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23 Feb

Working with Family | Personal

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! 🙂 

 

01 Feb

What’s coming in 2021?!

Devon Shanor Photography is doing some amazing and exciting things this year! We have a few new offerings to share with you and some that you may not know about! 

Become a part of our FOUREVER FAMILY!!

Once you’ve had 4 sessions with Devon, you become part of the “fourever family”, any sessions after that have no session fee and you receive 15% off of anything you purchase FOR LIFE! How cool is that!? But wait, there’s more!!!!

 

Devon Shanor Photography is now offering GIFT REGISTRIES!! Any special occasion you have to celebrate, we can get you a registry for! Just let us know you’re interested, what occasion the registry is for, and you will receive a set of printed cards as well as an email with your unique registry link on it!

Did you know about DSP’s referral program?! If your referral books with DSP, you receive a $75 credit! Referring just TWO people can get you a waved session fee or even one of these neat jewelry options we are offering for the first time this year! 

 

Jewelry! This is a first for DSP! Unique and beautiful jewelry with your amazing portraits in them to take anywhere you go. Perfect for the on-the-go mom or even for dad who may be out to sea. The possibilities are endless! 

 

 

We have some more surprises and news up our sleeves, so stay tuned for more! We can’t wait to share more exciting things with you! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30 Nov

Routine in 2020, What’s that? | Creative Chaos

I don’t know about you, but 2020 has been the most “fly by the seat of your pants” kind of year I’ve ever had. A lot has happened here in the Porter household, Bradley turned 4, Andrew turned 2, we all got Covid-19, my husband made Chief in the Navy…. With quarantine on roulette and each day being a “wing it” kind of day, routine is pretty much non-existent AND THAT’S OKAY!

I’m sure I’m not alone in saying I beat myself up a few times when the kids threw a tantrum around dinnertime because they missed a nap, or when I look back at the last week and realized I hadn’t accomplished anything I wanted to because there was no routine or habits that had stuck through this crazy year. One thing I’ve learned though is to give myself a little bit of grace, we are all going through something that was not only unexpected, but affected our every day lives. Kids don’t understand and in some cases, neither do the adults. We will get through this!

This too shall pass, it’s almost the start of a new year and we can all do with a fresh start. “This too shall pass”, so hang in there everyone… One of my new habits will be blogging more often to you all, we are not alone, even if sometimes it feels like it. <3 Hang in there and I can’t wait to see more of Devon’s incredible photos of your beautiful families as we roll into the holiday season.

20 May

Schedule? What’s That? | Creative Chaos

If you’re anything like me, the work/student – stay at home mom… two littles and an active duty husband who’s schedule changes by the minute… a schedule at home is well… close to impossible.

Especially with all of this COVID chaos going on right now, the schedule I used to have is now null and void. I’m just saying… mom’s, dad’s, caregivers and anybody in between… give yourself some grace. These are not normal times or normal circumstances. Yes, structure is good, and yes, I intend on working on creating a schedule for our house because I need it, my children need it.

But you know what? I’m not going to beat myself up because of the late bedtimes, missed naps, spaghetti-o dinner, chores can wait days… Because those are the days I… put the beds late because we decided to have an impromptu family movie night because daddy found out he didn’t have to work the next morning… missed a nap because nobody slept well and when they finally did sleep, woke up late… spaghetti-o dinner because daddy had to work and mommy had exhausted kids or that day we should have done chores but spent the day bowling, racing, and having a monster truck show in our living room….

Don’t feel bad for doing your best in hard times. You are a wonderful mom, dad, person and everything in between…. You’ve got this.

Let’s make this week better than the last. <3

10 May

Happy Mother’s Day!|Creative Chaos

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful mother’s out there. Whether you’re a biological mom, adoptive mom, soon-to-be mom, grand-mom, step-mom, all around mother figure and everything in between, I hope you have a beautiful and wonderful day today, and are celebrated for the amazing people you are.

During this quarantine, our patience has been tested! Creativity has a new definition, and time is sometimes irrelevant. Did I do that yesterday morning? Or this morning? Wait, it’s only 3:00, it’s not bed time yet? I hear you. I’ve been there, but you know what? This too shall pass. Personally, this quarantine has been a beautiful reminder of what mother’s and family are supposed to be all about. We are forced to go back to basics and spend quality time together, get creative, play games, and just be present in the moment.

Today, I am spending my day with my wonderful husband and beautiful boys. Had to get creative because they have been going stir crazy, so I made a tape race track in my living room. We have had race after after race and I’m exhausted and it’s only 1:00. Andrew is down for a nap and Daddy and Bradley are outside playing. Mommy is going to kick back and read a book.

Enjoy this time together, take those few moments for yourself too. You’re beautiful and you deserve it. Happy Mother’s Day! You’ve got this!

08 Apr

She’s Lost Her Mind! | Creative Chaos

Devon has lost her mind in quarantine! She has to be crazy… anybody who knows the woman knows she’s a the lovable kind of crazy, but still….. When talking to her the other day she told me she wanted to do something for those families who wanted photos, but she wasn’t able to do them due to the COVID quarantine order. So she told me about her crazy idea…

In addition to the Seniors getting their photos this year…(Seriously, that is so cool! Check that one out if you have seniors!) She is making another offer that she only makes ONCE A YEAR.

Normally reserved for Black Friday, Devon Shanor Photography is now offering 50% more when you purchase a gift certificate!

These are hard times, we miss our clients, our friends, our families… Though we are blessed and thankful for this time to focus on improving the Devon Shanor Photography workflow, we are so looking forward to seeing you when this is all over! Hang tight, this won’t last forever.

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