My parents met in veterinary school at Auburn University. They dated, got married, and moved to Florida, and about a year before I was born, they opened a tiny little animal hospital in Tavares, FL. It was originally housed in a little white building on East Alfred Street, where they had two doctors and no employees, and one room served as an exam room, pharmacy, treatment room, etc. They tell stories of sitting around, mom pregnant with me, hoping someone would come through the front door and pay $8 for a doctor visit. 30 years later, Tavares Animal Hospital is an AAHA certified veterinary clinic with 4 full-time doctors and 25 employees who provide compassionate, high-quality medical care to thousands of patients.

And, while the accomplishments of the clinic and staff are truly noteworthy, Tavares Animal Hospital is even something more to me: it’s the the place where I first went to “work” as a kid holding dogs and cleaning cages. It’s where I learned to care for animals of all shapes and sizes – kittens, puppies, raccoons, squirrels, and even the occasional snake! And, it’s where I learned that a workplace can function as a second home.

Since the Tavares Animal Hospital just celebrated its 30th anniversary, I wanted to take some “day in the life” photos of the work that goes on behind the scenes. It was so much fun hanging out around the clinic, getting to know the staff and capturing the work that they all do so very well.

Enjoy!

Last week, I had a wonderful time in Florida with my family, and while I was there, I was able to photograph the family of one of my oldest friends!  Lauren and I have been friends all our lives, and it was SO much fun spending a little time with her sweet husband Daniel and her little man, Brock.  Brock was quite the grill-master, and for this Pittsburgh girl, there’s really nothing better than a session complete with live oaks, spanish moss, and sun.  :)

Here are a few favorites from this session.  Thank you, Lauren and Daniel.  I had such a wonderful time catching up, taking photos, and taking in a little sunshine with you both.

I am so excited to share with everyone the start of our new dog branding and website: REAL HAPPY DOGS! We are now offering on-location dog sessions as well as in-studio photos, and to kick off the start of this fun new business, I am running a special for 50% off of any sessions booked by May 31st. So, spread the word to friends and family!

And, just to remind you of the adorableness, take a look at Lulu the calm great dane, Maggie the puppy, Maddox and his big brother Bingo, and some adorable studio portraits!

I can’t wait to photograph your real happy dog!

Right as the sun set behind the stadium, we took this photo of Laura and George at their beautiful PNC Park rehearsal dinner. Wow, what a beautiful evening it was!

Home. How do you describe home?

For me, home is waking up in the bed I grew up in, sitting with my parents around the dinner table, swimming with the dogs in the pool, and watching the sun set over the water in one of my favorite places on earth: Lake County, Florida.

Lake County is where I grew up. It’s where I played T-ball as a little girl and where we spent the weekends skiing on the lake and grilling hamburgers on the dock. It’s where I learned to ride a bike and where I first kissed a boy. It’s where I worked in my parents veterinary clinic every summer and where I got a few too many speeding tickets during the school year. It’s where I graduated high school and where I loaded up my car to go to college. Lake County is the place I will always call home.

This week I am home with my parents, enjoying some time together before our wedding season kicks into full gear. And, as I sit on our back porch feeling the warm Florida breeze, I just can’t help but feel totally happy. The older I get, the more I realize what a blessing it is to have had such a carefree, happy childhood, and the more places I live, the more I appreciate the wonderful people and natural beauty that make this place so incredibly special.

And, just as a reference, you can see that Lake County was very appropriately named… our little house is marked in red, and as you can see, you could hardly walk 2 blocks without falling into one!

To see the rest of the images chosen, visit Fearless Photographers here!

One of my favorite things to photograph is families. I love capturing people in their homes or favorite spots, simply doing what they normally do together.

Well, Nolan’s family was no exception, and we had a wonderful time together last week capturing Nolan at his 6-month mark. One thing I can say for sure about this little man – he is one HAPPY kid! As you can tell from the photos, he is constantly smiling and giggling and, well, shoving everything he can into his mouth! :)

Thank you, Kylie, Drew (and Mindy!) for allowing me to be part of your lives. Here are a few favorite photos from this session. Enjoy!
 

I learned this weekend that Construction Junction is my new favorite back-alley-hole-in-the-wall find. And, no, I’m so not even hipster (it’s true).

Our apartment/studio is a big open renovated factory building as you can see here. I LOVE the open light and tall ceilings, but negatively, it can feel very cold and industrial. So, in an effort to warm it up and add some color, I had the idea to make a room divider.

So, I went to Construction Junction, searched for cheap doors in great colors, and after giving them a good scrub-down (and kicking a few spiders out of the doorknob-holes!), hinged them together and put them in the living room. This was my first visit, and I was seriously wandering down isles of sinks and doors and toilet bowls with my mouth hanging open like “woooooowwwww!!!” I’m sure the workers were like, “newbie.”

Lulu is the biggest, coolest dog I’ve ever met. I mean, how many dogs can put their rear end on a human-sized chair while still sitting up on their front legs? That is seriously awesome! This documentary dog session took place in Lulu’s home in Friendship, and I was so impressed with how calm, quiet, and loveable this gentle giant is. She let a total stranger invade her space and follow her around, and she was all the while gentle and sweet.

Thank you, Kristin, for inviting me into your world. It was a great joy spending time with your “baby”. :)

Yang and Shuying are incredibly a sweet, laid-back, couple that I had the privilege of hanging out with a few weeks ago. They are getting married in China but wanted their engagement photos taken around the city Yang calls home now, Pittsburgh! So, we had a great time following the rivers north and south and capturing their love.

Here are a few of my favorites from this session. Thanks, Yang and Shuying. I had a wonderful time working together! :)