He, She + Me - January

HE: started making his Christmas list January 1 • mountains > beach • prefers to eat cool whip straight from the canister • got a wart removed on his foot and barely blinked an eye • eats only the white of a hard boiled egg • has a crush on Amelia in his class and blushes every time we mention her name • is still obsessed with Pokemon, Pokemon cards, hit points and damage (whatever that means) • still yells for me to wipe his bottom (when does this ever end???) • says our dinner prayer most nights 

SHE: is the social chair of our family • hates waking up in the morning, but cries if you leave the room without her • sleeps in her bathroom and headbands and leggings • counting down the days until her birthday + making her birthday list as I type • wants a morkie • is a little obsessed with texting her friends from my phone + taught me how to send videos and drawings via text • hasn't played with one.single.thing she asked for for Christmas • missing her friends from school

ME: rejoicing that my Christmas tree is down + my house is starting to look "normal" again • cleaning out closets left and right • pretty sure I threw away a Dolce + Gabbana bag Scott gave me for Christmas (OMG) • putting together puzzles and finding it both stressful + relaxing at the same time • wondering if I should start Whole 30 again to get my body back on track • reading everything • hoping for snow, snow and more snow 

Project Mama + Me is a monthly project created to remember all the little bits + pieces of our everyday. Follow #projectmamaandme on Instagram.

Project 365

So I'm giving this 365 thing a go this year. I've done a number of different photo projects over the years, but I have ALWAYS been terrified of a 365. I mean, that's SO much pressure. But, instead of talking myself out of it and thinking of all the million reasons I might fail, I decided to just give it a go and not look back. I'm being very lenient with this project. My goal is a photo a day, but if that doesn't happen, oh well. My goal is to push myself creativity, to think outside of the box and to capture the mundane of our everyday. Wish me luck, lol! ;)

Follow along with my 365 here on my blog!

1/365: The quiet.

2/365: Morning sun + movies.

3/365: Steamy sunsets at the mountain.

4/365: Hot cocoa + sunflare.

5/365: Adventuring in the clouds on a mile high bridge.

6/365: Home.

7/365: Flurries.

8/365: A quiet break from the sledding.

9/365: Checking out the snow.

10/365: Those eyes. My heart.

11/365: Cozy.

12/365: Daily finds.

13/365: Looking down.

14/365" Jumping. All day. Everyday.

15/365: She sparkles.

16/365: Cozy conversations.

17/365: A boy + his dog. 

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Baby Wells | Raleigh Lifestyle Newborn Photographer

It's always such an honor to be welcomed into someone's home just as they have welcome a sweet new baby. I met the Wood family and adorable baby Wells right before Christmas and the session was just magical. Baby Wells was a blessing to this family and you could see the love and joy they had for both her and her sweet sister. Thank you, Wood family, for allowing me to capture these precious moments for you. xo

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For newborn session inquiries, please contact me at stephanie@stephaniemakes.com or via my contact page.

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How to simplify your workflow

Prior to taking clients, I'm not really sure I had a "workflow" process per se. It went something like this: upload ALLLL the photos - pick out a few favorites - edit & save - repeat - delete some to make room on my hard drive (which always took forever) - repeat.

I knew this process wasn't going to work with client sessions, so I had to come up with a plan to make this process easier, efficient and FUN! My workflow is still a work in progress, but for right now, I feel like it's pretty effective, and for the most part, relatively easy! Today, I wanted to share my process with you in case you felt stuck, frustrated or uncertain about your workflow!

Step 1 - Cull using Photo Mechanic software

I'm not sure where I read about Photo Mechanic, but it has definitely been a game changer for culling my client photos. All you do is pull up your memory card in the navigator and select the keepers. The program has the option for color-coding the photos, so I usually start by marking ones I think are keepers as a "1" (which marks them with a pink line as shown above). If I end up with a ton of keepers, I usually go back through and mark my very favorites with a "2" (which groups these together so I can efficiently view the photos I want to edit). 

After I've selected the photos I want to edit, I export them to my external hard drive named with the family's name and "originals" (ex. Smith Originals) to a new folder (always labeled with the client's names - ex. "Smith Family"). I keep all of my client photos on a 4TB external hard drive so they don't take up room on my computer hard drive. This just makes it so much easier for me and I don't have to worry about deleting files, making room or my computer running slower. 

Bonus: Photo Mechanic offers a free 30 day trial, so check it out if you're interested! I promise it will simplify your culling process!!

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Step 2 - Open originals in Lightroom + edit

I have my external hard drive linked to Lightroom, so after I cull my images, I just open them in Lightroom and start my editing process. I LOVE to edit, but I also LOVE to have my image set ready for my clients, so I try to keep my editing process short, sweet and consistent. I have a few favorite presets and a few presets I've developed and tend to use mainly those on all of my client images. You can read all about my favorite presets on my previous Photography Tip post! 

If I have "like" images or images taken in similar lighting, I usually batch sync my edits and then just tweak from there. I find syncing definitely helps to speed up the overall editing process! I also have a few presets that I've created myself which really helps with efficiency as well!

Step 3 - Export TIFF files from Lightroom

Once I've edited my photos in Lightroom, I always export the TIFF files to my external hard drive in a new folder (in the client's main folder) labeled "LR Export". This way if I have any changes or need to tweak anything even after I've sent over the main gallery to my client, I will have all of my original edits. I know these TIFF files are HUGE, but by this time, I've put a ton of effort into editing and I just feel more comfortable having all of my edits available to tweak as needed. 

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Step 4 - Open edited TIFF files in Photoshop + edit as needed

I know this probably sounds redundant and maybe a little tedious since I've already edited my photos in Lightroom, but I always love pulling my finalized photos into Photoshop and making any extra adjustments if needed. I feel like opening these edited photos and looking at them in a different program gives me a different perspective and I'm really able to access skin tones, color/clarity and the sharpness of the image. In Photoshop, I'm easily able to make any healing adjustments or simple blemish corrections.

After the images are all edited, I flatten the image and convert the color profile to sRGB to make them compatible with most printing companies. Both my Lightroom and Photoshop are set up to edit in Pro Photo RGB (which has the most range of colors), but I know that most printing companies can only handle sRGB colors, so I always make sure my clients receive this color profile. 

The final step in Photoshop is to save these completed images at high resolution JPEGS in a new folder labeled "Smith Print" (in the family's folder on my external hard drive).

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Step 5 - Create client gallery with Pixieset

Now that I have my edited photos saved as JPEGS, I upload them to Pixieset and create a gallery to send over to my clients. My package includes digital files, so this is a super easy way to send over the files to my clients! Pixieset allows you to set passwords for viewing and selling + also can link to external printing companies if you offer products + prints! I'm sure there are many other options out there, but Pixieset is free (up to 3GB)! 

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Step 6 - Resize + export marketing images

While I've got all of these images at my fingertips, my final step is to pull my favorite images from the session, resize them for my blog, Instagram and Facebook and export them to a new folder labeled "Smith Marketing". This REALLY makes the process so much easier when it comes to publishing blog posts or posting to social media! 

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And that's about it for my workflow! As I mentioned, it's a work in progress, but it sure does feel great to actually have a "go-to" system in place!!  What about you? Do you have a workflow process?? Please share in the comments if you do!! I'd love to hear how you manage your client (or personal) photos!! 

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A Mountain Getaway

We always try to squeeze in a mountain (or beach) getaway at the beginning of the year to rest, relax and basically just unwind as a family of four. It's always a little hard to leave home with everything still in "frantic holiday mode", but once we get there, we remember it's so worth it.

This year we traveled to Mountain City, Tennessee and stayed in an awesome mountain top log cabin. We had the place all to ourselves and I can't even tell you how many hours we spent reading books and putting together puzzles. The kids had their own loft area and we basically had to beg them to leave.

There is something so refreshing about mountain air and being away from everything. We had no cell service or no internet and it was so nice to disconnect and just "be" for a week. It was the perfect start to the new year! 

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Around Our Clocks - 10am

Happy Monday and welcome to this month's edition of "Around Our Clocks". This month is all about the 10am hour. On a typical day, my kids are usually in school while the rest of us are at work, but for December, things change a little since they are out for the holidays.  

With that said, though, 10am looks different on different days. Some days we are all still in our pajamas with books in hand; and other days we are rushing out the door to some event or gathering. Today, my kids spent some good time jumping on the trampoline and then came in for hot chocolate to warm them up. Just a simple shot of my sweet daughter and her hot cocoa snuggled under a cozy blanket. Ahhh, the joys of December break. 

Hope your Monday is off to a cozy and warm start, friends! Thanks so much for stopping by! To continue on the "Around Our Clocks" blog circle, click on over to Anna-Liisa Nixon's blog and see what her 10am looks like! 

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The Francis Family | Raleigh Lifestyle Family Photographer

Oh this family. Oh those smiles....

You have to love NC in the late fall. Even though most leaves had fallen from the trees, there was still a sprinkling of color on this unseasonably warm December evening. 

I've known this sweet family for years and have had the pleasure of photographing them a few times. I'm pretty sure they think I'm crazy with my ideas, but they roll with it and as always, we had a ton of fun. There is really nothing better than seeing the love and bond of a family. Thank you, Francis family, for letting me capture your joy. xo

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For lifestyle family session inquiries, please contact me at stephanie@stephaniemakes.com or via my contact page.

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3 Inspiring Photography Workshops

When it comes to photography, I feel like I just can't stop reading and learning and growing. I love how the learning possibilities are endless and how many different avenues you can venture down. Photography has become more than a hobby to me. It's my passion. It's my outlet. It's my adult way of still growing and learning. 

In 2016, I took SO many amazing classes from the most amazing artists and today I thought I would share my top three "must take" classes with you!

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The Art of Lifestyle Newborn

Elise Meader's class was a game-changer for me. Her breakout session from Clickin' Moms included so much detail and information and Elise just seems so "real". Her breakfout was so easy to follow and the fact that it only cost $50 seemed like a pure steal. While the class is geared toward newborn photography, the overall basis of the class is lifestyle photography and I found that everything in the class was very applicable to just about any client situation. One of things I love most about what Elise does and teaches is the raw emotion and true connection she seems to capture. The class includes a few editing video tutorials, as well as a "behind the scenes" video of a newborn lifestyle session. Maybe it was just where I was personally, but this breakout basically inspired me to give this whole photography thing a go and I couldn't be more grateful for everything Elise shared and everything I took away. 

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Everyday Beauty

I've mentioned this class before here on the blog and I still truly believe Ginger Unzueta is magical. She has a way with words + feelings that always leaves you wanting to be a better photographer, story-teller, person.... 

Everyday Beauty was a full participation, 4-week class offered over at Everything Bloom and it changed me on so many different levels. It helped me take a step back and look at my everyday life and the beauty around it. It reminded me why I love photographs + capturing our days in the first place...not to have the perfect shot in the perfect light, but to document our crazy, wild and sometimes weird life. 

Daily shooting is recommend for this class and Ginger also pairs the daily assignments with journaling prompts. The prompts aren't photography related, but they were magical when it came to self-reflection, peace and clarity. I loved connecting with Ginger and all of the people in the class. There was no judgement or criticism or feels of inadequacy. It was full of love, compassion, encouragement and kindness. This class was a soul-searching class with a photography base and I may have had a little post-class depression when the class ended. 

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The Sincere Storyteller: Capturing Your Life In A New Light

I had the honor of meeting Meg Loeks at Click Away in Seattle this past August. She was as sweet and kind as you would think she would be. I also had the priviledge of attending two of her classes while at CA and what she does is truly outstanding. Meg has a way with light and composition like no one I've ever seen before. I am always amazed at her photos and how she always uses the available light to her advantage.

Meg's breakout (offered at Clickin Moms) is packed full of information, videos, tips and more. Meg shares in-depth videos of how she makes her light work for her and situation and honestly, just watching her in action is pretty spectacular. The class also includes several post processing videos that really helped me get a better grasp on the ways to make Lightroom work for me. Most of all, this class showed me how to make the most of my home environment and how to better utilize the light around me. While I do love a good sunset shoot, the reality is that most of our memories happen within our home. Meg's class gave me the confidence to seek out light in my house and to capture our daily activities as they occurred. 

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Do you have any favorite classes or breakouts to share? I am always looking for inspiring classes. Share in the comments below! I'd love to hear your faves!

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The Mull Family | Raleigh Lifestyle Family Photographer

There is no love like the love of a family....

I was so honored to photograph the Mull Family one beautiful December evening. They are as sweet as they look and I could have easily packed up their two precious girls in my bag and taken them home with me. Watching the love and compassion of siblings, children and parents through the lens takes my breath away. There's something about being able to pause a moment of their life + their love that is just so special and I am so grateful to those who let me capture just that!

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For lifestyle family session inquiries, please contact me at stephanie@stephaniemakes.com or via my contact page.

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Christmas 2016

The anticipation of Christmas morning was crazy here in our house. My kids could not have been more excited about Santa coming to down our chimney and they pretty much begged to go to sleep around 6:30. I'm pretty sure it's the only time in the history of forever that they've requested to go to bed. The were jacked up on sugar + a Santa high anyway, so we knew there was no way they would fall asleep early. We snuggled, watched ONE more Christmas movie and then Anna read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to us before turning in.

Christmas is always magical and seeing the joy and excitement in my children's eyes makes it even more special. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas! Lots of love from our family! xo

The anticipation of Christmas morning was crazy here in our house. My kids could not have been more excited about Santa coming to our house and pretty much begged to go to sleep around 6:30. I'm pretty sure it's the only time in the history of forever that they've requested to go to bed. The were jacked up on a sugar + Santa high anyway, so we knew there was no way they would fall asleep early. We snuggled, watched ONE more Christmas movie and then Anna read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to us before turning in!

Christmas is always magical and seeing the joy and excitement in my children's eyes makes it even more special. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas! Lots of love from our family! xo

Cherish

One thing I truly and deeply believe in is getting your beautiful photos OFF of your computer or camera and into an album (or print)! These memories are priceless, and we all know that things change and people grow SO very quickly. Faces change, teeth fall out (and grow back in as BIG PEOPLE TEETH...whhhhhy? I miss baby teeth.), hair gets cut, little baby feet grow into big kid, smelly feet.... Capturing, recording AND cherishing these little things is what photography is all about. It's a moment of time....your life, your crazy days....captured forever. 

I am a big fan of Artifact Uprising and use them for all of my client albums. Delivering these bundles of joy is always my favorite part. Having these memories to look back on and share with others is so totally priceless. So go print something! Make an album! Share a memory! I promise you won't regret it! 

My Favorite Lightroom Presets

I switched over to Lightroom for editing at the beginning of the year and it has been THE BEST photography decision I have ever made (except for begging for that Canon Rebel Ti1 many many years ago). I was so intimidated by Lightroom in the beginning, and I'm still learning as I go, but the editing options are endless and I love being able to tweak just ONE element of my photo. I do the majority of my editing in Lightroom before exporting to Photoshop for a few tweaks, so presets have become my new favorite. Today, I thought I would share some of my favorites with you (you know...in case you are still looking for a Christmas gift for yourself...)

The Loren x Chris presets from Tribe Archipelago are some of my very favorite. I love the softer colors, pale greens and film look of these presets. I find myself gravitating to LXC 01 and LXC 02 mostly and usually make minor tweaks with the orange saturation and orange luminance to soften/brighten skin.  I also almost always remove the grain from my images (just a personal preference). These presets are typically my go-to presets for indoor newborn sessions. The softer tones really make these sessions seem dreamy and delicate. 

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Just a few weeks ago, Tribe Archipelago released the next version of the LXC presets - LXCN. These presets are super similar to the LXC presets with the softer tones and paler colors, but seem to have a little more "pop" on the finished image. I also feel like the skin tones on these images are more polished and less saturated when compared to the LCX presets. I hesitated on getting this new set since I already had (and loved) the original, but I am so glad I finally caved and purchased LXCN. I feel like adding these presets to my collection gives me additional options for editing while remaining consistent across my images. 

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Another preset favorite is the Film Me presets from The Blissful Maven. These presets are much more dramatic than the Tribe presets and I have found that I love using these with backlit photos. The "magic" and "fire" presets are perfect for rich and vibrant backlit images and the black & white "fearless" preset is perfect for dramatic indoor photos. These presets do have a lot of grain added to them, so I usually reduce that during my editing process. 

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When I am looking for a clean and crisp edit, the Water + Light presets from Samantha McBride Photography are my go-to! The "normal" preset has perfect tones and enhances the light in images beautifully, while the "fill light" preset really helps boost shadows and make the light pop. The black & white preset in this pack is typically always the base for my outdoor black and white photos. And best of all, I find that these presets are usually just one click + done. I have to do very little tweaking to the colors or tones with these presets and you can't beat that when you have a zillion images to edit! Oh - and you can bet that I'm counting down the days until summer when I finally try these out on my underwater shots! 

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I couldn't live without these presets! And I definitely couldn't pick a favorite. I love each of them for different reasons and usually mix them all into my session images. I try to keep the overall tones in my images similar (greens, yellows, oranges), but for the most part I mix and match as I edit. Some of my favorite "edits" have come from just trying out a new preset! So what about you? Do you use presets? Do you have a favorite?

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'Tis the season

We start December with a bang. December 1st is Drew's birthday and from there it feels like we are on a spiral of crazy activity. I am so very thankful my kids get out of school a week or so before Christmas so we can all take a deep breath, make cookies and sit on the couch and watch Christmas movies.

This truly is the most magical time of the year. I used to think that being a kid at Christmas was the best ever, but now I know that having kids at Christmas is the icing on the cookie. Just five more sleeps until the big man comes down our chimney and I think I'm more excited than they are. 

I hope your home has been full of holiday cheer this December! I know ours sure has! xo

Baby Malayna | Raleigh Lifestyle Newborn Photographer

Oh sweet baby!

I would give anything for a third baby, but my husband keeps saying no, so I'll just have to live vicariously through all of these sweet newborns. Newborn session has become my new favorite. They're slower paced, quiet and so darn sweet. There is nothing more precious than seeing new parents with their sweet bundle of joy.

I had the pleasure of capturing sweet baby Malayna and her beautiful mama one chilly morning early December. Malayna was born a few weeks early, so she was teeny-tiny. And she reminded me so much of my sweet Anna. Anna was full term, but I had some complications and ended up staying in the hospital for the week after she was born. She lost quite a bit of weight before we were able to go home and weighed in at a whopping 5 lbs. 12 oz. when we were discharged. Malayna was just as small as Anna and was just so precious. It brought back all of those mama memories and I my craving to do it all again grew as I held and photographed sweet Malayna. For now, though, my husband says I have to stick with newborn photography to get my baby fix.....

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For newborn session inquiries, please contact me at stephanie@stephaniemakes.com or via my contact page.

Pleasants Family | Raleigh Lifestyle Family Photographer

Give me all the sweet three year olds!

Three just has to be my favorite age. I love how inquisitive and happy and honest they are at this stage. Hanging out with sweet Beckett and his family was definitely the highlight of my Sunday afternoon. This family is just amazing and so.darn.cute. And the blonde hair...sigh. I can barely stand it. We had the most fun running around the greenway and being silly during this session. Just the way I like it. Don't get me wrong....I love a good "family" photo, but those other moments...the ones that happen EVERY DAY, ALL DAY LONG, are my very favorite. I love squeezes and hand holding, giggles and thumb-sucking. These are the memories that fade with time and that you will long to remember years down the road. Capturing these little details is why I love photography so much. You can make time stand still. 

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For session inquiries, please contact me at stephanie@stephaniemakes.com or via my contact page.

Around Our Clocks - 3pm

Happy Monday, friends!
The "Around Our Clocks" blog circle continues and today we are all sharing a glimpse at what our 3:00pm looks like. I should have just pasted a picture of a tornado on my post today, because we are usually just fresh out of school and on our way to one of many activities at this time. Gymnastics, art, fitness clubs, Girl Scouts....the list goes on and on. Today, we stopped by my kids very favorite place - the library. We come here at least once a week and I usually have to drag them out...especially Anna. I'm pretty sure she would just sit and read at the library all day long. I love this library so much because it's never crowded at all and it's so darn quite (as a library should be, I guess).  It's a great place to sneak away from the craziness that is our week. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! To continue on the "Around Our Clocks" blog circle, click on over to Camille Arner's blog and see what her 3pm looks like! 

Bath Time Fun

What is better than a bubble bath?? Nothing really, right??

I know the days where these two splash and play in the bathtub together are numbered, so I'm trying to savor every last giggle and soaked floor. They might fight me when I tell them it's bath time, but it really is their favorite. Then they beg for "just a few more minutes" every single time I try to get them out. And their bath time fun is the reason my floors get "somewhat" clean every week. Thanks kids... ;)

Feature: Dear Photographer Blog + Magazine

Have you ever sat down and written a letter to yourself?

I've written a few over the years and they are always so reflective and soul nurturing. It's kind of like looking at your life through pen and paper.... And I've found that it's so much easier to separate the emotions and feelings and "stuff of life" when you are writing it all down. All that said, I was still super nervous when Adri and Jesica from Dear Photographer blog asked if they could feature me and my work.  It's hard putting yourself out there and sharing all. But...I feel like we are all so much alike in so many ways. We all struggle with everyday life somedays, feel on top of the world on others and ho-hum during the in-betweens. As always, I am so honored to be able to share my work and words with others and I truly appreciate the opportunities given to me. If you want to read more, stop by the Dear Photographer blog.

The Ward Family | Raleigh Lifestyle Family Photographer

I am so incredibly grateful for friends who allow me to capture their family and the little moments in-between. The Wards live down the street from me, but have a beautiful 500-acre farm just outside of town. They invited me out to their farm one beautiful Saturday afternoon and I was awe-struck with not only their farm, but their love for one another. We had the best time explore the farm and all of the beautiful little hideouts. 

Since I take a lifestyle approach to my sessions, I'm always a little trepidatious when it comes to photographing older children. I can handle the little ones who don't care less about me and don't want to look at my camera to begin with. But older children know the "picture" drill...they are used to being asked to stand and "smile"....and while I do love capturing a pretty smile with everyone looking at the camera, the in-between moments are my favorite. I love watching a family  interacting, playing and being silly together. I love getting a glimpse of their REAL life - not just the "pose-for-the-camera" look. The love the wards have for each other is amazing and I am so honored they allowed me to capture a piece of their life. xo

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For session inquiries, please contact me at stephanie@stephaniemakes.com or via my contact page. 

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Finding Magic

What a surprise!! We found a new Christmas tree stand just down the road from us and were greeted by some new friends when we got there! These horses were the highlight of our trip and I'm pretty sure we picked out a tree in record time just to be back over by the horses. 

My kids LOVED petting the horses and these pretties were so darn friendly and sweet. The sun was setting in the background....and oh man...it was just magical! What a glorious day! It just goes to show that you really can find magic just about anywhere. 

I hope your weekend has been wonderful. We are super busy over here with loads of Christmas activities, photo editing, parties and more! Wishing you all the best, friends. xo