First Communion Sweetness

This was an extra sweet communion session as Mom and I are college friends and the last time I photographed sweet Lyla, she was about one year old. It was awesome to see how she has grown into a fun loving girl with a vibrant personality, just like mom! Here are several portraits of Lyla to commemorate her First Communion.

Getting in really close here at angles that are both flattering and also typically the parent's perspective. As Lyla grows, these images will evoke good memories.

I love photographing details (definitely a carry over from my wedding photographer days). It is important to document all of the little things that we fuss over because it is so nice to see it come together and should last beyond the day itself.

This amazing double row of cherry blossom trees awes all of the locals and is a MUST for communion portraits. I honestly can't think of anything sweeter than a young lady dressed in white amongst this naturally beautiful scene.

Don't let the fancy white dress fool ya - this girl loves to climb trees! We didn't make Lyla wait to long before she could get up on those branches (mom was on security watch and carefully cropped out of the image). 

These are two of my preferred angles. Shooting down and selecting my areas of focus is always a favorite - with the right lens and cropping, it brings a sweet softness to the image. Similarly, shooting up at a young girl who is also looking up brightens her eyes, giving the photo that sweet look of wonder. 

Big sis Shannon attended the session so of course I took some portraits of her as well. She is a natural in front of the camera and I loved capturing her at many different angles with varying backgrounds.

We ended the afternoon with pictures of the girls. You can immediately see they are very close. 

Congratulations, Lyla!