Inspiration: One of my senior models, Catie, rides horse and competes in competitions. While my first visual was her riding through a field of wildflowers, with a flowing gown floating in the air, I dug a little deeper and wanted to explore what a day in her life was actually like. We decided to meet at the barn and see where the morning took us. Cricket was due for some grooming so we spent the morning grooming her and feeding her carrots.

Favorite Element: My favorite element is the connection between these two friends. I have been on assignment with horses and models before but it was so obvious that they didn’t have any prior relationship. This was completely the opposite. Catie and Cricket are so in sync with each other that it really was all very natural and relaxing.

Biggest Challenge: Cricket wanted to stay in the field with her horse friends and initially wasn’t too interested in being groomed! But she changed her mind when she saw the carrots.

Final Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed photographing Catie and Cricket in this genuine and authentic manner. I find that the everyday moments are often the most overlooked, but the ones we miss the most as well. Because I knew the final images were going to be black and white, and the lighting in the barn was consistent, I really dug into their relationship. I hope that these images bring Catie joy when she looks back on them in the years to come!

Beth Seliga is the creative talent behind the lens at 3 Cats Photo. Passionate about photography from an early age, Beth has experience shooting in many different contexts. She began her career traveling the world as a professional sports photographer with her work appearing in publications including Sports Illustrated, USA Today and Pro Cycling magazine. After having kids and settling down in Albemarle County, Beth transitioned to portraiture. Although she enjoyed the exhilarating days of photographing cyclists from the back of a motorcycle, Beth has a special place in her heart for capturing families on her camera.

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Becoming a mother was a life changing experience for me. And not just the everyday changes like no longer being able to EVER sleep in again, or finding the time to do anything that didn’t involve my child. It was more than that. It was deeper … Just when I thought I had mastered the art of selflessly organizing my life around his, it was time to let go.

My baby starts first grade this fall, and the sentimental mom in me decided, when he started preschool, to begin the tradition of photographing his first day of school every year until he officially leaves the nest. I may not be able to keep him home with me forever, but I sure will have a lot of memories that we’ll treasure forever.

For those of you fellow sentimental moms who love documenting those first day memories, here are five tips that will help you master those photographs:

1) Make this a fun tradition. First days inevitably happen every year. Just like birthdays. Pick one element that will remain consistent every year, whether it’s a black chalkboard plaque or your front door, and photograph your child each year with it. (Editor’s note: Check out our free printable first day of school signs, here!) He/She will literally grow up before your eyes …

2) Allow yourself time to really enjoy this experience. In other words, don’t attempt this shot when you’re already running 10 minutes behind. Plan your morning so that you have at least 10-15 minutes to play around with ideas and really capture their expressions and emotions.

3) Get to know your camera. Find the most flattering light on your child. When in doubt, take out your smart phone and get a snap shot before the moment passes. They say the very best photographs are the ones actually captured. Trust me, you will love it just the same.

4) Don’t forget to capture their last day of school, too. Amazing, the changes that happen in a year!

5) Share your captures. Facebook it, Instagram it, blog it. There is an amazing community of moms out there who understand exactly what it feels like to let your baby go out there into the world, and chances are – they are a little bit emotional about it all, too. Embrace this milestone in your child’s life and proudly share it with all. We are your biggest cheerleaders.

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Free Custom Wallpaper — Competition season is here and today we want to share this free custom wallpaper with you, to download!

Download and use this wallpaper for your own personal use. Set it as your device wallpaper or share it via social media. Scroll down for clickable download buttons at the bottom of this post.

To download, please click the link below that matches your screen size.

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Inspiration – I relocated to the Oregon last July and we had one of the worst winters in 75 years! You’d not think of Oregon this way because it’s very uncommon. Once spring hit, I was out searching for magical areas around my new home. I found Camassia Nature Preserve and thought what fun it would be to bring a family session client out there. We had bubbles and a picnic basket set up – no food because they were toddlers and I didn’t want the mess all over their sweet faces!

Favorite Element – Their interaction. I have been focusing more on my clients’ relationships to one another. People act so differently when a camera is around, and I feel like I’m getting better and better at helping them to create real moments in their images.

Biggest Challenge – To be completely truthful, I really felt it went quite smoothly. The worst thing that happened was that my own babysitter canceled at 11 p.m. the night before, so I had to bring my own children. That was stressful in the beginning because I was embarrassed to be that unprofessional, but they were super well behaved and didn’t bother us at all. I still wouldn’t recommend it!

Final Thoughts – In focusing on my client’s relationship and love for one another, I was able to catch some really magical moments and the client is ecstatic about the images, which is always my goal!

Our FREE printable calendar and menu for August are here! Enjoy the last few weeks of summer with this fun summer print displayed on your fridge, and keep those goals by filling in the flowers each day.

Download the printable menu template here, and the printable August calendar here!

Cheers!

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