Meet the Billups Family

It has been a long time since I have written on this blog. There has been a numerous amount of life changes for me and now I am trying to get back into the swing of things. I guess I will go into details when I update this blog.

Well, it is time to feature a wonderful family, so lets meet the Billups Family....

I met this family through my promotion on Groupon back in August. The session was pushed back to October due my health. This session was done the same day I was working with Art in Avondale Park. We agreed on the location of Sloss Furnace and it totally slipped my mind that Sloss Furnace like to decorate for Halloween. Yes, there were hanging heads, skeletons, mummy... everything you can think of.. it was there.

So, I asked..

Lets try a different location that it will be not so scary, maybe Avondale Park. Luckily, this location was a winner and I loved the moments I captured here. Two of main things together, art and my camera. The kiddos appeared to show a bit more personality at this location and I LOVED IT..

Thank you for allowing me to capture the moments of your family.

Holiday Faire Fun..

It has been a busy weekend with editing pictures, paperwork, and being a mom. Saturday, Kay had to   help during the her school Holiday Day Faire as an elf helper (yes, she has a singing a hat!) What is this holiday faire you ask, well is here is a description:

"The annual Waldorf Holiday Faire offers magical children’s activities, delicious home-made food, live music and a wonderful opportunity for holiday shopping from 20 juried artisans including unique ceramics; hand-made adult and children’s clothing and accessories; gifts for the home; hand-printed stationery, albums and notebooks; mouthwatering hand-made chocolates and irresistible soaps and lotions; jewelry, and the best local selection of handmade, natural toys."

Well, since I had at the school, I scheduled a session. I have known Laura for years from being on board with Art in Avondale Park. I remember when she was pregnant and when sweet Walter was born. I have seen him grown up for the last 4 years. I decided to have the session at the school while I was at the Holiday Faire, because I did not like the lighting at the park. Overall, I think this went over well. I love the rich and earth colors of the school which really brought out Walter's personality.

Never Unsaid (an inspirational session)

Waves,

Meet Desiree and Elijah..

What a great session with a friend. Desiree and I have known each other for a year and we met through a mutual associate (to say the least). Elijah is a sweet boy whom I had an opportunity to treat him as an occupational therapist for a brachial plexus injury. I had a great time during this session. This session reminded me so much how much love I have my daughter, Kaylen. It also reminds me how we mothers work so hard to make sure our children. Here is a little glimpse of this motivational session and a poem that I found for Desiree and Elijah.  

Never Unsaid

© Valerie Capasso

I never want this to go unsaid,

So here in this poem, is for it to be said. 

There are no words to express how much you mean to me,

A son like you, I thought could never be.

Because the day you were born, I just knew,

God sent me a blessing- and that was you.

For this I thank Him everyday, 

You are the true definition of a son, in everyway.

It is because of you that my life has meaning,

Becoming a mom has shown me a new sense of being.

I want you to know that you were the purpose of my life,

Out of everything I did- it was you that I did right.

Always remember that I know how much you care,

I can tell by the relationship that we share.

For a son like you there could be no other,

And whether we are together or apart,

Please do not ever forget-

You will always have a piece of my heart.

The Family with the Orange House

I was asked some time ago to do a family session in the home of the DeCamillis Family. I have known Allison (Ali) for years from VSA Alabama and I was so happy when she asked me to do this. Joe is is a wonderful artist, if you are interested in his work, check it out here: Joe DeCamillis' Website. Well, back to the story, this session was fun but bittersweet because they were moving from Birmingham back to Minnesota. They wanted to do a session in their home that was VERY noticeable in the Crestwood Community (yes, the house was marigold and I loved it!). Let me tell, I love the contrast of colors and the tones in and out of the home. Let me see share some of the shots from this session. Ali, I miss you and hope to see you when you come visit Birmingham. One of the best sessions, I ever had. 

B for Boots

What a cutie. I had a great time with him. I want his boots. He never leave home without them.

Impromptu Prom Session.. Making it work!

Willkerson's Baby Bum, DeKota!

St. Patty Day Engagement Session

Some of you may have known that six weeks ago, I broken my hand. I am finally in a brace but I have not shoot outside for a session for a long time since my accident. For this session, I was using the luck of the Irish hoping that my hand will not give me any kind of trouble. Luckily, I had to remove the brace once due to the fact it was so freaking hot and it was starting to sweat and itch (yuck!)

Let me introduce this lovely and dressed for St. Patty Day Couple: David and Tammy!!!

Aren't they a cute couple. They were brave enough to brace the heat and the walk at Ross Bridge (Hoover, Ala) to capture some wonderful moments. I also was able to capture a few family shots with the kiddos (fun, fun, fun).

On a side note, The Johnson family are like kin folks to me (did I go there with the southern slang, I surely did!). I am so happy that I will part of their special day..

Yeah, I am shocked too .. me .. Tosha.. Weddings.. Photographer.. the Main one.. I must be moving on up and people actually think I am good.. Who would have thought?

Feel free to leave comments below, follow my blog, or go to my Facebook Fan page to like me.

Until Next Time...

Music+Ducky=Therapeutic (relaxation of the soul)

It has been a long time since I have posted on my blog. I am happy to return the world of blogging especially with a new blog design. Oh well enough of me, lets move on..

I had an opportunity to photograph a special lady who also dedicated her time to my daughter's school (Alabama Waldorf School) especially during the Annual Holiday Faire. The started session kinda started late due to the fact of scheduling conflicts, but she was able to entertain us with a wonderful musical selection.. Here is a sample..




Well, this shoot was schedule the day before her surgery. Ducky was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer and was getting her left tata removed. She totally rocked the session with her guitar. Here are some sneak peeks....

Please keep Ducky and her family your prayers and blessings. Some one is always affected one point of their lives with breast cancer. Please remember, you check yourself regularly and get a yearly mammogram.

Oops.. Catch up time..

It is so hard to keep up with social media, it is scary. I am going to try to do better and I am going to start with boot camp for blogging. Maybe it will put me back in shape. November and December has been very busy for me and I was loving every minute of it. Here are sneak peeks of the sessions I have done for the last two months. Stay tuned for a brief summary of each session.

Lets start from top to right to left.. 

Arian: An old patient of mines while I was working in Early Intervention. She has grown up so much. It was such a joy to see her family again.  She is a miracle.

Clay, Carter, and Currie (Mom): Clayton lives in his own world which is Autism. He is also a former patient of mines.  Lovely family and I am happy for Currie with opening a new chapter in her life.

Bottom: 

Michelle and the girls (Lexie and Sadie): Ok, I thought my dog was rotten .. LOL I was wrong. The girls got him beat. This session was meant for her holiday cards.Check out the fancy neck wear. Sassy Chic  (the one who is holding them) is the designer. She is up and coming and wait watch out.. She throws a mean party as well. 

Elijah: Sweet boy, loved every moment with him. He is the son of a mutual friend. His mother was a delight to be around and truly loves him. The connection with them was priceless. 

Paighton:  I was going to shoot this sweet girl at the Railroad Park, but realized the park was crowded so we made a change of plans to the gardens (which I do not like btw, but hey you do what you have to do).  That day I am so happy I had my running shoes. But all in all, this girl is a diva. Her mother works for the stop that I shop for my daughter ALL THE TIME. Sadly, they know me by name now.. LOL

I will end this blog with this note. Three of the children has special needs. My focus in 2012 is to photograph more children with special needs. I am allowing myself to have one or two pro bono spots to families who want high quality pictures. These individuals with special needs need us. 

Until Next Time

XOXOXO

Tosha

Great Family.. than a heck of a week!

I spend my day off with a wonderful family at Old Town Helena on Veteran's Day.. I was kinda hesitate to photograph this family because they are a AUBURN family ( I am so a Alabama fan #RTR!) Wonderful personality and a caring relationship was felt during this session. I even had an opportunity to have lunch with them... Ain't I special? Here are some peeks of their session.

Now.. that discuss the week from heck... After this wonderful session, I completed some last minute errands for my daughter's birthday party and then went home. I went to my computer to connect my hard drive and nothing was showing up.. I tried to my laptop and I even drove to Pelham to see if it would pick up on my computer at work.. Nothing. I went to Best Buy since I purchased the drive from there less than 3 months ago and they could not do nothing either, but tell me they need $250 upfront to ship it. Great.. I called around.. Quotes from $250-$1,000.  Still waiting to see what a friend's tech guy says.. We will see.. Next.. I had an over emotional conversation with someone I cared about... that went well.. Loser points for me... following that our Great Dane, Skylar died.. One day of a break of bad news. After getting my tickets for the midnight premier of Twilight, I went back to work to finish up with some patients, I had the some one come to the office to tell me that my car was broken into... Great... My co-worker's car was also broken into as well..  At least I can say .. they caught them.. So I guess karma is true.. Here is the article regarding that manner, click here  Karma.. Well that is my week in review.. I know things comes in 3s.  I sure hope so.. 

Until Next Time, Tosha XOXO

Girls' Day Out

Saturday was very interesting, but fun. I had the opportunity to listen to tweens talk about school. Like who they like, who they do not want to be around and etc. Kinda reminds me of my time in elementary.. oh what memories. Any who, I had the opportunity to photograph to wonderful and beautifully made girls: Kaylen and Lucia..... Lets get to know these two tweens..

Kaylen is actually my daughter and pretty much my mini me. She has the most beautiful caught light eyes and a wonderful personality. She is a gifted athlete and compassionate towards her friends. This is actually the first time, she wanted to take pictures and allowed me to pick the outfit and the hair accessory. Isn't she lovely?  Lastly and not at all least, Lucia. Kaylen and Lucia are classmates.  Lucia's fashion inspiration is the 80's (yes, I said it, the 80s). She is a gifted singer and will practicing for her world premiere on CNN (her mom knows what I am talking about.) She was pretty tight in front of the camera, but when I started to be a goof ball, she started to open up. Did I mention that her mom is also a photographer, so I had some big shoes to fill.  Lucia became a natural in front of the camera after a couple of shots.  After the trip to Sloss Furnace and Bluff Park, we ended the session with Snow Biz in Pelham. yummmy.. That day ended on good note with a Strawberry Margarita snow cone..  

Until Next Time, Tosha XOXO

3 Artists Equals Creativity

I had the opportunity to photograph two wonderful people, Kathy and Allison (Alli). Lets start with Kathy.

Kathy attended Jefferson Christian Academy with me. Wow! That has been a long time.  This G.R.I.T.S (girls raised in the south) has turned into a California girl ( the song is ringing in my head).  Kathy was such a trooper during this session. This shoot was done the day after my house was flooded and it was still raining and somewhat cool. The atmosphere ended up making this session fun. Might I add, she is a wonderful painter and trying to convince me to go back doing shows
 (thinking about it, we will see!).

MMM.. who is next .. oh yeah.. Alli..

This shot was very special to me because it was my FIRST maternity shot.. Which I really think I rocked it, if I say so myself. Alli is an art therapist and a darn good one.  Her 8-5 job is merging community artists with individuals with special needs. Which I applause since I am a pediatric occupational therapy by education and  trade.  This shoot was fun and colorful as you can tell. I knew Alli is about contemporary and  I just added a little urban to it. We do appreciated good graffiti especially when "You are Beautiful." Congrats Alli on the newest arrival to your family. 

Until Next Time, Tosha XOXO

Oopps! Catch Up Time!!

.... Looks Around.... and ponders if anyone notice that I have no blogged. I do apologize for not blogging for the last couple of weeks. It has been hectic for me, more than you will understand. Maybe one day, I will tell you more.. but it will determine how much I really want to tell you. Well, I have a shooting crazy for the last couple of weeks. Let me share two sessions that I have done recently.

VSA Alabama ArtPartners

As you all know, I love this organization and I really consider them as a family. They have been so helpful during my transition with my daughter, Kaylen. How can I say no to them when they have been so compassionate towards me and others in the Birmingham Metro Community. Just to see all kind of art genre creativity comes from scratch has been a blessing for the artists and individuals with special needs.  There is no limits on what you can achieve when you have the support of others. I am looking toward to the new ArtPartners session in October to see what will they come up with next.. 

Check them out at VSA Alabama

First Senior Portrait Session

(might I add during Tropical Storm Lee)

Recently, I did a casting call for high school senior so I can take practice shots for the price of the CD.  This is how I met Bre through Facebook (social networking can be effective). This session was done on Labor Day. Yes, it was raining all day, but this photographer knows how to adapt and willing to try anything once.

 So here is Miss. Bre... one of  Huffman's finest!

Wants to attend UAB (University of Alabama, Birmingham) or UAH (University of Alabama, Huntsville)

I would say UAB, since I am alumni (hehe!)

Wants to be a pediatrician

She loves to dance, rap, & and sing

Considers her self very different from her peers

Her friends does not know that she can dance, but she can get down! 

Congratulations to you, Bre. Have a good senior year.

Until Next Time, Tosha XOXO

-

●● Big and Lil' Man ●●

My morning started around 7:30 on a Saturday... going to Pepper Place for my weekly fruits and veggies.. off to  Brookwood Mall to hang out with my lil' group at the store Journey's and Earthbound.... Cell phones rings.... Lord, it is my brother, Will... wondering to myself what does he want.... 

Will: "I am in Leeds and do you have your camera?" 

Me: Yes, why?

Will: "Me and Caidon are dressed alike and I wanted to see if you wanted to take pictures since you have a new location here. Where are you?"

Me: "Brookwood Mall, will be there in 30 minutes.. 

I need to finish up with Trey and Terrence"

How can I turn down a photograph opportunity. This impromptu session was hilarious. I had to chase a very energetic 3 year old in a small gated area. I just decided to forget it. I will caught him in the moment.  The funniest part of the story is.....

Me: Caidon can you sit down here, please. Auntie want to take a picture of you here!!

Caidon: NO!! It is too high and I will fall

Me: You will not fall

Caidon: You will fall too, no picture!!

I love that boy.. But check out the end result of our impromptu session. The elements of the environments.

Until next time, Tosha XOXOXO

Hot, Humid, a Chic, and a Dog..... :)

I always thought shooting later in the day would be better since it is so freaking hot here in Alabama. Well guess what! It isn't!!! I had an opportunity to shoot a sassy chic, Michelle. Let me give you some history about us. She was one of the kindergarten teachers at Kay's former school. She helped me during the years with her and we remained good friends even when we lost touch with each other. We would always pick up where we left off like nothing had happened. This curly chic here and me had a blast at Ross Bridge. Believe me, I really did not know what I am doing, but I totally winged it. Shh.. Do not tell her. Obviously, Supe (Kay's Peek-a-Poo) decided to mark his territory on her leg. I guess, Supe smelled the scent of her two pretty dogs, so he wanted to his scent as well. For my laughing, I had a nice little mud stain on my yoga pants. ( Karma is a .....) Did I mention that we lost about 15lbs of water as well. Michelle will be venturing out  the arts and crafts world with her cool vintage headbands and clips. Let me know tell ya, she is someone you need to watch for soon. Stay tuned for information about her blog and what .. when.. where .. Sassy Chic will be featured.  BTW. the logo.. MY IDEA!!! LOL !!!

Until Next time, Tosha xoxo