Simply Gorgeous

Today I'd like to wish the happiest 18th Birthday to this soon to be high school graduate!  Not only did we capture Daziya's 18th birthday portraits we also took her high school senior pics too.  Two milestones at once!

No question that this time in life is truly a mile marker and a big occasion to celebrate! Turning 18 while preparing to graduate from high school is a crossing in life that is BIG! It's when a child becomes a young adult.  It's so exciting for parents, families and of course their children.    

Happy 18th Birthday Daziya!

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Family time and Daddy-Daughter time.

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Sisterly Love! Just the best of friends.

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Family over everything.  Grandmas, aunts and uncle celebrating Daziya too!

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Such a beautiful milestone to journey into!

18th Bday and Senior Pics18th Bday and Senior Pics 18th Bday and Senior Pics18th Bday and Senior Pics 18th Bday and Senior Pics18th Bday and Senior Pics 18th Bday and Senior Pics18th Bday and Senior Pics

"She's almost there" ~ Princess Tiana.  Coming soon............Graduation Day! Another awesome mile marker in life!

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How do you plan to commemorate your child's 18th birthday and senior year?

I know this sounds crazy but my job isn’t just capturing family photos but it’s to bring families and couples closer together and strengthen their bonds.

I know it’s reaching but it’s really the truth!  Ask anyone who’s had a photo session with me.  I hear it all the time!

Family photo sessions are so fun and a must because the kids are growing and changing EVERY YEAR! It’s so crazy how fast they grow.

The best part of having a session at One Daytona is that after your session you can enjoy more time with family having dinner, going to the movies, or having ice cream and donut (or all of the above LOL)!  It’s the ultimate Family Day when you add a photo session before it all.  I encourage a little food and fun bribery for the kids anyway ~ even though it’s usually not needed because kids and (non photo loving) dads actually enjoy my photo sessions after the first couple shots.  I hear “That wasn’t painful at all” all the time too.  

This beautiful family had a fantastic day.

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They are officially forever a family!! It was an honor to capture sweet moments of mother and daughter. Their beautiful adoption story began January 2022 and we finally got a chance to get together to capture some special moments before the year ended! They were presented with the gift of a photo session with me on their adoption day (which is the best gift ever~I do offer gift certificates btw), but they decided to work out the new family dynamics first before we got together. 

Mother and daughter photo session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter photo session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter photo session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter photo session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter photo session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter photo session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter photo session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter photo session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter photo session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and Daughter

We decided to shoot at The Dunlawton SugarMill Gardens on the morning of New Year’s Eve.  It was an overcast, cool to mild day.  Perfect for a photo session!

Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and Daughter
Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens

They showed me their favorite places they visit around the garden so I made sure to get images where they were familiar with most. On the last bridge we spotted a lotus flower alone near a rock in the water and it reminded them of a special story.  It was truly an honor and inspiration to experience this photo session with them.

Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Mother and daughter session at Dunlawton Sugarmill Gardens Daughter

If you are interested in adopting http://adoptuskids.org is a great resource.