Family Fall Portraits, Newark, DE

“But there is always a November space after the leaves have fallen when she felt it was almost indecent to intrude on the woods…for their glory terrestrial had departed and their glory celestial of spirit and purity and whiteness had not yet come upon them.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Windy Poplars

We caught the very end of the fall colors and the beginning of the autumnal chill during these portraits last weekend. I can’t express as a photographer how truly sweet it to capture the same families over different seasons and especially if it’s someone who has long been a friend. Not to mention, seriously how cute are these kids and family? Happy Friday internet friends!

Sweet Summer Evening

"May you grow up to be righteous

May you grow up to be true

May you always know the truth

And see the lights surrounding you

May you always be courageous

Stand upright and be strong

And may you stay forever young"

~Bob Dylan

Enjoy this sweet summer evening session of siblings that I shot this last week. I hope it brings a smile to your Monday!

Sweet Summertime! The K Family

"Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."  

~Henry James

This sweet family session was a large multi-generation shoot over the weekend out in Maryland. The warm summer sun and slight breeze made it a perfect evening session. I just wanted to share a few this morning of these cute siblings! R was celebrating his 5th birthday on that day so it made it extra fun to capture him on his actual birthday with his family!

Holding his Grandpa's hand on his fifth birthday!

He's 5 today!

Giving his little sister a sweet hug!

Holding mama's hand

Don't you want to reach in and squeeze her?!

Love those tootsies!

Hope you have a wonderful week! This is moving week for us so say a prayer for us! Not only is it crazy with camps, VBS and life in general, I think the heat index is over 100 degrees the next few days :)

Sweet M Newborn

    We got a beautiful new niece a couple weeks ago over the first weekend of March and she couldn't be sweeter! Her big sister P is just a little over a year old and very curious as to what this little baby is doing at her house. Thankfully the cousins all played with Miss P to keep her happy while I snuck up to the nursery to snag some photos of little Miss M. Her nursery has lots of sweet floral touches crafted by Grandma! It's such a cute little room for a tiny new little sister. May Miss P & Miss M grow up to be close in spirit! I've always wanted a sister of my own so thankfully life has given me great sister-in-laws. Congrats to you Ashley & Ken, she's beautiful and we can't wait to see her grow into her own person. 

“A sister is a gift to the heart. A friend to the spirit. A golden thread to the meaning of life.” ~Unknown

Monday Confessions, Merry Christmas

"Joy to The world! the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let ev'ry heart prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing"  ~Joy to the World

May this Christmas day find you surrounded with love, laughter and the truth that Christ came for you too! Now that Christmas is here, allow me to share a few of my favorite images from our fall session with Christina Vance Photography. She's wonderful and I am so, so thankful to have some updated family images that include Benjamin! 

Sweet little family session, Wilmington, DE

“Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile."

~William Cullen Bryant   

This sweet family met up with me early afternoon for a session with their two young boys and thankfully they were so sweet! It's amazing what a little sugar treat can do for encouraging smiles for photos! We also got some sun after a rainy morning which makes all the difference in these images. Happy Monday friends! I aim to resume the usual "confessions" on Mondays in November.

As always, I am so thankful for new clients and referrals from others. It's honestly the best way to grow a business! If you're looking for updated family photos, I have limited December bookings emily@emilytroutmanphoto.com

First Day of School 2017/18 Year

        As I write, I just sent my 3 big kids off to school for the first day of the year! They all went to bed excited for today. My little first grader had magical confetti under his pillow from his new teacher and it just overjoyed him! My one third grader who will remain nameless did not sleep in ONE day this summer, yet I had to wake him for school today. Go figure right?! It is still hard for this mama heart to believe that my little 5 & 6 pound twins are third graders, but I'm also enjoying their growth and development. We are absolutely blessed with the best teachers at their school, so I know they're in good hands all day! Here's to a new school year and I will leave you with Dr. Seuss for inspiration, 

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~Dr. Seuss

First Grade

Summer Maternity, Newark, Delaware

"Meantime his golden face around
He bares to all the garden ground,
And sheds a warm and glittering look
Among the ivy’s inmost nook."

- Summer Sun by Robert Louis Steveson

      I am excited to share this special maternity session with you, knowing that this sweet couple has been waiting for this day! I not only had the privilege of photographing their wedding day almost 3 years ago, but we returned to the very same spot under a setting summer sun to capture their maternity session. I am thankful to be in the business of capturing memories, to be a part of capturing a family's visual history. These moments are like little time capsules, reminding us how we felt at the time. I pray that Jess and Mike are able to look back on these and remember all the feelings leading up to the day that they will become parents! Congratulations and I cannot wait to meet little Miss :) 

Their faithful pups, Wesley & Alden joined us for a few shots as well. It only made sense, they're a part of the family too!

Under this tree was the very spot they said, "I do!"

Summer family session, Smyrna, DE

 "The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last for ever. Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year – the days when summer is changing into autumn – the crickets spread the rumor of sadness and change." 

―E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

It's August and I am starting to hear those crickets chirp...

   Photography has been such a great way for me to both meet new people and keep in touch with old friends. When I got a message from Brandon, an old college friend, to come photograph his family, I was excited to see them all. Brandon and Hannah have not only a beautiful family but a lovely home that's more of a farmette. They are able to have some animals to keep them busy along with their kiddos. We were so lucky to have some of the milder August weather last weekend to have an evening session. I have to say, it was really enjoyable and the kids hung in there!  They may or may not have been smiling for candy :)  What's not to love about summer white outfits, sunshine and family?!

6 months Sweetness, Wilmington, DE

    I am always thankful for photography to allow me to meet new people and make new friends. It's the best when clients and friends refer me to other new families! I was asked to come do a six month session for a sweet little man and I had such an enjoyable time photographing him along with his family. This adorable family included a big puppy as well as a baby so how could I not love it?!! The hardest part here is for me to choose what to share from the session and not just want to share the whole session. The nursery was perfectly styled and practical as well! I loved all the details! Sweet B-man rocked this session from his gummy grin with 2 bottom teeth all the way to the drool between he and puppy Solomon! As always, what a gift for me to be allowed into the lives of families to capture their memories!

Collective "awwwwww".....

Odessa, Delaware Family Session

Remember this beautiful wedding couple from 2013? They're old friends of mine and I adore the opportunity to photograph their growing family any chance I get! They're expecting a baby boy in the next month and we had a family session to celebrate. Their sweet Della is preparing to be a big sister and will turn two this summer. How cute is she?!

Newborn Baby Girl, Townsend, DE

"She is loveliness itself." -Jane Austen, Emma

    I am always honored to be asked to photograph a newborn baby. The miracle of a precious new child is not lost on me. I think the more I grow in age and wisdom, the more I know that it is truly an honor to get to be a part of this moment in a child's life.

    This past week, I got to meet sweet baby A and photograph her in all her pink, cuteness. As a mom, I know how fast these moments fly and how fast the baby will change. In a newborn session I seek to capture all the little details of the newborn, as well as the story of the family. This sweet family even included some fun, furry members and we didn't miss out on including them in the session! Sweet baby A was just 5 days old here!

Newborn, Middletown, DE

"The most precious jewels, you'll ever have around your neck, are the arms of your children." (unknown)

This is my sweet new niece, Penelope Jane and she entered the world just a couple weeks ago! She was about 10 days new at the session. Enjoy all her squishiness, I know I did! Welcome to the family kiddo! 

Wilmington, Delaware Autumn Family Portraits

      There's truly nothing like a beautiful October afternoon on the East coast is there?! Throw in a new puppy and I am just smitten. These kiddos were thankfully game for throwing leaves and being silly. The internet is this funny place that can either bring people together or push people apart. Thankfully this is an instance of where the internet had a hand in brining this adorable family to me for a photo session! (Thank you local Facebook page where friends recommended me!) 

Do you not love her laugh and first grade teeth?! I ADORE it!

This is where it all begins, love snagging a few portraits of just mom and dad!

Wilmington Delaware, Autumn Family Portraits

 We met early in the morning, praying for the rain to hold off! Thankfully our hopes were fulfilled and the rain didn't come until we were pulling out of the parking lot! I have had the privilege of photographing these kiddos every fall since they were 3 and 1. It's been fun to watch them grow each year and hear what they are into. I am thankful for clients who trust me continually to capture their memories!

ProjectTen October

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

October has snuck up on me for sure! Isn't it still back to school time? Well I guess the chill in the air and the smell of bonfire suggests otherwise. I am thankful for project ten getting me to shoot more of the every day activities. This is a glimpse into my afternoon time between homework and dinner! Here's just a handful of moments with my four crazy, lovable kiddos in this beautiful fall weather. I basically have to chase the big kids and try to keep the toddler out of harms way. Good times! 

Right before I had to drop the camera to keep the toddler from flipping out of the car!

Off we go...this girl came home one day a week ago and said, "Mom, take these training wheels off," and she never looked back! 

He's giving kindergarten a run for its money!

Long day...

What's for dinner? I am over this!

Make sure to check out these other ladies participating in Project TEN to see what they're up to in life and photography! Katie Hall, Paula Richwine, Cait Jensen, Lisa O’Brien, Parker Slaton, Rae Barnes, Erin Gregerson, Kelly Lapp, Kate Neal, Heather Butler

Abby & Rachel: cousins, seniors and besties!

      I remember back to the autumns of high school and think of chunky sweaters, chilly soccer games and chocolatey hot chocolate! It was such a fun season of life (most of the time ;) and I remember a lot of it fondly. As a senior, I remember that feeling of both being on the front edge of adulthood but also this sense that all of life is still ahead of you. I also remember the stress of school work and wondering where I would end up for college. Do you remember those days? 

    I got two catch up with two sweet senior girls last weekend to capture this time in their lives. Their personalities were just as lovely as their faces! These girls are not just cousins but very dear friends to one another. When I got asked if I would consider shooting a double senior session, I thought, why not?! What I didn't realize is that it would be an absolute great fit both for these girls and a fun experience for me! Each girl helped the other to bring out her own personality during the shoot. I wish them all the best as they plan for the future!

Today is Part 1: Abby

Our Ten Year Anniversary and our kiddos!

      The traditional anniversary gift for the ten year anniversary is tin or aluminum. The modern day gift is diamond jewelry. Thank goodness Matt took the modern approach! He surprised me on our trip with a beautiful anniversary band. Today officially marks a decade of marriage for Matt and I! Although it's hard to believe all that we've been through in the last ten years, it also it hard to believe how quickly life passes us by. On this day ten years ago, I really had no clue other than I was in love and ready to dive in with both feet! I can honestly say though that I love Matthew more today than I did that day. It's the kind of love that has been stretched and tested. It's the kind of love that endures. 

    Although today is our anniversary, I had planned to finally blog a photo session of our kiddos from June. I think it appropriate to celebrate on this day a bit of the blessing of these past ten years, some of the biggest blessings being our four children. 

"Children are a gift from the Lord;
    they are a reward from him.
 Children born to a young man
    are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!"

Psalm 127: 3-4

Can I just confess too that as a photographer, it can be a struggle to take photos of my own kids. This was actually a spur of the moment photo session right before bedtime one night, so I am lucky it worked at all. It was a combination of bribing, being silly and threatening to make this happen :) I confess that I always feel pressure to have amazing photos of my own family but sometimes life just doesn't work that way! I am thankful though for the times that we push through and just make it happen! Have a great weekend friends!

Project TEN August

 "Have courage and be kind" hangs on a sign over her bed. Although this quote comes from the Cinderella movie, it truly is my wish for her as she grows. She is naturally a sweet soul so I have no doubt as to her kindness, but may she always have courage when she needs it! My project ten for August is focusing on my sweet 7 year old Macy and we drew some inspiration from her summer sunhat. May she always be beautiful inside and out!  (She chose the outfits herself)

Make sure to check out these other ladies participating in Project TEN to see what they're up to in life and photography! Katie Hall, Paula Richwine, Cait Jensen, Lisa O’Brien, Rebecca Bender, Parker Slaton, Rae Barnes, Erin Gregerson, Kelly Lapp, Kate Neal, Heather Butler

Delaware Beach Portraits

“The sun and the sand and a drink in my hand with no bottom /

And no shoes, no shirt, and no problems.” - Kenny Chesney

The beach has always been one of my favorite places and Kenny Chesney is usually the perfect sound track to any ocean adventure! I grew up on the Delaware shores between Fenwick and Lewes, depending on the summer. Naturally I am excited when a family contacts me to capture their memories on the beach!

When this beautiful family from NY contacted me in the cold of spring, I could only imagine what July would feel like on the beach. I had the pleasure of doing their large family session while the extended family was all here in DE for vacation over July 4th week. We broke the session down into smaller family groups as well, so not to overwhelm this blog post I will just share a handful! Happy summer! 

This beautiful large family group portrait was the goal of the session but there was lots of fun mixed in as well! 

If you are looking to book a family session at the beach, I am now booking through August! emily@emilytroutmanphoto.com