Benjamin's Mitzvah Pre Shoot | Ft Lauderdale Beach Basketball

It was a really rainy week. So, mom and I were communicating all week about this session. In the fall, it doesn’t pour like it does in the summer, it drizzles. on and off. But when it does, the ground is wet, which is uncomfortable for photo shoots. Except at the beach, where wet sand is pretty normal. So we moved this session from the park to the beach. We got there early. It was raining when we arrived, but we waited about 15 minutes for it to pass, and then were blessed with amazing blue skies and a rainbow!! It started drizzling again right as we finished our session! Basically, these pictures are awesome, this family is awesome, and I’m so glad this session was able to take place as scheduled!!

South Florida Extended Family Photographer | Gathering with Great Grandma in Boca

This session gives me all the heart eye emojis. This family celebrated the Jewish New Year together with cousins, parents, grandparents, and great grandma, and I just know how special these photos are going to be. It feels like a time of year where we get to start over and hit the reset button. We get together with family. We ask for forgiveness, we share gratitude, and we set intentions. I was asked to capture this gathering, and I was grateful to be able to freeze this special time for them. I wish I had picked up my camera more with my grandparents, and was honored to do so for this family.

South Florida In-Home Lifestyle Family Photo Session | The N Family

This family moved down to South Florida from Chicago a little over a year ago, and chose to document this year’s photo session in their new home! We had a great time exploring and playing in almost every room. Even their dog joined in for a few shots! In-home sessions are a great way to freeze time for your family, as this is where you spend the most time together. What important and precious memories to capture!

Wynwood Lifestyle Family Photographer | Hartley's Bat Mitzvah Pre Shoot

This young lady will be celebrating her Bat Mitzvah this fall, and we got together this evening to celebrate with some mitzvah portraits in the bright, colorful, and fun area of Wynwood in Miami, which was the perfect complement to her vibrant personality. We were supposed to shoot at the beach, but it’s been so windy, we decided to move our session inland, and I’m so glad we did, because Hartley and her family totally rocked their lively session and embraced the wind.

Her theme is going to be watercolors. We found several walls to match, and her family created their own painting at the end by throwing paint-filled water balloons at a canvas full of push pins! I can’t wait to continue celebrating with you!

So You Travels: Disney World Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

How did I not blog these photos?! We try to head up to Orlando twice a year. The weekend getaways are a fun family bonding tradition, and I’ve really enjoyed watching my kids grow up in the parks. We’d never been for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, so last year, we ordered our Pooh costume t shirts on Etsy, and headed for the park on a Friday afternoon!

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

The party starts at 7:00, and your ticket gets you in at 4:00. We targeted getting there as close to 4:00 as possible. Assuming the time stamps on my camera are correct, the parking entrance pic is 4:22 and the castle pic is 5:20.

The pumpkin decorations on Main Street start the fun festivities. There’s a separate entrance to the side for the evening special event tickets, and the lines are shorter and the crowds are lighter b/c the number of tickets sold to these events is limited. So that was an absolute pleasure. The boys really loved trick or treating at the various rides. The inflatables made them easy to find, and the candy is dispensed by cast members out of barrels. After dark, in true Disney style, the magic continues. One of my favorite parts was the Boo to You Halloween Parade. Night parades at Disney are my absolute favorite. I especially appreciate the lighting, and the cooler temperatures once the sun has set.

Typhoon Lagoon and Old Town Orlando

On Saturday, we spent the day at Typhoon Lagoon and had a blast and were able to experience all the major slides with minimal waits. Crowds were light as the summer tourist season is over, and I think people forget how warm it can be in Florida in September and early October.

In the evening, we checked out Old Town Orlando, also a first for our family. It was SUPER touristy, and reminded me a bit of Gatlinburg, TN. We were able to see a car show, and I really enjoyed the big selection at the crystal store.

Disney Springs, Partin Ranch Corn Maze, and Home

We started this morning with a quick trip to Disney Springs. Hubby likes the undershirts from Uniqlo, and we don’t have a store nearby. The kids and I had fun with Sully tails and lego ladies.

Our next stop was Partin’s Ranch Corn Maze. I’d always wanted to do one, so I looked for one that would be on the way home, and this place delivered. There was a corn maze, a fun sandbox, water pump duck races, a butterfly tent, and a corn canon. The perfect adventure to round out our morning before we headed home!

I love to explore new places and have new experiences and this trip delivered 4 for 4! Mickey’s Not So Scary was new, Typhoon Lagoon was new (I was only there once as a kid and didn’t remember much of it), Old Town was new, and Partin’s Ranch was new! Happy fall ya’ll!