South Haven, Michigan is such a fun place to vacation and I highly recommend it to…well, just about everyone. There is live music every Thursday night along the riverfront. We never miss the yearly Blueberry Festival…yum! Also make sure to check out Harborfest, numerous craftshows, carshows, airshows and don’t forget the many pancake breakfasts. Oh, and of course, the beaches are amazing!  So while you are planning your next vacation, give me an email to schedule your very own portrait session with Tonya Marie Photography. I’ve had many sessions in South Haven this year and am currently scheduling into October.

This image is taken on the North Beach. You can see the South Pier lighthouse in the background. The lighthouse is occasionally opened to the public and you can pay a few bucks to climb (and crawl) to the top…something my dad coerced convinced me to do this year on Father’s Day. It was definitely an experience, though my hands still get sweaty just thinking about it: recommended for those with an adventurous side.

One of my favorite things as a photographer is building friendships with the kids and families I photograph. I see many of my clients yearly (or more when they have little ones) and enjoy creating connections with even the littlest subjects. Watching them grow up from little babes into children with is just awesome. And it happens so fast you hardly realize it.

I was so excited to see this family again and to meet their newest addition. Doesn’t she have the most gorgeous baby blue eyes! And just look at those darling cheeks.

She is just the sweetest thing and so stylish too. Love this dress!

And you might recognize this little guy…he’s featured in the opening slide show on my website. I photographed him as a busy one year old and now he’s full of personality, charm, and lots of big smiles.

As we walked around his yard together, he kept saying “I like you. I like you Tonya.” Talk about a future heart breaker!

Let’s hit the beach! I just love photographing kids, seniors, and families on the beaches of Lake Michigan. It always proves to be a beautiful setting…and really what could be better: warm sand, cool breezes, and beautiful scenery.

This West Michigan beach session was amazing. At almost three years old, this kiddo is bubbly, bright, and beautiful. And she is always an absolute pleasure to photograph. Her personality and charm really shine through.

Miss A’s mom brought along the perfect selection of outfits (a big part of creating a successful portrait). Here she is showing off her adorable Matilda Jane dress.

I like to let my little subjects help find spots for their portraits…it makes them feel important and they will often find an area I would not have selected. Miss A picked out this spot which had great light. It was also just out of view of her parents which equals great eye contact and natural expressions.

Here she is showing off some of that charming personality.

We finished off the session with a few studio portraits. Her dark brown eyes and intense gaze are nothing short of stunning.

Celebrating Adoption is a really awesome program that connects adoptive families and custom photographers. As a member, I have been so lucky to meet some really cool kids and families. I always enjoy celebrating and photographing this exciting time in their lives. I volunteer my time for 2 Celebrating Adoption session a month…and the next available opening is in October, so email me ASAP if you are interested in this type of session.

This little guy from Guatemala absolutely melted my heart. He is super smart, and sweet…just plain irresistible.

Apparently he really loved my green chair…and I’m so glad because I just love the eye contact he gave me!

Don’t those eyes just make you melt?

Remember he’s not quite two yet…and just look at him posing like a professional!

Wow! I’m so lucky when it comes to high school senior sessions…my senior girls always look like models. Seriously. And not only is this girl absolutely gorgeous, but she’s sweet and smart too. I’m not quite sure how she manages to fit volleyball, soccer, and basketball into her schedule? Oh, and did I mention she ran the Blueberry Festival 5K race in South Haven just before her session!

I love this dress she brought…perfect for the beach.

Showing off her amazing smile and eyes.

More from the beach…good thing Lake Michigan wasn’t too cold!

We found a few fun spots in downtown South Haven.

One of my crazy ideas. Thank you *M* for being such a great sport with this shot! (click image to see larger)

I think this is my 7th time photographing this little guy…and it’s been a privileged each and every time. I’m honored to be the one who has photographed him as he’s grown from an itty bitty newbie to a super speedy toddler: capturing his milestones from sitting, to standing, to running!

*R* enjoyed his first trip to the beach with the warm sand, sea gulls, and new things to be discovered. But I had to be fast. Really fast! And by the end of the session I began to wonder if his parent’s (and grandma) were training him for the summer Olympics. This guy can run!

Here’s a sweet portrait. I’m glad his mom brought that cute ball as it helped to slow him down. A little.

And here he is checking out his handsome reflection. At his newborn session, I remember we all tried to decide if he was going to have red hair. Yep! And isn’t it gorgeous!

I think this may be my all time favorite photograph of *R*. I don’t know if it’s the darling overalls, the charming expression, or the fact that I caught him holding still for a second (actually 1/640th of a second) before he ran the other way!

As soon as *J* stepped out of the car, I knew we were going to have an awesome session. She is totally adorable, has amazing eyes (and skin, and hair). To top it off, she is super sweet and even brought along a suitcase of clothing choices including some fun boots.

We started with studio portraits…and wrapped up the indoor portion of the session when this image made mom cry.

Then we took a walk for more portraits in some of my favorite little spots. I love how the red boots really pop here.

Then we hiked down to this really cool spot on the beach.

And we all know seniors rock…literally! She handled this uncomfortable pose like a pro. I, on the other, hand have bruises…but the pain was totally worth it!

So we had a rocky start to this session. Miss S fell asleep on the drive to South Haven and we all know what it’s like to wake a 3 year old up from a nap! But we slowly got past the crocodile tears and pouty faces. And we actually ended up capturing so many stunning portraits and had an amazing time enjoying a perfect evening on the beach.

When I first brought my camera out, Miss S hid behind mom. At this point, she didn’t even want me to take a picture of her feet! Dad started to worry this was all we were going to get.

But my patience and persistence slowly started to pay off. Hey, pouts are beautiful too…she is 3 years old after all.

Viola. We have eye contact. Can’t beat that gorgeous smile either!

Did I mention she has gorgeous parents? They look like they stepped right out of a magazine: movie star good looks and great taste in clothing. But I can’t share everything. So here’s just a little glimpse of the gorgeous family…

And I adore this portrait. In the full version (click on image to view larger) you can really enjoy the details: the sand slipping through her hands, the small shells in the foreground, her tiny toes tucked under…

This session made me think back to when my kids were newborns. I donned ratty old pajamas more often than I care to admit. Long, hot showers were suddenly a luxury. And going to Babies R Us to pick up the latest and greatest must have baby item was now considered a major outing that required careful planning. But when this hot mamma (pictured below) walked out in her pre-pregnancy jeans…c’mon! Seriously, is it really fair to look this good at 11 days postpartum?

I cannot even begin to tell you what a joy is was to photograph this super sweet and sleepy baby. At 11 days old and well over 9lbs, Miss A is simply scrumptious. Her laid back attitude and chubby cheeks made it easy to capture many beautiful portraits. Check back in a few days for more images with Miss A and her gorgeous mommy and daddy