sun drenched | laurie schultz photography | tybee island, ga

Back in December I had the opportunity to speak at a local MOPS group about "How to take extraordinary photos of your kids."  I challenged the group of moms to capture not just smiling photos, but the moments that they actually want to remember.  Mamas...this is my charge to you, whenever you get that feeling or thought in your head saying, "I don't ever want to forget this"...snap a photo of it!   You won't ever regret taking a photo (your kids might regret it, haha! But you won't!) . At the end of the meeting I picked a winner for a free mini session, and this mama was the lucky winner!  

This sweet family was my last session before my maternity leave.  Don't worry...I'm still booking July and beyond, so if you want to get on my schedule click HERE!  Keep in mind that Sept-Nov are highly popular months and are already starting to fill!  I believe I only have 3 spots left for those months!  

Now...enjoy this sun drenched beach session.  Beach season is almost here and I cannot wait!  

Jekyll Island Family Vacation | Jekyll Island, GA | laurie schultz photography

I had never been to Jekyll Island before, so I was stoked when this family invited me to crash their vacation.  This family has been coming to Jekyll since they were kids and it holds so many wonderful memories for them.  I was so excited to capture memories for them in this very special place.  Stepping onto Jekyll Island is like stepping onto a dreamland, you immediately know there is something special about it.  Huge Spanish moss trees line the streets among palm trees, beautiful bike trails line the edge of the island, and golf carts rule the streets.  This place was so peaceful, I can see why it is a favorite destination in Georgia.   I definitely plan on coming back here with my family soon.  

I met this gorgeous family at a historic home:  Horton House.  Walking into this home you immediately notice the amazing materials that it was built from.  The main walls of the house are made from a material you see a lot in the south called, Tabby.  This is a mixture of water, lime, sand, and oyster shells.  Unfortunately the mosquitoes were terrible here at this time of day, but look at the smiles on their faces...you would never know, right?!  I hated to leave this gorgeous place, but our next destination I was dying to see.  

From the Horton House we took a short little 3 minute drive to the end of the island to the very iconic:  Driftwood Beach.  This beach is called "Driftwood" because huge pieces of driftwood can be found here.  The unique and fun thing about this beach is that it is also ever changing, some months will have more driftwood than others.  When we arrived there were only a few pieces to be found, but it was beautiful nonetheless.  After taking a walk on the beach we had a picnic right by the pier, where friendly lil squirrels came right up to us to get some table scraps.  Then we closed out the evening with a sunset walk on the pier.  Watching the HUGE orange sun go down over the water and marsh was a beautiful sight and a beautiful ending to this family session.   

Christmas in June | Savannah, Ga Family Session | laurie schultz photography

Back in December, the kids went together on a gift for Christmas for their parents and purchased a gift certificate.  Gift certificates are good for 1 year from date of purchase, so we found a date that worked for everyone and off we went!  

I have to say this was one of the most FUN sessions I have ever done.  I love it when a family doesn't take themselves to seriously.  We basically laughed and played, and created some beautiful memories.  Mom's, Dad's, Grandparents my job is to make your family photo experience actually enjoyable and dare I say...FUN?!  This is what I love to do, and I feel so lucky every time I get another amazing family behind my lens.  I especially love it when sessions are given as gifts.  

The most treasured heirlooms are the sweet memories of family

-unknown

buy 1 get 2 FREE! | laurie schultz photography | savannah, ga

Wait, is that how it really works?  Probably not.  But I can tell you that these (identical) triplets are three times the FUN!  Aren't triplets fascinating?  Here are some fun facts (that I googled):

-Identical triplets occur about 20-30 times per 1 MILLION births.  

-one fertilized egg splits into 3 genetically IDENTICAL eggs!

-Identical triplets exhibit almost identical brainwave patterns.

-The country with more identical triplets than anyone else is...Nigeria. 

-Identical triplets are ALWAYS of the same sex and blood type.  

There you go, because I know all of you were wondering!

 Now, onto this beautiful family's sunrise beach session!  Oh man was I giddy to wake up before dawn and meet this family at the beach!  The boys were so excited to see their very FIRST sunrise!  How special it is to have this first documented!  The sky was all sorts of beautiful colors, the dolphins were swimming in the ocean, birds were flying by, donuts were hot and ready, and it was a full moon!  All the elements were in place for a memorable morning...

before you were born | laurie schultz photography savannah, ga

Over the years I've found myself looking back at my childhood photo albums and what always strikes me are the pictures of what my family looked like before I was born, and then the photos of when I entered the family.  It is a beautiful thing to watch a family grow and to look back and see how each member of the family was formed uniquely and purposefully.   

This is why maternity photoshoots make me so excited, I am documenting history for you.  These are moments that are gone in a blink of an eye, and it is my honor to preserve the beauty and wonder that adding a child to a family is.  

I had a great time adventuring with the W family.  It was the first time little man and I had ever stepped foot in a cotton field.  Apparently, cotton fields are known as the "snow of the south."  I think I can get use to this kind of snow:  soft, dry, warm and fluffy to touch.  

As we continued on, our adventures led us to a stable.  The horses here were so beautiful and we were lucky to get to meet some of them.  Little man and his mama lit up around the horses and could not take their eyes off of them.  (Hey Santa, I think I know what might be on their Christmas list this year! haha!) 

What a beautiful evening it was celebrating this new life growing inside.  Sweet baby boy, you are blessed with beautiful loving parents, AND a super fun big brother...who are all eagerly awaiting your arrival.  

Blessings to this beautiful growing family.