Layla was the first of the little girls I photographed in our dress day marathon.  

She was such a quiet and delicate child.  And that hair - oh my.

I did the hair on all the girls and every one had their own style.  My friend asked how did I know what to do with their hair and I said "the hair tells me what it wants to look like."  ;-)

Layla had this beautiful porcelain china doll skin tone and the red tones in her hair made this burgundy dress the perfect compliment for her. Her little face just lit up sitting in the "getting ready" chair.  Hair in hot rollers and a little conversation - I suddenly knew how I would direct her during her portrait session.

In "my" world of photography everything is done through a feeling - a sense of who the subject is  - not just what they look like. I want to find a beautiful soul - who is in front of my camera.  And from there as I apply skillful art work to the images I recall our conversation and try to remember the energy in the room. 

Layla was such a sweet spirit. When she saw herself in this coutour dress she held the sides and gently walked into the session room.  No prompting needed - she was ready. When she was seated on the chair it was like that chair was made for her.  It all helped to tell the story I saw and felt.

My two favorite images from her session were the floor seated image - It made me think of Cinderella and all the hope and dreams embodied in that story.  When we sat her in the chair, in my mind, I could see the image of her sleeping - as if to be dreaming of her future.

Children are the future of the world. Being given the opportunity to create a memorable and lasting experience for them (and their moms) is a gift I will forever be grateful for.

When you think of the most memorable times in your childhood - were you pretending to be someone else? Perhaps a princess, a ballerina a wife, a mother, a firefighter? 

Did you dream of growing up being something amazing? 

Did your dreams stay with you as you grew older? 

We are never too old to dream.  And we are never too old to believe in them.

Childhood is the perfect place to start believing in possibilities and to pretend - just a little - for fun!