Oh my goodness, have I got to play catch up!

Forgive me, because it’s been a while since I’ve done a session blog post, but I’m back and trying to get all caught up again!  ;)

First up – we have Peachtree Ridge’s Paige Guerreso!

I can’t say enough about Paige and her mom Julie.  Between consultation, shoot, order session, delivery, etc…I think I spent every weekend for about 6 weeks with them.  After all of that, I was having serious Guerreso family withdrawals because they are such a sweet family!   And let me tell you, their kitchen smelled wonderful – every . single . time.  ;)  I didn’t try the food, but if it tasted a smidge of how wonderful it smelled, I might still be over at their house.  All of those wonderful italian aromas…meatballs and gnocchi….

wait, maybe you shouldn’t blog post or grocery shop when you are hungry, right?  ;)

seriously, Paige – this is gorgeous!!  ♥♥♥

awww….looking at these makes me feel like it’s time to visit the Guerreso’s again!  This was one of those shoots that had just as many interesting stories as it does beautiful images!  Like the completely unexpected sun shower, or the random truck driving behind us in the field.  It’s these moments though, that make all of my senior sessions so memorable.  :D

That’s all for now….Anyone else feel like meatballs?  

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

Makeup - Laura Briscoe Makeup Artistry

It’s about that time!  and by that, I mean time for the Chic Magazine Cover Contest!!   This issue’s theme is Vintage and I couldn’t think of a more suitable and perfect image for this theme than Brooke’s Mad Men themed shoot!  sooo, here is my submission for Chic Critique Forum‘s Issue 9 Cover Contest!

Wish us lots of luck!!!!!!  :D

In the meantime, go visit Chic Critique’s Forum and all of the other amazing photographers.   It’s a tremendous resource, so if you haven’t visited them before now, you are totally missing out.  Don’t worry though, you can totally catch up.!  ;)

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

“When I started thinking about senior pictures I realized I wanted them to reflect my style and personality.  I wanted outdoor pictures and wanted to have multiple outfits.  I felt that going to a studio would not have been personal and I wouldn’t love the pictures. When we found Tricia’s website, my first thought was that it was exactly what I wanted, so I applied to be a senior spokesmodel!

Tricia has a true passion for photography and is very personable. We stayed in contact throughout the planning of the shoot and she helped us to pick clothing, accessories, and locations.  She makes the whole experience very fun and easy!  Tricia will do anything to get the perfect shot and is very dedicated to her work.

I would highly recommend Tricia to anyone who wants a personal senior picture experience.  My shoot was tons of fun, and the pictures are amazing!”

- Kristen

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

“As it was coming time to find someone to do my senior pictures I started to research different photographers because I wanted something different than my older siblings. I saw that a few other girls that I knew had used Tricia for their senior pictures and when I saw their pictures I fell in love with Tricia’s work! I immediately had my mom contact Tricia and we set up a date to shoot right away. I really enjoyed my whole experience working with Tricia because she stayed in contact with me the whole time. She had me set up a Pinterest account so she could see my style, what kind of pictures I wanted and the kind of makeup look I would want. It was also very helpful that when I had my outfits and locations picked out that she helped me choose which outfit to go with which location. I was very nervous going into the shoot because I had never done anything like this before, but she made me feel very comfortable and we were laughing the whole time and I had so much fun! Overall, I loved my final pictures and I would honestly recommend Tricia Toker to any girl looking for someone to do their senior pictures!”

- Paige

“It was time to choose a photographer for my daughter’s senior pictures. Paige was doing her research on photographers and Tricia caught her eye immediately.  With Paige being my third child to do senior pictures I thought I had the experience figured out, but Tricia went above and beyond my expectations. The overall experience that my daughter and I had working with Tricia was amazing!  She was very clear and organized from beginning to end. From working with Paige on Pinterest before the shoot, to photo editing and discussing photo options after the shoot, Tricia made this a personalized experience to remember. She worked with Paige to help decide on jewelry and outfits that would best fit the photo location. The confidence, relaxation and excitement Paige felt was captured in the photos and I couldn’t be happier with the results! If you’re looking for a great senior picture experience I would definitely recommend Tricia Toker.”

- Julie (Paige’s Mom)

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

I can’t believe it’s time already for the Year in Review!  I used to think I could narrow the year down to a top 10 or 20, but really, that’s impossible, soooo here are my “Favorite Moments of 2013!”  Enjoy!!

(Be sure to turn up the volume and make it full screen!)  ;)   If for any reason, you cannot see the video below, click HERE to view.

Thank you so much to everyone that has made this such a wonderful year!  My seniors, their parents, my friends and family.  I could never do all of this without you and I am so incredibly thankful for each of you!

Happy Holidays everyone!  I wish you all the very best and especially for the New Year!  I know it’s a bit early, but Happy New Year!  Let’s all make it even better in 2014!

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

Rain, rain go away!!  As I sit here on a dreary, rainy Saturday, I hope to brighten up your day a little with this senior portrait preview of Peachtree Ridge High School’s Kristen Borgognoni!  :D

Tomorrow is Kristen’s Image Premier Order Session, so here’s a tiny peek to hold them over until then!

And I am so excited to tell you all that, just a few hours ago, I found out that the following image was chosen as

one of Seniorologie’s Top Three Weekly Images!  Woohooooo!  

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

Makeup - Jennifer Zahler-Milz (Pure Makeup and Hair Artistry)
Hair - Amanda Rutherford (Lisa’s Salon 51)

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

I have been soooo excited to share this with you all!!!

First, let me back up a bit and explain why I haven’t shared until now though.

If you haven’t heard of Holly McCaig and Two Pear Designs, you really must visit these sites right away.  Holly is responsible for some of the best Graphic Design Templates for Photographers, as well as some other products for scrapbookers!  That’s how I first heard of her, when searching for templates, but then I started following her on Instagram too and immediately fell in love with the posts of her dogs!!!  I could just squeeze them, they are so cute!!  :)

Back in April, Holly asked me to contribute to Two Pears Designs’ Inspire Magazine.  I honestly wasn’t sure what to say.  I was shocked and so incredibly nervous.  Could I do it?  Was I good enough?  Would she actually like anything I submitted or would she say, “Thanks, but no Thanks!”  I was also super busy at this time with it being the end of the school year and was knee deep in planning the “Once Upon a Summer” shoot.  I didn’t know how I could possibly fit this into my schedule, but deep down, I knew that I had to try.  How could I pass on such an opportunity?!

Somehow, with all of the craziness, I made it happen!  Don’t ask me how, because that entire weekend of shooting “Little Red Riding Hood” and then this shoot, pretty much made the weekend a blur!   And to top it all off, I barely made it in time for the deadline!!   Whew!!!

The actual shoot was back in May.  While I wanted to shout from the rooftops about the issue and post pictures from the day, I had to keep it “hush, hush” until the issue came out.  If you know me, you know that was the longest 4 months, ever!  ;)  Seeing the issue though in September, it was well worth the wait!!

sooo….here it is!!!

Because I took a lot of images that day, I will be sharing more soon.  It was such a beautiful session and a beautiful day!

I could not have done it without Laura, Ashley and of course, the lovely Devan!

Thank you so much for this opportunity Holly!  I am so incredibly grateful and I appreciate you asking me to be a part of this issue with so many other extraordinary photographers!

If you haven’t seen the issue and would like to purchase it, you can buy the print version HERE or the digital version HERE.  It’s a beautiful issue with lots and lots of eye candy!

Come back soon to see more images from this shoot (and some fun Behind the Scenes)!!  I am so excited to finally share them!  :)

Model – Devan Heyburn

Makeup – Laura Briscoe

Wardrobe Styling – Ashley Flores with Bloom Styling and Boutique

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

I have been sooo incredibly excited to share this image, but I was waiting for this post  - because this is my submission for Chic Critique Forum‘s Chic Magazine Cover Contest!

It would be such a tremendous honor to actually see this image of Natalie make the cover.  Not to mention that I would be beyond ecstatic!

Issue 8 will be out in January, so I’ll have my fingers and toes and everything crossed until then!  

Makeup & Hair:  Pure Makeup and Hair Artistry

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

Tomorrow is the day that I finally get to show Peachtree Ridge’s Paige Guerreso (and her mom Julie) all of her Senior Portraits!!!  I can’t wait!!

For now, here’s a little Behind the Scenes fun and Sneak Peek!

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, do you remember me mentioning the random, out of nowhere pop-up shower?!  Well, here it is!

Thank goodness for my monster reflector and mom Julie to help keep Paige looking fabulous and protecting her from the rain!!!

And then, after the rain, we have this!!

Paige, have I mentioned have much I love your images?!  If I haven’t enough, I’ll tell you again!    ♥♥♥ 

And finally, some urban fun and those shoes!!!  I cannot contain my excitement when I see shoes like this!!!

*all phone pics – courtesy of Laura Briscoe*

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

I have been dying to share this Harrison High School’s Class of 2014 Senior with you all!!

Brooke Armbrester is fabulous in every way!   I don’t say that to be over the top or jokingly either.  Brooke is super crafty and is a crazy mad planner.  She rivals anyone with her Pinterest skills!  ;)

I loved planning this session with Brooke, every last second of it.  Every little detail was so much fun preparing for and I’m so sad that it’s over.  Seriously.

For anyone wanting the “Be Unique” Portrait Session, this is going to be the one to beat.  Any “How I Met Your Mother” fans out there??  “Challenge Accepted!”   And if you don’t understand that reference, well then, I just feel silly.    ;)

If you aren’t familiar with the “Be Unique” Portrait Session that I offer, you get to have a Fabulously Styled Shoot in addition to your Senior Portrait Session!  You all know how much I love, love, love styled shoots!

We’ll get to Brooke’s styled portion in an upcoming blog post.  Because she just has so many images that I love, I couldn’t possibly fit them all into one post!

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

Makeup - Laura Briscoe Makeup Artistry

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

“For my senior pictures I wanted something different, something that was more “me”; I knew from the start that I didn’t want a typical shoot.

In my search for senior photography in Atlanta I happened upon Tricia’s website, and I am so glad I did!  Tricia and I hit it off immediately and both had very similar thoughts about my inspiration, outfits, location, etc.   Mad Men is my favorite show, so finding a photographer who could appreciate the 1950′s look I was going for was important as well.

We kept in touch daily whether through email or Pinterest, which was both reassuring and entertaining.  It was obvious that Tricia was dedicated to making my shoot flawless.  On the day of the shoot my inner perfectionist really appreciated Tricia’s meticulousness in getting the perfect shot and making sure every hair was in its place.  The shoot was full of laughter and occasional outbursts of dancing.  I had so much fun shooting with her and Laura to say the least.

I would wholeheartedly recommend Tricia to girls who want unique senior pictures.  She made me feel so beautiful at the shoot and I could not be happier with my pictures!”

-Brooke

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

Greater Atlanta Christian’s Natalie deLatour is probably one of the sweetest girls I’ve ever met.  She also has one of the nicest, most welcoming families ever.  Like one of those families that you could just sit down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and talk for hours.  I just adore all of them!

I remember at our first meeting thinking that Natalie had a fabulous sense of style and fashion.  Everyone knows how I love me some accessories, and shoes, and boots!  So day of her session, when her mom showed me her closet, I could have died and gone to accessory heaven right then and there!  ;)  I was in love!  We didn’t even need any of the accessories that I brought.  I had so much fun styling Natalie with her own wonderful accessories, that I could have spent all day doing just that!!  Maybe I was a stylist in a previous life, because I LOVEEEE it so much!

Anywhoo…let me get back to Natalie and her gorgeous senior portraits.

This is pretty much my dream senior session – beautiful locations, beautiful light – everything was perfect.

Don’t you just love her!  How perfect is Natalie in these?!  ♥ ♥ ♥

Keep an eye out for this super stylish senior!  You will be seeing her again real soon!  ;)

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

Makeup – Laura Briscoe Makeup Artistry

It’s rare that I have a senior from more than an hour away come to me to photograph their Senior Portraits, but Brooke did exactly that!  and had the fabulous idea of incorporating her love for the show “Mad Men” into the session!!  This was a dream session for me!!!

I get to show Brooke all of her gorgeous images this weekend during her Image Premier / Order Session, but for now you all can see her Behind the Scenes Preview!!

You have to come back for more of this session!!  You won’t want to miss this – I promise!  :)

I quickly learned that Brooke often busts out some random dance moves!

Just as quickly as she breaks out her dance moves, she turns on this gorgeousness!  Gotta love it!  ;)

Our session happened to be on the same weekend as Atlanta Pride and Brooke insisted on having her pic with

the balloons because they matched her dress so perfectly.  :D

Then we moved inside the hotel and the styled portion of her session – the “Mad Men” inspired portion.  I LOVEEEEEE these!!

*all phone pics – courtesy of Laura Briscoe*

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

Well, “It’s a Wrap!”  This is it – the absolutely, positively final post for “Once Upon A Summer.”  

First, I want to thank again everyone who participated in this shoot.  If you have been following the story and the backstory, you know of all the challenges that we faced.  That’s why it makes it all the more exciting to share how all of our hard work paid off!

Not only did “Once Upon A Summer” receive a national feature on the website Seniorologie, but one of Devan’s images from the second half of Cinderella was chosen as a Top 3 of the week on Seniorologie, resulting in the Spotlight Image of the week!

Also, one of Kathryn’s images from “Little Red Riding Hood” was published in The Bold Issue of Chic Magazine!  This image was an Honorable Mention for the Cover and I couldn’t be more excited by this!

Soooo, how about some Behind the Scenes action?!

Kat, looking all super fab as “Little Red.”

If you saw the short video on Instagram, here is the extended version:

Staci working on Devan…

“Rrrrrr…”

I’m not even sure what Devan is doing here.  ;)  Flying like a bird??

One of Casey’s 8000 takes!

Awww…aren’t they the cutest!?

and….SMIZE!

Laura touching up Devan…

and then losing her mind and hiding inside my reflector bag…

And finally, the mother of all Behind the Scenes – Devan’s best Ozzy Osbourne impression!

Well, that’s all folks!!!!!!

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

Makeup – Laura Briscoe Makeup Artistry
Hair – Staci Gibbs- Freelance Makeup Artist
Models – Kathryn Dickerson, Devan Heyburn, Casey DeArmon

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

ohhh…I’m sad!  This is the final post for “Once Upon a Summer.”  Can you believe it?!?  Well, I suppose it should come to an end soon…I mean, it did take all Summer to tell the story!  ;)

I might have one more post coming up, but we must talk about the second half of Cinderella first.

When we last saw Cinderella, she was soooo sad and full of sorrow, missing her mother and having to complete all of her chores.

Now, she is off to the King’s three day festival….

With a little help from the white birds, Cinderella gets ready every evening before the festival…

And finally, Cinderella loses her slipper as she tries to quickly leave the festival and the Prince.

These next few images, aren’t really part of the Cinderella story necessarily, but we wanted to find a way to wrap up the entire Fairy Tales series.  We discussed a few different scenarios, but in the end thought that the addition of storybooks was perfect!

Because the Grimms’ version of Cinderella is different from the Disney version, I ended up taking elements of both versions to make ours come to life.  While pumpkins have a role in the Disney version, they do not in the Grimms’ version.  I am a sucker for all things Fall though and have a ridiculous amount of pumpkins at my house.  I absolutely had to incorporate them somehow!  :)

All good things must come to an end, and so does our story “Once Upon a Summer.”

I will have one small follow up post soon, so please come back for it.    In the meantime, what do you think of our Fairy Tales?

Which character was your favorite?  Did you love one character’s makeup?   How about the hair?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

Makeup – Laura Briscoe Makeup Artistry

Hair – Staci Gibbs Freelance Makeup Artist

Spending the day with Duluth High School’s Sydni Radle-Craft was sooo much fun!  Sydni and I pretty much have the exact same sense of humor, so she fit right into the mix – easily!

There’s no mistaking that Sydni is a beautiful girl, but I cannot get over her eyes!!  That was one of the first things that I noticed. They are such a unique color and everyone who saw her sneak peeks commented on them as well.  And seriously, can I have those arms, or what?!  Get me a pair of dumbbells immediately!  ;)

Some of you might already recognize Sydni, as she’s kind of “a big deal” in the competition cheerleading world.  I don’t know if she would actually say those words, but I’ll go ahead and say them – I don’t mind.  :D  She’s not only a member of Stingray Allstars Orange, but she’s also a World Champion.  I can’t wait to see how this year goes for her.  I don’t know about you guys, but I love watching competition cheerleading on ESPN, so this year will be way more exciting, being able to cheer on Sydni from afar!

There I go, getting all side tracked again…how about Sydni’s Senior Portraits?!

So let’s talk about these sunglasses for a second.  Sydni and I had just started talking when I first found them.  I didn’t know at the time, but I had a feeling that she was the perfect senior to wear these during her session.  And OH MY GOODNESS, was I right!?  I LOVE these on her!  Aren’t they just the most fun pair of sunglasses, ever?

If you love Sydni’s session, you’ll hopefully get to see her again really soon.  (wink, wink)  I can’t say why just yet, because what would be the fun in telling you when you could come back and find out later???  

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!

Makeup – Laura Briscoe Makeup Artistry

“When I was looking for a senior photographer, I saw that a girl at my school had taken her pictures with Tricia.  I immediately fell in love with her work and I got in touch with her right away.

My experience taking senior pictures with Tricia was the best it could have possibly been.  Tricia is so nice and has the best personality.  Leading up to the day of the shoot, Tricia stayed in contact with me and I never felt unprepared.  She helped me come up with ideas for outfits and makeup.  I never once felt nervous for the shoot.

On the day of the shoot, Tricia and Laura, the makeup artist, were so nice and helped me get everything together.  They are so easy to talk to and made the whole process really fun.  During the shoot, Tricia made me feel so comfortable and once I got used to it I never felt awkward.  Tricia never failed to make me feel pretty in my pictures!

I would recommend Tricia to anyone.  She is so awesome to work with and I wouldn’t change my experience with her for anything.”

- Natalie

“It was getting time to do Senior pictures and my daughter wanted to try someone different than her sister had used.  Tricia Toker was one of her choices.  We met with Tricia and knew right away this would be a great experience. Tricia kept in touch with us leading up to the shoot, working with Natalie on outfits, jewelry, and how she wanted to do her hair.

The morning of the shoot, it was very early, and Natalie and I were wanting everything to go just right.  Tricia and Laura, the make-up artist, arrivedfull of energy and excitement.  The time spent doing make-up was very enjoyable.  Everyone was laughing and having a great time.

When the pictures started, Natalie was relaxed and did great.  It was a memory I will never forget!

The pictures came back and they were amazing!  Tricia did a fantastic job, and truly made Natalie’s Senior picture experience a great one!  Tricia is wonderful to work with, and we highly recommend her as a first choice for senior pictures!”

- Cindy (Natalie’s mom)

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions and behind the scenes, click HERE and “LIKE” and also HERE to follow on Instagram!