Gorgeous Maternity. . .

So I got to hang out with an awesome Mommy & her gorgeous belly today. We had a blast, lots of laughing. I can't wait to meet her new little man in a few short weeks. Wishing you all the best - enjoy your preview!

Share The Love Sessions & Host A Mini!

In honor of the upcoming month of love, you and your best friend can split a session fee and you each get a full session!

The sessions must take place in February or March of 2009. There is limited availability.

Portrait prices are additional at a la carte or package rates.

Interested in hosting a mini session event in your home? All you need is 8 friends and a window with great light! I will only be booking one event. The hostess receives a great gift!

Contact Samara to book your session or to inquire about more details for either event!

Welcome To The World!

Well this little guy had no intentions of sleeping for me, but he certainly made up for it in the cuteness department. After two sessions, we have on sleeping picture. Such is life with newborns, but I tell you this little guy has an old soul. He is so sweet!

Happy Birthday!

I have had the absolute pleasure of photographing this family for almost 3 years now. We started with little A's brother and then she was welcomed into the family and now she is a year old! It is amazing how fast time flies. She is quite possibly the happiest and easiest one year old I have ever photographed. What a doll!

Another Mom To Meet!

Name: Nicole, Buffalo NY

What are your children's names and ages?
Olivia, age 5 & Alexis, age 2

What is on the top of your Christmas list this year?
Honestly, all I really want is good health for the people that I love and care about, especially my daughters!

What is on the top of your children's christmas list this year?
Olivia really wants "Biscuit, My Lovin Pup" and Alexis loves anything Barbie!

What gift are you most excited to give this year?
The gifts I bought for my daughters!

What is your family's favorite holiday tradition?
My mother is from Vienna, Austria so our big celebration takes place on Christmas Eve. We have a big dinner and open gifts with the whole family! It is really special, especially now that my sister and I have our own families. We love to see the joy in the kid's eyes when they see that Santa has come to bring them presents!
What store are most of your gifts coming from this holiday season? Either online or at the mall! Having two young children, most of my shopping was done at Toys R Us. I also did a lot of my grown-up shopping at Williams Sonoma.

What is your favorite holiday food?
I love Christmas Cookies!!! I also love all of the appetizers before the big Christmas meal!

How would you describe your holiday decorating style?
Our decorating style is influenced a lot by Pottery Barn, so we have quite a few holiday decorations from there. We also always put out a nativity scene to help us remember the true meaning of Christmas! And of course all of the holiday decorations made by my oldest daughter Olivia at school. We put them all out because she is very proud of her art!

What is the last book you read to your children?
"When You Bring a Mouse to School"

What is your favorite activity to do with your children in the winter?
Playing outside in the snow and going sledding at my grandmother's house in Jamestown, NY. She lives in the country, so she has great sledding hills! Afterwards, we go inside and warm up with a cup of hot cocoa. The girls love it!

What are your favorite websites or blogs to visit?
I love to look at the blog on SH portraits. I love seeing all of the beautiful babies and children! I also visit pottery barn, gymboree, gap, allrecipes.com and cnn regularly.

What local groups or causes are you involved with? Do you belong to or support any volunteer organizations?
I volunteer at my daughter's school and I also feel very passionately for St. Jude's Children's Hospital, so when they call and ask me for help with something, I always try to make some time.

What is something unique about your family?
We have many different ethnic backgrounds in my family! I am Austrian and Irish and my husband is Macedonian, so we celebrate many different traditions! Our children are very proud of their heritage and love to learn about the different celebrations!

What are your favorite 3-4 images from your session?
My first favorite image is of Olivia and Alexis standing together by the rocks. Lexi is holding onto the back of Olivia and when I first saw the picture, I saw for the first time the strong bond between them and the security that Alexis feels when Olivia is with her.

I also love the picture of Alexis sitting on the bench wearing the white dress. She wasn't very keen about being photographed at first and the look that she has, is very indicative of the look she gives people when she is unsure and somewhat suspicious of them.

Another favorite image I have is of Olivia bent down and smiling. Olivia is very chatty and happy! She loved being photographed and hanging out with Samara! So, the happy look on her face shows the joy that she has inside of her!

Last - what do you love most about SH Portraits? I had to add it! What I love most about SH portraits is that Samara doesn't just take a picture of your child she captures their nature, who they really are. When you see the photographs that Samara has taken of your children for the first time, it makes you want to cry because you aren't just looking at a picture of your child, you are seeing the true them and their inner spirit! I also love how relaxed Samara is during the session, it really helps the kids to feel uninhibited! And as an added bonus the SH Portraits website is very modern in design and user friendly, I just love it! Samara, you truly are a gifted artist! Thank you!