. christina watkins photography

When a family contacts me that I have never met before and they found me through word of mouth,  I get so excited.  Not only do I get all warm and fuzzy inside because somebody is sharing my work but also because I get to meet a whole new family.  Family photography is something I have fallen in love with because I know how important these photos truly mean.  Pictures like these go on longer than our own lifetime and it’s so important to have these memories.   I know that these pictures don’t just end up in frames, an album, or a collage on the wall.  These pictures stay in our hearts and we cherish them year after year.  We are sending a message of love and beauty to not only our children but to their children.  It’s truly a timeless piece.

When I first met the Goode family for the first time, I had discussed with mom & dad the personalities of their children.  So I showed up knowing that their older yet somewhat shy & reserved daughter had a love for Harry Potter and their youngest was full of energy and loved getting her picture taken!  I dived right into getting the girls excited for our fun little evening and it wasn’t before long that we became friends.  I seriously could have played with them all night long.    They are so sweet and so beautiful!   I loved editing this session.  I had a hard time deciding which ones to choose for the blog because there were so many special images.  It definitely doesn’t feel like a job when you can’t help but stop smiling because of the love you just witnessed.

The Goode family was wonderful to work with and I definitely walked away with a happy heart!

If you are interested in booking a family session with me, just email itsjustchristina@gmail.com!

I loved these pictures of her so much that I put one on a canvas and the other on a matboard!  I’ll post those on my Facebook for everyone to see!   Happy Tuesday and Thanks for stopping by!  xoxo Christina

Remember HER?  click here to see all her images.

She is the cutest little thing!  Well I got to see her again only this time I met her in Montgomery, Alabama!  My oh my has she grown up in such a short period of time.  Last time I saw her she was sitting up but this time she is RUNNING!  It was adorable and she’s still the happiest little girl alive.  Look at her all grown up!

Who is ready for summer?  Gosh, all the snow that keeps hitting the northeast and across the country…I almost feel guilty that I’m posting from this 80 degree session.  Well that water is not warm so don’t be too jealous.  I absolutely LOVE all the creations from The Measure.  I was so excited to get this piece and photograph it!  We spent the day at the beautiful and peaceful Lake Martin in Alabama!  The sun was beaming and we had a blast playing in the water!   This dress is definitely going to be a reoccurring number this spring/summer!   If you have a daughter younger than 5, I would highly recommend one of her sunsuits!!!!  LOVE!

I was trying to figure out if I should name this post Reflection or Stuck in the mud.  However, the more I thought about it, everything on here is a mere reflection of who I am and my life as a photographer.  Since my dog decided to try to dig her way out of her new Alabama backyard, this fit wayyyyy better.  Bad Dog!  Lately I have been kind of digging (no pun intended)  for where I see my photography heading and which direction I am leaning to and the amazing thing about moving IS that I get to start over.  It’s rewarding to me that I am able to gain clients despite the obstacle of having to move because most photographers get to build their business in one area with connections and an audience that they specifically market to.  Being a military wife, my audience changes along with my environment.  The one thing that I am so appreciative of is that my military audience is always supportive!  So as I have been unpacking, I have also been doing some soul searching.  I started to think back.  Wayyy back.  When did I start photography?  Why did I start photography?  What do I love shooting?   I bought a camera in 2008 so that I could document my son’s first years.  It was a Nikon D80.   I wanted the images to be amazing so he could look back and see how much joy he brought me and how much I enjoyed capturing every moment.  I had no knowledge of digital cameras and I honestly didn’t own a film camera.  I had it set on Automatic and I was shooting like I was a pro.  At least when you don’t know the rules, you can’t really break any.  Right?  I started a blog to post the images and I thought they were good.  Real good.  It wasn’t until I spoke to a photographer that pointed out everything that I was doing was wrong.  :)  All wrong.  I spoke on the phone with her for maybe 15 minutes and she asked if she could critique my blog photos.  I thought I was going to die but I was so excited at the same time.  Needless to say, I realized I had a lot to learn.  Of course I realized I needed to get off of Automatic settings and start learning photography and that was the beginning of my self taught experience.

I have shot weddings, I have shot newborns, bellies, and more.  I love all of it.  However, what I really love is the reason I began this journey:      The love for childhood memories and to capture love.  

As I look back on my photos last year I absolutely loved that they told a story.  I didn’t just point and shoot.  I wanted to evoke the emotion out of your children and represent love in your family.  I want to capture you like I would capture my own.  My good friend thought I was crazy to narrow down my specialty but I really do believe you have to follow your heart.  Therefore I am no longer taking weddings and limited newborns.  It was a huge decision but I do believe that this is the right thing to do, for now.  I still love capturing engagements and the love between two people but I will not shoot weddings unless there’s a ton of begging involved.  :)  I feel confident that my photography is going to be even better this year.  I can’t wait to deliver.

While I hate the fact that my dog can’t stand to be in the backyard w/o me for more than 2 minutes and has to try to dig her way out … I am so thankful that she made me realize that I too was stuck in the mud myself.  I should probably thank her for making me realize that I needed to make the decision to move forward.  But I think I will give her a bath instead…..

Here’s to less talky and more images in 2013.

This adorable and patient family drove to see me from Medford and behind the scenes we were working with two horrible situations.  1. The brightest day EVER in 2012 stuck out in an open field with nothing to hide under & 2. The coldest day of the year.  The kids definitely deserved whatever mom promised them after these photos because they truly hung in the best they could.    I still give them major props for making it look like a warm spring day and for absolutely sticking with me to get these images despite the challenges.  I love when my clients bring outfits to change into and even more when they are showing off their amazing style from Anthropologie, Mini-Boden, and more.  When the images came in from being professionally printed, I was so happy that now they have something to show on their walls for everything it took to get these photos.  Every time they look at their walls, they will be reminded of not only the day of that shoot but the life they have together.  I love that you can see how proud they are of the family they created, the love he has for her, and the glow of two small happy children.  It’s a beautiful life.

My goal in 2013 is to document more and blog more and shoot everyday.  Shoot everyday, not blog everyday & I don’t mean shoot on an iphone.  GUILTY.   Before the holidays I photographed a sweet military family in Jersey.  We were suppose to shoot in the spring but then Dad got sent on a deployment so we were going to hold the session for when he got back.  I don’t know how Dana kept her sanity for that deployment with 4 kids but she is going down as super mom in my book.  On a side note, I absolutely love big families.  I came from a family of 6 myself.  I couldn’t imagine my life without having two brothers and a sister.  The best part is that this family of 6 will eventually get larger as they grow up, get married, have kids, etc.  The memories just keep getting created and I loved capturing this one.

I have been a huge fan of Lexi Vornberg and when she launched Lemonade and Lenses, I loved her even more.  L&L is a great site for photographers not only to get inspired & share ideas, but to learn how to grow as a photographer.  I puffy heart everything on this site because the work on L&L is always beautiful, soft, romantic, and it just completely woos my heart!  I obsess over photography unlike the average person because it’s my passion and my favorite thing about L&L is that every artist featured uses their photography to tell a story.  Their images capture not only a family or a person or a bride, it tells a story.  That is what I try to achieve in my sessions.  I don’t just try to get the perfect image of kids smiling or everyone looking at the same time, but I strive to capture the beauty that you absorb, the movement that makes us enjoy life, and I want to give my clients photos that remind them of the blessings they receive.  I am so looking forward to 2013 because I think my photography grows each and every year!  I am so blessed to have others enjoy my photography as much as I do and when I was featured on Lemonade and Lenses the day before my birthday this year, I wanted to PASS OUT.   If you asked me two years ago if I would be featured on blogs and have my work get published, I would laugh.  I am so honored to be doing what I am doing and I am so grateful for those who see my passion, who support these goals of mine, and I will continue to challenge myself !!!  My awesome and beautiful clients Aimee & Derek were featured on Lemonade & Lenses.  You can check out the full article HERE 

I LOVE shooting for another photographer!  It’s fun to be able to give something back to someone who you know appreciates photos just as much as I do! Brenda is a photographer herself in the McGuire AFB and Dixx area and so when she asked me to shoot her first family session, I was thrilled!! No pressure right?! I love that she picked me to photograph her family and I love that she went behind the camera for a change!   I think Brenda will agree that it feels MUCH different being on the other side of the camera but she rocked it!  Brenda & her husband Mike were adorable & they have the most amazing kids.  They were perfect models!  And what goes with perfect models….perfect little outfits!  I’m so excited to show you my many favorites! I can’t blog them ALL or else the blog would shut down but here are a good few!!! Enjoy!!

I met Aimee for the first time at a Christmas cookie drive for soldiers overseas.  We cleaned the tins, sorted cookies, and stuffed the tins with all different kinds of cookies.  It wasn’t until the end of the event that I realized she actually lived right across the street from me.   I had just moved to New Jersey and it was right before everyone went into hibernation for the winter.  Yes, that kind of happens.  It’s been over the last two years that I have learned that she’s super creative and can knit gorgeous sweaters, scarves, socks, hats, ect. like nobody’s business!   The best I’ve ever seen!  Aimee asked if I would take some photos of her & her husband.  I knew she had great style not to mention she’s beautiful so I was super excited to photograph some photos for her and Derek….and their dog Winston!  How cute is he?   I took them to my favorite empty field where I knew the colors of Fall would help pop their Fall attire.  Don’t they look awesome?  Her cute polka dotted dress is from Anthropologie.  Well, the latest news is that these three are moving to Seattle and I am so excited for them!   I hope they have many great adventures to come but I am thankful to have captured an end to a great New Jersey adventure.  Often people tell me thank you for giving them pictures but sometimes I should probably say :  Thank You Aimee & Derek for making my images beautiful.  xoxoxo