Andrea Dozier Dayton Wedding & Lifestyle Photography

My mother always preferred lemon flavored desserts, I never understood why. My sweet tooth always wanted dark, rich chocolates. This pregnancy, I find myself reaching for fruits and citrus flavors. I can’t get enough of sweet & tangy combinations. The lemon macarons with lemon curd filling that I made for this shoot are actually just an excuse for a pregnant lady to bake {and indulge} in what I was craving.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating spring and couldn’t wait to start shooting outdoors again. The idea was to create a sweet picnic for two adorable sisters with a yellow theme. As I’ve been assembling this post, Pandora played a live version of Coldplay’s Yellow. No kidding. I had to laugh at the very appropriate selection.

I love cotton candy & how it never fails to take me back to being a little girl. Usually, the portions are too much to eat at once. I made some quick cotton candy suckers by slicing the cotton candy, then cutting it with a cookie cutter. I assembled the cotton candy hearts on the candy stick with a small dab of lemon curd. I recommend them if you have some main desserts but want a pop of color and flavor for a shower, wedding, or birthday. I’ll have to post a DIY with pictures of how I assembled them and some creative ideas. The only drawback: they won’t last long.

My cousin Angie may fool you with her pretty pastel dress, but this woman is clearly one of the bravest I have ever met. She works as a nurse and loves to “jump out of perfectly good airplanes” on her days off. She’s also been working hard to lose an impressive amount of weight this year. As she raises two beautiful children & has the most positive attitude around, she just glows…

Right now the earth is still waking up, so it’s pretty bare around here. Last fall & throughout the winter I shot most of my sessions in the field just at the edge of Tipp City. It’s ideal for some outdoor shots without showcasing our severe lack of greenery on the trees {plus it’s within walking distance of some other great historical backdrops}. It complimented their spring wardrobes perfectly.

Angie’s dad, {my uncle Dan}, was a Marine so I didn’t get to see her family a lot when they lived in Japan. Her daughter Madison looks exactly like the Angela I remember from when we were little and they were visiting one Easter…

I love these… Austin looked so handsome in his cowboy hat & you can just see how much he loves being with his mama!

When we were finished with their session we stopped to reward “the kids” with ice cream {Angie & I had some too of course!} and wrapped up the day enjoying our treats at the park. Madison picked me my first flower of the year and even though we were “finished” I had to snap one more…

Angie, your family is so beautiful… I had such a lovely day with you three! ♥

Did anyone see Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland? It was beautiful. I think I was too sleepy to enjoy it properly {being pregnant is hard work}, but I loved they way they artistically translated the story. I’ve been feeling a little like Alice. I was cleaning my closet this week and clothes that fit me just a few months ago now look tiny in my hands. The funny thing about pregnancy is that you expand so quickly that you don’t always have the time to adjust to your new size. It feels like some sort of enchanted body transforming cake is at work. I find myself looking at my “old” clothes thinking they look like they belong to a doll & that they surely must have shrunk {sitting untouched in my closet}. I’ve been photographing women who are nine months along & looking so fantastic that I’m thinking about having my maternity pictures taken at 25 weeks and calling it a day. Would that be cheating? It’s ok though. My {almost} four year old tells us that my baby has a sink, a kitchen, & a bed in my tummy… so there is good reason why he needs lots of room.

Here are some pictures from spending a beautiful spring morning with the Waltons…

Jack, I love your curls!

A little known fact about Jack, he’s quite a literary enthusiast.

All styling done by Mr. Jack. I just had the pleasure of watching & photographing him at work.

He kept track of every book they read and made sure Kerry got to every single one. I love how particular little people can be.

She makes pregnancy look so amazing:

I love Kerry’s modern style. It can be hard to find maternity clothes, but accessories & colorful shoes always make an outfit feel more fun {and you can still wear them after the bambino gets here}!

Kerry, you are beautiful in every stage of life. I wish your family all the best and can’t wait to meet your precious little baby! Happy Birthday lovely mama ♥

I’m sure you remember the unforgettable pint sized beauty Nataly, I know I couldn’t wait to see her again! We met at The Greene in Kettering and had a fantastic time playing in the snow. The elusive sunshine even made an appearance, and I was thrilled with being able to incorporate some warmth into their photographs. Winter in Ohio has been the usual cold, snowy, and overcast. I feel like that bit of sun transformed everything. I say it all the time, but I believe that sunlight looks good on everyone. It’s the most natural, organic way to enhance a portrait. Take a peek & see if you agree:

I always start any session out with some poses. Once we get them out of the way, we start having fun:

After playing, the little ones forget that I’m aiming my lens at them.

The man behind the snow. One of his amazing special-effects-snow-balls blew towards him because of the wind…

I know they made everything look fun & comfortable, but it was truly freezing outside!

I love watching toddlers check everything out. No matter their response, it’s priceless.

Aimee… you’re gorgeous.

Nataly’s enthusiasm is awesome. Love those bouncing curls :]

So it turns that The Greene isn’t just a great place to shop at the gigantic Forever 21 or grab Chipotle. It’s an excellent backdrop for photographs, especially as twilight approaches and all the city lights are illuminated against a kaleidoscopic sky…