Vilano Beach Family Photography | The Pelose Family

“A well developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.”

— William Arthur Ward

When a giant wave suddenly and unexpectedly comes crashing in over top of you, soaking you from head to toe in the middle of your photo session and you just laugh it off as just all part of the fun of life, you know you're a happy, well contented couple. 

I met Danielle and Frank at Tony and Amber's wedding a couple years go as we were both bridesmaids and she was prego with little Frankie. It was freezing cold and we had to move the wedding indoors but she had the very best attitude the entire time. Yesterday was no different. When we found ourselves in the middle of a stinging nettle field (I've never experienced this plant before) she calmly described what it was and we slowly backed away. (Then she taught me a ton of new information about Florida plants, I was super impressed!)

After bypassing a wedding ceremony on the beach we made it to Vilano's beautiful rocks where we were all laughing and dodging the incoming waves and right as we moved into the next spot, completely without warning, a giant wave crashed over them and there was nothing to do but laugh and keep shooting! We had the very best time, and of course little Frankie was the star of the show! Hope you guys love these images as much as I do!

If you enjoyed these you might also enjoy: Chrissy and Chuck's family session or Heather and Kyle's Vilano Beach Engagement.

Anthony's First Birthday!

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”

— Omar Khayyam

This week our nephew turns one! Oh my goodness! I cannot believe an entire year has gone by nor that we live down here now and get to participate in these (almost weekly) family parties and gatherings. It seems like just yesterday we were at the hospital welcoming him into this big world.

Amber and Tony decided to do a Lumberjack themed birthday party for the little guy so everyone wore flannel to participate. They had fun themed food, cornhole and of course a bonfire with s'mores! (My favorite). 

Anthony wasn't so sure about the cake at first. Not having tried anything so sweet prior, he probably thought it was a dream. He also wasn't sure about eating with his hands, preferring his utensils, but he was more than willing to share with anyone who wanted a bite. :)

We had so much fun celebrating with everyone. We're so excited to watch you grow up little guy! Can't wait to take you on some serious adventures in the coming years!

Baby Viola!

“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder”

— E.B. White

It is with all the joy I have that I'm able to share this story and these precious moments with the world! The first Viola grandbaby (and our first nephew) was born this week and we are all simply over the moon in love with him!

After a mournful but beautiful trip to Florida last week for the funeral of A.J.'s beloved grandmother (and another devastated trip just 3 weeks prior due to the destruction of Hurricane Matthew on the Viola Family Restaurant) we were more than a little surprised to get the call late Sunday night that Amber's water broke two weeks early and even more surprised to find that little Anthony graced the world with his presence just a few short hours later. We rushed down and haven't been able to keep ourselves away from him since. 

We might be a little biased, but we all think he is perfect in every way, his tiny little button nose down to his adorable baby toes. He rarely cries and that's only if he's unswaddled, he even sleeps right through all the boisterous Viola jokes and gradual volume increases as everyone talks over each other in classic Italian style. 

Amber and Tony have been so great with him of course, allowing instinct to guide them in knowing how to hold him and change his clothes, what each little sound means and the perfect amount of sway needed to rock him back to sleep.

Mr. and Mrs. V (now affectionately Grandma and Grandpa V) are simply awestruck. They argue over who gets to hold him next and for how long and they just stare at his little face without blinking, unable to get over the grandness of it all. All of us plan to thoroughly spoil him and I can't wait til he's old enough to adventure with me through the woods to find buried treasures or perhaps skydive...you know...just when he's ready ;) 

We're all so proud of you Tony and Amber! We'll be here right beside you the whole way if you need anything and you'll never have need of babysitters, I'm sure of it! Love you!

The Viola Boys. Does it get any cuter than this??

8 Tips on What to Wear for a Portrait Session

What do you wear when you want your engagement or family session to represent your personalities but also be beautiful but also comfortable but also.... 

It can be a little daunting trying to choose the outfits that will represent you in your home, on Facebook, in your grandma's living room for feasibly the rest of your life. Seriously my mom keeps these ridiculous 14x16inch glamor shots of me at EIGHT years old, front and center in the living room. Think 90s poof hair with 90s poof shoulder pads and MAGENTA. Omg. 

Nobody wants to end up on the cover of Awkward Family Photos. I am no fashionista, but I'm here to help. I have shot hundreds of family and engagement sessions and I've seen all the things.

1. First and foremost. Don't feel like you have to do any of these things or anything you've seen on Pinterest. I would rather you be YOU 100% of the time because you'll be more comfortable, and that will produce genuine smiles. 

2. Your colors don't have to match (everyone wearing the same thing) in order to look nice together. Variety actually brings out individual personalities and helps everyone feel more comfortable "in their own skin." 

3. I am personally a huge fan of solids because it distracts less from your pretty faces, that said, throwing in a pattern or two is nice to break it up. 

4. If you're going to wear two outfits, one dressy and one casual for example, it's nice to have both sets of outfits coordinate (as if all the outfits were in the same photo at the same time) so that when you make prints and hang them on your wall later they will match. 

5. I wouldn't argue too long with your child if they really want to wear something different or hold their favorite toy in every photo, happy smiles win out over matching outfits every time. 

6. Nothing looks better in a photograph than bold color. While you may want to use mostly neutrals like grey/tan/brown/white, throwing in a colorful accessory or shoes will add life to the image. 

7. Don't over think it! If you want to buy a new outfit for the occasion you are certainly more than welcome to, that can make the session fun. However, I've found simplicity to quite beautiful, relaxed and natural.

8. If you're willing, I may guide you into a seated or laying position on the ground. Depending on how the session is going and if your attire allows for it, so keep this in mind when choosing your outfits if this is a direction you would like for your session.  

Above all else, just plan to have fun. We will play around with different ideas and explore different areas. 98.5% of the people I work with are not professionally trained models with fashion stylists living in their closets, they're just everyday people with a wide range of personalities and stories to tell. Just bring yourself, prepared to live in the moment and I'll worry about the rest.