As an adoptive mom myself, I love doing these sessions.  If you are not familiar yet, I’ll explain.  Once a month, I will donate a session to a family who has adopted a child within the past 12 months.  This is Gary and Melanie’s family.  Gary, Melanie, Connor and Camryn welcomed Chloe into their family just about a year ago.  She has had to adjust to a new family, new culture and new language!  By God’s amazing grace, she is doing it very, very well!  This family is just awesome!  I really enjoyed our afternoon out shooting!

So, because I had so many that I liked, you better sit back with a cozy blanket and some hot cocoa or a cup o’ joe, ’cause this one’s going to take a while! 

Enjoy the pictures!

I actually met up with James and Meredith just before I left for the holidays, but I am just now getting around to posting them here.  Of course, they’ve been on my Facebook group page (feel free to join if you are on FB), but I’ve been behind on blogging.  This couple is so in love, you can’t help but smile and feel good when you see them interact.  But, they’re also just fun to be with too!  It is really just heartwarming to see such young love.

Let me show you…

My most favorite image of the two of them…

Kim and Ronnie are anxiously awaiting the birth of their new daughter.  While they are waiting, we took the time to take some maternity portraits to celebrate how absolutely beautiful Kim is.  I can’t wait to photograph their daughter, Madison.  I’m sure she will be just as adorable as her mommy and daddy.

I have been off of the internet (not by choice, but because an animal chewed through our cable line) for a week. I will be getting back to posting more, but thought this would be fun. If you haven’t seen this on Facebook yet, I’m sure you will. Here is your chance to ask me anything!

And, don’t forget to vote for your favorite image of 2009 just below this post!

Then let’s show you off and prove it to everyone else!  Kiralisa Photography is participating in the International Charity Model Search to select North America’s Cutest Family and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation. (NILMDTS.org) This is an organization that I personally volunteer for and love dearly.  Last year one of my clients was picked to be a finalist and I’m looking to do it again this year!  Together we helped raise over $150, 000!

Are your loved ones North America’s Cutest Family? We’ll give you the opportunity to prove it! Many exciting prizes will be awarded, and the grand prize winner receives a new car!

Model Search Special:

$99 entrance fee includes a 30-minute model session and one image submitted to the national gallery.

Finalists will be determined by online votes. Each vote is $1 (no limit on the amount of votes you can cast), and all proceeds from votes benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS.org).

Grand prize international winner will be determined from the 52 city finalists. The winners will be selected from the finalist gallery by photography and modeling industry experts. The winning family also receives a session with the renowned portrait artist Sandy Puc’ and international recognition.

Call 901-428-3026 now to enter your family in this exciting contest.  The sooner you enter, the more time you have for votes!

*Contest open to residents of the US and Canada. For more information, visit http://sandypucmodels.com/.

I just realized that it is Christmas night and with all of our family hub-bub last night, I forgot to post the winner of the Giving is Awesome photo session.  There were many very deserving families, but this one really stood out to me.  The winner is…

Catherine and Paul Franks

Congratulations to them and to Ali Benson, who nominated them.  I will be contacting all of you when I return from our family vacation in California!!!!!

I am loving the job of photographing newborn twins this year!  This is my 4th set and I think I am getting better with every session.  They are so precious when they are this tiny and come in pairs!  These two little sisters seemed so tiny when I walked in, but they had already grown so much since being born a few weeks earlier.  They did a great job posing and we got some beautiful portraits.

So let me introduce you to Abigail and Julia…

And my husband’s comment when I showed him these next 2, “How funny that they both did the Macarena.”  Take a look and tell me what you think…

I also thought it was funny that they lay similarly when it was their turn for this shot~

Aren’t they just beautiful?  And you know how much I love baby feet!  They are such sweet little blessings and I know their family is just in love with these two little girls!

Only 9 more days to nominate someone you know that deserves a free session + a disc of their images ($1225 value) for the Giving is Awesome event! Don’t forget, if your nominee wins, you win too! You’ll receive a session and a complimentary 8×10!

Reminder of the details:
The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside in Tennessee, Mississippi or Arkansas within 40 miles of my Germantown home. Tell me who you know, what they’re experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

* You must e-mail me the full story : lisa@kiralisa.com.

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve — get nominating! I can’t wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season — and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Lisa

Now go out and