Jessica Smith Photography

Meet Robert- Winchester VA Newborn Photographer

Jessie — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:37:53 +0000

When Julia first emailed me, she was ecstatic. She expressed right away how overjoyed she and Raymond were to be expecting this precious gift from God, and how excited she was to meet her little one. I knew she was going to be a natural, and I couldn’t wait to see them both as first time parents :) They didn’t find out whether they were having a boy or girl, and even though everyone was sure it was going to be a girl, I don’t think she and Raymond could be any more in love with their new son Robert. They said now they can’t even imagine having a daughter, even though for almost 9 months everyone was sure it was a girl! Crazy how much can change in just a couple of days! :) Julia and Raymond, thank you so much for welcoming me into your home and letting me cuddle with Robert, he is sweet as can be! Enjoy every moment with your baby boy! :)

When I came for their ‘embrace the belly’ session the nursery was almost complete, and it is one of my favorites I’ve ever seen! They did a ‘Hundred Acre Woods- through the seasons’ theme to it, with a big gorgeous cherry blossom tree on one wall, snowflakes on another, and fall leaves on another. It turned out GORGEOUS! I had to show off a few shots of his nursery :) He was wide awake and so alert for the majority of the session, I love this one of him staring at Julia :) Even their pup Tala is wonderful with Robert! :) Even though he was super tired, Robert would only stay asleep for about 3 seconds once I pulled the pacifier out of his little mouth.. good thing I shoot quick! :)
We wanted to incorporate The House at Pooh Corner book we used during their maternity session, and I love how these next few turned out!! :) how many people does it take to dress a baby?? teamwork at its finest :) by the end Robert was so tired of me pulling his pacifier out of his mouth that he grabbed onto it and held on tight! I think he’s the youngest person ever to give me the stink eye ;)
Happy Wednesday! :)

Twenty Six… and celebrating 30!

Jessie — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:01:47 +0000

Today is the day! I’ve been in denial that I’m turning 26 for a while now. 25 was such a good number, and 26 meant that I was officially closer to THIRTY than 20. I may or may not have even typed “25″ into the machine at the gym today when it asked me how old I was… don’t judge, even if I can’t lie to the rest of the world, I can still fool the elliptical at the gym!

okay… maybe you can judge a little.

However 26 is shaping up to be a pretty good year already! This morning I woke up to so many wonderful birthday messages from family and friends, I got to have lunch with my mom, and tonight I’m excited to celebrate with some of my favorite friends :) Even though we’re technically celebrating turning 26, today I’m also celebrating the number 30 as well.

The best birthday gift came this morning when I stepped onto the scale, and saw that I had finally had kicked those last few pounds to get down to THIRTY POUNDS LOST! I had hit a plateau with the weight loss or so it seemed these past few weeks; one of the most frustrating things ever? absolutely. so I pushed myself a little harder than usual, and thank goodness this morning it paid off! I’m not sure why “30″ was such a big number, there was no celebrating for hitting 10 or 20 pounds down, but 30 just seems like a much bigger number. some days I don’t notice much of a difference when I look in the mirror, until I see old pictures or remember that I’m in clothes two or three full sizes smaller than I was in 6 months ago! I’m now buying clothes in sizes that I don’t EVER remember buying before, and lord knows THAT is something to celebrate! :)

so here’s to embracing turning 26 years old today, and celebrating the number 30… as long as its not related to my age ;)

Meet Kamdyn- Northern Virginia Newborn Photographer

Jessie — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:17:39 +0000

There is something SO exciting to me about meeting my “baby’s first year” clients for the first time. Over the past few years, those families that I’ve gotten to spend that first year with have turned into some of my very best friends, so its always fun when a new family comes my way! Meet sweet Kamdyn Kailani, and get excited to watch this baby girl grow over the next 18 months! Yes you read right, i said 18 months! Since we didn’t get to do a maternity session for Melanie before Kamdyn was born we’re just going to add an extra session on the end. Don’t get me wrong I love shooting ‘embrace the belly’ sessions, but once that one year session rolls around I am always wishing that I had just oooooone more session tacked onto the package after that since 18 months is such a fun age… and because i’m never quite ready to say goodbye to that first year :) Melanie and Jason, thank you for inviting me into Kamdyn’s first year, can’t wait to see you guys again soon! :)

Look at that sweet face! Doesn’t she have the most perfect features?! she slept the whole time.. made my job REAL easy :) love her little scrunchy back :) tiny toes: look at those perfect little lips! so sweet!
Can’t wait to see you guys again in a few months! :) Happy Thursday!

We talk. He corrects.

Jessie — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:47:20 +0000

Lately it seems my conversations with God have included a lot more phrases like “okay, BUT…”, “well, have you thought about… “, and “Lord, are you reeeeeeeally sure?!?” Sometimes I wish I could see the expression on his face as He listens to me asking the exact same question for the umpteenth time that day, even though He’s already given me the answer. Somehow I doubt its the same look of pure frustration I would wear if someone asked me the same question over and over again on a daily basis. Last week in a moment of overflowing thoughts I pulled up a new word document on my laptop, since my fingers could type faster than a pen could write, and as I wrote out every thought in my mind (both the sane and irrational) it seems like God had finally had enough of my questions and smacked me upside the head with His replies. His truth.

Lord I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to limit possibilities…
I can’t be limited.

Okay, but I just don’t necessarily feel really comfortable…
It’s not about being comfortable. When have I ever called you to ‘comfortable’?

Okaaay, but this is just not how things usually work. It doesn’t usually happen like this…
And sometimes it does.

Okaaaaay, but Jesus I’m just not 100% sure. I feel lost…
You are exactly where I want you to be.

We talk. He corrects. He teaches. He loves. and at the end of the day I’m so very thankful to know for certain that I’m exactly where He wants me to be.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

“For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.” – 1 Corinthians 14:33

february’s 10 things

Jessie — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:32:20 +0000

i loved getting all your feedback from the last month’s ten things you might not know about me, so i thought i’d try making it a monthly thing. we’ll see if i can come up with 10 things every month, but for now, here’s round two! 1) My birthday is this month! February 20th is the best day of the month. hands down :)

2) No matter how many times I move over during the night, somehow I always wake up in the middle of the bed. Sorry in advance, future husband.

3) I’ve been told that one of my best qualities is that I have a teachable spirit.

4) I wear purple more than any other color, not because I love purple, but because it is one of the few colors that really makes my eyes look green. I’m in denial that they are turning hazel :(

5) I have had a handful of nicknames throughout my life including (but not limited to) Jess-Bo, Snickerdoodle, Little Miss, and most recently, two of my best guy friends in college nicknamed me ‘Spoon’ our freshman year. Absolutely NO idea why.

6) ‘Someone to Watch Over Me” is one of my all time favorite songs, and anytime I get put on the spot to sing for people, this is my go-to song.

7) I’ve never broken/fractured/sprained any part of my body. *knock on wood*

8) When I go on vacations, I like to explore and have new places to go, I can’t just sit on a beach for the week.

9) There’s something about that ‘new baby smell’ that melts my heart. every time. johnson & johnson knows what they’re doing!

10) If I could play one instrument REALLY well it would be the piano. or the drums. but the piano seems a little more practical :)

Happy Friday!

Meet Emmett- Virginia Newborn Photographer

Jessie — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:45:04 +0000

Everyone who comes to my house will recognize Natalie. She is always the very first thing that people comment on as they walk in the door and is their first impression of my work, as I have a panoramic of this picture from her newborn session hanging in my entryway:
It does not seem like it could have possibly already been two years since I took Natalie’s newborn pictures! Why does time seem to go extra fast when they are little?! I was able to photograph sweet Natalie when she was first born, and then again at 6 months and one year, but these days she is looking a LOT bigger than she was in this picture below… … because she is a big sister! While some kids seem like they could care less about a new sibling, Natalie seems so excited to be around Emmett all the time. She was more than willing to give him kisses, count all his little fingers and toes, and read to him all afternoon :) I feel like I say this about just about every session, but this first series of the four of them sitting on the couch are some of my favorite family pictures I’ve ever taken :) How sweet is their family?!
kisses for baby brother :) Natalie was MUCH happier with her whole family sitting on the couch together instead of just with Tommy or Elizabeth… can’t say i blame her :) she’s a natural at this ‘big sister’ job :) she will be putting on shows before you know it! i’m pretty sure her form is better than mine when it comes to playing this instrument.. what can i say, Tommy teaches his girl right :) with Natalie we made sure to get a picture of her on the dresser at each of the three sessions, and I’m excited to do the same with Emmett in the mandolin case :)
Happy Monday! :)

steady my heart

Jessie — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:44:28 +0000

I’m not gonna worry
I know that You’ve got me
Right inside the palm of Your hand
Each and every moment
What’s good and what gets broken
Happens just the way You plan

But You’re here
You’re real
I know I can trust You

Even when it hurts
Even when its hard
Even when it all just falls apart
I will run to You
Cause i know that You are
Lover of my soul, Healer of my scars
You steady my heart
And I will sing to You
Cause of everything You are

You steady my heart

Meet Lucas- Virginia Newborn Photographer

Jessie — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:12:55 +0000

It’s so crazy for me to think that the first time I photographed Josh and Terresa and their family was almost 5 years ago when their son Jacob was born! I had just put the name “Jessica Smith Photography” on my hobby which was quickly turning into a business, and I called them up and asked if I could take some pictures of them to practice for some a few sessions I had coming up. These were some of the first portraits I ever showed new clients right after I started my business, when Jacob was about 5 weeks old: and then a couple years later, their sweet girl Anela Mae was born and I got to document her entire first year! these days, Jacob and Anela are a LOT bigger… … still best buddies… … and not the babies anymore! Meet their new baby brother, Lucas! Doesn’t Lucas look just like Jacob and Anela when they were babies?! I spent the entire day with them and I’m pretty sure I called Lucas ‘Jacob’ at least three different times when I was holding him! sweet baby: Josh and I led YoungLife together when I was in college and I learned so much from him and Terresa! I’m so thankful that years later they are still some of my best friends, and model so well what I hope my family will look like one day: look at his little smile! so sweet! :) ha! somehow I don’t think this is Lucas winking at me, but more saying “hey lady, can you STOP with the pictures and just let me SLEEP?!” :) Jacob and Anela are SO sweet with Lucas! LOVE those precious smiles! my favorite :) all the boys:
Josh and Terresa, I’m so thankful for your family! Thanks for sharing your awesome kids with me :) Love you guys!

good words.

Jessie — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:58:16 +0000

When I sit down at my computer in the morning, the very first thing that always demands my attention is my email. Somehow it seems there is a never ending pile of them to reply to. Funny how the more emails I tend to send out, the more I receive! Its a vicious cycle, i tell ya! :) Once I make it through my inbox, I give myself some time to check in on some of my favorite blogs. In this industry it seems like everybody has a blog, and understandably so! The bookmarks folder for “blogs” can get out of control so fast as I’m always finding new photographers that I love! However, lately I’ve found a few blogs that have nothing to do with photography, and those have become quickly the few that I always go to first. Maybe its because I so often struggle to put my thoughts into words, much less coherent sentences, and for these few it just seems second nature. So I thought today I’d share with you some of my favorite sites to read, in hopes that they would be the newest additions to your own bookmarked pages! :)

I always get excited when I see that Tiffany Wingard has a new post up. Her family is the most common topic, and I guarantee you will fall in love with her two gorgeous kids and the hilarious things they say and do within the first post. She has already been recognized in the blogger world for her site, and i’m secretly praying that by the time I actually have kids and have to attempt this whole being a mom thing, someone will have the good sense to pay her to write a book and publish this lady:
Sammy Adebiyi is my most recent blog discovery, and I have spent hours and hours over the past couple weeks digging through all of his past entries. One of my favorite aspects of his blog is the conversation he always gets going through the comments his readers leave. I love seeing all the different forms ministry can take, and they for sure have a sweet community happening over on his site. If nothing else, go to his site and on the right hand site read through the “most popular” posts, and you will be hooked.. guarantee it :) This is my friend Katie Covert’s blog, and has always been a favorite of mine. Katie has been one of my best friends for the last 6.5 years and God has used her a countless number of times to speak truth into my life, and so I’m glad she has this outlet to share experiences, scripture, and life lessons with the rest of the world :) I only met Johanna Gusman about a month ago when I did pictures for their family, and first saw her blog when she reposted the images I did. After that I spent a while reading through her site and found myself sitting there thinking, “wow this woman is going to change the world, one country at a time!” Read, and be inspired :)
Happy reading, friends!

Raymond and Julia are expecting! – Winchester VA Photographer

Jessie — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:20:23 +0000

Typically by the time the maternity session rolls around, most of the mamas-to-be are ready to just have their baby in their arms. Some of them have had an easier pregnancy than others, but usually they are ready to be done with the ‘pregnant’ part. Not Julia, she is the definition of glowing. From the moment she emailed me she was talking about how she enjoyed being pregnant and this miracle that she and her husband had been given, and even now being just a couple weeks away from her due date, she is just as content as ever, and you can tell in these images how completely happy she is. I got to spend the afternoon getting to know Julia, Raymond, and their sweet pup Tala, and I cannot wait to meet baby Foster in just a few short weeks! :)

How stunning is Tala? and those big blue eyes! such a pretty puppy:
even if she is a little camera shy ;) Julia had a few special family items that she wanted to include: this baby will be coming home to the sweetest Winnie the Pooh nursery, and I can’t wait to show it off when the baby comes!
We walked around Old Town Winchester for the majority of their session, and even though it was freezing outside nothing seemed phase these two :) love all the different textures in this shot: LOVE these next two!pretty afternoon light: They opted to not find out the sex of the baby.. what do you think, boy or girl?! :)
Enjoy these last couple weeks and I can’t wait to see you both again soon! :)