January 2, 2017

Top 10 Photos from 2016

Top 10 Per year

Top 10 Per year

It’s super hard to pick just 10, but for each photo I’ll write a little about why I picked it and what I love about it. These photos are in no particular order! They all were taken with the Canon 5Dmk3 and the Canon 135mm 2.0L this year. You’ll notice that all of these are fairy images, because I wasn’t taking family photos this year.

This has to be one of my favorite photos from this year because of who this kid is. She’s actually one of the entrance for my memorial princess sessions. The key take away from this photo I feel like, is that disabilities can be invisible. She has autism. In fact, her treatment was delayed because her doctors told her parents that she was too pretty to have autism. I’m not sure where they got the idea that a beautiful face has anything to do with whether or not the person has autism or any other special considerations. But it delayed the treatment help that she would have received. Which I think is absolutely ridiculous and it made me super mad when I heard that. This photo to me, shows who she is. She is beautiful, but she also is more than beautiful.
Location: Georgia State Botanical Gardens
I have never been sure why this image really speaks to me. I think it’s the pose or maybe her eyelashes. Either way it’s gorgeous. She did this pose herself, and she was slightly dancing while she did it. I wish I knew what’s going on in her head. This is one of my ice fairy sessions, you’ll see snow but we don’t get snow in Georgia, so that’s an added after the fact in the computer. I really enjoy the sessions because as Ohio transplant, I definitely miss the snow here.
Location: Georgia State Botanical Gardens
This picture of two sisters I absolutely loved. This is taken at the founders garden on UGA North campus, and I did this as a part of a magazine article. This pair has such a great connection, and I loved the brick wall in the front because it gives a sense that they’re unaware of the camera. Little sister had just stubbed her toe in the rocks, and her big sister was consoling her. The crowns go perfectly with the dresses, and I can thank Rainey’s closet for that! Location: UGA Founder’s Garden
This photo is definitely one of my favorites for this year because the color and the pose are so different from what I normally shoot. I love the gold in the dress and the gold in her wings and a gold in her hair and the gold in the crown all coming together. She looks so serene just laying there,Connection that she has with the viewer is so direct and frank. As a fun aside: This is a one-of-a-kind dress. I felt like I use this dress too many times, so I sold it in 2017, then loved it so much that I tracked it down and re-bought it again in 2019. Location: State Botanical Garden of Georgia
One of my favorite girls! This was taken as part of a magazine article which you can see on the publications page. I wanted the sun to come through her hair, and this was the only spot in this section of the garden that had any sun. So I placed her back against a fence covered in vines. The resulting photo was a bit of a surprise to me. I don’t know why, because I set this up, but it just seemed to be nicer in the camera and then it was as I was seeing it there. Which is actually kind of rare normally it’s the other way around! Location: Ashford Manor in Watkinsville
I asked her to smell this flower. I knew that I would get back lighting through her hair and pretty flowers in the photo, but when I didn’t know was that she would close her eyes and cup the flowers so delicately with her fingertips. She looks utterly magical with her little eyelashes along her pink cheeks. She looks very much like a fairytale. The hilarious thing is that she isn’t all that delicate. She plays soccer, and later on the session I accidentally walked her through a pile of thorns and spent the end of the photos picking thorns out of her legs as she cried. This child and this photo shoot are the reason why I now carry two first aid kits in my car. Location: Georgia State Botanical Gardens
This magical set of sisters are these three daughters of one of my best photographer friends Jennifer Wilcox. Jennifer lives in Puyallup Washington, which is a little bit outside of Seattle. This photo session was the second photo session I had taken for her kids. The first one was an epic three day trip through the rain forests in Washington state with unicorns and waterfalls. This one was a little bit more sedate, just a ferry ride over to Sequim Washington to the Purple Haze lavender farm. As the sun was setting (it was about 9pm), we climbed up the hill of lavender for this shot. I had photos without the sun flare, but ended up linking this one more. I actually found out that day that I am allergic to lavender. I started off just fine and at the end of the session the middle child there told me “Miss Heather, I think you need medical attention.” I love her so much. I was a wreck, but the photos were worth it. Location: Purple Haze Lavender Farm, Sequim WA
One of my absolute favorite girls in her point shoes. In a peach Orchard. Of course, there are others from the session that show her face, but I loved her little hands over her head and being able to see the wings and the pink fluffiness of this dress. It matches perfectly with the peach flowers. My favorite part of this photo is actually how nasty the point shoes are on the bottoms. This girl is now a serious dancer, but was just beginning when the shot was taken. Location: Thomas Orchard, Watkinsville GA
My initial goal for this photo was to have a picture of the two sisters together. I wanted to have them nestled in the roots of this large oak tree, I wanted the back light coming through the wings, and I wanted them together. I thought I would like the best snuggled into each other, but I ended up liking this photo as they were just getting situated slightly more. To me, it’s less posed and more genuine. This is the second time that I have done a session for these two sisters in New Orleans. The first time they were in purples with Spanish moss, so I knew I would definitely want something very different for the second one. Location: Audubon Park, New Orleans LA
These two sisters blowing a dandelion in the peach orchard’s is probably about one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen in my life. They have a big difference in age, and as you can see a big difference in height as well. So I had a younger sister hold the dandelion and the older one lean over, the dress in the back of the older sister fluffed up and stuck out perfectly. I love the softness in this photo. Nothing seems sharp and pointy, everything looks as soft to the touch as that dandelion does. Location: Thomas Orchard, Watkinsville GA

share this post:

Reply...

leave a comment

fill out the contact form below to start the conversation

or

schedule a discovery call

submit

Ready to learn more?

You'll be hearing from me soon!

Thank you!
Your message has been sent.

We are a luxury portrait studio based in Athens, GA specializing in creating unique and vibrant images that capture the best of maternity, newborn, family, senior and Fairyography clients.

Our studio is located at:
235 Great Oak Dr
Athens, GA 30605
235 Great Oak Dr, Athens, GA 30605
 706-338-4414
HEATHER@HEATHERLARKINPHOTO.COM