On a personal thought on my photography. I’ve noticed that many of the photos that I post of engagement sessions are of the couples kissing. Kissing photos are not the only images that I create and give my clients but they seem to be some of my favorites. A kiss is a beautiful thing and when it’s placed in a carefully composed photograph; I think it’s magical. So below are just a few of my favorite images of my time with this amazing couple and yes, a lot of them are kissing images. Call me a romantic.

This is Sasha.

Sasha has Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus and is paralyzed from the waist down. He is such a beautiful boy, with bright eyes and a very smart mind. Sasha was severely malnourished when they adopted him and was small for his age. He was extremely afraid of the dark and never wanted the lights to be turned off. Sasha had so much fear in his heart that even when the lights lit up his room like a Christmas tree, he was afraid, and not at peace in anyway. He would claw at his face until it bled. He had been through so much trauma and confusion in the first few years of his life. You’d never guess this about him today. Through prayer and the loving arms of the Loux family, Sasha has become a very happy, bright, confident and intelligent boy. He is immediately likable and I found myself just wanting to continue conversing with him. He was the first one I photographed that day and his awesome smile was magnetic.

This is Silas.

Look at this kid! Don’t you just want to pick him up and squeeze and hug him for like an hour! What a face, what smile, what a spirit. At one point he actually danced in front of the camera. He had so much joy and excitement and really enjoyed being photographed. It’s hard to believe that he was once a hidden away boy in the Ukraine that was suffering from malnutrition and heart defects. He’s now had two heart surgeries, a lump removed from his stomach, and an extra thumb removed from one had. I love that he’s in a loving home and being cherished.

This is Ethan.

Looks strong doesn’t he. It’s hard to believe that he was once severely malnourished and very sick. He was the size of an infant at 5 years old and couldn’t sit or stand. He would also chew on his hands and fists, grunting and groaning in pain.  When they arrived in the U.S. with Ethan, he was so ill that they had to get him immediate medical attention and had to feed him through an eye dropper for several weeks. Look at him now; strong, healthy, and loved. What an awesome story of hope.

Derek and Renee have also adopted 5 girls from the Marshall Islands. The Orphan Justice Center exists to be an answer to the cry of millions of orphaned children around the world. They link arms with people across the globe to see all children safe, healthy and established in loving homes. I’m honored to link arms and partner with them in their vision for orphans around the world. If the above stories have moved you and you want to make a difference in the life of a child. Why not take a hundred dollars or more from your tax return this year and donate it to the Orphan Justice Center. The donate tab is in the upper right hand corner of their site. Or share my photo blog and recommend my work to others as 10% of every project I do goes towards the Orphan Justice Center. ~ Thank you