Well maybe not the lions and tigers… but definitely a lizard!  With mom being a science professor at GSU, I felt sure that these two would enjoy their outdoor session.  However, I would’ve lost the bet on which one would be the lizard trainer!  Her mom says that she LOVES them.  Luckily, I do too…can’t say that I am half as good at catching them as Iris is though.  By the way…the lizard was just a surprise bonus to the session–not a prop they brought.  However, we do welcome scales, fur and fins to any of your sessions…just give us a heads-up and we are happy to accommodate ALL members of your family into your portraits.

These girls are so beautiful and wonderful to photograph.  I traveled recently to their home in Anderson, South Carolina to spend a day with them.    The results are incredible.  This is a annual tradition for this family that I look forward to each year.  Enjoy a few of my favorites.

You hear me say over and over that very few portraits are more important than your five year portrait.  This is truly the heirloom portrait.  The last portrait of your son or daughter before they loose those little girl or little boy characteristics.  Once they loose their teeth, it is amazing how fast they change.  The portrait I am featuring today - many of you have seen in my front window the last week or so.  This portrait was shot on location at his home.  I think it is beautiful!  I can imagine him showing this portrait to his grandchildren one day and sharing all the wonderful stories about his childhood and the “home place” where he grew up.  I have had the pleasure of photographing this handsome young man since he was still in his mom’s belly.  Fortunately, they have lots of great places for many more portraits as their family continues to grow!  Of course, while we were at his home - I simply could not pas up this opportunity to add his twin siblings in for a fun/artsy image.

 I photographed mom and dad’s wedding a few years ago.  I have photographed these handsome young men since they were born.  Both of them graduated from my baby’s first year program.  It is so much fun to watch them grow!  They live in Hilton Head and have made many trips to Statesboro.  It is always special when clients are willing to drive two hours to allow me the opportunity to photograph their family and children.  Especially when they live in a photographic rich area like Hilton Head.  This time we made the trip to their home and photographed them in their environment.  The image here with the fishing rod is the one mom chose for her centerpiece portrait.  The others were smaller portrait groupings.  I can certainly think of no better way to decorate a beautiful home than with Lori Grice portraits of your family and children!

As you can tell, we had a fun day in the Gardens with this super cute little boy.   Our “A Day in your life” sessions have been taking clients new and old by storm.  It is so much fun to spend a few hours artistically documenting what your children or family do best…LIVE!  We have been to locations as close as your back yard to as far away as your favorite watering hole.  These collections begin at $850 and include an artistic album design and a beautiful leather bound album.  Below is a great example of the entire album.  These are PERFECT for those of you that have NO more wall space because of all your Lori Grice portraits covering every square inch of your walls.  We have a few collection sessions available this summer.  Session fees begin at $175 and vary based on location and concept.  Travel is optional, but we will entertain any location that is special to you and your family. This would make a GREAT birthday gift for EVERY hard to buy for MOM, DAD or Grands.  Can you say Fathers Day?  PERFECT!   

  Most of our clients commission me to create oil portraits as the heirloom portrait of their children.  Many of you have fallen in love with the look and feel of my watercolors and have chosen them as the medium of choice for your heirloom.  Heirloom portraits are created between three and five - before your children lose their teeth.  Once they lose there teeth it is amazing how fast they begin to grow up - losing forever the beautiful features of childhood.  Documenting important physical characteristics like their fingers, toes, jaw structure and facial features with as much detail as possible - so this important moment in time will be frozen forever.  The watercolor featured in today’s blog is the second one we have created for this family.  They chose to commission me at age three for their daughters.  The first one you see here we completed a few weeks ago.  Both of the girls were photographed at a very sentimental home that has been in their family for generations.  The gardens on this property are incredible and peak each spring.  After I knew I had “the portrait”  - we had fun shooting casual portraits of both girls.  This venue allowed for many wonderful opportunities.  We are creating albums of the day for the grandmothers and the parents.  What an incredible keepsake these girls will have to remember a special day with their parents and grand’s.  Mom and Dad really understand and appreciate the investment in fine portraits.  As their families portrait artist we have documented and created some unbelievable portraits and the oldest is just turning six this week. 

Mom and dad are already brainstorming about their next session which will take place in the girls AMAZING playhouse.  It is truly one of the most incredible - two story play houses I have ever seen.  I can’t wait!  Not to give to much away about this special family - but dad worked at Harrods’ in London after college as one of the buyers for the royal family.  I am in hopes that he will soon email us some pictures and stories from that experience.  I am also including big sisters watercolor that we created two years ago. We narrowed down to quite a few images for their album from the day.  It was VERY hard to select a few for you to see here - these are some I thought would give you a feel of how incredible this day was.

This place is simply a little slice of heaven!  Grand dad worked most of his life building this amazing escape before he went to heaven a short while ago.  I have been honored to photograph this family for generations.  In fact, grandmother has commissioned me to create portraits of each grandchild at four.  This was the last one (we think) and it was special because it will be the last.  Fortunately, big brother was there also - so we had the opportunity to play a little after we finished the formal portrait.  Many of our clients prefer the classic look of formal portraits - but they want to do some more casual fun images that capture personalities as well.  This is exactly what I did with this family. 

Panel frames, collages, albums and grandmother brag books are just a few of the great ways to show off your Lori Grice portraits.  Often, I hear we do not have enough wall space to purchase portraits of all of our favorite images.  Panel frames and collage groupings provide an excellent way to display your favorites.  Many of our clients have created walls of groupings.  You can see examples of some of these on our web site in the as seen in gallery. 

The grandmother brag albums are available in 5×5 up to 11×14 sizes.  They make great mother’s day gifts and are a beautiful addition to any portrait collection.

  Ok all you Georgia fans please forgive me.  I am in Clemson, South Carolina photographing some wonderful clients here.  This is an annual pilgrimage.   So how did someone in Clemson find a Georgia girl to photograph their family?  The primary family I am photographing have been  clients of mine for a long time.  In fact, I have photographed each of their thee adorable children since birth.  Dad is a popular surgeon who was recruited from our area to Fitzgerald, Georgia.  Mom was unable to find a photographer that she liked as much as me - so away to Fitzgerald I went.  Thanks to them, I now have a great base of clients there.  Several years later, Dad had another wonderful opportunity in Clemson.  Again, after looking all over the area mom decided to stick with me.  This is the second year I have photographed them in South Carolina.  Thanks to them - I am now developing a great base of clients in that area.  Last year I joined them again, later in the year, on their family vacation in Hilton Head.  Their entire family was there - so this was a unique and rare opportunity to create a family portrait of dad’s entire family.

There is no better compliment to me than for you to appreciate and value my work so much that you want to share me with your friends.  The next great compliment is when clients can not find a photographer that they connect with and enjoy working with as much as me - after trying other photographers for what ever the reason.  This becomes even more touching - with all the “new” photography options available all over the country. 

Everyone remembers cooking with Grandma in her kitchen.  There is no relationship more special than grandparents and grandchildren.  My parents tell me if they knew being a grandparent was so wonderful they would have skipped forward directly to being a grandparent.  There are so many wonderful memories of visiting my grandparents.  I wish I had many of these times documented.  One of the favorite things this grandmother does with her granddaughter is cook in her kitchen.  She commissioned me to come out and spend the afternoon in her kitchen photographing them - doing what they do best.  Here is a couple of images from the afternoon.  When the album is designed I will share it with you here.

With mothers day coming up wouldn’t this be a great gift for your mom?  Maybe you should drop your dad a hint about getting a gift certificate from me to do this for them!