Hi, I'm Lori with Appear Photography in Birmingham, Alabama. I've been a photographer for over 15 years. My love for photography began as a hobby when I was in high school. After earning a degree in fine art photography I started out photographing anything and everything I could get my hands on. Over the years I've had the opportunity to hone in on what I'm most passionate about photographing, which is newborns and children. I'm often asked, "Do you like to photograph newborns because it's easy?" I know that it may look easy, but newborn photography can be extremely challenging. I remember in 2014 when I really began diving into newborn photography, I became so completely overwhelmed with each shoot I did that I came to a major crossroads in my career. I knew I either had to push myself forward, figure out what I was doing as I went along and invest in all the equipment and props I needed to do it properly or I had to go the other way and specialize in something else that might be "easier." Well, my passion for newborn photography won out and with each photo session I did, I learned something new. Still to this day, I'm learning and growing as a photographer. Below, I'm featuring highlights from one of my favorite recent sessions. To see more of my work, click here.

Guest post by June Bug Photography, Mill Creek Newborn and family photographer.

My name is Melissa Jenkins, and I have found my calling. I know that sounds dramatic (I get accused of being dramatic often. Maybe I should just embrace it?)

Hey friends! My name is Lauren Watne (top) and I am the cofounder of Awaken Photography, along with my twin sister Sarah (bottom). We have been having a blast with photography for four years and have absolutely loved the journey it has taken us on.

Our love of photography came at a very young age when our parents bought us our first digital camera. We took so many photos of each other that people thought we didn’t have any other friends. We had so much FUN doing what we loved. Eventually this transitioned into senior portraits, then engagement, anniversary, and baby announcement shoots. We shot our first wedding this summer, which was a marking moment of dreams becoming reality for us.

Capturing moments with photography is one of my deepest passions, and this opens the door to meeting really cool people. Laughing over silly faces and diving into the realness of life with our subjects draws us into connection. Without connection, the camera can never capture the heart of its subject. Photos should do more than just turn out well; photos should tell a story and reveal a person’s heart.

These pictures are from one of my favorite shoots yet. I was up in the mountains in western Colorado staying at a cabin with some of my most intimate friends. These people constantly fill me with life and surround me with love and have reshaped the way I think about authentic community. I let my camera tag along with me wherever we went and let it capture many moments that are now engraved into who I am.

Through a beautiful process, I can finally touch the dreams I once thought were distant and impossible. I have learned that unanswered potential was screaming to me that my dreams are trustworthy life was never intended to fit in a mold. I learned to embrace risk for the reward of trust it has always been worth, to plunge into the mysterious depths we were all created for, and adventure past what others have always considered “the right plan.”

Creativity is alive and it calls out to the depths of who you are. Answer it.

To find us on instagram, follow @lifewithlaurrr and @sarah_watne. Like us on Facebook. We would love to hear from you!