2024 Fall Mini Sessions

Athena Leila Photography is offering:

2024 Fall Mini Sessions

Capture the beauty of the season with our Spring or Fall Mini Sessions in South Tampa! Join us for a limited-time opportunity to create stunning, timeless portraits in this vibrant community. Athena will guide you through a relaxed and enjoyable session, ensuring that every moment is captured with precision and care. Whether you're looking to update your family photos, commemorate a special milestone, or simply celebrate the joy of spring, our mini sessions are the perfect way to cherish those priceless memories.

Session Includes:

• 30-minute photo session

• Online gallery for viewing and ordering additional prints, 75+ images to view

• Select your favorite 10 edited/high-resolution images (sent via email/download)

Date(s): October & November Dates TBD

Location(s): South Tampa & West Palm Beach Locations Only

Time(s): Late afternoon /early evening time slots

Price: $275+tax (Regularly priced $325 / $50 off)

*Please Contact Athena for specific dates, times, locations and to book it!

Click the link below:

Don't miss out on this chance to freeze time and embrace the beauty of the season. Book your Fall Mini Session today and let Athena help you create cherished memories that will last a lifetime!

See a sample from one of our 2023 Fall Mini Sessions below. Captured on South Tampa FL’s historic Bayshore Boulevard

One of South Tampa's Preferred Photo Session Locations

I found a perfect location for lifestyle family photo sessions by South Tampa’s Yacht and Country Club on accident! I was originally scheduled to photograph at Ballast Point Park in Tampa but coincidentally there was a boat show going on that day and the entire area was completely packed. As a last minute resort, I opted to switch locations to a more secluded area not far from the original spot.

This amazing location (next to the Tampa Yacht and Country Club) has so much to offer for a fun & outdoorsy lifestyle family photo session with two young boys! This South Tampa park has a large grassy area, beautiful oak trees lined with Spanish moss, and other trees with low lying branches perfect for climbing and swinging! The sun shines beautifully through the trees as well.

*Some of the Fun Things I captured during our lifestyle family session:

• The boys running around on the grass and aroung their parents

• Piggyback rides & spinning around on the grass with Dad

• Lots of hugs & kisses and tender moments together

• The boys climbing, swinging and exploring the trees and branches

• Lots of laughter & moments to be silly together as a family

• The boys playing together and wrestling

Check out some of my favorite photos from this lifestyle family session (scroll down to see more)

Are you interested in booking a lifestyle family session like this? Click the link below to enter our website to learn more and get to know me as a photographer, view my portfolio & schedule a convenient time to capture your family’s session!

Family of Four at a park by the Tampa Yacht and Country Club in South Tampa, FL.

What is Lifestyle Photography?

Lifestyle Photography is a style of portrait photography that aims to capture real emotions and authentic moments with genuine human engagement.

It strives to document more than just perfect smiling photos, rather its goal is to create and encapsulate memories in an artistic manner and most importantly to elicit a “strong feeling” in the viewer.

*Some of the real life moments that are documented include:

• Affection - hugs/cuddles, kisses, holding hands

• Action shots - running, jumping, walking, exploring/discovering, climbing, dancing, playing

• Emotions - happiness/joy, laughter, silliness, pensive

Here Are Some Lifestyle Photography Tips:

1. PLAN AHEAD ~ get to know the clients and their personalities, select an appropriate location (home, yard, park, etc.), communicate goals & ideas.

2. DIRECT THE SHOTS ~ set up the shot by putting everyone into their positions & angles. You can start with a typical posed shot but then gently direct them to interact with each time (i.e. look at each other, tell a secret/joke, tickle each other, hug/embrace, kiss, etc.)

3. INCORPORATE PLAY ~ set up fun action packed activities (ring around the rosy with small kids, running/walking together while holding hands, airplane with small children, swinging the kiddos in the air, dancing, etc.) and capture it in action.

4. BE READY ~ the camera should always be in hand and ready to capture those candid moments. Look for engagement between family members and direct along the way to get those artistically appeals shots.

See an example below: I have captured this family since the oldest boy was in his Mama’s belly! I have captured every single session from maternity, to newborn, to family in their home and yard. I have documented each of these babies growing up throughout the years. I set up their shots and then gently direct them. As you can see there is lots of laughter, love and fun!

Family of six, lifestyle family session, Tampa, FL

Palm Beach Island Lifestyle Family Session

Well, it has been two months since I’ve graced the blog with client work but I am back and ready to share my first lifestyle family photo session of 2021 which was captured on Palm Beach Island’s gorgeous Worth Avenue on January 8th!

Palm Beach Island is known for its amazing architecture so anywhere you go is a perfect photo opportunity. We had a great time venturing all around the area and capturing photos on the grass, by the fountain, under an arch, next to columns, in a flowery garden area, by the famous clock tower & near the ocean.

This family session was originally scheduled as a newborn shoot but due to Covid & for other reasons it was pushed back for after that holiday season! I first captured this family two and a half years ago for their older daughter’s newborn session! I loved capturing them again but with their newest addition this time. The girls were incredibly sweet and well behaved considering we were scheduled for a two hour shoot! The baby was as darling as could be and at five-months-old would look up at me and sometimes smile and then the older two-year-old sister just loved being in front of the camera and smiling for me. I had a wonderful time working with this family!

Check out some of my favorite images from their session below <3

Family Photography at the Beach

Many families opt to capture “the kids” only for their family sessions. It’s always fun to capture siblings together! They usually love exploring locations and having a good time together! The beach is a great option for this type of photo session.

I have captured these adorable siblings for years! They are all two years apart and the best of friends. Every session has been an adventure and this one did not disappoint! We headed to our favorite Jupiter Beach (we’ve done a few sessions here already) and captured photos on the southern side of the park this time. They loved climbing everything, laughing and being silly! They loved running from the waves, climbing on the rocks and when the sky changed colors at the end I was super excited and kept telling them … “just one more photo”! They now know how much I love a gorgeous sunset sky <3

Check out some of my favorite photos below:

Family Session at the Little Yellow House in Jupiter, FL

The past few weeks we’ve been dealing with awful rainy weather and tropical storms which have caused many photo sessions to be postponed. Thankfully that was not the case for this family who traveled all the way from Orlando to do their family photo session here in Jupiter! We were able to complete the entire shoot before the rainy downfall at the end.

I first photographed this fun loving family about four years ago, in 2016. Then we were able to capture another session in 2017. They ended up moving away and trying out a few other photographers along the way but decided to drive down from Orlando (two and a half hours away) for a family session because they were in love with the sessions we did in the past and mentioned that I was the only one who was able to get their littlest guy to really smile <3 (see a few photos from those two sessions below) They have the cutest little boys with such unique looks and I remember their sessions always being a fun adventure!

Anyhow, this year’s session was amazing! We beat the rain which was great because they wouldn’t have been able to reschedule it! We moved fast and captured a bunch of great shots all around the historic yellow house in Jupiter. Everyone was happy and smiling but we also let the boys run around and have fun too. The littlest brother was a total superstar (they all were actually) … smiling for me non stop <3 I loved capturing their laughter and at the end they were dancing in the rain. It was wonderful! I’m truly honored that this family wanted to come back for another session <3

Scroll down to see a couple of photos from the 2016 & 2017 sessions, followed by the sneak peeks from this years 2020 session.

Check out the sneak peeks from their 2020 family session, scroll down <3

Family Photo Shoot with a City Feel in Jupiter

It’s that time of year again for Fall family photo shoots! <3 I am currently offering a Fall special of $25 off all sessions now through December of 2020. I do have a few spaces left.

Many prior and new clients reach out to schedule their family portraits so that they can design their annual Christmas and/or holiday cards and gifts. I just love getting to see new and familiar faces with the goal of capturing their special moments and memories together as a family at various locations around the beautiful town of Jupiter. Children grow up and change quickly so it is wonderful to get to document them in this way. I don’t set up themed shoots or bring Santa, my style errs more on the natural side. I aim for fun lifestyle photography with a touch of portrait photography because let’s be real … most Mama’s love to see their kiddos and families all smiling and happy :-) The goal is to capture their real smiles!

I have had the privilege of capturing this dear family for the past six years! It all started back when little Rayla was born (and big sis Natalia was two) and I photographed her newborn session and we’ve been going once or twice a year since <3 I have grown to absolutely love this family. They are some of the most tender hearted and gracious people I have met. This year, we tried a new location in the downtown Jupiter area, we wanted a little bit of a city look mixed with a park feel and a notable South Florida vibe with the water and docks off of the inlet. The girls were very excited to show me their cameras and we incorporated them into the session as well. We ended with some gorgeous sunset skies. I loved every moment spent with them.

See some of my favorites from the photo session below:

Photographing Children and Horses

“The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit and freedom,” ~ Sharon Ralls Lemon.

Horses are beautiful and majestic animals; therefore, it’s no surprise that most children love them. Capturing horses in family sessions with children is a magical experience so when this family reached out about scheduling a session at the local Country Club, I was all about it.

I have been photographing this family since their girlies were newborns and have photographed several of their family sessions throughout the years. Since the girls are taking horseback riding lessons, the family decided to do their annual portraits at the horse stable. When we first started the session it was sunny but then the clouds quickly rolled in and it began to rain. Thankfully we had a covered area and continued our shoot underneath the pavilion. The girls were mostly mesmerized by the beautiful white horse but they also loved hugging her, watching her eat and walking her all around the area.

Check out the sneak peeks below :-)

Going with the Flow: Family Photography

In a perfect world, all of the babies and children we photograph would be cooperative and content; however, we know that is not always the case with little humans! They can be unpredictable and so we have to learn how to go with the flow!

Little ones might be shy, tired, hungry and a whole array of other emotions so it is up to us to work with what we get and strive to create something beautiful despite the challenges. So in other words, we have to go with the flow. Being a Mama of six, I get it! I truly do. I’ve photographed my own babies since birth and know all about their varying emotions. When I enter any photo shoot, I always have my Mama hat on, ready to problem solve and figure out how to handle difficult situations and scenarios and still capture a family authentically.

In this particular session, precious seven-month-old, Eliza, was all smiles at the beginning of our session but about five minutes in she started to get fussy. Little Mama was tired because she missed her nap. We captured as much as we could but she wasn’t having it. Rather than rescheduling, I decided to go with the flow and have patience. My initial thought was to just let her go to sleep. We headed over to the bench, sat down and baby girl peacefully laid in her mother’s arms, rubbing her sleepy eyes and started to dose off. This wasn’t planned at all but I decided to capture these moments and we did a got portion of our shoot with her sleeping in her parents arms. Once she was in a deep sleep, I positioned her like I would a newborn and we photographed all around the area with her asleep. It felt like a newborn session and even though she’s a bit older, she’s still a darling baby so it really just worked out. I was very happy with the results. After a little cat nap, she woke up and was happy again. We finished up the session with her smiling again.

Check out the sneak peeks below ~

Adventurous Family Photography On Your Boat

Tampa Bay is a very popular place to own a boat! There are inlets with ocean access pretty much everywhere. So when this family had the idea to take their boat out on an adventure to a beautiful beach location for their newborn session, I was all in and ready for the adventure!

Why you should take your boat out for an adventurous family photo session?

• To create a joyful family experience (the kids love to go out on the boat so why not have them get all dressed up, jump on & head to one of your favorite spots?!)

• To capture the memories (you take your boat out on the weekends and for special occasions so why not capture it professionally?!)

• To choose a unique location (let’s face it, some of the more exotic spots aren’t exactly accessible by car so why not head over to that beautiful inlet, island, sandbar or lighthouse for that dreamy photo session vibe?!)

• To cherish the adventure (there’s always an exhilarating element about exploring a new place by boat so why not imagine photographing your family all around that cool boat only area?!)

I was supposed to capture this family’s maternity session at the beautiful Lighthouse Point location; however, the date we had scheduled back in March got postposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic’s statewide shutdown to non-essential businesses. They ended up having the baby and waiting a good three months to finally schedule his newborn session. It was honestly a perfect family photo shoot. The baby was super adorable, chunky, sat up in a basket, smiled for me, cooed, laughed at his family & even slept; meanwhile, big sister was just the cutest and loved running from spot to spot to capture more images. We really worked the entire area, from the lighthouse, to the rocks, to the sand and ocean, to the sea grape bushes. We even included grandma in on the fun!

Check out some of my favorites below:

Sunrise Family Photography Session

It is that time of year again for lifestyle family photography sessions!

In addition to our regular newborn and maternity sessions, we are also scheduling mini & regular lifestyle family sessions in Tampa!

The beach is a very popular location for family photo shoot! I have a few local beaches that I love! Here we are at my absolute favorite spot. I just love the rocks and all of the kids usually love to climb them and explore the area.

I absolutely enjoyed capturing this family one morning a few weeks back. We all arrived at an extremely early time of 6:45a to capture the sunrise. It was a bit cloudy that particular morning; however, the sun did end up coming out <3 The kids were all super cooperative and happy. The littlest sister loved every moment and stole the show.

Check out some of my favorites from their session below.

How To Select Great Locations for Your Family Photo Sessions

How do you select location venues for your photo sessions?

Many clients and friends want to know how I go about deciding on locations for my lifestyle family portrait sessions. Well, aside from selecting between capturing a family in their home or yard, park, beach, countryside, forest area or city scene, there are certain factors that I take into consideration when deciding what I think will be best for the family shoot:

• The light is an important factor when determining a location. Being a natural light photographer, I’m constantly searching for the light. Prior to selecting a venue, I ask myself questions like: What direction does the sun face and set in relation to the designated spot? Is there shade? Will we be in the direct sun? Will we be struggling with harsh shadows? Is flattering sun flare a possibility? Using light to enhance the images is the goal. When photographing indoors, I look for light by windows or in rooms that are well lit and am sure to turn off any overhead lights because mixing natural light with artificial light produces an unnatural light.

• The time of day is crucial when deciding on a start time for your shoot. The best time to capture an outdoor session is the early morning at or just after sunrise OR one hour before the sun sets, when the light is soft and golden, hence the term, “the golden hour.” You could be at the most exotic location but if you decide to shoot at noon without any shade or light reflectors, then you would be disappointed by the effects of squinty eyed subjects, with raccoon eye shadows and speckles of shadows on them and in the background.

• The scenery surrounding the area is what give the session it’s own unique flair. At the right time of day, when the light is golden and less intense, the scenery becomes dreamy. I look for locations that feature pretty trees, short green grass or tall grasses for a country feel, flowers, rocks, a bridge, walkways, dirt roads, paths, columns, unique architecture, lakes, rivers, oceans, winding staircases, hills, or anything scenic and places that are secluded (or at least semi secluded) from people and/or large crowds unless of course you’re going for that busy city scene.

This family wanted a local park that would be great for the kids.

Using the criteria above, I selected a park in Jupiter because of its unique bridge over the lake and because I love the way the sun shines through the trees as the sun is setting. Since the sun sets in the west, I was able to position the family facing me in the east and create lovely backlit images with sun flair on the bridge. We were also able to capture more images on the grass and in the path. The light was soft and golden and flattering since we started one hour before sunset. Check out a preview from the session below.

Review: Nikon Z6 Mirrorless Camera

My first professional family photo session with the brand new Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera exceeded my expectations!

I’ve been researching mirrorless cameras for quite some time since I know of several colleagues who completely transitioned over from Canon & Nikon DSLRs to off brand mirrorless systems. I just couldn’t bring myself to switch over to a different brand so when Nikon announced it was releasing it’s very first mirrorless full-frame camera I had to try it.

The Nikon Z6 has been a perfect fit for my outdoor family photography and indoor newborn photography as well! It was an easy transition to go from the Nikon d750 to the Z6 because the cameras have a similar look and feel. I really love the touch screen options on the new Z6 and the video feature is phenomenal! As for the camera, The focus is spot on, the images are consistently sharp, even when the subjects are in motion. The color is vibrant right out of the camera. The background blur (aka bokeh) is creamy and smooth. In low light situations (especially indoors), the quality is still great there is no need for a speed light or external flash.

-The Z6 is currently rated as the #1 mirrorless of 2019 by Techradar.com, check out the article here.

-I did have to purchase a few extra accessories for optimal performance:

• The mount adapter FTZ to be able to use all of my existing Nikon and Sigma lenses. I did not have to purchase new lenses which was nice and they all work wonderfully with the mount.

• The XQD memory card to be able to store the images. It allows me to capture photos much faster than ever before.

I had the privilege of capturing this beautiful family’s session with my new camera. They were eager to capture their family for the first time since their baby girl was born over a year ago. They never got a chance to capture her professionally with the family because of some complications after delivery and throughout the year so it meant a lot to them to capture her essence and beautiful smile. I felt honored to be able to capture these moments for them. Using the Nikon Z6, I was able to capture their love. I was overwhelmed when I saw the results on my computer screen.

See some of my favorite images from this session below.

Elegant and Adventurous Family Photography

I had the privilege of capturing this beautiful family’s annual photo session and would love to share what an elegant and adventurous family photography looks like.

We have managed to capture amazing and adventurous sessions at some of South Florida’s most beautiful locations for the past seven years. Every single year brought on a new look, a new location and another marveolus experience.

How To a Achieve a Successful & Adventurous Session:

• Be spontaneous, adventurous and willing to travel

• Contact your photographer many months in advance so you can schedule the session & have ample time to formulate a plan (location, wardrobe, ideas, etc.)

• Schedule a premier or petite family session because time is needed to cover ground

• Communicate your ideas and vision in advance

• Arrive at your session ready for an adventure but at the same time ready to capture natural & precious moments … you have to be yourself!

• Be willing to take direction and trust the process, when you relax and give up control on what you think your kids should be doing at a photo session … only then can you relax and enjoy yourself and let the photographer do her job :-)

For the session below, I captured this family at a completely new to me location! We explored our surroundings on the nature walk and randomly stopped to capture photos, look at plants, examine berries, and the entire family even climbed a tree (in heels) to capture the adventure. Check it out below :-)

Why I Love Family Photography

Family photography holds a special place in my heart for numerous reasons. As a photographer, I am granted the privilege of capturing intimate moments and genuine emotions shared between family members. The images I create serve as timeless mementos that families can cherish for years to come.

There is something truly magical about witnessing the laughter, love, and bonds that families share during a photoshoot. Each session is a unique opportunity to freeze fleeting moments in time, creating a visual legacy that can be passed down through generations.

Through my lens, I have the privilege of documenting the growth of families, from maternity shoots to newborn sessions and beyond. Watching families evolve and grow together is a profoundly rewarding experience that never fails to inspire me.

Family photography allows me to celebrate the beauty of everyday moments - from a child's gleeful giggle to a parent's tender embrace. It is a constant reminder of the joy and connection that families bring into each other's lives.

In essence, I love family photography because it allows me to be a storyteller, capturing the essence of family dynamics and the beauty of love in its purest form. The ability to document these precious moments and create lasting memories is a privilege that I treasure deeply.

So capturing images is more than just a “job” that I do. It is something I am passionate about … capturing the beauty and magic of childhood and family life, freezing the moments of laughter and pure joy so that when you look back at these times, you can smile and truly feel the memories as if they were only yesterday. These babies turn into toddlers who turn into kids and then teens … in the blink of an eye Mamas! I know how fast it goes by because my once little boy who used to snuggle in my lap is now 16-years-old and thinking about college and a career! When I think about what I do, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude as though my heart will come out of my chest because the fact is that I love what I do and it is such a gift to be able to do what you love and share it with people who will treasure it for years to come.

In this particular case, I have captured this sweet family for the past five years! I’ve captured their maternity, newborn, girls and family sessions multiple times. There is something so sweet about getting to photograph families and children as they grow older.