Bellies are one of my most popular subjects right now. ??I just love photographing the excitement and anticipation of soon-to-be parents. ??Rhett and Julie were simply adorable and Julie is so beautifully pregnant. She definitely has that "pregnancy glow" you always hear about. ??Here are some photos from the shoot.

I LOVE this family!?? This is my second photo shoot with them.?? They are so photogenic and hardly need any directing.?? Michelle is pregnant with baby #2 (here is a shot from her pregnancy with Herrison).?? We had so much fun and Michelle let me try some new things, which I was totally excited about.?? I've shot lots of bellies lately, so it was fun to do something different.?? Here are a few shots from the shoot.

This season brings many people a lot of joy, but for some it only brings struggle and uncertainty. I have chosen to be a part of a movement in Charlotte, a movement to clothe the 5,000 homeless men, women, and children in our city and to photograph that effort. Take a look at this video.. Joe really says it all.

http://vimeo.com/2299622

Clothe Charlotte '08 from Kinetic Church on Vimeo.

Will you join us in providing warmth? Providing some stability to the uncertainty? We are collecting winter clothing kits for the homeless of Charlotte and will hand them out on December 20th. Each kit needs to contain a warm coat, hat, and gloves. Mark the size and man/woman/youth on the outside of the bag. ??Either send kits to ClotheCharlotte, 545-C Pitts School Road, Concord, NC 28027 or bring them to the benefit concert on December 13th, 4pm at Freedom Park in Charlotte. ??Find out more here.

I had the best time photographing my stylist, Kimberly Thomas, and her family. I don't think that Allyson and I have ever laughed quite so hard while interacting with our subjects. We had the best time! Some of my favorite shots of the day were of Kimberly's neices, ages 13 and 11. Wow, did I learn a lot about sisters! I grew up with a brother, but luckily Allyson has a sister and knew exactly what to do. Here are some photos from the shoot.

And once again, Allyson totally rocked it out!

Photos by Allyson Hodges

I LOVE photographing bellies, especially when there's a special little life growing inside them. This is my friend Melanie. I had the best time photographing her and her belly (and daddy too ;) ). ??She was such a good sport for being 30 weeks pregnant! She allowed me to paint the baby's name on her belly (the last photo) and little Mack kept kicking my paint brush away! It made me remember how much I loved feeling my little man kick me from the inside.

These are some of my favorite people!?? I had the great opportunity to photograph the Perkins family recently: Stephanie, Daniel, and Evelyn.?? We spent a fun-filled afternoon at a local park.?? Evelyn is so sweet and cute; she's one of the few who is pre-approved for my son to pal around with.?? :)

My assistant Allyson totally rocked it out with this shot!??

Photo by Allyson Hodges

I had a great time photographing the Mauney family!?? I've known Steven and Betsy for several years.?? Isaac is approaching his first birthday; it's been fun watching him grow this past year on Betsy's blog.?? As for this photo, maybe I'm partial to the Father/Son shot since I love to photograph my own husband and our son, but this is one of my favorites from the shoot.?? Here is first-time dad, Steven, and little Isaac.?? How sweet are their coordinating button-ups!?? For more, check out my Flickr.

This is Liam. He is one of the happiest little boys I have ever photographed. At the time of the shoot, he was about 4 months old. Liam can hold his head up pretty well and just loved being on his tummy, which is great for photographing this age.?? For more, check out my Flickr.

My wonderful assistant, Allyson, captured a few images of me in action from our informal portrait session with Salina. I really hate having my picture taken, which is why I'm always the one behind the camera, but these are really neat..?? I never get to see myself working. Thanks Allyson!?? By the way, no laughing at my hat!

See the results of this shoot here.

I have been so excited about these portraits since I took them over a week ago!?? This is Salina, a friend of mine who has an amazing story!?? She graciously allowed me to photograph her and I am so glad that I did.?? I had an extremely hard time picking out my favorites though.?? While editing, my husband asked what I did to make her skin glow.. the answer is absolutely nothing.?? Seriously, her skin is just that radiant.?? All I did was apply the "Lori Touch".?? The shots were flawless directly from the camera! For more, check out my Flickr.