I truly cannot believe how quickly this year has gone by. It’s been a wonderful year for our family. And a great {almost} first year for my business. I’ve been truly blessed to have met with each and every single family that I’ve photographed this year. Thank you for allowing me into your lives and letting me capture your memories. It’s really been an honor.
Because I’m going to be able to say twenty-ten when referring to the new year. Because my husband and I are going to be kid-free and enjoying some grown-up time tonight. Because I have loved each of my clients and sessions this year.
Simply: Because. I. Can. 
I want to bring in the new year with a little somethin’ somethin’ for the people that have helped make my year great! So, I’ve chosen my personal favs – well some of my personal favs – from the photos I’ve taken this year. Wow. What a task that was! However, I’ve narrowed it down to my top 15 17 favorite portraits. I couldn’t stick to just 15. I tried. I failed.
Just for fun, I’d like to have a voting contest! The client of winning portrait will receive a complimentary session to use in 2010 (or as I like to say, twenty-ten) and a complimentary 11×14 of the winning image.
To vote, simply add the number of the portrait you like best in the comments below. The image with the highest votes will win! You may, of course, vote for yourself. Send the link to this post to all your friends and family! The more votes your image receives, the better your chances of winning!
To make this even more interesting… after all the comments are in, I’ll do a random number draw on random.org and that comment will also win a complimentary session to use in twenty-ten! Woot-woot!
Voting ends at 11:59pm on January 8, 2010. Only one vote per person please. Also, there will be only two votes allowed per IP address. Leave a valid email address in the comment form (so I can contact you if your comment is drawn for the random drawing).
So, without further ado… here are {some} of my favorite portraits from 2009 (in no particular order):
#1 – A Mommy and her Baby 
#2 - Gorgeous Eyes 
#3 – A mom and her two handsome sons 
#4 - Miss D 
#5 - Love those piggytails 
#6 - A few sweet moments with a bride & groom 
#7 – Miss M 
#8 – Waiting on Daddy 
#9 – Mr. A 
#10 - Miss H 
#11 - A bride a few moments before her wedding 
#12 – The P children 
#13 - Sibling love 
#14 – K & J 
#15 - The C children 
#16 - Just walking with Mommy & Daddy 
#17 – Whoo-hoo! I’m a senior! 
Can I vote for them all??? Aside from voting for myself of course (#1), #8 literally brought tears to my eyes. Nice job, Marinda! I’ll pass this on:) Happy New Year!
#15 of course!
I’m voting for #15!
LOVE #4!
numero uno!!!!!
#15!
I know i love all your shots! and would love to win.. because i am having a baby in march and would love for you to take pictures of him! but im going to pick # 6 !
15
I am voting #6 of course. Sorry I am partial and I hope everyone understands why. All of the photographs are awesome!!! Very good work!!!
#15, Love the Black and White photo…
NUMBER 4!!! It is stunning!
I am voting for #5 of course….my cutie looked so sweet in the photos that you took of us!!! You did a wonderful job!!
So hard to choose, but I love the expressions in #15!
love all the pictures but im going to have to go with #6 you done areally good job on there pictures
man! that was hard! you had a great year!!
I think my personal fav goes to #8 – waiting on daddy!
#10
They are all really good photographs!!! I vote for #15.
#6 Best Wedding Picture
Good job you 2 Wish you all all the best.
All the pictures are great…but I vote for # 15.
Voting for #6. Also loved #8 and #10. Great work!
#5
#16 is my vote
My Vote is for #15 The C children.
Oh my… #16… what a LOVELY family…
I couldn’t choose just one… I love them all!
However, #’s 1, 8, 12, 14 & 15 are my favorites!
I vote #15! They are all great! Beautiful kiddos!!! I’ll have to have you do mine!!
gotta go with #15 – those kids are all a piece of work in their own way!
Marinda, you are very talented, great job on all of them.
This comment is for Karrie Green. She tried to leave it but it wouldn’t work for her.
“I say 10 I love it sorry tried to put this on there it would not work so 10 and of coarse 14 and 16 “
#8 of course they are all great!
Number 1. She’s my sister
# 9
#5 is my vote
i vote number 8
All of these are great! But I love #6. Wish we had wedding photos like this!!
number one grandson and mom
Vote #6
#5!!!! Love it!
8. It is my nephew and I know our whole family is waiting for his daddy to come home.
Wow, they are all nice photos, great work, # 15 gets my vote
#1 – A Mommy and her Baby
What a wonderful picture
My little Delaney gets my vote….#5!!
#1!!!!
#8 stole my heart.
All the photos were beautiful but my vote is for # 15
#1 is number one for me!! Beautiful baby, beautiful mommy! (she must take after her aunt)
#15 is so adorable but all the pictures are great!
#15!! Great Picture!
#5
#5 What a cutie!!!!!
#5 is my favorite!! (:
#5 is my favorite! Very cute little lady!!
# 5 is the best
#15! Very sweet!
#10 is my fave! So precious, “Baby in Red”.
i vote for #1
I vote for #10. Lady (Baby) in Red! Beautiful baby and wonderful photography!
#6
#6
#6
Number one is my fav blue eyed boy, and four is my fav blue eyed girl. But number eight is an awesome photo, and I pray that daddy gets home safe. My vote is going to have to be for number 1.
#8 miss you dad
I think I am kinda biased, but #4 is my absolute favorite picture!!!! The rest are really awesome too!!! Great work Marinda!
#5
I love her expression, and the color, and her:)
#5
Go Delaney!
#5
6 is the one
This comment is for Beth Sharer. She tried to leave a comment but it wouldn’t work for her.
“#1 because you captured motherly love in a photo! If there was a second and third place it would be #8 due to the emotion it creates or #10 because it looks like a view into the womb. Good job!”
#15 Great picture
#15 great picture of my cousins
#15 was awesome
Really Really Really liked the picture of the little guy dressed in BDU’s!!!!!!!
I vote for #5. She looks a bit confused or stunned —but the sheer innocence took my breath away–just a doll of a face. You are an amazing photographer
#4! Simply gorgeous!
Hard to choose – my faves are #8 & #16, but I’ll make my vote #16 because I just love these shots!
I like #5 its cute!!
#1!!! Both subjects are beautiful!
#10
There is no doubt that Little Miss H should capture the hearts and the votes of everyone.
#4, without a doubt!!!!
Mr. A #9
Very Abercrombie
Number 4
#9 – Mr. A is a stud!
#5
#9 is my favorite. He looks so handsome, color is absolutely beautiful. 13 and and 10 are adorable too but not as cute as 9.
9 is my favorite. They are all really cute.
I’m voting for #5
I’m voting for #5 go Buggy
So many good ones…number 8 is such a unique picture…hard to vote, but my vote is with #5. Good work!
hmmmmm………so many good ones…….#5 it is
#5
#5
#1 ~ Cousin Stacey & Great-Cousin Mason
Brittany and Nater’s vote is #1
#5 Love those piggytails! So cute!
#5 Piggytails!!!! My favorite!!!
#5
#9
Ashton #9
#9 Ashton !! Woot woot
My son #9
Great pics Marinda…Thanks
#10 is my favorite although all of them are beautiful.
My vote is for #9….. so handsome
# 10 # 10 # 10 …. dose it count if i say it more than once?? lol Just Kidding!!
#10. They are all awesome tho!!
#15! Great pic of those 3 fab kiddos!
No. 4
No. 4
# 9 like the pose and outside background
I really like #10! Nice job.
I vote for #10 – Little Miss H in red.
#10
#10
#10!!!!
#10!!!!!
#10!!!
#10
#8…..how wonderfully beautfiul….a little boy waiting for his hero…his daddy
#5 she is so cute
they are all wonderful… # 8.. is very touching, so many of us are waiting on someone to come home.
#5 is my vote….little Delaney!!
#5
#15!!
#10
# 15!!!
#5…hands down
Definitely #15!
#10 is most certainly the best. A real ten!!
#9 He’s a cutie!
#8 brought tears to my eyes…if i could vote 2x it would be for number 7
I lvoe them all, but # 4 is my favorite!
# 10!!!!!!! whoo hoo! #10 #10!
# 10…
#10
#10
me and my husband share an email..but would like for our votes to count seperate good luck cassie
# 1!!!
I vote for #8. That’s just so precious!
My vote is for #5. What a little cutie!!
I vote for #9. Great photo!!!
What a precious baby picture. I loved 10.
#9
#9
I vote for #15. They are so adorable!
I vote for #1. A beautiful image of a Mothers love for her child.
#9
#5
#5
My vote is for # 9, Love his hair !!!!
#5
My vote goes to #6
#15 – hands down!
My vote goes to #15!
#15 – my sweet cousins!!
#15!
Hello Marinda! I am one of the coordinators of the kids resale and LOVE your work! You are an outstanding photographer. I do not know anyone in any of the photos, but would like to vote for #13. The “love” you captured between the siblings is outstanding! Hope to have you back as a vendor at our Spring sale on March 6.
#6
#5 Cutie, Patootie!
my vote is for #6
Number #5!
#15
# 10
#4
I will have to vote for #5 she is to cute
My vote goes to #5!!
Have to vote for # 15, my beautiful grandkids!
#10 Nothing as beautiful as a newborn baby’s innocence!
#15
They are so cute.
#15
#15
No question—#15—What cuties!
#9
#15…beautiful children!
Little Delaney #5!
My cousin Delaney #5
#5 Cutie Delaney!
#15…How sweet! Love the innocence!
#5 !!
#15…How fast they grow!
Love #15
#15
Number #5 is has my vote….
adorable!
#15 – they are so cute! Such angels!
Pensive and cute, love those pigtales on #5, Delaney!
#15 is the BEST!!!!
# 15 has my vote! Precious children!! The background is beautiful too.
I vote #15
Beautiful pictures…. I vote for #15!
#15
I vote for #15!!! The children are all so beautiful!!
I vote for #15
Voting for #15
#15 is my favorite!
#15, the black and white is stunning~The kiddos adorable!
#15!!
my vote goes to #15!
I am casting a vote for #15. Absolutely adorable!
#15!!! Can they BE any cuter?! Simply ADORABLE!
#6 lovely pict.
#6 young love
#6
#6, its sooooo beautiful.
My vote goes for my beautiful granddaughter, Delaney #5
Im voting on #5 but i also liked waiting on daddy,siblinglove #10 and#13
Number 5
I’m am voting for #5
My vote goes to #5, my little cousin Delaney!
5 she is a cutie:)
# 5 gets my vote!
#15 They are so sweet!
Voting for my little sweeties, #15 !
#15
#5 i vote for number 5 my granddaughter Delaney she is such a speacial girl .
#5 gets my vote
Look at those eyes!! #5 all the way
They are adorable! #15
My vote goes to my cuz, Delaney – #5.
My vote goes to Delaney, #5.
But where is the love for #11? Probably my favorite were I not biased.
#5
my vote #5
# 5 for sure
# 5 – I love the natural expression captured in the photo… Delaney is absolutely precious!!! Great job
#5 Little Miss Personality Delaney!
#5 FOR SURE SHE IS THE BEST ONE WITHOUT A DOUBT!!!!!
Beautiful photography, all of them. I’ll vote for #10.
I vote for #5
Num,ber 5 is sooo adorable
They are ALL amazing. Seriously beautiful — but I LOVE those eyes in #4!
#15
Def #1!!! Great photos!
#15
#15
#15
#15
#15
My vote is for #15. It always makes my day to see pictures of the “C” kids. They are so photgenic. The photographer shows a great eye for detail.
#15
#15
#15
#15
#15
My vote is for #15. Thank you.
#15
my vote is for #15
#15! favorite kiddos!
#15
#15! the cozart kids!
#15
#15
There are some great photos presented here…well done Marinda.
I am putting in a vote for #4 Miss D. Gosh look at those eyes!
#15..go Cozarts!!
#15
#15
#15
#15!!!
#15 Love those kids
#5
Litlle Miss Delaney #5
#15 all the way!
My vote is for #15
#5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5 #5!!!!!!!!
#15
#15
#8
God bless our soldiers!
you can see it in the eyes ..and those piggy tails are too cute
i vote # 5 its in the eyes and piggy tails are to cute …
#5
#5
My vote is #5
I vote for #5
Wants to vote for her sissy…Delaney #5….even though she is mean to her sometimes!!
#5, my cousin
My vote goes to my cousin #5
My vote is for the cutie w/the pigtails!!! #5 it is!!!
forgot to vote after my coment
# 15
#5 has my vote
#15 cute kids
Def #15 too cute
#15 FO SHO haha
Definitely #15
Put me down for #5
#5
Voting #5
Vote #5
Number 4 is THE Best! Look at her eyes! SOOO Blue and Beautiful! She is a Piece of Art!
5 is the one. They all are GREAT but 5 is the one!!!!
I VOTE FOR NUMBER 4 THOSE EYES ARE AMAZING HOW YOU CAPTURED THEM. WITH SOMEONE SO YOUNG AND TO GET A PICTURE THAT GOOD SHOWS HOW TALENTED YOU ARE
They are so beautiful! #15
#15 The lighting and shadows are perfect.
number 15 they are wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!
cozart kids! #15 such adorable kids
#15
15
#6
Gotta vote for #4…She’s only the most beautiful baby in the world! Not that I’m prejudice!!!
#4 – Uncle Jason
# 4- she is my favorite second cousin!
#15-great job
#2 – Gorgeous Eyes
Number #2 is my vote. Wow!!!
Gotta vote for #15.
I am biased so #13!
#2 for my friend fay
My vote is for #2 for my dear friend Carla
pic #2
#2 of course hehe
I certainly pick number #2
my vote is for #5 but 8 would be my second pick hope his daddy gets home soon
#2
#2 Vote
#2 definitely. She is beautiful.
#2…WOW carla!
#2, WOW carla!
My vote goes to little Delaney…#5
I vote Delaney #5
looks like you had a fabulous and successful 2009. Much peace, love and happiness in 2010.