Hello Blog World, I Have Not Forgotten You! | personal

I noticed today it's been a while since I've blogged. Thus I must blog today. I don't know why it's so hard sometimes, especially to do more personal "get-to-know-me" blogs. I try to be very open with my clients as it helps them (and I) to be comfortable and relateable (--is that a word?--) to each other. I LOVE what I do. It's seriously in my blood. And as only another (passionate) photographer would understand, I can literally hear myself talking faster and louder when talking about this awesome shoot, or these really great shots, or this beautiful location! I just love what I do. But I'm also very self-concious about my work. It still boggles my mind sometimes that people want to purchase MY art and hang it on THEIR wall. But between that and seeing my clients so happy that I can bring them to tears (which makes ME cry cause I'm a sucker for that sort of thing), is what makes this all worthwhile. It's what pushes me to put extra care into capturing details and perfecting an image in post-processing. It drives my creativity because that feeling is just........amazing. To know you've made someone's day or month or year is just.....amazing :) My clients are exactly why I do this. Oh, and because I have a huge love affair with Lightroom.

I am also a mommy--for those that don't know. I have an adorable 4 year old boy. Mischievious at best, clever and quiet at worst. But boy oh boy can he make you laugh! Amanda once did a blog post about things that she's heard me say on the phone to him (not only is she my *boss* but also a really awesome friend). He is so polite and quick to compliment. My heart has never melted so much. I also have a sweet little 9 month old girl. And she has brought me to the conclusion that one of the best sounds in the world is two chubby baby hands clapping. Her smile is huge and her laugh is contagious. I LOVE my kids :)

A lot of my life is driven by inspiration. Thus is the life of an artist. My kids inspire me, my family inspires me, the Universe inspires me. I am thankful every day for the abundances we have though sometimes it's hard to remember the little things when the big things are so--big. I think my next post will be on inspirations as there are so many people who have inspired me (personally and professionally).

For now, I definitely feel...cleansed :) It always feels better to share. And in the spirit of sharing, here's a recent photo I took.

Family Love | family photos pt. 2

My post the other day mentioned two shoots I had this past week. I shared some of my favorites from the first family I photographed, now here are some from the second!


This family is so much fun! Their 6-year old Alex has no fear :) He dirtbikes and plays rough, but he is such a sweetheart! He definitely knows how to work a camera :) And their newest edition is Wyatt. Boy, oh boy, what a ham! His giggle is so contagious! All it takes to get him going is for Alex to "woof" and he goes into a fit of giggles. Kim and Mike also brought me out when they did because sadly, they need to put down their sweetie of a dog Miko. They wanted to get some last shots with her since she has been part of their family for so long. I could not for one moment see any sign of her illness though because on that beautiful sunny day, she was like a puppy again. She was rolling, running, and playing. Kim, Mike, I really hope I gave you memories to cherish of her and your two adorable boys!

Miko


















The family are all avid dirtbikers and Alex is no exception (at 6!)

Family Love | family photos

This last week has been nothing short of crazy busy! Thursday I had a photo shoot with Tara and Lee and their two beautiful daughters. My baby sister (well, not "baby"--she's now 22) had her bridal shower and bachelorette party on Saturday, then today I had a family shoot with Kim, Mike and their two adorable little boys.

One reason I love to photograph families is to see the bond and love between parent and child. Children only know how to love unconditionally. It's amazing to see the adoration in a baby's eyes when they hear their siblings talking. And heartwarming to see the extra squeeze of a hand from parent to child. I love seeing a parent take that extra second to relish in a hug from their child (mostly because it's what I love doing most with mine). And these two families I photographed this weekend had all of that.

Here are a few favorites from my shoot with the Mooney family!

Quiet Day | family

I just went two nights ago and purchased my newest addition--my 35mm f/1.8 lens. Let's just say, I'm in love! Beautiful clarity and crispness. Yummy. I can not wait to use it for my next shoot (and every one after!), it's my new favorite lens :)

Today was stunning outside. Beautiful warm weather enhanced by the blue skies and sun. So I took my two beautiful children outside to play and took my new lens with me.

Beres Family

My best friend's little guy turned 2 last week. So amidst the tears, we went and did some family photos (and we laughed about how in the 2 years of his life, we've never gotten out to do some--odd seeing as her best friend is a photographer). Here are a few samples from their shoot. Happy Birthday Little Man :)

Melissa, Bella & Lauren

With the cold weather, it tends to be a *slower* season for photographers who don't own studios :) Recently however, I have worked with a few good friends and photographed their families for them. Here are some of our photos from the session with Melissa and her two beautiful girls:

"Heroes"--Matt & New Package Information

After doing the photos for Captain Brad Ziegler, I've been asked now by a few other firefighters and others in uniform to do the same kind of fine art-lifestyle portraits. I'm now offering an open ended offer of my "Heroes" package for anyone in uniform (the photos are IN uniform so permission may be required). The session is in the style of the fine art-lifestyle portraits for fire, police, paramedic, and military. It includes the session and disc of images in high resolution for $75, which is 50% off of my portrait session. I will also be offering "Family Behind the Heroes", which is once you have your "Heroes" session taken, then book a family session (for up to 5 people, including the Hero), you will receive the session and disc for $125, saving an additional $25. In total, saving $100! Please contact me for booking information and other questions.

Here are some samples from the session with Matt.

These two go into my "Aftermath" series: