Baby Fever {Sneak Peek}

I did a photo shoot yesterday with one of the sweetest and most beautiful families I've ever met! I knew it was going to be fun, when I was met at the door by these amazing little eyes:

I wasn't mistaken either - walking in to their gorgeous home made me feel as if I was stepping into the studio of my dreams with it's rich colors, fun patterns and accessories, and loads of natural light (when I build my first studio, I'm totally calling you Jessica...for your help and a list of stores where you shop!). I said a quiet prayer of thanks as I looked around.

The home was beautiful and peaceful, which was a perfect reflection of the amazing family who lives there:

This little angel stole my heart with his tiny fingers and perfect mouth. He was such a good sport to model so sweetly for me.

As I processed this shot, I just kept thinking "texture". I love the smooth clean and

crisp lines of the un-textured piece, but how cool does this texture look?! :

Thank you for your patience and for blessing me with your business, wonderful family!

Stay tuned for the rest of your gallery in the next week or so.

Down on the Farm {Sneak Peek}

Wow, did I have a fun weekend! I got to spend a couple of hours with some of my favorite people in the whole wide world. And I got to spend those hours with them here:

I couldn't resist the antique finish for this photograph. This is just a couple of miles from my house, but it looks and feels almost other-worldly. Isn't it spectacular?!

And what a beautiful group of fun loving people! I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard during a shoot. I'll share more great shots of this family, but I think the next post will have to be "out-takes". Man, did we laugh!

And what a sweet, loving couple. No wonder all the kids are smiling...it's hard not to when these two are around! (I probably just made the teenaged girls roll their eyes...but girls, come on, you KNOW it's true!) ;-)

It's families like this that make me think...I LOVE this job!

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage...{Sneak Peek}

I had the time of my life shooting this beautiful little family this past weekend. The good times started when this sweet family stepped out of their car and I saw all these gorgeous sparking eyes, red heads, and adorable clothes (not to mention those delicious baby cheeks!).

They were all such great sports. Patient, cheerful...just good kids all around!

We took lots and lots of pictures (more to come shortly), but some of my personal favorites were those of the parents together.

Is it me, or does it seem like you can almost read this man's mind in this shot? I look at those eyes and I hear "I am crazy in love with this woman."

They are a beautiful couple...and not just on the outside. Being around them made me feel like going home and squeezing my hubby ♥.

Thank you, wonderful and beautiful family! I can't wait to show you more...

My Favorite Military Family

I had the wonderful experience of taking family portraits for this family a couple of weeks ago. Remember their sneak peek?

Well, I finally made my way through the rest of their shots, and got their gallery up. It's always such a relief when the client tells me that they love what we captured. I wonder if I'll ever be 100% confident in my abilities to do this? :-)

Before we met, I had a vision for a shot I wanted to do of their family. Dad is often off fighting for our country, and I wanted to take a shot that represented what he does and what this family is about. I took this shot (top shot in the following collage)...Dad in uniform, Mom and kids playing together, Dad standing off to the side and out of focus...sort of a "there but not there" feel to it.

And then I snapped a shot of the kids doing a spontaneous pledge to our flag, and this collage was born (the flag in the background is the flag in the park that day):

We had lots of romp-around fun and silliness in the park with these boys. What great little buddies they are!

Sneak Peek ~ Fun Family Shoot

(click on any image to see a bigger version)

Oh my, did I have fun with this family!  We met in the park on a perfect (almost) fall day, and we had a blast playing and climbing and exploring.  These boys are all energy and fun.  And such little gentlemen!  Kind and obedient and joyful...what a pleasure and honor to be a part of their day :)

The highlight of the shoot (and my entire day) was when this little love walked up to me, wrapped his arms around my legs, and gave me a big unsolicited {HUG}.  Sigh.  I love this job!

And this little guy!  So darn smart and kind.  I told him all about my little boy who is his same age, and by the end of the shoot he was asking me to "please bring Ben the next time you take our pictures" :)  And check out these amazingly beautiful...ahem...handsome...eyes!  I love them!

Of course, happy and good children don't come from just anywhere.  They come from really great parents.  In this case, really great parents who happen to be nuts about each other.  

Seriously - the love of the Lord just radiates from this family, and I feel so honored that they chose me to do their portraits.  

Busy Boys ~ Sneak Peek

Boy oh boy - this family was so much fun!  Every now and then I get to spend a couple hours with a family like this...I love my job!

Mom and Dad were frustrated with trying to get nice shots of their busy little guys in a studio setting.  After spending some time with these kiddos in a big park with lots of room to run and play and explore...I can see how a confining setting would be a stressful situation (as it is for most families with young kids).

These boys are so sweet...

It was especially fun for me to see the relationship between the boys and their fun-loving and patient parents. 

These busy and joyful little boys sure made me hustle to get shots of them....but it was so worth the effort.  A loving family is one of God's greatest gifts ~ thanks, Renae and Chris, for sharing yours with me :-)

PS.  This product (or something like it) would make a great fit for  your faimily's photos.  

More Of My Favorites

Wow - did we get some great shots, Jessica!  I'm having so much fun processing your shoot...I can't even choose my favorite :-)

I've experimented a bit with different finishes. Let me know if you'd like a particular photo in a certain finish, or if you'd like something different all together.  There are a small handful of other shots that I'll include in your catalog (on my website).  I'll contact you with your password when the catalog is ready to go.

Thanks again for choosing me to do your photos - I had a blast with all you  beautiful girls!