One, Two, Threeeeeee!

These little cuties were 100% ready for their family portraits last week.  They sat so nicely on the rug and got all cuddly and sweet together.  Then I picked up my camera and heard a chorus of "CHEEEEEEESSSSSSE".  And the image on the back of my camera was full of three adorable, but completely cheesy grins.  Cute for a frame or two but this was not going to work for the whole session when I wanted natural happy faces to capture this family {and because I'm pretty sure that these lovelies don't walk around saying cheese when they are happy, I imagine lots of giggles that turn the corners of their mouths up into wide beautiful smiles}.  So I asked them for a little help, I couldn't remember how to count, could they remind my how to count to 3 so that everyone knew when the lights were going to flash.  From then on, each image was preceded by a new chorus of "One, Two, Three!" followed by some of those happy giggles in their sweet little voices.  Much better!  And I'm sure that will help Mom get some less cheesy pictures of her girls on Christmas day.

This time of year I get a lot of calls asking about openings for extended family portraits since everyone has their family in town for the holidays and I just love being able to capture that for clients!

Merry Christmas to all of you!  Hug those families tight, tell them you love them and enjoy each and every moment you have with them.  Make memories- and for goodness sake- have your camera close by to capture them!  God Bless!

Why what I do is SO important...

I knew this day would come sometime in my career as a photographer.  I had just hoped it wouldn't come just yet.  I had to print a portrait for a memorial service and my heart is heavy.  The father of one of my brides finished his 2+ year long battle with esophageal cancer yesterday.

I remember the twinkle in his eye as he walked her down the aisle on her wedding day and his willingness to do whatever was needed to make sure his little girl's day was special.  He adored his three children and they returned that adoration and love whole heartedly.

They came to see me again in the fall of 2012, after his first round of treatment for some updated portraits with him and as a way of showing their gratitude for each and every moment they had together.

And I saw them once more this fall you can see some of those images in this blog post.

This is Mark's Memorial portrait.  That same twinkle in his eye that I remember from his daughter's wedding.

This family reminds me of the true value of professional portraiture.  They remind me of what is important to each family I work with, what is important to my own family.  I know that my family wants pictures of me, of me with them, of the special moments that we share.  They don't care if I've gained 5 lbs (or 10 or 15), they don't care if I've put my make up on or wrangled every stray hair back into place.  They love me just the way I am and they love the time we have together and they love having pictures to remind them of all those happy times.  This family makes me wonder, how will my family be reminded of me when I'm gone?  Have I gotten into enough of the photographic memories?  Can we EVER have enough pictures of the ones we love?

Hug the ones you love.  Take advantage of every single moment.  Make memories and photograph them- get in the pictures yourself!  Your family will thank you for it, I promise.

My thoughts and prayers are with Elizabeth, Brittany, Derek and Jason as they face the challenging days ahead.

Ho Ho Ho... Little Santa Baby

Here is a little something to make you smile.... This handsome little man was just way too adorable!

The best gift of all...

Isn't there something extra special about a new baby this time of year?  Christmas is a celebration of a special new baby, a gift to the world.  What a perfect reminder of that when I held this precious little gift last week!

Big sisters adore her too.  They are so sweet with her and couldn't wait to show her off to me.  These girls make my heart happy.

Merry Christmas and congratulations on your new gift.

Christmas cuties...

I had a few lovely little ladies come see me last week for some Christmas portraits.  The littlest was a little under the weather but she still had some smiles to share with me.

We even got one of the moms in on a few with her girls too.

Still going strong @ JP studio!

Usually by this time of December, I'm really winding down for the year and until a couple of weeks ago it looked like this year would be the same.  And then the phone rang, and rang, and new emails came in!  It has been a wonderful surprise to have the holiday season last a little longer this year!  Here is another great looking bunch that came in for some holiday portraits to use on their Christmas cards.

And to be sure they get cards in time to send out for Christmas, I'd better get back to designing!  Merry Christmas!

                                

Baby boy...

Scheduling itty bitties for their first session can be a bit tricky because they have their own idea of when they will enter the world. This little man arrived a few weeks early so when he came to meet me for the first time he was already 4 weeks old.  Not quite the squishy, sleepy, posable type of baby I'm used to for a first session.  He was so snuggly and in spite of being sleepy, he tried awful hard to keep one eye opened just a tiny bit in case he were to miss something.  After a few sips from the bottle and cuddles in front of the space heater we did manage to get him to that milk-coma and ready to work.

He is one lucky little guy to have such a caring big sister.  She couldn't wait for pictures with just the two of them and just HAD to see them on the back of my camera before they left.

I always say that having portraits made is such a personal experience and I think that is especially true when families come for a new born session.  I get to see how a family interacts both in front of the camera and while they are waiting in the wings.  Dad quick with the pacifier or bottle, Mom close at hand to ensure Baby is safe and warm, big sis excited to show off her new little brother and to show how helpful she is.  Welcoming a new baby is such a special time in the life of a family and I am so very blessed to see it in such an up-close and personal way!

Sweet Little Peanut...

I'm always amazing at how fast time goes by with little ones.  It seems like this little beauty was just in for her new born session and here she is again for her Grins & Giggles.  It is so fun to get to know the itty bitties and to see how much they grow and change between sessions.  This little peanut is a snuggle baby!  So happy being held and able to look around.  Not so much when she was first laid down in my basket but she came around.

She even toughed out a wardrobe change and a few family portraits.

Looking forward to her Sitting Pretty session in a few months!

The Joy of Christmas...

I know it may seem a bit early to some to talk about Christmas- the turkey hasn't even been carved yet.  But I am actually feeling a bit behind schedule on rolling out my Christmas mini sessions. This week I have been busy working away on my concept and gathering up the goodies I need for the set (I'm not quite ready to reveal that yet since I have a couple of other sessions taking place in the studio this week, but be on the look out for that).  So, here are the details:

Tuesday November 12- Friday November 22

Jungling Photography presents:

The Joy of Christmas 

Limited edition sessions

Session features:

*20 minute sessions available on weekdays ONLY, from 9:30-5:30

*Either studio or Squaw Creek park locations available {weather and lighting permitting}

*Holiday FB Timeline Cover image with up to 2 of your portraits $35 value

Packages:

A. Session, 2 5x7 prints, FB Timeline Cover............ $85

B. Session, 2 5x7 prints, set of 25 Christmas cards, FB Timeline Cover...........$115

C. Session, 2 5x7 prints, 2 fully edited high resolution digital images, FB Timeline Cover....$155

Referral Rewards:  

Want to save even more?  

   *Share a link to this blogpost on your own FB page for $5 off your session fee.

   *Get an ADDITIONAL $5 for each person you refer up to a total $25 discount.

These spaces are VERY limited so if you haven't scheduled your family's holiday portraits yet, don't wait until they are gone!  

The fine print:

Session package fees do not include sales tax.  Session package fee must be paid at the time of scheduling.  You may change packages at your order meeting; additional prints, products and cards are available for purchase at that time, as well.  Referral rewards will be credited to the recipients at the order meeting for all referrals that have paid to that point.  Christmas cards are pre-designed for you.  The pre-design and up to one revision are included in your package fee.  Additional revisions will incur a design fee of $35 per revision.  Online galleries are not available for these sessions, ordering must take place during the ordering meeting.  Christmas ordering deadline is Dec 10.

Lots of love in this family...

What a lovely bunch of people!  There were lots of laughs and jokes going on during this extended family session.   We got off to a shaky start with a shy little one and SO much sun {seriously, what I wouldn't have given for a few big puffy clouds to soften all that light}.  But after a few minutes {and some Smarties} we were old friends and full of happy faces and we found some shade amid all the beautiful fall colors.

Baby bump...

I am loving all these baby bumps coming my way lately!  Such an exciting time for a couple~ Enjoying the last days before they meet their new little love.  I can already tell that this couple is already head-over-heals for the little girl they are waiting for.

It was a pleasure to meet the two of you and I am looking forward to meeting your little sweet heart soon!

A little Maternity cuteness...

I love when these girls come to see me!  I never really know what we're going to get except that we will laugh, hug, hear some stories and have loads of fun.  The oldest is so bubbly and happy and the youngest, while still a bit shy, has a bit of mischief in her (see image on the left, it just makes me giggle).  They were great when their mom brought them in to capture a few snaps with her belly.

Looking forward to meeting the new addition that will turn this duo into a trio.  And even more excited to see what other photo adventures they will lead me on.

Wrapping up the senior season...

It has flown by this year, I'm kind of sad to have it come to an end.  But that just means that I will be even more ready to greet the next class.  This lovely young lady has grown up right in front of me.  She attends the same church as my family.  She carries herself with a poise that has always seemed so mature and gracious and good natured to me.  It was such a pleasure to get to know her on a more personal level and I found that she is just as good natured and gracious as she seems.

I had such a great time!  Hope you did too.

Happy boy and his family...

It is amazing to me how much kids change from age 2 to age 3!  Last year we have a VERY hard time keeping this little guy happy for their family portraits.  This year was a whole different thing.  He had his smiles ready, he was so happy and even brought some of his sillies along too.  We had a great time capturing these images together.

And the sneaks just keep comin'...

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can... Just about caught up.  Another wonderful family that I love seeing each year!  The forecast was for mostly cloudy skies so I hadn't anticipated so much sunlight for their session Saturday morning.  We had to find a different spot in the park we were meeting.  I was pretty excited to find a section of it that I didn't even know existed and the light was gorgeous for that time of day.

More family love...

Trying to catch up today so I won't write a whole lot.  This session had another busy two year old.  I left the session just hoping for ONE great image of the family.  I was so happily surprised when I found so many gems in the batch.  That is one great thing about having pro-gear, I can snap three or four images off faster than a 2 year old can make his get-a-way, usually (haha)

Busy season, Busy kiddos!

This time of year always seems to fly by!  I love that I get to meet up with families to catch up on what has been happening in their lives over the last year and I have been so blessed to have met so many of you already this busy season.  Not the least of which is this family-on-the-go.  We were mostly meeting to get some new portraits of this very active 2 year old boy who is growing way too fast!

It was one of those sessions where we just had to patiently wait for Mr. K to stop moving just long enough for me to focus on him and interact so that he could focus on me for just a split second.  Two happens to be my favorite age to enjoy children- crazy, I know!  But I just love how wonder-filled the world is through their eyes.  Every day is an adventure to be approached with gusto.  If only we could all keep that perspective, I think we would all be so much happier.

In my time with Mr. K, we took a few moments to include Mom and Big Sis in some images for some family love.

Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boys!

I loves these kids!  This session was a combo of 6 year old portraits of one of the brothers and then one of the 3 brothers together.  Every time I get together with any of all of these boys is an adventure and I so look forward to each and every moment.

The 6 year old:  Look at those eyes!  And let me tell you, HE KNOWS HOW TO USE THEM!  What a little flirt.  And that smile, yowza!

And then you put the brothers all together...  These boys really love each other and can't help but have a fun, even when Mom really wants one classic portrait.  Needless to say we had many outtakes {like on the right}.  I just love how the image on the left shows exactly how much family means to this trio.

Vintage wedding...

Every little detail for Nick & Erin's wedding was picture perfect!  And while, I did capture those details what stood out to me the most on their wedding day was that the focus was right where it should have been- on the happy couple and the life that they are embarking on.  They were surrounded by loving, supportive family and friends who wanted nothing more than for their day to be as perfectly special as the couple themselves.  The day was about their love for one another, and how that love is going to carry them through the rest of their days.  That is the detail that I love most about weddings and theirs just glowed with it from start to finish.

Most of the formal portraits were done before the ceremony at Nick's parent's farm house.  Everyone looked amazing!

The setting was positively gorgeous with the deep, rich tones of the rolling hills around the farm.

Congratulations!  Thank you for letting me share in the day with you.  I can't wait to show you the rest of your images and the FUN photo booth from the reception.

Wonderful family session...

I got to meet this adorable bunch last week for their family portraits.  I made only a few images before I showed them one and I heard mom sigh followed by "that is so us".  That is something I just love to hear, something that I really work towards with every family I work with.  And hearing it so early in the session just made the rest of our time together go even better simply because they were already assured that they had one portrait that was what they had hoped for, one that captured the essence of who they are, that they were in good hands.  We had lots of sillies and laughs in our time together (aka: out takes) and lots of fun with their very spirited little ladies.

I'm so glad that your research brought you to me!  It was such a pleasure to spend time with you.  Thank you sharing your lovely littles with me, they are such sweet beauties and I look forward to working with you again.

Fall senior...

So many seniors wait for their senior portraits until fall and I think that is just wonderful!  Emily did just that and we had a perfect day for her session.  We went to one of my very favorite places that I hadn't been to for several weeks.  The trees were still pretty green but the grass was exploding with fall and Emily's outfit choices complimented it so well.

It isn't too late to schedule your senior session!  Call to reserve your time today!

A little urban fall color...

The leaves in Iowa are starting to show their brilliance and I have been loving being out working with nature's back drop lately.  But it was still so fun to break away from the usual for this family's annual session.  When they suggested using their car, I had to think of a place that would be fitting and still have that fall feeling.  That is when I remembered this building in town and knew that it would be just perfect!

Thanks for meeting me at this lovely gem, it is always a pleasure to see your beautiful family!  I look forward to next year!

Jake- Class of 2014

Who doesn't love fall?  Crisp air in the mornings, warm afternoons, colorful landscapes and so many other things make fall a photographer's dream time to photograph portraits.  Well, most of the time.  It seems to be a theme this time of year that the weather likes toy with my emotions.  My calendar if full and I'm so excited to meet up with each senior and family on the schedule and then those dreaded words "chance of rain".  Those words just let all the wind out of my sails.  Thankfully, this senior was watching the forecast too and happened to have an evening open a few days before his original date when the rain was going to hit.  So with a few minor adjustments in my family's schedule, we headed out to the dam a bit earlier than we'd planned.  I'm so glad because the weather was perfect.

L + B Engaged...

I had the great pleasure of meeting this adorable couple last weekend at his family dairy farm.  They had made a lot of preparations for their engagement session including the dairy barn, the corn field, soy bean field and hay loft.  It was a lot to fit into one evening before the sun set and we had to watch the skyline for rain showers that were supposed to be passing through.  We were fortunate enough that the weather held off for us and gave us a spectacularly colorful sky line instead.

Congratulations to you and best wishes for your spring wedding in Indiana! 

Get these kids some ice cream!

They were spot on for their session.  Everything about this session was perfection, the lighting, the location, the outfits, and especially the kids.  Lots of giggles and laughs, big smiles and tons of love.   They were such good listeners that we had more than enough to choose from in just about 20 minutes.  They were told they would stop for ice cream on the way home, I guess they didn't want to give mom & dad time to change their minds about that.

Weekend spots for October are now all filled up but I still have some openings on some Tuesdays & Thursdays this month and a few Saturday spots in November for those of you who still need to schedule your fall sessions.