Sweet Family at the Old Capitol

It was great to meet up with this sweet family at a spot that holds so much meaning for them.  This is where they take family outings, have some special Daddy-daughter time, where Mom & Dad went to school.  Once we arrived and found our spot, they seemed so natural in their surroundings and told me all they things they had discovered there and some of the times they've shared.

I'm always saying how important family portraits are to families for so much more than documenting a specific time- making time for family portraits shows your family that they are important, that they are valued and that they belong somewhere; for instilling family values, building self esteem, strengthening the bonds of love.  Having family portraits made at a place that has special meaning can also evoke happy memories for years to come- those are the portraits that I adore making!  I know that as this family grows and changes, they will be able to look back at them and remember, not just this trip to the Old Capital, but all their trips there, all the special times they shared there together.  I am so happy that the weather finally cooperated for us so we could meet in their special place and add a tangible element to those happy memories.

These sisters are so darling together!  Such love for one another {sigh}.

What family memories, values, feelings do you want to capture in portraits?  Lets talk soon to start planning your family session!

My little experiment

A few weeks ago I put out a call for some models to help me practice a new technique.  Rose & Emily's mom was quick to answer that call for them to be my test subjects {another pair of sisters that are VERY different when it comes to having their portraits made}.  Before I share their images let me explain what I was trying to do.  I recently got a battery for my studio lights so that I can take them outside with me.  Why would I want to do that, you ask?  On bright sunny days, there is light everywhere, right?  Right!  However, using that light to make portraits is not always ideal, especially when that light is high over head {we've all taken pics of our kids on sunny days and ended up with dark raccoon circles where their eyes should be}.  So from a business perspective, it just makes sense to not have tight limitations on the times of day I can schedule sessions- I want to be able to make beautiful portraits no matter the time of day or lighting conditions, this method will help me do that.  Now, I'm still getting the hang of it, not quite ready to bring my big soft box out for a full session.  But don't be surprised if at the end of your session, I ask if we can pull it out to play a little so that I can get more comfortable with it.  Still hoping to get together with more of the peeps who volunteered to be models, as well so be looking for more to show up on future posts.

So here they are, Rose & her little sister Emily.  They are such beauties!  Rose was so excited to be a model, Emily needed a {little} more encouragement and she was still pretty shy for me but I think that really made for some sweet images that will melt Mom's heart!  Mom is the owner/ designer of Puddin' Pies Children's boutique and she made the dresses that the girls wore for the session.  Be sure to check her out on Facebook at Puddin' Pies Clothing.

Adorable pair!

It is always amazing to me how siblings can be so very different from one another.  This little duo could not be more opposite!  One loves to have her portrait made:

Happy faces, staying right where I found the light, cooperatively sitting or standing.

The other, not even a little.  Bird watch?  sure.  Listen to MP3s?  absolutely.  Sort Crayons?  Why not.  Play peek-a-boo through a window with Dad?  That is big fun!  The trick is trying to make it seem like we are just doing things that she wants to do without her realizing that the camera is clicking away to catch that illusive grin.

She makes me work for it, but what I get is absolutely 100% genuine.  Love that crocked little smile!

Thanks for playing with me ladies!  You are growing up so fast!

Getting a little camping in...

The weather has finally started to dry out so I thought it was a perfect morning to mock up a camp site for Connor's 7th year session.  I am not much of a camper but this was a lot of fun.  Connor told me all about his new favorite video game, entomology, paleontology, and all the things he wants to study when he grows up.  I have had the great pleasure of getting to know him over the last few years, not only as his family's photographer, but also through his friendship with my girls.  This little guy has his sights set on some really cool stuff & I have no doubt that he'll accomplish anything he sets out to do.  Thanks for another great session!  I hope the rest of your summer break is tons of fun!

And Baby Makes 3

One of the best things about my job are the relationships that I get to build with my clients.  I first met Amber and Matt when they were planning their wedding.  They chose me to photograph their engagement and wedding day a couple of years ago {and we had a ton of fun doing both!}  Recently, they came back in to capture their pre-baby joy.  They still remembered all the posing rules, followed my crazy hand signals and again we fell right into our easy conversation (I think we talked after the session for longer than we actually made photos).  I am so blessed to have shared all these special moments with them and I cannot wait to share even more as their family grows!