Trent – 3 month photos

So things got a little crazy before Christmas and I didn’t get a chance to post the pictures of sweet little Trent from his 3 month old session.  Some of these will likely look familiar from my 2011 FAVES post…but this little man needed his own solo post! After all, he is one of my most photographed clients between his mama’s belly & newborn photos!  We did a super quick session on a terribly cold rainy day.  So we stayed inside and got some family photos & a few solo shots of the little stud.

I love the look on Trent’s face. And I love that photo of Trent & Jess…so sweet!

This next photo is one of my favorites of all time…what a sweet moment!!  Can you imagine how awesome it’ll be for Trent to be able to look back at this photo when he is 20 or 30 or 80 and know exactly how much he was loved!

2011 FAVES!

One thing I LOVE to do each new year is to sit down and sift through all my photos of the previous year. Some years I make them into collages….some years I file them into “Best of 2001, 2006, 2009, etc” computer files.  But this year I decided why don’t I just start sharing them here!  I couldn’t decide if I should include favorites just from photo sessions or favorites that include personal photos…then I decided that was a really stupid thing to worry about…so I’ll share them all.  Here are some of my MOST favorite images from 2011…it was hard to narrow them all down and they certainly are in no particular order.  Buckle your seatbelt and be prepared for an onslaught of exclamation points & a crazy amount of photos!!!!! This post makes me so super happy!

We’ll start with this sweetheart.  I took this photo while I was living in Alabama…which conjures up all sorts of memories. Mmmm BBQ & sunshine & eating pastries on lazy saturday afternoons (outside in the middle  of winter…wearing  a tank top!!!) followed by antique and art shopping…sigh. I really miss that place sometimes!

Joel came to visit me in Alabama a lot and it was always so bittersweet…LOVED seeing him…HATED watching his plane fly away without me.  I missed his big, muddy boots when he was gone!

Sweet Girl turned the Big ONE!

Joel & I got Engaged!!!!

The Hotest Engagement Session of all time….but this couple WORKED it anyway!

More Fun Summer Engagement Sessions. For real – these two are so super cute! I can’t wait for their 2012 Jamaica wedding coming up in just a few months!! Better start getting my tan on so I don’t burn up like a lobster!

This next photo for real makes me super happy! Look at how they can rock a serious face!! LOVE it!

My sweet niece + nephew! Love them to the moon & back!!  Fun summer moments with those cuties!!  Bike Rides + Pushing Strollers…love those moments!

Lots of Baby Love in 2011…LOTS of baby love!! (mamas-to-be, babes, and kiddos …. they are so much fun and I LOVE to work with little ones!)

All those sweet pregnant bellies leads to loads of adorable newborn photos…this was hard to narrow down to top favorites!!

Cute kiddos this year too!

Love LOVE LOVE this sweet special moment caught between father & son.  This just makes my heart melt!

Another super cute engagement session … love how much they laugh together

Followed by their INCREDIBLE wedding! This was a huge highlight of the year…they were incredible & their wedding was incredible….beautiful venue, beautiful weather & beautiful bride!!  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!!!!

Another Ah-MAZE-ing couple!  They could work a camera like no other…and they are so SO in LOVE! And I LOVE that!

Thanksgiving with my favorites….and OH how these piano photos rock my socks!

Hot Couples!! These photos are smoking and I LOVE them! Way to rock sexy in a Christmas tree stand in the Shop n’ Save parking lot!

That last photo made me snap a finger and say WORK!! Love it!

Love the LOVE!

What a 2011 it was!!! I am so excited about all the big things planned for 2012; business-wise, creatively and personally! Holy WOW it’s gonna be one hell of a year! Can’t. Wait.

Twas the Night 2 Weeks After Christmas

Ok…so I’m a little late….and ok so it’s really been 2&1/2 weeks since Christmas.  But I finally got caught up on work things and was able to sit down and sort through my Christmas pictures so I thought I’d share them here so I’m not the only one oooh-ing and ahhhh-ing over my super cute niece and nephew.  And I’m also SHOCKED at how they’ve grown.  Looking back at photos from last Christmas blows me away! Look how much bigger they are!

There was lots of gift-opening….

Sister finally figured out how to tear into packages…and she was a present-opening machine after that!

There was also magnadoodle-ing

And remote-controlled car driving

And couting….she loves to count! And is shockingly good at it too!

And there was also Hungry Hungry Hippo-ing (P.S. I’m pretty sure Joel was ruthless and didn’t let Landon win)

Christmas was pretty much perfect. We got to spend lots of time with our families, ate way too much food and at least 2 too many sugar cookies (if that’s really possible).  Hope everyone else had an awesome holiday too! 

2012: Grow

Last year I joined the bandwagon and picked an “inspirational word” for the year. I picked dream.  And boy, oh boy did that word ever have meaning for me.  I don’t even think at the time I could’ve grasped exactly how big of an impact the word would really have. 2011 was a pretty big year for me. I finished a year-long out-of-state commitment, got engaged, moved back home to the midwest, started planning a wedding, and decided to take a big leap into the world of small businesses. So as 2012 begins, I can’t help to think about what this year will bring…and I’m overwhelmed with the possibilities and with all the amazing new things and experiences that are bound to come with it.  So I decided to pick a new word for 2012.

Grow.

This word really signifies to me personal growth, growing a marriage (!!!), growing a business…all sorts of happy things.  Bring it on 2012! I’m so ready for you.

Mae Rose – 18 months

Who’s ready for a little Christmas on the blog?!  I am, I am (finally)! This year I thought Christmas was going to be the straw that broke this camel’s back.  I was having a major stress-attack about it all. Which is pretty unusual for me. But then we had a little warm snap.  The weather was beautiful. I got to shed my winter coat for a day or two and go outside to take photos again! Woo! I just don’t feel nearly as inspired when I’m stuck inside thanks to cold Midwestern winter weather…but send me a warm sunny day and a super adorable 18 month old in a perfect little Christmas dress…and I’m pumped!

Mae Rose was so SO sweet. She has such an adorable smile and although she is a little shy and took a bit to warm up to me, she wasn’t at all shy about showing off her cute little grin.  Here’s a few of her best shots from our warmer-then-usual-thank-goodness-for-that session

I love how her hair is a little wild & her tongue is kind of sticking out in this next one. 

This sweet girl has some great lashes!

The next two make my heart melt a little. They so capture her exactly as she is right now!

The next one is my favorite!  How stinkin’ cute is she!

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope your holidays are happy and filled with friends, family and fun! Oh…and also filled with sugar cookies, because Christmas just isn’t the same without sugar cookies.

Maggie + Zac

This weekend I got to spend a few hours with one my bestest friends and her hubby…the mission…get winter-y photos.  Now Maggie and I go way back…like WAY back to kindergarten when we decided we hated each other and could never be friends because the other one was “so bossy”.  Our mom’s both knew that we “hated” each other because we were two peas in a pod…both bossy. Well as is often the case…our moms were right! We’ve been friends ever since.  Maggie and I have been through everything together…and she still talks to me, which I’m pretty sure is the only thing you can ever ask for in a friend.  Oh yeah…and her and her husband are HOT…which made my photo mission much easier!

We started out taking photos at a Christmas tree stand just around the corner from their house. I’ve been wanting to shoot at a Christmas tree stand for a long time, but every shoot I’ve had recently has been really cold and rainy.  But we lucked out with a beautiful warm Saturday in December – so to the Christmas tree stand we went!  And it was just as good as I was expecting!! Love it when a plan comes together!

I’m a real big fan of this next one. How fun is that!

I also REALLY love this next one!

Then we changed locations and headed into the city to get some pretty winter-y city shots.

So let’s just say that I had to stand in a planter to get that last shot…you know like one of those big cement planter they have along the street…it was SO worth it!!

Maggie & Zac, I’d say we accomplished our “get some pretty winter photo” mission! Plus I had a blast hanging out with you guys! Thanks for being so super easy to shoot & good-looking! You made it so easy!

Baby Wade

Time for another sweet baby on the blog!! Be prepared for a very sweet & totally handsome little man!  He was super tiny and a dream to work with.  Love an easy-going baby! I also got a chance to use a new vintage suitcase on this shoot and I LOVED it. Hope you do too!

I LOVE baby toes!! Sooo tiny!

And as usual, I saved my favorites for last.  Picking one favorite was too hard – in the next photo, the expression he is giving me cracks me up! But I think I’ll save my most favorite for last!

Gaw! I LOVE a yawning baby. SOOO sweet. I’m also loving the more vintage b+w treatment on this session. It just seemed to fit Wade perfectly!  Wade is such a sweet boy, I can tell already! Can’t wait to watch him grow & see his little personality devlop! Hope you’re not too baby-d out because I have more little ones coming up!

Abbey + Griffin :: Engaged

Several weeks ago Abbey, Griffin & I met up to take some engagement photos.  We decided to walk around their neighborhood and then head over to the Central West End in St. Louis to see what we could find!  Abbey & Griffin warned me that they “weren’t very photogenic”…..NOT PHOTOGENIC?? Not possible…look how cute they are!!

Super cute couple right? Yeah right, not photogenic??…. Pisssssshaw they might be the definition of photogenic!  It was a pretty windy day.  But Abbey was working it, which made for some great, dramatic shots!  We also had great sun & a super nice day, which I’m kind of missing right now as I sit curled up under a huge blanket…FREEZING!  The next photo I already blogged once.  I mentioned then that it was my MOST favorite photo….well until I finished this session (there’s a new favorite…you’ll just have to keep reading to see it!!)  But let’s revisit the previous most favorite photo! Isn’t it pretty?!

See the dramatic wind + pretty sun + super cute & totally in love couple = HOTNESS!

Ok so this next one isn’t my MOST favorite, but I like it a lot. I think Abbey looks super great! The wind, her expression…love it all!

I also like this next one a whole, WHOLE lot!  This is such a cute moment. Totally real. I couldn’t have posed this. It’s totally them and will be awesome to look back at years from now. Can’t you just see how much they LOVE each other?

Alright. Prepare yourself…are you ready??  This next photo is my FAVORITE…like favorite, FAVORITE maybe of all time!! I really big-time heart this. Abbey & Griffin, I hope you do too! It was totally worth sitting in the grass right?  I thought so

Abbey & Griffin, I’m so, SO happy for the two of you. You are so in love & it shows. I love how much you love each other & I REALLY love that you’re getting married. I can’t wait until next fall to celebrate with you! It’s going to be beautiful! Hope you love these photos as much as I do!

Danielle + Brandon: Engaged

It’s time for another fun engagement session!! About a month ago I headed down to the Landing with Danielle and Brandon to take some engagement photos.  Danielle & Brandon were so awesome to work with & as a result, we got some awesome shots.  Such a cute, lovey-dovey couple! I don’t think I have ever literally squealed and jumped up and down as much while shooting as I did during this session. I knew without even reviewing my shots that I GOT IT! They were seriously so so easy to photograph!

We started off by wandering around the Landing. It was the perfect over-cast kind of day but then toward the end of the session the sun peeked out from behind the clouds giving us just a little warm, glowy kind of light. I got so excited about the sun that I quickly ran backwards to get the next shot and almost ran into a car – Opps! I’ll remember to turn around and look where I’m going next time. Although in my defense we weren’t even on a road, we were right next to the river and I don’t think that car belonged there. 

I told you they were super cute! 

But, maybe I did forget to mention that they can rock a serious face as well! I mean c’mon…that “smizing” would make Tyra proud! I think this might be my favorite shot from their session (although it is hard to pick a favorite this time!)

Danielle & Brandon – Congrats again on your engagement! We are so SOOO excited about your Jamaican wedding!!! Thanks for being my models & for wandering around the Landing with me…standing in some not so sweet-smelling corners…and putting up with all my “kiss her again…ok 1 more time…ok I lied…do it again….and again” demands (I know kissing is such hard work). Hope you love your photos as much as I do!

Big Changes

Go big or go home…right? As if getting married & starting a new “real” job aren’t enough life changes for one year…I’m planning on adding lots of big changes to my photography as well.  Although I’ve been in love with photography for years & haven’t ever really slowed down when it comes to learning & practicing new techniques, over the past year I’ve been working REALLY hard to build my portfolio & gain experience (especially in areas that I didn’t have much experience previously).  All of this was in anticipation of the day that I launch my photography business for real.  Well my friends, that day is coming. 

Writing this post reminded me of the “word” I choose for 2012 as a kind of motto & idea to shape the year.  It was ”dream” and this really has been an extension of that. The timing was right and for maybe one of the first times in my life I decided to take a deep breath, take the unexpected route and jump without truly knowing what’s below.

It’ll still be awhile yet since I’m gonna go ahead and mark “getting married” off my checklist first   But after that, watch out for lots of big changes. New name, new business, new website, new blog.  Just wanted you to hear it here first! Not all the details are complete (including pricing and policies) at this point – but if you’re interested in a session of any sort in 2012 please send me and email or message so we can talk more about what to expect/what’s upcoming/and most importantly get you on my calendar. 2012 is already starting to become a BUSY busy year already so please send me an email for more information as soon as possible. 

I’ll be booking a bit of everything for 2012 – babies, families, couples, weddings, you-name-it.   Also I’d love to give out a big THANK YOU to everyone who has read this blog, left comments, and encouraged me to keep going up to this point. I mean it when I say all your encouragement has kept me going in my creative slumps & has been so sweet & more than I could have ever expected! An especially HUGE shout-out to those who have acted as my models in the past few years – you all had so much trust and faith in my abilities before I had it in myself – Thank You from the bottom of my heart!!