Love’n It!

In honor of Valentine’s Day (oh what…that was a whole week ago?) ok then… in honor of love.  Yup that sounds better anyways…who can argue with love?  I thought I’d share some things I’ve been loving lately.

This incredible video! I’m sure I’m on the end of seeing this make the internet rounds but MAN! It Makes me wish that I had learned how to play the flute!

Annie Lebovitz’s book: Annie Lebovitz at Work.  I’ve been loving this book all week. Annie Lebovitz tells the back-story behind some of her most famous photographs.  It’s like you’re in her head while she’s shooting.  She explains why she did what she did and how she did it.  She explains how she set up the shot, which lenses she used. I’m obsessed. Such incredible stories & inspiration galore. I’d say it’s a must-read for photographers!

This t-shirt:  How cute is that! I think I need one.

My new business logo – Sorry totally keeping that one under wraps for a tiny bit longer! But I had to add it to the list because I’m totally crushing on it!

This guy

photo by Maggie Medema Photography

Yup … sorry … I totally went there

Go Big or Go Home

Go Big or Go Home…yup…might as well call that my new business model.  Not really. But I’m already so in love with this new business I’m building, I just can’t contain my excitement. I love what it means for me…being creative.  I love what it means I’m going to be able to do…capture beautiful moments in people’s lives.  Pressing the pause button and creating beautiful images that tell their life story.  Oh how I love that more than everything else. Even more than cupcakes…and that’s a whole lot.   

My mind keeps spinning with all the possibilities. So. many. possibilities!

So buckle your seat belts friends. The new site, the new name, the new business will all be launching in the beginning of June.  And it feels like the wait may kill me.  So I thought I’d share it with you so that you can wait right along with me.  There are going to be so many fun things on the other side of that opening date.  I’m planning really fun sessions, styled shoots, totally connected & in-love families, beautiful weddings, sweet babies, sassy ladies and lots of other memories in the making.

Shoot me a message if your interested in getting on my calendar for a fun fresh shoot of your own or if you have questions.  Although the new details won’t be revealed juuuust yet. I am booking all types of sessions including weddings & I’d be happy to sneak you the details before the big public reveal.  Things are already starting to fill up pretty quickly (especially my weekends!) So go ahead and grab your spot now & stay tuned for more details (including some information on special “launch party” mini-sessions) as the launch date gets closer!

When Words Fail Me

Confession: I am a HUGE nerd.

I know that news is most likely not real shocking & that’s perfect…I fly my nerd flag proudly.  Part of being such a huge nerd is that I love to read. I really love it. A lot. I almost always am reading something.  I love other people’s beautiful writing but find words often fail me. Once upon a time, I was actually a pretty ok writer. And then I went to college and followed a scientific path and…it may have ruined my inner author. Ok…maybe not really, and maybe I just wasn’t all that great to begin with. But I find that I often can’t find the right combination of words to say exactly what I’m thinking or feeling and damn is that frustrating!! I can almost taste the beautiful phrases that float around my head…but can’t quite convert that to writing in a style that I actually am comfortable with or one that even says exactly what I want it to. 

My inadequacies in writing makes blogging a frustrating experience. It probably wouldn’t be so bad except that I want to write well…I want to be able to convert my thoughts into the perfect paragraphs…I just can’t. So I’ll keep trying, but until then…the photos will speak for me – along with my slightly strange…not quite what I want…but better than nothing writing style.

So I turned to another medium.  Photography.  That saying, you know the one about a photo being worth a million words. I’m gonna rely on that as true. Although I wish my words really could adequately express how I feel about photos. Because this page…this site would be bursting with beautiful, incredible, tear-jerking prose.  Because that’s how photography makes me feel.

This beautiful sample album arrived on my doorstep a few weeks ago…oh how I love a photo album.   Every time I order one it’s like Christmas when I rip that box open. I know what is inside is so much more than just paper. It is memories and heirlooms and everything that I can’t quite express in words.

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!