EB Photography

NEW BLOG!

2010-07-07T13:25:00.003-05:00

Out with the old and in with the new! I will no longer be updating this blog so please be sure to bookmark the New Blog and check it often. See you there!

Lillian and Jackson's Birth Story

2010-03-28T02:30:00.002-05:00

My first slideshow using showit... what do you think? : )

ch-ch-ch-changes

2010-03-26T01:05:00.003-05:00

Big changes headed this way... stay tuned for some updates that will hopefully make up for the neglect my blog has been feeling.

and because a photography blog should always have pictures....

Post Processing

2010-03-07T11:23:00.001-06:00

Be sure to read the full blog post below : )

I did not take this picture but I had permission to do the post processing seen in the "after" pictures.

Before and After

2010-03-07T10:41:00.003-06:00

My poor neglected blog was screaming for some attention so I decided to give it a special treat with a yummy before and after picture. My long time friend, Kelly, e-mailed me a picture from her wedding and asked if it would be possible to touch up the tan line on her arm and I was excited to give it a try (I always love a chance to practice my photoshop skills). But of course I got carried away and couldn't stop with just the tan line. I tried a variety of my amazing Totally Rad actions and came up with a few different options for her to chose from. I couldn't pick a favorite... maybe the black and white? Feel free to leave any feedback : )

For any copyright purposes, I did not take this picture... I only did the post processing.

Here is the Original untouched image

And here are the afters (each have slight variations in tone and color) : )

Kelly and Craig... You look absolutely gorgeous and completely in love! Thank you for letting me share your picture!

Jerad and Brandi ~Sneak Peek~

2009-11-11T21:06:00.002-06:00

I had so many beautiful weddings the month of October and I know all of my brides are anxious to see their pictures. Here's one from Brandi and Jerad's amazing day! This was taken right behind the church and Jerad thought I was crazy for sticking them in the weeds... I promised him that it would turn out great and I was right : )

Brett and Suzanne ~sneak peek~

2009-11-01T20:21:00.001-06:00

Here's a quick sneak peek from Brett and Suzanne's wedding day... can't wait to share the rest!!!

Lana and Justin ~sneak peek~

2009-11-01T19:36:00.002-06:00

I had such a great time hanging out with Lana and Justin for their engagement session today. I love everything about this picture so I hope you guys enjoy it too.

Bethany and Ryan ~engaged~

2009-09-20T14:22:00.002-05:00

I have been such a bad blogger lately. Hopefully I can make up for it with a lot of pictures from Bethany and Ryan's awesome engagement session!

My awesome friend and fellow photographer Chantel Sutberry will be shooting their October wedding with me so I brought her along for their engagement session... check out this beautiful shot she captured!!!

Bethany... you're gorgeous, for sure!

Bethany and Ryan, thanks for being such rockstars... see you at your wedding next month!!!

Kyle ~Senior Session~

2009-08-23T22:17:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick pic from today's senior session with Kyle... we had a lot of fun! Can't wait to share the rest with you.

Brew-ha-ha at Studio Altius

2009-08-22T16:31:00.002-05:00

Wednesday night I headed out to Studio Altius (owned by the amazing David J. Cerven) for their monthly brew-ha-ha. It's basically just an opportunity to kick back with a glass of wine (or your beverage of choice) and network with other photographers in the area. I had a ton of fun and can't wait until the next one... if you're interested in coming along you can contact me for details or check out Studio Altius @ www.studioaltius.com for a schedule of upcoming events... they also offer a variety of classes and rentals... definitely a great place so check it out!!! David ~ thanks so much for putting these together for us, you're a rockstar!!! And what's a photography blog without a picture, right?

Here's David rocking out his pimp look and check out Ashley's awesome face grab!!! I <3 you guys!

Bethany and Ryan ~engaged~ Sneak Peek

2009-08-18T15:11:00.003-05:00

Bethany and Ryan were a super fun and totally cute couple to photograph. Hope you enjoy the quick teaser pic... check back in a couple of weeks to see the full post!
xoxo

Angie and Mark's birth story ~sneak peek~

2009-08-18T15:08:00.001-05:00

I can't wait to introduce you all to Angie and Mark's beautiful twins! Make sure you check back soon to see the full blog post!
xoxo

~Sneak Peeks~

2009-08-16T19:46:00.002-05:00

I have a lot of sessions that I'm in the process of editing... here is a small preview of what's coming up.

Sawyers 1 year old session

Imogen's 6 month old session

Christina's anytime session

The Barrett's family session

I also have a birth story and an engagement session in the works so make sure you check back for those.

Zachariah ~newborn session~

2009-08-11T15:14:00.002-05:00

I had a great time photographing my favorite little family and their newest addition, Zachariah! Mina and Jerad have quickly went from clients to being great friends and I always enjoy our sessions together! For Zach's newborn session we decided on a very casual and relaxed session at their home and I love the way they turned out. Mina and Jerad, thanks for letting me come spend the afternoon with you and snuggle on little Zach, I <3 you guys!!!

Hello Hot Mama!!!

look at his little pouty face!!!

Zachariah ~sneak peek~

2009-08-02T20:09:00.001-05:00

Here's a quick favorite from my session with sweet baby zach today <3

Logan ~newborn session~

2009-07-29T01:32:00.002-05:00

Joe and Jessie celebrated their one year wedding anniversary on the day that we did Logan's newborn pictures and they couldn't be any more in love with each other or their new little guy <3 It's fun to photograph new parents... their movements are always so gentle and often times unsure... they're experiencing new emotions that they never imagined existed and I love capturing that for them. Joe sang to Logan throughout our entire session and it was so incredibly sweet. I always have a hard time narrowing down photos for the blog so I hope you enjoy the overload of cuteness. Joe and Jessie, thank you so much for letting me snuggle on Logan... I can't wait to see you guys again.

Brandi and Jerad ~Engaged~

2009-07-19T15:17:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love it when I just "click" with my clients and Brandi and Jerad are the perfect example of that. From the first time I met them for their consult and Brandi and I bonded over our love of a certain cheesy daytime soap I knew that I couldn't wait to shoot their October wedding! They are sweet, laid back, down to earth and love to have a good time... their wedding will be a blast! Not only are they good people but Brandi and Jerad are the kind of couple that you look at and just know how beautiful their babies are going to be someday! Brandi seriously has the clearest complexion, the prettiest eyes, the whitest teeth, and the softest hair I have ever seen (yes, I am a bit envious)... and Jerad isn't too shabby himself! : ) Anywho, lots of favorites from the day... we already know how indecisive I am. <3

Brandi...you are gorgeous!!!

Charles Family

2009-07-13T22:05:00.002-05:00

So this was sort of a multi purpose session... Gabe's newborn pictures, Sidney's 2 year portraits, and a family session combined. I always have a great time photographing this family but this day was bittersweet because dad only had a few short days left with his family before he was being deployed to Iraq. I wanted to focus on capturing their family interacting in their everyday life to give Eric some pictures to remind him of home instead of a bunch of posed portraits. Thanks Mariah and Eric for letting me spend the afternoon with you. And a special thank you to Eric... Thank you for your sacrifice and all you do to keep us safe!

Ok, I think this is officially my longest blog post ever but I wanted lots of pictures for dad to look at!

Silly Sidney and her daddy : )

A special picture for daddy <3

Does it look like him? : )

this one makes me laugh : )

Sidney wanted to show me her birthday present from grandma and grandpa

Ok, one more and I promise I'm done. I love these of silly Sidney playing peek-a-boo

Logan's newborn session ~Sneak Peek~

2009-07-13T21:53:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to post a quick pic from Logan's newborn session yesterday. He was such a good baby! Thanks Joe and Jess for letting me snuggle on him <3

Angie, Mark, and Belly

2009-07-10T23:58:00.002-05:00

Angie and Mark have hoped and prayed for the day that they would finally become parents... 8 years to be exact. God has blessed their patience with not one but two bundles of joy. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall the day that they learned that not only was Angie pregnant but she was pregnant with twins... a boy and a girl, does it get any more perfect then that??? Angie had let me know from the beginning that she really loved the look of black and white pictures with a black background, basically the look of studio portraits. Considering that I'm an on location photographer that shoots with available light I really had no idea how I was going to make this happen for her... to be honest I really don't even know much about studio photography, let alone setting up a "traveling studio". I read up on it and decided that if she could wait 8 years to have a baby then the least I could do was give her the pictures that she wanted. So on my way to their home I stopped by my favorite photography store and purchased a 9ft roll of black paper, rented a stand for it, got out my reflectors, and prayed that I could actually pull this off. By the way, have you every tried to fit something 9 ft long in the back of your car??? Yeah, it doesn't work... I had to drive with it hanging out my back window. Hopefully though I achieved the look that Angie wanted.... we had a good time trying. See you guys next month in the delivery room!!!! : )

Then we decided to do a few outside pics before we lost the light

I love these because Mark was singing to Angie and it was sooo sweet!

and of course we couldn't forget the belly heart <3

Brandi and Jerad ~Sneak Peek~

2009-07-05T16:38:00.002-05:00

I had so much fun shooting Brandi and Jerad's engagement session today. Here's a quick sneak peek to hold Brandi over until she get's to see the rest. : )

Jared ~actor/model/ninja~

2009-07-01T23:29:00.004-05:00

Jared is a local model/actor who contacted me to update his portfolio. You might recognize him from his engagement session a while back with his gorgeous fiance Mina. I made him promise that he would hire me as his personal photographer when he lands that first big job (which with his looks and amazing personality I have no doubt that his day is coming soon)! I had so much fun working with you Jared! Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

and of course we couldn't just do your typical head shots... we're such rebels!

Oh, and did I mention that besides acting and modeling Jared is also a Ninja??? He has sweet nun-chuck skills!

I also designed a comp card for him to take on auditions.

I had so much fun during this session. If you are in need of updated shots for your portfolio or just want to practice your ninja skills be sure to contact me : )

I HEART FACES ~WEDDING BELLS~

2009-06-30T02:46:00.003-05:00

I came across a really cool photography blog tonight called I HEART FACES and they hold weekly photo contests. This weeks theme is wedding bells and I couldn't resist entering this picture of Natalie and Milton... are they not oozing love and passion for each other in this shot?! Plus this weeks guest judge is Jasmine Star and I absolutely adore her so just to have her look at one of my pictures is a prize in itself!

Gabriel Charles ~newborn~

2009-06-28T23:18:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick sneak peek from Gabe's newborn session today. He was so unhappy with us for taking his warm blanket off of him but I just love how his mommy's hand is there to soothe him.

ooohhh... I want one!

2009-06-24T00:48:00.002-05:00

So, I've recently been on the great bike search and how awesome is this??? I could haul both kids and all of my photography gear...holla!!! Click on the Madsen banner directly bellow to help me win one and I'll love you forever, I may even give you a ride in the bike-tub! <3

Angie, Mark, and Belly

2009-06-23T23:37:00.001-05:00

Here's a quick sneak peak from Angie and Mark's maternity session today. I can't wait to show you more and to tell you their story!!!

~Contest~

2009-06-20T20:29:00.001-05:00

So, since I like getting comments on my blog I'm going to bribe you with a contest. Yes, I have no shame! lol This week the winner will be the person who lives the farthest away from me... and since the week is basically over already you have until Sunday at midnight. You will get a cool prize in the mail if you win so hurry up and go leave some comments!

Oh, and since a photogrpahy blog is no good without pictures here's a quick one from Jared's "stud session" today! : )

Mariah's Maternity Session

2009-06-19T23:53:00.002-05:00

I had such a fun time photographing Mariah's maternity session a few weeks ago despite the craziness of actually trying to make it to her in one piece... right as I was leaving for her session my brakes decided to go out in my car. Thank God that I wasn't on the highway yet and was only traveling about 30 mph when I discovered that I had no brakes. This is the second time in my life that God has saved me from faulty brakes! Thankfully my good friend and fellow photographer Chantel Sutberry was nearby to rescue me and drive me an hour away to Mariah's house! Of course she had her camera and got some great shots that day too! Mariah is really into photography and was willing to do whatever I asked of her to get some amazing shots and I loved that about her! Mariah and her husband have an adorable 23 month old named Sidney who joined us for the first half of our session. They have opted to not find out the sex of this baby until the birth (which is scheduled for Father's Day!!!). Eric is being deployed to Iraq for a year just a couple of short weeks after the baby arrives... feel free to leave some comments thanking him for his amazing sacrifice in serving our country!!!

Silly Sidney had a lot of fun playing with my sunglasses!

Isn't she just adorable! She kept lifting up her dress to show us where "her baby" is... HA!

Then we moved inside for a bit where Mariah let us strip her down and wrap her up in some fabric that I had been dying to try out. See what I mean about willing to do what it takes? LOL

I know some of these are very similar but I'm very indecisive at times! It was hard enough narrowing them down for the blog!

crisp and clear...

or faded with flare??? See, indecisive!

I'm not sure why but this picture makes me happy...

Then it was Sidney's bedtime so Mariah got dressed and we got a few more shots of her and Eric.

I love how he's looking at her in this picture <3

Is she not just the cutest pregnant person ever?!

As I was packing up my gear to go home I discovered an ultrasound picture on the table and had to have one last shot!

Milton and Natalie ~Married~ PART 4 (Reception)

2009-06-18T01:13:00.002-05:00

OK, I know this seems like the never ending blog post but I promise that this is the last part... I think... ha!

details

Cutting the yummy cupcake!

This series makes me laugh...

Milton thought it might be funny to smash cake in Natalie's face...

until he realized she was holding the knife!

And speaking of cake... Natalie is the only person I know who doesn't like cake so they opted for a cupcake bar instead. It was amazing! I highly recommend the gooey butter cake cupcakes!!!

First dance as husband and wife! <3

Instead of a dj, Natalie's amazingly talented cousins provided the music for the evening. They were great! The guy on the bottom left was actually a contestant on Nashville Star (the American Idol of country music)

I have never been to a reception where everyone spent the entire evening on the dace floor. Every single person there was a dancing machine!

They had "dancing shoes" for the girls that had cute little sayings attached to each pair.

They also had a photobooth that everyone loved!

The guests were able to post their pictures along with a message into a guest book for Natalie and Milton

The bride and groom even snuck in for a few pics!

Then we ended the evening with a few night shots! <3

Again, a big thank you to my second shooter Chantel Sutberry with Sutberry Photography www.sutberryphotography.com and to my gorgeous couple Natalie and Milton... I love you guys!!!

Milton and Natalie ~Married~ PART 3 (Portraits)

2009-06-18T00:36:00.002-05:00

The handsome groom, still a little teary eyed from the ceremony...

His beautiful bride!

We only had time for a few quick portraits after the ceremony but Natalie and Milton rocked those minutes out!!!

The cutest newlyweds ever!!!

Favorite!!!

Milton and Natalie ~Married~ PART 2

2009-06-17T00:13:00.001-05:00

I absolutely adore the look on Milton's face as he first saw Natalie walking down the aisle!

There wasn't a dry eye in the entire place as Natalie and Milton exchanged their vows...

All of the sobbing caused Natalie to stumble over her words... it's nice to have some laughter amongst all of the tears!

Milton's parents were so full of joy for their son and new "daughter"!

Husband and Wife... YAY!!!

Part 3 (portraits and reception) should be up tomorrow <3

Milton and Natalie ~Married~ PART 1

2009-06-07T14:00:00.003-05:00

Natalie and Milton were married on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon in April. I absolutely loved watching these two people that God brought together joined in marriage surrounded by their closest friends and family. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as they said their vows to each other and the way that Milton looked at his bride...Wow! Every bride deserves a husband that will look at her the way that Milton looks at Natalie! Theirs is truly a love that will last a lifetime! Natalie and Milton, thank you so much for trusting me to capture your amazing day! I hope you enjoy your pictures! I <3 you guys!
A special thanks to my good friend and talented fellow photographer Chantel Sutberry for being my second shooter! You can see more of her work on her website www.sutberryphotography.com

Natalie started the day with hair and makeup at the Spa of Tranquility where she works as an awesome hair stylist!!

Seriously?! You're gorgeous Natalie!

BLING!

While we were doing some bridal portraits Natalie came up with a couple of her own poses! HA!

The handsome groom and his groomsmen

Yes Milton, you're adorable!

I think Natalie was getting a little bored waiting for the ceremony to start.

You could see the inside of the kingdom hall from the room where the girls got ready so they were trying to sneak a peak at all of the guests arriving.

What do girls do when they get bored? Come up with cheers of course! ha!

GOOOOOOOO.......

BRIDESMAIDS......

Mariah's Maternity Session ~sneak peek~

2009-05-21T01:13:00.002-05:00

I had a great time shooting Mariah's maternity session today and just wanted to blog a quick favorite. She looks absolutely stunning and she's 34 weeks pregnant with her second child!!!

technical difficulties...

2009-05-13T02:09:00.002-05:00

I apologize to those of you who have been patiently waiting for me to update my blog. I was experiencing some severe technical difficulties with my pc and after it crashed on me for the billionth time I decided that it was time to upgrade to a Mac...yay! I got my beautiful 24 inch iMac on Mothers Day and I absolutely love it. Now I just have to keep myself from throwing the pc out the window while I try to transfer all of my files onto the Mac. It's proving to be a slow process but I promise lots of picture goodness soon!!! I have A LOT of beautiful weddings that I'm in the process of editing and I can't wait to share them all with you. In the meantime here is a preview from Natalie and Milton's gorgeous wedding!

Senior Prom '09

2009-05-03T02:02:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to post a quick picture of my gorgeous "baby" sister getting ready to go to her senior prom! More coming soon :)

My little monkey is 20 months old today! <3

2009-04-30T16:57:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures that I snapped this afternoon of my little man...he's growing up sooo fast! Please excuse the mop on top of his head, we've been playing hard today! HA!

Here's what I got when I asked him to "blow mommy a kiss". Ha! So silly!

David and Katie ~Coming Soon~

2009-04-23T00:17:00.002-05:00

Here's a very small sneak peek from David and Katie's wedding day <3

Eric and Brandi ~Married~

2009-04-18T00:54:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago I second shot Brandi and Eric's wedding with my good friend Trisha Seelen from www.seelenphotography.comBrandi and Eric finally tied the knot after 11 years of dating!!! They were so sweet with each other and it was a joy to witness their outpouring of love for one another and their 2 adorable kids! Here are just a few of my favorites <3

I absolutely love the whole process of the bride getting glamorous for her wedding day!!!

Hello pretty lady!

Here's another example of how adding a texture can totally spice up a picture!

I love this shot of Brandi's nephew trying to sneak a piece of bread out of the basket <3>

Brandi and Eric's handsome son...he was my buddy that day!

Let's end with a couple of night shots!

updated to add shots of the groom and his groomsmen...

Eric and Brandi ~Sneak Peak~

2009-04-06T21:46:00.001-05:00

~Nature Trail~

2009-04-04T01:39:00.002-05:00

This evening, a good friend and I decided to take our kids for a walk along a local nature trail. The air was crisp and refreshing, the scenery was beautiful, and I enjoyed watching the little ones take it all in...it was exactly what I needed to relax and to clear my head from all of the time I've spent behind my computer lately. Here's a picture I snapped of little Riley as he tried to escape us, Ha!

Destination ~ARUBA~

2009-04-01T19:46:00.007-05:00

A few weeks ago my good friend and fellow photographer Jodi Schlosser www.jodischlosser.com contacted me with some AWESOME news...she booked a destination wedding in Aruba and wanted to know if I would be interested in coming along as her second shooter?! Let's see... 7 days in paradise, one of which will be spent photographing a beautiful couple in an intimate beach ceremony as the sun kisses the Caribbean???? Umm, heck yes I'm interested!!! Oh, and did I mention that the day following the wedding Alison, the bride, decided that she wants to do a trash the dress session on the beach... in ARUBA! Be still my heart! We will be departing on November 13th and returning home on November 20th and I am so excited...in case you couldn't tell! Jodi, I love you...thank you so much for trusting in me as your second shooter!!! And Alison and Rick I can't wait to meet you...on the beach...in Aruba!!! (ok, sorry, I was rubbing it in a little that time)
And just because a photography blog is useless without pictures here are a few of Aruba that I found online <3

Natalie and Milton ~Engaged~

2009-03-30T19:05:00.003-05:00

Natalie and Milton are pretty much the most adorable couple I have ever met. Natalie is a total sweetheart with a fun loving attitude towards life and Milton has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh... a lot, it was hard to get him to keep a straight face for our more serious "poses"! (Not to mention they're both gorgeous and completely rocked it out for the camera!) They share a love for God and a love for each other that's completely pure, genuine, and refreshing! Natalie and Milton...I had a great time at your engagement session and can not wait for your wedding next month!!!

All of their pictures turned out great...here are just a handful of favorites <3

Hello there pretty lady!

I like the symbolism of this one <3

Gorgeous light that day!

Validation!

2009-03-28T16:45:00.002-05:00

I came across this short film today and I loved it! We all want to feel validated...to have someone tell us that we matter...to genuinely smile and feel good. And as a photographer those are the smiles that I strive for! I think we could all benefit from having an attitude more like the guy in this video! Check it out <3

Fine Art Textures <3

2009-03-26T14:18:00.002-05:00

I thought I would take a minute to blog about my newly found love of textures (and when I say love I really mean mild obsession). I love how they can transform a pretty ordinary looking picture into a work of art that you will want to display in your home (FYI these look great printed on gallery style canvas wraps). Photographers, there are tons of great textures online (some free and some not so free, ha!) or you can shoot your own collection to use. If you know of any places to download some awesome textures feel free to share them here :) Here's an example of a before and after, if you would like to have the texture that I used for this picture let me know and I'd be happy to send it to you.

Natalie and Milton ~Coming Soon~

2009-03-25T18:03:00.000-05:00

Imogen Claire

2009-03-22T22:48:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I met up with an old friend that I haven't seen since High School to take some pictures of her beautiful baby girl, Imogen Claire. Imogen was such a sweet baby, she slept through most of her session and as long as I didn't mess with her too much she kept the screaming to a minimum : ) Sarah and Cory, thank you for letting me snuggle on your precious baby girl... I hope you enjoy your pictures! <3
Here are just a few of my favorites... I'm attepting my first slideshow, hopefully that will be up soon as well!

Imogen ~Coming Soon~

2009-03-16T23:37:00.002-05:00

I had a couple of fun photo sessions over the weekend so I'm super busy editing pictures this week. Here's a sneak peek of what's to come <3

Seriously, how much do you just want to snuggle her?! The bunny blanket that she's cuddling with belonged to her mommy when she was a baby : )

Pat and Brooke <3

2009-03-13T23:44:00.003-05:00

Last week I second shot Pat and Brooke's wedding with the amazing Jodi Schlosser http://www.jodischlosser.com/ . Pat and Brooke were so much fun, laughing and smiling the whole day, and were sooo excited to be marrying each other that I couldn't help but remember why I have the BEST job ever! Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your beautiful day, I hope you enjoy your pictures :)

Brookes gorgeous bouquet

I <3 this clip that Brooke wore in her hair!

Hey there pretty lady!!!

Brookes little brother was such a cutie, he's out there breaking the hearts of 11 year old girls everywhere :)

The handsome groom

Before the ceremony Pat and his best man decided to play a rousing game of paper, rock, scissors... whatever helps those pre-wedding jitters :)

Brookes little brother and sister both have the best red hair!!!

Lots of ceremony shots, I loved the inside of this church...I decided to try some new actions on these to empasize the warmth I felt there.

<3kiss<3

Trying to look cool in the 80 degree weather...

One of the groomsmen suggested we do a take on the classic Abbey Road shot... I like to call this one "Maryland Ave", ha!

Sweet...

Sassy...

Sassy-er... lol

Brooke was working it...Tyra would be so proud :)

The last of what little light we had...

During the best man speech he asked that anyone who had a set of keys to Pat's place to please return them seeing as he is now a married man. I think he was pretty suprised to see that his own mother had a set... ha!

If you follow my blog you will soon learn about my love for cake and champagne :)

This is a classic Brooke picture...always laughing and smiling...I loved that about her!

Cake smash!

Sweetest...

first...

dance...

EVER!

Father daughter dance :)

And speaking of dancing... HA!

Their dj was great...he had EVERYONE on the dance floor putting on a show for Pat and Brook... I think they liked it!

We convinced the newlyweds to sneak outside for a couple of night portraits, I like how this one turned out :)

Pat and Brooke ~Coming Soon~

2009-03-07T22:28:00.000-06:00

Kelly Manno Workshop ~mini session~

2009-03-04T09:23:00.004-06:00

Despite the fact that it was absolutely freezing out this session was so much fun!! Besides, who cares about the cold when you have these two heating things up?! Here are some of my favorites from the day <3

And just because I couldn't decide which one I liked best...

Look at this gorgeous light!!!

And here's a few more of Kelly and our models hard at work : )

Kelly Manno's workshop ~Coming Soon~

2009-03-03T02:08:00.003-06:00

I attended Kelly Manno'shttp://www.kellymannophotography.com/ very first workshop on Sunday night and had an amazing time doing a mini photoshoot of a gorgeous couple, networking with some awesome upcoming photographers, and picking Kelly's brain! I left feeling inspired and with a better understanding of this crazy but fun industry I'm so in love with. As I sit here going through some photos from our photo session I just had to stop and say...is it really fair for one couple to be so insanely cute?!?!? Seriously, look at these two...not only is Ashley a gorgeous model but she's also a rockin photographer (she runs a photography business with her sister.... http://www.lelephotography.com/). I will be posting more from this session in the next day or so, so be sure to check back soon <3

Ivy Shay ~Newborn Session~

2009-03-02T12:51:00.003-06:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of taking baby Ivy's newborn portraits. It's amazing to see how much she's grown already since photographing her birth! She is such a sweet baby and only cried because she's modest about her beauty in front of the camera :) Thank you Holly and Bob for letting me take pictures of your precious baby girl (and for letting me snuggle on her in between shots)!!!

Their adorable little family (minus Holly's other 2 girls...they were at school)

I literally squeeled when I saw these "oh so cute" shoes! Truly the daughter of a diva :)

Who can resist baby toes??? Not me!

More of Ivy's adorable little shoes in daddy's old catchers mit <3

Does it make me horrible that I love taking pictures of screaming babies?

Sleepy baby

Ivy's Newborn Session ~Coming Soon~

2009-02-28T01:50:00.000-06:00

Test...

2009-02-27T21:04:00.000-06:00

Updating my blog....

2009-02-27T07:56:00.000-06:00

Over the next couple of days I will be trying to figure out how to post larger images in my blog so please be patient with me as I briefly make a mess of things... I promise it will be worth it in the end! : )

Sebastian and Robin ~Married~

2009-02-27T00:53:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I had the opportunity to second shoot a super fun Mardi Gras themed wedding with the amazingly talented Beth Berry http://bethberrypictures.blogspot.com/! Robin and Sebastian are such a cute couple and they are so much fun to be around... it was actually my first time meeting them and by the end of the day I felt like we were old friends! Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day...I hope you enjoy your pictures!!!

I snuck this one in while Beth was having the girls pose for a group shot...Robin was cracking up the whole time, pre wedding jitters perhaps? :)

I think she caught a glimpse of her groom outside taking portraits with his groomsmen...no peeking Robin! :)

The cutest flower girl and ring bearer ever! <3

Favorite! <3

Checking out the scene before walking down the aisle

Married!!!

Cake and champagne...my two favorite things at weddings both of which I never get to enjoy...

I love listening to the speeches...

the guys usually make everyone laugh...

and the girls usually make everyone cry.

The little ring bearer really wanted the garter but somehow the tallest guy in the room ended up with it...go figure. I think it was rigged! :)

Fun party shots!

I decided to try to teach my self a fun new trick but I think I may have gotten a little carried away!

Sebastian and Robin ~Coming Soon~

2009-02-25T23:59:00.000-06:00

Here are a few detail shots to hold you over until I get the rest up... can you guess the theme for their wedding? :)

Mina and Jared ~Engaged~

2009-02-18T23:54:00.001-06:00

Saturday I got the opportunity to spend the afternoon with Mina, Jared, and Mina's little boy Isaiah and I had a blast getting to know them! We met up at the Old Spaghetti factory and made our way down to the grafiti wall. I'm pretty sure that we picked the coldest day of the month for their engagement session but Mina and Jared were H-O-T hot!!! They are sooo in love and so passionate about each other and I loved that about them! Jared looks at Mina like he could just eat her up and the whole time we were shooting he was whispering sweet nothings in her ear (ok, it was probably more along the lines of being x-rated but we'll keep it clean for the blog! HA!) We got a lot of cute shots in...I always have a hard time chosing my favorites so here are just a handful to hold Mina over...I know she's dying to see them! Thank you Mina and Jared for being so much fun to work with...you guys are going to have an amazing life together!!!

Jared proposed to Mina under the Arch so we had to make sure to include it in some of our shots!

And of course we had to get Isaiah in there as well! Poor little guy was freezing but he was such a trooper!

See..HOT right?! :)

Mina was working it...look at her smiling with her eyes, Tyra would be so proud!!!

Hmm...I wonder what Jared was whispering here?

I think Jared liked this pose...HA!

I was all up in their business to get this shot but I love the way it turned out!

~Mina and Jared~ Coming Soon!!!

2009-02-15T08:53:00.001-06:00

Inspiration

2009-02-06T10:53:00.000-06:00

I've recently challenged myself to find something every single day that inspires me to see things differently. As you grow older things become routine...familiar. You start to look at things without really seeing. As a child your eyes are wide open... everything is fresh, new, and different. A box is no longer just a box...it's a race car, a space ship, a castle....whatever you want it to be. My 7 year old has an amazing gift to see things in ways I would never imagine and there is no limit to his creativity. He loves art in all forms (drawing, painting, making something from nothing) and he does it all so effortlessly! So today my inspiration is my son! I pray for God to open my eyes so that I can stop looking and start seeing...to have a brand new fresh take on the world around me...to give me the eyes of a child.

Ivy Shay ~Birth Story~

2009-02-02T00:38:00.000-06:00

Ok, first off I appologize for this being the longest blog EVER but this was my very first time shooting a birth story and I'm super excited about it!!! It was the most amazing experience and I took a few hundred pictures (all of which turned out great) so narrowing them down for the blog was next to impossible for me!
Thursday morning I received the phone call letting me know that my favorite preggo, Holly, had gone into labor so I hopped in my car and headed out to St. Johns. By the time I got there I think I was as nervous as if I were about to give birth myself but once I saw Holly and Bob I was immediately at ease and ready to do my job (I seriously have the best clients in the world) Holly is superwoman and decided to go through labor and delivery completely drug free!!! She is now on my top ten list of people to never have on my bad side!!! This is Holly's third time giving birth but the first time doing it all natural (she has a 12 year gap between the 2nd and the 3rd so I think she may have forgotten the pain over time...lol). She was completely amazing though and never once asked for any meds!!! What made things even more exciting was the fact that Holly and Bob decided not to find out the sex of the baby until he or she was born so we were all placing bets on whether they would have a boy or a girl...I bet on a boy but obviously I'm not a gambling woman :) Ivy made her entrance into the world at 11:09 and I feel so blessed that I was there to witness something so beautiful!!! Holly and Bob, I love you guys...thank you so much for letting me be a part of such a significant day in your lives!!! Oh, and Holly...now that I've seen all of your woman parts I think we may qualify as BFF's :)

Being the Diva that she is Holly insisted on having her eyebrows done before giving birth! HA!

Since Bob wasn't able to make it to our maternity session Holly really wanted to get a few pictures of his hands on her belly before the baby arrived.

No drugs...

Bob was so sweet with Holly...he never left her side!

I loved all of the different emotions on his face as he watched and encouraged Holly when labor got difficult.

If you ever want some dramatic mood lighting just visit a labor and delivery room :)

Ok...check out Bob's expression when the doctor pointed out that the baby's head was crowning...how incredibly funny is this!!!

It's a GIRL!!!

Baby feet :) I swear she has all of her toes, she just didn't want to show them off, HA!

Seeing her beautiful daughter for the first time!

I think he's in love!

Favorite of the day!

First kisses from mommy and daddy!
I think the doctor who delivered Ivy looks just like Lexi Grey on Grey's Anatomy :)
Proud Grandma!!!
What a sweet baby girl! She looks just like daddy here!

Ivy Shay ~Coming Soon~

2009-02-01T00:37:00.000-06:00

Oh yeah...Lightning is ready...cha-pow!

2009-01-22T13:17:00.000-06:00

Aiden has developed a new love (more like obsession) for Lightning McQueen and if the movie, Cars, is not being displayed on our television 24/7 he is not happy about it! Here he is letting me know that his favorite part is about to come on. I know that as his mother I am biased but does that little smile not melt your heart??? Aiden, please stop growing up so quickly, mommy hasn't figured out a way to freeze time yet so until I do I'll just have to keep taking pictures <3

Holly's Baby Bump!

2009-01-15T07:59:00.001-06:00

Holly and her husband are expecting baby #3 within the next few weeks...how exciting! The best part of their story is that this baby was a complete and total surprise for them...Holly has 2 girls (19 and 12) and thought that she was done having babies. God had a different plan for them though! Keeping with the "surprise" theme they decided to wait to find out the sex of the baby until the birth so for now we will call him or her Baby Brown :) (FYI Brown is their last name...I didn't just pick a random color...Ha!)
I had sooooo much fun shooting Holly's maternity pictures! She decided that she didn't want many "traditional" shots so we went for a boudoir maternity session (which was a first for me). I absolutely love the pregnant form and Holly totally embraced her curves and looked stunning in front of the camera!!! Unfortunately Holly's husband had to work later than expected that day so she had to fly solo on this shoot...we're going to try to make this a 2 part session and capture some images of them together before Baby Brown is born :)

Holly needed to stop for a snack...who knew being a Diva was such hard work? :)

Her girls came home while we were shooting and I was able to get a sweet picture of Holly with all of her babies :)

She wanted a picture of all of their hands on her belly

You totally rocked this photo shoot Holly! I can't wait to get the phone call saying Baby Brown is on the way! :)

Don't smile Ethan!!! :)

2009-01-11T00:20:00.000-06:00

Ethan is my 7 year old who refuses to smile for the camera...ever! It's not just my camera...it's all cameras. It's not that he doesn't like to have his picture taken because he does, he just doesn't like to smile for the camera. It's always "hey mom, get a close up of my mean face" or "take a picture of this awesome move" lol. It's so funny though because when it comes time for any type of portraits where he knows he's going to have to smile he gets a little panicky and out comes the "Chandler Bing" smile (all of you Friends fans know what I'm talking about)! I always try my best to say or do something funny to get a natural smile out of him so it doesn't look completely forced but it's not always an easy task...he has a pretty good poker face. Well, I finally found his weakness....Sarah! Sarah is the little girl next door who Ethan walks to and from the bus stop with every day. Lately she's been coming over after school to play and I think that Ethan has become quite smitten with her because whenever I mention her name he can't help but smile... so I like to tease him about it... yes I know I'm mean!

Hey Ethan...is Sarah coming over today?

Do you loooove her?

Smile if you love Sarah....

Don't do it Ethan...don't smile...if you do it means you're IN LOOOVVVEEE...hehehe!

he's fighting it sooo hard! lol

There it is... I won! Maybe Sarah shouldn't come over anymore...he's not allowed to love any girls other than his mommy :)

Holly's Baby Bump ~Coming Soon~

2009-01-08T22:32:00.000-06:00

Lauren's Maternity Session!

2008-12-09T20:23:00.000-06:00

I got to spend a fun afternoon with Lauren and her husband Garrett taking pictures of her super cute baby bump! It was too cold for bare belly pictures (which are my absolute favorite!) but I think these turned out great! They're such a fun couple and Garrett was soooo cute with "the belly"...they're going to be amazing parents! Lauren and Garrett, thanks for making my "job" so much fun... I can't wait till the little guy gets here!!!

Lauren's Maternity Session ~ Coming Soon!

2008-12-08T22:47:00.000-06:00

Jon and Dana ~ Married!

2008-12-08T15:03:00.001-06:00

A little over a week ago I had the amazing opportunity to second shoot Jon and Dana's wedding with Jodi from Life in Print http://www.life-in-print.com/. The weather was great that day so we trotted all over Edwardsville, including a random farm where I'm pretty sure we ticked off the farmer...oops! The ceremony was beautiful and their reception was a ton of fun thanks to Downtime Productions (the awesome band that Jon and his brother are both members of)! Thanks for inviting me to shoot with you Jodi and thanks so much to Dana and Jon for letting me be a part of your special day!!!
Ok, I narrowed it down to a handful of pictures but it was hard... when you get to work with such a gorgeous couple how do you even begin to choose? : )

Dana's dress was beautiful!

Jon was grinning from ear to ear all morning...it was so stinkin cute!

Seeing each other for the first time before the ceremony.

He ADORES her! <3

Such a sweet moment between Dana and her grandma!

Something about Jazz Hands....? : )

Jon and his brother Dave are rockstars!!!

The Spindler Wedding - COMING SOON : )

2008-12-03T01:18:00.000-06:00

I will be posting pictures within the next day or so...but for now I leave you with a picture of Dana's amazing bouquet :)

Night Shots!

2008-11-30T13:23:00.000-06:00

How cute are these two?! For any of you Gossip Girl fans out there I think that the groom looks just like Penn Badgley (he plays Dan on the show).

Shot party!

2008-11-19T21:54:00.001-06:00

There were so many great shots that day...I had a hard time narrowing them down! Check out this gorge0us couple that we got to work with!

I see you Kelly :)http://kellymanno.blogspot.com

Shot Party - Sneak Peek!

2008-11-18T00:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I attended a shot party hosted by the fabulous Kelly Manno (check out our group photo on her blog)http://www.kellymanno.blogspot.com/ . I had a great time and got to meet some pretty amazing Stl. photographers! We had two super gorgeous couples to work with too...he's a preview of what's to come. Enjoy!

Who cares about the chilly weather when you've got these two steaming up the place! : )

Baby Sawyer

2008-11-17T01:36:00.000-06:00

Hey guys...welcome to my new blog! I'm featuring the oh so adorable baby Sawyer's 3 month photos as my first post. I've been very good friends with Sawyers mommy for many many moons now and it was great spending the afternoon catching up with her and her family!