I'm Calling the Shots

NEW BLOG!!!!

2011-02-17T12:24:00.001-08:00

After a long time of going back and forth on starting a new blog, I've finally done it. I love that I have followers over here and I sure hope you all show up over there as well. I'll be posting the same kinds of things (obviously pictures) but I'll also be doing occasional tips for taking better pictures, choosing a nice camera, or finding a killer location. So, head over there and comment. It's nice to know that people are actually looking at my blog. :)

Snow- Colorado Springs Family Photographer

2011-01-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

I love these girls... not much else to say.

The Ladies~ Colorado Springs Children Photographer

2011-01-19T15:30:00.000-08:00

This one's mine. :)

I have blogged about these darling little girls more times than I can count. I can't help it. I love them. I adore them. I can't get enough of them. They are use to sunny San Diego so when they headed up for a visit they were pleasently surprised with a mountain of snow. They played... and played.... and played in the snow. While we were out trying to build a snowman (didn't work out so well) I took a few pictures. They were good sports. I'm trying to figure out the best way to take snowy pictures. It's kinda challenging because it's so darn reflective. (a good thing usually...) I got a few cute ones of them with their mom too but those ones aren't done so these will have to do for now. In case I haven't mentioned, I love these girls... and I miss them. :(

A Long While Later~ Colorado Family Photographer

2011-01-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

My poor family. I take pictures of my family (and Bryan's family) for a major discount (like, for free). But with this, comes a consequence. In this case, Ben and Jess had to wait for me to pack up and move Bryan to Colorado Springs, be a single mom for 3 weeks while packing up the rest of us, moving the rest of us to Colorado, finishing up paying clients (they get priority), get settled, forget about the pictures, remember about the pictures, forget again, and finally remember again. But, alas, they are done. 8 million years later. :) I hope they like them and that they were worth the wait. I love this sweet family. I hate not living by them but I honestly think it will be a life long thing. Boo!!!

Ben just got accepted to a Doctoral program (don't ask me what kind... don't know) in sunny and humid Austin, Texas to the University of Texas. That's super awesome because it was his first choice. But it's super lame because it's further away than they already are. We are SO excited for him and his family to have this adventure and even more proud of him for getting accepted. We never really thought he'd amount to anything. ;) Kidding. He's destined for greatness and everyone who meets him knows it.

I've posted this next picture before but I just love it so much that I am including it again. Aren't the cute?!?!

So happy together!!
This picture... The time I spent in Photoshop... I'm not telling you what I did because then you'll notice all the mess ups. :)

Such Beauty~ Colorado Springs Children Photographer

2011-01-11T20:13:00.000-08:00

Colorado Springs is so very beautiful. We have loved it since we arrived here a little less than two months ago. This park is in a darling little neighborhood, and my kids and I decided to brave the chilly winter air to go play. Snow was on it's way so we knew we had to act fast. I think we lasted all of 5 minutes before they were begging me to get back in the car. It was cold but more damaging than that it was WINDY!! The pictures make it look like a beautiful, sunny, summer afternoon. Nope. It was just great light. IT WAS COLD. C.O.L.D. I put up no argument when the kids wanted to head in for a nice, warm cup of hot chocolate. (which we go through like Kleenex these days.)

Little Miss P was definitely the funniest. She looks like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man in her jacket (which I practically have to duct tape to her so she won't take it off) with her hat falling over her eyes. I'm sure she can't see a darn thing but she just cruises around like she's having the time of her life.

It was so stinking windy that he couldn't even keep his eyes open for a picture.

I love these plants. I call them wheat but I honestly have no idea what they are. But they're everywhere and I think the reason Colorado Springs plants them is because they look so pretty when they blow in the wind... which is always blowing.

Denver Nuggets ~ Colorado Springs Photographer

2010-12-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Bryan and I were lucky enough to get front row seats to the Nuggets/Clippers game. And when I say front row, I literally mean on the floor, in the folding chairs, no one sitting in front of us, 10 feet from the Nugget players on the side lines, listening to them talk to each other, almost right under the basket. It was SO awesome. The Nuggets won me over that night. But, LET THIS BE CRYSTAL CLEAR, I AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE A SUNS FAN FIRST AND FOREMOST. I owe that much to my darling husband. But, I have to jump on some Denver bandwagon since we are settled here now... and it won't be the Broncos so the Nuggets win. (plus, I like watching basketball more than other sports.) We had a blast at the game and it was definitely the best date night we've had for a while. The Nuggets squeezed out a win and we got to watch Griffen, who I learned is a rookie who's super awesome, play against them. Did I mention that the tickets were FREE?!?!?

Carmelo Anthony

Nene.

Anderson and all his awesome tats. (They were so cool but if my son EVER covered himself to this extent I would rip his ears off.)
Griffen and Nene.
Afflalo warming up. (I think this is him...)

What a Foxy Crowd!

2010-12-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

This family is just beautiful. (Obviously.) They were so much fun to take pictures of... even if I did have to get rid of some mosquitos in Photoshop. They were troopers and the kids very very obedient. :) Their cute little girl even decided that she LOVES me. YAY!!!

I love this picture... so cute and candid.

More Macro

2010-12-02T21:41:00.000-08:00

I love these curls. I know she'll hate them one day. I know she'll straighten her hair as soon as she's old enough to know that she doesn't HAVE to listen to me (shhh, don't tell her that's an option) but until then I will enjoy her curls every moment of every day. She is hands down the MOST adorable little girl in the world. (coming from a completely unbiased source, of course. :))

I Love Him

2010-11-29T21:29:00.000-08:00

I love this little man so very much...

Miss Optimistic

2010-11-23T15:34:00.000-08:00

I could not possibly love this sweetheart more! She is ALWAYS upbeat and optimistic. Just looking at her makes me smile. I do not doubt for even a moment that we will be forever friends. Her faith in me helped me be a better leader... faith I didn't really earn and probably didn't deserve. I love you, Miss J!

A Pro in front of the Lens

2010-11-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

This sweet girl was so easy to take pictures of. She was very comfortable in front of the camera. Maybe she'll end up being a model. :) I always enjoy my time with her. She brings a smile to my face every time we chat and I just love following her on Facebook. She's such a smart young woman with loads of potential... and I pray daily that she sees that potential and knows how much she is loved by her Father in Heaven. (and of course her new YW pres and me!!)

My Newest One

2010-11-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

This sweet future Oscar winner came into our Laurel class right before I was released. I fell in love with her spunk and charm long before she was a Laurel though. She is SO strong. I wish she could see how strong she is... how very amazing she is. I know, in time, she will. She will go far in life and somewhere, there is some lucky boy out there who is going to get much much more than he bargained for... in a good way. This beautiful girl brightens my day every time I get an unexpected text from her. I hope they never ever stop!!

Miss K

2010-11-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

This young lady is so amazing. Her life is going to be filled with many accomplishments and I can't wait to see what's in store for her. She was the Laurel class president and one of my very biggest helpers. She made my calling SO much easier! My life is just so much better having known her and I just LOVE her!

One of the Funnest Shoots EVER!

2010-11-08T20:02:00.001-08:00

This shoot was O for Owesome. (Shout out to any Kiwis out there). Before I got released from my KILLER church calling I took my darling Laurels out for a little Senior shoot. It was truly a mini session since there were 5 of them there (so bummed a few couldn't make it!!) but we had a blast and these girls let their fun personalities show. Here is the first of the 5 girls. I'll post another one in a few days. These girls have changed my life more than they will EVER know. I adore them, admire them, miss them, and love them unconditionally. No other Young Women will ever compare to these girls. They broke me in as a YW leader and I will be forever indebted to them for not judging me for the mistakes I made while blindly leading them through this crazy world we live in.
With each post I will say a few things I love about the YW who is being "featured." This one... well, this sweet angel says things how they are. She is talented (piano), humble, and wise. She always made great comments and asked thought provoking questions. I love you, Miss B!

Baby H is One!

2010-11-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun taking pictures of this little munchkin. She wasn't super into smiling but we had so many cute outfits and got TONS of really cute pictures. Her mom makes DARLING headbands (Design Stash) a few of which I have for my girls.

Family

2010-10-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

I love this family. This is Bryan's cute little brother and his family and I just adore them!!

Time Flies

2010-10-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

I took pictures of this senior for the first time about 2 1/2 years ago. He was younger (obviously) and a little, well, I'll just say it, awkward. Now, however... WOW! He's seriously so very darling, and, clearly, quite easy on the eyes. I am so glad I was able to take his senior pictures and show is serious side as well as get a few smiles in there for Mom.

Bea-u-tiful!

2010-09-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is one of my closest friend EVER. She's awesome and one of the things I will miss the most about Arizona. I can't believe I am going to miss her little man growing up. So unfair. Her girls have become like my own.
We had a lot of fun going out and getting all kinds of dirty for these pictures. We found a new location (that I have been sworn to secrecy on) and had a great time exploring. The light was PERFECT and everything about my preggers friend was as well. I love taking pictures of pretty people. It takes the work out of the job. :)

Yummy Baby

2010-09-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

I had a BLAST shooting this little angel. She was PERFECT the entire time. Mommy was a great assistant, too. I think more than anything she was just glad to be able to move around with relative ease after being pregnant for far too long. Too bad they don't stay this little forever, huh? I'm sure she's already grown a ton.

Ash

2010-09-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

Meet Ashby. She's awesome. AWE.SOME. I pink puffy heart this little mama. We've been friends since we started our college careers together. (We'll say it was a mere 5 years ago as to not sound too old. ;) ) She's preggers with her third so I begged and pleaded with her to let me take pics. It was so fun and just 24 hours later little baby L made her big debut. Fear not, I went to the hospital and smothered the little thing with kisses galore. I thought about making a run for it with her but they have all kinds of alarms on those babes. Plus, Ash would have probably been all kinds of mad at me. I did, however, make it back over to her place to take pictures when that sweet little thing was only four days old. She was a DREAM!! Pictures of that coming soon!

"Ummm... Ash... there may or may not be chocolate all over the left side of your chin..."

This one is my fave...

The First in a While

2010-08-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

I catch a lot of good candid shots of my kids. But RARELY do I take them out for an actual photo shoot. Honestly, after this one I remembered why. In the end it was all worth it because I did get some REALLY cute pics that are in the process of becoming canvases in my home.

One of my Oldest Friends Ever

2010-07-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

This amazingly beautiful girl is my old roomie... In fact, before we were roommates, we met and become close friends/pen pals at a church camp when we were 15 years old. We have officially been friends longer than we haven't been friends. (Starting to feel super old here!) I ADORE her!! And her true love. They are so stinking cute together and they are PERFECT together. I am so glad I got to take their pictures. I know these two lovebirds are going to have a long happy life together filled with over analyzing and rehashing. :)

Current Favorite Picture

2010-06-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

This picture is my current favorite for so many reasons.

1. It's my family.

2. Look at my Grandma's face. Absolute JOY!... despite being surrounded by these bafoons.

3. It's so real. I mean, it's posed, of course, but you can see the laughter in their eyes. I LOVE LOVE LOVE pictures like that. Pictures where you can tell that while people know there is a picture being taken, they are genuinely having fun.

All that being said, the busy background is driving me batty. But it's a wedding. Lots of people around. :)

Muscle Man

2010-06-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

I'll post more of this mini Superman and his super fam when I'm not crazy busy, crazy lazy, and crazy tired. But seriously, how awesome is this picture. He's my little Tag-man!

Sisters...

2010-05-15T22:44:00.000-07:00

I love this girl. When I met her she was a cute little 10 year old... and now... well, clearly she isn't 10 anymore. I am so very grateful to count her as one of my sisters. One of the MANY benefits to marrying into Bryan's super aw some family.

I love that this picture says 2010 in the graffiti... totally random, right? So cool.

Distance Sucks

2010-04-24T23:54:00.000-07:00

I just adored these two little long distance love birds. They did a bit of giggling and I couldn't help but tease them. Nate was MORE than willing to wrap his arms around his girlie and SUPER cooperative when I asked for a kiss. (Clarification: I was asking for him to kiss HER... I was NOT asking for a kiss for me...) I can already tell these two are going to have a blast being married. They laughed so much. That's a good thing in marriage. :) They are a beautiful couple and I can't wait for them to be married so they can live in the same state! Honestly don't know how they do it.

This is not one of the images they chose but I edited it anyways because I love it. I love the way she's looking at him and how sincere his smile is. The nice thing about editing a picture you aren't being paid to edit: I can do it however I want. :)

This was another personal choice. I love that there are hearts on her shoes...

Single Looking to Mingle

2010-04-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

That's right. This cute thing is headed off to college in a few months and ready to meet some new boys. The best news is that the inside matches the outside. She is such an amazing girl and I get to work with her every week at church. It makes me happy to know that the future of this world and our church is in the hands of girls like her. She's so fun, cool, beautiful (obviously), motivated, and sees the whole picture. I had SO much fun going out and playing with her a few days ago!!

A Family Affair

2010-04-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

I did a shoot at the PRE crack of dawn for these little love birds. Aside from it being (Arizona's version of) FREEZING, it was nearly pitch black when we got there at 6:00am. The picture above was taken right when I got there. Needless to say, we shot the breeze and got to know each other for about 30 minutes while it got light enough to shoot.

The wait was worth it. These two were SO darling and are anxiously awaiting the day next month when they tie the ol' knot! I'm excited for them! We even saved a little bit of time to snap a few of his BEAUTIFUL sister for her High School graduation pictures. It was so much fun! I love my "job"!

What? No they didn't... I don't know what you're talking about.

Such perty light...

Beauty runs in the family, obviously.

I didn't include their actual announcement picture so people will be surprised when they get it in the mail.

Saddle Up!

2010-03-31T20:46:00.000-07:00

This beautiful family is the product of my amazingly beautiful old roommate and the fabulous man she married. I cannot begin to tell her how very proud I am of the woman she has become and the family she is raising. She is doing her radiology residency and is probably the most non judgemental person I have ever met. She definitely has a "whatever makes you happy" attitude I envy greatly. And don't even get me started on her husband. He. Is. Perfect! Perfect for her. I just adore him!! I can tell from the little time I have spent with him that he is an involved father and attentive husband. I hope she likes the pictures...

What a Babe!

2010-02-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

I have beautiful sister-in-laws... this one is one of the 5 prettiest of Bryan's sisters. And, boys, she's available! :) She's the whole package: smart, tall, athletic, funny, natural, and clearly: BEAUTIFUL!

Slacker

2010-02-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

Not this baby... and not this baby mama... ME. I can't help it. I'm tired. I'm overworked. I'm easily frustrated. I have a constant headache. I. am. tired. I am going to try to do better with updating my photog blog but I always promised myself that photography would never become my life (business-ly speaking). My family is my life and I am trying my darnedest to keep it that way. My family. My church calling. Then, my passion: Photography. I love them all!

Such a sweet big sister! She's the oldest of the five kids; he is, obviously, the youngest.

Ok, this one is my favorite one. I LOVE it!! I love the hat. I love that you can't see his eyes. I just love it!Prettiest new mommy around. I love this girl. She is, and always will be, one of my very closest friends!

"Too close... a little too close."

2010-01-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

Name that movie...

Aladdin... very beginning. Right after "Arabian Nights." Great movie. One of my faves.

It's time...

2010-01-20T15:55:00.000-08:00

The time has come for me to start really trying to sell prints. I have had a few clients lately want to buy big images. They are SO beautiful!! So, I am going to really start trying to sell them. I don't think (in fact, I know) people do not see their family pictures as art. When in reality, pictures of your family are the most beautiful pieces of art you can put on your wall.
I also know it's hard to spend a fair amount of money on a canvas or a large print (I'm talking 24"x36") so I am also doing story boards. To show everyone how cool story boards are, I am going to start posting my previews in story board form. They are so pretty and tell such fun stories!! Let me know if you are interested in ordering a canvas or story board and I'll give you a price.
So, that's my soapbox. :) Without further adieu here is my super duper awesomely cool cousin and his family. They have been featured more than once on my blog and I'm sure will be featured for years to come... unless they fire me.... (which probably won't happen since I give them a screamin' deal!)

Bradley and Jessi

2010-01-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

A long time ago when Bryan and I met, his baby brother decided he didn't like me. (He now denies this but actions spoke louder than words.) It took me a while to win him over but I finally did and he has had a special place in my heart ever since. (Carter is named after him, in fact.) He is just as much a little brother to me as my own brothers, if not more so because he's so much younger than me. I have told Bryan so many times it's been fun watching Bradley grow up because I some how imagine that is how Bryan was, although Bradley is definitely more confident than Bryan was at his age. It's like getting a little peek into what Bryan was like as a teenager. I can't believe the days of watching him grow up are all gone... now he's a real life adult making really important decisions. Scary!

This is Bradley now, and his darling soon-to-be wifey. She's so very sweet (and obviously beautiful) and we are all excited to get to know her. I seriously canNOT believe that Bradley is old enough to get married. Sometimes I still can't believe he can even drive. Yesterday we went out and spent a few hours taking pictures. These are some of my favorites. The reason I posted these ones is because, aside from the first, they are not "announcement" pictures. I will post some more once they pick their favorites.

My Old Roomie

2010-01-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

I have known this girl for YEARS! We met on a semester abroad in New Zealand and have been great friends ever since. Her little ladies are SO cute! They were troopers in the freezing weather and an absolute dream to photograph.

The L Family

2010-01-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

I did pictures of this darling family last year and my, how things have changed! Last year, Mommy was super pregnant. Now they have another little boy who, while FREEZING, did wonderfully for the camera. These pictures just melt my little heart. Can't you just feel the love?

17 Again

2009-12-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

I cannot even tell you how much FUN I had with these girlies. The one below on the right is my super beautiful SIL. These Seniors have the CUTEST personalities... but I gotta say, being 17 is tiring and I'm glad it's over for me. One thing's for sure, I've never have a photo shoot that has received so many cat calls.

Ok, One More

2009-11-30T20:23:00.000-08:00

I felt bad leaving Ryan out so here's one of the perty couple. (now you know why their kids are so cute.)

Our Closest Friends

2009-11-30T19:16:00.000-08:00

Last month when we went to San Diego we went with our closest friends. I know I have talked about these guys on my family blog as well as this blog, but I just love them. They are the best!! Now, if only they would get on it and have another babe so Preslee would have a friend. ;) I figure if I'm the squeaky wheel eventually I'll wear them down enough that they'll consider it.

Sorry your face didn't make the cut, Ryan... what can I say... :)

I Literally CANNOT Stand It!!

2009-11-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

I'm the first to admit I haven't been doing this photography thing for a million years... but I have seen my fair share of families... cute families... but this one? Well, this family just might take the cake. They were SO well behaved. I can't even stand how cute these kids are! Seriously, the FIRST picture I took could be on a Christmas card. I had so much fun and hopefully so did they.

I don't know what it is about jumping pictures but I just LOVE them. It just allows everyone to loosen up, laugh, and be themselves. And that is what pictures are all about.

Bebe

2009-11-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

I love photographing babies! I just do. It's challenging and always a learning experience. Last night while I was talking to this new mommy on the phone she said, "Oh, she's sleeping ALL the time still." Ummm... yeah.... not so much during the session. This little one didn't want to miss a minute of what was going on. But we got some darling pictures and I can't wait to get the whole family in front of the camera next week.

Quick side note: Even though my little squirt is only 2 1/2 months older than this one, there is already such a difference. It makes me sad she's growing up so fast!

The J Family

2009-11-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

This family wanted their pictures done at the Temple so they could get a "desert" landscape... I literally started laughing when the Mom told me this. They just moved here from Utah so it makes sense why she thinks this is "desert". To me (and probably most of us) this is as lush as it gets out here in the desert. :)
Anyways, this one is to prove that we got at least TWO good family ones. Little Miss P was SO uninterested in the camera and sitting still it wasn't even funny. But she's so cute it makes up for her wandering. (Including trying to leave the temple grounds with all the Fruit Loops.)

Family

2009-10-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about being from a big family is that you get to take pictures of them all around the holidays. I really love it. And I'm lucky because they are all very considerate of my schedule and aren't annoying about getting their pictures back within 20 minutes. :) Plus, it's always fun to take pictures of the people you love.

Nic, this one's for you.... kissing. (Plus, I love the way their cute baby is peering over Daddy's shoulder.)

It was so cute to watch Mommy and Daddy's smiles to go from fake to real the MOMENT their baby started laughing.

I absolutely LOVE this picture! I don't know if I love it more in color or black and white. Isn't she beautiful?

I love getting pictures of babies (especially girls) with their fathers. Daddy's miss out on so much while they're working and that sucks for them. Plus, I know how much is melts me to watch my husband with my girls.

In a Nutshell

2009-10-25T09:43:00.001-07:00

This was the photoshoot. But I got some DARLING pictures. More to come.

The C Family

2009-10-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

I did family pictures for this beautiful family last year. It's so fun to see how big the kids have gotten. They are such a fun family who made me work hard to get smiles from them. Totally worth it though. :)

The Savvy Photographer

2009-10-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

For those of you into photogrpahy, check out The Savvy Photographer. It's a cool blog with some useful info.

Can't Argue with the Arizona Sunsets

2009-10-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

They're the best in the world.

Back in the Saddle

2009-10-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

Gotta say, it's good to be back out shooting again. Not that I don't TOTALLY adore taking pictures of my kids but it's nice to have a challenge and change of scenery. (Clearly that didn't come out right because my kids are definitely a challenge.) This hot blond number is one of my closest friends from high school. I ADORE her, and her entire family. In fact, she and her hubby (also a really close friend from HS) have been together since they were 15. I've known them all forever. (And boy, do I have stories I could tell about those two...)
Funny story, the first time my friend and I went to her boyfriend/husband's house his younger brother (in the entire family shot) shamelessly flirted with us both. He's... three (?) years younger than us. Now he's a big hot shot but EVERY time I look at him I see that little kid who asked if we were swimsuit models. (Can't remember which of us he asked but I remember we got a real kick out of it.) Good news: He's now an adult... a sweet one.
I LOVE this entire family. All three generations.

Candy!

2009-10-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

And this one, just because she has the most killer eyes ever.

And he's just so stinking cute!

Now Booking for the Holidays

2009-08-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

So, while I'm not QUITE ready to start taking pictures again, I am ready to think about it and start booking for the holiday season. I'll be taking it nice and easy and not taking a whole lot of shoots. Check out my website to see my prices. Let me know if you want to set something up. In the mean time, enjoy my kids. They're cuter than yours. ;)

Love!!

2009-08-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my new little darling. We are just eating her up and enjoying every last minute.

A Cooperative 2 Year Old?!?!

2009-08-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

You can imagine my shock when she WANTED her picture taken.... Couldn't say no.

There are a million more cute ones but these are a few of my favorites.

Peanut

2009-08-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

The newest addition:

Vacay

2009-07-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favorites from a trip we took last week.

Look towards the Light

2009-06-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

I love this picture. She looks like she's contemplating the deepest problems of the universe. I just told her to look out the window.

My Photog Friend

2009-06-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

This is Chelsea. She's my neighbor. She's one of my photographer peeps. She's my really great friend. I really enjoy her company... besides, my little guy has a massive crush on her daughter. TOO CUTE!

Pretty Ladies

2009-06-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

While I was in San Diego a few weeks ago a friend of mine and I forced a few of our other friends to "model" for us so we could take some pictures in this super fun location. Here's two of my favorite shots. Don't I have beautiful friends?

Slow on the Uptake...

2009-06-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

Most Photographers do storyboards... I'm not most photograhpers. I'm lazy... and kinda dumb. But I'm learning. Here are two I just did of my kiddies and I like them. Hopefully I'll get better at them as I keep learning.

Little Fishies

2009-06-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

My kids have the best swim teacher EVER! I love her to pieces! She's great with the kids and truly teaches them how to survive. I can't tell you the improvement I have seen the last 2 months with both of them. Here are some pictures from their swim lessons of them and the other kids in their classes. (Clearly I like the pictures of them jumping in the water... there are a lot more than just these-- like 100 more-- but these were some of my faves.)

A Few Pretty Pictures

2009-06-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's fun to take pictures of things that always cooperate, don't move, don't talk back to you... you know. Anyways, here are a few that I have taken recently that I really like.

What a Family!

2009-06-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

This is my husband's brother and his family. I absolutely ADORE them! They are so awesome and we don't get to see them nearly enough. I'm noticing now that I have a lot of black and white ones... sorry... I guess I just really like the black and white thing today. :) I hope they like them. By the way, my KICK BOOTY new logo is compliments of this here little Daddy. He worked really hard and dealt with a red-headed, pregnant, cranky woman who he had to please. :) Isn't it awesome though? I love it. It's perfect and I can't wait to get it onto my website.

Baby O

2009-06-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

I love this baby. Surprisingly, Daddy couldn't get her to laugh but when her fave aunt came along she was ALL smiles!!

Perty Sky

2009-05-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

More of this Beautiful Family

2009-05-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

Here are my favorites from this shoot. I really had a hard time narrowing it down because they are so perty. :)

Little Preview

2009-05-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

I love this family. I mean, they are one of my favorite families in the whole wide universe. This picture is just them. So them. Sweet, loving, cute. I just loved this picture because it's who they are. More pictures to come. I have the BEST friends!! I'm so lucky they let me take pictures of them. (quick side note: this family and the family a few posts back in the pink, gray, and black live right by each other... good looking cul-du-sac, huh?)

Night

2009-05-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

Interesting fact: Our eyes can't see all the colors that are out there at night (duh) but our camera can. This looked pitch black except for the lights on the trees... amazing. (I know, I'm a nerd... it's my photography teacher's fault... are you reading this, Wendy?) :)

By the way, while this looks like a resort, it's actually my backyard... ok, not MY backyard, but it's some one's backyard. (2 "some ones" I love very much.)

Family

2009-05-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is my brother and his SUPER cute family. Their little girl is a miracle baby. They almost post her at birth... which is why it's kind of funny that she's such a little chunk. But, in true red-head fashion, she fought back and beat the odds. It was so fun taking pictures of them, especially since their little guy was happy with me. Last year (about this time) I smacked him with my camera and he has yet to forgive me. Seriously, crusty looks every time I see him. Smacking him was an accident... but that'll teach him not to smile for me!

Nature... Non Arizona Style

2009-05-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures while on vacation last week. I loved this little field... stuck right in the middle of a neighborhood. I'll be posting some pictures soon of people in the field too! I know, SO exciting, right?! :)

Announcement

2009-05-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

See this thing growing out in front of me? Not real sure what it is but it's getting in the way of me taking pictures... so, as of May 15th-ish I won't be doing any more family pictures until probably end of September or October. (I'm due in August.) I may still be able to do things like newborn shoots for a while longer but I don't even know about that.

What that means is that you're going to be seeing a whole lot of the same people on here... and they'll more than likely be related to me. :)

BTW, you may be able to bribe me to do pictures... but it would have to be with something REALLY good!! ;)

Easter Pictures

2009-05-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

What a BEAUTIFUL family!!

2009-04-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Here are more pictures of this darling family. Such little camera hams they are and I'm glad. Made my job much easier. :)

Dude... get a room you two. Aren't they cute?

Just a few fun ones

2009-04-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

I've been working on my backlighting and while this first one isn't backlighting, the rest are. I just couldn't resist the first one. She cracks me up.

The WHOLE Fam

2009-04-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

I took pictures of this family a while ago and was excited to do it again on a bigger level. We had all three sisters and their families plus Grandma and Grandpa. It was a beautiful day and everyone was really cooperative... even the men. Here are a few.

Cousins and friends. They're the best kind because you're always close to them. (and you end up with tons of blackmail on them.) :)
What a beautiful girl!

Behind the scenes. This is what was going on while I was taking pictures of smaller groups.

Original recipe plus husbands...

You can tell who the reserved ones are and who the outgoing ones are... true personalities coming through.

The entire family. Good looking bunch, huh?

A Quick Peek

2009-04-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

I'm going to post more pictures of this ADORABLE family but this one just summed it up in one picture. This is THEM... in all their chaotic glory. I love this family. They are great friends of ours and I'm sure will be for years to come. I seriously had a blast taking their pictures this morning. The kids were SO good. It was crazy... how often does that happen? 4 kids, all smiling, all cooperating, all sitting still, all looking at me. Nuts, I tell you. Once in a lifetime!

Puppy

2009-03-26T15:40:00.001-07:00

She sleeps with this... it's her Puppy. Her brother sleeps with a puppy so she thinks her bunny is also one.

Love this picture. Not sure what it is. Just love it.

Baby Buddha

2009-03-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

This child is the easiest child in the history of the universe to photograph. I could have been done in 15 minutes and still had a plethora of pictures to choose from. I can't even STAND how chunky he is. And his personality. The best news is I see him all the time and I get to smother him with hugs, kisses, and squeezes as much as I want!! He's the BEST!

p.s. While I was out of the room his mom played with my camera. She's the one that got the bottom picture. I LOVE it. LOVE IT!

I Can't Wait Until I'm Done

2009-03-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry but I can't wait until I'm done editing these to post these pictures. I'm not sure why I find these pictures so awesome. It's certainly not my skills. I think it's Neal. The guy's amazing. He always has been. I'm sure I've driven him crazy since we were kids but he's my cousin so he HAS to love me. You know when you're kids... or teenagers and you watch your stud of a water polo playing cousin vomiting in your toilet late one night from... nevermind, we won't go there... anyways, you know when you're younger you wonder who will do what with their lives. I'm proud to say that Neal is one of the MOST amazing people I have EVER met. His only rival is his beautiful Italian, excuse me, Sicilian, wife.
So, Neal is now a brave firefighter. I am SO proud to be associated with him; to be related to him. He has a heart of gold, amazing taste in women (always has), and is one of the VERY cutest Daddy's in the world.
He let us have a tour of his Fire Station while we were out visiting last week. I can honestly say that it was the highlight of my little guy's trip. When he grows up he wants to be a "fireman dentist" and now waves and yells, "Hi, Uncle Neal" EVERY time we drive by a fire truck. It's THE cutest thing ever... next to these pictures.
Neal and Lisa's kids are so darling. I honestly don't know what it is about these pictures. It may be that I'm an emotional pregnant mess. It may be that I know that Neal will probably look at them, think they're cute, and move on with his life, never looking back. It may be that if I was Lisa, I would be beyond thrilled to have a picture of my little girl holding my husband's work hat that is so obviously been through it's share of messes. I just love these pictures. They make me want to cry... but we'll chalk that up to it being family; people I love, and pregnancy hormones.
I hope you guys like them. Thanks again for the fun day. :)

I may be posting a few more once I'm done... there are some of their little girl that are SO cute!

Spud...

2009-03-04T21:37:00.000-08:00

Fire rescue dog... my cousin is a firefighter. Coolest guy. Although not super cooperative in the picture department. :) Lucky for him I love him anyways. More pictures to come of his cuter than cute kids... taken at the fire station. I really think that the tour of the fire station was the highlight of our trip to California. What a brave cousin I have... who've thunk it... I use to make him cry back in the day. (ok, only once but we have it on video.)

My Favorite Colors

2009-02-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite color combo for pictures. Perfect, right? I mean, totally girlie on her part but not at all girlie for him. (Got the BEST "I'm so cool" shot of him!!) I must have told these two at least 20 times how much I loved their clothes... I'm sure you'll agree with me.
I must also mention that these two love birds are also looking to add to their family. I seriously fell in love with these two along with the other couple. I kind of want them to adopt me... would that be weird? :) So, again, if you know anyone who is looking for an amazing, loving, LDS home, for their unborn child please contact me and I will get you in touch with this amazing couple. I could tell from my short encounter that they will be great parents.

Flowers In Winter

2009-02-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

Aren't these flowers beautiful? When I get to take pictures like these it reminds me why I live in a place that serves as Satan's summer home. The winters are amazing!! (I'm not even going to mention how gorgeous the subject is here. I'm SURE it hasn't escaped your attention...) :)

Family In Waiting

2009-02-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

How darling is this couple? I know what you're thinking: "A couple this cute is DESTINED to be parents!" I completely agree with you. And so do they. Right now they are trying to adopt a baby. Doesn't that just kill you? Don't you just want to give them one of yours? (At times every mom at least hesitates before she answers no... we all have those days. :)) Anyways, I am including their blog address JUST IN CASE you know someone who is giving a baby up. I know a few couples who would be amazing parents and who are patiently waiting for the stars to align so they can adopt a beautiful baby. And the blogging world is a crazy one. You never know who is reading your blog... I know it's a shot in the dark... but...

adoptionwishes.blogspot.com

SO Cute!

2009-02-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of fun taking pictures of this family. They were SO adorable. I loved the littlest guy... when I told him to hug his brother, boy, that kid went to TOWN! Thanks for letting me snap a few pictures of your beautiful family!

Continuation of the Tutu...

2009-01-18T10:03:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of Addi in her tutu. This shoot really was a lot of fun!

Tutu Much Fun!

2009-01-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

(Like my play on words there? haha) Courtney, a really close friend of mine, and I took our girls over to Bridget Martineau's house. Bridget's husband turned their girls' bedroom into a dance studio. It is BEYOND adorable. I seriously LOVE it. So, we headed over there to take 18 month old pictures of the girls. We had a great time. Kenzie... not so much. She cheered up by the end but she REALLY gave me a run for my money and tried Courtney's patience. Anyways, we ended up getting some really cute shots of her. I'll be posting some of Addi soon. I hope you like them, Court!

Be All That You Can Be

2009-01-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

I have a very special friend named Amy. I have taken pictures of Amy's family before. This time I took pictures of Any's baby boy and baby brother... who are big tough guys in the Armed Forces. Kevin is Amy's oldest child and joined the Air Force a few months ago. Amy's baby brother (who is all of 26 years old... and Kevin's uncle) is in the Army and will be serving over seas this year. I really enjoyed this shoot. Doing a more "serious" shoot but still having fun with it. I hope the pictures are what the had in mind.

These ones are of Chris, Amy's brother.

And here's Kevin, Amy's son.

The TRUE personalities coming through...

The Ebert Family

2009-01-05T13:27:00.001-08:00

I had the wonderful privilege of taking pictures of the Ebert family the day after Christmas. It was SO SO SO COLD!!!! Seriously, us Zonies aren't use to that chilly air and even colder wind. The kids were less than thrilled and had a bit of a hard time... which led to us having to stop about 30 minutes early. But, I think we got some cute ones considering.

My favorite part about the picture above is the baby on the left. He looks like he's having a grand ol' time. (he wasn't...)

Oringinal recipe... can't you just tell that these kids had a great childhood? They look SO cute together!

Taggert and Baby Coco

2008-12-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

I did Ry and Hill's family pictures a few weeks ago and a few days later Carson (aka: Coco) was blessed. So, here are a few pictures from the eventful week. LOVE those boys! (and their parents, I suppose.)

My Patient Friend

2008-12-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

Ryan Courtney are some of our closest friends. Courtney is for sure my most patient friend. I took these pictures a month ago and am JUST NOW finishing them up. Because I took so long getting them done I am putting a nice amount of pictures on here for her to look at while she waits for the disk. I hope I got a few that she likes.

what a dork.

Spencer

2008-11-24T19:36:00.000-08:00

Ryan's partner in crime... and brother in law.

Ryan

2008-11-24T19:33:00.000-08:00

My cute baby brother... what a babe, huh?

Miss Personality...

2008-11-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

Wanna know where she gets her sass? Mom.

Don't mess with Mom. Trust me; I know.

I'm Getting to Them...

2008-11-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

Promise! But until I do, here's a preview. I thought it was cute. Oh, I DID get some cute ones of Kenzie... and TONS of Blakers. Love those kids.

I Love this Picture!

2008-11-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

I just think it's so pretty. SHE'S so pretty. I think that's why I like it. (Brian's not bad himself...) ;)

For Heather

2008-11-17T21:05:00.000-08:00

Heather is a great friend of mine. We are in the same ward and she has listened to my endless wining regarding my forever-a-student husband... and she understands! I LOVED taking pictures of her family. They were SO darling and an absolute crack up. Heather is one of my favorite people. She even MOVED so that we could stay in the same ward after the split! What a sweetie! :)

The Webbs

2008-11-14T13:55:00.000-08:00

Sarah is a great friend of mine from my neighborhood. Taking their pictures was entertaining to say the least. It was awesome to watch her and Chris be so loving and patient with the kids. :) Their boys are a riot. I love them anyways, but I love them 10 times more after taking their pictures. They are seriously SO cute and I'm so glad they let me take pictures of them. I would do it again in a heartbeat. They are GREAT kids!

This is seriously one of my favorite pictures EVER!

Flashy Flashy!

2008-11-12T13:47:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I went to a flash course taught by the lovely and talented Wendy Schulz. It was AMAZING! I learned SO much and am now dying to get all kinds of fun toys. I really loved learning as well as meeting some of Wendy's other past students. For some reason I didn't get many pictures of Cecile. We must have always been shooting at the same time. So, below you'll get to meet Wendy (you can see more of her work on her photo-a-day blog on my sidebar), Heather, and Cecile's little cutie, Krystn. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them. What a blast!
Wendy in all her flashy glory.

Krystn:

"The love of my life... my 16-35."

I LOVE this picture. Fun, huh?

Wendy and Heather.

My ghostly friend Heather.

I used a flash here. It was a dark restaurant.

Cool, huh?

I love this picture.

Success!!

2008-11-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

Sarah, oh ye of little faith. Check me out! I'll admit, I am gloating just a little bit but I am really excited that we got a picture with everyone looking and EVERYONE SMILING! I haven't gone through them all yet but this was literally the first picture I snapped and Britton (their youngest) quickly decided he didn't want to smile for me. But at least we know there's one.

The Bigham Family

2008-11-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

This cute little family was my last one from West Phoenix on my oh-so-busy Saturday (although, not my last shoot of the day... get use to that red door; you'll be seeing more of it.) They were so fun!! As the mommy (Deborah) and I were talking we came to find out that we grew up in the same small town of Poway, California. Our parents are old friends. SUCH a small world.

What a great big sister!!

Look, They Match!

2008-11-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

I told you it would be fine. :)

The Baggoire Family

2008-11-07T17:18:00.000-08:00

What a cute family, huh? I had so much fun with them. They were more than willing to smile, pose, climb, bribe... you name it. And we only had ONE temper tantrum the ENTIRE time! (No, it was not thrown by me.) Anyways, thanks for the enjoyable hour, guys. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

I LOVE that missing tooth!!

All tuckered out. Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?!