Click on the title of the blog post to view the entire entry.
I’ll be honest, I don’t usually look as forward to sessions with senior guys as I do with the girls. Most guys consider senior portraits sheer torture and want to get it over with as soon as possible. You can imagine how excited I was to photograph Johnny who came ready to have fun with mom and dad in tow. We seriously had a fun shoot. Johnny was up for anything and was super laid back. We got SO many great pictures! Thanks for a fun night guys!
I’ve known Bailey and her mom for several years now and it’s so much fun to see her all grown-up and ready to start her last year of high school! I’m so proud of the person she’s become and all the things she’s accomplished…it makes me just a bit emotional and I haven’t even seen her in quite awhile. I can only imagine how her parents must feel thinking about it!
Bailey’s family owns a fabulous ranch so this is where we did her shoot. I love the fact that this place will always be special to her and her pictures will always be truly unique and special to her!
This one’s for dad!
Had lots of fun with Kimberly last weekend! We were seriously taking our last picture when it started pouring outside. What luck! She warned me that she wasn’t too comfortable in front of the camera, but after a few minutes, she was great and a total natural. Hope you love these Kimberly! There are a ton more adorable ones too!
I don’t really photograph kids or families anymore (besides my own!), but every now and then I get an itch to photograph some little ones. So when a long time client (and now friend) called wanting some 1 yr. pics of her youngest daughter, I accepted the mission! Sounds like a dramatic use of words for a 1 yr. old doesn’t it?! The thing is, I like photographing seniors. For the most part, they are excited about getting their picture taken and do exactly what I tell them! Turn a little to the left, bend your right knee more, give me a happy and content expression. They do it! They always listen to me and we have fun. Little ones aren’t quite so cooperative! They don’t understand why they have to stand in a certain place turned a certain way because the light is perfect in that very spot. And maybe they’ll feel like smiling and maybe on that particular day, they feel compelled to just scream and cry. You never know what you’re going to get! So, I do not take my job of photographing seniors for granted. I appreciate you guys and the way you listen more than you know!
One of the reasons I agreed to photograph this cutie is because she is the happiest and most laid-back baby I have ever met. I knew she would be fun and easy-going and I was right! Big sis came along and I knew I’d want to snap a few of her so I told mom to dress her cute too! Thanks for a fun time girls!
Oh, it’s so nice to be home! Jay and I decided to take a mission trip this summer to Sierra Leone, Africa. It was a tough, but AMAZING trip for us. I’m not really a “rough it” kinda girl. My idea of camping is a nice hotel (with a spa of course) in the near vicinity of mountains. So needless to say that this was quite an adventure for me. I could fill pages with stories from the people and ways that I was changed from hearing them. Sierra Leone holds the undesirable title of “poorest country in the WORLD”. The world. Can you imagine? I couldn’t….until I saw it up close and personal.
Before going, I was prepared to meet the most hopeless, pitifully sad people. I thought the country would be filled with despair and that the people would be, well, I wasn’t quite sure what they’d be. But I was a million times blown away by what I encountered. A joy that I have rarely seen here in America. The land flowing with milk and honey AND more money than we know what to do with (I know you’re thinking you don’t have money like that….but really, you do and so do I). Though these people literally live in shacks and mud huts, completely starved and malnourished, they have a love for each other that most Americans will never understand. While we go to work, come home and hole up in our houses every night, the Sierra Leonians are quite the opposite. Walk down a path with 5 shacks at any time of day and you would never be able to guess who actually lived in what house. Everyone shares and looks out for each other. They are all outside either working together or just talking and hanging out ALL the time. I will never forget the day that we were surrounded by tons of starving kids. Someone gave one of them a banana. Before the boy even took a bite for himself, he started passing around pieces to all the other kids until it was gone. I was completely amazed and that moment will change me forever.
I could go on and on about all the amazing things I experienced, but then I wouldn’t have any room for pictures! I’ll leave you with a link to the ministry we worked with there called “Fresh Hope”. It’s the most amazing ministry and the people in charge have sacrificed so much to help this country. They don’t just go in and try to give food and supplies and then leave. They are committed to helping these people be self-sufficient. Although they do provide many food and medical supplies, they also provide training so the people can find work. They provide education to give the kids a better future. They are making a lasting difference in this country and saving lives everyday. I hope you will take a look at their site and realize that you can save lives too without even going there. So little money makes such a huge difference to them.
there are very few older people in the country with the average life expectancy being between 38-40
they are not afraid to show love!
we were walking through a village and this girl came out to see what was going on. it was the most beautiful moment when she stepped out into perfect light!
jay actually took this one. most of the kids wanted their picture taken so badly so they could see how they looked on the back of the camera. this is one of the few who was bashful!
