Something new....

Trying out a new video service and used the Armes' custom album for the content. I am sure it is going to beautiful when printed. For now, enjoy the sneak peak!

One Big Loving Family...

I had the extreme pleasure of joining the Armes family at their home as they celebrated the Christmas holidays with their children and grandchildren. I stayed just a little while to take some family photographs, but could quickly tell that they were a loving family, full of many talents...one of which is certainly hospitality.

Maybe one day I will have the chance to return and enjoy a closer inspection of the gorgeous artwork throughout their home. Not only are their granddaughters budding artists, but their daughters-in-law both have artistic talents as well. Their paintings and scrapbooks were breathtaking. It was also a treat to see the little girls getting ready to help bake in their personalized aprons and the Christmas decorations filled the home with such a cozy feeling.

Even though my visit was short, the impression made was great. Here are just a few of the images captured during my stay.

The Prophetts...

This is one of my favorite families! I have simply fallen in love with these boys and their parents are wonderful as well. My girls are always thrilled to know we are having them over to our home or going over to visit at their house. I cannot think of anything better than taking photographs of friends and I count myself quite fortunate to call Shannon a dear friend. Watching her boys grow through my viewfinder is something I will always cherish. Unfortunately, I am quite behind in posting their images, but thought you might like to see them despite the delay. There will be more to come, including a first birthday session that we are scheduling soon!

The Grays...

It is easy to remember why I love my job so much when I encounter children like Noah and Olivia. They were so delightful and the entire family is just beautiful, inside and out. They came out to the studio, and in spite of the wet grounds and dreary day, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and the images that resulted from our brief session together. I hope that you feel the same.

A Perfect Family...

What a delight to spend an afternoon with the Thompsons! Everyone was so relaxed and willing to just enjoy this experience together. The girls were amazing and I would not be surprised if a modeling career is in their future. Their perfect smiles and natural beauty made my job very easy. The twins were adorable and kept a smile on my face during the entire session.

I think the hardest part of this session was narrowing down the choices for their gallery. With a family this beautiful and children this cooperative, I ended up with more successful images than I expected. Because of this, I was able to be a little more creative in my "darkroom." I spattered their gallery with vintage images, black and whites, and even a few fairies. Here are a few of my favorites...

Brand New...

I had the extreme pleasure of photographing this precious newborn recently. Every once in a while, I have a chance to simply enjoy everything about my work. It was wonderful to spend time with this family and share in the joy they felt over this addition to their family. It didn't take long before I was captivated as well.

Due to the remodeling of my studio space, I stretched outside of my comfort zone quite a bit. Most of the session was indoors and with low lighting. Of course, challenges are just food for creative minds and it was a lot of fun to experiment. Mom came ready with some wonderful ideas and was so patient with my girls fascination with the baby. The mini-diva duo played the role of assistant photographers. I would not recommend having a five-year old rearrange your lighting as you are shooting!

Overall, this session has been a bright spot in my October. I have loved every step of this process and have been so encouraged by this family. I am looking forward to watching as this beautiful little girl grows.

Cody and Kristal

Contrary to popular belief, I have not dropped off the face of the Earth. Things are just pretty crazy right now and I am fervently searching for that extra four hours every day should have. I will do my best to find my blogging groove soon. In the meantime, I thought I would share a few images from a precious engagement session I completed at the end of last month.

Cody and Kristal are looking forward to their marriage in December and were a joy to be around. They are optimistic about their future and it was great to be surrounded by all of their pre-wedding excitement. I certainly wish them the best of luck in all their future endeavors and can't wait to see Jackie crying tears of joy as she watches her son wait for his beautiful bride.