Diana's Photo Expressions

Taking a break from the blog...

2011-04-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

I have been blogging "religiously" after every session and have LOVED this part of my workflow. I love writing and telling about my highlights from each session and also picking out a few of my faves from each session to give immediate sneak peeks. Then, I added facebook photo tagging to the workflow... and it's starting to seem redundant to post in both places. As I continue to gain more experience in my photography and business, I am constantly re-evaluating what works well and how to maximize my time. I mean, after all, I should be starting to be more efficient, right?! Well, it seems the more experience and knowledge I gain, the pickier I become with my editing and quality of work :)

One of the things I pride myself on is quality of work and also getting pictures to my clients in a timely manner (within a week of their session) so every minute counts!

So, I'm "breaking up" with my blog, or at least freeing myself from it for posting from every session! I will still post random tidbits, but for the most part, my quirkiness and personal photos, etc can be found on facebook. I'd LOVE for you to join me there if you haven't already!

Recent photos from all of my sessions (with approved consent) are posted on my facebook albums page. You can view them even if you don't have an account on facebook! Check out the link:
FACEBOOK PHOTO ALBUMS

If you're on facebook, I have two business pages. And of course, I'd LOVE for you to "like" them both:
Diana's Photo Expressions facebook link
Senior Expressions facebook link

Toodles.... for now! Off to facebooking photos:)

Nine months old!

2011-03-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

This little guy has the most gorgeous bright blue eyes! I'm sure his parents hear this all the time:) Grandma came along to this session, so we had to include her in a few, too! Such a fun and easy session. I just saw him a few months ago and he's growing up:) Amazing how fast that first year just seems to fly by! Thanks again for another fun session!

Three months old!!

2011-03-26T18:29:00.001-07:00

Ahh, sweetness! This is my first time meeting this gorgeous little girl and she did so good! At three months old, babies are starting to get their personality which is always fun to see. I also always love when parents bring anything that's significant to them to incorporate. It makes their photos unique and special to them. Grandma made this gorgeous quilt! Thanks for a great start to my Saturday!

He's ONE!

2011-03-26T18:25:00.001-07:00

Yep, another little guy who I've watched grow this past year! I can't believe all of "my" babies are graduating out of their baby's first year program:) This little boy is always so happy and easy to photograph. And I always have fun chatting with mom and dad as they are "old" friends from my hubby's hometown!

I LOVE the idea mom had...she brought many of his fave toys from his first year and we plopped him in the middle of them. Awesome idea! Thanks again for another great session!

Date night with my hubby!

2011-03-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

As I write this, I'm sitting in my quiet house while the kiddos are at school! Reflecting (and recovering a bit) on another fun country concert date night with my hubby last night! We both love concerts and it had been a long time since we'd been to a concert as well as being way overdue for a date night. If you want to check out my entire album, here's the link:
http://dianamandernach.zenfolio.com/kennychesney

I'll try to keep this post mostly "informative" in both the photography sense but also what I've learned over the past few years from my concert ticket buying experiences :) So, here ya go:

TICKETS: Buying tickets for concerts is really quite annoying but I really can't imagine how it must have been before online access! So, if I really want to go to a concert, I try to get the presale codes or get online right when they go on sale. I've gotten lucky a few times with decent seats but I hate the five minute window you have to make the decision of buying or not! So, for this concert, I ended up with 6 tickets initially! I know, crazy. Thought we were going with another couple and then I kept trying for "better seats" and ended up with too many. I ended up selling all of them as in the meantime, we decided to be on a stricter "budget" (which I hate by the way...a whole other topic). But I've had this concert on my calendar for months and REALLY was hoping to go!

So, last week, I entered a radio station contest with a picture and winners were going to get tickets. I thought for sure I would win :) ...and I didn't and had practically conceded to the fact we probably weren't going to go. However, I scoured many ticket broker websites and craigslist and had been eyeing a few on stubhub.com... to make a long story a little shorter, I ended up buying a pair of tickets the morning of the concert for a little over face value for the BEST seats! We were 11th row center stage, right in front of the "cat walk" end part of the stage. Yay! Best seats in my opinion...and great for photographing with my little point and shoot camera!

So, here's my little tidbit of knowledge on buying tickets. If you want good seats and good prices, you may luck out if you wait until the week or day of the concert. Oh, and I do recommend stubhub as I've used it a few times. If you're already paying a $$$ for your tickets, you might as well spend a little extra to get great seats (in my opinion)!

PHOTOGRAPHY: So, I know I've posted a few helpful hints on photographing at concerts before, but I'll post a few tidbits again! No, I don't take my "professional" camera as it's not allowed! So, I, like everyone else, am stuck with my phone camera or my little point and shoot. Most people tend to keep the point and shoot on "auto" function. But play around with the other presets. I think I ended up taking some good pics with the "indoor" setting.

Typically, if you turn your flash OFF, that works out great. You get the other lighting ambiance which looks cool. Also, set your ISO on high (if you can figure that out)! Last little tidbit (and I had a hard time with this on my point and shoot last night)..hold the button halfway and see if it shows the settings. If it has shows something like 1/30 or 3", your pics will be blurry! That's the shutter speed! I think my somewhat decent ones were at 1/60 and still somewhat blurry.

And my last little photo tidbit, read your manual. Uggh, I hate that one! But it does actually help :)

I'm a dork though. At concerts, I always want to get some fun "good" pictures but I also want to have fun! So I usually go between "freaky photographer (I want to get a cool picture) mode" to "put the camera down and just have fun and enjoy the experience" mode.

CONCERT LAST NIGHT: well, since I've blabbed on this long, what's another paragraph, right?! So, if you were wondering, YES...hubby and I had a fun time! We've seen Kenny Chesney a handful of times and always have fun at his shows. We always do the candid shot of the two of us where we hold out the camera and cheese it up. As long as I get both of us actually in the picture frame, I usually like these pictures better than the ones that other people take of us. Anytime you can hold the camera slightly higher than eye level, is usually a more flattering angle :)

Nine months old!

2011-03-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

Ahh, sweetness! I just realized I never blogged about this little cutie! You'd think after three years of doing this, I'd start to be more efficient, but I think I just continually get pickier and add more to my workflow! And now that I tag photos on facebook (with consent of course), I sometimes forget about the blog or this is now the last step! Nonetheless, I'm still super excited about this cute little guy and his pics.

Mom pointed out to me that the first time I photographed their fam was when older sister was this age, so I've seen this fam quite a bit and watched this little guy grow from a newborn to now already nine months old! What a great infectious smile he has, don't you think?!

Almost two weeks old!

2011-03-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

Another newborn! How lucky am I?! Little Miss {K} was a dream and so pretty. Finally got the little cute sleepy smile right at the end, so a good note to end the session on! Thanks for another awesome newborn session and I look forward to seeing her change over the next year!

Less than a week old!

2011-03-16T10:07:00.001-07:00

Here's the same little guy from the previous post and also one of his older bro who just turned two! I love it when people bring their own blankets to incorporate...makes the photos that much more unique and special to them!

Another cute newborn!

2011-03-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

Middle child, Mr. {A} was probably my first newborn session which would have been two years ago! So, since then, I've photographed these kiddos quite a few times and now they've added little Mr. {C} to the bunch! I'm not big on tons of overphotoshopped colors and edits, but for some reason, right now, I'm drawn to this faded brown conversion. Maybe it's a phase that I'm in but I just like the softness that it adds to the photo! Here's the comparison...

She's TWO!

2011-03-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

Two is such a busy age and I'll admit, it's one of the more challenging ages for pictures. But, I always love a challenge and have become quite fond of these little toddlers who are gaining speed and a mind of their own :) This little girl did such a great job and was just so happy. She only had a minor meltdown when she thought I was taking away her teddy bear! Such a pretty model and she's grown up so much since I'd seen her last year for her one year session!

Sisters!

2011-03-12T19:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, the youngest two are twins! And they each have their own personality :) Another fun family I've grown to know over the past few years. Mom is always full of fun clothes for the girls. Big sister is always just so great with her little sisters, too. A great end to my weekend of sessions!

Mom of two to-be!

2011-03-12T19:37:00.000-08:00

I love all of the connections and friends I've made through my photography business over the last few years! I got to know this family after their first little guy was born...and now #2 is on the way! So, we did some family photos and some fun artsy belly photos. She does have that pregnancy glow doesn't she?! Such a great way to start my Saturday!

She's ONE!

2011-03-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

I've photographed this little model every three months over the past year, so it's hard to believe she's already one! Mom always brings in tons of fun accessories to incorporate and she is just always so happy! She zipped through all of her outfit changes so I was excited to try out my new "vintage" inspired stuff--the big crock and this fun pillow sack dress (along with my old suitcases). Thanks for another fun and breezy session!

He's FOUR days old!

2011-03-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is my youngest newborn session yet! And he was so tiny--just over five pounds!! He marks the beginning of a round of newborn sessions I have over the next month! Mom brought the cute little "bear" crocheted hat and matching diaper cover that she found on etsy.com (tons of cool stuff there!) so I'm always excited about incorporating new and personal items throughout the session. I'm also becoming fond of this new faded "brown" color conversion--I'm not a big fan of special edits or anything too unnatural, but I love this technique on these dreamy newborn photos! Thanks for an awesome session!

Big sister and new baby brother!

2011-03-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

The magic number--TWO! Little baby brother is just two months old and big sister is two years old! At two, you can always expect energy, on the move and things to be done on terms of the two year old :) That's just how all two year olds work! And this big sister was so excited and full of energy, but with a few little games and tricks up my sleeve, we got all the pictures (and more) that we wanted! And who would have ever guessed by these pictures that she was running around with excitement the whole time? ;) Thanks for choosing me to capture your milestone moments!

11 months old already!

2011-03-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

So, for my blog stalkers, you probably recognize this little cutie! He comes every month so I've literally watched him grow this past year. It may be mean, but it's always my mission to capture his "attitude" and we always sneak in a funny crying picture. They're just SOOO cute! :) He of course has the cutest smile as well. Thanks again for letting me capture more milestone moments!

Time for dress up!

2011-02-28T18:48:00.000-08:00

What to do when you're two?! Dress up of course! I LOVE when this mommy brings her kiddos. All she wants is the "real" pictures that tell the story of her kids--the expressions, their stages, what they like to do, etc. It's not about the matching outfit (although they always have something cute to wear) but more about catching all of their fun expressions that make up who they are at their age. I LOVE that!

So, as you know, two is a very busy age! A good distraction is to keep them busy! So, we did a few fun outfit changes and then headed outside for a few minutes to get some fun shots with the snow that's left on the ground and her cute little hat. Little Miss {C} was quite the little model! Thanks again for having me photograph those milestone moments!

Two families--time for pics!

2011-02-28T09:31:00.000-08:00

My studio space is a bit small, but it works! When this group came dressed in black, we were excited to try out one of my new backdrops. It's laid back and casual, so perfect for the look with bare feet! And the kiddos did such a great job. With a little bit of patience and "go with the flow" -ness...we all made it through all of the combos of pictures :) Thanks for choosing me again to be your photographer!

Love is in the air!

2011-02-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

So, yeah, it's a little cold out and yeah, I'm a little tired of the snow, but I have to admit, I was excited about the light dusting and soft snowfall this morning since I knew this couple was coming today for their engagement photos! We had planned on mostly studio photos, but we decided to brave the cold weather for some outdoor ones, too. I'm so glad we did! Love the light snow and always love the look of outdoor pictures. They were so much fun and up for anything. I can't wait for their September wedding that I will be photographing! It's been awhile since I've done an engagement session, so I always enjoy doing something different!

She's six months old!

2011-02-26T12:29:00.000-08:00

I have photographed little Miss {M} a few times and I can't believe how big she has gotten...and is starting to resemble her older sister! Such cute little cheeks. And I always have fun catching up with her mommy as well! What a great start to my Saturday full of sessions ;)

February birthdays!

2011-02-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

This morning, I got to meet the cutest little newborn, just two weeks old baby {J} who was born on Valentine's Day! Hence, the "valentine" hat--great idea mom! She was so perfect and small so once again, I got my baby fix :) And older sister and brother also just celebrated their birthdays! What a busy month February will be for this family celebrating all these birthdays every year! A great way to start my weekend!

Three month cutie!

2011-02-25T10:03:00.001-08:00

I have to say, this little guy probably wins the award for most expressions during a three month old session! What a little baby model. And yet another compliment that mom traveled two hours (one way) just to have ME do his pictures :) And my, he has grown since his newborn session. I just got his newborn collage delivered the other day--so cool if I don't say so myself! Thanks again for driving such a distance to have me be your photographer.

Another gorgeous SENIOR!

2011-02-25T09:55:00.000-08:00

So, it turns out it's not too late for 2011 senior sessions! This gorgeous model actually had a senior photo session done last summer somewhere else but wasn't happy with the results...what a compliment to me that she wanted to come to ME because of photos she'd seen of others on facebook! It turned out to be the perfect day for outdoor photos. There was still snow on the ground but perfect temp for some unique senior photos. Such a fun time!

Need insurance?!

2011-02-25T09:47:00.001-08:00

Well, I guess I've neglected my blog for a few weeks! So, it's time for some blog posting...

A few weeks ago, I was asked to do some professional headshots of one of our college friends. I have to admit, it's pretty easy telling an adult to sit and look at the camera, not to mention professional headshots don't require much creativity :) A little change in what I'm used to!

So, if you're in need of insurance, I highly recommend our friend, Jarod with Farm Bureau in Nevada! Here's a link:
Jarod's Insurance Link

Cute little valentine!

2011-02-13T12:52:00.001-08:00

Isn't Baby B. the cutest little valentine ever?! I love her bright red patterns--so fun! And of course, the red and denim look perfect with my new backdrops! And we also had to doll her up in one of my tutus and feather boas. I'll be honest, pretty much every kid and baby really wants to have nothing to do with these feather boas...but they look so cute and little Miss B. is no exception. What a perfect little baby model :)

Gooooo I-S-U!!!

2011-02-13T12:13:00.001-08:00

It's been awhile since I've gotten to photograph a cute little ISU fan! Don't get me wrong, the other college and pro teams always make for fun themed photos, but being an ISU fan and graduate myself, I am a little partial :) Little Miss R. has been over to our house quite a few times over the past year, so I've gotten to watch her change and grow from being a cute little baby to a fun little toddler. Thanks again for another fun and stress free photo session :)

Same image-different looks!

2011-02-10T07:24:00.001-08:00

Amazing what a little cropping, editing, and cloning can do for a picture! I usually don't show the original unedited version, but I thought it might help illustrate my point a bit more! So, we finally convince big brother to give his little sister a kiss! Notice, he's holding a bright green car and mom is trying her hardest to pull it out of the picture :) Pretty funny in itself! However, not a wall worthy print... Amazing how a little cloning out of the car can do and then some variations on cropping.

Also, notice the clothing choices. The white on black is a very simplistic and timeless look. And it looks great if mom wants to have the image printed in black and white! Amazing how one image can have so many different looks, right?! So, don't discount the pictures you have in your own personal albums. Look at pieces of the picture to see if it can be cropped differently and it may totally change the look of the picture!

More sibling cuties!

2011-02-10T07:13:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited to be back to my blog! I spent last weekend at a photography convention and am super excited about all that I have learned :) But to the point... I was lucky to meet another new family! Big brother is just turning two and little sister needed her first professional photos at two months old.

So, mom wanted some photos together and some separately. I can always guarantee awesome photos individually! Sometimes the "together" ones at this age can be more challenging so you kinda have to go with the flow. We did convince big brother to give a few kisses (See blog post above for variations of the picture)! We had a hard time convincing big brother to part with things in his hand, but I love the sweet innocent look on his face with his special things--what a story picture to look back on! And for the rest of the photos--that's what cropping is all about!

I have some super cute "awake" pictures of baby sister, but I'm always partial to the sleeping ones. What cute kiddos! Thanks for spending part of your morning with me :)

Sibling cuties!

2011-01-27T07:53:00.000-08:00

How lucky am I getting to photograph so many adorable kids all the time?! Loved this family--first time here--and the kids did great! Little M. just turned nine months and Little Miss E. just turned five! Mom wanted something a little different than just a plain white paper background so we added some dimension with the new backdrops of course. I guess I could stop talking about them, but I'm just too excited :)

And I'm always in love with babies in hats too. And if you plan for shoes or socks on babies, know that I'm a fan of bare feet--love them! Just a few simple props or dress up clothes, and voila--a uniquely fun picture! Little Miss E. was all about the dress up so her little outfit was a combo of lots of things I had in my baskets by the studio:) What perfect little models.

Oh, and I guess I should also mention that many kids have been enjoying the "new" play room. Miss E. loved playing in the pink "Barbie" closet room! Coming to my home for your photo session is more than just getting some fun pictures--it's about the experience! I want everyone to feel comfortable in a clean cozy home environment and not feel stressed or rushed if things aren't working out perfectly. I plan for extra time, just in case and love working with kids and babies. I love what I do!

Thanks for choosing me to be your photographer for your milestone photos :)

Cutie pies!

2011-01-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

LOVE these little girls! They are always so cute and fun to photograph. And always fun to photograph families from my hometown :) I'm sure you might remember these little models from previous posts because they are just always too cute.

It's hard to believe it's been a year since I photographed Little {T} after she was born. So, with her birthday just around the corner, we decked out the studio with my "ballloons" and new backdrops! And my newest little tutu looks great with the cute painted bench doesn't it?!

Thanks again for letting me photograph your babies! :)

fun family!

2011-01-22T20:16:00.001-08:00

I'm always excited to meet new families, especially when they say, "do whatever you want to do!" Of course, I was all about using my new backdrops! The little girls did such a great job and were so cute. Love the casual look of these photos. Thanks for having me photograph your family!

Reising Sun Cafe...

2011-01-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

Congrats to my awesome neighbor and friend, Judy Reising for being Polk City Chamber's Business Person of the Year 2010. For all of my friends that live nearby or anyone that comes over for pictures, you can't leave Polk City without going to the square and checking out the Reising Sun Cafe. As a matter of fact, if I'm not taking pictures, you might run into me here! (My faves are the white mocha and the BLT on marble rye.)

Judy has put her heart and soul into the cafe and spends many hours here. She is so deserving of this honor and would love to see all of my friends stop by for their fave coffee drink. If you love a warm atmosphere with wi-fi, a cozy spot to work, or a great spot to meet friends, check it out!

Anyone who has their own business and needs professional headshots, either casual or formal--I'm your photographer! :)

He's six months old!

2011-01-20T18:09:00.000-08:00

This little guy was so super cute and was doing such a good job sitting up all by himself. He has just discovered his tongue so we have tons of cute little pictures of this fun milestone :) And he also just started saying "dada"--such a smart baby! :) I met him this past fall and was so excited to see him again. I just got some new backdrops and I'm always adding various things to my props so I was excited to incorporate some of those! Thanks for bringing over your gorgeous happy little baby boy!

25th Wedding Anniversary!

2011-01-16T21:19:00.000-08:00

My mom and stepdad, Greg, were at our house this weekend. Since their 25th wedding anniversary is coming up, my mom wanted a few pictures of the two of them. So, of course, I was all about that! Whenever I photograph adults, I almost don't know what to do with myself--no games to play, no silly songs to sing! Thanks for choosing me MOM to be your photographer :)

Play room REDO!

2011-01-13T14:42:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love, love, LOVE to do is decorate and redo rooms. I love seeing the transformation and if I could figure out a way to make money at it, I would do this all over my house and take pictures of the before/after! One challenge of the room is there are so many doors--two sets of double doors and four other single ones!

This started as a very basic, plain boring room with drab khaki green walls. I mulled over the decor for months as I knew I wanted it to be different and fun. A bunch of pictures here and a little sporadic on the order (kind of a before, middle and after), but I think you'll get the idea!

We decided to bring the wii and a TV down to the play room, so I decided to repaint the armoire and bookcases that we were previously using in our bedroom. I knew I wanted to keep the twin bed in here for an extra space for lounging or guests (another somewhat difficult design challenge since it's an XL twin). And I wanted to have a small table in here for projects and puzzles so I bought the table/stools at a consignment store and added my creative flair.

Probably the biggest "wow" factor and that gets the most comments are the paper lanterns. I bought them at Pier One and painted some of them with the same paint I used on the walls. I hot-glued various colored ribbons on the seams of the lanterns.

The closet doors were replaced with bright colored curtains and I added leftover ribbon and chenille fabric strips at the top of them to bring in more color and detail for a more customized look. This closet houses many toys in all of the containers (yes I'm obsessed with containers). It also is a deep closet, so it also works as a great "stage" for the kids to put on shows.

The double doors that back up to the other side of the photography studio are locked and are never opened, so I wanted to do something unique with this space. I flanked the doors with curtains to add some extra color/texture/design. The kids painted the letters to their names and we hung these with colorful ribbons. I created bulletin boards and edged with ribbon (and then my daughter decided to add her flair with a permanent marker--grrrrr). And the kids each have their own white boards to draw on!

This has been a huge project but definitely one of my faves that I have done! We have many kids that come over for pictures and they love playing in the room, too ;) Thanks for reading all about my play room "flip" and latest home decorating project!

SNOW day!

2011-01-11T11:01:00.000-08:00

We were all super excited about today's snow day! Nothing on the agenda and as of now (1pm), we are still in jammies ;) We spent a little extra time snuggling in the warm bed watching cartoons and the kids wanted to play outside. Imagine my surprise when Elli rang the doorbell to tell me she wanted me to come out and take their picture?! This never happens...usually I'm bribing them to cooperate for pictures for me. Elli is very proud of her igloo she made!

Our agenda for this afternoon is getting out of jammies, making a nice supper and finishing up some of our "play room redecorating" projects... which reminds me...I need to post my before/after pictures on my blog! I posted some to facebook, but I don't think I ever put them here! It's been lots of major painting, crafting, and projecting, but we are FINALLY almost done with redecorating the play room! On to another room... ;)

Elli's first basketball game of the season!

2011-01-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

We love basketball in our house and are hoping our kids will love playing it. So, I was excited to be at my daughter's first games of the season this morning. My hubby is coaching and I have to give him a lot of credit for working with 1st and 2nd grade girls :) From a photography standpoint, I'm not crazy about the gym atmosphere and photo possibilities, but I still have time to get things figured out!

She's TWO!

2011-01-08T17:04:00.001-08:00

After a week of one year olds, it was fun to have a change of pace to photograph this adorable little two year old princess! And she is quite the talented little lady singing her ABC's! She's another one of my faves as I have photographed her many times the past few years and I think she just keeps getting cuter each time :)

Loved the fun "2" shirt that we accessorized with my pettiskirt and feathers. She loved twirling around in it, too! And my $15 white chair "with personality" never fails either. My goal for this year is to incorporate more of my interesting pieces of furniture I have scattered around the house for truly one of a kind photos!

Thanks again for having me photograph your adorable little girl!

More one year olds!

2011-01-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

This was the week for celebrating one year birthdays! I know I say this a lot, but I really can't believe how fast time seems to go by. It seems like just yesterday I was doing these boys' newborn photos! I've been able to watch them grow and change throughout the year so of course I was excited to do the cake smash session with them. However, only half of the duo was as excited as I was :) When the kiddos are done, they're done...I think mom, grandma and I were a little worn out, but it was all in the efforts of some awesome pictures! Thanks again for another milestone session :)

Sooooo big!

2011-01-06T14:25:00.001-08:00

How big are you? "Sooooo big!" I love it when the picture tells the story of what's going on! Isn't this little one year old princess so cute?! Love her fun birthday shirt with the colorful tutu. This was my first time photographing her and I always love when moms bring tons of hair accessories. It makes me feel more justified with my obsession of cute hats, flowers, headbands and bows :) Thanks for letting me be a part of her one year celebration!

He's ONE!

2011-01-05T11:08:00.001-08:00

I first met this cute little blue-eyed boy a few months ago when I took his family's fall pictures and he was just as happy and smiley then. So I was excited to see him again for his big one year mark that is just around the corner.

At one, I'm always ready with lots of different things to keep attention. He was on the go and didn't want to stay in one spot long which is exactly what he should be doing at his age :) We ended the session with the cake smash. He wasn't into his cake so much but we managed to still get some super cute messy pictures of him! Thanks for letting me photograph this special milestone. Happy birthday little guy!

Senior guy!

2011-01-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

I'm referring to this guy as the "one degree senior" as that was the temperature outside during his senior session! We had rescheduled a few times for various reasons so we were determined that January 1 was the day for his pictures. I was prepared for a few outdoor ones, but little did I know that he had plans for almost all of his pictures outside since he was so into hunting and fishing. So I'm giving myself as much credit as I am him for surviving the cold temps :)

I'm glad we did spend most of the time outdoors though as I always love the look of outdoor pictures. I think we got a great variety of casual ones for what he wanted and then some ones like mom wanted. Thanks for coming over and braving the cold weather with me!

First fam of 2011!

2011-01-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

What a great way to start off my new year with a new family to photograph! They were so much fun and this little guy was so easy to work with. And does he not have the brightest blue eyes?! What a cutie! Six months old is such a fun milestone age as they are discovering their fingers and toes and their personality is really starting to come out. Thanks for allowing me to photograph your cute little man!

Merry Christmas...a few days late!

2011-01-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Well, as I post this, it is January 1st and I am feeling so refreshed and excited about what the new year ahead will bring! However, I have been meaning to post some of my own family Christmas moments and just haven't taken the time to do so....SO before it's entirely too late, I thought I'd put a few on my blog!

So, here's a few random explanations of what the pics mean: Every year (as many others do), the kids get matching jammies on Christmas Eve; We were excited to spend Christmas Eve night and day at our house, just the four of us. This is something that we started last year and we love this time spent at home, not rushing around, not feeling obligated to be somewhere else; Every Christmas get together at my mom and stepdad's, my stepdad dresses up as Santa. He does not disguise himself well and it has just now turned into the annual tradition gone a little funny. I think when Nolan was three, he referred to him as "Grandpa Santa."; And lastly, we managed to bribe the Mandernach kids into a few studio photos of their matching jammies!

We had a wonderful Christmas break and I'm sad that it's coming to an end, but I'm also excited about getting our family back into a routine!

In the snow and cold!

2010-12-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday...blizzard coming in... and my first chance to head outside for some SNOW pictures! And it was COLD. But these two boys were great sports for a few minutes so we could get some outdoor pictures! LOVE outside pictures, even when I am freezing.

Nine months old!

2010-12-11T11:41:00.001-08:00

This little girl is SOOO adorable! Mom always has such fun hair bows and makes the cutest little tutus for her sessions. Not to mention, she just has the most expressive adorable eyes. And she's gotten some new teeth since I last saw her!

She is on the move crawling and I'm pretty sure when I see her for her one year pictures, she will be close to running! :) Thanks for letting me photograph your little model baby! More photos on facebook.... :)

Nolan's preschool program!

2010-12-11T11:16:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, Nolan had his preschool Christmas program and as always it was as cute as ever. The theme was "Santa's Workshop" songs. His favorite was "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer." So cute! And after each song, the kids bowed :)

He was so excited to give us his handmade ornament that he had wrapped himself. It's hard to believe that this is his last year of preschool!

Six months and Family Christmas photos!

2010-12-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

This little girl is already six months old! I literally met her before she was born--when I took mom's belly pictures! Isn't she just a perfect little doll. Especially since she wasn't feeling so well. And big brother really could not get any cuter! So fun to use the black background and use some of my "Christmas set" stuff!

Senior Guy!

2010-12-05T15:20:00.000-08:00

Would you believe that yesterday in the 20something FREEZING degree weather, we braved the outdoors for some senior photos?! Yes, it was cold, but this guy took it all in stride! We just did a number of locations closeby our house and ended with ones that incorporated his snowboarding attire.

I love it when seniors bring along things that are unique to them. The only thing that could have made the snowboarding pics better was if we had SNOW! Did I just say that?! Yeah, I'm a little ready for some snow on the ground I think...

Thanks for a fun hour session! I'm pretty sure I worked a little bit faster because I was so cold being outside!

Annual Christmas Tree Farm Trip!

2010-12-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

For the past number of years, we opt for a REAL tree for our main family Christmas tree (yes, there are a few others scattered around the house, but that's a whole other post!) We have all become attached to this tradition for a number of reasons, even though we have momentary lapses in holiday spirit while searching for the "perfect" tree...

This year (and last), the kids had to bring along their work gloves and "saws" to help with the process which always cracks me up. Little Nolan kept running from me and wanted nothing to do with being in a picture!

When we got back, we were thrilled that our PERFECT tree looks great in our house and is the perfect height at 9 1/2 feet. Elli was determined to put the angel on top so with daddy's help and three tries later, she smacked it up there :) I love how the kids were excited about decorating this year! So fun.

Hope to post more decor pics soon...trying to get past my perfectionist attitude of ensuring that every photo that is added to my blog is edited. So, these are straight from the "family album."

I also love doing the "product" pictures as I refer to them...the one of the ornament... one of my fave Christmas Hymns is Silent Night. With the craziness and stresses that the holidays sometimes bring, I constantly remind myself to be STILL and reflect on the true meaning and Simple Joys of Christmas. After all, that's what it's all about! I have a plaque that I recently bought with this saying: "The important parts of every JOURNEY are the moments we stay STILL." May your Christmas holiday season be filled with memorable moments, may you enjoy the journey through the craziness and may your heart be content as you pause for moments to be STILL.

My little baby is FIVE!

2010-12-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot about this blog post that I've been wanting to put up! Our little Nolan turned FIVE last week (Nov 27th to be exact). Since his birthday is always so close to Thanksgiving, we try to make it a point to celebrate a few days before his actual day so he has his special time...so we went out with both sets of grandparents for supper and played some games and the fastest round of glow golf I've ever played. But hey, that's good for me--miniature golf always seems to last forever:)

And then, this week, I went to his preschool to watch him celebrate with his friends. How can a "happy birthday" song make someone tear up?! All I could think of when his teacher was giving him hugs and his class was singing happy birthday was that MY little boy was already FIVE! And he's my baby! Time sure does fly... I do try to make a point that each moment I'm a little frustrated with my kids wanting help with something I know they can do, or asking me to play a super long game of checkers, or wanting me to spend extra time rubbing their back at night, that someday I'll be wishing for these little moments to come back again!

Fam full of smiles!

2010-12-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

I've gotten to know this family quite well over the past few years! Always fun to see families change and grow! I think big sister A. is starting to get used to me :) And little guy C. just has the cutest little smile doesn't he?! Mom always does such a great job with her coordinating of colors, too. Thanks for another great session full of adorable photos!

Sisterly love!

2010-12-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

It's always fun to do something different! I was super excited when mom talked to me about photographing her girls. I knew I'd have fun because:
1. Girls are always fun :)
2. They are older, so I knew I'd be able to take a break from my little tricks and games that I play with the little ones :)

And of course, they didn't disappoint me! It's very clear that they each have personalities that make them each unique and beautiful. And they weren't fooling me.... they are full of sisterly love! I think they are model material if I don't say so myself. Thanks for a fun time girls!

Ahhh, love the little newborns!

2010-12-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

Check out this cute little guy! He was so cooperative and easy to photograph as was his big sister! I love it when toddlers are all about getting their pictures taken (which doesn't usually happen!) so my job was quite easy. Totally in love with the football crocheted newborn hat made especially for me (thanks to Whitney's mom, Mary Lynn!) I can't wait to design the Christmas/baby announcement! Loving his precious photos.

New additions to the fam!

2010-12-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

These two families came yesterday with "Grandma" for a variety of different photos in hopes of some Christmas card images. With many combos later, I think we got the perfect combination of each group :) I got my baby fix--such little sweetie pies! Such a nice family! Mom (aka Grandma) wanted to have the session as a gift for her kids--what a great gift idea if I don't say so myself:) A gift that will truly last forever!

A great Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year for so many reasons. Thanksgiving for our family is usually always spent with both sides of our families. We celebrate Nolan's birthday within a few days--he's turning five this year! And we end the busy long weekend with a trip to the Christmas tree farm and start getting out all of our holiday decor.

I have so many things to be thankful for this year. Most importantly, my family--a great hubby and my two kids. This year, I took a leap of faith and decided to follow a dream--to pursue my photography business full time. I love what I do and I love that I am able to have my business in our home. I love that I am spending more time with my kids and I am the one dropping them off and picking them up at school every day. However, none of this would be possible if I didn't have great friends and families that entrust me with capturing their photographic milestones. Because of this, I thank YOU for making my dream possible.

I had to add a few of my "outtakes" of the kiddos from our five minute session earlier tonight. This is one of my new backgrounds that I am super excited about! And a new sequin hat that Elli is modeling that I can't wait to use this winter for my sessions!

She's nine weeks old!

2010-11-22T16:58:00.000-08:00

...and she's fighting a winter cold! Poor little thing! It's that time of year, but that didn't stop this little one for posing for some cute pictures! She was such a little sport as we dressed her, undressed her, put hats on her and put cute little leg warmers on her. Mom and dad both said she wasn't her normal cheery morning self, but with a little patience and lots of cuddling and baby talk, we were able to capture some adorable photos. And I have a few really cute crying ones, too! :) Thanks for spending part of your morning with me E. family!

Gorgeous family--so many looks!

2010-11-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

It's amazing with today's photo editing techniques how you can take one photo and change the look of it in so many ways! I met this family today and have fallen in love with this photo of them, so I thought it would be fun to see some different looks of the same image. Look at the blog post above to see a few more of this adorable little baby girl!

Santa Baby!

2010-11-21T19:54:00.000-08:00

This little girl has the most gorgeous eyes and eyelashes! I met her today for the first time and we had fun changing out some of the props and her outfits to get tons of different looks for her six month pictures.

Everyone is now really thinking about Christmas theme and cards for their sessions. I think it's fun to have some holiday themed props but also important to get photos that are wall worthy year round.

These were two of my faves from her session. I love her expressions in both. I love how she's holding her feet--a true six month milestone. And I was super excited to use two of my new "props" I have in the studio--striped leg warmers and the hats! What a cute little Santa baby!

Family of six!

2010-11-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

This is the first time I met this family and they were so fun to work with! They just had their fourth child, a boy! A change from the other three girls I"m sure. The kids all did such a great job and everything just went so smoothly. I have to admit, I was wondering how we were going to do this outdoor session when we started at 4 and then sun now sets around 5. But it all worked out great! We just went in the backyard and did the outdoorsy "green" background and the "barn wall" background. These two images were taken close to the end of our session and the lighting looks great! Oh, and the family looks pretty great too :) Thanks for making the trek down to Polk City to see me for your family photo session!

Full of energy!

2010-11-13T17:11:00.000-08:00

I met these cute kiddos a few months ago when we did a summer session, so I was excited to see them again! At their age, it's sometimes challenging to confine them to the small studio space for a photo session but I'm always up for a challenge and I've also figured out some tricks that work pretty well :) Mom primarily wanted a family photo for Christmas cards so we did a variety of different poses so she could have a selection to choose from. I'm always drawn to the less posed, more casual photos and I really liked this family one because it was the kids' idea to jump on mom and dad's backs! And really, could a sibling picture get any sweeter than this? And in case you were wondering, yes, this moment lasted for about a second and she was off! Thanks again for coming over!

precious little girl!

2010-11-13T16:53:00.000-08:00

I met little miss A. for the first time today. How lucky am I to be the first one to photograph her?! She is already two months old but still weighs less than my baby girl did when she was born--such a cute little doll baby! Mom brought a few special things she wanted to incorporate into her pictures and I had some new things I wanted to use also! She made us work for some of her picture perfect images, but patience is always the key :) Thanks for bringing her over and letting me get my baby fix!

It's that studio time of year!

2010-11-13T16:17:00.000-08:00

Well, with it being super cold and wet out this morning, it was a sure bet that we would do studio photos with this family! Always fun to have my friends come over for their family pictures! The kids all did great (and mom and dad did too). I can't believe little miss baby M. is already three months old! It seems like just yesterday I was photographing her as a newborn. Little boy J. has the most infectious and contagious smile and big sister A. is great at nurturing her little baby bro and sis! Thanks for a great start to my Saturday full of sessions.

Brrrrr!

2010-11-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

So, now it's getting cold outside and some parts of the state even have snow on the ground! I don't think I'm ready for that yet, but I know it's just around the corner. When you look at these images, you can't tell that it's pretty cold outside! This little girl (and parents) were ready to brave the outdoor weather for the sake of some photos. I'm always for the outdoors and prefer that look so we headed out to the backyard. We did some studio ones too, but these were a few of my favorites. Since it rained all of yesterday and everything was still wet, the colors that are still left really pop out that much more!

And I am so in love with her furry pink jacket and hat. I know where she got it and I'm heading there to buy some to have at the studio for this winter's sessions! What a pretty little model :)

Another gorgeous fall family!

2010-11-12T10:11:00.001-08:00

With the weather being so cold and rainy today, it's hard for me to look at these photos from last night's late afternoon session! I'm a little sad to think that this may have been my last "colorful" fall session for this year. Everything is definitely starting to look a bit drab and leafless now, but this spot has been great for me the past few weeks! And this family's session really couldn't have gone any more smoothly. Such cute, fun and well behaved kids! And mom said she prefers the "relaxed" candid photos, so we tried to stick mostly with that theme in mind. Thanks for yet another picture perfect session!

He's eight months old!

2010-11-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

For everyone frequenting my blog, you'll recognize this little cutie. I am lucky enough to see him every month! So, my challenge is to always create different looks from the previous month. So, this time, I had just purchased some fun "boy" stocking hats in anticipation of my studio and winter sessions, so we threw on a few of those...and isn't his expression just priceless?! And I finally incorporated this old trunk that I purchased at a garage sale a few months ago. My vision for using the trunk was having a newborn laying on top of it while it's closed, but this worked out just as good! And it even looks like he's posing for the picture. What a cutie!!!

Lots of energy!

2010-11-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

One thing is usually for certain when I'm getting ready to photograph a three year old boy--I better have my running shoes on! Kids at this age can always give me a "run for my money" so to speak, but really all it takes is finding something that will get their attention and on your side! For this little brother, it was his love of trains :) So, for whatever reason, he was convinced that I had a train set in our play room (which we do but not sure how he knew this) and he wanted to play with it! So throughout the session, we just kept saying, "if you do a good job, then you get to play with the train!" I think it worked :) We have a great posed picture of the family and a fun casual one, too, with many more in between those fun pictures to choose from as well! Thanks for another fun evening session!

Lots of girls!

2010-11-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

So, dad's outnumbered here! It's always fun (and such a compliment) when my friends come over for their family photos! This session was a breeze--we did a few combos on our "barn wall" in our backyard and then headed off to my new fave spot for this late in the year. The browns with the accent of pink looks great and really makes their blue eyes stand out!

Another fall family!

2010-11-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

I have been so lucky to have such great weather this fall and today was no exception. What a gorgeous afternoon and it was nice to have an extra hour of sleep last night! However, that now means that my late afternoon sessions will have to start even earlier :)

I loved the fall color combos of this family and it was fun to see how much the kids had changed since I last saw them two falls ago. A little bribing and positive reinforcement with some sweet candy, and we were good to go throughout the session :) And yeah, you might notice writing on big sister's hand :) I know I could edit this off, but for some reason, it just makes me love the picture that much more. It shows her age and it tells a little story. I always say that it's sometimes the little imperfections that make the picture perfect--love it!

He is ONE!

2010-11-06T13:53:00.001-07:00

So, my babies are growing up way too quickly! :) I first photographed this cute little guy a year ago when he was only two weeks old!! He has grown into the happiest little guy with such a fun personality. He was such a little sport as we kept changing his hats and sweaters, too.

The session ended with the cake smash--a MUST for your one year old birthday sessions! He wasn't too much into his cake so we had to mess him up a bit to get cake smash look. All he wanted to do was smile--and I can't complain about that! :)

Fun families!

2010-11-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

This morning started off a little cold, but is turning into another gorgeous late fall day! With the little babies, we decided to do the majority of the photos for this extended family session inside in the studio. For the last big group one, we braved the somewhat cold weather and walked out the back door to get everyone! With the age of all the kiddos, these big group ones can be a bit of a challenge...but I thought the kids did GREAT and the adults did too. Thanks for taking time out of your family celebrations to have your photos taken with me :)

Fam of four!

2010-11-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

I am in love with these family photos! Kids are adorable and mom and dad look great, too! These kiddos are the same age as my kids so I knew it would be a breeze :) And I saw them last year for pictures, so always fun to see how kids have grown since the last time.

I always like a challenge and the challenge now for outdoor photos is finding places that work well with lighting conditions and have some color left to make it still have a colorful fall look! So I came upon this spot a few days ago and was thrilled that there was still a tree with bright yellow leaves AND a bright red burning bush. Not too much longer and these leaves will be gone...along with the warm "no coat" weather conditions. But until then, I'm taking advantage of every gorgeous day left for "fall family photos" outside!

Bright colors!

2010-11-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

I love the bright pops of color in clothing schemes especially now that everything is starting to look so brown outside with the leaves blowing off of the trees! And don't these kids just look so adorable?! Mom suggested the one of the family all laying down in the leaves and grass. I love it when people have their ideas of what they want to try! So fun and casual--just what I love to do! A great end to my Saturday sessions!

She's O-N-E!

2010-11-01T20:29:00.001-07:00

Don't you love this little girl's expressions?! And she is soooo smart! Putting up her finger to show she is ONE :) So cute! This is the age where kids are really into pointing at things, so maybe that was it too. And she's wearing her Christmas dress too! Who would have ever guessed she had missed her nap with this big smile!

Christmas darlings!

2010-11-01T20:23:00.001-07:00

Is it hard to believe I'm mentioning the word Christmas?! Yes, I've had a few people come with their Christmas dresses already. I've seen these cute little girls a number of times over the past year and they are just so sweet. I love the bright red contrast with the green grass and fall leaves!

Two and on the go!

2010-11-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

This little girl was on the go and quite smart! She found a small shovel and we kept trying to hide it from her, but she was too smart! The shovel didn't really go with the fall theme :) Needles to say, I was able to catch her cute little expressions as she explored around! What a cutie :)

Fam of five!

2010-10-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

What a perfect late afternoon session a few days ago! Aren't these kids so cute?! I love their color scheme, too! I love this family photo, too. I was doing everything I could to get the littlest one to look at me and smile...and this photo was one that was not planned. I love how mom and dad are looking at each other and all of the kids are looking at the camera lens. Priceless!

Twin boys!

2010-10-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

What a gorgeous afternoon (and early evening) for photo sessions... especially after the bitter cold winds that rolled through the past few days and stole almost all of the gorgeous leaves off of the trees! A few trees with pretty leaves can still be found, although just a little harder to come by!

I used to teach with "mom" so I was excited to meet her and her twin boys at the Saylorville Visitor Center for a fun afternoon of running around with the kids! I can't believe how much they've grown up. And they are just as cute as can be with boundless energy of typical toddlers! I love the photo of them on the bridge--how can you look at this and not giggle?!

Senior guy!

2010-10-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

This senior session was from a few nights ago, before the big winds blew in this week! We had a great time wandering around my backyard, around town and some studio photos for this session. He's really into baseball, so I wanted to be sure to get a variety of images that incorporated that, so I liked this profile one that shows his number! Thanks for a fun time and choosing me for your senior photographer!

Extended family!

2010-10-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot this blog post in my whirlwind of editing and posting! This was one of my Saturday sessions from last weekend. And the weather forecast for the day was not looking good for the week leading up to Saturday, so I have to admit, I was a little worried. When you have a bunch of families with a date on the calendar, everyone's healthy, and everyone is set to go, that is practically a miracle in itself! But then to change to another date?!

Anyway, it all worked out perfectly. We got the big family group, all of the smaller families, individuals and grandkids. The family is from my hometown so that was fun, too. Thanks for all of your efforts and cooperation S. family and family coordinator, Jalene :)

ahhhh...a perfect newborn!

2010-10-26T09:13:00.001-07:00

I LOVE newborn sessions. They are a change of pace and usually last longer than most other sessions but the results are always so rewarding! I get my baby fix and get to cuddle and I get to create milestone photos that will be cherished for a long time!

Babies grow and change so much that first year, especially within the first few weeks of life! This little girl was PERFECT! I love just molding these babies into the perfect little poses. It takes patience and some waiting, but the results are always priceless! Congratulations L. family on a another beautiful addition to your family!

new little guy!

2010-10-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

Can you pick out proud grandpa, aunt, mommy and daddy to this cute little guy who's three months old? What a good little sport and the most gorgeous eyes ever! Everyone seems to have adjusted to this new little guy quite well.

I love how the sun is starting to set in the backdrop of the big family photo and I love how expressive his eyes look against his soft comfy blue blankey. Who would have ever known that at this point in the session, he was "done" and wasn't too happy :) A few blinks of the lights startled him out of his state of tiredness and crying and I just think he looks so cute. We did also get many fun smiling photos which are super cute, but this was one that stood out to me.

Thanks for your patience in me getting up my sneak peek pics...it's been a little crazy busy lately. And thanks for taking the extra long drive to bring your fam over for your session!

Twins!

2010-10-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

Always fun for me to have a change of pace, so these seven year old twins were just that! Don't get me wrong, I love my little on the go toddlers that make me run all over for their photos, but it's nice to have a little bit of an easy break, too :) This is the first time that I've met these spunky little girls and they each have their own uniqueness and personality. One thing they do have in common is their sisterly bond and affection for one another. So cute! Thanks for yet another picture perfect session for my Saturday!

She's O-N-E!

2010-10-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to meet this little girl! She just turned one a few weeks ago and she came with all smiles. She loved playing with my beads but was a little hesitant on the feather boa. However, I love this photo of her. And with it being such a perfect morning, we took a few outside as well at the end of the session. This was my first of five sessions on Saturday, and definitely a great start to my day. Thanks for coming over!

She's on the go!

2010-10-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

One thing is almost certain with kids over the age of one, they are fast and are very inquisitive about everything around them. So true for this cute little girl! She has quite the cute little serious look with gorgeous expressive eyes.

Mom wanted to focus on family photos this time so we did a variety of different poses and locations with this in mind. Moving constantly usually helps to keep toddlers happy, too :) And I think this mommy/daughter photo is definitely one of my new favorites! I love it!!! You just have to say "awwww" when you look at it. Thanks again for coming over for a perfect Saturday session.

Adorable siblings!

2010-10-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

What a great start to my weekend with these three cuties! We know them quite well as mom and dad are in our small group bible study, so our kids like to play together! So, we had to make sure that the focus for them coming over was for pictures :)

As you can see, the kids were full of smiles and goofy laughs. Lots of fun and lots of energy makes for fun images! Thanks for a great session with so many fun pictures.

Go ISU!

2010-10-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe these twin boys are approaching the one year mark! It seems like just yesterday I was taking their newborn photos! And big sis has grown quite a bit too!

I always love seeing this family and we share many things in common-including our love of the ISU Cyclones! I have to say, I was a little extra excited to add some ISU photographs to the blog! Thanks again for another great session!

model siblings!

2010-10-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

So, take two on this photo session! About a week ago, we started our session and a cloud came out of nowhere with hail and rain! This time around, the weather was perfect and so were the kids! I can't believe how much they've changed since I first met them!

I first photographed this bright blue-eyed little boy when he was just a few days old. He was super cute then and each time I photograph him, he gets cuter it seems. Big sis is super cute too and plays her role well :) Such a fun session of wandering around and throwing leaves up in the air!

Full of style!

2010-10-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

This family is just full of style and I'll give the credit to mom :) She always just looks so stylish, from head to toe and has a great bubbly personality! And I honestly think these kids could be the next gap models. How cute are they?!!!

I've seen them a few times over the past few years and I always love to see young families come back so I can see how much the kiddos have grown! Such a perfect morning for family photos! I'm thinking the "no coat" fall days are numbered!

smiles!

2010-10-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

I always love seeing this family! And I'm lucky enough that they've been over quite a few times over the past year since this cute little guy was born. I still find it hard to believe that he's running and toddling around!

One thing is usually the same with this little cutie--he is always very serious around me. But this time, I got to see a different side of him and some of his cute little smiles! He loved the sound his feet made on the bridge and loved running through the leaves looking for sticks--always a "boy thing" to do!

I used to teach with mom and dad is from my same hometown so we always have lots to catch up on! We were a little concerned about the fall leaves that have already seemed to have dropped or not have much color to them. However, I have a few favorite spots that are working well for this time of year and I think they still have that warm autumn feel to them!

On location!

2010-10-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

What a perfect late afternoon for family photos! This session was a fun change as I went to their house. Such a gorgeous setting with many great spots for family photos. I also used to have these two cute little kids as students when I was teaching the past few years and it's always fun to see kids in a different setting!

I was also totally in love with the architecture of their front entry and door. It's always fun to have a new look to my pictures! Thanks for having me over to your home--such a nice (and picture perfect) family!

triplets!

2010-10-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

You may recognize these cute triplets as I featured them on my blog about a month ago! Mom and I are good friends so it's always fun to have the kids see me in a different role ;) I have to admit, sometimes this helps and sometimes it makes it more challenging! For this session, I think it helped:)

Since I know their personalities, it makes it fun to pick out the pictures that I think are "them." We had fun raking leaves and jumping in the piles. I love their expressions! So cute!

She's ONE!

2010-10-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

Doesn't that first year just fly by so fast?! I swear, I never knew what "time flies" meant until after I had kids! I was super excited to have this family over. Mom and I know each other through Iowa State. We were both in an online master's program through ISU that we finished a few years ago. We got to know each other really well as colleagues through all of our online discussion groups and classes.

It's always fun to see people in a different context, and always fun to get to know people more personally with their families. At the end of our program, she announced she was pregnant...and how time flies because now her little baby is ONE! Thanks for coming over and such a nice Sunday afternoon session. A super nice family with a gorgeous little girl filled with fun and personality.

Who would have thought we'd have this great weather still lasting this far into October?!

More cute siblings!

2010-10-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

I love the pictures that are a little less than "perfect." What does that mean?! The ones that really show personalities. The ones that tell the story of the session, that show gestures and expressions that are "just them." These were the two images that I was drawn to from this session--another group of kids that I hadn't met before. We had a fun time playing in the leaves and playing a few other games.

This photo session will be a surprise gift for dad's birthday. What a great personalized gift idea! Gorgeous individual photos and cute sibling ones too. Thanks for making the almost four hour drive to come to me for your photos--what a compliment! :)

Four young kiddos!

2010-10-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you try to photograph four young kiddos?! Ahhh, perfection :) I know....who would have ever thought that it's possible to get a great picture of four young siblings?! However, I've seen these kids a handful of times the past year so they are comfortable with me and probably more importantly, they love our toy room ;) I always look forward to visiting with mom and seeing these cute little kiddos! Great job, mom on "going with the flow"...that always helps!

Adorable family!

2010-10-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

I was excited to meet this family as this was their first time visiting me! Aren't the boys just SO cute?! We fit in a lot of variety throughout the session, but more importantly, great photos of the family as an end result. What a perfect afternoon on Saturday for yet another great family session. Thanks for coming over!

Fam full of girls...and dad!

2010-10-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

What a fun group of girls! And dad, too! Mom is in my bunco group and we've been friends ever since we moved back to Iowa so it's always fun to spend extra time with friends.

The girls each have their own personalities and tons of fun ideas for pictures! I'm always excited to find a new spot for pictures and we came across the one (with the three girls) as we were walking around the lake at Big Creek. What a fun and gorgeous family!

Nine months!

2010-10-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

What better way to celebrate being nine months old than in the fall leaves?! This little guy was so fun and easy to photograph. Full of smiles and loved being in the leaves! Not all babies this age like being in the grass, much less crunchy leaves, but he did! What a super nice family and a great way to start off my Saturday full of sessions!

Huge differences--one location!

2010-10-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

I've had this conversation quite a few times lately--the fall colors! Has anyone else noticed that the colors this year are just not as bright as usual. Not as much depth or as many oranges and reds. I think we got a little too much rain awhile back and that's affected the leaves changing colors this year. Some have turned a pretty yellow and then fallen to the ground but the brighter hues are harder to find it seems.

This time of the year, there's always a huge difference in day to day changes! So, I thought it would be interesting to get out a few photos from the same location to compare! These are all taken at the "bend" of the path behind my favorite bridge. The bright green and yellow with the family about to throw the leaves in the air is...my family a few years ago! (Photo courtesy of my neighbor Judy Reising!) My kids have grown so much since then and it just seems like yesterday when we were exploring around town taking those pictures, but that's a whole other blog post.

The next one was taken last Sunday (family of four), friends of ours. The two kiddos are my kids, Elli and Nolan, and was taken on Monday evening (one day later) and the last one of the five kids (my kids and one of my friend's three adorable kids!) was taken earlier this evening (Friday, four days later). What a huge difference in color! Not to mention, the cement path was poured this week and they must have poured over a bunch of leaves!

Twin boys in the leaves!

2010-10-15T20:19:00.001-07:00

What an awesome start to my weekend this morning! I first met these two little guys a year ago when I took their newborn photos, so of course they've grown and changed a ton. They each have their own little personality, but both LOVED playing in all of the leaves in our backyard. Yes, our backyard is covered in leaves!

We did some traditional family photos, fun ones in the leaves and then also a bunch of casual "team attire" photos in their Nebraska gear! Tons of fun!