Together As Family

Yesterday was definitely an adventure. A friend from work wanted me to photograph her mom's family and so here I was with a great group of people in order to capture them together. I hope that you enjoy some of what I was able to to capture. Because their grandmother wasn't about to move around much we stuck to taking pictures on a granite bench in the park.






I learned something important in this picture. If a child doesn't want their picture taken, give them a fun job. Playing peek-a-boo definitely works!

Family || Abbie + Becky

It is becoming an annual thing I believe, to photograph these two sisters. While I was in college, Abbie (the brunette), became like a sister to me. When you are away from home you have to improvise and make a home away from home. Strangely she actually looks like some of my distant relatives on my mom's side. Sometimes people even thought we were sisters. Well, I would love to say she is a blood relative, but I can't. What I can tell you is that she does have a real sister who she cares about A LOT. Knowing Abbie I have come to find that she loves no matter what and I believe it is a trait she learned from her elder sister. Thank you ladies for letting me take your picture, even in the rain!




This was before the storm came. The sky was crazy and here we were standing on a bridge over water while lightening was striking in the distance. Guess it was less dangerous than the battle on this bridge. "The red coats are coming!"

Family || Becky & Abbie

Not sure what to write. Haha. I don't have a sister, but I do have a brother. It is always good to be around siblings. The relationship has its own dimension. You know that you are of the same blood and possibly have similar facial features. You may look like your parents, but the experiences are different there. Sometimes it is just nice to BE with them. When we are blessed with family that we can just relax with and be ourselves it is pretty much... awesome.

Family Sessions || Irrgang

Sometimes we just do not take the time to document our lives and the people in them. Even though we say "time flies" or "it seems just like yesterday" we do not stop to think that we CAN slow it down. We can make priorities for family. The media makes our brains go wild, so we have to wind down. God gave us one day a week to celebrate and remember His creation. He also provided this day for us to remember what is really important in life. Sabbath, I took some pictures of Chris's family. Here are some candid photographs from the afternoon, not an official "session". I did not get a picture of Kervin either. Oops.

Matching in purple. : )


Chris's mom wanted to get a picture of her children all together.

Family :: The Rivera's

Here are the pictures from the family session I did this past week. Now I have to hurry up and get going so I can finish up the Christmas shopping. Enjoy!






It was a pretty cold day! I had a lot of fun photographing the family out in the middle of the road. I had them tell me when a car was coming. Thankfully it was a low traffic road.

Sneak Peak :: 1st +3 Family

Communication. It is so important! I also love how efficient it is once done properly. It eases hearts. Lifts burdens out of our spirits. Changes the mood, atmosphere, and perspective of any given situation. The lack there of, destroys unintentionally sometimes. We run around like chickens with our heads cut off wondering why things are so confusing. All we need to do is communicate efficiently. Easier said than done, right? It is an art and definitely a skill that can always improve. No matter where you fall on the scale from 1 to 10. In the end the scale is obsolete. I like this. No expectations. No pressure. Just grow.

So I am going to give you a sneak peak into my first +3 family portrait session. I had to wing it. I have never done it. I had no idea what to expect. I learned a lot today. I figured out what worked and what did not work. I definitely give a HUGE gold star to all those who excel in portrait photography. It is not my strongest point but it is worth the challenge.

A literal "sneak peak".

Catching That Quickly

So I have some photographs that I would like to you show you. This is my first time trying an attempt at photographing a one year old. Little Ava has the sweetest little smile and catching it makes you feel pretty darn lucky. Definitely tires you out trying to focus and keep up though! I found this feather boa in the basement. Such a sweet little face.

Check out those little teeth.

I love how her eyes smile. That is the secret to a good shot.

I have a lot of work ahead of me as far as getting great shots of people. I am so used to taking still life images that it was a lot to get used to. there are so many factors involved that I am pretty overwhelmed. Trying to keep the exposure right, focusing the camera on the face, actually getting what you want in the image, and helping to relax those being photographed is a definite multitask.

Perfection is growth and I hope to keep on perfecting!