These two kiddos are ad.or.a.ble! Mom had emailed me their outfits a couple of weeks before our session, and we found the perfect location to go along with that had some grit and cool details to fit right alongside.

This little guy just celebrated his second birthday and is all boy–gotta love his affliction for tractors and boots, but hasn’t spent much time on a farm! He was cracking us up with his tractor sounds and kissy faces when a dog walked by along the sidewalk (as if he was beckoning it to come over and play with him)!

A quick outfit change and time for a few fun ones. Big sister got into the act too….I just adore her hat! She was so at ease in front of the camera…and I may have asked her who her favorite Jonas Brother was too. (Always gets a smile!)

Love this series of his facial expressions–all within just a couple of frames….

I love the background of this one against the detail in her shirt. So fun!

Hello, eyes!

Thanks, B family, for all the fun we had at your session!

They traveled from hundreds of miles away and just a few down the road, arriving from as far away as Mississippi and Texas to celebrate with the happy couple. The mood in the air was lighthearted and joyful :: and it was so apparent in the twinkle in Lauren’s eye that she had been looking forward to this day in her heart for so long. She was about to join her life with Nathan, and together they shared a beautiful vision for serving the kingdom with grace, steadfastness and love. So, so much love.

Lauren’s creative touch was woven throughout the entire celebration – from the flowers of her hairpiece, the initials she created for the altar, to the wonderfully thoughtful guestbook they created; their day was unique and personal down to the very last detail. (There’s nothing better than your personality shining through on your special day!)

Her dress was just as fantastic…

and I love those shoes!

Beautiful flowers she made for her hair. She swears it’s easy. I swear they’re gorgeous.

The lovely hardware ::

I loved this moment during the ceremony where they had a moment of reflection :: intertwining their lives as one.

Beautiful, bright flowers, perfectly signifying summer.

Married!

Love this shot from their first dance ::

A really cute series during the bouquet toss…

And a couple of night portraits before calling it a day (and a perfect one at that).

Oh, you want to see more?  Press play!

Lauren and Nathan :: it has been an absolute joy and my privilege to be part of your amazing day, and I wish you both the very best as you journey together in happiness, gratitude and love. Cheers!

Thanks to their amazing vendors to make their day so unique ::

Dress :: Beautiful Beginnings :: Maggie Sottero
Hair :: Mane Focus, Ellinwood, KS
Cake :: Cakes by Lisa, Ellinwood, KS
Flowers :: Great Bend Floral
DJ :: Complete Music

Now, leave them some blog love in the comments below!

I am ready. I am so, SO ready… and it’s awesome to see the first kisses of color on the trees here. Open windows, cool breeze… bring it on.

Happy Weekend! Hold on to your hats for Monday :: Nathan and Lauren‘s wedding is coming up!

So I feel like I’m not the only one who stands on the soapbox anymore about gracing your walls with not just one portrait, but the impact of several in a grouping.

Me Ra Koh had a perfect example on her blog this week. Her home. She hired a local (Seattle) designer to help her create a bigger impact with her portraits :: and after the arduous process of narrowing down to her favorites (just like we do in your viewing and ordering appointment!) she decided on several large prints to define her space. I love these before and afters — it’s the perfect, perfect way to illustrate how just a few pictures, properly sized for your space, can make a huge difference.

And the after::

Individually, they’re beautiful portraits. Together, they tell an amazing story of their time in Thailand. Imagine the conversations that those images can spark…remembering adventures, bringing up the emotion and excitement of discovering something new along their journey. The peace and happiness that comes from spending time together as a family. Not only all of that, but you don’t find yourself squinting at the little images to say “oh, who/what’s that?” Big images = big impact!

The next day, Me Ra featured several people who had shared ways to display their images–some of them, simple and budget friendly, and others, more elaborate collections. I was thrilled to be among the displays she featured from this session and this wall gallery in the client’s home. You can read her whole blog post here!  Me Ra is taking photography to a whole new level lately with her features on the Nate Berkus show (I won’t get overly link-happy, google it if you’d like to learn more about the show) and is a regular contributor on his show blog. And there’s more big things to come from her!

This is a big week! So much great stuff to share!

You may recognize Skyler from Garin and Ashley‘s wedding back in June :: he, the youngest brother and best man in their beautiful summer celebration. It’s been an absolute delight to get to know their entire family better since the wedding, and now it’s Skyler’s turn in the limelight.

He is so many things :: brother. friend. quarterback. humble. traditional. proud. honest.

His family identifies with the high school football team, and it’s been a huge part of their lives for many years. (And their season is off to a great start this year too!)

The doors at the high school have a wonderful story and a big piece of the school’s heritage, as they’re rarely opened for anything other than graduation. Walking through those enormous, beautiful doors is a huge honor and a big deal. So we thought it would be perfectly appropriate to have some portraits in front of them!

We ventured a few other favorite places near his home — I just love the authenticity in this photograph.

And as the light was fading we caught a few more–honest, real. So authentic.

Skyler, wishing you all the best on a fantastic senior year and a new adventure to come!

If you’ve peeked at my website update this week…you’ll find that I confess one of my addictions. I don’t have many vices when it comes to food — due partly to a bevy of allergies that would bore you to tears…but when it comes to fruity, gooey, chewy goodness, you can sign. me. up. Right along next to Swedish Fish (OMG), gummy bears, and those ridiculously good Haribo pink grapefruit slices. Good grief.

I loooove Dots. Just as long as you take out the green ones. They’re icky. They smell bad. They taste funny. I’ll do anything not to eat one. (shudder)

Wishing you a sweet, chewy and fruity weekend!

In the wake of the conversation that last week sent me slightly a-shakin’ in my boots…I am finding clarity. Who I am and why it makes me the right photographer for you. How we fit together, like chocolate chips and cookie dough.

As such you might see a few changes here on the blog, my website, and my Facebook page.  It’s exposing. I’m giving you 100% me. Raw, real, authentic, honest. Just like my images. Some will like it, others might leave it. But I can’t deny the person who I am and let only the art do the talking — I’ve come to realize it’s important for you to know who I am, too. Because, really, I’m fun. I like to laugh. I make your portrait experience fun, comfortable, and stress free.

And it’s kind of fun too. I think this is my new favorite self-portrait. It takes me back to nearly eighteen months ago at Me Ra’s Discovery Workshop and the self-portraits we shared. A lot has changed since then. Oooooh boy, a lot.

Love me or leave me….at least you can say you know me.