Quinton-Six Months

If you are a blog follower of mine... you will recognize this guy. How could you forget those cheeks, big eye & lips? He was such a trooper... I think we shot for almost 2 hours after shooting with his cousin (post below).. and he lasted pretty much the whole time!

I can't get enough of his cute chub!

Oh man... now that's a serious baby smile! I must have been doing something really ridiculous at this moment. :)

I love the sepia with this shot.. feels very timeless.
Chelle is such a great mom.... she doesn't get to be home with him during the day, so when she comes home from work... she lights up. 
Look at that  facial expression! Ah.. so cute.

Miss Eva

Another gorgeous day in Mn... I called up a client of mine that had been meaning to set up an appointment and we planned it the day before! We have to take advantage of these fabulous days we are getting.. they are numbered! :)

Miss Eva had had a long day before making it to our session... so she wasn't quite sure about it when she first arrived. This was the first shot I snapped and I absolutely adore it. What a sweet face.... and the security of mom's hand.

It didn't take long for her to warm up!

Eva has the most stunning eyes... green with blue around the outside... they just grab your attention!

I love this look....
I brought along an old radio flyer wagon.. it was a big hit. She had a good time getting pulled around by mom. 
This is Eva and her cousin Quinton, who I also shot that day. I love how tight she has him pulled in.. and their facial expressions match perfectly.
More from Quinton's session tomorrow.... :)

The endless days of summer...

This week has been absolutely beautiful in Mn... so I decided to take full advantage and enjoy the fresh, warm, (almost) autumn air by doing what I love the most. I had a blast with Amy from Bellavita Studios and her little man Tavin. It is amazing that some of the best shots are ones that are completely caught off gaurd!  All three of these are completely that.

I absolutely can't even stand how dang cute he is in this shot. First off, Amy, you did such an amazing job dressing him. I mean how cute is he? The hat, the stripes, and the detailing on his cuffs. More than that... I asked him to go sit on that really cool tire over there and see what's in it. This image was a result of him rolling around on the tire and not really wanting his picture taken.. may be one of my fav's!

Again... I said... put your sign up in the air in case someone wants to buy a flower. How cute.. the sign is upside down... reminds me of little rascals!
This was actually taken right at the end of the session when he was running away from Amy and I as we packed up to get in the car. He turned around for a millisecond and looked right at me... and then continued to run down the path.
I will be posting more from this session!!! 

Welcome Brayden

Let me start off by saying what a beautiful family this is! I was so excited to see this new little man as I knew he was going to be the cutest thing ever. He was long awaited as his mom went through many, many, MANY hours of labor... but oh man he is so worth it. She was so cute as I asked her about her feelings of finally having him here. She said, "He is just the sweetest thing, and he is ALL MINE!" She radiated joy as she spoke about him and looked at him with such adoration.  Welcome Brayden!

Dyani looks fabulous!
Daddy came home from work and was sooooo sweet with his new little man. I didn't have to direct him at all... he just scooped up little Brayden and couldn't stop talking to him. "This is your daddy... did you miss me??" What a great dad he already is!

Sheer joy. I love this shot.
Beautiful, amazing, stunning family.
Ukee & Dyani- Thank you so much for letting me come into your home and see the little man. I hope to have the pleasure of watch Brayden grow!

Meet Henry

I had the pleasure of photographing this little man at 6 days. He was so sweet and peaceful as Amy and I curled him up. I love the first week after birth, they are so still so fresh and the parents watch them with such admiration. 

James, Esha + Belly

A couple of days ago, I was able to catch up with a girlfriend of mine from high school. I love when my clients understand the meaning of pregnancy sessions and are as excited about it as I am! I believe that during the nine months of pregnancy, a woman becomes more in tune with her body. Although he can't directly feel her experience... wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to his body has to be an amazing feeling as well. 

I love, love, love this shot. The lines, the connection, the feeling... even the contrast between her jeans and his. 
Can't decide which of these next two I like better... what do you think?

I shot much of the session with the 85 1.2. This way I was able to give them some space as I was shooting. I don't know what they talked about for the majority of the session... but I think I was able to capture who they are as a couple. I love that you can just barely tell he's laughing at something she said.

James & Esha, Thank you for being up for anything! I am in love with this session and can't wait until the little guy comes!

Jonathan + Jack

For those of you who still follow my blog... I love you. I am going to get better.. starting today!

You know you love your job when you schedule 2 sessions the morning after you return home from China. Although I knew I would be in major jet lag mode, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to shoot a couple of kiddos while I was still in Des Moines. 

This little man is a little shy around new people. My friend, Tsehaye, came along and did get Jonathan laughing a bit. 

You're not supposed to peek during hide and seek!!

I love giving children just a little bit of direction and watching where they take it. I believe that's how you capture who they are. I never micromanage any of my sessions... if I did I could've missed this little moment.  I asked him to put his alligator toy in his pocket... and died laughing when he lifted his shirt all the way up!!



Jack is one of my favorite little guys. He is so interactive with everyone and is always laughing or smiling. 
I can't get enough of his blonde curls, big blue eyes, and chubby cheeks. 

On the go!