Brandon & Pierce

My nephew, Brandon, asked me to photograph him and his friend with their favorite cars. I was pretty excited because this was my chance to get a couple of tough guys with their tough cars. Next time I photograph black cars at twilight however, I will be sure to recommend a wardrobe color other than black! lol Live and learn! :o)

Oct 24 Bradlie

Even though she might not always enjoy it, Bradlie often helps me with my appointments. She acts sort of like my gopher - carrying my extra equipment, helping with reflectors or other such things, but why I really love having her with me is her undeniable people skills. For a teenager, she is great with putting everyone at ease in front of the camera. Her great sense of humor makes kids laugh and as a bonus for me, she has come up with some really great posing ideas on the fly!

October 24 she helped me yet again and sat still while I took some test shots getting all my settings ready for lighting and locations. Normally I delete the test shots, but I just had to play with these. Photos like these are why I prefer location sessions without backdrops and studio lighting. I feel like I can get a better sense of someone's personality and I hope that comes through in my work.

No fan I own could have blown her hair so perfectly off her face for me.

We played around with various poses so I could see what I liked and didn't like. It was a bit chilly and definitely windy, but I don't always mind the hair in the face looks.



It seems the serious face is incredibly favored in teens right now and Bradlie is no exception. I tend to like the serious look myself, but what Mom or Dad can resist and true, giggly smile from their child? I know Bradlie does not think much of these two photos, but they are very dear to her family.

I remade the above photo in color for my Grandma. It never fails that every time I create a black and white of the kids, she asks for the same photo in color. lol I had forgotten myself for a minute when I worked these shots, so I went back to get a color smiley for Grandma
.

When taking serious face shots for young people I always try to tell them to "soften" their eyes, smile with only their eyes, or some other version of looking serious without looking angry. It can be a difficult trick to master, but once someone gets the hang of it, it can completely change the whole look of their session. It may just be the Mom in me, but I've always thought Bradlie's expressive face is the perfect tool to show someone how to "smile with only their eyes". I'm pretty sure she feels like a performing monkey when I ask her to show someone what I mean, so I try to show them myself. She's still way better at it than I am. lol

A couple of recents

I forgot (again) to post sneak peeks, but here are a few samples from a couple of recent sessions. We had a great time and I think everyone's portraits were fantastic!

The Gensler Family
I really enjoyed spending a Saturday afternoon with the Genslers. Their children were gorgeous and really enjoyed playing around with me and my camera. Mom and Dad even got in on the fun with me!

The Hartwig Children
What a couple of incredibly photogenic kids! I am so excited about their session and I hope they love their portraits as much as I do. Both kids have amazing eyes that made my work so much fun.

Mike, Stacey, & their beautiful girls

My cousins Mike and Stacey wanted a few unconventional family portraits this year. I was so excited that they thought of me and asked me to shoot for them!! All these great couples and family sessions really make me itch to get my own kids and honey together for a session.


Thanks to my friend and photographer, Kerry Weir of Kerry Weir Photography for the use of her land and, maybe, my most favorite pick up truck EVER. When Mike brought the broke down truck idea to me, I was on the hunt for the perfect location and vehicle. Kerry and her husband helped me out and even worked to clear out some trees and scrub so Mike and Stacey, Emma, Hannah, and Abby could all crowd around the truck.

Karly's a hottie!!!

I know I've been slacking again on updates here. I'm still struggling with managing my time better. :o) Still, I couldn't pass up a chance to show Karly what a little hottie she really is!! Isn't she gorgeous? Jay liked it with her hair blowing in her face, and look what an awesome portrait it made! If this were me, I would want a POSTER of myself looking this good. :o)



Of course, Jay is a cutie too, and I'm not just saying that because he's my cousin.

Emily F.

Emily and I had a great time during her session. Without thinking, we had agreed to schedule her appointment at the time the Demo Derby would be going on it town! She was a trooper and kept her appointment going to the Demos later. Our session was awesome and Emily STILL managed to make it to the Demos before they were over. :o)

For Ashley

Here's a peek for you Ashley!

Eaves Family

Rikka's Peek

Portrait session commemorating Rikka's 8th grade graduation. You did wonderful Rikka!!! Thank you.

50th Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to Ron and Barb on May 21st. I am so honored to be asked to share this milestone with them. These images were taken in their back yard with their lovely flowers and gorgeous little pond as a back drop. It was such a windy day, but they were real troopers. They really made my job so easy! Thank you again.

Yesterday's Fun

Yesterday, Cody's best friend came over to ride on the track. By sundown there were about half a dozen boys taking turns riding the 4-wheelers and dirt bike in our backyard. Cody and Ty wanted some shots for their senior video, so I obliged while they jumped, threw dust, and sat around.

This is just a fun little storyboard I popped out in about 20 minutes today. The range of faces these boys made just cracks me up to look at all the photos. These three were definitely in my top 10, but I need to make 1 or 2 more collages to really get my favorites in here. Just thought I would share the fun. :o)

Amber

Here are a couple from Amber's senior session. She reminds me of a celebrity, but for the life of me I can't think of the name!!

My Kids

These are the most recent images of my kids. Brad's a cheerleader, and I thought she looked so cute in her uniform that I had to have some portraits. She wasn't terribly willing, but she didn't have a choice either. LOL The pose in her hat seems to be the majority favorite, but I'm still in love with the black and whites. :o)