Mindy Black Photography

winner!

2011-11-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

I announced it on my facebook page yesterday, but we better be thorough and post it here too!

Congrats to our winner, Jemaica Salmon! And we look forward to seeing the rest of you who are signed up on the 19th! It's going to be great!

Enter to Win a FREE Seat at our photography workshop- A $150 Value!

2011-11-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

The photography workshop is coming up on November 19th, and we're offering you a chance to earn a FREE seat, $150 value! To enter simply do one or both of the following:

- Grab the link below and post it on your facebook page, then leave a comment here with a link to your page.

- Grab the link below and post on your blog, and then leave a comment here with a link to your blog.

Link: http://mindyblackphotography.blogspot.com/2011/11/enter-to-win-free-seat-at-our.html

You may be entered twice by participating in both options, just be sure you include both links to your blog/page. Contest ends at 10 am MST on Monday, November 7th. Drawing will take place that same Monday at noon MST.

Photography Workshop

2011-10-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

So excited to announce the upcoming photography workshop with my good friend Holly Hyde! This will be a fun filled day of instruction and mentoring!

Baby Reese

2011-09-27T22:42:00.000-07:00

This little lady is just a few weeks younger than my little one, so this was lots of fun for me. I'm in love with the pink, pink, pink and more pink. :)

Beautiful momma, beautiful baby girl.

I'm in love with her blanket and wanted to steal it, although I have only boys, I would keep it for myself!

She was a sweet, sleepy little gal. This one was short and sweet and easy.

the end.

Mike + Caitlin {Reception}

2011-09-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

I absolutely loved shooting this reception. It was held in a greenhouse, Highland Gardens. It was breath taking. The lighting changed as the night went on, it was gorgeous when it got dark outside, all of the different light was so much fun to work with.

And they lived happily ever after. :)

Mike + Caitlin {Draper Temple}

2011-09-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

This gorgeous wedding was on a snowy Saturday back in April. I'm just now getting to posting these, with the time off I've taken for bedrest, having a baby, and now my maternity leave. This is hands down one of my favorite weddings ever. I loved the colors, the families where awesome to work with and I had so much fun! I decided to break it up and post reception images separately, there were just too many for one post, so watch for those coming up next!

{A} sisters

2011-08-31T21:34:00.001-07:00

This session was from April! Edited from the comfort of my hospital bed when I was there on my extended vacation. :)

My Baby Noah

2011-08-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

Here's my own little bundle, Noah! I had him on July 23, after a LONG LONG time spent bed resting and stressing out. He was born healthy, my first full term baby, and at 7 pounds outweighed his two older brothers by one whole pound and a pound and a half. Amazing. We feel so blessed that it all turned out so well for us! I've missed photography over the past few months, but I'm so happy to be home with my three little men!

I'm not quite ready to be back at it full force yet, this time passes so quickly and I want to treasure it. I will be taking a limited number of fall sessions (I'm talking like a handful- very limited) and I'll be collaborating with my good friend Holly Hyde to offer a photography workshop. I'll also finally be posting the sessions that I finished up in the spring before the bed rest and craziness of my pregnancy.

For now, here's a peek at my newest little fella!

yet another sneak peek...

2011-04-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

A quick little peek for mom! I worked with some super cute sisters last week, more to come from this session!

Milee {sneak peek}

2011-04-15T23:05:00.001-07:00

Caitlin & Mike {sneak peek}

2011-04-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick little peek of Caitlin and Mike's gorgeous wedding from yesterday. The weather was crazy yesterday, but they were troopers! Can't wait to share more soon!

{t} twins

2011-04-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

I worked with these little darlings on Saturday afternoon. My first set of twins! And I loved every single minute of their sweetness! Kael and Grayson where perfect babies, and while two babies where a lot of work, in some ways it was easier than one. I am amazed at how just having the other baby beside the fussy one would help to settle him right down. My boys came in for a minute during our session and both of them where just amazed at two babies that looked alike.

How's that for a hand full o'feet?

Thanks so much to momma Cami, and congrats to your growing family!

baby carston

2011-04-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

This newborn session was actually done a few days before Christmas, but at the time I was really sick with this pregnancy and it was all I could do to shoot and edit, I put posting the session on the back burner and was just reminded about it yesterday. So better late than never, here is a quick look at sweet baby Carston, in all of his Christmas Baby glory!

Baby Jace {6 months}

2011-04-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

I've been so sporadic with posting lately, I'm going to attempt to post the sessions that fell through the cracks over the next little while... this is one of them! I worked with Baby Jace last month, as you can see he's a cutie!

I designed a colorful story board, showing the many cute little faces of baby Jace...
And it's cute in black and white too!

T Twinner sneak peak...

2011-04-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun photographing these adorable, tiny twins this afternoon! Here's a little peek!

Lots more coming, I can't wait to share their cuteness!

A quick peek and scheduling update...

2011-03-06T13:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a little sneak peak of Baby Jace, he was such a good natured little guy and I had a blast playing with him!

I have a little update as far as booking goes! I'm expecting baby #3, and my first two both came early with pre-term labor complications and bed rest so I'm not taking any bookings after the end of April, and April is already full. I may be able to squeeze in a baby here or there from now until them, but that's pretty much it. Our baby boy will be joining our family this summer, and I'll take a little time off to relax and love on my boys. I'll be ready to take bookings again in the fall, probably starting in September. Thanks for being understanding and supportive as I put my family and my baby first, we are so excited for our third baby boy, and of course I'll be anxious to show him off as soon as he gets here!

Mike + Caitlin {in love}

2011-01-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

Engagements are so much fun! I so much enjoyed working with Caitlin and Mike last Saturday! They are such a cute couple and so in love! I can't wait for their wedding day, Caitlin is going to be a stunning bride, see for yourself!

Thanks Caitlin and Mike, I think you are adorable!

It's always so hard to choose the images to use for a blog post. There are a lot more that I love! You can see the rest of their session on the mindy black photography facebook page.

Christmas Baby

2010-12-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

I worked with sweet baby Carston yesterday, I thought I would put up a quickie peek before Christmas is all over! Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a fresh brand new baby!

{sweet baby presley}

2010-12-21T21:09:00.000-08:00

A few of my favorites from sweet baby Presley's newborn session, she was the perfect baby the entire time! Thanks L family!

2010-12-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

I'm officially closing up shop for Christmas! feel free to email me if you need anything and I'll respond after the new year! Merry Christmas to all of my wonderful clients and friends! It's been a great photography year!

Baby Presley sneak peak

2010-12-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

I'm just getting into these, but wanted Presley's momma to have a little peek, I'm loving these so far, I can't wait to get into the rest of them! More coming soon!

{B} family

2010-11-29T21:56:00.001-08:00

We took these a little over a week ago, on one of the last good days before all of the snow hit. I'm dying over these little boys, I can't believe how fast they are growing up! You can see this family two years ago HERE, and Baby B as a newborn HERE. Seriously, kids just grow up so fast! Thanks for the fun, B family!

This was my last family session of the year! I'm pretty much caught up with editing, I don't know that I'll ever get it all posted, but I'm closing in on getting everyone's prints ordered and disks burned. I would say we're in the home stretch, and it feels good to be crossing things off the "list". I can't believe how fast this year has gone! It's been so much fun!

C H R I S T M A S {cards}

2010-11-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

It's time to start thinking about Christmas cards!!!

I'm so excited to be offering custom Christmas cards to my clients this year! We can use any photos from your photo session this past year, or if you have a release of copyright from another photographer (or your own photo for that matter) I can also help you out!

I've worked really hard on getting these ready, and I'm so excited to show you the choices!

All of these are front and back 5x7 unless otherwise specified. I can make a few of these 5x7 folding cards, just let me know if that's what you want and I can show you what they would look like with additional pictures inside.

this is a 5x5 card.

The next three are all the same card, I'm showing it in three different colors to show that the possibilities are as vast as you can imagine. We can make the background contrast with the colors in the picture, or any color you would like.

This is a similar card, but with two images on front, a wide and a tall picture.

This cute striped pattern is designed by jones design company, the top image is not my image. The bottom one is. I'm waiting for the files to be sent to me for this one, but when I get them I'll post more options. It would look good in chocolate brown, green, blue, red... you get the idea.

I'm also offering the layout of my family christmas card from last year:
for the back of this one I would just fill it with one full image.

{details}

$45 for 25 cards and envelopes.
$60 for 50 cards and envelopes.
$80 for 75 cards and envelopes.

All cards are front and back 5x7 unless specified. They come on beautiful card stock, not just regular photo paper, these will wow you! Choose from 5 paper cover stocks – standard, art watercolor, art linen, art recycled, or pearl (add $6 per every 25 cards for upgraded paper such as pearl. Standard or Linen finish would be included in the price.) They come with white envelopes as well. If I have your images the cards can be printed and in your hands within a week.

I can change any of these designs to suit your tastes, colors, fonts, etc are easily changed.

Happy Christmas Card shopping!!

*All orders must be placed by Friday Dec 10th.

Loveless Clan

2010-11-15T21:30:00.000-08:00

I'll admit that I may have had a near anxiety attack when my dear friend Abbie and her mom asked me to take extended family pictures with 17 grand kids...
But it went well, and we had a great time! Aren't they beautiful little people?? I love the clothing choices, fun and colorful, not matchy, but everyone looks well groomed and nicely dressed. Good job moms! There was just a minimal amount of adjusting and shuffling:
but all 17 of those kids were well behaved, super cooperative, and adorable!

Thank you so much, Loveless family! I'll consider my life a success if my posterity turn out half as well as yours! You've raised some good kids and grandchildren!

A special Thank You also to my wonderful friend Holly, who came along for moral support, and helped with holding a reflector (although she is highly over qualified for that job!) She did a great job dancing around and helping to attract the collective attention of young and old alike! And mostly for just being a fun friend. For us, taking pictures together was like a girls night out!

{sammy}

2010-11-07T20:15:00.001-08:00

My adorable little niece just turned one! More of these to come! And her family too!

{G family}

2010-11-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

These ones happen to be related to me! This is the family of one of my cousins, and I think these kids couldn't be any cuter! Thanks guys!

Stockton & co.

2010-11-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

I love his big smiles, and especially that little tongue that always ends up sticking out! This little guy is 18 months old now, and I can't believe how fast he's grown up! Thanks a bunch to Stockton & Co!

Hyde Family

2010-10-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

A quick little post for my adorable friend Holly, who is also a photographer! We did a picture swap again this year, she took mine and I took hers! We made a great deal this year, we are editing our own, so I'll show mine once I get them back and all edited and ready. I can't wait!
(and let's pretend that I didn't forget to watermark these, I would, but I'm too tired to go back and fix it right now!)

Her new little one, who reminds me so much of my O as a baby. So squishable!

How could I not post this one? It cracks me up! Any mom understands this. It's real life!

Beautiful and talented, her hubby is one lucky guy! We've known each other for almost 10 years, since my first year of college, we lost touch for a while and then found each other again over the last few years thanks to photography. I'm so glad to have such an inspirational friend back in my life!

2010-10-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

More mini session fun! These guys are good friends of ours and I can't get over these oh-so-cute little girlies. Mom did a perfect job with outfits and it was a lot of fun!

[T family]

2010-10-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

More of the gorgeous American Fork Canyon! Thanks to the cute T family! This session was one of my Saturday mini sessions, and I was so impressed with how cooperative and easy these kids were, it made it so quick and easy! Thanks for the fun!

{R} family

2010-10-18T22:16:00.001-07:00

A few favorites from the R family's photo session. It's always so hard to narrow it down. I feel so lucky that I got to spend a lot of time in the gorgeous mountains near my home last week. Thanks R family, for a fun session with lots of laughs! I think you are such a cute, loving family!

Samantha & John

2010-10-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

Everything about this wedding was over-the-top gorgeous. Sam was a gracious and beautiful bride, and John was a sweet and attentive groom. I love to see a guy be so tender toward his bride, and it's easy to see they are so in LOVE! Thanks so much, Sam and John, for letting me be a part of your amazing and special day!

fall mini sessions

2010-10-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

Where did this year go???

I have two dates this year for fall mini sessions, they mostly filled up before I had a chance to even post, but I do have two open spots for October 16th and October 19th in American Fork Canyon. Contact me by email or phone to set up a time slot.

Scott & Lisa {wedding album}

2010-10-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

I just had a blast designing this wedding album for Scott and Lisa. Choosing which pictures to use was the hardest part. They are such a beautiful couple and their wedding day was gorgeous! I might be posting more of these later, this is really just a small sampling. Thanks so much Scott and Lisa, I was honored to be a part of your special day!

Brody [1 year old]

2010-09-30T00:14:00.000-07:00

I so much enjoyed working with this handsome little man! He did such an awesome job! There is usually a little warm up time where I have to work hard to win a baby or child over, so they will trust me and smile for me, but this little guy just jumped right into it, and I had so much fun playing with him! I feel so lucky that I get to do what I do. Really, who can call playing with a little guy like this work? So what if I happened to snap a few pictures along the way! Thanks Nicki, he's adorable!

{L} family

2010-09-29T21:11:00.001-07:00

These guys are always so much fun to work with, Amber does a great job of choosing outfits, and they bring grandma along to help little Gage give good smiles, which is always tons of fun! Thanks, L Family, you are so dang cute!

{Hicken Family}

2010-09-22T14:50:00.000-07:00

This session was about a month ago, that's how far behind I am with blogging my sessions, but it was such a fun session! Thanks so much, H family!

{Samantha's Bridals}

2010-09-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

I had the honor and privilege to work with Sam this month, her wedding was just last weekend, and was possibly one of the most gorgeous ceremonies I've photographed, I can't wait to post the images from their wedding day, but for now, here some of my favorite bridals!

standouts

2010-09-09T15:42:00.001-07:00

I got a print shipment in today, lots of images for several families, babies and also this lovely bride, Sam. You'll be seeing her bridals soon, I need to get back on top of posting my sessions!

But I wanted to show you all about these standouts that Sam ordered. I love how these turned out. They are going to look so awesome hanging on the wall! They come with holes in the back for mounting, they are available in 3/4 or 1 1/2 inches thick. You can choose black, white, silver, gold, or light wood border.

These are a great alternative to gallery wrap canvas. They are less expensive, but most importantly, the image still looks sharp and crisp, which is a biggie for me. I think I'll be doing some of these for my own home!

frist day of school

2010-09-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

My oldest boy started preschool this week!
He loved it!
He woke up a little grumpy, and crawled back into bed telling me he was cold and he couldn't go to school today because he was a little boy, not a big boy, and he needed to stay home with me. We were surprised because he's been so over the top excited, but I'm pretty sure that's just how he acts when he's a little nervous. He snapped out of it pretty quick and was good about getting ready to go. He was so excited by the time we got there, he ran right up and stood in line with the kids and gave me a high 5 as I left. He's growing up so fast! I really can't believe it.
(I opted to leave the battle scar on his chin, it's part of who he is right now, and it's authentic. He really had that big owie on the first day of school, might as well document it. If these were wall portraits or birthday pictures or something, I would probably edit it out, but for this, I'm okay with it being there.)

I can't believe how cute he is! He picked this outfit out all on his own. The shorts where on the clearance rack at Target and he asked if they could be his school clothes. You can't really tell, but they have the cutest brown pin stripes. And he also chose the shirt. I chose the back pack. He wanted a Diego back pack with wheels, but it had a huge bar across the back and it didn't look comfortable or sensible at all. He was happy with this one anyway.

He came home and told me all about the letter A and an alligator song (he refused to sing it to me) and showed me the pictures he colored of shapes and was all excited about a field trip to the fire station that's coming up at the end of the month. I think he's going to do great!

Owen enjoyed Carter's first day of school too! We came home and played cars for a LONG time. He likes to pretend and make up stories, he chattered my ear off and I loved every minute of our one on one time. I get a lot of one on one with Carter, while Owen naps, but it's a little more rare to have time with just Owen, so I'm looking forward to our two mornings a week, although we will really miss Carter.

Then we took our self portrait together, because really, what's more fun than that?? I loved that after each shutter click he would ask:
"can I see?" and then he would shout "There we are!!!" in his cute little sing song-y voice and then push the camera out for me to do it again. :)

*I'm behind with posting again, but happy to say I'm on top of my editing for now, I have several jobs in the queue, but I'm chipping away at it in good time. I hope to someday catch up on posting all of the sessions from this summer, and it would really be great if I could get back to posting previews too, wouldn't it?

{gardner family}

2010-08-25T23:09:00.001-07:00

Ahhh! I'm loving how this session turned out! It was so much fun, and I went home with hurting cheeks from laughing so much!

Anyway, moving on... Baby Dax is looking so so so cute these days that I really just makes me want another one RIGHT. THIS. MINUTE!

You might recognize these little cuties from here. It's so much fun to see how they've changed and grown in just a few months!

We also had a near emergency, big brother Kael loved the apples in the orchard so much that he tried to swallow one whole... not really, but he was eating it up and started to choke. We joked that I knew the heimlich just in case, but it quickly became evident that he was really choking! I flipped him over so fast and did the baby heimlich and it actually worked! I always wondered if I would really know what to do and if all of that CPR and First Responder certification I had to have as a Dental Assistant back in the day would really work. Happy to report that you will remember it if you learn it! So moms, if you don't already know how to help your child in an emergency, please brush up on the basics. It might come in handy some day!

Thanks so much, Gardner Family! You are so dang cute!

Baby Eli

2010-08-22T22:33:00.001-07:00

Another sweet little newborn baby!

{R} girls

2010-08-22T22:07:00.001-07:00

You may recognize baby Hannah, all grown up and now 6 months old!! This is one of my favorite parts of what I do... watching these little people grow and getting to know the families I work with. These girls are so all so darling! I love that they all look similar, yet totally different. One sister with big brown eyes, two with bright blue eyes... cute little girls and fun pink dresses!

Baby Lincoln

2010-08-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

Some favorites from Baby Lincoln's session....

And congrats to one of my very best friends, Lincoln's mommy Marci! He's perfect in every way!

more here

scott + lisa

2010-08-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

just a quick little sampling of today's wedding! more will be coming soon!

quick previews...

2010-08-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

A sweet newborn baby:

and an adorable family.

More of these and last weeks sessions coming soon!

lots of previews...

2010-07-29T23:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week!

This week I got to photograph...

A Gorgeous Bride:

Three Sisters:

Sweet Baby Lincoln:

baby nora {1 year}

2010-07-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, baby Nora! Isn't she the cutest? I thought about trying to sneak her home with me, but knew for sure her absence would be noticed. I love her long dark lashes and her cute baby chub!

just one

2010-07-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

coming soon...

I'm loving these!

Owen [2 years old]

2010-07-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

This is my baby boy, who turned two a few weeks ago. I love how they turned out!

I may be a little partial, but seriously, they don't come much cuter than him! :)

baby seth

2010-07-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

This little guy has some seriously delicious chubby legs! I love the little fat rolls! My resolve to wait a little longer for another baby is quickly fading away as I snuggle and play with these little cuties!

p.s.
I'm catching up!

Abbie's family

2010-07-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

These are my cute friends Abbie and Jason (also seen here) and Jason's fun family. Abbie is one of my very best friends from my hometown and also happens to be the best hair-doer ever... I highly recommend her! These guys had me laughing hard the whole time! Here are some of my favorites! Thanks for the fun!

lens for sale

2010-07-06T20:37:00.001-07:00

I'm selling my Nikon 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 zoom lens. This has been an awesome lens, I've only owned it for about a year. It's one of the best DX zoom lenses out there. My only reason for selling it is I have upgraded to a full frame camera and thus have been phasing out my DX lenses.

Email me with any questions.

Asking $625. I bought it new a year ago for $750. (I did a price comparison on Ebay and Amazon and that looks like about the going rate for this lens used. Lenses don't really depreciate the way camera's do.)

{R family}

2010-06-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time taking these family pictures, the boys found a huge dragon fly right before we started and they kept track of it long enough to get a picture with it. We rolled down hills and acted silly. My favorite kind of session!

Thanks, Wendy! Your kids are so well mannered and bright! It was fun to see you all again! (I met them a year ago at David and Shantel's beautiful wedding seen here and here)

progress update and photo contest

2010-06-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends! I'm slowly catching up! I have about 4 sessions to finish editing and more than that to post. It's been a busy June. Remember how I said I was only going to take 2-3 sessions per month? I broke my own rule, and by the time it's all said and done I will have done 10 this month. I'm slowing it down a bit in July. I'm already booked for August and September and October. I might decide later to add more for October, for now I'm not going to book November at all, we'll wait and do that in the fall...

Anyway, I have a no-editing-photos-during-the-day rule. I'm with my kids all day and we play and have fun, so I do my editing at night after they've gone to bed. It works out pretty well until I get too many in the queue and then I get stressed. If you're waiting for your picutures or previews just know I'm going as fast as I can go without sacrificing my kid's their momma. :) Thanks for being patient with me as I continue to try and balance photography with my life!

In other news, I entered this picture of my boys in a photo contest at Better Homes and Gardens. I saw the call for entries in my July magazine and thought of this picture I snuck of my fellas a few weeks agon on our front porch.

The theme is "Home: It's where life happens."
If you like the photo, would you all mind helping me out and just follow this link and click "like". Thanks!

BHG PHOTO CONTEST

{W} family

2010-06-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

I'm loving this session! This cute little family are friends from our previous neighborhood... so cute! These are some of the cutest little girls I've ever known, the same ages as my boys, so it was so fun to see them again! Mom did a perfect job with outfits. Lots of color, not matchy, nicely coordinated. Perfect!

Dad is headed to Afghanistan for a year, so we made sure to get extra pictures of just dad and each girl... I'm just scratching the surface on these, there were so many that I loved! I'll for sure be posting more once I get caught up a bit!

for Angie

2010-06-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

A quick little sneak peak for my cute friend Angie... This was actually a big extended family shoot, and I"m just now getting into them, but of course I go for the individual kids images first. They're always my favorite! I couldn't resist the cute cousins hugging.

Many more of these to come, I'm just now getting into them, but liking them!

catching up...

2010-06-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

A quick little sampling from the {S} family's session... Thanks for the fun!

baby sammy {6 months}

2010-06-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

I'm so behind with posting right now, it's been a busy busy start to the summer. We took these pictures of Sammy about a week and a half ago, she changes every singe time I see her(she's my niece!) I can't believe how fast they grow up!

baby gavin

2010-06-01T23:23:00.000-07:00

I'm loving lots of black and white again...

Gavin's mom and dad wanted a very simple newborn session. It was a lot of fun to just focus on him and his newborn sweetness! He was two weeks old at the time of the shoot, usually that age is a turning point, they are a lot more alert and a little harder to trick into a deep sleep, but little Gavin surprised me and zonked right out and stayed that way until we were pretty much finished. He was the perfect little angel! :)

baby gavin's preview

2010-05-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

He was this precious the entire time! More coming soon...

{H} family continued...

2010-05-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite family sessions, and one of my all time favorite locations.

We had an uninvited guest come to our little party... this crazy horse came trotting to the fence and wouldn't leave us alone. We tried moving. He followed. I'm sure he just wanted a friend. Finally I just gave up and embraced it. It actually turned out to be one of my favorite shots.

For a horse, I'd say he was pretty photogenic!

Thanks, H family, for the fun! You guys are always good looking and fun to be with!

the rest of Milee's session...

2010-05-17T23:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a long couple of weeks, I filled a hard drive, and my internet broke... all I can say is it's a good thing that my hubby is my tech support! Here is the rest of Milee's session, finally!

Dax and Kael {baby brothers}

2010-05-07T21:29:00.001-07:00

A quick little preview for Amber! This was such a great experience to photograph both boys and one of my easiest newborn shoots ever. This little bundle was just 3 days old on the day of the shoot (Tuesday). I couldn't get over his HAIR! It was so thick and soft, and big brother Kael is a seriously good natured baby and quite adorable himself!

This little family's story is so sweet and such a miracle... twice over! They adopted little Kael and soon after discovered they would be having baby Dax. These two little brothers are just 9 monhts apart. Amber, you are going to have your hands so full, but I can say from experience that they'll be such good buddies for each other! I'm so happy for you and your wonderful little family, I love your babies!

{h} family preview

2010-04-26T21:48:00.001-07:00

I really did intend to post just a quick one picture preview, but these are looking so cute I just couldn't stop once I got going! I can't even believe how adorable little Mr. Stockton is these days! Thanks H family, it was so fun to see you tonight! Much more coming soon!

milee's preview

2010-04-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

A quick peek from Milee's session yesterday! This was my third time seeing Milee since last spring, she's grown up so much! She just turned three! She's full of personality and spunk, and just as cute as can be! Thanks to Milee and her family! More to come soon!

Krue {9 months}

2010-04-21T23:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorites from Krue's session.

This is actually my kids toy basket and I've been wanting to put a baby in it for a long time, so I have to thank Krue for obliging! I had his mommy write his name on the little chalkboard, I thought that her handwriting would be a lot more sentimental than mine would.

Thanks to Marissa, Krue and his Grandma too! It was lots of fun! (Krue is the son of my hubby's cousin, so this was extra fun!)

coming soon... {krue}

2010-04-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a little peek of Krue's session, which I'll be posting soon!
He has the bluest eyes! There are some fun ones I can't wait to post...

{more baby rocky} black and white love

2010-03-30T22:00:00.001-07:00

I realized when I started pulling up my favorites of Rocky and his family to post that the ones I love the best this time are mostly black and white... that doesn't happen too often, most of the time I love color, so enjoy the change of pace for now! Thanks again to Rocky, Annie and Mitchell. Your little Rocky is precious and I'm so glad I met him!

see more of Rocky's session here.

{baby charlie}

2010-03-21T19:50:00.001-07:00

I just enjoyed some really nice time off for the past month. I needed it. I'm feeling all refreshed and ready to go again.

Enjoy adorable Charlie! He's one of those babies I want to keep for my own, look at that little face! Thanks, Jeanne, it was so great to meet you and your cute little Charlie!

{rockwood}

2010-03-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

They call him Baby Rocky, isn't that cute? This little guy was wide awake and a little bit fiesty, but definately worth it. I've never seen a newborn be so in control of his head and limbs and be able to smile and focus his eyes so well. He's so cute! Every time I'm with a newborn I feel the urge to have another one. Thanks Annie and Mitchell, he's so precious!

My {little} big boy

2010-02-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

Somewhere along the line, my baby boy grew up. These are his 18 month old pictures, taken last week, just before he turned 19 months old... we had a crazy January, so we were a little late. That's what happens when your momma is also your photog.

I can't believe how fast he is growing and changing. He's looking so tall and skinny, just like his big brother, and I already miss my baby boy. I thought I would share some of his sweetness with all of you! Enjoy!

Stockton continued...

2010-02-11T15:11:00.000-08:00

All of his baby sweetness at 9 months! He loves to stick his tongue out... we had lots of pictures of him doing that!

Thanks again, Rachel and Stockton! Lots of fun!

another love of mine...

2010-02-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

Hello photography blog buddies! Come check out my new home decor blog!

from house to home
http://sohouse2home.blogspot.com/

Feel free to put me on your side bar and keep up with my projects and ramblings!

Stockton {9 months}

2010-02-02T22:04:00.001-08:00

Just a quick preview...

He is so stinkin' cute! Baby Stocky and I go way back... 9 months to be exact. And his mommy and I go even further back, like kindergarten or first grade to be exact! Thanks so much Rachel, it was so fun to see you and your little fella again! More will be coming soon, I'm liking them a lot!

Baby Hannah

2010-01-29T11:32:00.000-08:00

"Babies are such a nice way to start people" -Don Herold

I couldn't agree more.

I really don't know that I've ever seen a newborn smile so much! She was a perfect little subject, and at just a week and a half old! So sweet and perfect. I love newborns. The more I photograph babies and newborns the happier I am. They are brand new and fresh and absolutely perfect in every way.

Thanks to Baby Hannah and her mom Gina for a lovely session. I enjoyed every minute of her little sweetness!

my buddy Gage...

2010-01-18T21:58:00.000-08:00

CAKE SMASH!!!

I think Gage liked that part best...

A special thanks to Gage and his mommy, Amber! This session was so incredibly fun, and I loved seeing little Gage again! I took his newborn portraits and I've seen him several other times over the past year. Gage was one of the babies that inspired me to start Babies First Year (details are coming, promise.) This is the part of photography that most fulfills me.

Gage seriously couldn't be cuter! And it's been a pleasure to know him and to have captured some moments of his first precious year!

Happy Birthday, Gage!

coming soon...

2010-01-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Baby Gage turns ONE!
I can't wait to post the rest of these, they are looking so cute!
Gage is one of my favorite little guys!
And let me tell you, he worked it!
I'll bet you want to see the after picture, right?

Baby Hannah Preview

2010-01-10T21:31:00.001-08:00

Just a quickie for baby Hannah's mommy. More coming soon!

beginning photography class info

2010-01-07T22:55:00.000-08:00

Note: this photography class will be tailored to Digital SLR cameras, but anyone is welcome to attend. It would be best if your camera allows you at least some control over aperture, ISO and shutter speed. I will be accepting the first 10 students who email me and let me know they are attending and send in payment to reserve the spot. We'll have a lot of fun!

Winner, winner, Christmas dinner!

2009-12-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

And the winner is:

Commenter #6 Amanda&Chad:

Amanda&Chad: please contact me by email to claim your prize. This session can be used any time in 2010.

Thanks so much for playing, everyone! I can see the basic photo class is going to be a lot of fun, and I'm excited to meet a lot of you I've never met before.

Merry Christmas to all!

thank you + a christmas gift

2009-12-20T20:18:00.000-08:00

(Bear with me, this is the word-iest post on this blog!)

Thank you for a great photography year!

And Merry Christmas to my clients and readers!
I'm officially all finished up for the year, and taking a good break for a month or so. It's been a busy year!

I can't believe all that's happened in the past year. Last November, I decided after my second baby was born, that I was ready to start back up with my photography business. When I first announced that I was going to start taking clients again, I felt like if I did one or two jobs a month that I would consider my efforts "valid", to my surprise I've had so many wonderful new clients and great referrals that have literally exceeded my expectations, and I've loved meeting so many of you. I had a crazy October, taking about 16-17 bookings in one month, plus a move to a new home. That's a lot for a stay at home mother of two small children! I felt bad when I had to turn people away. It has been so overwhelming and unbelievable!

On with business, here's where we are headed for next year...

It's been a great year of learning for me. Technical skills, perfecting my craft, and running a business (and the journey will continue next year, I'm sure.)

I'll be changing a few things for 2010, for one I'll be taking less bookings than I did this past fall. In my current phase of life, I've realized that I just can't have it all. I'm okay with that. There will come a time when my kids are in school and I'll be able to take my photography business as far as I want to, but for now I just need to keep it small enough that I can continue to be home with my kids during the day. So I'm going back to taking only a few appointments each month. Which means that scheduling early will ensure you get the date you want or need. I'll always leave spots available for last minute newborn shoots, after all, sometimes we don't have a lot of warning when these babies come. I understand that. My two were both born one month early . Trust me, I understand.

I'm changing my pricing and packages a bit.I'll still be offering the disk, but I'm going to have a print package that is included. One challenge has been that printing varies so much and I want to make sure that my clients have a good sample of what their quality prints should look like. I'll also be encouraging my clients to order whatever additional prints they desire through me, from a professional print lab that is calibrated with my equipment. I have a private proofing gallery that is available on my website where clients can log in and choose the images they would like to print. It will be easy. The hardest thing will be choosing your prints! And I promise they won't cost an arm and a leg, you won't be paying $25 for an 8x10.

I'll also be offering some incentives and discounts to returning clients, including a coupon booklet with huge deals for returning clients, so make sure to email me and ask to be on my mailing list! It will be lots of fun! Promise!

I'm going to be starting a new program called Baby's First Year. It will start with newborn portraits and hit all of the major milestones up to one year. One of the most fulfilling parts of photography has been getting to now my littlest clients and watching them change and grow over that first special year. Baby's First Year will be lots of fun, and I'll be offering deals to those who sign up early. I'll be announcing the details around the first of the year.

I'm really excited for my packaging! It's going to be really gratifying for me to hand your prints right to you in a pretty package with my logo. You'll still get the personalized etched disks that everyone has loved so much, but for me it just feels like a finished job to be giving you your prints. It's going to be so exciting!

Another fun thing is that I've had some requests to teach a class, and I think it will be a lot of fun. I think we're going to get one going sometime in early 2010. It will be a beginning digital photography class with my tips and techniques for taking better pictures as well as detailed instruction on how to start taking pictures yourself instead of letting your camera do the thinking for you! Details will be coming soon, but make mental note if you're interested and contact me by email if you would like any details.

Whew! That seemed like a lot of business...

Anyway, I'll still be posting sessions that I haven't been able to post yet, and posting more of those that only had preview's posted...and I'm sure I can't resist posting some pictures of my kids here too, so I'll be around.

I don't even know what I'll do with myself for a whole month without any sessions!
I have a to do list though... it involves:
snuggling up and staying warm
Christmas shopping and parties
starting my training for Ragnar Relay in Arizona, and a half marathon in the spring
decorating and painting my new home
catching up my boys scrapbooks
editing my own family's pictures
printing my family blog book...

It will be a nice break.

until then...
Happy Christmas!

oh, and I almost forgot! My Christmas gift!

In the spirit of Christmas, and because I'm feeling so grateful to so many of you, I'll be offering a giveaway!

Up for grabs is one free mini session. That's 30 minutes of shooting time, and 10-12 full resolution images on a disk, I'll even throw in a free 8x10 print.

You can use it for yourself, or give it to a friend for Christmas!
You choose the date, any time in 2010.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here.

This give away is open to anyone who wants to play, you don't have to be a previous client, and I'll let you enter your name twice if you post the link to my post on Facebook or your personal blog. (just be sure to leave the link to your post in one of your two comments, no cheating!) This contest is open until Christmas Eve morning. I'll post the winner immediately.

Merry Christmas!

more baby {S}

2009-12-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

because I LOVE HER!

My big boy is 3!

2009-12-05T22:02:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to share that my oldest boy finally decided to start smiling for my camera again. A funny thing happens when you grow up with a lens in your face... you RUN when it comes out. And he has done just that for about the last year and a half of his life. But I took him to a great field by our home (there were real live deer there! He was thrilled! He called them "springy deers".) Anyway, he just let loose and actually posed(?!?) for me! It's been so long I almost fell over with shock. Seriously. He loved this little number "3" I made for him, and wanted to show daddy when we came home. He slept with it for two nights. It now sits on his dresser or hangs on his wall, depending on his mood. If I had known that was all it would take I would have made it for him a long time ago!

I really think he's got to be one of the cutest kids alive... I love him so much. Enjoy this little glimpse into my personal life!

LeClaire

2009-12-03T22:12:00.000-08:00

Where to start?? This one takes the cake as my official "easiest session of the year". Seriously. Usually the two year old boy crowd is a physical work out, and I love it, I live it daily at my own home so I totally "get" it... but this little guy was so easy to photograph. We got it done pretty quick and it was hard to narrow it down for a post. And Ashley (the mom) is one of the most photogenic moms out there. She is so gorgeous and I didn't have to direct her at all. Thanks so much LeClaire family, for a perfect way to finish off my 2009 sessions!

Luke and Jennifer

2009-11-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

I'm all finished editing the wedding of Jen and Luke! I'm so happy for them, they are a really fun couple. Jen was a stunning bride and everything was just gorgeous, complete with a blanket of fresh snow, which made everything look so fresh. The wedding was at Wheeler Farm, which I just love. It was cold, but we managed to sneak outside for a few minutes after an all morning long blizzard to catch some nice outdoor shots.

It worked out perfect that these windows in the barn looked out to the freshly falling snow, it was the perfect backdrop for the event, and made for some fun snowy silhouette pictures.

Jen's adorable daughter McKinnley was in on all of the action, a perfect little flower girl/maid of honor, and cutely snuck herself right into this kissing picture, which cracks me up! She had me laughing the first time I met her and each time after that! Cute girl.

Also, a special thanks to my friend Tia Chapman for coming along and acting as a second photographer for the day! I loved that we were able to get multiple views and angles of the same moment, for example when Jen was walking down the isle, and also this gorgeous shot (below) that Tia took while I was working from a different angle. Thanks for coming along!

Thanks so much, Luke and Jen! I loved working with you and getting to know you and your family, and I wish you a life full of happiness! I think you make a perfect and beautiful couple!

baby {S}

2009-11-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

Just a quick little peek of sweet baby {S}.I'm just getting into these, but so far loving them! Newborns are a lot of work, but still one of my very favorite things about photography. I had to squeeze in a few extra snuggles with this little gal. It's no secret that I'm getting baby hungry again, so it's great for me to cuddle these little ones until I can have my own again! (not an announcement of any kind. promise.) Anyway, she's precious beyond words and I love her!

Oh! And a little shout out to my friend Kelly who makes these gorgeous baby cocoons! She has an etsy shop and she has excellent taste in colors and textures. Check her out HERE. I just saw some new beauties on there that need to be mine! :)

{R} Family

2009-11-21T23:37:00.000-08:00

SO.much.fun! This was a really fun session for me, I got to see Emily, the mom of this cute fam, who is a roommate and friend from my Snow College days! We seriously need to be neighbors... their two boys are the exact ages of my boys, and I could totally identify with the challenge of getting family pictures at these ages... but they did great! They are happy, smart, animated kiddos and it was fun to play! I was laughing to myself editing some of the "out-takes"... squirming kids and funny faces. If it were me, I'd make sure to hang some of the funny ones on the wall too! Thanks guys! It was great to see you!

I present to you...

2009-11-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

Mr and Mrs Crossley!

The wedding was at the beautiful Wheeler Farm, which looked so lovely blanketed in the fresh snow. It was a cold snowy day, but something about the fresh white snow made the day seem perfect. A fresh start for their beautiful new life together. More of these will be coming soon!

{v} family

2009-11-10T19:54:00.000-08:00

I'm so behind with posting that it's almost TACKY! But how could I not give a little shout out to this cute little {V} family! This was actually part of the October mini sessions that I did just the week before we moved to our new home. A big thanks to the {V} family, you are so so so cute and your outfits where perfect, not matchy, but coordinated and colorful. It was so great to meet you!

{H} preview

2009-10-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

We are smack dab in the middle of moving as we speak, so here's just a quick little glimpse for Holly, and I'll work feverishly as soon as we are settled to get the rest of this past weeks sessions posted and finished up! For now... enjoy! (And pray that it warms up for us so we are not moving in the ice cold wind and snow!)

{T} Family

2009-10-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite sessions of this whole year! Thanks so much to the cute little {t} family!

Baby Bryton

2009-10-19T23:31:00.001-07:00

He's perfect in every way. Spending the hours taking these, and then hours editing these kind of made the womb cry out from the dark! And now I want another baby! But hubby was here to remind me of the hours spent awake at night, the utter sleep deprivation, and mostly of the fact that right now I have two under the age of three who like to splash in the toilet on occasion... yep, it's not time for me yet, so I'll just have to get my baby lovin' this way!

for Susan

2009-10-19T23:15:00.001-07:00

Just a quick little peek...

for Rainy

2009-10-19T22:35:00.001-07:00

A quick little preview to get you by until you see the rest...

{T} family preview

2009-10-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

I need a daughter!! So badly! I told my hubby if the third child is a boy (I promise I wouldn't cry, I would adore him just as I do my two little guys) I will be needing to adopt a daughter. Aren't they so cute? Mom had them dressed perfectly. I always get so excited when I show up to a shoot and the kids are dressed in fun bright colors. These family shots are looking so cute, so stay tuned... I promise someday I'll blog everything I've edited... until then... stay tuned! Thanks {T} family for a fun night! You are a super cute family!

pretty girls...

2009-10-12T13:45:00.001-07:00

A quick Bridal preview for Jen! We did these Saturday morning. It was sure chilly, but the lighting was just gorgeous! She had her so cute daughter who is her flower girl/maid of honor along for the shoot... She kept us laughing the whole time! Bridals are always lots of fun! Did I mention how excited I am to see how this beautiful this wedding is going to be? It's going to be so pretty! More of these will be making an appearance shortly! Thanks Jen and McKinnley!

Hodson Family

2009-10-11T22:11:00.001-07:00

The outfits where perfect... not matchy, but coordinated and colorful with layers. What should you expect though... mom is also a photographer (If you live in Idaho you should check her out!)
This session was quick and fun! The kids did a great job and were lots of fun to photograph and play with (that's what it all comes down too! Kids just take better pictures if they think they are playing). Thanks so much guys, I hope you like them!