I had such a great time with this family! Going to a new location is always an exciting challenge, and when this Mom asked if I would go to their home for their session it was no exception! I loved the open views of the trees and fields nearby, and the old wooden barn was a great backdrop, too. Add in a fun family and you can't do much better than that!

TWO cute!

I can't get over how cute this little guy looked in his shirt and tie outfit! We got some adorable images for his second birthday session! I love that image of him with the serious expression with the balloons all around, he looks like he could be in an advertisement!

Due in December

This session was actually done back in May, but I had to wait to post the images until the new grandparents had been told the big news and it then became "Facebook official". This session was done during the crazy heat wave we had this spring, so even though we were going for a sunny, springtime look, it was about 90 degrees and humid! They handled it like champs, though, and you could never guess how miserable it felt outside by looking at them! I was so happy with how the images from this session came out!

Sibling Fun

I've photographed these cute siblings a few times and I'm always thrilled with the results from their sessions. This time was no exception! We had great temps and perfect lighting, too! I love going to new locations and trying something different, especially when it works out this well!

Cupcake Cutie

This little girl is OBSESSED with cupcakes! So, it made perfect sense to incorporate them into her session! We started off with some photos at a local park, and she wore her favorite sundress for those. The best part, though, was the cupcake at the end! She wore her cupcake birthday shirt, got out a gourmet cupcake with peanut butter icing, and went to town! We got some fabulous images, I love that one where she is holding the cupcake out in front of her face and smiling, her family all said that it captured her personality perfectly :-)

Family Homestead

I had a fabulous time with this family's photo session! They invited me out to the family farm, which was a pretty special thing, since 6 generations of their family have lived there! There were fabulous photo spots all around the farm with all the buildings, trees, grass, and the farmhouse itself. We got some really cute stuff, but these are definitely my favorites from the day:

Sweet Baby Girl

I couldn't believe how awake this little sweetheart was during her session, even though she was only a few days old! But, that's ok, it meant that I was able to capture her beautiful blue eyes in some of her images! She settled down toward the end of the session, though, and we were able to get her set up in the doll bed, which turned out to be completely adorable... isn't she precious?

Time flies!

This handsome little man has been on my blog a few times already. We did newborn, 3 month, and 6 months photos, and it was already time for his 9 month pictures! He wasn't so much into getting his picture taken on this particular morning, but we were able to get some nice shots anyway! This is such a cute little family :-)

A "Slice of Life"

As usual for springtime, we've had some seriously rainy days around here. The day that we had scheduled this little guy's sessions was no exception, so we were stuck indoors. But it turned out to be just fine! His Mom and I had some fun ideas, and we decided to capture a "slice of life" in their home, with him playing with some of his favorite toys and eating his favorite snacks. I don't get to do this kind of session often, but they're so fun! It feels like a documentary of a regular day of life... things that might seem trivial now but will be fun to look back on later... Here's some of my favorites from his at-home session:

Light and Bright Wedding

This past weekend, I assisted my photographer friend Nathan from Nathan's Photography at a wedding and reception. We had a great time, as usual, and I'm so happy with the images we captured! He posted the sneak peek on his website early this morning, so I decided to go ahead and share some of our work on my blog, as well. The wedding was very springy, with the bridesmaids in black dresses with bright and colorful bouquets. The centerpieces at the reception featured handmade pinwheels made from brightly colored card stock, and the wedding cake was a huge cupcake tree with different bright colors of icing and adorable handmade paper cups! My favorite part of the reception, though, was the dessert table, that featured mini cheesecakes and the bride's grandma's homemade cherry pies!
These are 4 of my favorite images from the sneak peek, and they all feature my shooting and/or editing work.

Another sweet baby!

I am so excited about the images from this session! We had talked a little bit about going outside for some of the photos from this session, but the chill that morning was just a bit too much to bring the baby out, so we did everything indoors! I love the natural feel of all of their family photos, and she looked so stinkin' cute in her little ruffle-butt and butterfly wings! And, those eyes! Wow!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice...

...that's what little girls are made of! This little sweetheart was such a good girl for her newborn session! Her mommy had some adorable hats for her to wear, and the dark hardwood of the living room ended up being just perfect with the basket setup! I'm so thrilled with how these came out!

...that face!

This little sweetheart's face might look familiar to you, I've photographed her several times, as well as her older sister. She was as cute as ever for this session - even with her tongue sticking out! She's going to be a beautiful little girl, just like her big sister is!

Soon to be a family of three...

When this couple contacted me for maternity photos after a referral from a past client of mine, we had been planning on getting some beautiful outdoor shots for their session. However, Mother Nature had other plans, and a weekend full of rain showers kept us inside. However, that didn't stop us from getting some really nice images! Mommy and Daddy aren't telling the gender or name of this little munchkin until the big day comes, but I can tell you, he/she will be welcomed to a home full of love, and one of the most adorable nurseries I have EVER seen, as well as a fabulous collection of children's books!

The black and white image below is one of my favorite maternity images, it is so simple and sweet, and so genuine!

Birthday Girl!

I have had several sessions with this family, and haven't been disappointed yet! Mom always has creative ideas and fabulous outfits and color choices, how could I go wrong? We had a FANTASTIC ladybug themed cake smash to celebrate her first birthday, which was absolutely adorable! I am so happy with the images we captured in this session!

Ballroom Wedding

This beautiful couple has been on the schedule for quite a while! I photographed a wedding a couple of years ago for an extended family member, and, little did we know, a bridesmaid and groomsman that met for the first time at the rehearsal dinner for that event would be walking down the aisle themselves just 2 years later! It was so fun to spend this special day with them! The ceremony and reception were both located at the Crystal Ballroom of the Renaissance Grand Hotel in Downtown St. Louis, which was a simply stunning location. Beautiful fresh cut peonies, a gorgeous bridal gown, a fun wedding party, a surprise carriage ride, and loving family and friends all combined to make this a truly amazing day. I assisted and shot "second camera" for my friend Nathan Payne again, and we are SO HAPPY with the images we captured! There's lots more in the sneak peek album on his Facebook page, but I wanted to share a sampling of my work on my blog, so I picked out a handful of my favorites :-)

Sweet Siblings

I had such a great time capturing these two in a session at their home! This handsome little guy had just celebrated his first birthday, so he was wearing his special onesie and leg warmers - super adorable! His big sister is just beautiful, and we had fun with her as she expressed her fun and outgoing personality. I am so thrilled with the results of their session, here are some of my favorites!

...and baby makes four!

I was so honored when another area photographer invited me over to her home to capture her family as they excitedly await the arrival of baby #4! We had fun using an empty upstairs bedroom, their newly remodeled master, and we also did a few images on their deck. There was some awesome afternoon sun coming in the windows, and it worked out beautifully! I LOVE the photo of the family's feet on the bed, as well as the one of her belly with her kids' hand prints. We laughed a lot, and had a great time! Here's a sampling of some of my favorites from our session:

Headshots

Karen is a local Mary Kay agent, and a few weeks ago she decided she wanted to have some business cards made up. She contacted me and asked if I would be willing to give her head-shots a try, and I agreed. I am so happy with the results! The color images were taken while standing on her back patio, and the black and white image was shot in her living room! Not only is Karen a beautiful woman, but she enjoys bringing out the beauty in others! So, if any of you ladies want to have your makeup done before your session, Karen is happy to help! I have firsthand experience with her cosmetic skills, too, and she did a great job!

Littlest Hunter

I can't believe how many baby boys I have been photographing lately! It has been all fun, though! For this session, we were lucky enough to have a day of unseasonable sunshine and temperatures, so we were able to take advantage of the beautiful afternoon glow. Daddy is a duck hunter, and they wanted to incorporate this into his session. I love the photo of him in the orange hat - we did a newborn photo of him with the same hat, but his entire body fit into it! Look at him now! We also squeezed in a few family photos, as well, and they turned out beautifully, too! I love it when a plan comes together!