A Sweet Surprise

I couldn't have been more thrilled to get a call requesting a "surprise photo shoot" for a birthday gift. This sweet husband wanted to surprise his wife by getting some professional shots of the three of them. I have to be honest, I was a little worried about what condition the kids would arrive in (coordinating (clean) outfits? hair brushed?)...hmmm, I was concerned. BUT he did the best job- they looked absolutely adorable. They both had personalities to match- listened so well and gave me lots of ear-to-ear grins. They were a joy to work with and I sure hope to get to photograph them again soon, maybe even with mom next time!

MY Turn!!

Well, it was that time of year again... time to do OUR family photos. I have had a fantastic student interning with me this summer and I knew she was ready to do a shoot all her own. She did a great job- and trust me, it was a tough job! My dear, sweet, incredibly handsome husband, has one giant fault... he HATES getting his pictures taken and quite truthfully is incapable of smiling on demand. So, we all do the best we can to make him laugh and hope for the best. Of course the best shots of him are always when he is gazing at his girls, that is a sure way to get a grin. Thanks to Danyel Boliaux for the great shots and the wild adventure we endured that day! ;)

A Sweet 3-month-old

This sweet boy was so fun to photograph- his smiles just kept coming, especially when his mommy would talk to him. They were incredibly cute together. I am so glad I got to meet both this perfect little boy and his mommy. Such a fun morning with them!

Worth the Stop in Bloomington!

On my way back from Springfiled last week, I had the lucky opportunity to photograph these GORGEOUS kids in Bloomington, IL. Oh, the blonde curls just get me everytime. Their mom did a great job in dressing them in perfect clothes for a shoot and we had a nice day out. The only problem? Their mom said my challege was to get her little girl to smile... apparently something nearly impossible to do. Well, I'm always up for a challenge, especially when her mom offered me a million dollars if I accomplished it. I'm happy to say I earned my million dollars but a little surprised the check hasn't shown up in the mail yet. ;)

MY family!!!

I was able to take a few days away from photo shoots to head to Springfield to visit my parents last week. One last visit before summer is over (sniff, sniff). Of course I never leave my camera behind and I came determined to photograph my parents, who never allow me to REALLY photograph them (especially my dad!). As an added bonus I was hoping to grab a couple nice shots of my kids as well with them. I was thrilled when the time finally came and we were able to really make it happen. I love taking photos of anyone's families, but these are photos I'll treasure forever.

Grandma working hard to make Isabel smile...

Grandpa thought maybe tickling would help...

When in central Illinois, you gotta do at least one photo among corn fields!

My sweet girls, Isabel (age 5) and Emma (age 7)

Head Shots

Interested in some "head shots" for your business card, website, promotional materials or hey- just because you want a snazzy profile picture for your facebook account? ;) Contact me for pricing and calendar availability! Here are some of my latest...

Welcome Josiah!

My friends had a baby this week and I was able to get photos of their "little one" (he was 9 lbs!!) at the hospital. I could just devour his cheeks, he was the cutest, sweetest little guy. I was so thankful I could snap these images for his mommy and daddy who love him so much!

What a Foursome!

I loved taking pictures of these gorgeous kids. They had so much fun with me and they were especially excited that I let them each choose at least one "pose" idea for their photos (some were, hmmm... interesting). They were planning to surprise their mom with some new photos of all four and they couldn't have been more excited to get some nice shots of them all. For those of you with four kids (or even two for that matter!) you know how hard it can be to get JUST ONE shot where every kid is:
A. clean
B. happy (and in few cases, even a smile!)
C. looking somewhat in the direction of the camera
D. and actually has their eyes open (and not glaring at each other or the photographer)

I'm thrilled we succeed in all categories! :) Way to go kids!!

OK, so maybe not every shot was "picture perfect"....