Finally, the Sun!
May and June were just horrible months for outdoor portrait sessions. Any time there was a date that worked with our schedules, it was raining, or had just been raining so hard the ground was soaking wet! It was so frustrating! We were really starting to wonder if we were ever going to be able to make it work.
Of course the entire day before, it stormed and poured, but for once luck was on our side. By late morning, the sun had come out and was shining brightly down. It dried up the ground and added just a little warmth to the air. It was the perfect night for some dancing, smiling and family love!
Fun on the Farm
Well, fun and sweaty!
It was actually one of the coolest days we had had in quite a while! Unfortunately, that didn’t mean that, while standing on a rather large piece of farm equipment facing into the sun, I wasn’t dripping sweat like I was standing in the shower! But it was all in fun and worth every drop to get these awesome portraits in the wheat. We worked really hard to time everything just right, making sure the wheat was the perfect color, the ground was dry and, to our luck, there was no crazy prairie winds. We could not have asked for a better day.
Of course, since we were out, we had to take advantage of the beautiful green grass! With a few breaks, some helpful distractions and even our assistant, Pete, all four kiddos made it through the session, and were still smiling at the end!
Daddy’s Girl
Whether she’s two, three or thirteen, she’ll always be Daddy’s Little Girl! The relationship between a father and a daughter is one of a kind. She’s that beautiful princess that quickly has her Daddy wrapped around her finger. He’d do anything to protect her, to take care of her and to love her! From the time she’s little, she looks at him as her very own super hero, knowing he will defeat all evil!
With Faith and Todd, it’s no different! From the minute I got them in the room together they were smiling and laughing, goofing off and having fun!
You can tell she adores him and he’s still her super hero. He’s her Daddy and he can do anything! Including catch her when she does a running leap (with no warning) onto his lap, even though she’s thirteen - not two anymore!
Blooper Reel
I couldn’t resist…I had to post the bloopers from our family craziness session!
In the middle of the session, AJ figured out how to take his arm out of his sweater. He completely cracked himself up, and the girls were more than entertained by his new found talent!
The Poser, The Rock Star & The Blur!
Family Craziness
In my head, as I was preparing for the family session, I figured my biggest challenge was going to be little man, AJ. He is 16 months old and should be at that stage where he does not want to hold still and it can be difficult to keep his attention. Boy was I wrong!
AJ was a rock star! He was smiling and giggling, sitting in place and looking at the camera. I could not have asked for anything better from him.
Now, his two sisters on the other hand, that was a different story. I can assure you that I was exhausted by the time they walked out the door. Gabriella, the middle kiddo, would not hold still for anything. She turned, she twirled, her dress was up, her dress was down, and she refused to look at me. She would always look just to the side of me.
Madeleine, the oldest, is in that stage where she thinks she knows what looks good. It’s a painful, forced, unnatural smile along with an awkwardly cocked head. I had to work super hard to get her relaxed and natural looking.
We take all that, the rock star, the blur, and the poser and put them all together, and what do we get…pure craziness! But, with a little bit of magic, lots of patience, and many, many clicks…it all came together!
My Family
This summer, my parents asked me to photograph our whole family. Luckily, our family is not huge, but that doesn’t mean it’s still not challenging!
I’ve always thought photographing the four of us, Pete, Joey, Pebbles and myself was challenging. Try adding four more adults and another dog to the mix…insane!
But, insane, crazy challenges have never stopped me before! My parents, my sister, her husband, their dog Libby Lou, Pete, our two kiddos and myself got together for an outdoor family session in July. In the end, it was completely worth it. We will have these beautiful portraits of our family at this time in our lives forever! It’s something we will never forget…sweating, dogs running all over the place, bugs biting, but in the end, a family who loves and cares for each other!
He Needs a Shirt?!?
So what happens when you leave baby Pete’s shirt at home for the family session?!?
Well, Daddy gets to make the trip home to get it. Meanwhile, Mommy and I get to photograph a chunky monkey in all his glory…and the two older boys get to have their time in front of the camera, too.
Not to worry, baby Pete, Daddy made it back! We were still able to capture the family tradition of Mommy and Daddy laughing and smiling with their six month old in clothes!
Silly Girls
I have been Lily and Ava’s family photographer for years. Every fall, they come see me for their annual holiday portrait. Going a whole year in between sessions, means that when I do see them, I am just floored by how much they have grown and changed.
The one thing that has remained the same, and continues to remain the same, is their great personalities! They love to smile and laugh. I don’t think they’ve ever walked in the door being mad, sad or upset. They laugh at all my really bad jokes, and they just keep me smiling and laughing during the entire session!
Surprisingly!
When I looked at the forecast for the first week of November, I was shocked to see sixties and sunny! Considering how stinky October was, warm weather and sun was a pleasant surprise.
I immediately contacted Shari, to see if there was any chance the family could get here early for their session, so we could go outdoors. Luckily it worked out perfectly! I found the one spot of shade on our property, they got here at just the right moment, everyone looked awesome…even Olive, their puppy, performed like a superstar!
We could not have asked for anything better!
Wowsers!!
I can definitely say that, after the session with Abby & Matthew, I was exhausted…and so were Mommy and Daddy! Between the two of them, our patience was tested more than once!
Of course, that does happen when you ask an almost two year old and a three and a half year old to do multiple things. We squeezed Family, Mommy & Me, Daddy & Me, Sibling and Individuals all into one session, with an outfit change! Yes, we are crazy!
Despite the challenges, we ended up with some adorable images!
