Love, Me Blog

In case any of you missed my facebook update, Lauren is the one responsible for the giddy grin that has been plastered to my face for the past week!  The gift that she gave me cannot be measured by anything this side of heaven and that gift has made me a better person and a much better photographer.  Oh how I desire to give that same gift to each client that I am blessed to photograph.

While Lauren was busy photographing me and the little Miss, I also photographed her, well … just because!  She recently donated her gorgeous long hair to locks of love and is also sporting some new fresh “ink”. (I’m not nearly cool enough to say that, but I’ve always wanted too ) Lauren is a kindred spirit and I’ve had the pleasure of knowing her for a little over a year now I guess?  I’ve lost track because it feels like we’ve been friends forever.  I am blessed by the greatest group of five photographer friends and Lauren is one of them. Of all of us, Lauren and I are the most alike in so many ways, except she is extremely fit and healthy and feeds her children things that only nourish their little bodies.  Unlike my poor daughter who loves cheez-its and chocolate milk, her twins think that a candy bar consists of granola.  lol.  I know, I have a LOT to learn from her!

She is a dreamer, she is selfless and patient, and she is outrageously fun! Her smile lights up the world … promise … just go see for yourself!

Within minutes of meeting her, Mia Grace now refers to her as “my friend” and she cried when we had to go home

my favorite i think. its just, well HER in all her perfectly imperfect glory~

Now tell me you don’t want to go outside and play with her?  So many of these had serious “camera shake” because I was laughing so hard.

I lied.  This is my favorite!

Hey girl … nice ink! And yes, she that is her handwriting!

Isn’t she GORGEOUS??  And can you believe she gave birth to TWINS.  That is two babies at ONE time in case you didn’t know …

love this next series … its just so symbolic and her and wonderful and can’t you just feel the air blowing through your hair …

love you friend xoxoxoxo

These two came all the way from Colorado and challenged the blazing heat to allow me to capture their love! Oh how these images make my heart go pitter-patter. Maybe its because I am a mom of a little girl and I would die for images like these of the two of us together. I don’t know, but can’t you just feel the love? You may recognize Miss Campbell Jane from a few posts back, but I never had the opportunity to share these until now. This shoot was supposed to be all about the little Miss, but I’m so glad her mommy decided to jump in a few. Lisa is a great friend of mine and also happens to be a very talented interior and event designer. I can’t wait to share with you what she is planning for Love, Me’s new space coming hopefully very soon! I hope you love these as much as I do, Lisa!

After much wasted time debating which to share … well, what the heck?  I’ll just share them all

Each frame unique and meaningful in its own way.

and last … my very very favorite!  Something so magical about it.  Can you imagine having an image like this of you as a baby with your mom?  What a family heirloom to pass along

Nothing I could say could quite compare to the email I received this morning. So, I’ll let Callie speak for me.

“I have already lost count of how many times I have watched the slide show and looked through the digital files. I want to say thank you, but I that seems so small compared to how truly grateful I am to have these images. The past four weeks have been so enormously emotional and uniquely sentimental for me. Everyday I am amazed by my capacity to love both my amazing husband and our sweet baby boy. In that first moment when I saw him I was completely overwhelmed by the fact that he was mine and that he was created out of this amazing love I have for Matt. Although I am sure I will never forget that incredible rush of emotion, I now have this beautiful and emotionally raw slide show to accompany it. For that we will be forever grateful. My hope is that others will see the beauty I feel when I look at these images and that they will want you to capture those fleeting moments for their family. You have an unbelievable gift and I feel blessed that our family has been a small part of your journey.”

You have the green light to use any of the images. I know a few have a lot of behind and leg action, but it is what it is…
Your super fans,
Callie, Matt and Ghirin

I’ll be posting a few of my favorites later, but for now, I want to share one of the greatest experiences of my life with you as a whole. Enjoy!

(make sure your volume is turned up to fully experience it!)

I have been photographing new little baby boys like crazy!  Something is definitely in the water

Welcome little Graham Alan Kaler.  If that isn’t a strong name, I dont know what is!  This little man holds a special place in my heart because Mike and I recently became friends with his mommy and daddy.  His grandmas have been in town all week to watch him enter the world and to get exclusive snuggle time! It was the first audience I’ve ever had at a shoot and I must say I nearly fumbled (literally), but little Graham performed like an all-star.  Just take a look for yourself!

I love how each session for me is so unique. I really don’t want to do the same things over and over. I love the rich, classic feel to this session as opposed to my light and fluffy post from before.  I love both equally, they are just unique!

Aren’t his little lips just the cutest??

I told you he brought his A game. Considering both of his parents were college athletes, I wouldn’t expect anything less!

New family shots are some of my very favorite to capture.  Um … not to toot my own horn, but can you believe that first image?  First smiles at 6 days old  … (I don’t care what the doctors call it )

and yes … I got it again!  My photographer friends are going to squeal (they’ve already been hounding me about how I get the tiny ones to smile and I was honest when I said “they just really love me”

And finally, some sweet snuggles from the GORGEOUS Grandmas!

Matt and Candice, thank you both so much for trusting me with such important “first” images of your little guy. He is absoultely precious and I look forward to watching him grow up!! So glad we have met you both

There is something so fresh about this newborn session that I just love.  It literally feels like a breath of fresh air.   Little Ghirin holds a special place in my heart because I got to document his arrival!  I can’t wait to share those images with you as well, as long as mom and dad give me the thumbs up.  I have had the pleasure of getting to know Matt and Callie this last year. I photographed them right before they learned that the little man was on his way and I was over joyed when they were the first to answer my birthing call.  I’ll tell you more about that experience later, but for now, I can’t wait to share these images with you.

There were so many adjectives popping in my head while editing this session.  Fresh, calm, organic, peaceful, light and fluffy are just a few. There was a natural softness to these images that required something really unique from me.  Callie and Matt have a togetherness that is difficult to explain, and they are just so easy to be around.  Getting to know them and share them with you through my lens has truly been a highlight of my last year in business.

Hope you both enjoy your sneak peek! I can’t say thank you enough for allowing me to be apart of this amazing journey!  I just want to squish him (in a good way )

It was fun to learn that Mr. Matt was a thumb sucker.  Considering Ghirin looks identical to his daddy, all that’s missing from this photo is Snoopy (Matt’s prized stuffed animal as a child)

One of my favorite things about Callie and Matt is that they are so nostalgic.  I love how they incorporate meaningful things throughout their home and now, even with the birth of their son. Ghirin is named after Matt’s grandfather in honor of  “one of the greatest men to walk the face of the earth” as Matt so affectionately stated when explaining to me his name.  This cradle was handmade by Callie’s grandfather.  There are little plaques mounted on it with the names of all the loved babies who have slept in it.  I was honored to photograph its newest edition.

Does anyone else suddenly smell clean laundry and dryer sheets after viewing these?  Maybe I’ve lost my mind considering its 1:00 am!

This family was so full of life … so full of love!  Here is just a small little sample of our time together.  These are very typical of my normal family work for sure, but there are so many more that are so unique that I can’t wait to share!  I just have to wait until tomorrow when I will hopefully receive a little email present I’ve been waiting for.   All of the other images belong together to tell their story, so I am going to try a new blog format for those types of sessions.  So, because I know these sweet family has waited entirely too long, I wanted to give them a little treat before their official post!

So, here are just a few teasers to hold you over! I hope you two had a wonderful anniversary get away!!

Meet the Crafton Family. Adam, Sheila, Anna, and Jack. More about their session and why its stands as one of my all time favorites coming soon …  so stay tuned

Smart, beautiful, and witty Anna.

Endearing, sweet, and joyful Jack.

:heart bursts into a million pieces of confetti:

My favorite image of all of them together … truly together.  As a photographer, but mostly as a mother.  There is something in Sheila’s demeanor that exudes contentment something in her eyes that tells me she is one proud mamma!

This post, like all the recent ones, is loooong overdo.  Many photographers would agree that going back to a session that you shot weeks before is sometimes difficult.  I dont know what it is, but there is something about opening up brand new files that you just shot and choosing your favorites.  I guess that excitement is sometimes lost.  That was NOT the case for me with this gorgeous family!  Even though I was really sick this morning, re-opening these files and choosing my favorites to blog was so much fun!

I truly loved this session.  It was a challenge for me for sure.  Anytime you have three kids 4 and under … you are in for a challenge I’d say!  It was a perfect mixture of a “portrait” session, getting those headshots I just love AND a more lifestyle shoot. At the end, we stripped off the dresses and got to play!  It was fun.  Here are the results.

Get ready to swoon over these kids. They are just beautiful!

First up is 4 year old Nadia.  Those blue eyes and pink lips are just to die for!

Next up, little sister Tatiana. Seriously, the most gorgeous red locks ever … coupled with a perfect sprinkle of freckles.  Not sure it gets any cuter that this …

Oh, wait.  It just might get even cuter.  With a cool name like Kurt and looks like this, I think his parents are really in for it!

and … the whole bunch.  My favorite of the family series.

The sister shots ….

First, the lovely and perfectly sweet duo.

Next, the silly and crazy pair! XOXOXO.

My absolute favorite of all the images.  Black and White won the long battle.  It was hard to decide.

So many things that make me want to jump up and down about this shot (and I’m not even their momma ).  I love how Nadia’s mouth is wide open!  This was quite the trend in many of the images which tells me, this is so her.  I equally love how Tatiana is looking straight at big sis and following her lead (awww) and of course, who on earth wouldn’t adore Kurt’s massive ear to ear grin.  I want to print this massive for my own house!  As a mom, this would make me squeal with delight every day.

and, just in case you thought my job was really easy because of all the beautiful kids I get to photograph, I just wanted to give you a little insight into my time with Mr. Kurt.  While he NEVER stops smiling, he majorly played hard to get … literally.  I finally ended up playing chase Kurt and hide and seek with my camera (which often leads to blurry images )  I think I won out as this is who he is … he is the busiest little guy I’ve met so far.  And I even got a hug at the end of our session, which apparently he doesn’t hand out generously to strange women he meets.  Thanks for keeping me on my toes little man!

It was blazing hot at our session together and these two were little troopers!  Their mommy was out of town, so the grandparents and dad braved the serious task of gathering outfits and snacks with a three and one year old for our session together.  We worked extra hard to make it fun even though it was 100+ outside.  I know there are lots of people waiting patiently for these!  Hopefully it was worth the wait

I love all of their images in black and white! I know I am usually all about color, but I almost had an entire post of black and white.  There is something so classic and beautiful about this session in black and white.  Last minute I added in a few color so you could see just how beautiful these kids are and catch a glimpse of Owens baby blues!

Ava loves Diego, her little brother (most days), and most importantly, loves to run the show.  What do you do when a three-year-old wants to run a photo shoot?  … YOU LET HER   What she gave me on her own time was WAY better than anything I could come up with!

Here’s how we started.

which progressed into this …. (i think i had to shush dad when she laid down ) Ava, you knew what you were doing.

and finally … she gave me this.

Little Owen, on the other hand, hands out ear to ear grins on command.  The challenge is keeping up with him!  Don’t you want to eat him up? Maybe I’m the only weird one.

A rare contemplative moment.  He is usually grinning from ear to ear, but I just LOVE this picture.  Little Ralph Lauren model.

and of course, the highly coveted sibling shots.  No posing happening with these too, which I love. Only real authentic moments.  I love how he is snuggling into her kisses here.  Cute!

and again.

and for one of my very favorites.  I just love the candid moment here.  Ava’s face is priceless.

Susan, what a special gift to give your son and daughter -in-law!  Thanks for being so patient with me.

Matt, I know you are a handsome guy, but I can’t wait to meet the momma of these two beauties!  Hope you enjoy!

I know. I know.  I think this could be the longest I have ever gone without a post.  I promise I am still alive over here.  I have pretty much been absent from my life the internet over the last three weeks … but I promise it isn’t because I’ve been slacking. I have had more sessions this month than the entire first 6 months of the year, shot over 50 cheerleaders, photographed TWO births, put an offer on a house as well as received an offer on our house, and somehow managed to even take Mia Grace to get her nails done for the first time yesterday!   Things have been insanely busy and overwhelming, but I am certainly counting my blessings!  I am so so so thankful for all of my very patient clients who are now a week overdo on seeing their images.  Please continue to bare with me here, as I hussle to get you your pictures. I promise it will be worth the wait!

I’ve actually been doing TONS of editing and have forced myself to finish entire sessions before sharing. I figure you all want to see ALL your images rather than just a peek.  Well, I couldn’t stand it any longer and I figure I have probably lost my blog following by now, so its time to start with the sharing.

I told myself to limit my teasers to three for each of these sessions, which means that if I can get it under 10 I am on track   Part of this waiting until I’ve finished editing the entire session means its even MORE difficult to narrow it down, so … what the heck!

Meet Ashley and Chandler.  If you were Ashley and Chandler, besides waiting over three weeks to see even ONE photo, you would be a ridiculous adorable couple who like to stare at each other and giggle for long periods of time. You would also be able to get a pass on the above comment because one of you is a lawyer in Dallas and the other is in the Marine Core in North Carolina, which not only means you normally live in different states, but it also means that one of you just left a few hours ago for your THIRD tour to Afghanistan, where you will reside for 7 long months!  Talk about brains, brawn and beauty.

The best part is that you (the real you now, no more pretending) would totally forget about how insanely jealous you should be of these two after about 12 seconds.  Not only did we chit chat the entire session, I had the pleasure of giggling right along side them and admiring how in love and just right for each other they are. AND they bought me a big, fat cheeseburger too … um, score!  I am SO happy for you both. Thank you for being so incredibly patient with me.

Here are a few of the favs.  It was difficult to choose.

Who doesn’t love a great pair of red high heels?

One of my very favorites …

More giggling … I just adore how she’s looking at him here.  :swoon:

because sometimes sensitive and watery eyes make for GREAT pictures

again …

and again …

nothing quite like a “real” crack up moment. I’ll never tell what made this moment happen.

the ring of course.

:contented sigh: (borrowed from the great KK. it just fit this moment perfectly )

Well, there is about 1/3 of your images and I promise the other 20 are just as wonderful as you both!