Monthly Archives: October 2014

LaBerge | Newborn Session

Meet Harrison LaBerge. Born October 10, 2014 at 7 lbs, 1 oz. Harrison was just 9 days old when we had his newborn session in the comfort of his own home. He’s a sweetie 🙂 And I’m not just saying this, but it was super hard to pick just a few images to highlight, I have SO many favorites. Plus, it’s extra hard when his family is very special to my husband & I.

Here he is!

Big brother has been waiting for this guy for awhile now 😉

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Safe in daddy’s arms.

Those toes!

Amber & Kyle, you are incredible parents.

I love the look on everyone’s face. One happy family!!!

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Kadivar | Family Session

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I’ve known Bethany & Allen, goodness, how long has it been guys? 6ish years? We met at our church’s college group way back before so many life changes we’ve each gone through, babies, college graduations, job changes…the list goes on!

I was really excited that Bethany said her parents & sister were coming down from the suburbs of Chicago to join us for the session. Her parents crack me up 😉 We really had a fun time! I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to see from the images!

Little Brady LOVES his grandparents. And it’s obvious they love him too!

That face <3

These two are just awesome!

And Brady especially loves his mommy & daddy!

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Girl, call me when it’s time for senior pictures. Please & thank you! 😉

These two can have hot romance going on one second & hysterical laughs the next!

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Thanks for an awesome session guys! I hope we can do it again!!!

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Gabriel | High School Senior Graduate

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About a year after my family moved to Bloomington, IL, I started volunteering as a youth leader in the youth group at First Assembly in Normal. For almost 4 years I spent one evening of my week with the awesome teenagers that went to that youth group. Gabriel was in Junior High when I started & I watched her grow up through Junior & now into Senior High School as a senior graduate! When Gabriel’s mom emailed me a couple months ago regarding a possible session for Gabriel, I was SO excited & hoped our schedules would work out & they did! Gabriel is very involved with her parents 15 year old Tae Kwon Do business– “where families kick together” & has not only won many awards in Tae Kwon Do but she teaches it as well.

Gabriel has many other qualities other then Tae Kwon Do. She’s SUPER sweet. She thinks before she speaks. I’ve watched her observe situations & take her time in responding, a very awesome & rare quality. Gabriel has a love for doing hair & makeup & is currently already taken classes in those areas. She plans to pursue cosmetology as a career after high school.

Each one of my senior sessions this year have been amazing. And Gabriel’s is no exception! See for yourself!

Personal favorite of mine!

Of course, we had to incorporate her passion for Tae Kon Do 😉

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And though she be but little, she is fierce. – William Shakespeare

Gabriel, I’m so proud of you. It’s been an honor to watch you become the wonderful young lady you are. Keep Christ first & all your goals & dreams will come in place, with the Lord’s leading.

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Megan | High School Senior Graduate

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I was super excited about Megan’s Senior Session! We’d met up with her mom a week before to discuss all the details of her session including where her session would take place. Megan wanted pictures in a downtown setting & then somewhere with a lot tree’s & natural surroundings. During her consultation, Megan’s mom got the idea to have the second half of Megan’s session at her grandparents property on the edge of Towanda. The evening of her session the weather was a little chilly & I was super curious & excited as we drew nearer to Megan’s grandparent’s home. It was even MORE beautiful there then I ever could have imagined!

What I desire for each & everyone one of my senior high graduate sessions is to make the session THEM. Megan’s was definitely that! Her grandparents property was simple a perfect setting & Megan’s personality & beauty is enough to make any session go perfectly! I literally squealed with excitement during the session because of all the fun we had!

Megan, you are truly beautiful. Even though we were only together a few hours, I can tell that you have a caring heart. And you don’t want to be like everyone else. You want to stand out. Please Megan, DO! The world needs you! Use your voice to say things that need to be said & use your heart to know when to say them. Keep loving those around you & don’t be afraid to be who the Lord has called you to be.

Megan was killin it just within a couple minutes of her session. PS I told Megan this, but I was VERY excited to photograph her for many reasons, but one was because she’s a redhead. My mom is a redhead! I loved how her red hair stands out with the red background & brick!

She requested a picture in front of the watermelon 😉 My kind of girl! And we made it happen.

Her big smile is coming out! Love it!!! And don’t you just LOVE Megan’s boots? The girl has style!

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Another fun one with sissy!

Stunningly serious.

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Jouret | Family Session

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As I said before, my family has known the Jouret for 5+ years now. My sister Leah & brother Isaiah, were able to be under Mike & Bekah’s leadership while they were youth pastoring in Missouri. My sister has said several times, that Pastor Mike & Bekah was her favorite youth pastors. Because they took time for her & loved her & invested in her. People like that aren’t found everyday. And the Jouret family is definitely special & REAL.

Their family session was actually a organized & put together by a family friend, Garth. Garth is special guy to my family AND the Jouret Family. He’s a fun “big brother” figure to the Jouret kids. He emailed me several months ago & asked about meeting up somehow in St. Charles for a session & I’m so glad he did!

It was great being able to catch up with the Jouret Family & Garth. And I loved that they had the idea of wearing their MIZZOU gear! I have to say that after spending a year in Columbia, Missouri, I still smile when I see those black & gold colors 😉

Time for some football!!!!!!!!!

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I love these three pictures & Garth’s face at the end!

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Thanks for putting this together Garth!

Trask | Maternity Session

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I’ve never done a #ThrowbackThursday blog entry before but today seemed perfectly fitting to do so 🙂

You see it’s been one year since I had my first “real” photography session. One year! It was one year ago that I was sitting in a parking lot in a beautiful park in Columbia, Missouri, nervously waiting for a very special couple (Tom & Miss Trask) to come meet me so I could photograph them. I was SOOO sticken nervous. No, seriously, you have NO idea how really nervous I was. I woke up really early & couldn’t go back to sleep & it rained that morning & I was literally yelling at the sky as I drove to the park & asking the Lord (OK maybe telling Him) that the rain would stop. I got to our meeting spot early & ended up having one of the most powerful heart to heart conversations with the Lord I’ve ever had.

See this wasn’t just any maternity session I was doing. Tom & Missi are VERY special people to me. For those of you who don’t know, I lived in Columbia, MO, for one year. It was actually where I moved from before coming to Bloomington-Normal. When I was in Columbia, I became involved with a campus ministry at MIZZOU called Chi Alpha (MXA). Tom & Missi were the pastors of this incredible ministry & for a year I was able to sit under their leadership & grow & learn from them. That one year was a significant year for me spiritually. After that year in Columbia, my family moved but I still stayed connected to my friends in Columbia. I was ECSTATIC when I found out that Tom & Missi were expecting their first child! They had been praying for a long time & I was SOOO excited to see them!

Sooooo back to me sitting in the parking lot (still very nervous).

I was nervous about the pictures being good enough. I was nervous about being able to give good direction, master my camera, work with the lighting, make them feel comfortable…the list went on & on. I had gotten to the park early & I finally just stopped my thoughts & prayed. And spoke to the Lord about all my concerns & fears. I’ll never forget how I INSTANTLY felt peace. And confirmation that I was doing what He had called me to do. And just as I felt that peace, the last drops feel from the sky & the most beautiful morning glow from the sun came out. And I am NOT making this up. You can see for yourself in just a sec when you look at the pictures.

So today’s post is a #ThrowbackThursday for three reasons. One, to remind myself that I am doing what the Lord has called me to do in this season of life & to celebrate that 1 year. And two, to remember my special time with Tom & Missi. Their maternity session was my first session EVER & I still have a special, favorite spot in my heart for maternity sessions. There is just something so incredible about them.

Several of my most FAVORITE EVER images are here in this post. And since I didn’t have a blog back then, I can use a #ThrowbackThursday excuse to blog them now right? 😉 And any excuse to blog a maternity session works for me 🙂 (I had my older Canon Rebel camera & 50mm lens for this session. It just shows you that it’s not the equipment that makes amazing pictures. It’s the connection between the client & the photographer.)

And thirdly, this post is a #ThrowbackThursday in celebrating Taylor Emma. She was born just over two months after this session. And I was able to hold & meet her at a wedding this past summer. You’ll see a picture of us at the end of this post. Taylor is a beautiful little girl that is loved by so many. And I still say & know in my heart that she is going to be a world changer just like her parents.

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I’ve always thought Missi was one of the most beautiful women I know.

One of my favorite images OF ALL TIME. The JOY & EXCITEMENT & THANKFULNESS in their hearts & faces is SO evident here. Tom & Missi, I love you too! I’m thankful for your leadership in the past & your friendship now. You’re AMAZING parents.

And here is little Taylor Emma from this past June when I got to meet her! And Taylor JUST happens to be wearing the little shoes we used in the maternity session in this picture of her & I. When I looked down & realized what shoes she had on, I about cried 🙂 Isn’t she a doll?

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Chloe | High School Senior Graduate

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I met Chloe through her older sister Heidi (who I’ve had the pleasure of photographing her family several times!). We scheduled a Skype date a few weeks before her session & discussed her Senior Session. I immediately liked Chloe. She has gorgeous curly hair that reminded me of mine. She loves Jesus & is practical & knows what she wants.

The evening of her session we had to work around rain, homecoming pictures being taken by other people 😉 & even a wedding! But through it all Chloe was a trooper. She was so easy to talk too. We talked about the app TimeHop, her job, music & tons of other stuff. I really didn’t want the evening to end!

Chloe also has a huge heart for missions. She’s been to Haiti twice & really loves the people their & that country. We used a globe to highlight that passion of hers in her session.

Chloe was so easy going & totally let me do some more “creative” stuff with her including hiding her face behind the globe!

Love these.

Chloe & her grandma share the same initials. The monogram on her pinky with their initials was something Chloe wanted highlighted at her session. The pearl ring was her grandma’s. I love it when clients bring things that are THEM & shows how unique they are!

Chloe, I was honored to spend time with you for your senior pictures. I know you’re going to continue to make a difference in the world. You’re an amazing girl. Beautiful inside & out.

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Birkey | Double Maternity Session Part III

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(If you haven’t viewed it yet, make sure you look at Part I of this Double Maternity Session here & Part II here!)

Here’s the final posts in the 3 parts of Amber & Rachel’s Double Maternity Session!

Meet the Birkey Family! We spent the entire session at Phil’s parents farm home & property. It was a perfect setting since it’s the same land that Phil farms & their family spends a lot of time at. I always love shooting sessions at a location that is special to the family or individual.

Rachel was my small group leader years back & I remember the girls in our group praying for children for her & Phil. They twins came not too long later & it’s SO exciting that Baby #3 will be here soon!!! PS Rachel has given the baby the nickname “Pumpkin” so we thought it’d be fun to use a pumpkin throughout the session 🙂

You’re amazing parents Phil & Rachel! Can’t wait to meet your little guy soon!

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Beautiful momma!

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The face parents make when they already have twins who are 2 1/2 & Baby #3 is coming! 😉

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Kisses with momma!

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LaBerge & Birkey | Double Maternity Session Part II

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(If you haven’t already, make sure you check out the first part of Amber & Rachel’s Double Maternity Session. Part III will be posted on Monday!)

Amber & Rachel’s sister relationship reminds me of my sister & I’s. They quote old movies, are fans of Charlie Brown & love fall. They also have another sister in Montana who completes their sister trio!

I’ve said before how I love capturing maternity sessions, but having two beautiful momma’s who are not only sisters but close friends is pretty special. Both Amber & Rachel are expecting boys & within about a month of each other!

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Another version of the natural sunlight picture we got! The other is posted on facebook here: www.facebook.com/youweremadetosmile

Sisters/mommas/friends! Best combination ever!

LaBerge | Double Maternity Session Part I

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Rachel & Amber, two very special friends of mine who happen to be sisters, talked to me a while back about having a double maternity session together. It was a session I looked forward to for moonntthhhss! Amber, her husband & son came as well as Rachel, her husband & her son & daughter who are twins. Since this session was so special, it’s going to have three parts! And the first part is dedicated to the LaBerge Family!

I know I’ve said this before, but capturing special friends is a high honor. My husband grew up with Amber’s husband & Amber has become a close friend to me. it’s very special to me to watch their family grow. I look forward to the future when someday our own children will grow up with theirs!

This is one of my favorites their session!