Well people, I totally shot this Senior Session last night and here I am blogging it :) Man oh man, was this a good session. Jean is so stunning that I couldn’t stop squealing like a little girl after every picture! We ran around in the forest, laughed a lot, threw blankets around in the air, hung out with 4 deer in the woods, sang songs and created pure magic. It’s so fun to shoot with people that have been following your work for so long, it’s like a dream come true for everyone involved. And I think it was meant to be that we rescheduled this shoot 3 times because of rain…this day was insanely beautiful. I hope you all enjoy looking at these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them ;) Jean and Emma, thanks for a wonderful evening and I think we should all hang out again. Running around the forest with you both was exactly how I wanted to start my week. Good luck in California Jean, you beautiful little creature you…

I have been dying to share these photos for quite some time! The photography world has taken me so many places and has challenged me to really look at what kind of art I want to create. This photoshoot was a complete vision I’ve had for a long time that I got to see come to life and I’m blown away at what it has done for my heart. Creating beautiful photographs is not just my job, it’s my passion. And just recently I’ve discovered how much I love capturing women…the strikingly insane beauty of women. I wanted to do a photoshoot that would be a glimpse into the kind of boudoir sessions I want to create, and I am so excited to capture more women in this way. A big thanks is in order for Brittany and Kendra who were the hair and make-up artists for this shoot, they will be doing other boudoir sessions with me as well. Also thank you Sam and Lindsey for volunteering your time and beautiful faces for this shoot! I feel so blessed. Creating something like this has been magical for me. Can’t wait to create more.

If you read my last blog post, I’ve had quite the adventures in March. This post is part 2 of my stellar vacation, the first half was in San Diego and this half was in the city that literally never sleeps. Las Vegas isn’t my favorite city…but as soon as I drive 30 minutes away from the lights…it becomes one of my favorite places on earth. The desert is a magical place. And the fact that thousands of photographers are gathering in the city at the same time for the WPPI conference makes it one big photography party. This was my second time visiting the exact same dirt and cacti filled oasis and I love it…oh I love it. Abbey, Lindsey, Brandon, and I tromped around the desert for 2 of the 4 days we were in the city and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Thank you Vegas…for having the desert so close by…it makes 4 photographers very happy :) Here are my favorite memories: GIANT margarita filled cups, Polaroids in the desert, my first and last time gambling, Lazers and Blazers (hundreds of photographers getting down on the dance floor), Jesse getting stuck in the net, I was a part of my first Harlem shake video, pizza in bed, poolside lounging, and meeting and catching up with so many amazing photographers. I will never forget any of it.

I may sound like a broken record, but I’m always amazed at the people my business allows me to meet and the places it allows me to go. In all honesty, my job can be lonely at times. During the week, I spend most days sitting at the computer in my house all by myself . But in that time, I’m networking with my clients and other amazing photographers in the industry and if sitting at the computer all day allows me to meet people like Abbey….then I would do it over and over and over again! Abbey is an amazing photographer located in Michigan and we met through the amazing world of the social web. Now we will be traveling all over the country next month together and I could not be more excited!

Seriously… so blessed to have people like this in my life! Can’t wait to share more of our photo adventures, but for now…here is Abbey. And this is the first time we met…

When people ask me how business is going and how the year has shaped up, I can’t help but get emotional. I can’t believe so many people trust me to capture some of the most important moments of their lives….seriously…that is my job? How did I get so lucky?

So today on this beautiful fall day, I am so thankful. So thankful for the amazing people in my life and so thankful that God has blessed me in so many amazing ways. The pictures below are from on top of Chicago in the Willis Tower. They remind me how big the world is and how small I am in it….yet life’s moments and the relationships we have with others are HUGE…they are a BIG deal!

I hope you all can feel on top of the world today…the fact that we can love and be loved by others is such an amazing thing…how can you not feel on top of the world when you think about that?

Life goes by way too fast and I am forever grateful for these moments…

Holy crap my man is hot…

Best day of the week was spent on the Jolly Pirate! 3 snorkeling spots, free food and drinks, and a rope swing. Heck yes!

Every day of the week we spent two hours at the same bar. Needless to say we made friends with the waiters and ordered the same thing every day.

Yeah…how could I resist taking portraits of my friends on the beautiful beach? I didn’t of course

Michael and Margaret get the reward for the most creative poses :)

Thanks Kendra for taking some pictures of us after never touching a DSLR before! You rock!

“I take a lot of pictures of two people in love and that can be so powerful, but I don’t think love gets any better or more overwhelming than this…”

Overwhelmed is definitely what I am feeling as I write this and I really don’t think it gets any better than this. A husband and wife that are so in love and through that love they bring a small little dark haired human into the world…that is sooo amazing. It’s also so amazing that I got to play a part and tell a piece of their story…. of this amazing and indescribable moment in this little family’s story. I’m speechless. I want to look at these pictures every day, to remember why my job is so important and why it is such a gift to others and my very own family. Capture these moments people, and never let them go.

Kai made this face at me a lot…you will see :)

Also if you are interested in having family photos done, I don’t think there is anything more beautiful than taking the photos in your nursery and home…the place where your baby first comes into the world and your life. I’m not a squishy face studio baby kind of photographer (I’m sure you already knew that). So if you are interested in family photos, keep that in mind! I love you all!