Now who is going to be my accountability partner?

Here we are again, at the end of a wonderful year of photographing amazing seniors and families, and I haven't posted one. single. session.

Oops.

If I haven't mentioned it lately, I am a homeschooling mom to FOUR active boys who are busy racing mountain bikes across the country. And while photography is one of the (few) things I have for ME, it doesn't get the public attention it deserves! (oh, and also, have I mentioned that I help manage a youth mountain biking team?) But no more excuses! It's time to just start posting! These families and seniors NEED to be shared! It's been an incredible year of awesome, and I can't keep it to myself any longer!

This family is....what can I say.....the most incredible, loving, GIVING family ever. We met through homeschooling and then bundled that with a love of mountain biking. It's a pretty amazing combination. I've been blessed to get to work with these kiddos through our homeschool co-op and youth mountain biking team (total rippers, all three of them!) and have known their amazing mom for some time. But I also met these amazing grandparents at races and when they let us stay at their house in Northwest Arkansas (do I have your attention yet, mountain bike people?) for a national race for my kids. Talk about super generous! I wanted to get their family portrait updated before they made some life changes and moved to the aforementioned home in NWA, and WOW! Did they ever "get" the session! Lots of love and snuggling and having a great time. So thankful to get to document this amazing family!

Thank you so much for trekking out to the Superstitions and taking quite a hike for this session! I loved getting to work with you all!!!

Enough photographer speak, but I am going to warn my previous go-to lens (24-80f/2.8) that he's no longer my go-to. I've been a prime girl at heart for many years, and I think this session has given me the confidence to just stick with the focal length I want!

But back to this gorgeous family. Wow. What a fantastic group! We took this opportunity to update their family portrait after several years. We had initially wanted to shoot at the Salt River, but the heavy spring rains left it flooded. We came up with a Plan B, but then had to reschedule due to illness. By the time we were ready for the session, the Salt River was back open, and we were able to have the session there. It was definitely a different landscape in May than it was in January (if you compare this blog post to the previous one) but I love it any way I can get it. What a special location here in the desert to see the lush greens and river right next to the cactus and desert!

As always. I'll encourage everyone to bring their four-legged family members to sessions. They always make them more fun!

With two daughters celebrating college milestones, we had the great excuse to make a few more individual portraits as well. I was so thrilled!

It was a blessing to get to work with this wonderful family! Thank you so much for choosing me to document your family!

We had a good vision board for "the shots" these ladies wanted to make sure to capture for their session. This was my first time on the ASU campus, and it was surprisingly pretty. And surprisingly busy! What an exciting time in their lives for all of these graduates!

We did all the ASU places--palm walk, Old Main, the fountain. I was thrilled with the images we created!

Without further ado, here they are! Congratulations to these amazing young women! Thank you for trusting me to document your graduation!

This was such a special session because we were celebrating Morgyn and her little sister graduating high school and kindergarten, respectively. We were still able to enjoy all the flowers from last spring's super bloom, too. 

Thank you so much for sharing this double milestone with me! It was so fun!

I am not supposed to play favorites, but I absolutely love this session. The colors worked perfectly with the background, and what a background! We made a last-minute decision to change from our original plan, and I'm so thrilled that we did. It was definitely a popular location (and I might have made some "friends" by reserving a parking spot for my clients) but it was totally worth it for the views. 

Often families ask about bringing their fur babies. The answer is always "yes"! Pepper is the absolutely cutest dog, and she took the session to the next level! She's also a new mom, so if you are looking for puppies......

You all know I have four boys, so getting to work with four GIRLS was such a treat! So much fun! Thank you so much for sharing your family with me!

Josh and his mom came out to a completely transformed location that was covered in blooming flowers and cactus. What an amazing spring we had last year!

When I am talking with families about their sessions, I always ask if there are any activities their senior participated in that they would like to feature in the session. Josh's mom casually mentioned guitar, and I encouraged them to bring it! I was delighted when he showed up with two different guitars. It's not every day you get serenaded with classic rock in the middle of your session. I certainly didn't mind at all!

I love that we were able to capture several outfits plus props in a variety of backgrounds without having to drive all over the place. I'll give Arizona credit for being super amazing for photographers!

And kudos to Josh and his mom for not minding me saying "let's go over to those yellow flowers" one more time....

Reanna's session was originally scheduled to take place at the Salt River, always a gorgeous location, BUT it was completely under water when her session date arrived. PLAN B turned out to be exceptionally special because we had our choice of tons of flowers--yellow, white, purple. It was hard to believe we were out in the desert with all of the lush plants around us. (I also learned about scorpion weed during this time, which was fortunate that we knew to stay away from that one pretty flower!).

Reanna and her mom were so much fun to work with. They were game for traipsing all across the desert, chatting with my friend who helped us use the orange grove, and for squeezing every last drop of sunlight out of the day. It was one of those sessions I didn't want to end, but we all did need to get home, have dinner, finish homework, etc.

So without further ado, here is Reanna's senior session...

I don't have to tell you how much fun I had with this session--I'll let the images speak for themselves. Congratulations to this young man who has a bright future ahead of him with plenty of adventure! Thank you so much for choosing me to document this milestone!

This session was all about the connection. I love how close this family is. They were patient with me as I dragged them all over our little portion of the desert this evening. I absolutely love the images we captured in this session. This family wasn't afraid to have fun, stopping mid-session for an impromptu dance party, piggyback rides, and a little desert "glitter" (some jojoba leaves). One word: magical.

I also want to point out for the styling was on point. The colors really popped and complemented each other. Thanks for doing a great job, Mom!!!

Thank you so much for sharing your family with me!!

I met up with the most ADORABLE little girl and her parents, aunts, and grandparents last fall. Her grandparents live out of state but get to visit often. I was so thankful to get to take their family portraits. 

It was a cold evening and little miss was not so sure about ALL of the photos, but this wrinkly nose with her smile just killed me. Absolutely adorable.

We finished with one of the most gorgeous sunsets of the year. What a treat!

Thank you so much for sharing your family with me, and I can't wait to work with you again!

Every part of the session was perfect from the location to the high-energy boys to the wardrobe. If I had to choose one session from last year that summed up my goals as a photographer, it would be a difficult choice, but this would be the one. Bright color, connection, wonder, movement, energy. For me, that is what I seek when I have a camera in front of my face.

But without further ado, I present the M family. They have three rough and tumble boys who are absolutely the most precious children ever. Mom did an amazing job with wardrobe choices from the muted colors for the boys contrasting with a bold but elegant choice for her dress. 

Want to hear my secret for styling your family? Choose Mom's outfit first. Pick something you LOVE, Mom. Then shop in closets to dress your kiddos. Okay, okay, okay, you probably need to shop for them, too. But the key ingredient for perfect family session wardrobe is Mom feeling happy with what she is wearing!

See how these colors just "pop" in the desert? Mix your bold earthtone or jewel-tone with neutrals, and you simply can't go wrong.

Love you guys, M family. Thank you for sharing your family with me!!!!

We had a beautiful day at the Gilbert Temple for these images. We snuck in a session in between the busyness of life, and I am so thankful that his mom chose me to document this milestone. I was fortunate to work with Brendan for his senior photos, so he was totally relaxed for this session. We couldn't have had a more beautiful day! 

I got a call from a friend the other day about taking good pictures of a vehicle to sell, and I gave the example of the senior session with the Mustang when we went out into the desert....and I started looking for that blog post.....and that blog post....DID NOT EXIST......

Yikes.

Now I remember I shot the session right after I had the 'Vid, so my brain fog was strong. I never realized how strong it truly must have been!

So without further ado, a year and a half later, I present Preston's senior session.....

For the full session details...let me share that Preston went on to graduate and join the US Marines! He completed boot camp and is stationed in Camp Pendleton. I'm still in touch with his mom (who some might think is my sister). I promise I thought I created this blog post immediately after his session, but it is officially gone, so here we go!

We showed up right as a nasty July monsoon decided to form, but the sky was so dramatic that I can't really complain. As a new Arizonan, I'm not sure I love this late-summer weather pattern. Dust storms and crazy wind and lightning keep making afternoons a bit too "interesting". But I digress...back to this amazing family. 

New rule for family sessions: bring cowboy hats. These made the session and posing so much more fun and fanciful. Being playful doesn't have to stop when you become a grown-up!

And the best part? This family is full of mountain bikers! And one son attended my alma mater, The University of Texas at Austin. I love it when I connect on a personal level with new clients/friends!

But without further ado, here's the C family! 

Yes, yes, I'm going to talk about it.

So here's my plan...I'll be taking limited sessions in late September, October, November, and early December (okay, let's be honest, I was taking Christmas portraits the week before Christmas last year. You know who you are (and I love you!)).  Sessions will last 30 minutes arriving 45 minutes before sunset and include approximately 15-20 digital files delivered through my password-protected online gallery.  My preference is weeknights, but I can also schedule on the weekend. Investment will be $200 for the session and files. I will be offering the following locations:

Veteran's Oasis Park In Chandler. This popular photo spot never lets me down. It's always changing and offers a wide variety of backgrounds. If you want something a little desert but also a little lush with a water feature, this is a great location to consider. 

Agritopia. Be my first family to shoot at Agritopia. What a serene, farm-to-market escape in the middle of the suburbs! Take your family portrait and then enjoy some delicious dinner! This location is rich with color and texture, featuring overhanging trees but also modern, metal buildings and cactus. 

San Tan Regional Park (***SECRET LOCATION***)

Okay, so this is not a secret, but it is a little more remote and less-utilized. This is one of my favorite locations. San Tan requires entrance fees, which will be in addition to your session fee and should be paid to the park. 

Salt River--Phon D Sutton Recreation Area. You can be my first family session here as well. This is a fun but very popular location. I will highly recommend a weekday evening session here. If you have small children, please be aware that this location is along a river and there is an added risk of the water (getting wet to more serious). This location incudes an additional fee for parking/use for both photographer and client which will be added to the cost of your session. 

Queen Creek Wash. Am I the only one totally enraptured by the cottonwood trees? I get all sorts of Anne of Green Gables poetic just thinking about it there. What a (well-known but somewhat hidden) gem we have just off the busy roads. The wash offers green trees and also a more urban feel with the bike path behind it. Seasonal blooms can really add to the location as well. 

San Tan Regional Park: Main Entrance

Sure, we can boondock and shoot along the road to the park with the rest of the Valley, but you might have less of a crowd inside the park. The park entrance fee is an additional cost that will need to be paid to the park if you do not have a seasonal pass. This iconic location is one not to be missed. Plenty of cactus and mountains. 

Downtown Gilbert

So many options here. All of the textures and murals make this a wonderful location. It can get crowded, and you're definitely having your personal photo session in a public space, but I love this location. Again, you can be my first family to shoot at this location!

I've noticed a trend of families taking the opportunity to update their family portrait when they are in the photo-mindset of senior portraits. Let's make that happen for your family as well. It's a wonderful time in life to celebrate the milestone of your senior and to capture one more family portrait before your family dynamic changes! 

Mom is an avid paddler and can often be found on the Salt River among the wild horses, so she requested some water in their family session. Veteran's Oasis park does not disappoint! It was super lush and a bit overgrown even (such a strange thing to say in Arizona!) when we visited, but the water features were really lovely.  The timing worked out perfectly for Grandma and Grandpa to be in town over Memorial Day weekend, so we were able to sneak in a few images with them as well. 

Without further ado, here is the R family! Love you guys! Please don't make me wait until your youngest is a senior to take your portrait again!

Ethan's dad reached out to me because my name was recommended by his cousin's wife, who happens to be another photographer in another state who I know through social media. If you're scratching your head, that's okay. #itscomplicated I love that we were able to connect and document Ethan's senior year. 

In our initial consultation, it came out that Ethan really likes his truck (thumbs up, I was very excited) and that they have a resort-style backyard (two thumbs up, even more excited) that they wanted to feature in his session. I was thrilled to get to incorporate both elements in Ethan's session. I loved the mix of casual and dressy outfits that he chose, and I definitely took some of my very favorite images to date! I've never seen more beautiful oleander bushes/trees than these just across from his gorgeous home!

Ethan will be attending ASU next year and pursuing his passion for cars to a new level with an engineering degree. Stay out of his way--Ethan is in the fast lane to great things!

We had a great time on location at Agritopia. This was my first time to use this location, and it lived up to the hype. Definitely a lot of fun and variety to capture the different looks of this stunning senior young man!

Thank you so much, M family, for trusting me to document Aiden's senior year!

But enough chatting about the weather....let's talk about this amazing family. 

There's amazing. Need I say more? This is a super active, athletic, fun-loving, adventurous family that I met through my kids' mountain biking team. They are so incredibly kind and thoughtful and always on the go. It was wonderful to be able to capture them in action for an hour just being themselves and loving on each other as a family. 

I have more than a few favorites, so permit my overshare.

Also, this was a new location for me to work with, and I really liked it. We did have to avoid being photobombed by bunnies on the wash and an abundance of cyclists on the wash trail, but I absolutely LOVE the cottonwood trees and the desert willow that was in bloom. Love the desert in the spring!

But without further ado, here is the amazing M family...

Kaylee is a super determined, kind, friendly, fun young woman. She's planning to attend a private college and become a PA. She's got a bright future ahead of her! As an added bonus, two of Kaylee's friends came with her to the session, and it was an absolute BLAST having them there. I highly recommend it! The only thing better than an amazing senior portrait session is having your friends there with you!

But without further ado...

Thank you so much for sharing your senior year with me!

Basically these images speak for themselves.

Lauren is very chill. Very fun. Confident. Self-composed. 

And super gorgeous. 

What a lovely young lady with a big, bright future ahead of her. 

What an honor for me to get to work with her and her mom to document this point in her life!

When we discussed a plan for her session, she indicated that she didn't want the whole desert thing. She's from Arizona and has had a lifetime of saguaro cactus. I get that. It's probably like being from Texas and not wanting anything cowboy-related. (wink wink) We chose the Riparian Preserve to start the session, and I might have had to stand in the very last parking space to reserve it for Lauren and her mom. Nothing like throwing your body in front of a car to make sure your session isn't delayed. But I digress... 

We had a sweet little bunny join us for part of the session. He or she was completely unphased that we were standing right where he or she wanted to nibble some grass. So he just sauntered up and had a snack. 

See? No zooming in here!

In addition to the bunny's photographic debut (or who knows, maybe this bunny photobombs all kinds of sessions) we captured Lauren's vibrant personality in several locations throughout the park.

Notice the yellow flowers? I'm bananas about yellow flowers. Thankfully Lauren and her mom trusted my vision for this scraggly patch of yellow in the parking lot. I think it turned out nicely, don't you?

Time for an outfit change and a new location. We might have had to ignore the brand new signs indicating closure for construction at Nichols Park (no construction had begun) and we took advantage of some gorgeous light and fall tones. March in Arizona is pretty amazing, I cannot lie.

These boots are adorable. It's details like these that help make senior sessions so fun. 

Thank you so much for trusting me with your senior session, Lauren! You are a wonderful young lady and have big places to go!

Here are some of my favorites:

These things are totally in my wheelhouse.

Earlier this year, I met Emma's mom through our homeschool co-op and we hit it off immediately. So I was thrilled to get to spend the afternoon with her and Emma to document her senior year.  We started off with a super fun stop at hair and makeup with Charlene Melissa at Palette Collective. Emma and Charlene collaborated to decide on a neutral look with a bit of pop. I love when a plan comes together! Then we headed to Sidewalk Coffee and Bagel Co. in Queen Creek to keep it local and enjoy some beautiful natural light and a latte from their coffee artist after closing. Many thanks to their owner for permitting us time in the space! After a wardrobe change, we used the local area and WAIT, DOES THAT DRESS HAVE POCKETS! Pockets make everything fun. We wrapped up our time out in the desert. Remote, but not too remote! We did see some exciting "extras" and managed to embrace some pretty light (but no cactus--no hugs allowed) before calling it a day. I loved getting to work with this thoughtful, mature, beautiful young lady.  She's got the future ahead of her, and the possibilities are endless! Thanks for sharing the day with me!

Aiden's session was no exception. I love having the opportunity to document this moment in my seniors' lives (yes, they are "my" seniors. They always are. Even after they start their own families and turn 40). There is so much possibility, so much potential. And, yes, so much unknown. But that is the beauty of it. The future is so bright. And Aiden definitely should be wearing shades. What a wonderful young man and a delight to work with. It was a pleasure to get to stroll through downtown Gilbert with Aiden and his mom and laugh at all of the "GQ" comments by passersby. I managed to not get run over or fall off my stepladder, so the session was an all-around success! I did manage to scare some poor construction workers near to death by squatting right outside a doorway and surprising them. Oops! 

But enough of the small talk...without further ado, here are some of my favorites from Aiden's senior session. 

Here's our family from this crazy year. Never underestimate the power of a remote and a tripod for getting yourself in front of the camera. We got a late start, arrived after sunset, fussed with equipment I infrequently use (my tripod is usually reserved for stop-motion projects for the boys), I realized I never even put on half of my makeup...and it was just about our most favorite "family session" ever. We had a lot of fun, passed around the camera, and just had some laughs while avoiding any cactus. Then we went out for dinner. 

Family sessions should be fun. They should reflect your family and interests as much as possible. Be you. Have fun. Smile. Hug. Tickle. Cuddle. Enjoy. Just make sure to document your family in the moment and keep it updated!

Have a happy holiday and see you in 2022!

We met up to update their family portraits, which had not happened "for a long time." I knew we would have a LOT of fun with this very relaxed and laid-back family with LOTS of personality. This location is a lot of fun and offers great variety despite being pretty popular. We went just ahead of "the season" so no one was walking through our session (and we weren't walking through theirs). It's always important for everyone to be relaxed and not stressed!

Thank you so much to this wonderful family for having me document this stage in your life!

Can any of my boy-moms relate to this? Love their interaction when they thought I wasn't shooting! Turns out it was a favorite!

It's one of the perks of being a family photographer--I get to work with really fun, incredible families all the time! And I get to ask them to get close and love on each other and have a good time! 

This family is one of the first we met when we moved here in the middle of the pandemic, and they gave us hope that life would one day be normal (kinda, sorta, "ish") again some day! It has been a delight to get to know them and "do life together" through kids' activities. They have a lot of fun and a lot of personality, so their session included a lot of laughter and some shenanigans! Thanks so much to this family for coming out to update their family portrait! That's the thing about kids--they are always growing up and don't ever seem to stop!

Being from Houston, I'm not sure that I will ever get over how much I love the desert. Sure, it's unforgiving, but it's so incredibly beautiful. The light has such a rich quality at sunset. It's always a blessing to get to be out and enjoying the final minute of the day with a lovely family capturing their connection and personality. 

These are four of the most fun kiddos around. But they're mostly too fast to keep up with on bikes, so catch them when you can!

Working with this family was an absolute blast. They are wonderful, kind, amazing people. Thanks so much!

Whimsy. Laughter. Chaos. Cuddles. Quiet. Wonder. 

I love this family to the moon and back, y'all. If Mom and I were only next door neighbors...we're talking global domination. And then some. We both have some big and crazy ideas, and put those together....we could do some things, for sure!

This mama is amazing: Woman of God, encourager, businesswoman, homeschooler, organizer and planner extraordinaire.  And our birthdays are only a day apart (really!). She's the most organized person I know, and she got her crew ready for this session in record time.  When she told me that she was thinking white dresses and flower headbands, I was pretty stoked. I envisioned lots of twirling (there was), lots of sun and personality (there was), and hopefully not too much of me--a boy mom--fixing headbands (there was, but not to the detriment of the session). We discussed how mom possibly wanted to create a black and white wall collage from the session, and our visions really came together. 

This family is celebrating the arrival of their fourth daughter, and she was such a happy baby. With a boisterous group of kiddos and plenty of sunlight, we had a beautiful session and captured ALL of the personality! This is perhaps an overshare, but how can you not share this much absolute JOY!

Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Candid Family Session Now do you love this family, too?

I'm so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with this beautiful and fun, loving family! Enjoy! 
 

I'm not even sure where to begin.

I was a passionate, hard-working, joyful photographer from 2007-2017. Then I stopped making photos almost entirely.

At the risk of being too wordy (I always am) I'll keep this short.

Moving, moving. Major life changes. Baby. Homeschool. Moving again. Realizing I let years lapse without documenting my own family's moments. Sadness. Opportunity to make portraits for a friend. Happiness! Blooming like a saguaro flower in the spring.

Now I have reclaimed a little more bandwidth and my need to make portraits and document life and little moments has been insatiably reawakened.

I'm looking forward to capturing your family soon. It's the simple things, really, that mean the most as time passes.

I, for one never want to forget all the moment of reading book with my youngest and his love for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

So let's start this journey with a single step! Let's capture all the chaos and whimsy and wonder of your family! I know I've missed documenting my own!