Independence

It has been far too long since my last post, and believe me, I have missed my camera dearly. Unfortunately it was abandoned for a short period of time while we packed up everything we owned and moved into our very first house! No more apartments for us!! It's been two years since we had moved into our apartment, and I had completely forgotten what a total pain in the butt moving is. You never realize how much stuff you have until you have to get it all in a truck...

Anyway, I hope everyone had a fun, safe, and relaxing fourth. It was our first holiday in our new home. We had a couple friends over and set off a few fire works. We didn't even have to go anywhere to get a good sample of fireworks this year; the whole neighborhood was setting them off. Here's just a few photos!

In addition to fireworks, we also had a few paper lanterns. They were pretty neat.

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Play Ball!

A few days ago, a friend of mine asked me if I would come take some photos of her son playing baseball. Well, little did she know that I've had years of practice! My brother played baseball for years - countless games and tournaments - and I had to do something to entertain myself, so I took pictures. Lots of pictures. We had great weather last Saturday, it was tons of fun. Here's some baseball action!

Life's Not Always Black and White

I've been itching to put up a blog post for a little while [if only I could just spend all day every day attached to my camera!], so I decided to share just a few photos from last weekend. There aren't really anything special, just me being me with my camera. Jeff, Jack, and I were in Brighton to visit my parents, and my grandparents were also there. Here are a few photos!

First, the husband. He absolutely hates having his photo taken. He's going to have an interesting life married to a photographer ;) Even though he's a little goofy, there's something I love about this photo :)

This next photo is my very handsome grandfather. He's an interesting guy... always saying something ridiculous, and probably inappropriate. Both him and my dad think they are the funniest men alive.

And lastly, our adorable beagle baby, Jack. He's not much for having his picture taken. He's actually let out audible groans in the past while I've attempted. But I just can't resist trying. He's so darn cute!

Beauty in Odd Places | Make a Wish!

Ok ok, so I know that many people absolutely despise dandelions. That pesky little weed that spreads and takes over your entire lawn in the blink of an eye. Well, I may not want my yard full of dandelions I guess, but there's just something really beautiful about a giant field that's nothing but a sea of yellow, right? I hope that this photo challenges you to see the beauty in something that's not traditionally considered beautiful :)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith | April 21, 2012

David and Valarie were married on a gorgeous spring day in Muskegon, MI. They had a beautiful, intimate ceremony and celebrated the occasion at the Watermark with their family and friends. Everyone was so warm and inviting, and you could just feel the happiness and love that they all had for one another.  The newlyweds are off to their honeymoon in Florida! I hope you both have an absolutely wonderful time. Thank you for allowing me to share in your special day!

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Just one quick photo before calling it a night <3

Mulder Family | Preview

Tonight I had a session with an absolutely gorgeous family! See for yourself :)

Quinn | 2-years-old

Quinn is a little ball of energy. This is always such a fun age to shoot because little ones at this age, like Quinn, have so much personality and really keep you on your toes! Quinn loves to dance and is obsessed with Justin Bieber and Elmo. Here are just a few more photos from her session.

Mini Session | Meredith

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter weekend. Like many, I spent the weekend with family, and had the opportunity to get out for a *quick* mini photo session with my cousin, Meredith. Below are some of my favs!

So gorgeous!

Happy Easter!

1 Peter 1:3-
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.


Just a few photos from egg coloring :)

Quinn | Preview

Just a quick peek from tonights session with little Quinn!

Beauty in Odd Places

A while back I posted about "the little things" referring to all of the things around us that we take for grated day after day; things that are beautiful in their own way. Today I ran across this old rusty car. I'm guessing that most people would walk right past it without even noticing, but I thought it was really neat. The coolest part was the old license plate. I just couldn't resist snapping a photo, and now I'm sharing it with all of you. Enjoy!

 

Spring is here!

Michigan sure has thrown us for a loop this year as far as weather is concerned. Everyone who has lived here knows that it's not uncommon to be dressed in shorts and a tank top one day and need a winter coat the next, but we have had consistently decent weather lately. This past winter was one of the mildest I can remember, and this past week we have had gorgeous record highs! Here we are at the end of March, and nature is waking up from its winter nap.

There's something to love about every wonderful season we have here in Michigan. I love watching all the trees and flowers start to bloom. It's such a reassuring symbol of renewal and growth. I hope everyone has been able to get outside and enjoy our beautiful city!

A little randomness....

This past weekend, I ventured back to Brighton to celebrate my mom's birthday with the family. It was the first time we've all been back together since Christmas, and the time went by way too quickly. Of course my camera came along for the ride, and since Marissa's boyfriend was visiting with her, I thought it would be a great time for a little impromptu photo shoot. He was a great sport. Thanks, Kade!

I love taking photos of my family. It's a great time to explore new places and new ideas without any worry of how the photos will turn out. I appreciate these opportunities to stretch my creativity. Below is the perfect example.

Not a photo that a client would necessarily want to buy, but fun nonetheless.

Here's a couple more cute ones :)

Kenedea | 2-years-old

This was one of those sessions that has been in the works for a while now, but kept getting rescheduled due to weather. Well, ladies and gentlemen, yesterday we had the most beautiful day as the backdrop for our session. Kenedea is a little spitfire! She had so much energy and absolutely no interest in my camera. Regardless, she is absolutely adorable, and we managed to capture a few smiles. Here are some of my favorites!