Shannon Hadden Photography

Bring it on 2012

2012-01-01T14:42:00.000-08:00

I think saying goodbye to 2011 has been bittersweet. It's been a good year for my business, not the best year for my health, but a good year...especially since the bad thing with my health have turned around and have become a blessing in disguise. Truly.

I'm excited for 2012. I was ready for the new year the day after Christmas! I love that feeling of change, of excitement, of wonder for what's to come. I love starting fresh, making things better.

I have so much I want to accomplish this year. With my health becoming better I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to. One of those things that I want to accomplish this year is running. I want to run a 5k without stopping to walk. I want to run a the freedom 10k run, I want to run the Halloween 1/2 marathon. I've got my battle buddy along side with me and we're going to do this. so exciting!

I've also got a lot that I want to accomplish with my business. I want to challenge myself and not be fearful thinking I can't do certain things, when I know full well that I can. I'm excited for my new website that'll be up soon, I'm excited to do more marketing, and I'm excited to meet many wonderful new people.

I am so blessed with the clients/friends I have. They're amazing! I really do call each of them my friend, because that's what they are. I'm grateful they believe in me. I'm grateful they trust me, and I'm grateful they continue to choose me. THANK YOU!

I have a wonderful husband who has been so supporting and helpful to me in this business. He's so talented! I hope you get to see his photography and art work too. Hmm...maybe we'll do this business together??? Now, there's a thought. :)

Happy 2012 everyone. May it be a good year for you.

R. Family

2012-01-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

Had such a fun time taking pictures of this awesome little family back in November. This little kid was so smiley, and sure made my job a bit easier.

Christmas GRATITUDE and GIVEAWAY

2011-12-19T16:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve in 1986, when I was 9.5 years old, was a memorable one.

We had just moved to Utah that June after living in Hawaii for 10 years. My Dad had worked at BYU Hawaii in Administration after working as an English professor. They didn't need him anymore, thus our move to Utah. We came to Utah not knowing what was going to happen, where we were even going to live.

We spent our first night in Utah in the airport. We all had our Sesame Street sleeping bags as part of our carry-on, and slept in them in a waiting room. I remember how cold it was during the night. I don't ever remember being that cold.

The next morning my parents were on the phone with friends trying to figure out where we were going to stay for the next little while until we found a home. A loving family let us stay in their Cabin in Parley's Canyon until we were able to find something.

We finally found a home in Orem, where my parents still reside today. Finding work was another story, and one that continued to be a trial for my parents for many years, even as we speak.

That first Christmas in Utah, like I said, was memorable.

We were all upstairs in the living room listening to Christmas music, playing games, etc, etc...when suddenly there was a knock at the door. We all rushed at the top of the stairs to see who it was (just imagine 8 kids with anticipation peering over the railing, shoving each other out of the way to get the best view).

It was Santa Claus! He came in with a big bag of presents. We couldn't believe our eyes! He walked up the stairs, pulled them out one by one, and set them under the tree. I looked at each gift and noticed it had a number on it, this number meant it belonged to the sibling with that age. We all sat and watched as Santa pulled my Mom in close to sit on his knee. He handed her an envelope. I remember she burst into tears after seeing the money that was in there. I don't know how much it was, I just remember the feeling of gratitude that someone did that for us. We never knew who it was, but that memory and other memories of generosity and selflessness at Christmas time will forever be ingrained in my mind.

With that said... I'd like to pay it forward and offer a free photo session to one deserving family in the Utah County/Salt Lake area (or you know they’ll be around these areas in the near future) Know anyone? Post a comment on my photography page here and let me know why you or they deserve it, and I'll announce the lucky family on Christmas Eve.

PLUS…the person who refers the most people to my photography page will get a special prize as well. The people you refer will need to write a comment on here letting me know who sent them (that’ll help me keep track of who referred the most) READY. SET. GO!

Love

2011-12-09T21:01:00.001-08:00

This makes me happy.

In the archives...

2011-12-06T16:01:00.000-08:00

Lovely Brianna. Found this one the other night while I was going through pictures. I love how the sun hit her perfectly. It had just finished sprinkling, and a rainbow came out over on the mountain there...you can kind of see it behind my watermark.

Isn't she lovely?!?!?!

I've been busy...

2011-12-03T22:33:00.000-08:00

Here's what I've done the past month...and another "fitness" session coming up. :)

F. Family presents baby Annabelle...

W. Family

K. Family

Still working on this session...

...and this one...

I love Christmas card season!!!

C. kids

2011-11-12T18:19:00.000-08:00

These are my cute nephews and little niece. Man, they're sure cute!

"There was love...all around...but I never heard it singing..."

2011-11-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

"...'til there was you..." Cheesy song from the Music Man, but that's what popped into my head when I was looking at these pictures this afternoon.

My big sister Erin is marrying the wonderful Dave Dean on Dec. 17th.

SOOO happy for these two!!! We took their engagements up Provo Canyon one Sunday afternoon. I love how they turned out. There are many more to come, but wanted to post these ones.

Love you guys!!

Johnson Family

2011-11-03T19:04:00.001-07:00

I have taken this family's pictures for a few years now. It's always a fun time with the Johnsons!

You can see their past sessions here and here

S. Family

2011-10-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

Had a fun time taking these pictures. It was fun getting together with them again for a photo shoot. Thanks Sneddon Family!

Summer sessions

2011-10-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

Here are a few snippets of a couple of summer sessions that I had forgotten to post.

I've been so busy with fall sessions, but it has been so fun! I love the crispness in the air and the foliage. So pretty! I'll get some of those sessions posted soon. :)

9 ways I get meaningful expressions in Child portraits

2011-10-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

I found this on Pinterest and HAD to post it. It's great info for parents to read before a photo shoot, and for everyone trying to do Photography. Great tips here.

"Yes, children are carefree and happy little souls. But they are also deep oceans – far more than we give them credit for. And so while parents have become pro at taking photos of their children laughing or smiling (be it real or posed), I feel a responsibility to also capture their deep waters when working for them as their photographer.

So how do I do this without crossing the fine line between grimace and serene? Here are a few ways I get those real, honest and deep looks from kids I barely even know:

Let them get the fakies out of their system. Let them get comfortable with the fact that someone is taking their photo without imposing too many orders or new ideas on them from the very start.
By all means, go for the gusto. Laugh. Smile. Run, skip, jump. Feel the child out and see if their authentic expressions come quick and easy or if they will need some encouragement from you.
I’ve taken this cue from Skye Hardwick: I never ever tell a child to ‘say cheese’. You’ll be setting yourself up for a session full of painfully forced smiles and it can be hard to get out of that flow once you get started.
After setting up a shot with some posing and getting comfortable in the moment, we (hopefully) have some smiles, some laughter and then I just sit there. After a laugh, children sometimes give a very authentic look which is non-smiling, yet still joyful – basking in the little moment we’ve just had.
I find it useful at times to ask parents to take a few steps back and allow me to spend some time alone with their child (yet within sight for obvious reasons). Parents can get overbearing in their excitement to make the money they just paid ‘worth it’. More often than not, it’s fine, but if I find that their hovering is unhelpful, I will ask for some space.
At times, when the expressions just aren’t flowing and aren’t authentic, I will guide them in shaking it out. We jump on the spot, shake, rattle, roar. And then we take a deep breath and start over.
When everything looks forced or tense, I will guide them in taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out with their mouth only opened a tiny bit. This will help them to naturally open their lips a little and prevent a pursed-lip, tense face. This goes for grownups, too. Opening your lips a little will prevent teeth clenching, lip pursing and the overall impression of being uncomfortable or tense.
Body language! The position of the entire body – head to toe – will have a great impact on the face. When shooting head and shoulders, I still pose the rest of the body all the way down to foot placement. Keep this in mind when trying to capture honest facial expressions that have authentic body language to match.

The most important thing of all: some kids just won’t fit your plan so be flexible. Some are calm and deep, others are buoyant and giggly. You don’t want to make portraits that aren’t honest to their character, but I alway try to get some of both sides of their personality because you never know which is the ‘real’ them the way their parents will. And you want to wow them by being able to present them with images that they look at and say “wow. I love that expression. That’s HIM!”

That last phrase is a favorite of mine to hear from parents. It make me feel that I was successful in their shoot. Love it!

Ah Quin Family

2011-09-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite families right here! These guys are so much fun and were up for anything I asked them to do. Love how these turned out!

Thanks Ah Quin's! You guys are awesome!! :)

A touch of Sun {i heart faces}

2011-09-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

I thought of this picture as soon as I saw the challenge title at i heart faces. This is my brother and his (then) fiance. The evening light when we shot this was gorgeous! I love how it turned out!

Check out more awesome "A touch of Sun" entries at i heart faces

Cedi

2011-09-19T18:48:00.001-07:00

Love this girl!

PS...did you notice a new watermark on these pictures? I'm so excited to show you my new look; new site, blog, etc. It's way overdue!

J. Family

2011-09-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

Love these guys!!!!!!

LOVE this last one of the girls...so cute!!!

In front of the camera...a rare thing.

2011-08-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

So, I'm rarely am I in front on the camera. I so much prefer being behind it...lol!

Well, Ryan's family was in town this past week and we needed our family picture updated, as well as a picture of me and Ryan (we both prefer to be behind the camera so we don't have a lot of us together), so we headed up towards the Eagle Mountain City Center, found a field, set up the tripod and timer on my camera and got some family pictures. I'm sure I looked pretty funny to passerby's as I ran back and forth from the camera each time. But I would say it turned out to be a success! The lighting was absolutely perfect! We got some funny ones that I'll get up tomorrow, but for now here's one of the Hadden Family and me and Ryan. :)

Doesn't Ryan, his sister and his mom all have the same eyes and smile?

A&A

2011-08-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

I've had kind of a love/hate relationship with my blog lately. It's been ready for a make-over for a while now, I have just been a procrastinator. I have a lot to catch up on with my posts, and it starts with these cute sisters!

lots to post...lots.

2011-08-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've been SUPER busy with sessions lately, editing, and all that fun stuff. I have quite a few posts to get on here that I'm so excited about!

Stay tuned.

No, really...stay tuned.

O'Bryants

2011-07-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is my beautiful cousin and her adorable family. Love these guys!!

Andersen Girls

2011-07-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

I've taken pictures of both of these girls since they were babies. Always so fun and entertaining! I love how these ones turned out. It was Macy's 1st Birthday so we ventured out to the Orchards and snapped some of her and her older sister Ellie.

Stinkin' cute!

These ones below are SO Ellie, and her looks. Love that girl!

"Let's hear it for the boys" photo challenge

2011-06-20T08:48:00.001-07:00

It's a beautiful Monday morning. I love Summer!!! I was excited to find out that this week's photo challenge at i heart faces is "Let's hear it for the boys". Immediately I knew which picture I wanted to use for it.

My younger brother Sean got married in May to Brianna. My brothers were the groomsmen. They're the funniest bunch of guys I know! As I was taking a picture of all 4 of them they all of the sudden, as I was counting to 3, did this pose...at the exact same time. You know it was rehearsed but no one knew about it. We laughed and laughed!! I don't know what they're supposed to be but I'm guessing either Sean's bodyguards, Secret Agent Men, or something along those lines.

It's a definite "Let's hear it for the boys" moment in my book.

Check out more great shots at iheartfaces

a wee bit behind...

2011-06-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

Man, I'm still recovering from my brothers wedding. It was so fun!! I've been loving going through all the pictures and will be posting more, and just trying to catch up on things.

For now here are some beautiful sister enjoying the morning sunlight. I tell you, I usually like to shoot in the evening but the light this morning was absolutely PERFECT! I kept yelling out "these are gorgeous!" during the shoot...partly because they girls were just so dang cute, and partly because of the way the lighting was. It was lovely.

Enjoy!

Brianna's Bridals

2011-05-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Now that the happy couple is married, I can finally post these. Brianna didn't want Sean to see her dress before the big day...smart girl.

Isn't she a beaut?!

Sean & Brianna = MARRIED

2011-05-23T09:50:00.001-07:00

Oh what a lovely day Friday was! It had been raining the entire week prior to this day, and thankfully it decided to stop so we could have a fun time taking pictures outside of the Salt Lake Temple. Sure, there was wind...but I'll take that over rain.

There are so many more pictures that I haven't even gone through, but these ones caught my eye and had to post them.

They are ridiculously gorgeous, right?! I am so happy that Bri is part of our family. She and Sean and perfect for each other!

Congrats you two!

The funniest picture right here below...The Groomsmen, my brothers. They're hilarious!

S. Family

2011-05-19T09:02:00.001-07:00

This was a fun shoot for sure! The lighting was amazing, and they're just so dang cute! Love these guys!

Michael {Sr. Portraits}

2011-05-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

Such a stud!

L. Family

2011-05-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

Love these guys!

coming up...

2011-05-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

So fun!

Motherhood: "Are you my Mother?" photo challenge

2011-05-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

This week's photo challenge on i heart faces is on Motherhood. What a perfect theme! I think this picture sums it up quite well.

See more amazing pictures at iheartfaces

Kenzie

2011-04-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie is going on her LDS Mission to Lisbon, Portugal. I'm so excited for her! I was a missionary too and LOVED my experience in Chile. She's going to be an incredible Missionary. Plus she's gorgeous!!!

Congrats Kenz!!

Beautiful Sadie

2011-04-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

She is seriously so gorgeous, right?!

A family, some headshots, and THE orange chair

2011-04-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

I love this family! I've been taking pictures of them since the oldest was a wee lass.

They're awesome!

And they were pretty cool about me bringing THE orange chair. Yes, this chair is famous. Not like famous, famous...just famous. It has come with me to many a photo shoots, especially as of late. I love this chair. And I think it looked great with their colors.

So festive.

Sean & Brianna = getting married!

2011-04-02T10:28:00.001-07:00

I still can't believe my younger brother is getting married. These two are the cutest couple!! I'm so happy he found Bri, and in less than 2 months they will be getting hitched. Yay!!!

This photo session was fun. I teamed up with Brianna's sister, and photographer, Stacy Nish. We had a lot of fun! Plus I learned how to do off camera flash, which was awesome! I just might be addicted now. Maybe. :)

A Slice of Life {i heart faces}

2011-03-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

This week at iheartfaces the photo challenge is called, 'A Slice of Life'. It's more of a photojournalistic type theme, which I love! This is my favorite kind of photography, and I hope to do more of it.

The picture I chose for this challenge is of a darling little boy who found his dad's ipad, went to the couch, propped himself up and started watching a movie on it. Technology is definitely a part of life nowadays, so this picture for me really has that "slice of life" feel to it. Plus, it's just cute!

Check out more "slice of life" pictures at iheartfaces.

A little boy and his trike...

2011-03-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

Doesn't little Jensen here look like he's channeling James Dean? I loved his flame painted tricycle, and his flame shoes. Man, he sure looked cool!

New look

2011-03-24T08:56:00.001-07:00

My bloggity-blog is getting a new look! Not quite finished but it's getting there. Stay tuned. So fun!

Thanks Danielle!!!

Why do Professional Photographers cost so much???

2011-03-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

I found this from photography site and decided to post this. It's really good info.

If you ever wondered why Professional Photography costs as much as it does, check out this article below.

This article has been very well received by the photography community & is published in the December 2009 edition of Professional Photographer Magazine.

In this digital age where everyone has cameras, scanners, and home “photo printers”, we hear this all the time: How do professional (or personal) photographers charge $X for an 8×10 when they cost just $1.50 at the drugstore? Simply put, the customer is just not paying for the actual photograph; they’re paying for time and expertise.

The Average One-Hour Portrait Session

First, lets look at the actual work involved:

Travel to the session
Setup, preparation, talking to the client, etc.
Shoot the photos
Travel from the session
Load images onto a computer
Backup the files on an external drive
3-4 hours of Adobe Photoshop time, including cropping, contrast, color, sharpening, and backing up edited photographs.
2-3 hours to talk to the client, answer questions, receive order and payment, order their prints, receive and verify prints, package prints, schedule shipment, and ship.
Possibly meet clients at the studio to review photos and place order. Meeting and travel time average 2 hours.

You can see how a one-hour session easily turns into an eight-hour day or more from start to finish. So when you see a professional photographer charging a $200 session fee for a one-hour photo shoot, the client is NOT paying them $200 per hour.

The Expertise and Cost of Doing Business

Shooting professional photography is a skill acquired through years of experience. Even though a DSLR now costs under $1,000, taking professional portraits involves much more than a nice camera.

Most personal photographers take years to go from buying their first camera to making money with photography. In addition to learning how to use the camera, there is a mountain of other equipment and software programs used to edit and print photographs, run a website, etc. And don’t forget backdrops, props, rent, utilities, insurance, etc!

In addition to the financial investment, photographers actually have to have people skills to make subjects comfortable in front of the camera. Posing people to look their best is a skill by itself. You could argue that posing is a more important skill than actually knowing how to use the camera. A poorly exposed photo can be saved, but a badly posed photo cannot.

The Chain Store Photo Studio

Chain stores do have their place. For a very cheap price you can run it, shoot some quick photos, and be done with it. But you get what you pay for.

Consider the time and effort that a personal photographer puts into photographs, compared to a chain store. Store sessions last just a few minutes, while a professional photographer takes the time to get to know the people, makes them comfortable, makes them laugh. If a baby is crying at a chain store, they often don’t have the time (or patience) to wait because everyone is in a hurry.

The truth is that many chain store studios lose money. In fact, Wal-Mart closed 500 of their portrait studios in 2007 because of the financial drain. What chain stores bank on is a client coming in for quick, cheap photos….and while there, spending $200 on other items. They are there to get you in the door.

The Real Deal

Professional, personal photographers are just that – professionals. No different than a mechanic, dentist, doctor, or electrician. But a personal photographer often becomes a friend, someone who documents a family for generations with profession, personal photographs of cherished memories.

Maybe we need to help clients look at it this way: A pair of scissors cost $1.50 at the drugstore. Still, most people will gladly pay a lot more to hire a professional hair dresser to cut their hair.

The added attention and quality that a personal photographer gives is worth every penny.

Conclusion

We hope that those who have taken the time to read this page will have a better understanding of why professional photographs, created by a Personal Photographer are so expensive.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Article was written by Shawn, Pamela and Gavin Richter – cofphoto@aol.com

"A Day in the Life" sessions {NEW}

2011-03-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to announce this! It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time!!

I present to you...

"A day in the life" – home photo session.

Idea: How many times have you wanted to get pictures of those everyday faces of your kids in their element, but you couldn't find the camera, or didn't know how to get the best shot of it? Too many times I hear of Mom’s who like the "posey" family pictures where everyone smiles, but really they cherish those other everyday faces their children make that is so hard to capture in a regular photo session.

This is where I come in. A day in the life session means that I come to your house and take candid shots of you and your family, making breakfast, doing their favorite activities, playing games, or simply just being together as a family. Capturing those precious moments you can’t always get. It can also means going to your favorite place together, like the park and capture those fun times as well.

Sounds good? I'm excited!!! If you would like to book a Day in the life session with me just shoot me an email at shannonhaddenphotography@gmail.com

Below is the first "day in the life" session I did last week with the D. Family. It was fun! Oh so fun! I loved it!!

Nani - Senior Pictures

2011-02-26T21:38:00.000-08:00

I LOVE how these turned out. Nani is gorgeous and the lighting was perfect, even if it did happen to snow a little while we were shooting.

This first one here I think is my favorite!

...and here comes the snow...

Babies

2011-02-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

In November we welcomed a new nephew, Liam. In December we welcomed a new niece, Elizabeth. Babies, babies, all around. I love it!

i heart faces {red}

2011-02-13T21:37:00.000-08:00

I love these contests, and I thought this picture was perfect for the challenge of {RED}. Check out more awesome Red pictures at i heart faces.

Best face Photo of January {i heart faces}

2011-01-31T18:53:00.000-08:00

I sure love these challenges i heart faces posts each week! This week's challenge is BEST FACE PHOTO OF 2011.

I had such a fun time taking one of my BFF's pictures at the beginning of the year, we had SOO much fun, as you can see by this picture. I love it!

See more awesome photos at iheartfaces

Innocent Wonder {iheart faces}

2011-01-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

This weeks challenge, Innocent wonder.

I LOVE this one! This is my sweet Nephew, Aidan. I think this is my favorite picture of him. So sweet, innocent and full of wonder, full of love and happiness. Oh, how I love him!

See more entries at iheartfaces.

More Nish family pictures

2011-01-22T17:10:00.003-08:00

I was in such an excited rush to get the last bunch of these pictures up a few weeks ago, that I missed all these other cute ones!

Tea Party anyone?

2011-01-19T15:26:00.000-08:00

So, my Mom, sisters and I have this annual tradition - usually around Christmas/New Years time (since it's the time when everyone is in town) of having a Tea Party. Oh we've been to fun and beautiful places for afternoon Tea; Like, the Grand America Hotel (more than a few times) and Gardner Village. So much fun!

This year we decided that New Years day was going to be THE day. Mom surprised us all with some pretty schnazzy hats she found antique shopping. She pulled out her Mother's China and set the mood for what would be a Tea Party, never to be forgotten.

Fun was had, to say the least. We laughed A. LOT! We listened to our cousin's story about her Son's passing, and felt somber, but then we hugged and told more stories and laughed even more.

I brought my camera and new backdrop with me and we took pictures of our lovely attire. Really, we're just plain hot!

Have a look-see!!

My ever so sweet Mommy-dearest

My sis Erin

My oldest sister Megan

My younger sister Caitilin - call her Caiti (kay-tee) for short.

Our lovely SIL, Sharon who had had a baby 10 days earlier, yeah you'd never guess it!

aaaand then there's me...bleh.

Oh Tea Parties how I love thee!

Jose & Yamila - Wedding

2011-01-14T22:57:00.001-08:00

Gorgeous couple - beautiful wedding!!

Nish Family

2011-01-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

What a fun time I had with this gorgeous couple! Seriously, could they be any cuter?! Stacy is one amazing photographer, and she's also the sister of my future sister-in-law. It was great meeting them!

Michelle B.

2011-01-07T22:38:00.000-08:00

oooooooh weeee, I'm in love with these pictures!!! Michelle is one of my best friends. She's working on her music in Nashville, and needed some fun shots - and boy were these fun! I love the vintage feel to these. Michelle is amazing!!

Let me know what you think!

Out with the old...in with the new.

2011-01-06T13:57:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL holiday season!! I'm so grateful to my clients that have been so amazing in 2010, and I can't wait to see what 2011 holds for me.

I've got some things that I'm working on and looking forward to adding to my business this year...(hopefully)

-home studio with all the works

-upgraded camera

-new blog/website

-etc, etc, etc...

I've got a few posts to add that I'm behind on, but I promise to get them up this week. Still trying to recover from an awesome Christmas with my wonderful hubby and my family, who might I add, were ALL in town. Yay!

I'm booking for Spring Sessions so email me and let's set a date. :)

Shan

Johnson Family

2010-12-19T18:26:00.001-08:00

I'm trying to get caught up on posting...I've got a few more to go.

I love how these turned out of this awesome family! So cute!

Frampton kids

2010-12-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

Here's just a couple of these cute kids. More to come of their pictures...

I {heart} faces - Pet Faces photo contest

2010-12-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Man, oh man am I excited for this contest!

I love my Dog Lucius Maximus {Max}, our little French Bulldog. I took these of him one day at home. He loves his daddy, and was watching him intently as he was picking up his poop in the backyard. TMI?! His face just melts my heart, and that profile!...oh I love him so much!

Make sure to check out all the other amazing {Pet Faces} at iheartfaces

JW 1st ward Laurels

2010-12-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

I sure love these girls. I'm so lucky to be their leader! Now, if I could just pictures of Nani and Kaylee then I'd have all of them on here.

Check it out!

2010-11-19T20:04:00.001-08:00

I am dying to win this giveaway! Seriously, it's a photographers dream...my dream!!!! Please pick me PPF&B, please oh please!

C. Family {Sneak Peek}

2010-11-17T20:32:00.001-08:00

This was one of the funnest photo sessions I've had! These guys were so awesome. They let me do some crazy things with them, which I think turned out so cute! Crook family I can't wait for you to see the rest of these pictures! I LOVE how they turned out!

I'm really proud of one of these pictures in particular. I entered it into a photo contest where the theme was Orange. I was just uploading these pictures and thought one of them was perfect for the contest. I didn't win, but I did get one of "Amy & Angie's Favorite pick". I was thrilled! Especially since it was my first photo contest, and there were close to 500 entries.

Thank you C. family!!! You guys are the BEST!!!

O. Family

2010-11-13T20:14:00.000-08:00

Such a beautiful family!

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iheartfaces - Orange

2010-11-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

{iheart faces} photo challenge

This awesome photo website called iheart faces has weekly challenges for photographers. This is my first time submitting an entry, pretty fun!

The theme this week is ORANGE.

Orange. A great fall colour! I think this picture about sums it up.

This beautiful face, with orange hair...stunning!!

More to come of her cute family. :)

Check out other Orange pictures at i heart faces.

More H. Family

2010-11-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Love these guys, and love how these turned out!

A. Family

2010-11-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

Love, love, love how these turned out! Sweet Ellie hates being photographed, but we managed to get some of her not screaming...lol! Awesome family!

A. Family {Sneak Peek}

2010-11-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

Beautiful lighting, beautiful fall weather, and BEAUTIFUL family! What more could you want?!

Sneak Peek

2010-11-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I'm so behind on blogging. I have 3 sessions needing to be posted, but I can't seem to find the energy to do it. Ahhh!

However, photographing a beautiful family like this gets me motivated and excited to share them with you. I love these guys!

Vicki & Matt = Married!

2010-10-10T16:05:00.001-07:00

You take a cool guy like Matt with 3 awesome kids, and add a beautiful girl like Vicki. What do you get?

One AMAZING family!

Congrats you two!

First family picture...so precious!

Beautiful sisters!

BFF's!

Vicki & Matt {Sneek Peeker}

2010-10-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

Can't wait to show you more of this darling couple! Words can't even begin to describe my happiness for them. :)

We took these pictures a week before the big day (which is on Saturday)that way we could spend more time getting the pictures with the families before the reception, and not have to spend hours outside taking pictures.

Vicki wanted to do a "reveal" moment, where she showed off her dress to Matt, since he had never seen it before. It was such a cute moment! More pics to come of that...but for now enjoy the first part of the reveal with him waiting for her to come down the steps of the Manti Temple.

I love it!

Happy Labor Day weekend!

2010-09-04T22:57:00.000-07:00

This makes me happy!

A & A

2010-08-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Love this family! These little beauties are the cutest!

Lucius Octavius Maximus: {Max}

2010-08-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

The newest addition to our family as of August 8th. Oh how I love this little guy!

Yeah, he's a stinker at times; he's stubborn...

...but he's our little Max.

Our baby.

Johnsons

2010-08-22T20:54:00.001-07:00

One of the best things about my job is that I get to see families throughout the years, and watch their kids grow up. I was amazed when I saw this oldest boy at our session, he looked so grown up! I guess that what happens when 2 years go by.

What an awesome family! Love these guys.

Nuttall Family

2010-08-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

It was so great to see my friend and her cute family!! Love these guys!

Beautiful Porters

2010-08-05T21:13:00.001-07:00

Man oh man the years have come and gone. Mar and I were buddies way back in the day. It was so great to see her and her beautiful family!! I love how these turned out!

Mar, there are so many cute ones...can't wait for you to see them.

Sweet little A. loves that thumb of hers, especially when she's tired and had a long day. So cute though!

Lexus

2010-07-25T21:44:00.001-07:00

Oh man I sure love our yearly photo sessions. :)

The many faces of Ellie

2010-07-14T06:33:00.001-07:00

As I've been going through and editing her pictures I came to realize the Ellie has many faces, and they're so dang cute!!

Ellie

2010-07-03T23:02:00.000-07:00

Sweet little, independent, Ellie. She was fun! Isn't she a beaut?!

This one below makes me smile. She so determined on where she's going that she's got her tongue sticking out. So cute!

More of sweet little Macy

2010-06-29T16:54:00.001-07:00

PRECIOUS! That's all I can say.

I want one!

This one below cracks me up. Her big sister is still trying to adjust to having a baby around. She didn't really want to have anything to do with the baby. We tried everything to get her to sit next to her or something, so we could get a shot of them together. Finally we got something! haha!

G. Family

2010-06-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

I know Whelmar from a few years back when we used to work together. It was so cool seeing her again and meeting her beautiful family! These kids were so well behaved!

Aren't they just darling?!

Today

2010-06-26T15:33:00.001-07:00

I love Saturdays, especially when they include taking pictures of sweet things like this.

More to come, along with pics of her big sister. :)

Coming up...

2010-06-26T11:14:00.001-07:00

This cute family!

More of Maleah

2010-06-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

This was not my first time taking pictures of Maleah, but this was the first time when I really got to see her personality, since the last time I saw her was during her family pictures.

Man oh man, this girl is a hoot! I couldn't get over how funny she is and what a poser she was during this session. I love how these turned out, and was having fun playing around with them.

Maleah you're absolutely beautiful!!

Coming up...

2010-06-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

Maleah is getting baptized! Isn't she just gorgeous?!

Weeks Family

2010-05-15T13:05:00.001-07:00

I met these guys for the first time last week. What a fun family they are!

This one makes me laugh! I love it!

Millward Family {sneek peeker}

2010-05-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Now this is one awesome family!

L. Family

2010-05-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

Love these guys!

Ode to Blossoms

2010-05-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

When I see blossoms on the trees I feel a sense of peace and joy. Because it only lasts for a short amount of time I feel the need to really cherish it, and try to bottle up those feelings I get.

Today I felt moody, grumpy. Usually when it rains it makes me happy (I know...weird!). But the last few days have been different. I had been wanting to take some pictures of the blossoms since they started their thing a few weeks ago, but never got around to it.

While looking through different photo sites today I found a picture of some blossoms, and IMMEDIATELY felt the urgency to hurry and get out and take those pictures, or I would surely regret it. I sprang from the couch and literally ran out the door, yelling to my husband that I'd be back shortly.

"Where are you going?", he shouted from upstairs.

"I've got to get some blossom pictures before it's over!", I yelled back from downstairs.

I drove around frantic to find some good blossoms. I noticed the white ones everywhere, but I really wanted some of the pink ones. As I kept driving I was getting worried that the pink ones were all done.

My heart sank.

But determination came through, I kept driving and I found a few beautiful pink, red, and white blossoms. My heart was happy!

This is HEAVEN for me. Seriously! If there was anything that would make life more wonderful and peaceful it would be to have blossoms on the trees ALL year long.

Oh! The magic, the wonder, the joy it brings to my soul.

I'm grateful for such simple beauty as blossoms on this earth.

{Little Miss Lizzy...}

2010-04-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

More to come of this cutie and her awesome family.

Chantell {Senior Pictures}

2010-04-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

Isn't she a Beaut?!

Claire & Juliet

2010-04-02T20:49:00.001-07:00

{SNEAK PEAKER} Claire & Juliet

2010-03-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Taking pictures of twin babies is no easy task, my friends, but when you get something like this my heart melts and I realize that it was so worth it!

Man, oh man, Caroline - this picture is seriously priceless! What a perfect demonstration of what it means to be a mother. I think a canvas wrap should definitely be on the menu.

But the real question now is, do you like it better in Color, or Black & White. Decisions, decision.

{More to come of these little beauties!}

One Fabulous Family!

2010-03-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Families right here. Aren't they cute?!

Amelia turns 1

2010-03-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

Sure do love this little girl. Happy Birthday Amelia!

Can't decide if I like this one better in Color or B&W. What do you think?

Cailey - headshots

2010-02-20T21:48:00.000-08:00

This beautiful 14 year old is already on her way to stardom. She's currently working in one of the new Disney movies for TV. Take a good look at her face, you'll see her soon as a young Hollywood Starlet!

Family Sealing

2010-02-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

Love this beautiful family!

Headshots part 1

2010-01-10T11:24:00.001-08:00

I love doing head-shots. I really do! Especially when it's my nephews and nieces. :)

More of the Seely's

2010-01-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

Coming up...

2009-12-30T18:39:00.000-08:00

I've been so behind on my blogging. Thanks to my clients for being so patient!

Here's a teeny tiny sneek peek for the Seeley's. Can't wait to show you more!

Guymon Family

2009-12-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

One awesome family!

coming up...

2009-12-12T20:39:00.001-08:00

...this awesome family!

Jensen family

2009-12-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I love these guys! Violeta is a dear friend of mine, and I always love taking pictures of them. They're just too dang cute!

Coming up...

2009-12-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

...more pictures from this, seriously adorable, family. Here's one for now...

Jon & Teresa

2009-12-09T08:46:00.001-08:00

Here are more of this cute couple!!

More of the Smith Family...

2009-12-07T08:15:00.000-08:00