I haven’t blogged since 2018. Time flies! So here I am attempting to get a little more caught up. Here is the Johnsen family. I loved mixing natural outdoor portraits with indoor lifestyle photography for this session.
Stay tuned to see posts from some of my favorite sessions since then! Thanks for still checking in!
I’m the worst at updating this blog. Check my instagram and I’m consistent there…but here its a struggle. I’m going to try and be more purposeful here with my blogging here on my site. I’m so glad you’re here and I hope you’re enjoying my work…I can’t wait to share more with you! The beauty of not updating my blog is that I’ll be able to take a step back in time and share some of my favorite shoots from the past couple of years. Get ready to time travel!
Here is a double exposure I made when I got to second shoot a wedding with my friend Addie in San Diego.
Lets dance!
The Ross family is full of adventure and spunk! I laughed so much spending time with this fun family! How’d I get so lucky?!
“To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.”
-Barbara Bush
I don’t take it lightly that a family chooses me to capture their family. It really is a huge honor. Ask any photographer! This is one of those families that I love to spend time with. The Wolfe family is such a fun and loving family. I am so honored that I got to capture this beautiful family, again!
“Be who you are and say what you feel,
because those who mind don’t matter
and those who matter don’t mind.”
—Dr. Seuss
Meet Allissa. Class of 2019. Hard worker. Funny. Has a great laugh. Country life aficionado. Proud of her family. Has a super duper bright future, for sure! Al, I hope you're enjoying your senior year. You ROCKED your senior session. I'm so lucky to have gotten to work with you!
Here are a few of my favorites from Al's session...
Your turn! I want YOU (or maybe your senior, your kiddo, your family) in front of my camera! Click here to contact me to schedule your session!
"What can you do to promote world peace?
Go home and love your family."
-Mother Theresa
This family. I've fallen in love. Am I allowed to say that? Well, I just did. Not only do their words match their actions, but their actions match their words. These people. They're solid. This family is one I could spend my evenings with, sitting in the driveway, watching our kiddos play together. I have a long, straight from the heart-emotional-snot-will-run-out-my-nose story about how this family was brought into my life, that maybe I'll tell another time...but...this family is one that I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend an evening with. Love and patience and play and freedom grace the heck outta this household. And so-so-so much more. Thank you, Nix Family, for letting me capture your family! I enjoyed e-v-e-r-y minute of it!!!
If you're still here admiring this beautiful family, are you thinking about how you'd like your family photographed? Because if you are...I'd love to chat! I'd love to fall in love with your family! Lets get your family photographed! Contact me and lets slap a date on the good ole calendar!
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
The Johnson family is a family full of adventure, living life's experiences to the fullest, and supporting each other to be the best they can be. So when they decided to welcome a foreign exchange student into their home this past year, it not only enriched their family unit, but hers as well. Being able to capture this time in their life when they were a family of seven instead of six, was exciting and so special! Its funny how one may not be a blood relative but they are definitely related. The love and connection was so tight and real. I loved being able to capture this big happy family during this exciting time in their lives.
Your family is just as special! I'd be honored to photograph you! Click here to get in touch so we can get you and yours on the schedule!
"We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become."
-St. Clare of Assisi
Being able to witness the strong and endless love this beautiful family possessed, days within welcoming their sweet baby Clare home, was so special. The way Mitch adored her sweet little hands and spoke to her with the utmost affection. The way Kelli beautifully wrapped and comforted her was breathtaking. Sweet baby Clare is so, so loved. Welcome to our world!
Home is where the heart is, right? Lets stay home! When I am able to come to your home for a family session, you get to stay comfortable. Who doesn't want to be comfortable?! I don't know about you but after welcoming my first child into our world the thought of leaving the house with everything but the kitchen sink overwhelmed me. By staying home you'll automatically be at ease and relaxed. And if someone needs a break? A drink? A snack? Take the break if you need it. Lets have fun staying at home!
I am currently booking in home family sessions for 2018. Email me or click here for the contact page. I can't wait to talk to you and meet your family!
"catch on fire if you must,
sometimes everything needs to burn to the ground so that we may grow."
-a.j. lawless
I did something for myself.
Not the mom in me.
Not the teacher in me.
Not the wife in me.
For my creative self.
MY creative soul.
What seems like yesterday I was inspired by my friend, Lynne's Brave Project, where she made a list of things that scared the absolute tar out of her...and then she committed to doing ALL of the things that scared her. She is an amazing, inspirational woman that I am honored to call a dear friend. Because I can't commit to making a list of things I'm scared of...weird, right?! I just thought to myself, if it scares me, I'll just do it. I'll just rip off the band-aid and just do it!!! I've always wanted to go to a conference for photographers. I figure if there are creatives out there willing to let others learn from them, it'd be my jam. I love learning! Once I started looking around I discovered there are a ton of conferences and workshops you could attend. I instantly became overwhelmed. I had to slow down and think. What is my goal here? The goal of the ideal conference in my head was one that inspired me, refueled me, let me talk to people to get ideas, one that I didn't feel like an imposter, one that welcomed me, one that maybe I'd walk away with a few new friends. When I found Photo Native (thanks, Ashley!) and read on the front page of their website "YOU BELONG" something clicked in me. So, I bit the bullet, jumped into the deep end of the pool, bought my ticket maybe six months ahead of time. Just enough time to procrastinate the thought of traveling alone, for the first time. Just enough time to procrastinate the thought of actually being around other creatives and letting all my inner fears psych me out. I didn't talk about it to hardly anyone. I wanted to forget about it. I. Was. Terrified. Fast forward to getting my film scans back from my photo shoot with the amazing Yan Palmer, and I never want to forget about my experience at Photo Native. It was like something out of a dream.
I started overwhelmed with tears and ended the same way. I met some amazing people that I've kept in contact with. These lovelies believe in me, and I in them. They're helping push me to be the best I can be. I love that. Photo Native did something for my soul that words can't describe. It brought me to the realization that I do belong.
I belong in this creative arena, we all do.
I belong behind the lens.
I belong documenting my family and other people's families.
Most of all, I belong doing what makes me happy. Because if I do what makes me happy...my kiddos will see that and hopefully they'll lead a life of doing what makes them happy as well.
Phew that blog post was a long one. Thanks for hanging in there with me.
This in-home family session was shot on my Pentax 67, Mamiya645, and Elan7. Medium format: Fuji400h. Rated at 800. 35mm: Portra160. Rated at 100.
I would love to photograph a relaxed family, in-home, that is lovey-dovey, happy, and just wants pictures of their family being themselves...click here to get that conversation rockin' and rollin'! I can't wait to hear from you!
“Nothing feels as good to me as laughing incredibly hard.”
-Steve Carell
Being yourSELF in front of a camera can be stressful as all heckity heck, amiright? ;) I love it when we can create a chill environment where we can hang out, laugh, and be real! The Berger Family is one of my first clients when I started this journey, and are always an absolute BLAST to be with!
Hey there! Interested in having your family's memories captured? Lets chit chat! Click here to get that convo started!
Happy New Year, friends! The last time I shared my film experience was back in the summer! Click here to refresh your memory. Overall, I feel growth. I feel like I’m improving. I feel so free!!! I am loving film. I also love that I’m not spending time behind my computer as much editing and culling every picture I’ve taken. You have no idea how much time I spent editing digital work. Film has taught me to slow down, capture what is important, and move on. I’ve also tried experimenting with incorporating film into some of my client’s sessions, and I’m loving it!! Every once in awhile I feel as though maybe I should go back to shooting digital, and maybe I will...but for now...my heart is in film. It has become my happy place.
Also, you might notice my website looks a little different. I wanted to simplify. So, I did just that. You'll notice also, that I'm going to change the way I blog. I'm going to let the photographs do the talking...not as much me! :) Thank you for stopping in for a visit. I can't wait to see where 2018 takes me! Your support means so much.
“Happiness is not something ready made.It comes from your own actions.” -Dalai Lama XIV
The Ross Family is the most adorable family you'll ever meet. They wouldn't admit to this, of course. They are so in love with each other. They embrace each other's uniqueness. They encourage each other to be their best person. It oozes out of all four of them. Their little girls are so close and so lovely. And Dan and Darci? They are like THAT couple that is adorable ALL. The. Time. To the point where I wanted to take a picture of the two of them together and they needed NO prompting. I look over and BOOM there they are being in a moment and adorable. It was perfect. The other perfect thing about this session was it was my FIRST ALL and ONLY film session. I am insanely thrilled with these and can not wait to do more families on film. So, if you're reading this, I'd most likely lovelovelove to photograph you and yours. Because just look...here is the Ross family! Thanks for being here!
For my film friends, these were shot on a Pentax67, Mamiya645, and an Elan7. I used Fuji400h+1 for both medium format cameras. And Delta3200 for the black and white 35 mm photographs.
“Forget yesterday - it has already forgotten you.Don't sweat tomorrow - you haven't even met. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to a truly precious gift - today.” -Steve Maraboli
I have been pushing myself to try film during sessions more often. I love the look and feel of film. The process of slowing down and waiting for the right moments. I've had this inner dialogue going for awhile trying to convince myself to jump into it. I was talking with the Anderson-Knott family about their upcoming session and that night had a dream about waking up the next day and only shooting their family on film. When I woke up the next morning I took it as a sign and just jumped in. I didn't even take my digital camera. When I showed up at their house I told them how I had only brought film and they totally embraced it! It felt so freeing to shoot how I shoot for my own family, but for another family. But, I totally restricted myself, too. I ended up not bringing enough film with me to their session! Oops! When I got my film scans back I was excited that their photographs turned out and were beautiful but didn't feel like their gallery was complete. So, I did finish their session with digital photographs which I captured with them at a separate time. So, I can't say this was my first ALL film session...baby steps, right? ;) The Anderson-Knott family cracks me up. Their jokes are the best. I appreciate their grace and giving me creative freedom to shoot all film!! I pinch myself that I have had the honor to photograph them time and time again. I love watching their boys grow up. It is happening all too fast! Thank you for being here! This is the Anderson-Knott family!
"It's the choice that you have to wake up every day and say,'There's no reason today can't be the best day of my life!'" -Blake Lively
Meet Aubrey. Class of 2018. Has a genuine heart of pure gold. Athlete. Intelligent. Loves her family. Proud of her daddy. Loves the country life. Equestrian. Doppelgänger to Blake Lively. Okay that last one I totally made up. The more I look at her the more I think they could be sisters! I hope you're enjoying your senior year, Aubrey...and I wish you all the best after high school! Because you, darling, will move mountains. Thank you for being here! Enjoy a little peek into Aubrey's session...
“You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car,but because they sing a song only you can hear.” — Oscar Wilde
Ashley and Cara are two women that care deeply and lovingly for one another. Their love is obvious. The way they crack each other up by a simple smile or a simple nudge, is adorable. As I quoted Lin Manuel Miranda in their previous engagement post says, ""Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love, cannot be killed or swept aside." It was a calm and 'go with the flow' wedding day. I had the absolute honor of capturing these two amazing people join two families into one. One big. One happy. One rockin' party of a family. We started the day getting ready at Awe Salon in downtown Seward. The wedding ceremony was held at the Seward Bandshell with the reception at the Seward Ag Pavillion. I wish nothing but the best to the Wolfe family!! Thank you for being here! This is the Wolfe Wedding in Seward, Nebraska...enjoy!!
“blessed beshe who is both furious and magnificent” -Taylor Rhodes
So, there is this sweet little bundle of squishy joy named Chaynee. She's got amazing older siblings that are going to teach her so much about Science and Harry Potter. Her parents are hilarious, have the best laughs, and have adventurous hearts. This girl struck it gold with this family. And they all are so grateful for her. Her presence. Her personality. The life she brings to the house. Being able to see families interact. Love. Celebrate. And squeeze each other warms my heart. The Goracke Family was one of my first clients to photograph. They hold a very special place in my heart! Each time they ask me to return, I first pick my jaw off the floor, then thank my lucky stars that they give me this honor. That is the biggest compliment I can receive. Thank you, Goracke family, for letting me capture your family grow and love. Enjoy a little bit of the Goracke family's session when Chaynee was first born, back when the air wasn't as cool as it is today...thanks for being here! Enjoy!
The Goracke Family was one of my first family sessions where I shot digital and film in the same session! It was such an exciting and exhilarating experience for me as a photographer to bring my film cameras. I can't wait to shoot more! The film photographs in this post were shot with Portra400 film with a Mamiya645. If you're interested in a family session, click here to contact me! I can't wait to hear from you!
“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are.When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” -Paulo Coelho
To say that the Nelson family is a stranger to me, is a complete and utter lie. They're an amazing family. Supportive. Loving. Dedicated. And the biggest Husker fans, I've probably ever met. I'm not even joking. These people, these amazing people, have become a second family to me. Their laughs. Their jokes. Their spirit. Their support. Their spunk...all genuinely warm my soul. They are so talented at what they do. They have the most fun kids (or grandkids, depending on who you're referring to) to play with. I'm honored I got to capture all of them interacting and being so real with me. Being able to travel to do so, was even better. The fabulous quality time spent with them, was priceless. I am seriously counting down the days until I see them again. Or at least some of them again! Thank you for being here, oh blog reader, you. I hope you enjoy photographs from the family I affectionately call my "Husker family"...
"When you realize who you live for, and who's important to please, a lot of people will actually start living. I am never going to get caught up in that. I'm gonna look back on my life and say that I enjoyed it - and I lived it for me. "--Rihanna
Meet Nicole. Class of 2018. Dream job? Being a doctor! She's full of sass. She's fun to be around. She has the best laugh. She has an immaculate attention to detail. I see a bright future for Ms. Nicole! Enjoy your senior year...and I wish you all the best after high school! Because you, darling, will move mountains. Thanks for being here, oh faithful blog post reader, you. This is the one and only Nicole...enjoy!
“Sometimes the smallest things take the most room in your heart.”-Winnie the Pooh
There was so much love bursting out of this adorable growing family when I got to photograph their life changing from a family of three to a family of four. Sarah was a beautiful pregnant mama. Healthy and glowing with the excitement of knowing her little man Beck would soon have a little brother to romp through the grass with. Joe, dreaming about the fishing and hunting trips with his boys. Beck lovingly would kiss Sarah's baby belly and talk to his little brother throughout the pregnancy. As soon as Baby Wes arrived, Beck was a little nervous but definitely proud. It was a huge honor to be able to be with them throughout this milestone. I am over the moon happy for them!
Thank you for being here!! Enjoy the Buell family milestones...
"I do!"-Janine Marker and Doug Valenta
You could probably say they're the real live Brady Bunch! They each have three children that all get along and are so genuinely happy around each other. You know you've hit the jackpot when the two younger kiddos tell other people about how excited they are to have a sibling the same age! When Janine and Doug first saw each other on their wedding day, they just exuded love! You could see they both felt at ease and especially happy being around the other. They truly are a couple meant to be together. These two put family first and it is so evident that their support system of friends and family is a strong well knit one. Each of their family members and friends offered their helping hands to make the day a super special one. Happiness is a beautiful thing, and that was definitely evident on their wedding day! Thank you for being here! Enjoy the wedding of Janine and Doug...
