Capturing the Love and Beauty of Family

I love my job!  I love capturing the smiles on camera and the intimate and humorous moments that happen in between the smiles.  The kind words and praises of a happy client, bring so much joy to my heart.  I love knowing in the years to come the photographs I have taken for clients will spark conversations around the dinner table and tales of "Remember when..."   It makes me smile inside and out to know the images I have captured will have the honor of gracing client's walls on a canvas or be neatly tucked into a frame on display.  I am so thankful to be behind the camera watching the beauty and love in your families shine through my lenses.

My mom thought it was crazy that I, the photographer, was going to have someone else take our Christmas pictures.  Yes, I am very fortunate that throughout the year I am able to capture some amazing images of my family, particularly my kids.  Ones that capture the essence of who they are in their normal every day life.  But you see, I'm always behind the camera.  So even if it only happens once a year,  I truly appreciate having someone else capture the beauty and love of my family shine through their lens.

Lex Bergan took our Christmas pictures last year and I love her work.  My kids are incredibly comfortable with her and somehow or another she manages to get my husband to relax and be himself in front of the camera as well.  Lex proposed the idea of having hot chocolate outside as a theme for our photo shoot and I ran with it!!!

                     

             First stop picking out mugs and a blanket.  Yes we have mugs and blankets but these mugs are too cute and the blanket is so comfy!

If I'm only going to get photos taken of my family once a year, I'm going to do it right.  For me this meant planning out our attire and paying attention to the little details..  I can't stress enough how important it is to be comfortable when taking photographs.  If you are not comfortable, it will show in your photos.

          Not the best picture but here are our outfits all laid out.  I had them laid out for several days. 
                                                                    (I'm a visual person)

When picking out your attire for any family shoot you want to coordinate but not match exactly.  The days of everyone in jeans and a white shirt are long gone. And if you need ideas and inspiration, check out Pintrest.  It is filled with great boards of how to dress for a photoshoot.  Our session was planned for outdoors and since Las Vegas lacks in seasonal change of greenery, I wanted to make sure we conveyed a Christmas look in the clothes and details.

Why am I sharing all of this?  Because I want each of my clients to have amazing sessions, so let's talk details.   And because I want all families to have the beauty of their family captured.    I realize this is not something I can do alone and I am thankful to be a part of a community of many wonderful and talented photographers. 

Find a photographer you love.  I understand that pricing is going to be one of the first things you look at because it matters to me as well.  But once you find a few photographers in your price range, narrow them down by the work that appeals most to you.  And then- step out of the box!  Look at the photographers about me page.   Does it jump out at you?  Can you relate to this person?  If you feel excited and comfortable to be working with this photographer, the rest of your family will as well.

With all the rush of the holiday season, I truly hope you will all find the time to have the beauty and love of your family captured.  I wish you all a Happy Holiday Season!


 And many thanks to Lex Bergan of Lex Bergan Photography for your talent, time and heart.  Here is a sneak peek at the beauty and love in my family.....

Kylie

I've been drooling over some of the dreamy senior sessions I have seen from fellow photographers and had been greatly anticipating my first senior session.   I am so fortunate that this exquisite girl was my first senior client.    Kylie and her mom chose the Neon Boneyard Museum as the location for the shoot and it couldn't have been more perfect.   The Boneyard captures the nostalgia of Las Vegas and Kylie's beauty just pops off the page.   It's such a monumental time in life, the celebration of one chapter closing as preparations begins for the opening of a new one.  Kylie is incredibly sweet and maintains a very level head on her shoulders.  It is with certainty that I can say,  magnificent dreams are hers for the taking.

 

 

Jen & Chris tie the knot

The day was a gorgeous and sunny 103 degrees for Chris and Jen's wedding in Shoshone, California.   And it was the perfect setting for a small 50's wedding.  For the night, the tiny town of Shoshone was theirs and it was filled with joy.  Their love story spans many years and despite some of the challenges life has thrown at them individually, they have found tremendous strength in each other.   On the evening of September 13th, Jen and Chris committed to love each other for the rest of their lives as their close family and friends looked on in celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

A Splash of Fun

What a vibrant, fun photo session!  The Hurtado family and I ventured to A Secret Garden. (http://www.asecretgardenwedding.com/)  This place is green!  Green grass, green bushes, and tall green trees.  A hidden gem in Las Vegas.  I look forward to having more photography sessions here.

The Hurtado crew and I began our session by taking a few formal photos.  This family is just Gorgeous!  And there is so much love between them.  Mason, that cute little 2 year old staring at you in the photo below, is the apple of everyones eye.  They all adore him.

And after some beautiful family photos, it was time to have some fun, Fun, FUN!  I met Stephanie and Mason a couple months back for a mom & me mini photo session.  I was so excited to be working with them again, and even more excited that this family was up for the adventure.  And from the stories I heard, it sounds like this was the perfect shoot for them.

It started with a little water balloon toss.  Note to anyone else trying to do this: despite trying to fill the balloons with half water and half paint they were very runny.  But it did make for this great explosion shot below.

I had a feeling this might happen so I came armed with plenty of paint.  Each member of the family got their own color so they could see their markings.

 

 

 



And once it started, there was no holding back.

By the end, everyone was a colorful mess! But a most happy colorful mess, as can be seen in the beaming smiles below.

 

Many thanks to the Hurtado family!  I said it before and I mean it.  I feel so lucky to have had this photo shoot with you : )