Kate [1 year old]

Miss Kate just turned 1 year old.

Um, it feels like a couple of weeks ago that we shot her newborn session.

Feels like a couple of weeks before that since I was photographing her mom & dad’s wedding (that’d be 5 years ago now).

I’m starting to get that ‘experience’ feeling… and I kinda like it… I’ve been doing this photography thing for awhile now. Maybe someday I’ll be shooting Kate’s wedding.

Whoa!

Here’s Kate. We kept the session simple, and did it in the family’s home. She loves balloons, getting into cabinets, and sitting in her great grandma’s rocking chair… that’s all we needed to tell the story of Kate that day.

Baby Corban

Hannah has been my cousin since… well, as long as I can remember. (I guess it’s that way with most cousins, hmm?)

After growing up with someone, it’s so strange- in a good way of course- to see them grown up, married, and now with a baby. Honestly though, I’m sure it’s much stranger for her to see ME grown up (or as grown up as I’ll get)… I imagine most of my cousins never thought that would happen. 😉

I traveled to Kansas City for this shoot with now 6 week old Corban, and proud parents Hannah & Brock. Here’s what we got…

Owen’s superawesome 1st birthday party

Owen is the adorable son of some long standing clients of mine. I shot Nikki & Ryan’s wedding 3 years ago, their brand new baby last december, and now that baby is 1 year old! 

 Getting to photograph this incredibly well planned visual feast of a party was SO much fun. Already planning out the book that we’ve planned to make, to truly be able to remember the event the way it should be remembered!

More pictures to be posted soon from a full shoot with this awesome little family.

Now, PARTY time! this post may be a bit longer than usual, but we’ve got to see this party through from beginning to end.

                                                                       beginning           I            end

skipping to the end.

wait! back up! let’s go back to the beginning and take a look at the decor…

enter the little man!

exit the little man! Then retrieve a shoe and enter again….

Ryan got up at 3am the night before to put this pork in the smoker. Best pulled pork I’ve ever had. No exaggeration.

nobody knows how to enjoy a party like THIS dude.

bring on the CAKE!

Caroline, session 3 (+ olivia)

    If you’ve followed my work or this blog for any length of time, you’ll recognize these two…a couple of my favorite little muses from springfield missouri, Olivia & Caroline. Olivia wrapped up her baby’s 1st year plan last year and Caroline began hers this year. Can’t believe we’re already on our third session…

As always, a million thanks to Sarah (the mama) for putting so much thought into outfits, props, & location- her planning always makes it worth the drive to springfield- and for just being awesome and having such outrageously cute children. My goodness.

almost just seems like this one has never had her portrait taken, you know? 😉

the set up. sometimes that’s my favorite picture of all.

baby Caegan, session 2

    I don’t often split a section into multiple parts, but sometimes, the elements are against you. Such was the case in working with mr. Caegan during his 2nd baby’s first year shoot… it was an evening that was supposed to be pleasant, turning out instead to be gloomy with a very chilly wind that wasn’t exactly baby-friendly. Didn’t stop us from getting a couple of great shots in the 20 minutes we had to work before his little nose just got too red for us to keep going in good conscience…

Re-convened with mom Lisa & dad Corban a couple of weeks later for shoot 2, which was an absolutely PERFECT day. And what an awesome and increasingly expressive little fella he is! 🙂 

his expression kills me in this one.

baby Finley

     My good friends the Bellegardes just made an addition to their little family…mr Finley. I had so much fun with our last session that I was even more pumped about this one. Speaking of pumped… or pumping…. we’ll open with this awesome fist pump. 

alright, here’s something a little more serious. 

proud big sister Jalyn!

she was being so cute, I had to give Jalyn her own shot…

Those Yokley twins…. round #2!

     I love those Yokleys. I’ve always loved photographing Doug & Sarah… through engagement & wedding, and now as their adorable TWIN babies grow and grow. 

Two matching babies means…

double the cute. 

Keep scrolling. If you can. it’s almost just too much. (That’s why I’ll ease you into it with just one at a time…)

(not so baby) Ava :: session 3

Baby Ava is no longer a baby. She’s a full fledged toddler these days, and she just gets a little cooler every time I see her. Been so fun to watch her grow up and get shots of her and her sweet mom Michelle.

 

and lastly, but not least… a reminder that sometimes, adorable children pick their noses. And if you want to ignore that as a photographer that’s ok… but I’m not the kind that can. Nose picking will always make it into the album when I’m shooting 🙂

renea & nate :: maternity

     I first met Renea last year, when I worked what is, so far, the most random job of my photographic career. Taking pictures of apartment complexes for a local management company (for whom Renea worked)… over 90 properties total, in every small town imaginable within a 4 hour radius of Joplin, MO. Renea was the lighthouse-over-a-phone during that crazy month or so, guiding me to where I needed to be every time I ended up in some sketchy spot in nowhere, midwest and realized my mapquest directions were totally off. 

     Now that I’m back to normal work… you know, taking pictures of people, not places- Renea is herself in front of the camera along with her hubby Nate, in eager anticipation of their little baby girl. It’s getting close!

    Renea and nate are both, simply put, awesome people… maybe I’m biased because of our shared love for spongebob, but these people are just really sweet and funny. My kinda people. Can’t wait to photograph their new addition when she comes along in a few weeks, and to keep coming back to spend time with this family over the course of the baby’s 1st year plan and beyond. 

baby olivia :: session 3

     I love the baby’s 1st year plan. It’s so fun to be able to work so closely with one family during that amazing first year. Everything happens so fast, and each time I come back, it’s like little Olivia is a whole new kid. Now she’s sitting up by herself and grinning like crazy. We stuck around the house again (seems to be limitless possibilities around the Eidsons’ lovely home) and ventured into the yard for a bit to work in some greeeeeeen grass… at this time a year, everything in nature just seems to burst with color.  (and yeah, ok, I might throw in another burst in lightroom…)

     Thanks to mom Sarah, dad Aaron & of course little Livvy for giving me an excuse to take some cute baby pictures; and also to make it up to springfield for an amazing latte at my favorite coffeeshop.