APL Photography

Babe's 3 mos old

2012-02-20T21:09:00.000-06:00

This little guy has bright eyes! He is so sweet and I love his little birth mark!!

I heart faces ♥ Hearts

2012-02-13T15:03:00.001-06:00

It has been a while since I've entered an I heart faces challenge, but this one is close to my "heart".

The baby boy in this womb is now 7 months old and has had 2 heart surgeries. To see pictures of him and read about his heart condition you can read his mother's blog Pray for John's Heart, just a warning - get a tissue box first. I have had the awesome privilege of documenting his life. This one is an oldie, but a goodie! You can see more of the pregnancy shoot here.

Check out other entries here:

Daddy made me a horse!

2012-02-07T15:46:00.000-06:00

Blue Eyed Baby C • 2 mos old

2012-02-06T18:01:00.001-06:00

Gonna Be a Big Sis!

2012-02-06T11:10:00.000-06:00

Little Miss Polly Pocket

2012-02-04T23:06:00.000-06:00

"Polly Pocket" is what her doctor calls her. She gets cuter and cuter as she grows up!

Part 1:
Thinking outside of the box, as Baby L's mom (and sister, and grandma) always do, we headed downtown to some cool buildings. First, the library. The staff wasn't very welcoming, but they made an "exception" for us today. They have some great colors and the windows let is beautiful natural light.

Part 2:
Then we headed next door to one of my favorite buildings in Des Moines, the Masonic Temple. As we were getting baby girl ready we were chatting with some of the staff. He invited us to take pictures in the ballroom. When we got up there the employees welcomed us and let us stay up there to finish the shoot. After the way we were treated in the library we were pretty pumped!
{ if you are looking for a place to do a reception or ceremony this place is rad & the staff is super nice }

Part 3:
And because the snow falling was so gorgeous we had to sit her in it as we were headed out to leave.

A Family from Milo

2012-02-01T11:26:00.001-06:00

Sometimes kids don't want to cooperate, and even though it seems everything could possibly go wrong, beautiful pictures emerge.

Family K

2012-01-31T18:56:00.000-06:00

Two years and another baby. This time we went to the Salisbury house. The beauty for the American castle and the nature that surrounds it was a great backdrop for this family's shoot. The kids are just adorable, and little missy is so animated!

Blended Family

2012-01-31T16:15:00.000-06:00

Normally shooting 9 adults and 6 children would be a daunting task, so is not this case with this family. They are so natural, fun, and it's an added blessing that they are all beautiful. They were all together celebrating the holidays and called me in for the occasion. Warm days and cool nights had made the leaves gorgeous, and I kept "oohing and aahing" during the whole shoot!

Together forever, newlyweds just the same.

Merry McCousins

2012-01-31T15:45:00.000-06:00

Usually Baby E and Baby L's moms do the props and adorable outfits. This time grandma had all the fun!

Baby L • 6 months

2012-01-31T15:26:00.000-06:00

Baby L isn't a stranger you can see her here, here, and here. And since I'll be shooting her 9 month old pictures this weekend I HAD to update you on her 6 month old pictures!

Bethrothed

2012-01-26T13:25:00.000-06:00

These two are destined for each other and they don't even know it yet.

I love how he's not so sure here:

Princess:

Her Prince:

Ringin' In the New Year as Newly Weds

2012-01-25T10:39:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't want to party with friends ringing in the New Year?! There is no better excuse to party AND to get married! This wedding was filled with love, joy and laughter. All of the people involved are so sweet and kind. What made this day even more fabulous was the gorgeous, warm weather!

{ This all took place at the Lotus Moments Event center here in Des Moines, which is a fabulous venue! It was a fabulous all in one location. }

I knew her name first!

2012-01-05T19:48:00.001-06:00

Way back in March, when the buds were showing up on trees and the grass was getting greener, I did an awesome pregnancy shoot here. Daddy and mommy didn't know if baby was a boy or a girl and we played around with pictures with both types of names, so I knew her name first. Dad and mom reminded me of that when we met for this shoot. A beautiful baby girl she was, and oh so cute, and it was awesome to see the new parents in action!

Home for the Holidays

2012-01-05T12:03:00.001-06:00

Everyone's home - group photo time!

Please forgive me, I had to :)

Baby E's Crawling!

2012-01-04T16:05:00.000-06:00

Baby E is no stranger to the APL Photography website!

& you'll catch up with her cousin and see more McCousin pictures soon (I promise).

You'd think that her outfits, bows and shoes couldn't get any cuter, but not so! And she's a mover with loads of smiles!

Twenty-Eleven Favorites

2012-01-04T11:08:00.001-06:00

I have had my business for 4 years now. Every year I say the same thing and every year, so far, it's been true...this was the best year! I have had amazing clients, they've started out clients and I can now call them friends. You guys are awesome! This year especially, you were all so patient during the busy time, and I appreciate that SO much!

I put together some of my favorite shots of the year, starting with the most memorable and going through to my favorite of the year. It was difficult putting everything together because there are so many awesome ones.

Most Memorable Shot of the Year:

Favorite Getting Ready Shot:

Favorite Hands:

Favorite Kid Shot:

Favorite Family Shot:

Favorite Maternity Shot:

Favorite Groom's Cake:

Favorite Bride & Groom Pic(pics in this case):

Favorite Drool:

Favorite eyes:

Favorite Kiss:

Favorite Sunspot:

Favorite feet:

Favorite Cake Shot:

Favorite Ring Shot:

Favorite Shot of the Year:

H Family Downtown

2011-12-29T17:19:00.000-06:00

Senior K

2011-12-29T12:19:00.000-06:00

Sisters & Cousins

2011-12-29T12:05:00.000-06:00

3 sisters + 3 babies = cute cousins!

Baby S, 1 and walking

2011-12-29T11:55:00.000-06:00

{This will be the first of many blog posts.}
This shoot was waaaaay back in October. The weather was amazing, the leaves and scenery was beautiful, and baby girl was all smiles!

The New Year will bring...

2011-12-13T20:00:00.000-06:00

a new baby...

...and more love & joy!

I am here & big sister...

2011-12-02T15:20:00.000-06:00

I am here.

I am alive.

Every year the busy season gets busier...it's always a good thing. Even with the busyness this year it is, was and will always be more important for me to keep my priorities straight. My family time, my kid's schooling, and having yummy, healthy dinners on the table at a decent time will always come first.

I have been shooting...a lot. And there are lots of lovely sessions that you will see...soon! You'll meet adorable new babies, see cute kids, dogs and families.

The season is starting to slow down and that means I'm starting to have more time. So if you have a session with me in the last few months, your pictures will be posted.

I appreciate your patience! My clients are awesome!

Here's something to hold you all over...an adorable little/new big sister in action.

The C Family

2011-11-17T09:01:00.000-06:00

We were very blessed to have warm temperature and no rain for this shoot, and the kids were just too cute!

The R Family

2011-11-15T21:50:00.000-06:00

Another year with the R family, and of course they all get bigger and cuter!

The B family

2011-11-09T11:07:00.000-06:00

This family has been "with" me from the beginning! I love them!! I look forward to shooting their wedding next Spring {finally}.

And good little boys get yummy treats that make for cute pictures.

J family

2011-11-08T15:34:00.000-06:00

I was super excited when Mrs. J suggested doing a shoot at Living History Farms! It was a gorgeous fall day...and there were lots of smiles!

Playing Catch

2011-11-02T21:28:00.000-05:00

Each year the falls gets better and better...and I get busier and busier. And this year it didn't help that we planned our vacation during this time. I definitely needed it after the number of shoots I was doing. The best thing about THIS fall was the weather. We had a gorgeous fall here and I loved that I was able to "utilize" it! So, here I am playing catch up.

I Family

2011-10-29T10:50:00.000-05:00

S family

2011-10-28T20:08:00.000-05:00

Z family & baby girl's 6 months

2011-10-28T18:17:00.000-05:00

B&J - Engaged

2011-10-04T12:26:00.000-05:00

These two are having a destination wedding in Jamaica next year. We've discussed sneaking me in their luggage so I can take the pictures, but I don't think it's going to work. We had a lovely time walking around the East Village. I could've hung out with them all night. Congratulations you two!

Baby G - 6 months old

2011-10-04T12:02:00.000-05:00

Baby G is 6 months old!

Baby E's 6 months

2011-10-03T16:22:00.000-05:00

Baby E is super cute! You can see her here, here and here. We've only gotten a few smiles out of her in the last 3 photo shoots, but I guess she was saving them for this one because she wouldn't stop! Her momma always has her SO decked out! A lot of the things you see on her came from Etsy, and little Miss E's gonna be a model wearing this stuff!

Evans Wedding

2011-10-03T15:28:00.002-05:00

Get ready for picture overload. This wedding was packed with details, everything from the socks to the table decorations, it was right up my alley! Lots of love went into all the details, and the two of them have amazing family and friends that helped put it all together. I was very impressed, the Mrs. was very resourceful! I thoroughly enjoyed this day!

Both of them said this was their favorite part of the day.

For months Mrs. E collected vases, books, nick-knacks...to put on the centerpieces. No two tables were alike. It was fantastic!

This is one of the best groom's cakes I have ever seen! It looked like a real jersey!

Congratulations you two! Thank you for letting me capture your day!

Family F

2011-09-29T21:50:00.000-05:00

Three boys = loads of fun!

Senior - Nick

2011-09-29T21:23:00.001-05:00

This was one of my favorite senior sessions. The sun was fantastic and yummy (just the way I like it), the atmosphere was great, and Nick has a very laid back personality and he was willing to climb and sit anywhere. It was fun!

Big Guy P is 2!

2011-09-29T21:09:00.000-05:00

This little guy just keeps getting cute! He hasn't changed much since we say him last, just gotten cuter!

I love his many faces! ps This little guy is so smart!

T Family

2011-09-29T20:52:00.000-05:00

Do you remember the T family? They are beautiful, and over the last year have had a major transformation and they look amazing! I didn't even recognize them at first.

Tom & Katelyn's Wedding

2011-09-20T21:35:00.000-05:00

High School sweet hearts. This couple is so cute! This was the third time I had the pleasure of working with this family and in this church, and they are some of the nicest people! Congratulations Tom and Katelyn!

Lydia & Her Brothers

2011-09-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

The D Family

2011-09-14T22:06:00.002-05:00

This photo session was in the making for 3 years. We were finally able to do it and I love the results!
Location: Easter Lake Park

Future Cowboy

2011-09-08T22:43:00.000-05:00

Lorien - Senior {Part 1}

2011-09-08T11:58:00.001-05:00

Will - Senior

2011-09-08T11:09:00.000-05:00

Ms. S - Senior

2011-09-08T10:36:00.000-05:00

Senior - J

2011-09-05T12:10:00.000-05:00

The T Family

2011-09-05T11:48:00.000-05:00

Kim - Maternity

2011-08-30T21:30:00.000-05:00

Baby M

2011-08-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Baby M is one now!

Senior J

2011-08-27T09:21:00.000-05:00

Family NCJO

2011-08-16T23:58:00.001-05:00

I've known this family for over a year. Even though we haven't formally worked together, I've worked with them in two different weddings (here and here). These kids are adorable! It was really nice that we already had a relationship...there was a lot of trust, and we had fun! The results are amazing, and this is a small percentage of the goodness that came out of this shoot!

You'll see these little cuties again next year...one more auntie to get married!

Woot-woot & tweet-tweet Baby L's 3 mos!

2011-08-16T10:00:00.001-05:00

One word: ADORABLE!

Des Moines Wedding Reception

2011-08-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

The two got hitched in Vegas and this was their reception at home. (ps Her mom did all the decorating using things she found at thrift stores AND the cake was DELICIOUS!)

Momma Like!

2011-08-13T19:46:00.001-05:00

Momma wrote:
"I absolutely LOVE them!!! There are so many good ones. My husband thinks they are awesome too.
I love all her expressions. You caught so many. I can't believe the one with her hand under her chin.
Thank you so much!!!"

You are VERY welcome!

Baby S with her Mommy & Daddy

2011-08-12T17:10:00.000-05:00

I could take pictures of this little cutie all day!

Adorable Senior P

2011-08-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

Pat & Megan say "I do"

2011-08-09T16:26:00.001-05:00

Pat & Megan are so sweet! Their love for each other and their friends is so evident in every work and action. It was an extremely hot day, but capturing their special moments was an extreme pleasure and fun! Congratulations you two!

Playing Catch Up

2011-08-05T16:23:00.001-05:00

I have a number of photo shoots waiting to be edited. To make the suspense of waiting for the final product I'm going to tease my clients a little.

Pat & Megan say "I do"

Soon to be a Grad Paige

Soon to be a Grad Taylor

Vegas Wedding / Des Moines Reception

Precious Baby S

My New Nephew

2011-08-04T21:45:00.000-05:00

I love capturing new life, and it is such a blessing when that new life if family! Introducing the latest addition to my family...Baby Luke! I was blessed to be able to spend a few days in California getting to know him. I'm not kidding when I say he is the best baby I have ever met!

N&H are Getting Hitched...& more.

2011-07-27T20:09:00.001-05:00

These two met at a party at his house, and the rest is history. They are so easy to get along with! I'm excited to be shooting their wedding next September!

They are already a family, so we had to get the kids and the dog in the action!

This is one of my favorite sessions! It was super hot, but the setting sun was so beautiful...so worth it!

"fearfully & wondrfully made" Update

2011-07-26T17:30:00.003-05:00

A few months ago I did a shoot with my friends whose little boy has half a heart. Click: here.
I have been to see him twice now, both time taking pictures and I wanted to share them with you.
There are two sets. The first is the day after he was born. The goal was to get some pictures of his chest before his heart surgery. The doctor gave us 3 minutes to take off the nitrogen bubble that he had to have on to keep balance in his oxygen levels.

And this is minutes after his first surgery:

Please pray for this little boy. His parents blog and you can keep up on his progress here:
Pray for John's Heart

Sweet Family K

2011-07-23T12:00:00.002-05:00

This family is seriously the sweetest family I have ever met! You may remember them (here). Their kids are so cute, and they are so well mannered!

J&L Wedding Day!

2011-07-21T22:30:00.000-05:00

These two live in the middle of the corn fields, in a cute little house with an old barn. They are the sweetest couple. The cute little church they said "I do" in is totally classic! I had a lot of fun with them, their families and all their nieces and nephews! Congratulations you two!

I ♥ faces - Props Challenge

2011-07-19T16:45:00.000-05:00

This week's challenge at I Heart Faces is Props. I have been having so much fun with props recently I had to get in on this one. Here's my entry. Baby girl was dressed like a little flapper. I had the props, kuddos to the momma for making her head piece!

Check out other cute entries here:

www.iheartfaces.com

Baby K's 3 months old

2011-07-18T21:30:00.001-05:00

Last time I was with Baby K he was monkeying around...

a lot has changed in his life since I saw him, but he is still so sweet!

Baby E's 3 months!

2011-07-13T16:35:00.001-05:00

Over the last 3 months Baby E has gotten bigger and sooo cute too!

Happy Birthday Baby A!

2011-07-12T14:06:00.000-05:00

Inquisitive is the word to describe this adorable little girl! At one year you can already tell she is a smart cookie! Happy birthday baby girl!

Here's baby girl with her mommy and daddy!

Mr. & Mrs. Robinson {Wedding}

2011-07-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

They met in a psych class. He was a senior, about to graduate, and she was a sophomore. He noticed her right away, and she noticed him, but was pretty stubborn about admitting it. He asked her repeatedly to study and she shot him down, but eventually gave in. And 2 weeks before graduation, they started dating, and roughly two years later they were saying "I do".

It was an extreme honor and a blessing to participate in this wedding. Everything had extra sentiment as it there was a ton going on at her house and in the small town she grew up in. My family and I had a blast!

The pictures that follow are my favorites! Mrs. Robinson you looked absolutely amazing. And Mr. Robinson you didn't look half bad ;-)

The Lord is shining down on these two!

Featured on LAE Weddings

2011-07-06T17:36:00.000-05:00

This cute little vintage shoot was featured on LAE Weddings.

If you are looking for ideas for your wedding, photo session, or whatever, this girl has lots of cute stuff!

Baby G's 3 mos old!

2011-07-04T17:20:00.000-05:00

Shooting babies is one of my favorite parts about my job. Capturing their little smiles, their toes, and the gleam in their eyes as they discover the world around them. And I love the affection and love that parents share with their little ones. This little guy is so sweet!

"All Good Things Come In 3s"

2011-07-01T16:30:00.001-05:00

This is a personal shoot. In God's providence the 3 of us, my step mother-in-law, my sister-in-law and I, got pregnant within 2 months of each other...now 9 years later we're capturing the special-ness. We titled it "All Good Things Come In 3s" because after finding out that my sister-in-law and I were going to be pregnant together, my step mother-in-law broke her news by saying, "Well, ya know they say all good things come in threes". And I just want to note that these ladies are so much more than family! They are both my very best friends! I couldn't have planned the uniqueness of the whole thing...the Lord had his hand in all of it!

But, before we got into the 3 special babies the 3 girly-girls of the family had to get in on the fun.

Now on to the dynamic trio. And in order of their birth...

And to give you a little perspective, here we are exactly 9 years ago on July4th.

(Yes I remember silly details like that)

And here are the babies at 3, 4 and 5 months.

We couldn't have pulled this shoot of without the help of a friend!

Flappers with fleathers & pearls AND Baby A eats cake!

2011-06-29T22:20:00.000-05:00

This photo shoot is a 2 part-er.

PART I

You may recognize these adorable girls (see here, here and here). If you didn't notice in the previous shoots, you will notice that their mama has them perfectly dressed...they are always dressed cute! She made them their adorable head pieces and even the tutus. SOOOO cute!

PART II

Baby A is just the cutest; she has me wrapped around her finger, and she always has! It was only appropriate that for her year one photo shoot we gave her a cake to devour...and boy did she devour it! You will have to visualize the cute-ness of this first picture. In order to protect Baby A I blotted out her name. Try to visualize cute, hot pink letters spelling out an adorable name.

And because there are just too many cute cake smash pictures, I put together a little slide show of them.

M&J Wedding - Copper Creek Golf Course

2011-06-29T05:00:00.000-05:00

June 11th was a BEAUTIFUL day to get married, and it couldn't have been more perfect for M&J! This couple and their families are so kind. It was a pleasure to take part in their special day!

Congratulations!

Two Weddings & Two Adorable Girlies - teasers

2011-06-28T16:30:00.001-05:00

I have been a very busy girl...lots of weddings and shoots! Here are 3 that I'm working on right now:

Check back soon!

Small Town Girl in the Big City - Senior

2011-06-22T15:30:00.003-05:00

This girl is so beautiful and her smiles and giggles are contagious. I have had the pleasure of watching her mature into a young lady and I can not believe she's a senior. This shoot was conversed about a lot, with much anticipation, and I LOVE the results

PS One of the rewards of my "job" is capturing the people I love...can you tell that I love it?

Adam's a Senior!

2011-06-20T23:06:00.000-05:00

Baby Boy Blue

2011-06-20T11:15:00.001-05:00

As this little boy grows he just keeps getting cuter and cuter! His blue eyes are gorgeous, and blue is definitely this family's color! They chose the Salisbury House for their shoot, and every time I go their there's something new that pops out.

Thank you to Andrea Lucero of Thru Andi's Lens for accompanying me on this shoot.

I ♥ working with her!

Sweet J Family Once Again

2011-06-20T09:00:00.001-05:00

It's been a joy watching these boys grow up over the years, and their baby sister is so cute...it'll be fun watching her grow up too!

TP Family - "...fearfully & wonderfully made." Ps 139:14

2011-06-09T14:00:00.002-05:00

This shoot is very close to my heart. I wanted it to be very special for them and I love the way it turned out! This family is very dear to me, and the little boy that is being formed in the womb, John, is very special. He has Hypoplastic-Left-Heart-Syndrome. He and his family need lots of prayer as his life is very fragile and he will need a lot of TLC, and his family will need lots of strength. Please pray for Baby John and for his family!

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." Psalm 139:13-16

Nick & Katie's Wedding

2011-06-08T14:30:00.001-05:00

It was the beginning of January and I was driving in the middle of Colorado when my phone started ringing. "Hello" "Hi Amanda this is Megan... {and after our hello's and how are ya's} My sister is getting married in May and she wants you to be the photographer". My reply, "Of course". I love it when I'm already familiar with the people, the family, the church... This family is extremely nice and sweet, and so easy to get along with and hang out with! One day I'm hoping their baby sister will call me {that's a little hint Susie}. Here's a little slide show to show you the day. Enjoy!

Congratulations Nick and Katie!

Baby 2 Fingers ~ Baby S

2011-06-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

If you didn't already know, or if I have already claimed it on here, I love babies. I just love to hold them and play with them. They are just too cute! And Baby S, or as I like to call her, Baby 2 Fingers is no exception! Adorable, simply adorable. She did a fabulous job "posing" for me and I had a lot of fun with her!

This is why I call her Baby 2 Fingers~

Autumn Wedding ~ Rave

2011-06-02T18:30:00.000-05:00

Simply Amazing! Autumn Wedding 10-9-10...Amanda was and is a rock star! We found her after she photographed my niece and nephew in a wedding. We were so lucky to have such a talented photographer document one of the best day of our lives. I am an avid scrapbooker and she blew away my expectations. I have so many options to use in my layout to tell our story. My favorite moment with Amanda was when we were about to go to the church to get ready to walk down the aisle and Amanda spotted a house for sale with a tire swing and beautiful autumn leaves draping the yard surrounded by an old picket fence. She is so creative and made us feel at ease the entire time. We never felt like we were posing for a picture and she captured all the the moments and more. Now my little sister is getting married next year and there wasn't any doubt who we would get to photograph her wedding. See you next September, Amanda! And again, thank you!

Baby Girl G's One!

2011-06-01T19:30:00.000-05:00

This photo shoot took 6 months to plan...with seasons, moves, and other events we had to put it off for quite a while. But they say "Good things come to those who wait" and they do! I was so pleassed with the shoot. Baby G is at the perfect age for fun photos, and fun they are!

VM Family ~ So Kind!

2011-05-30T12:32:00.000-05:00

The VM Family is so kind and sweet.

It was a joy seeing their boys one year older and to get some family shots too.

C&J Engagement ~ Natural Love

2011-05-23T14:58:00.000-05:00

We were in search of nature, and we found it sprouting in Jester Park. C&J are so kind and their love for each other is so natural...hence 'Natural Love'.

McCousins...they'll be friends for life!

2011-05-20T18:00:00.000-05:00

Baby E & Baby L have come together! These cousins are only 23 days apart. This distance wasn't planned, but I can say from experience it will be a life long blessing!

And both mama's and grandma got in a few shots too:

Baby L - Little Extra Sunshine

2011-05-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

A baby girl...one of the most beautiful miracles in life, one of the greatest joys we can ever know, and one of the reasons why there is a little extra sunshine, laughter and happiness in your world today.

Baby L is Baby E's cousin...you'll see more of them together soon!

J&L Engagement ~ Sunshine Love

2011-05-13T16:40:00.000-05:00

J & L are so sweet and cute together. It was a gorgeous day and the sun was so warm and yummy... it was definitely shining down on their love. I look forward to capturing their wedding evening in July!

L's ring is pretty and I love the way this looks...the key to her heart...

W Family - In the Blooming Trees

2011-05-11T18:00:00.001-05:00

It was very fun to realize I was doing a shoot with my weekend weather lady! I remember the day she announced she was having a boy...3 years ago! M is definitely as nice as she seems on television, and her family is as well. And I don't even need to mention how adorable her son is. We had a nice time walking through the blooming trees at Water Works Park. The blooms are only there for a short time, but we managed to pick a day that had blooms and wonderful weather.

Soft & Sweet ~ I ♥ Faces

2011-05-02T08:30:00.000-05:00

Soft & Sweet - I ♥ Faces

Baby G with his Daddy & Mommy

2011-04-30T07:35:00.001-05:00

This beautiful baby boy reminds me a lot of my son. His gorgeous, blue eyes light up a room, especially when he smiles. Baby G is so inquisitive and sweet. And I know he'll be a charmer when he grows up because he perks up when there are little ladies around!

R&A Got Hitched

2011-04-20T18:30:00.002-05:00

Remember R&A?

Well there wedding day finally arrived, and it was spectacular. April in Iowa can be very temperamental. A and I had been in contact throughout the week before the wedding discussing the weather and pictures. Our fingers were crossed and we were saying prayers (it had been fore casted to thunderstorm). The day turned out to be gorgeous, and it was unusually warm. Yah! This was the second Swanson wedding I had the privilege of shooting, and it was just as special as the first. The family and their friends are so nice and daddy's machine shed is one of the best wedding venues! I was stoked when R got out his gear for the pictures, and everyone had their shades ready. And A did a fabulous job on the button bouquets, so unique and perfect for a girl that doesn't like flowers. There was a lot of love put into this wedding and it showed.

It was really cool to end such a fun night with fireworks!

Thank you R&A for letting me be a part of your day. And I'll see you at the same church in September (Ottumwa weddings rock)!

I ♥ faces ~ wind

2011-04-18T09:18:00.000-05:00

I ♥ faces ~ wind

This is from my daughter's 5 year old shoot. We did an 80's / Rock Star theme.

Check out other cool wind entries at http://www.iheartfaces.com/

Introducing Baby E

2011-04-15T19:30:00.000-05:00

I am having way too much fun with babies lately. This little girl is so sweet. Only a few days old and she's already a diva. I had a lot of fun, and I love the way these turned out. You'll see her soon with her cousin (who should be arriving shortly).

Sweet Baby A ~ 6 months

2011-04-14T20:45:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how fast time is going. It was just yesterday Baby A was coming into the world...and now she's playing with her feet. I love this little girl and I love the way this session turned out!

I love the pictures above, but I think, out of the all the pictures I took, this is one of my favorites ~

Monkeying Around with Baby K!

2011-04-06T17:15:00.000-05:00

Baby K is only a few days old. He's still shedding his skin and his belly button is still recovering. He is such a sweet, content baby! And daddy, mommy and dog Lucky are truly blessed! Congratulations you guys!

Daddy, Mommy & Baby W

2011-03-29T11:51:00.001-05:00

It's always a pleasure when I get to see the babies grow. I see how their personalities develop, how they grow into their adorable features, and I love the comfort I have working with them because we already "know" each other. I met Baby W when he was a few days old. Six months later and he's still as sweet and cute! He is the perfect combination of Daddy & Mommy!

Baby Boy P

2011-03-28T11:00:00.002-05:00

A Boy is...

Scuffed up knees, a freckled nose with dimples here and there.

A daring, caring, sharing heart a mass of tousled hair.

Boundless curiosity the spirit to explore.

Two twinkling eyes, a smiling face and energy galore!

A love of life, a bit of sass a source of untold joy.

A wonderment, a dream fulfilled God's miracle...a BOY!