John Family

 

Do you remember the terrible wind storm we had about a week and a half ago..this shoot was the day before and boy was it cold.  This cute family was so tough and braved the cold and wind to venture out for a session.  Their little boy was all smiles and we even captured a few from their little girl who was positively frozen by the time we were done.

Look at that adorable brand new baby boy..I think he wondered what craziness we were all up to.

Now a few notes on cold weather photography…Bring blankets for those not in the shot to wrap up it. Suggest lots of layers for the family…coats, gloves, hats, scarfs, boots, coat over fleece over sweater over shirt not only is it warm, but layers add lots of texture and personality to the photo. Fingerless gloves would have been helpful, changing the settings on the camera was getting pretty difficult by the end of the shoot. Keep everyone moving…movement can make some fun photography and keeps people warm…skip, jump, walk, spin, dance, etc. Snuggle up…squish subjects together, lots of hugs, tickles, keep each other warm and create some happy cozy photos.  Work fast.  And last of all follow these steps to take care of that cold camera.  Thank you John family for braving the elements for this great shoot.

Late Night Visions

 

So, what do you do when the insomnia sets in and you are up all night…think up photo shoot ideas right.  The idea for this shoot has been floating around in my head for a long time and so in October I rounded up some of the cutest girls I know and tried to take the vision out of my head and make it a reality.  My late night vision included sundresses, balloons, lots of big blue sky, silhouettes, bright colors, blown out backgrounds, lens flares, and lots of backlight.  Here are the results…

We got some beautiful shots, but I am the first to admit the artist inside of me needs to be patient with the photographer.  When I first started shooting in manual I could see drastic improvements everyday.  Now my expectations have been stretched and where I would like to be someday as a photographer stretches so far out in the distance that I wonder if the vision in my head will ever match what comes out of the camera.  Ira Glass said when talking about this gap between vision and ability, “It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions.”  So here is the start of my volume…thank you beautiful girls for contributing your smiles and laughter.

Jones Family

 

Had a chance to shoot this beautiful family this week.  Their little girl was so expressive and full of energy and their little boy is already a charmer.  Malissa did an amazing job outfitting the family and with the fall leaves I think we got some great shots.

Morris Family

It was so fun to shoot this fun family of cute girls (& dad).  These girls are the same ages as my boys and it was fun to see how they were so similar and yet so different.  Such fun personalities and beautiful big eyes made for a really great time and some really cute shots.

VanSleewen Family

 

Bri was the first one to have faith in my ever developing photography skills and I have had the chance to shoot her handsome boys twice this past year.  I was excited to get some photos of the whole family and Bri suggested we go out to this old building out by the Great Salt Lake.  She did such a great job picking out outfits and I think the fun, bright background fits well with this fun and outgoing family.  And yes these two little boys are going to be heartbreakers—watch out for those baby blue eyes girls.

Diaz Family

 

Love this family.  I teach these cute handsome boys piano every week, we walk to school together everyday, and my little two year old has a two year old crush on their gorgeous little girl. 

Sanchez Family--

Well, here we go.  A few people have commented on my family blog photography and then been brave enough to let me test out my skills on them for a family photo shoot.  One of the first brave families was the Sanchez family.  What a fun family to spend some time with and so photogenic I was happy to capture their beautiful eyes and cute smiles.