~Ethan~

Meet Ethan.  We spent the afternoon at the park for some fun and a 9 month photo session.

Ethan is a very special little guy because, not only is he incredibly adorable, but he is the son of my very good friend, Jennifer.  I've known Jennifer since our elementary school days.  She was 5 and I was 8, but we didn't let the age difference stop us from becoming buddies.  I have so many fun memories of that time in my life.  One that comes to mind is sliding down the stairs in a laundry basket at her house (in case her parents are reading this, I'm sure her brothers were behind that).  :)

As we got older, we lost touch, as people often do when they move on to college, careers, etc.  But then, as fate would have it, we ran into each other at the annual Zoo-de-Mack in northern Michigan.  As it turns out, we lived within a few miles of each other.

It has been so great reconnecting with my long, lost buddy...and even greater getting to know her little guy, Ethan. There's something so amazing about your friend having a child.  You see part of them in this new, little person.  

I'm excited to share a few of my favorite images from Ethan's 9 month session.  We lucked out with an absolutely gorgeous fall day.  And, as I warned you earlier, he is incredibly adorable!

Handsome Ethan

He is quite fashionable at 9 months old!

Loved his little hat.

Hanging out with Mommy.

I love this little series...leaves are so interesting!  :)

Those eyes!  Those cheeks!

Hands taste good.

Beautiful Family.

Definitely my favorite shot of the day.  Love the light, his expression and his big, beautiful eyes!

Thanks Jen, Eric and Ethan for spending the afternoon with me...happy 9 month birthday to Ethan!

Best of Babies

I have so much fun photographing babies.  From cuddly little newborns to energetic toddlers, no session is ever the same.  These little ones definitely keep me on my toes!

The best part about photographing babies is they could care less about having their picture taken. They just go with the flow and live in the moment.  If only we could stay that way as adults.

I wanted to share some of my very favorite baby images, which I shot over the last year.  Of course, my little Violet made a cameo.  :)  For the music, I used Violet's favorite song, "Stay Up Late" by the Talking Heads.

I had so much fun with this...I am going to try to do another slideshow soon featuring some bigger kids. Stay tuned for that!

And now, for your viewing pleasure, "Best of Babies."  Enjoy!!

~Kaley & DJ~

Kaley contacted me last winter about shooting engagement photos for her and her fiance, DJ.  We had big plans of shooting the couple ice skating together on a frozen pond...how romantic!!  I was so excited because I knew we could have a lot of fun with it.  Well, Michigan weather foiled our plan, as we had an unseasonable warm snap.  We would have been swimming in that pond rather than skating on top of it.

So, we decided to postpone the shoot until things warmed up and things got a little greener outside.  Of course, the day of our rescheduled shoot, it was cold and drizzly.  Thank you once again, Michigan weather.

Eventually, all the planets aligned, and we were finally able to get together and shoot some engagement pictures!!  We met at Stoney Creek Metro Park, and it was a beautiful day (when Michigan weather cooperates, it sure can be wonderful).

Kaley & DJ were so great to work with...they were up for anything!  And while we were unable to use the original ice skating idea, we were still able to do some fun and unique things with their session.  Not to mention, we captured some fantastic images of this truly beautiful couple!    

DJ + Kaley

i just adored kaley's outfit and accessories.  she has such a great sense of style.  in fact,
kaley is the founder of what to wear & how to wear it, a fashion blog helping us all find our inner fashionista!
of course, DJ was looking very stylish as well.  :)

who doesn't love balloons?!

* the bling *

remember when i said they were up for anything??  HA!
there is a story behind this...you see, kaley & dj first met at a "mustache bash."

for those of you who have never heard of a mustache bash, this is a party where the guys
grow out their facial hair beforehand, and then shave it into funny mustaches for the party.
we thought it would be hilarious to incorporate this into their engagement photos.  :)
i love how completely serious they are in this photo, despite the crazy 'staches on their faces.

now for some individual shots.  the handsome DJ...

...and the lovely Kaley.

*smooch*

Kaley & DJ will be having a destination wedding in 2011!!  Congrats to you both on your engagement, and best wishes on your upcoming wedding!!

~Lindsey~

Last fall, when I began playing around with photography/portraits, I had the opportunity to shoot engagement photos for Lindsey and Paul.  We had so much fun that Lindsey and I decided to do bridal portraits before her wedding, which took place Memorial Day weekend at Michigan State (my Alma Mater...Sparty on!!).

I've known Lindsey for quite a while, and I can tell you she's one of those people who looks great every day.  But I have to say, on this particular day, her wedding day, she was absolutely stunning.  I'm so excited to share photos from her big day!!

lindsey's make-up was flawless.   

i just loved her 'do...so elegant!!

and she has the most amazing lashes (yes, those are real, and yes, i am jealous!!)

the gorgeous wedding gown

LOVED all the details.  

lindsey has the most radiant smile   :)

such beautiful eyes...  this is one of my favorites from the day!

Congratulations to Lindsey & Paul on your marriage, and thanks for letting me be part of your wedding day!

~Brooke Aeryn~

I recently had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful little girl by the name of Brooke Aeryn.  She was just over 2 weeks old at the time of our session.

I really enjoy working with newborns.  I think they are my absolute favorite subject to photograph.  So sleepy and snuggly, they just lay there and let me snap away, capturing one adorable image after another. And, as I am learning with my own little one, they change and grow SO incredibly fast.  It is so important to capture some special images in the first few days/weeks of life.  I feel honored when people trust me with this very important work!

Here are some of my favorite images from Brooke's session.  She is such a little angel!

the lovely brooke aeryn!

she has the most adorable lips

she gave me lots of sleepy smiles like this one  :)

brooke's parents found this adorable hat on Etsy ... a great website for handmade goodies

can you say cheeks?!

i think this is my favorite shot from our session.  i love the combination of her smile and the little spit bubbles!

Congratulations to Brooke's parents, Holly & Larry, on your beautiful bundle of joy.  Thank you for letting me photograph your little one.  She is absolutely perfect!