LaMarche Family

The coolest part about this job is being able to catch up with good friends from high school! Meet: beautiful Brittany, her down-to-earth hubby Jeff, and the cutest, fastest-walking kid ever - Gage. :) Gage recently learned to walk and holy cow is he a fast mover!!! We had about 1/8 of a second to strike a pose and snap a picture before this little guy was off and running. :) He is ALL boy, but such a sweetheart. I had a blast catching up with Brittany and her amazing family! Check out our fun images below.



This shot pretty much sums up the whole day! I am in LOVE with it.


Seriously? I don't think it can get any better than this. :)

Feeling Lucky

I'm not Irish (as far as I know) and I'm not wearing green. If you pinch me, I'll pinch you back. Harder. Today is St. Patty's day, but that's not the reason for my feeling of luck. My more-than-perfect son has been napping for almost three hours and I've had some time to gather my thoughts and reflect.
My dream of being a photographer started in High School. I took a photography class my Junior year and fell in love with it. Now, this was way back in the days of film. I guess I liked the surprise of lifting the thick paper out of the developer tub and seeing what moment I've captured in film. I decided then that I wanted to be a photographer. I immediately started applying for jobs at any and every photo studio and landed a job at Sears Portrait Studio. Oh Yeahhhh! Although this wasn't the most glamorous job - - green snot nosed kids wearing holiday sweaters and Mom's having panic attacks filled the small rooms. But, I learned a lot in regards to posing and patience. :) Once I graduated high school I panicked. Reality set in and I quickly realized how unrealistic my dream was. I couldn't just go to school, get a degree in Photography and BOOM make a ton of money. So, I crumbled up my dreams and threw them into the recycling can.
Fast forward to November 2011. Someone I had never met, an acquaintance, said she saw my pictures on my blog (photography was simply a hobby) and loved them. She hired me to photograph her wedding. This lit a fire under my rump and gave me a confidence boost. Since then, I have been researching, practicing and building a business. I am living my dream. I'm not a full time photographer...yet....but that is my goal. I am busy with photo sessions each weekend and editing the images on week nights once I am home from my realistic job - its a lot to swallow but I know it wouldn't be worth it if it were easy.
I am so lucky to have had these experiences. I am thankful for each person that has trusted me to take their pictures and for each person that has 'Liked' and commented on my images. You are all keeping me going and I am lucky to know you.
Happy St. Patty's Day!

Xander & Gavin

Here are my adorable cousins, Xander and Gavin! We did a quick photo session in Gilbert. The boys had fun playing on the gritty railroad tracks and we managed to keep them pretty clean. Well, except for the part when Gavin was randomly covered in BBQ sauce. Why? Who knows. There was no BBQ to be found - except for all over him. Ha! Like a pro, Mom (my amazing cousin Sarah) whipped him right into a new outfit. Bing. Bang. Pow!
I am striving to be a Mom like her. :)
Canon and I had a hard time catching up! These boys move quick; however we managed to capture some amazing expressions. That's what my job is all about!


Gavin wanted a picture with his Buzz Lightyear and Woody. I added some film grain to make this picture look antique. Holy Cow look at his cute face!!





Work it Xander!

Emma-Leigh, a 2012 Mountain Ridge High School Senior + Family

Emma-Leigh is my adorable Cousin - - and how cute are these pictures??! She rocked her simple black dress and statement necklace better than any High School grad I've ever seen. I love her style! Actually, I love this whole family's style. Whenever we get together for the holidays they are always dressed to impress, sporting the latest fashion. I'm super jealous! I was feeling rather old and frumpy remembering that I graduated a decade [or more] before her. So...I did what any "super-old-mom-jean" wearing girl would do; I painted my nails blue. :)

Oh, and Yes - this REALLY is her eye color. Amazing, isn't it??



I LOVE this one!






Check out every expression in this shot: Love, Love, Love!!!



Thank you so much for a fun afternoon! Always good seeing each and every one of you!

Celebrating 55 years of LOVE

Happy anniversary to my Grandma & Grandpa!
I was lucky enough to capture these candid images to celebrate their love and I think we nailed it. We had a lot of fun.
If you were there, you would've heard some comments such as this:
Grandpa, make sure to smile showing your teeth for this one!
Want me to spit them out for you?
Grandpa, please put your teeth back in your mouth.
Jim, stop it! That tickles!!
Woah.
:)
This is why I love what I do! They laughed and flirted a little, and I was able to save that moment in time.
I hope you love these as much as I do :)

Here's to 55 more!
Cheers!