JILL+JARED | climbing mountains post-appendicitis

March 23, 2018

This one goes in the books at my first and only POST-APPENDICITIS SHOOT.

Yep! That's right. Four days before our scheduled shoot I got a text from Jill, "Sooo Jared is going into surgery soon with appendicitis. I just wanted you to know in case he isn't feeling well enough to do pics Saturday. I think he will but just wanted you to know!" And sure enough, four days later he was up trekking through the snowy mountains to get these pictures! You would never know it when you look through and see all their smiles. Thanks for being a trooper, Jared!

And just a HEADS UP that I've got one last Utah trip coming up! Contact me ASAP if you would like an anniversary session in Utah because this will be my last trip out there for the year!

SEE ALSO
STACEY+WOODY | old folks deserve pictures too
ALLISON+TIM | good light great horses but one snake

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SYLVIA+CHANDLER | with a vintage red Valentine's dress

February 14, 2018

Don't you dare tell me that Valentine's Day was created by Hallmark! I would rather believe that it was created by someone feeling the winter blues looking for a reason to have a day full of hearts and cheesey love and the color pink. You can choose to love or hate Valentines, but I think loving it a lil' makes it a lot more fun!

You know that my biggest push as The Anniversary Photographer is to promote that you DON'T need to be engaged or in a wedding dress to validate cute pictures. This made my cousin Sylvia and her boyfriend Chandler the perfect couple to photograph for this "sweethearts" themed Valentine's Day shoot! They met in high school and have been together ever since and they are very cute and very much high school sweethearts! And - oh look - she's wearing a sweetheart neckline dress. The word play never ends!

We were fortunate enough to borrow use this CRAZY AMAZING vintage red ballgown from my friend Whitney (she is also a photographer!). We paired the look with shades of red and pink, delicate florals, cozy blankets, mountains, evergreens, fluffy clouds and a light snow fall. I dare you to try to think of a better recipe than that! I dare you!

Radiant hair and makeup by Kait Parkinson MUA - someone who I would gladly pay to come prep me every morning if I could. Professional hair and makeup makes a HUGE difference and I recommend it to anyone, even if it's just anniversary or sweetheart pictures!

SEE ALSO
MYUNGHEE+BRIAN | for realsies a red hanbok in a golden dream forest my eyes are exploding it is so beautiful
PEYTON+JEFF | that empty misty Yellowstone morning that fed my soul

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KAYLEY+JAKE | if the Von Trapps really went to Switzerland

January 10, 2018

At the end of the movie, the Von Trapps are hiking across the Alps to Switzerland in adorable parkas and felt hats. I refuse to acknowledge the fact that the actual Von Trapp family simply took a train.. to Italy. That scene never actually happened - but I don't want to hear it!! Plz, let me believe they crossed the Alps, sang more songs together, and settled in a cute Swiss cottage in the mountains. Maybe like... this place?

WHEN I HAD A LOCATION I REALLY WANTED TO SHOOT AT BUT NO CLIENTS REALLY LIKED IT...

I have LOVED this locations for many years but never had a client interested in shooting there. I suggested it whenever I felt it "fit" with the couple and they didn't already have a specific location style in mind. Yes, I can see how the Swiss inspired architecture, the green window boxes and shutters, wood paneling, painted details and pines around might not be everybody's cup of tea but it is 1000% MY cup of tea and I don't even like tea.

So you know what I did? Totally honest? I reached out to Kayley and said, "Hey! You wanna join me for pictures? We can call them.. six month anniversary pictures." It's kinda fun, right? Maybe your engagement pictures were with fall foliage and your wedding had spring blossoms - so wouldn't it be fun to shoot in a different season just for a change?

Here's the takeaway. If I only ever shot when I got paid to do so, I'd be missing out on some of the most fun, adventurous, creative, no-fear-of-failing shoots that I've had! Shooting for me has just as much value as the dollar. Especially in any location that I can correlate to one of my all time favorite movies.