Your Life Documented {by annie}

images of summer past

2012-01-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

I have been loving revisiting archived files from last summer this this week as I'm prepping some catch-up blog posts! Outside it has been rainy and cold or just plain frigid these past couple of months so getting to re-live some of these fun memories of sweet families and the sunshine has been so nice. Here is another cute little family - can you believe the mom is expecting in these?? You are gorgeous Bridget!! She has already given birth to a beautiful baby boy by now, and I'm certain he will be just as adorable, spunky, & loved as his sister!

lovely June light & an adoring family

2012-01-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

This beautiful family completely captured my heart last summer and I never got around to sharing some of my favorite images from that evening. They bought their two dogs (aka: alternative family members) with them and it was just a perfect session of playing with their sweet, adorable little girl and observing how tenderly they are toward her and each other. Enjoy...

Sweet sweet baby girl

2012-01-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

As a mom of three busy boys I don't often live up to the grand expectations I have of keeping my blog up to date and blogging every session...to say the least. Here is a precious, well-loved, well-wished for baby girl. She will be a year old in a few short months, but better late than never! :)

In other news...are you on pinterest yet?? I recently joined and while it is a little addicting, it's so SO fun and I can actually say I've been mothering, purchasing, eating more creatively because of it!

Email me if you need an invite and I'd be happy to send you one!

And now...lovely Harper.

faster than a speeding bullet

2011-10-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

Before I offcially say good-bye to summer, I have some long overdue blog posts to publish!

Here is a great family with (as you can see) two adorable, full of life little boys.

After rescheduling once or twice for rain, this June evening was so beautiful & well-worth the wait! These precious brothers are so funny and sweet & it's always fun for me to have repeat clients and get to see how they've grown ~ thanks for having me again guys.

Ah sun...where have you been all my life?

2011-09-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

...Or at least this summer...I'll be honest: on days like today it's a struggle to stay inside working and actually get anything done because I'm constantly daydreaming about being outside and scheming to get there. I have SOOO many blog posts to catch up on, Friends...and already it is September 2nd (Happy birthday to the best Mother-in-law I could ever ask for, by the way!)...school is starting on Tuesday...4 more days of lazy summer bliss (or pull-my-hair out craziness, depending on when you ask) and our little family will be thrown into the routine of early mornings, homework, flag football, rain, and pumpkin spice lattes (it was starting to sound kinda awful so I through in the bit about lattes...). Admittedly though, I'm mostly a Oregon-summer girl. Clarifying with the "Oregon" part because I know summers in other parts of the country are dreaded by some.

On one of the beautiful days way back at the end of June, I was invited over to this sweet family's house to capture the wonder and love and happiness you see. I could've hung out with them for much longer too...they just give off the kindest and relaxed vibe, makes everyone comfortable. And of course I enjoyed soaking up my share of cute-girliness!

lazy friday mornings

2011-06-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

Cade (my just-finished-first grader) goes to an awesome charter school and they have slightly longer days but only go Monday-Thursday. We LOVE this because we get to have 3-day weekends every week! Usually one Friday a month there is a field trip planned by the school to somewhere great but it typically doesn't start until 9:30 or later so we still get to wake up slowly and lounge around. This year my boys have loved to drag blankets and pillows out into the backyard and read or play together all cozied up. I love how much Cade loves reading...it runs in the family and he seems to adore it as much as I always have. He's been super into the "Stink" books (thanks Steph for recommending them!) and has started the How to Train Your Dragon series (thanks to Erin!). He has been zipping through books so let me know if any of you have suggestions for us to check out. These pics are from a month ago (and they've since had haircuts - thanks Auntie Katie!), but they are outside right now doing a variation of the same. Happy summer! xo

What do YOU think? Q&A and a bit about pricing...

2011-06-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's raining. (Just in case you were wondering). Hoping June will get the rain out it's system early so we can move on with our sunny lives. I'm so excited about my upcoming mini sessions as I think of ways to streamline some of my time and make it worth every one's while. I've gotten a couple of questions regarding the introduction of mini sessions and I thought I'd just answer them here:

Will you offer Fall Mini Sessions? Maybe. I want to see how they go this summer and if it turns out to be worth it for the work I put in, etc.

Will you still be offering Full-size, custom Sessions? Absolutely! Book them early though because with having three little boys at home I'm not taking on as many sessions as I have in the past. Being a good mom is my number one priority and I don't want to miss these precious years with my babies. I can always add more sessions once my kids are older, but I can't get this time with them back.

Have you chosen a location for the Mini Sessions? Not yet. It will be somewhere beautiful! And not too far away (if you live in the Portland, Oregon area). Mostly likely it will be a park setting. I have some ideas that I'm planning to check out on a sunny day (haha). If there are enough people who would like an urban location, I will accommodate that too.

What should I wear? I have some basic outfit recommendations on my website (http://www.yourlifedocumented.com/) and would be happy to discuss specific questions. Pick colors you are naturally drawn to and find a piece you love to build the rest of the outfits around. Another tip is to find the area/wall in your home that you would like to fill with photos from your session and pick colors that coordinate well with the area.

How does your Mini Session compare with your full-size Creative Session? Currently, my standard Creative Sessions are $350 and include a 1-2 hour session, a disc of at least 25 high resolution images with printing rights. They are fully edited in color, black/white, and many times some will come in a third "artsy/trendy" editing style (this is not guaranteed, but if I feel it, it happens...gives me a little creative flexibility). :) These sessions are built around the clients...we work together to determine a location, it's relaxed, but moves along, and I plan the session completely around you, your children, your family. Usually family, newborn, and senior sessions all fall under this category.
Mini Sessions are $200 and include a 20 min session (for up to three people, at a location I choose), 10 high resolution images on a disc and a 5x7 print of each color image. The sessions are structured & more simple than a full session (there just isn't time for outfit changes, multiple settings, etc.), since I am catering to multiple families back-to-back. I also offer a third option (in addition to head shots, special circumstances/events). These are called Lifestyle Sessions and I spend a good chunk of the day with a family or group of people (usually about 3-4 hours or so with lots of built in room for transitions and breaks). There is room in these sessions for me to accommodate various locations, outfit changes, and activities. A disc of at least 50 high resolution photos and a custom designed, professionally printed coffee table album is included. This session is $550. With each option, half of the session fee is due at the time of booking to reserve a spot for you in my month.

It is part of my core belief that "these years" go by extremely FAST and it is well-worth it to invest in a custom photography session from time to time. Artistic, personal photographs have replaced art in many people's homes and what better way to remember sweet times with those you are closest too...those who make up your world. I love including a disc of images in each package so you can affordably print as many images as you'd like (and use for Christmas cards, baby announcements, etc.) and have the disc to keep forever. A huge reason I initially chose to include a disc of images, besides the AMAZING value it gives my clients & the fact that it's what I would look for in a custom session, is that it is time efficient for me and works well with my goals for my business. The downsides are obviously that I have less control over the finished product you display (although after learning that the hard way I now send a "strongly recommend these places for printing" letter with the disc and printing rights) and that my session fees look higher than others because the end product is included. If you've shopped around and compared various photographers in our area, many either sell the disc separately for upwards of $400-1000 for a standard session or don't offer it at all (but charge $25 for a 5x7 print). And others are so inexpensive I can't even begin to wrap my mind around how this business could possibly be worth it for them. Or maybe it's that they are editing so incredibly simply (practically offering disc of SOC images). Truly I am not criticizing any approach, just acknowledging the vast variety of structures and price points. I have a high standard for the images I give to clients. I've tried to simplify but I have worked hard to make my look customized and don't want to do anything I feel might compromise the quality.

A Question For You...

So now I have a question for those of you who are in the market for custom photography and usually don't have your photos taken at the mall in regards to my photography packages (not pertaining to my mini sessions necessarily, but maybe it will translate to that in the future) as I do my best to serve you: As a consumer, would you rather pay a smaller "sitting" fee ($150-$175) and then pay separately for prints and/or the disc after being presented with your proofs or keep the disc included in the fees? Just curious ~ please leave me a comment with your vote! If you disagree with me, that's fine, just please be kind! :)

And I can't post without a photo!

My boys after a very muddy time in the backyard (what other kinds are there in Oregon)? ;)

"Look Mom, I made a heart for you." I just love bubble hearts.

Thank you for reading! xo Annie

happy to announce...MINI SESSIONS!

2011-05-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

If you have been wanting to have portraits done, but putting it off, this post is for you!

Mini sessions are not only economical, but only 20 min long and great for busy families who may only need some updated photos of their children to display or who don't feel they need a full hour+ session.

Don't wait to book a mini session...there are limited spaces available and I usually only open these up for families who have additionally booked a full session within the year.

Details below, please email me with any questions you come up with! Thanks! xo Annie

here comes the sun... {Portland, Oregon family photographer}

2011-05-29T23:36:00.000-07:00

Remember "sun"? Yeah, it's pretty awesome from what I remember.

I don't think I ever shared this session on the blog (from almost two years ago) and it was one of my favorites!
They scheduled another session this June & I'm really looking forward to seeing them again!

Amy & Karl are amazing people and there adorable little boys are full of just the right blend of spunk & sweetness. If you're like me and ~~stuck~~ happily living in the NW, you are probably hanging on every word the weather people have for us with a cheer or a curse ready at any moment to respond accordingly.

I hope to be cheering more later this week...June starts the busy summer season of photo sessions. Well, technically it was going to start in May, but the weather had other plans. ;)

Session schedule update...June is completely full, July and August are almost full too. Email me soon if you are hoping to get a session on the calendar! I'm considering offering a couple of mini session dates too so email if you are interested in hearing about those. Still figuring out the details for those.

Happy Memorial Day!! A huge THANK YOU to all those who have served our country!!

sun is nice.

2011-05-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

A few more from our sunny beach trip last month...did I mention this trip rocked? I love these little faces.
These cousins are so fortunate to have each other.
Each with their own funny faces and {mostly} adorable quirks.

Feeling SO blessed and grateful tonight.

Kev's parents (known around here as "Bumpa & Daubin") with all the grandkids.

loved little man . Portland, Oregon Family Photographer

2011-05-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

Oh I just love fuzzy haired baby boys! Keaton's adorable smile and sweet disposition won me over immediately and it is obvious his parents are very smitten as well. After needing to reschedule for poor weather (shocker!), it was great to finally meet up with Anna & Doug just a few weeks after Keaton's first birthday. Thanks for allowing me to capture your sweet little family guys!

where they live spring comes early

2011-05-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

It rained. A lot. But we had an umbrella. It was gray and cloudy and too close to sunset. This little guy (& his parents) had been on a road trip for the past several days (visiting here from Northern Montana where they live), been around tons of new people, and, after spending a long fun day at the zoo, didn't accept the nap he was offered. Yet somewhere in between a skipped nap and his first birthday party we drove a couple blocks and snuck in a photo session. And despite it all, it was...perfect. I just had this feeling through the whole thing like my heart was about to burst. Francie has been a dear friend since college but I hadn't seen her in YEARS. Way too long. If there was a person to represent every word, I think her word would be JOY. She has a gift of making everyone around her know they are loved and welcome and somehow special. She is AMAZING. God shines through her in a very real way. Her husband and son are pretty cool too. :) Here they are.

Happiness

2011-04-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

Just a quick preview of a session for some of our dearest friends who recently brought their baby girl home from Ethiopia. This family is really amazing. REALLY really. If you have the priviledge of being in their lives you know what I'm talking about. I love them. Being with them feels like family. I'll share more from our afternoon together another time. xo

sunshiney time at the coast

2011-04-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago my sweet, generous inlaws rented a house in Lincoln City and invited all of us kids to crash their party! Even though the weatherpeople tried to convince us that storms would be keeping us off the beach, we went anyway (because we love our family) and hoped for the best. We ended up getting many many bright beautiful hours of sun almost everyday! For those of you who aren't familiar with Oregon beaches & are laughing at the photos of the cousins playing, I want to tell you that YES, winter attire IS appropriate 75% (or more) of the year, even when the sun is out, but that doesn't change the fact that's it's truly one of the most beautiful places in earth! We were there for the better part of a week and what a gift it was to have some fun downtime with such wonderful people, at one of my very favorite places. I'm so lucky to have so many close friends built in to our extended family and my sister and her daughter even came for a couple of nights. An added bonus as we were heading out Tuesday afternoon was Kevin suggested my sister and I ride in her car and he take all (4) of the kids with him...what?!? Is he crazy? Wait, on second thought, we quickly agree before he rethinks his offer! Over and hour and a half of uninterrupted talk time with my sister was amazing! That never happens! NEVER. We had full conversations. We didn't have to answer numerous questions, make/give snacks, break-up arguing, or listen to kid music. I love my kids fiercely but I'm not gonna lie, it was pure bliss.

More about the beach later.

A window the sun shines through

2011-04-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Meet one of my oldest, dearest friends...my roommate for 3 of my 4 years of undergrad at GFU, Leah. This girl helped me grow in so many ways and I'm so proud of the accomplished person she is and of the strong and beautiful spirit she has always carried with her. I was thrilled that she moved back here from spending several years across the country & it was so fun to meet up for some head shots a few weeks ago. Leah will be completing her doctorate soon & her husband pastors a great church out in Aloha.

Love you friend!

{happy} return to blogland

2011-04-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

So last summer when I stopped blogging it was for a very sweet reason: Ryder Isaac

My third sweet bundle of everything good entered the world (5 days early - love this kid already!) on July 9th after a very fun and busy day of friends, sun, a pool party, lunch with one of my best girlfriends (who was due the month following) at the Spaghetti Factory, and dinner/homemade sorbet with my sister and a lovely friend who I just adore that had recently moved back to Oregon. What great memories I have of that entire day and labor started while still in the midst of lots of laughter and love and pink-cheeked friends. And all a few hours after my {amazing, amazing, amazing} doula came home from the beach and texted me that I could have the baby now since she was home.

Apparently I am very obedient when it comes to birth.

So the past several months of life have been slower...sleepier...crazier...dreamier...and just {mostly} all around nice. And I'm loving every precious bit of it.

And a baby makes three...adorable little girls!

2011-04-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

As I walked through their front door I was greeted with precious handmade "thanks yous" made by these sweet sisters. Their beautiful mama just gave birth to her third baby girl, making the circus-like juggling of it all look extremely easy, and somehow has the energy and patience to lead a craft time? Um, yeah, I am in awe of her! Jami and Matt are some of the kindest people in the world and I just felt a warmth of love in their home. Their amazing little people are very lucky.

sweet girls + summer dresses + a sunny backyard = a happy auntie

2010-06-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

Officially, I'm on maternity leave as of a couple of weeks ago. So I've been working on slowing down, enjoying my family & friends, getting in some last (non-nursing) girl's night outs, nesting, and relaxing. I'm not taking on any more summer sessions and my Fall wait list is filling up quickly. If you are hoping to get some high school senior or family/holiday photos scheduled, please email me asap so I can add your name. To be honest, at this point I can not *guarantee* you a spot (there are so many unknowns that come with having a new baby and I don't feel comfortable promising more sessions than the ones already on my current wait list), however, knowing me, there is a really good chance I will be feeling up to adding more and taking on close to my usual crazy amount of Fall/holiday sessions (as long as the Fall weather cooperates better than the Spring did). :) This baby boy should be within the next 2-3 weeks and after adjusting to three kids, I will be able to see what feels reasonable to add to my session-wise. Please do feel free to email me with questions any time & I will do my best to get back to you as soon as I can. Truthfully I'm already itching to be shooting again ~ I love the people I get to work with and am so grateful for your support and business. :)

A couple of my hopes during this time "off" are to get this blog caught up with the sessions I did get to do during our incredibly wet, gray Spring & my website which desperately needs updating! I also have been working with someone on a new logo/branding so I will be excited to share that when I have it too!

We are finally getting some beautiful warm, sunny weather here in the Pacific NW and everyone is smiling more. My beautiful nieces (Leah is 6 & Kaya is 4.5) were over to play yesterday and I had to get out my camera for a (very) mini-session. It was only a little hard to pull them aside to get some shots I had in my head. This was only about 10 min (or less) of shooting, but I'm so happy that it worked out and now I have some fun summery photos to surprise their mama with. They are looking so grown-up. I have a few more for you too, Jen, but here are most of my favs. Oh, and of course I can give them to you in my usual color editing or bw if you'd like.

Asher

2010-04-19T22:43:00.000-07:00

It was so fun to meet this amazing boy and his family downtown on Saturday! Asher is so full of life and obviously a well-loved child. Even though he was teething and a little off of his regular nap schedule, he did a great job giving me all sorts of precious smiles and expressions throughout the session. Here are a few I've edited so far & I'm excited to get to the rest!

Sisters in Springtime . Alexa & Serena

2010-04-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

If you've followed my blog for a while, these sweet girls will look familiar, just a little older. I LOVE when it's time for another session and I get to be silly, hear their latest favorite things, and sing some songs with them as we play our way through a photo session. It is always amazing to me how much they change every 6 months and this time especially how not-a-baby Serena was. I love the bright, cheery feel of this afternoon at a nearby park, and the girls in their Easter dresses.

Eva & her mama (flashback from November)

2010-04-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

This beautiful girl is the daughter of Marla, creator of Fairchild Designs. You have got to check out her beautiful jewelry collection! Here is a link to her etsy shop too. I love looking through her blog (she is also quite a budding photographer) and had such a fun session with these two last Fall. Eva started kindergarten this year and I think it is so special that her mom wanted a session for just the two of them. They obviously have such a close bond, it was fun to get to know them each a little better. I've edited with a little more of a "boutique" look here...overall I like the more natural look, but some families really enjoy the portrait feel it gives the photos so I am happy to accomodate on a couple of images if requested.

Lucy Mae ~ 10 days old

2010-03-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is Miss Lucy. She is an amazing, sweet baby girl (and I may or may not have some extra affection for her because she is also my niece). This was back in January, and I'd put some on facebook, but forgot to blog them! I was also able to photography her birth, which was so very special. She has been born to as amazing family and will be making her first trip to Africa long before she is a year old (not many newborns I know can say that). Her dad works for Lahash International (hence the trip) and also does amazing videography & editing through his company Go Dutch. Be sure to check out his sites and enjoy these photos of their new little angel.

Katie ~ my sister...my stylist...my bff :)

2010-03-03T14:22:00.000-08:00

This lovely person is my younger sister (but only by 19 mo. :) , Katie Schmidt. Not only is beautiful inside and out and a wonderful mama to my sweet niece Johanna, but she is also an incredibly talented professional hair stylist.

She has styled for my senior sessions and done an awesome job! If you are in the Lake Oswego (or Portland) area and need a new stylist, she's your girl! The number to schedule an appointment is 503.830.3015 or you can email her here: katies.hairstyle@gmail.com.

I'm always amazed when I see the magic she has worked on myself and others and I know she'd be happy to consult with you ahead of time to get a feel for what you are looking for in a hairstyle.

Kalie: Class of 2010

2010-02-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

I've been enjoying shooting for fun lately (something I find always happens during my "winter break" when I become re-inspired) and may possibly get around to posting some 'for-fun' shots here at some point. This last month hasn't been as much of a break as I thought it would be, but any pace slower than the Fall was welcome. It has officially moved from family/high school senior season to birth/newborn season for my business, at least for the next few weeks. I also have a *real* vacation in (hopefully) sunny weather coming up soon, which I'm SO looking forward to.

These were from last Fall, but I wanted to share some of Kalie's session. What a fun and beautiful girl to work with! My sister (& licensed stylist) Katie Schmidt was able to style her hair and make-up which I love because it means I get to work with Katie and it means less stress for the senior getting ready. Everyone deserves pampering and I think it helps the senior be more relaxed when we have the "warm-up" styling time before the shoot.

Lovely little Gwen ~ 5 months old

2010-01-26T17:40:00.000-08:00

It was so fun to finally meet this little angel and her parents! Her parents are super nice and fun people and I loved getting to see a lot of this girl's funny and sweet personality come out in the hour I spent with them.

Sweet Maren ~ 7mo.

2010-01-23T23:08:00.000-08:00

Is this not one of the most precious faces you've ever seen? Her parents are sure smitten and it is easy to see why. You may not recognize her now, but here are some from her newborn session last March. As a photographer it is SO fun to see tiny infants turn into adorable roly-poly babies! Maren's face is as sweet as her personality too (just like her lovely mama). :)

Jack & Julia

2010-01-23T22:52:00.000-08:00

I love these kids! They are the children of some of our dearest, longest friends and are the same ages of my boys (and among their best friends). Jack and Julia have been so fun to watch grow up ~ I love Jack's sensitive, joyful spirit and Julia's funloving flair for the dramatic. Their mom is one of my favorite people. She is such a wise, thoughtful person. Truly a beautiful family inside and out. These were from a mini-session at their house in the November...more catching up to come!

2010 {winter & spring} Session Special Pricing

2010-01-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

~~ Update: Special Winter/Spring Pricing has Expired ~~

I don't know about you, but I woke up on New Years Day just bursting with new inspiration and ideas for my business, family, & just life in general. It's true I can get a little silly about "new beginnings" and what could thrill me more than a new year AND a new decade.

We also found out a couple of months ago that we will be welcoming a new baby into our family in mid-July and we couldn't be happier about that either. I've been so blessed to be in this field, getting to meet and serve the amazing families, seniors, and children I've met these last couple of years. I'm beyond grateful for the many new and renewed relationships. Thank you for letting me a small part of your lives! Giving you images of your love, laughter, and life has been a great joy!

So, in celebration of you wonderful people and 2010 (and maybe even the second trimester of my pregnancy ~ yay for feeling good!), here is a rare special offer for a Creative Portrait Session.

The Details...

For a limited time, when you book and prepay a Creative Digital Session* for either January, February, March, or April 2010, you will receive a great savings!

*Creative Digital Sessions are regularly $295, including a creative, on-location session, a personal proofing gallery, & (the best part!) a completed disc of 25 images, both in color and bw, to use for whatever you'd like.

The Savings...

A Creative Digital Session (reg. $295), will be just $255!! Maybe I'm a little caught up in the excitement of a new decade, but I do love to celebrate! :) Paypal is also available!

This is an outstanding value and it is so amazing to have your family's current life stage archived forever in a custom photography session. Email me at kevinandannie@hotmail.com (or send me a note through my website: www.yourlifedocumented.com) if you have any questions or to let me know you'd like to book a session!

Session space is limited so the sooner you book yours, the best choice of dates I'll have available. This special offer will make your New Year a little sweeter, so I hope to see you soon! :)

And while I still have you...a few more from the session above...I may share more later ~ this session (after needing to be rescheduled more than once for illness and weather) was at the family's home. They were so much fun to play with and get to know a bit! They even braved the rainy, cold backyard so we could get some outdoor shots and were so sweet about everything. Thanks for having me K family! Over the next few weeks I'm going to be updating the images on my website too, so be sure to check back!

New baby Claire & the lovely family she joined

2009-12-29T09:29:00.000-08:00

2010 is nearly here and it looks like (thanks to some blog-neglect!) I'm still going to be posting 2009 sessions into the New Year. To start with, some of our dear friends welcomed a new baby girl into their home in mid-November! This session was the day before Thanksgiving, when Claire was just 8 days old. Her big sister Gracie is such a cute girl and she already adored her new little friend. I wanted to wait to post these until after Hannah got her cards out (I know! Having a baby just before the holidays and still getting cards out ~ she sets the bar pretty high)! :)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

I'm still alive, just haven't been taking much time for blogging lately! It's been a very busy couple of months and I'm looking forward to the rest and break January will bring. We had a really nice Christmas yesterday, starting with a breakfast of blueberry pancakes at my aunt's house with her family and my grandparents, and ending with a lovely Christmas dinner at our house with my husband's family and my sister. Lots of fun and cousins and new things to play with and enjoy. We just finished a relaxing breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls (thanks to my brother-in-law), eggs, & a latte, and I'm listening to the sweet sound of all three of my boys playing "Batman" in the family room while I sit emailing by the tree in the living room. Whatever your season has consisted of, I hope it has been full of the unexpected blessings and the loving kindness of our gracious God.

Colors of Fall

2009-11-22T21:59:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of visiting these sweet people at their property for a session with their charming 4 month old baby boy. I could have stayed for a week, just being up among the beautiful shades of yellow, orange, red and green, and the amazing views! It was like a mini retreat. Little Jake was as enthralled as I was with the beauty and couldn't take his eyes off the colorful leaves surrounding us. It was very cute & sort of a miracle we got as many photos of him looking at my boring old camera as we did. ;) Hope you enjoy this mini-preview of your session D Family! Even though Jake isn't looking at me in the last family picture (he was completely done by then), I had to include one of the trees I love so much!

Alexa & Serena

2009-11-17T20:47:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit buried in editing now, but wanted to share a few more from this session. Since I started my business, this family has allowed me to document their family every 6 mo or so and it has been such a pleasure to watch these precious girls grow and change. I love how these pictures really show their personalities and I'm grateful for clients like these who make this job SO fun!!

Bittersweet & Baby Blues

2009-11-13T22:27:00.000-08:00

This week has been filled with many emotions as we found out early Monday morning that Kevin's beloved grandfather had past away in the night. Monday was his birthday & we commented that it was interesting that God brought him life in this world and took him to life in heaven on the same day. He and Mae (Kevin's sweet grandma)have been married 61+ years and were so deeply connected it makes me tear up just to imagine how difficult life will be for her as she adjusts to her adoring husband not being here. So Kevin is in Denver for the Memorial Service and I am here, praying for everyone involved and grasping to all the bits and pieces of the week/weekend I can gather. It is such a gift to know he is with Jesus and we will see him again and it still fills us with a sadness knowing we won't have the privilege of talking with him again on earth.

So I've been home, thinking about everyone in Denver & wishing I could be there, missing my husband, finding ways to keep the boys busy & hugging them lots, enjoying some cherished friendships during the days, and staying up too late watching chick flicks with one eye while I try to make a dent in some of my editing with the other. Right now I'm loving this precious girl and her sister...more to come.

Melissa ~ Class of 2010

2009-11-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a few from a high school senior session in early October. Melissa was so fun to work with and as you can see the camera loves her! :) Congratulations Melissa & I hope the rest of your senior year is awesome!

October ~ gone so soon.

2009-10-31T23:05:00.000-07:00

This month flew by! Usually I love every day of October and we are able to fit in lots of various outings to pumpkin patches and parks as we prepare to have less sun for several months to follow, but this year it rained more than it usually does and we stayed in more. Still had a good month, just wish it was a little longer. I just feel like there's more to do! We had a great last day of October filled with cousins, friends, the last soccer game of the season & party, and eating too many sweets. Here was one of our projects today...yum!

Autumn {here & lovely}

2009-10-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

Today I was coming home from a friend's house and I had to pull over take this picture. It was breathtaking in person and I wanted to be able to look at it after all the leaves have fallen and winter has fully arrived (it's starting to feel very winter-ish already, but by the calendar I know it's still fall and the hope of a few more random days of sun here and there is still alive). :)

Last weekend we were thankful for a free day and spent much of it outside, enjoying amazing crisp, sunny fall weather, and trying our best to soak up some vitamin D. My kids were finally well enough to play outside while Kevin worked on the yard and cleaned out our gutters all afternoon. Like most little boys I think, they love playing in the dirt with their huge dumptrucks.

"Little man on a mission"
Later on the boys and I took a walk in our neighborhood. These photos are SO Callum in all his 3 year old glory. Walking fast...running, wanting to keep up with his big brother on the scooter ahead...shirt backwards {ALWAYS}, because that's 'how he likes it,' sometimes he even prefers his pants on backwards, another reason to be grateful this day...rainboots {usually}...being silly...deciding what the right way is to wear his hat, which usually means somehow infusing extra charactor into it. :)

I just feel so lucky.

Laurelhurst Park in September

2009-10-19T21:49:00.000-07:00

It was so fun meeting this sweet family in Laurelhurst Park for a session last month. Our house has been struck with the flu (aches, awful coughs, fevers) and so with the downtime, I'm just now getting to updating my blog. If you think of it, pray for us! So far my husband is still in the clear - hopefully it will stay that way. This little angel is 8 mo old and has the brightest, bluest eyes and sweet personality. It was great to meet you guys & I hope to see you again in the future. :)

Sugar & Spice

2009-10-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

Oh my sweet nieces...I love these precious girls. We all went to a pumpkin patch together a few weeks ago and I did a mini-session for them in the beautiful autumn sun.

Three Sisters

2009-10-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

These cute girls may look familiar since they are the same girls in my blog header ~ here they are one year older! They have changed a ton and each have distinct personalities and beautiful smiles. This is my dear friend, Sarah's family and it was so fun hanging out with them at a cool old school house and dahlia fields in Canby last month. These are some of their moms favorites. I didn't post the cute family ones in case they use them in their Christmas card and I haven't asked her. :)

Mason & Maguire

2009-09-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

I love working with this family ~ they are just so much fun. The boys are about the same ages as mine and full of personality, so I feel like I can totally relate. When you mix a beautiful sunset night, and great {photogenic} family, and the promise of lollypops, it is hard to not get some shots that show the love this family has for each other. And the dimples just kill me. Enjoy your preview guys and you can come get your disc this weekend!

{Pretty} New Mama

2009-09-19T19:36:00.001-07:00

Here are a few from a recent session with a friend from high school ~ it was so good to reconnect after more than 10 years through the wonders of facebook. ;) In about a month (or less) they will be bringing home their baby and isn't she just about the most beautiful pregnant lady you've ever seen? Thanks for having me you guys.

Many times I am inspired to do some "artistic" processing on some photos, in addition to general color (not shown on this post) and my black and white conversion.
Here are a couple of very colorful ones...

The Princess & Her Puppy

2009-09-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

These two have so much fun together. My sister's daughter and my little boy. They were born a week apart and have spent many carefree days together since solidfying their special bond with all sorts of make-believe. I had been wanting to document this game they have been playing all summer and this morning proved the perfect time. As soon as Johanna walks in the front door yelling, "Hi Puppy!", Callum responds, "Hi Princess!" and off they go. This morning Jo brought one of her princess dresses over and I overheard Callum say to her, "You look very beautiful in your dress, Princess." My heart just melts all the time because of these sweet babies.

I just wanted to add this one again, but in bw. 'Couldn't decide which one I liked better. I just love her little face and I couldn't resist.

'angel, you were born to fly, if you get too high, I'll catch you when you fall'

2009-09-15T12:24:00.001-07:00

*Warning: LOTS of cuteness ahead...

Tess is going to kindergarten! She turned 5 earlier this summer and her mom thought it would be fun to do some pics at their home and walk over to her school to celebrate this milestone in her school uniform (adorable!). Tess is a talented artist, and a lively, fun-loving girl who Cade (my little boy) loves to play with and her mom is one of sweetest people ever. They live in an awesome neighborhood in SE Portland and we picked a beautiful night for the session!

*The blog title is from a nickel creek song I had in my head while I was editing, I think it fits.

Aiden & Ethan: Sweet boys!

2009-08-29T10:12:00.002-07:00

Look at these precious brothers! I'm so lucky to get to photograph all the cute babies that I do! It is unbelievable how much the little one has changed since I did his newborn photos in February and Aiden is talking so much more than when I saw him last. It is so amazing to watch repeat clients grow and change. Thanks for having me guys!

The perfect summer night: The Hale Family

2009-08-29T10:12:00.001-07:00

Kim and I met at George Fox University when we were students and have tons of mutual friends so it was great to connect with her and meet her husband and kids last month for their family session. What a great park and night they chose!

Beautiful family & fun night! Thanks for having me!

Born Rockstars: Kade & Quinn

2009-08-29T10:11:00.004-07:00

This summer session was several weeks ago, but in an effort to get my blog a bit more current (sigh), here are a few of my favorites from my time with this sweet family (it was a tough choice). We played baseball, sang songs, and got dirty ~ these boys were so much fun! Thanks again for having me guys! And if there's anyone out there still checking my blog...enjoy!

Sherwood Family Medicine

2009-08-29T10:11:00.001-07:00

In July I had the pleasure of photographing these wonderful ladies who practice at Sherwood Family Medicine, An Integrative Health Center. I love the concept of combining Western & Eastern practices together into complete, wholistic health care for all ages.

Here is a little excerpt from their bio & more about the clinic...
Innovators in the integration of the latest in medical and naturopathic treatment. The center offers comprehensive primary care for the entire family from birth on. Plus, this is one unique place where medical providers and a naturopathic physician can work collaboratively for a fresh, novel, wholistic approach to healthcare.

Voicemail troubles...

2009-08-06T18:02:00.001-07:00

If you have called me about a photo session this week (or anything) please CALL ME AGAIN! Or email me at kevinandannie@hotmail.com. I've been having problems with most of certain vm's being cut off. So annoying! I know I received one from a Cheryl or Charlene maybe? Anyway, I hope you get this as I have no way of contacting you. Also, we are in Sunriver with some good friends this week and I'll be back answering calls and emails next Monday, Aug. 10th. Thank you for your patience and I look forward to talking with you!

Hans ~ 4 months old

2009-08-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

This sweet little boy was so smily and happy! Here's quick preview for this lovely family.

Too sweet to miss!

2009-07-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

This summer has been super full of berry picking, fun friend dates, and lots of good family time, along with plenty of sessions to keep my proofing hours full! Right now I really should be doing something other than blogging, but I just couldn't resist putting up a few of this little doll baby before they get archived and unseen by the blogging world. Sophia was so tiny when I came to meet her and her parents at their home for her session and so full of smiles and newborn goodness. What a great family she has been born into. And Stacie, the cat managed to make an appearance (despite how against it she seemed)! Thanks again for having me guys!

Newborn love...

2009-07-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the lack of posting! More to come, promise!

Amy ~ High School Senior 2010

2009-07-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with this senior at our session last weekend! Amy is one of those people who you meet and instantly feel like you can completely be your self. She has a great sense of humor and kind heart, and it was so cool to see a high school girl with such graceful self-confidence about her. The guitar she is holding represents both her musical and artistic talents ~ isn't it awesome? Amy, I really enjoyed getting to know you while hanging out with you and Aaron (her boyfriend of 1+ years, who made it into a few pictures as well)!

Lucy's session {slideshow}

2009-06-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a sample of images from a recent session...I shared a couple of this family here, but thought I'd post their session slideshow as well. This will give you an idea of a simple creative session with me. When your images are uploaded to my gallery it plays like a slideshow that is available for a few days so you can email the password to family & friends if you'd like. I turned my blog music off so you can hear the slideshow music and then realized it opened in the same window so it'd go off anyway! Oh well. I'm done messing with it for now. Maybe it's time for some new songs anyway. You may have noticed I get antsy with my music sometimes.

~ Click here to view the slideshow ~

Sweet as can be ~ Connor is one year old!

2009-06-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

Just not prepared...

2009-06-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

...for how much I would love this little girl and her sweetness. Lucy is the long-prayed-for daughter of one of my college roommates and dearest friends (and her great husband) and I'm beyond thrilled for two reasons: (1) they let me take her 6mo. pictures and (2) they are moving back!! to the area so I will get to see Jillian and the whole fam SO much more. While we've had many long, wonderful talks on the phone over the past 8 years since college (when she married and moved first to Texas and then the Spokane), and over coffee when she comes to town, it just does not compare to being able to meet up here and there throughout the year. I've been told (by certain family members) that I'm mostly a 'face to face' person (though I do have 1 or 2 long-distance friends that I've retained closer to a 'day-to-day' type of friendship just because we both try and I cherish thse relationships too) and I can see that. Now that I think about it, maybe it's just a nice way of saying I don't keep in touch as well as they'd like... :) Okay, well now I'm just babbling - and exhausted! Not the best blogging combo if you're me. Have I mentioned how loved Lucy is?? Well she is.

{cute} family

2009-06-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple belated images from a May family session, that I'm just now posting. This family is really amazing and I'm so glad I got to meet them and hear their story. Their little guy is such a doll and the family got up bright and early on a Saturday to come meet me. This was really impressive because I'm lucky if I can get myself ready and out the door before 8am, much less a toddler! :)

Thank you guys for having me, looking forward to seeing you again! :)

Happy June, already! (and a great family I never posted)...

2009-06-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

Has this year not flown by so far?! My son's preschool graduation is Thursday and with the amazing, hot weather we've had for several days (before today anyway), it feels like summer is already here. In case you can't tell, I have a love/hate relationship with my blog right now. It calls me constantly to come update, but inevitably, there are other things that are usually more important...the proofing, the sessions...the being a good mom first..the husband...the making of the dinners and the constant putting away of the laundry (my least favorite and literally endless chore, I might add). I'm still getting caught up from when my computer was having issues last weekend (yay for lots of May sessions, patient clients, and new monitors) and I've also spent time really defining what I love about my business and what I want to change.

Before beginning this journey I had not considered how vulnerable of a place it is to be when you start a business and put so much of yourself into developing it. I really feel like it is a piece of my heart on display, inviting any criticism or negativity that people want to throw my way. There are emotional aspects to any endeavor. This is one of those businesses that feels way more personal than jobs I've had before. Maybe it sounds "unprofessional" to say that, it is also why I feel it is even more personally rewarding and fulfilling to me.

I've been stretched this past year in so many wonderful and faith-building ways! I'm so grateful for the amazing kids and families I've built relationships with and gotten to know and how this business has blessed my family. I've begun to move past taking things "personally" and growing as a professional. I remember my reasons for doing this and my priorities and I accept that I'm not every one's cup of tea. I'm fine with that & I don't want to be. I'm not a mass production corporation. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that because I'm a total 'people' person who was raised with the philosophy 'the more the merrier' permeating nearly every corner of life. If you have/had outgoing parents like I did, who enjoy serving others and including everyone, then you know what I mean. My heart is to glorify God and the gifts he's given me and to serve the people who can relate with the work I'm doing and feel a connection with my images so we can merge and create create something beautiful. That's not EVERYBODY. But maybe it's a good handful. :)

I'm thankful for the many artists out there who inspire me and also who reflect different styles. It's essential to find someone who can give you the portraiture you will love. The photographs you receive from a custom session should be some you love and cherish forever. At times I've been stuck in the process of growing my business and updating my website with current information for a while and really had to put aside my "personal" feelings and worrying about what others think to make those changes which I feel are necessary for my family, my spirit, and my business. Do I do weddings or not (this year not, but maybe in the future...)? Custom prints or disc of images (maybe a combo)? Follow my heart or bend over backward trying to give people exactly what they think they want, even though my eye and gut are against it? Life-giving or back-breaking? I just can't please everyone, I need to trust God's work in my life and accept responsibility for the good gifts God's given me in my family, warm, loving friends, precious babies, adorable husband, and this lovely business. I guess it's part of being a grown-up. ;) I'm getting there (even if I still use "winky face" too often...actaully, my sister knows I just like saying "winky face")!

Since I missed the one year anniversary of my business and this blog, and since tomorrow I'm celebrating my 30th birthday, it seems a fitting time to say a huge thank you to those of you who visit my blog, leave encouraging or funny comments, accept me as I am and love me anyway. If you visit my blog have never left a comment, please feel free to leave one! I would love to know who you are and see your blog (if you have one). :) As a thank you (and a reward for sticking around here through all my words), here are some images to follow my loooong post of reflection...enjoy your day!

Love & stuff

2009-05-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

Some random thoughts, but first here are some pictures of my sweet little doll baby niece. This weekend was SO beautiful out, wasn't it?! I could get used to this. My amazing husband and I celebrated our seven-year anniversary with a night away, and I was happy to close the recent chapter of horrible computer failures today with the purchase of a new system. Everyone who is waiting for previews and images should be happier soon. ;) SO excited for editing to be fun again and not the chore as it had become. I should have it up and running soon! Hooray! Before I go, here are a few images from my precious niece's 3 year old session...Johanna Wren, you bring so much laughter & love to my life. What a sweet privilege to watch you grow.

A couple more of the cute girls...

2009-05-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

'I'm gonna soak up the sun'

2009-05-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

A fun one of my oldest from this weekend...
I've been working on getting caught up on editing (the never-ending plight of being a mom in business I guess, but I don't mind) and will have more previews soon! We are loving the weather we've been having, playing outside tons, and loving the warmth of the sun and the chill of popcicles and the sprinkler. Speaking of motherhood, my three-year-old just brought me a super old bag of marshmellos he found in the pantry, so I guess that means it's time to make dinner and then Kevin will be home and it's off to meet my friend at the Y for spin class. Hope you enjoy your evening and have a beautiful sunset wherever you are!

*In other news...I have some good changes coming soon...stay tuned!

Beautiful sisters: Alexa & Serena

2009-05-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned lately that I love what I do? Meeting and hanging out with such amazing people is such a gift! These sweet little girls were wonderful as usual and I love that I'm getting to "watch them grow" through our regular sessions. They turned 1 & 3 this month. It is so fun to watch their different personalities to come out during the session as we play and have fun together. Here are a few from that day...

Houston & family ~ so cute!

2009-05-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a long overdue preview that I'm just now getting around to posting! I had so much fun with these friends when they visited briefly from Wichita in April. Houston was (as usual) a joy to photograph! He has so many sweet, interesting expressions and was just learning to explore on his two legs. What a cutie-pie! His dad is a musician so it was fun to incorporate some of that into our session.

Sweet Sisters ~ Mahala & Dahlia

2009-04-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

Before my trip I was able to capture 2 week old Mahala Rose and her beautiful big sister Dahlia & I wanted to share a couple from her newborn session. You may recognize these sweet girls from the pics I took for their mom at the hospital, just after Mahala's birth. Thanks for having me Wendee and Paul, it was so fun to come play with you for a morning. I'll share some more soon, (there are some other super cute ones of Dahlia's big grin) but here's a start.

Precious Lincoln ~ 6 days old

2009-04-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

This little guy is SO sweet!! I love newborns and this session was no exception. They've been through so much this past year and little Lincoln is certainly something to CELEBRATE! Thank you Lord for all good gifts!

Three wonderful boys. I love these kids - such fun boys! This sweet new baby is a well-needed and amazing blessing for this dear family.
It's hard work being 6 days old!
Congratulations guys!

We're home!

2009-04-23T09:51:00.001-07:00

We are having a lazy day of catch up here at home today after a WONDERFUL family vacation in So. California this past week. The boys LOVED their first trip to Disneyland and our first (of four) days there was Sunday - Cade's 5th birthday - so that really made his day extra-special. Callum's 3rd birthday is this coming Sunday so we celebrated both boys on the trip (and planned it in a way to get Callum in for free since he was technically still 2)! We arrived down there Friday and had a couple of days to chill before hitting the parks. It was so much fun, even though the first couple of days were scorching hot. We just got home late last night so we're all still kind of on a vacation high, but the reality of being home is sinking in fast as I look at the piles of laundry coming out of our suitcases and the grocery shopping that will be required to come up with acceptable meals for the rest of the day. :) It was a great break and now I'm ready to dive into more proofing so if you're waiting for a preview, I will have more up soon. Whew! It's been a full month! Since Amy had to wait for her disc to arrive (I was not able to do as much as I'd hoped while in CA because of a computer issue), I'm posting a couple more from their session (what would a post be here without at least one)?

Katie ~ Concordia University Class of 2010

2009-04-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

My beautiful sister-in-law, Katie...awww. I just LOVE this girl - my heart believes we are really sisters, not just because she's married to my brother. She has been such a continual blessing in my life for the 5+ years I've known her and she is truly the sweetest, most loving, kind-hearted person you'll ever meet. She is getting her masters right now and will graduate next year! Yay Katie!! I'm SO proud of you, really, I'm just bursting with it.

It's now officially senior photo time! If you are thinking of having me take your pictures, call me! My packages start at $295 and all include digital files (with printing rights) & some prints. Each on location session will be personally catered to your style and personality. My sister (who also happens to be named Katie, which causes mild-to-severe confusion from time to time) is a licensed stylist and I will post some samples of her work soon. She is very excited to work with some of my seniors on anything from outfit selection, to hair & make-up. You will LOVE her!

One year old ~ Ephraim

2009-04-14T14:43:00.001-07:00

Just look at his bubbly grin & big blue eyes! Ephraim is such a little charmer! This photo shoot was on his actual first birthday at his Grandma's beautiful home, where they were visiting for weekend birthday festivities. He is such a sweet, good-natured boy! Thanks so much for having me guys, here's a big preview for you! :)

Oooo I love his belly! It had been a bright, beautiful day that turned into a perfect evening.
Kisses for mama.

He loved this!

Beautiful Baby Maren

2009-04-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

I feel like this post could've been titled "For Hannah & Sarri" since I know they are probably the most anxious to see this sweet pea's photos. Here's the preview girls! Thanks for having me J & M, I loved getting to "bond" with Maren a little and I can tell already what a sweet personality she has (just like her mom). Can't wait to hold her again!

The first "child."Isn't she a beautiful baby girl?! (I have a couple more that I'm planning to post on facebook if it's alright with J & M). So if you are on fb, stay tuned!

more soon...

2009-04-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

I have some great previews to post within the next week, but I've been swamped editing during my work time so the fun stuff like blogging gets put on the back burner. Anyway, I don't want to post with out a pic so here is a story board of Jacob's sweet family from his 3 year old session. :) Originally this would be a 16x20 canvas and this is a beautiful way to display your favs. And see what I mean about the BLUE eyes?? You can't fake eyes that blue people!

Hello Baby.

2009-04-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world. Right now you've got it all...
A soft place to lay. All your tiny, wrinkly little fingers and toes.
A beautiful mama.A proud papa.
An adorable big sissy.
Doting grandparents... ...with a great sense of humor.
Lots of love. I think you're going to like this place.

Faster than a speeding bullet...

2009-03-31T22:21:00.000-07:00

...this superhero turned three!
This one is especially for the mama. Jacob was so cute with this hilarious pose. He would point at me with this huge grin of his. Very cute!
Love his spiky hair!!

This family has the most AMAZING blue eyes! The colors are so unique. This one is really cool in color too for that reason, but I liked it in bw too and you can still see how sparkly the eyes are even in bw. Hope you like your preview Kendra!

More of Leah & something cool...

2009-03-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend celebrating with family who were here visiting for Leah's birthday bash. We ate Leah's favorite foods all day Saturday and she was SO beyond thrilled to finally be five years old! Here are a few more of her session (as promised) & some cool news for you ~ I set up a paypal account so now you can pay for your session online (see the right-hand side of this blog). So exciting & great for people who don't feel like carrying cash or don't want to remember to bring a check for me. :) This way you can pay through paypal (it is really easy and quick to set up a secured account) and have the money come from whatever debit or credit account you choose. Now back to the cute stuff...
Putting the flower in her hair was her idea...and so was the stick in the next one. I love it and I think personal touches like these make age/stage photo sessions even more meaningful. We found some great evening sun flare...Love it!
I've also included a couple of the pics I "drew" on (in photoshop) and made birthday cards out of. Pretty silly, but at least I had fun making them! Thanks for stopping by my blog & happy Monday!

Lovely Leah turns 5!

2009-03-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe our Leah (my niece) is turning 5 on Thursday!! She is such a beautiful-spirited little girl & it was really fun for me to get to spend some time with her last Friday ~ I was going to have her session this coming weekend (thank goodness I'm not now that it looks like tons of rainy blah is in the forecast) so when I had a last minute cancellation, I quickly moved Leah's up a week. I'm so glad it worked out!

Here are a couple for a quick preview, but I don't want to spoil it for her mom before I have more completed! I'll post more in a few days. I kind of love how the one piece of her hair is sweeping in a competely five-year old way in the wrong direction. I love the imperfect-perfect.

life lately

2009-03-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

My treat...Trader Joes cocoa with whip cream and sprinkles. In my very favorite mug.

This morning before preschool.

A few sweet snapshots of my life.

BTW, I had the pleasure of speaking to a MOPS group Friday morning. Thanks for inviting me ladies, you girls are awesome & I had a great time!!

just beautiful

2009-03-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite people ever.

A huge passion I have within the photography world is to capture the precious relationships within a family and especially the mother/child bond. From experience I know mothers are most often the ones taking the photos and not IN them enough. Sometimes by choice, other times by default. In any case, I want to encourage you to be photographed with your children. As we all know, they grow up so fast and those pictures will be treasures!

In 10-20 years or more, the reasons you avoid being in front of the camera won't matter (or at least they will seem really insignificant) compared to the joy your children will have from seeing meaningful reminders of your relationship. While you are playing over the next several days, I want to challenge all of you moms to hand your camera over to your husband, a friend, etc. and let them snap some of you with your kids. It will be worth it.

One last one...

Something fun...

2009-03-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

...for me, anyway! A great family I photographed last summer was featured in the Spring 2009 Club Sport Program Guide and they decided to put one of my photos on the cover! So I guess I can say I've been published ~ sort of! ;) They even put my blog address and name on the cover.

Click here to visit the website and click on this icon (pictured) at the bottom of the page, to read the story and hear more about the wonderful programs Club Sport offers.

Sweet sweet baby

2009-02-25T17:02:00.001-08:00

I'm in a b&w mood tonight I guess (at least with what I'm wanting to post). I wanted to share a few from a recent session with a dear family and their new little one Ethan, exactly two weeks old. I kind of added an artsy flair to this first one, part of my dramatic/b&w mood perhaps. ;) The baby is wrapped in a special blanket his great aunt made for him.
The adorable big brother.

(Above) I know just how she feels.
Above) The beautiful mama, and the one who is now takes all the focus.

I love Ethan's expression in this one, very content and almost like he knows something they don't. :)
Oh, okay, I'll put one more in color...maybe two.
They are cute.
And these next two may be favorites of mine...

I haven't edited them all yet, just wanted to give you a quick preview Tiffany, thank you for having me. I loved hanging out wth you guys. Two more...

Yay! The website is live!

2009-02-18T22:06:00.000-08:00

Check it out...Annie Schilperoort Photography has a BRAND NEW WEBSITE! After weeks of dabbling, perfecting, & changing around that will undoubtedly lead to more of the same, I give you:

http://www.yourlifedocumented.com/

Also, for those of you coming from google-reader, I have a new blog header as well - nothing thrilling, but a fresh look just the same. :) This year I've decided to focus on children, babies, families, newborns, maternity, other family-related stuff, and hopefully get more high school seniors experience. So for now that means no weddings or large groups. I may start that again in the future, but for 2009, this is it! Cheers!

Packaging...

2009-02-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

In case you wonder how your disk will be packaged when you receive it, here are some photos of what to expect...

Each disk will be personalized and in a tin case with my personal lable. It will be in it's own clear plastic case as well.

(Excuse the not great SOOC product photos - I took these minutes before giving them to a client weeks ago. Maybe I'll take time to repost with better photos sometime...until then, here's a quick peek)!

Fairy princess

2009-02-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails...

2009-01-22T23:11:00.001-08:00

Since I showed off Brody's sisters earlier this week, I wanted to give him a little shout out too. This little guy was so funny! He has tons of sweet personality and reminded me a lot of Cade...a little hesitant at first, but warmed up to the camera and let me see some of his silly, four-year old ways!

sisters...warm hearts, cold little hands

2009-01-19T18:24:00.000-08:00

I have to leave (my home) soon, but I couldn't wait to download these from an a afternoon session today. It seriously made my week to have a session in the beautiful sunshine with this sweet family. Thanks for braving the cold with me, guys! :)

First session of the New Year...

2009-01-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

This month I am relaxing after the busy holiday season and taking some vacation time (at home, but still much needed) to catch up on sleep (lots of editing = late nights) and rejuvenate. Newborn sessions are ones that I'll take any month, because that time is so fleeting! Enjoy this preview of your sweet ones, Marlo. I had so much fun with your kids ~ the session was a dream. Here's the big preview I promised. :) I had a hard time choosing a few favorites! These kids are all just as sweet on the inside as they are on the outside. First up...the patient older brother, Jesse.

I LOVE this.

Happy 2009!

2009-01-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

Here is one from a session I did last Friday...I will post more soon. This sweet little one month old has 3 adoring (& adorable!) older siblings that I was able to photograph as well.

Last month I received some great nominations for the complimentary photo session I offered and I've chosen two families because it was hard to choose! Thank you to those who submitted applicants.

I'm revamping my pricing schedule and things will be changing here within the month. I'm excited!! More to come soon.

Snow Baby

2008-12-22T19:06:00.000-08:00

My lovely little niece, Jo. Merry Christmas Everyone! May you be blessed wherever you are. It's not too late to nominate a deserving family you know to receive a free photo session in 2009! Please email me with a short (or long) paragraph explaining why you feel they should receive a session and (this is new) if your entry is chosen, you will receive 20% off a session for your family. Read more about this Season of Giving offer here.

Oh this is a cute little man!

2008-12-18T22:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a preview for this family, some of whom live in Wisconsin and Montana! You guys will have lots of other various group images on your disc, but these are just a variety of shots I was especially drawn to. :) Thank you so much for spending some of your coveted time together with me over Thanksgiving weekend.

You may recognize a few of these faces from a preview I posted of a session I did in October with the other side of their family. I was thrilled when they wanted to hire me for a session to give as a gift to her parents. Photographs are such a lasting way to document meaningful times and different seasons of life together. I love what I do! Hope you enjoy your preview!
Apple of their eye...

Beautiful late afternoon by the Willamette River.
I love this one. Every child should have a fan club.

The Whitmans!

2008-12-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

Here is my friend Amanda's family...she is a talented floral designer who I've linked from my blog (to the right)! Check out her work if you have an upcoming wedding or special event! Her boys are adorable and were so cute during our session last month. Brody's little green shoes kill me!
The family got their disc of color photos, but I had fun giving a few a 70's feel also...

Not a PREview, but here ya go anyway...

2008-12-11T15:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, well since Fall was very full and I didn't quite get to posting previews of all my sessions, now that I've had a nice little break (about a week!) I thought I would go back and post a few of my favorites from the last month. First up...the Baileys! Houston is now 9 months old, you may remember his cute face and personality from last August (and this beautiful family is on my blog header, too). Bryon just landed an amazing job and so it these photos are bittersweet for me, because these dear friends are moving to Kansas soon! We will miss them, but are also excited for this new opportunity (plus they will still have family here, so I know we will see them)! :)

Season of Giving

2008-12-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

Hope you are enjoying getting ready for Christmas and other holiday celebrations. We will be getting our tree later this week and my boys are SO excited to decorate it this year! A big thank you to Ellen Kimball of KGW ch.8 for mentioning my blog on hers. Check out her movie reviews & other interesting links at her blog, Speak Out Loud with Ellen Kimball. This is a fairly new blog for her & I noticed on her post that she will consider featuring other local businesses in the future if you submit it to her, so for those of you starting or sustaining a local business, contact her!

In the spirit of the season, I'm starting a new tradition at Annie Schilperoort Photography: I would love to give a deserving family a free photo session sometime in 2009. If you know of such a family, please email me by December 25th (kevinandannie@hotmail.com) with "Season of Giving" in the subject line and I will consider them to win a free photo session! All the submissions will be kept confidential and I won't announce the winners on my blog, but will contact them privately after the first of the year (I'll let you know if your nominee was selected). Thanks for playing!

Have a warm & fun holiday week!

Jack & Julia

2008-12-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a preview for one of my very favorite families (you may recognize them from pictures I took for their birthdays in August - one of the shots is in my blog header). Stephanie is one of my oldest and closest friends and Jack is Cade's best buddy too. We love them and it was a pleasure (as always) to photograph them!

Ty's parents joined in for a couple of shots (and were kind enough to let us shoot in their beautiful yard near sunset). I saved a couple more cute family ones to show them in case they end up using them for their Christmas card.

Finally more for Liam's patient family...

2008-11-29T20:32:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can hardly believe another Christmas season is here! Here are more for this cute family of three (well, 4 if you count Lola, their beloved puppy who made it into several family shots). Thanks to everyone for your patience as I balance a busy holiday weekend with all the Christmas card session deadlines (which unfortunately puts blog previews low on the list sometimes)! If you are waiting for a preview though, don't give up on me just yet! :) It will be here for you soon & don't forget I will email you when I post yours so you won't miss it. Now I'm off to edit and watch a Christmas movie - enjoy your night! More soon...

Eliot: one year wonder

2008-11-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

Isn't she adorable? We snuck in her session just in time for the rains to start. I've been getting so buried in the previews I need to post I thought I'd better pick a few quickly to give Jena and Joel an idea of what we have. I love it when families want more of a candid style - when I asked what they were thinking in terms of family shots, I think Joel said something like, "if it happens, we'll be in some pictures too." For those of you waiting, I'll be posting more over the weekend.

Preview of a preview...one for Liam's mommy

2008-11-16T22:32:00.000-08:00

No words are necessary...nothing could possibly explain this cuteness! Oh and there are more! Many to come...

Welcome Sun! Stay as long as you'd like...

2008-11-14T23:04:00.001-08:00

Ah my sweet boys. It was very fun to watch them run around the yard and the park today in the beautiful sun - we are taking full advantage and by today I very much needed a break from editing (don't worry, I'll have [your] images ready in time)! :) It was just good to take a break and spend the whole day doing "mommy" things & taking a few pictures of my little guys. It was just what the soul ordered. I have a weekend full of sessions & editing ahead! Fun fun! I need days like today so I can really LOVE the weekends like the one that begins tomorrow.

walk in the park

2008-11-10T21:31:00.000-08:00

Technically, this isn't a 'preview' since they have their disc (sorry about that by the way, Olsons - it's been a crazy season!), but this beautiful family was such a pleasure to spend time with a couple of weeks ago, I had to post a few. The eldest sister was in Oregon for (literally) a few hours from the Midwest, so we snuck in a family session! These two sweet brothers are six & nine and it was really fun to see their funny, exhuberant personalities come out as they warmed up to the camera and played with me. Thank you for having me ~ I hope you're enjoying your images.

Boos family

2008-11-10T15:24:00.000-08:00

A few of this sweet family were here a couple of weeks ago, but then I took down a couple of posts when I figured out how to reformat this...anyway, even though their pics are complete so this isn't technically a preview, I wanted to post some from their session! They are just an adorable family...check out Heidi's design/inspiration blog here - she's pretty much a Super Mom!

Thankful for Fall

2008-11-06T11:25:00.001-08:00

As we settle into the drizzle and gray skies that November in Oregon usually brings, here is a reminder of the beautiful October (and people) we have been blessed with! These were from a random afternoon that the kids cooperated long enough for a mini-shoot last month around the time they all celebrated their half-birthdays. They love each other so much (almost all the time). ;)

A day of rest...hopefully not much longer.

2008-11-04T15:54:00.000-08:00

I'm sick in bed with the stomach flu today - yuck! Just wanted you to know if you've tried to reach me, I'll be returning calls/emails tomorrow or Thursday. Please pray the kids won't get it.

Christmas card preview!

2008-11-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Heidi Boos (HB Design), here is a preview of the beautiful photo cards she designed for me to offer with my holiday photo sessions this year. I'll be posting more soon. Love this season! (Click on images for full size)!

Kevin's family & the cute cousin's

2008-11-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

Cute cousins! They're both 16 mo. old.