January 4th, 2012
Hilarious. Lovely. Energetic. FUN. Smart. Talented. Beautiful. All words I would use to describe this family. A mother’s wish for their child is for them to be successful, kind, and happy. To have all 4 of your children be those things and more is an A+ on the Parent Test. AND THEN, to have them marry successful, talented, smart and beautiful people is an A+++ and a home run.
Mary, I have absolutely loved getting to know you through this process. I hope you’ve had a chance to relax (*hint hint*) after planning a photo session IN THE MIDDLE of the holiday season… you definitely deserve it. I’m so, so, so grateful for the chance to have photographed your beautiful family. Quite honestly, it was one of the best times I’ve had. Thank you, thank you!
Handsome, right?
Fierce, right?
Cute, right?
Seriously adorable… right?
And because I’m a sucker for natural smiles…
I had a hard time choosing photos for this post, so please CHECK OUT THE SLIDESHOW to see more of this lovely family!
Like this post? Share it on 
or 
October 24th, 2011
A few weeks ago I took a few Baptism photos of my nephew. Isn’t he handsome?
He looks so grown up.
Cheers!
Like this post? Share it on or
August 19th, 2011
A photo shoot in someone’s home… it’s one of those small dreams that you hope to make happen one day. At least for me. So when Stacy and I spoke about having their family photos taken in their home, I couldn’t say yes faster. And when she said they were thinking about making pancakes in their kitchen, it took a whole lot of self-control to hold it together. It was brilliant.
Drew and Stacy are Yin and Yang. They compliment each other while pushing the other to places they wouldn’t naturally go by themselves. They are complimentary opposites. Drew is a dreamer, a community man, the connective piece that brings people together. Stacy is the anchor, she has her feet firmly and steadily on the ground, with a light-hearted spirit that might make anyone grateful to know her. While Drew is jokester, Stacy might give a courtesy giggle now and then. She’s good like that. Separate, they are two fantastic people that could probably conquer the world if given the chance. Together, well watch out, because it’s only a matter of time before they do conquer the world.
Drew and Stacy, thank you so much for allowing me into your home. Your girls are so much fun to be around! I hope that I was able to capture your family as you are. Raw, fun-loving, and full of love. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed spending this morning with you, I will not ever forget it. Thank you, thank you, thank you. :)
Mom and her babe… I fall over for pictures like this.
No narration needed between photos, except this one… RAWR!
To see more photos, please CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW!
**Cambria honey, I found a special song for you to put those sweet dance moves to work. :)
Cheers!
Like this post? Share it on or
August 18th, 2011
A second sneak peek in one week? This is a first in findMiMi history.
I couldn’t help but share… and this is why:
Super cute, right? Hope this brightens up your Thursday.
Cheers!
Like this post? Share it on or
August 17th, 2011
I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes before sending them a text letting them know I had arrived. That was when I received a text from her asking if we could shoot another day. My stomach dropped. In like 3 nanoseconds I had 10 different thoughts running through my head. Was it a mistake to schedule a shoot so early? Were the kiddos not doing well? Had they gotten in a fight and decided not to come? Had something seriously bad happened the night before?? I called immediately and a man answered. For a minute I was terribly confused and questioned 1) Whether I had the right number 2) Whether I had just called my husband, and 3) Was she sick???
“I was about to text back ‘just kidding’ before you called. We’re on our way.”
It was her husband.
I sat in the car and let the blood rush back through my body. Then I had a laughing party alone. In the parking lot. I started up the car and drove to a gas station, bought some gum and giggled all the way back. Turned out I didn’t need Starbucks to kick start my day after all.
Trent and Amanda, thanks for the early morning wake up call! You two have such a beautiful family. And I really had such a great time taking pictures for you. I’m not so sure I did justice to how wonderful it is to see your family dynamic, but you guys are truly a family to model after. Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to photograph your cute family. :) That being said, GAME ON Trent! Too bad a person is only truly vulnerable while they sleep… it’s not like we have a CAMPING TRIP coming up or anything! ;)
The great thing about this family particularly was that they needed very, very little to no help with posing . I set them in pretty light and the magic just sort of happened. You guys are just fantastic.
I’m a huge sucker for photos of mommas and her babes. Just precious, right?
With four kiddos I’m sure a go-with-the-flow attitude is necessary, along with a “Keep Your Humor” motto. Not your typical family portrait, but still a moment worth capturing.
And then there’s this…
Seriously, how gorgeous is she? Amanda, I could take your pictures all day long. But I won’t, because that would be super creepy. ;)
To see more photos from this shoot please CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW!
*A quick note about the slideshow: Amanda was the inspiration behind my slideshows and I made my very first slideshow for her and her kiddos. It still remains to be one of my favorite slideshows. The song, I felt, was perfect. I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to out-do the last slideshow, but then I this song came to me, literally. And it couldn’t be more perfect. I heard this song for the first time on the day of the shoot, and I’m certain it came to me for a reason.*
Like this post? Share it on or
August 16th, 2011
I can’t decide which photos to put in my blog post for this shoot, so I’m doing a quickie sneak peek to hold me off from committing just a bit longer. :)
Here’s my trouble:
Cute squishy babies!
This is from a family shoot I had this weekend? Tough job, I tell ya. ;)
Like this post? Share it on or
March 7th, 2011
It threatened to rain. She threatened to take have her photos taken anyway. If there was any insecurity about shooting in the rain, she didn’t show it. She gracefully, appreciatively rolled with the punches. The weather did clear up by the time we had our shoot, but it wouldn’t have mattered. She would’ve done just about anything to have her pictures taken with her little ones. Even stand cold and wet in the rain. She’s not easily threatened. She defies the odds.
The neighborhood where she attended middle school stands almost exactly how it used to. Except for the occasional boarded up window and cinder block fence that seem to pop up sporadically. Christmas twine dangles from an apartment window that appears to be vacant. There is a new accessory that has been added to the school. A shiny, new 10 foot chain-link fence now surrounds the entire school. To keep the bad guys away. The park across the street where the drug dealers hung out during lunch hour is now a pool. A ten-year-old gangbanger walks down the street with his 4-year-old little brother. It’s still as depressing as it used to be. If I hadn’t gone to the same middle school I wouldn’t have been so impressed that she made it out alive or that she re-wrote her story. Not only am I impressed that she survived and changed her legacy, but I can’t feel more proud for her that she has graduated from UNR with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. A Bachelor’s. How awesome is that? She defies the odds deliberately and without regret. When she was still attending UNR she rattled off statistics to me and told me what her odds were and where she would one day be, to add to the growing percentage. It was the hard path. But she had picked her side and wasn’t letting up until she received her black robes and black cap. She defied the odds.
Jessica, seriously thank you so much for allowing me the pleasure of photographing you and your cute kiddos! I could go on and say that it was so much fun and blah, blah, blah… but that’s too on the surface, what I really want to say is that the time I got to spend with you meant so much to me and I’m sorry it couldn’t have been more. You are a gem. In every sense of the word. You’re still here and I can’t be more thankful! Let’s make sure a hundred years don’t pass between the next time we see each other. :)
Look at those legs. Rawr. The kiddos are pretty cute too. ;)
This little guy has the energy of a hurricane! But honestly, could he be any more adorable?
These photos of mama and her baby girl seriously make me jealous I don’t have a daughter. And one as smart as she is! She wants to be a scientist when she grows up. Guess she inherited her mama’s brains to boot!
I could not love this photo any more than I do! L.O.V.E.
Look at those curls! *squishy cheeks!*
And fierce. Scene.
To see more photos CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW!
Cheers and Happy Monday!
Like this post? Share it on or
August 30th, 2010
The voicemail told me exactly what had to change: The date of our shoot. What it didn’t have to say was that she would feel better about the doctor’s appointment without a looming photo shoot to think about afterwards. She didn’t have to. It was close to 2pm when I listened to the voicemail. I was at her house by 2:30pm with my camera in hand.
Having just had a baby 4 days prior, she looked so good! I could tell this was as spur of the moment for her as it was for me. Knowing that, we both put on our “work together” hats and made the shoot as easy and fun as we could.
Denyse you were such a trooper through the whole thing and such a great help on such short notice. I can’t say enough good things about you and your cute family! Thanks for the fun and the cookies! :D
Seeing as though I had never done a newborn session, I was a little shaken up about our shoot having moved up by one day. I felt that the extra day would’ve helped me prepare a little bit more, but in all honesty, it would’ve just been an extra day to “pretend” to plan for it. I loved the spontaneity of it, and it’s challenges like these where I believe we grow the most from. At least that was what I kept telling myself!
Seriously, how cute is this baby?
Denyse was one of the first people I met when we moved. Her husband played soccer with my husband’s best-friend, (isn’t that how it always goes?) we were both pregnant at the time with our first babies. Had it not been for that strange coincidence, our friendship probably wouldn’t have developed as quickly as it did. I’m very glad that it did. When I told her about my venture in photography, she called up her mom and had me shoot her family photos. That’s how supportive she was. Plus, she makes some pretty squishy babies, don’t tell her, but I keep her around for her squishy babies.
I’m not a “props” kind of girl, unless there’s meaning or story behind them, but I only like using them as minimally as possible. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Denyse did not lack any of these specially made blankets, buckets, or (did you notice?) old Ford Trucks? Um, yes please!
I’ve said this often, one of the best things anyone can say to me, is that they trust me. As a photographer. Now if someone said they trusted my sewing abilities, I’d be a little a lot disheartened because then I’d KNOW they’re not keeping it real! But that little nod of approval that says, do what you do fills me up in a way I can’t even describe. It makes me want to give away hugs and kisses like they’re going out of style. I won’t though, that would be totally weird. Max had no choice but to trust me, his momma said so!
Those little wrinkles just kill me!
Speaking of trust…
Denyse’s mom made this cute little blanket. Max doesn’t know it yet, but I hear polka dots are the new black!
We were about to call it a wrap when I realized I didn’t get the one photo Denyse was looking forward to, so I wasn’t about to leave without that photo.
Oh and a quick shout out to my girl, Joanna from Joanna Taylor Photography for helping a sister out and answering a few questions! You’re awesome!
Cheers!
To see more photos from this shoot CLICK HERE to view a slideshow!
Like this post? Share it on or
May 20th, 2010
I had a Mommy and Me session with Amanda and her 3 cute kiddos.
She stepped out of the car and not one hair was out of place. She looked gorgeous. I wondered how a mom of three was able to pull that off for more than 10 minutes. That alone was pretty incredible.
With a 5, 3, and 1 1/2 year-old I can only imagine how a person’s patience is constantly tried, but she lets it roll off with a grace that could rival Rita Hayworth. During our time together, the kiddos were a bundle of energy. When one would over-step their bounds she never raised her voice or seemed peeved, instead she gently refereed and encouraged the behavior she approved of, all while letting them be who they are; never extinguishing that little light.
What I saw was a momma completely head-over-heals in love with her little ones. One that knows her babes inside and out. One with a gentle but mighty love.
I’m so glad I had this opportunity, and I hope they’ll let me and my camera into their lives again soon. And maybe next time we’ll invite dad. ;) Thank you guys for letting me snap a few photos!
Here are a few of my favs from our time together:
Mishaps happen! And I just absolutely love this picture.
I love it when moments like these organically happen, and I become just a bystander with a camera. Love with a capital L.O.V.E.
She pulled out the book and began reading aloud to herself. I was so amazed that a 3-year-old could read! And that was when Amanda bursts my bubble and tells me that they have read this book so often that she just knows it by heart. I was still pretty impressed!
This black and white photo… there’s the tiniest smile on her face, but it’s worth a thousand-and-one words. Gentle and mighty are two of those words.
Before we went out on our shoot, Amanda made an off-hand comment to me about liking slideshows, so I have here the very first findMiMi Slideshow!
To see more photos from our Mommy and Me session, and to view the slideshow please Click here!
Like this post? Share it on or
March 28th, 2010
It took her a long time to talk to me. I think it may have been on our 3rd meeting when she finally said hi. She’s cautious, and deliberate. She’s a bit sharp and likes to hang with the boys. She has gentle eyes, and the most radiant smile (if she’ll let you see it). You are a lucky person if she lets you in long enough to let you see her smile, it’s one you don’t want to miss.
He’s a thinker and a goofball. He knows more about his surroundings than he lets on. He’s easy to talk to, easy to make smile. He’s polite, and a caretaker. He appears rough, but he’s got a gentle soul.
He’s very reserved, very shy. He’s the quieter one of the bunch, but when he speaks he says the right things. And don’t let those gorgeous blues fool you, he’s mischievous. A prankster.
This one stole my heart. She has a smile that can brighten anyone’s day. She gives it away freely and I’m so glad she does. She’s a happy energy, one that lifts you up and makes you soar.
She also knows how to ham it up for the camera!
Together they are a team that one could only wish to be a part of, let alone be born into.
And one more, because she’s just that precious.
Like this post? Share it on or
