Through a Child's Eyes

  I aspire to live a childlike life every day.  But what does that really mean?  I spent so many of my younger years wanting to grow up, I've consistently viewed myself as 5-10 years older than I am.  I mean, really - I was MATURE.  And everyone around me knew it. Age is still a funny thing to me, and I often get uncomfortable when people ask how old I am.  I am not too old, I am not too young, I simply don't want to be defined my age.  So, here's what it is really about: when I was 12 years old, I believed that being immature was bad.  It wasn't "cool" if I got too excited about life, or too inquisitive.  In my life now, I have definitely changed my mind - those are some of the qualities I value most.

Seeing the world through a child's eyes.  Everything is new, everything is exciting, and everything is an adventure.

I want to ask the "why" questions, explore the "what would happen if..." questions, and allow the changes all around - in nature and in people - leave an impact on me.  I want to open my eyes.  To have a sense of wonder for everything around me, an excitement to help and to share, and always unconditional love.  I love this photo of my niece looking out at a rainy day.  I want to feel what she feels.  What a perfect moment.

Watching a young soul discover the world is beautiful.  And, even more inspiring is watching an old soul see the world through young eyes again.  To live a child-like life.  To see the world through a child's eyes.  To really catch the vision of the adventure in every moment.

Holladay Family

  Thomas and I had a lot of fun at this family portrait/ 1st birthday baby shoot.  The Holladays were awesome to work with, and little Benjamin was absolutely adorable!

I love this park.  It's quite possibly my favorite spot to do family photos.

Little Ben was quite the poser.... he was pushing himself up into a sitting position, and just kind of stopped when he got halfway up so he could look at his parents and the camera...

  

I loved the outfits that they had for Ben!  This orange button-up was perfect for summer.

Ben was so cute when we got his cake in front of him... he was pretty timid at first, just kind of poking at it a bit.  Brooke actually had to take a bit of the frosting and put it on his nose and mouth before he tried it.  As soon as he tried it though, it was like a train just building up steam.  First fingers went in to get licked off, then one little hand was reaching out for more at a time, and within about 3 or 4 minutes he was double-fisting huge handfuls of cake into his mouth.  Not just frosting either, but actual big chunks of cake.  He ate about three quarters of the cake before we were finished!

...Then comes the baby in the baby carriage.

  When Liz and Ryan had their beautiful baby boy Sammy, we scheduled this mini shoot.  Here are a few images I was really pleased with.

  

Ryan and Liz were both LDS missionaries in Mexico City where they first met.  They thought it would be cute to set up the next two shots for their future missionary.  I thought it was adorable.

  

It's a boy!

  Elizabeth just had a beautiful baby boy, and we did a maternity shoot less than a week before she was due.  She was lovely, and brought her beautiful family along!

  

  

  

This photo reminds me of something.... something awesome.

For anyone who hasn't seen this... you're welcome.  To everyone else who has seen it already... you should watch it again.

Gardner Family

  The Gardners recently had an addition to their family and we had the opportunity to help them update their family photos.

This picture of Sam and Katie just made my heart melt.... Sam seems like an awesome big brother.

We told the kids that if they were good they'd get a treat at the end.  :)

Looking Dapper in Diapers

  Is there anything cuter than toddlers in formalwear?  I think not!

Kate & Sofia

  I shot these two little cousins last fall when we did their extended family portrait session.  This spring shoot was just for them, however.

Their outfits were adorable, but it was definitely a cold spring day and Sofia wasn't especially excited about the process.  I still think her little crying face is really cute though!

Kate was a bit more stoic about the tempurature.

After all was said and done, I loved this little girl!  She was so cute- the perfect picture of a happy, inquisitive toddler.

Sofia had some happier moments as well, usually when Momma was around.

Check out Sophia's photos here and Kate's photos here.

To finish it off, I want to share what might be the greatest expression ever.  When I looked at this photo, I was reminded of how I used to feel when my parents kissed at the dinner table in front of us. Ewwwwwwwwww!

Old Friends

We came to Las Vegas to shoot Alexandra & Tyrel's engagements (they will be saying "I do" today, congratulations you two), but also had the privilege of doing portraits for old friends.  Buzz and Cheri were lindy hoppers back in our glory days, and they have now settled in Las Vegas - with two kids full of personality!  They were kind of enough to let us stay with them that weekend and we are so grateful!  

Now, here's the sappy story and a bit of insight into my past:  Thomas and I dated for about 2 years, with a couple hiccups along the way.  About a year in, Cheri and I had a heart-to-heart and she decided that I was in love.  But no!  I wasn't ready to admit that... well, at least for a couple more months.  When I look back at that time, though, I think she was right.  I should probably give her 10% credit that we eventually got married.  And I'm glad for the kick in the pants to start thinking more seriously.  After all, I not only got a husband, but I got a voice-controlled-light-stand.  Who could ask for more?  The truth is, as a person, and as a photographer, I'd be nothing without him.

Jonathan and Zak were so much fun and full of energy.  Reminds me of the craziness and rewarding moments I can I look forward to when I have my own.

Click to see Jonathan's, Zak's, or The Family's photos.

Lindy's Cake Smash

To try and meet my cuteness quota for the blog, I decided to share these photos from Lindy's 1 yr shoot.  She has one of the best names ever for a little girl. Our friends Lexi and Alan are both swing dancers. They met dancing, just like Thomas and I did, and so when they had a little girl, they decided to name her after their favorite dance- the Lindy Hop!  

Of course, she also goes by her dad's nickname for her...   "Chunk".

It took a little while for Lindy to decide what to do with the cake, but she got into the swing of things pretty quick.

This last one is probably my favorite.