ASHLEY V. PHOTOGRAPHY

University of Oregon Senior: Megan

2011-09-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

My third session last weekend was spent hanging out in Eugene, Oregon at the University of Oregon campus taking photos of Megan!!! She is just about done with her degree and will be heading to Grad school soon.....congratulations on this huge step in your life Megan! I had a ton of fun walking around the camps and even enjoyed a nice Pumpkin Spice Latte afterward :) The campus is so pretty and we found some great spots for photos. Megan is such a sweet person and is seriously ridiculously smart! She plays guitar in a band and we were able to capture some great shots with her guitar......and she is REALLY good too!!!

Megan, thank you so much for asking me to photograph such a meaningful time in your life. I hope you love your sneak peek and I hope to get the rest to you soon!

I seriously love this image!

Sweet Home Senior: Bret

2011-09-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

This is Sweet Home Senior #2 from this past Saturday. His session was also held in Brownsville and his super sweet Mom and little sister tagged along! They are the sweetest family and were so incredibly gracious and up for anything! Bret also brought his beautiful black lab, Drake for a few photos. Drake was a perfect subject and let us get some great shots of him :) The two of them are just attached at the hip!

Bret and Kristin, I hope you love these photos and there are plenty more to come soon!

Sweet Home Senior: Alex

2011-09-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

I must say this lady was mighty busy this past weekend, but I had a ton of fun!!! I got to enjoy the sun on Saturday in Brownsville for Alex's Senior shoot. He is another Sweet Home Senior and I just love shooting in Brownsville. The cute town has great textures and architecture to work with.....and soooo many options all in a 1 mile radius! Doesn't get much better than that. Alex and his grandma met me downtown and he was such a great sport! Here are a few of my faves so far from his session and I'm sure I will find many more faves over the next few day :)

Alex, I hope you and your family love these images and there are more to come soon! Thank you so much for asking me to take your Senior portraits! Enjoy this sneak peek....

Sweet Home, OR: 4 Friends, 4 Seniors.......

2011-08-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend brought us very warm weather for Oregon! It was about 90-95 degrees and very sunny, but I wasn't complaining because it was so nice to be out in the sun. I had a blast working with these four Senior guys from Sweet Home High School. They were such great sports and really up for anything. They chose the first location which was gorgeous.....we drove to a remote location on the Santiam River with the water flowing, tons of rock and greenery, and awesome company! My sister came along which added to the fun :) We also hit up the Sankey Bridge in Sweet Home (probably my favorite location). It's such great location with a huge covered bridge and is the home of the Oregon Jamboree. And lastly, we headed over the high school football field for some photos that would incorporate their favorite sport. Needless to say, it was a great day and I had a great shoot. I decided to post these all together because these guys are all friends and we shot these at the same locations. Jerohn, Lorenzo, Tyler, and Jesse...thank you guys for allowing me to capture these photos for your Senior year and I hope you have an awesome Senior year!!! These are just a few and there will more to come soon :) This is just a sneak peek for you all :) I hope you love them!

P.S.-Jerohn is my sister's fiance's younger brother :)

Jerohn...

Jesse...

Lorenzo...

And Tyler...

Of course we had to get a few with all the guys....here are a few of my faves!

OOPS!!!

2011-06-27T15:31:00.001-07:00

Please don't mind the blog header! I need to fix that and will get to it sometime this week! It's a little weird looking at the moment. My apologies.

Johnson & Barney Wedding ~ Bend, OR

2011-06-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend the weather in Central Oregon was divine and it was the perfect setting for a wedding! Blue skies and barely a cloud in sight. I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Cami and Nik at First Missionary Baptist Church on Saturday. The day was perfect and full of friends, family and so much love for the soon-to-be-married couple. Not a detail was left unnoticed. Pink flowers and twinkling lights adorned the sanctuary and reception hall, while guests hung words of advice on branches for the lovely couple. There wasn't a dry eye that left the beautiful ceremony that was officiated by the bride's father.

Cami and Nik, thank you for inviting me to participate in your special day. It was an honor to photograph your wedding and make new friends at the same time :) I truly hope you love your photographs and they help you remember every single moment. Here is a little sneak peek and the rest will follow soon!

BLACK & WHITES......

2011-03-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love great black and whites! There is just something so raw about them when there is no color and you can just appreciate the details in the photo. Sometimes I prefer nice bold colors, but lately I have really been loving black and whites. I was editing more of my sister's engagement photos and fell in love with these ones.

MY LITTLE GIRL ~ ALL GROWN UP

2011-03-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

With this move across the country about 4 weeks ago my poor camera and blog had been neglected. I have been letting the time get away from me and then I realized that Madison turned 4 years old on Christmas Eve and I never took her photos! UNACCEPTABLE. I couldn't believe I let 3 months pass without taking her photos. Well, this week I finally was able to find a day with great weather and a willing little girl....and she rocked it out! She is really starting to enjoy being in front of the camera and is turning into my little model. There is this great park/trail area that my mom took us to and we found a great location. I am really excited with the way these turned out!

Here is my 4 year old (who acts 14 these days) loving the camera :)

This is my fave of the session....can't resist these black and whites and that perfect smile :)

Can we say ATTITUDE....haha! Love it!

Of course I had to snap one of both the kiddos together....Logan's 2 year photos will be gracing the blog in August :)

KARA & RYAN ~ ENGAGED!!!

2011-03-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am ecstatic that I was finally able to sit down and edit these photos! I was patiently (maybe not so patiently) waiting for my new laptop to arrive from Chicago. Yes, my amazing hubby purchased, set up, and overnighted it to me so that I could get my editing done :)

This beautiful couple is my amazing little sister and her hubby-to-be! I was so grateful to be able to tag along last weekend on their engagement session. I am the maid of honor in her wedding so we were lucky to book the lovely Karen Stott to photograph their special day. Karen was so sweet to let me come to their session and bring my camera :) I had the opportunity to watch, learn and snap away to get my own photos....not to mention it was such a fun day! Luckily we dodged the rain and were able to use the overcast skies to our advantage. We met in the tiny town of Brownsville, Oregon and found some amazing locations!

I have been waiting to get these photos up and I LOVE the way they turned out! I hope Kara and Ryan love them as much as I do.

Now on to the eye candy.....Warning: this is a very, very long post! I couldn't resist :)

I seriously couldn't choose favorites because I love so many of them! Love you two bunches and I wish you all the happiness in the world :) Can't wait for your wedding day!!!

XOXO

MY BUSY LIFE....

2011-01-19T05:46:00.000-08:00

I have been SO horrible about posting any photos lately.....especially of my own family! Shame on me!!! It's been a busy time around the Verbeke household! I have held off on any photoshoots lately due to everything else I have going on and not having enough time to devote to it :( I am hoping that will change once I get moved and get settled in. We have made the decision to move to Oregon and live near my family. I am super excited about this decision, but at the same time a bit stressed because we have to leave my husband behind for a little while so he can finish up his time in the Navy. I know everything will be fine though and God will pull us through it as a family :) For now, I wanted to just post a recent photo of each of my kiddos....they are growing up too fast and I haven't been very good at keeping up with the photos of them! I need to get my camera out more than I have been and savor all the moments I can while they are small.

MINI-SESSION #2: Such a Lovely Family!

2010-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I had a super quick session with the Crothers Family (the twins have been featured here on the blog a few times now)! They wanted to get a few family photos from Christmas cards and we managed to find a day where the weather wasn't too terribly cold to get outside. It's getting so cold here to do anything outside so we lucked out finding a day that worked! This family is so adorable and the boys' have the best personalities!

I hope you love these photos! I think we managed to get some really great shots in such a short amount of time :)

TEENY TINY......

2010-11-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to take some photos of Baby L last weekend and it was a great experience! His parents are good friends of ours and asked me awhile back to take some photos for them once he arrived. He joined the world on October 20th and he was 11 days old when we took these photos. I must say that newborns are extremely tough to photograph! I don't have much newborn experience so I was excited to try it out and see what I could come up with! That said, we were able to get some great shots but Baby L was not in picture taking mood that day. He slept a tiny bit at first and then was not a happy camper when he was moved, touched or uncovered. We even tried keeping the house super warm and using a heating pad but he was not liking what I wanted to do :) Of course it was understandable seeing as that we stripped him down to his "birthday suit" and interrupted his day. I don't know that I would have been happy either....haha! W family, thank you for letting me practice and photograph your bundle of joy. He is such a blessing and I can't wait to see him grow!

Here are a few of my faves...

Proud Daddy :)

His big sister just adores him...

Tiny smile :)

What a beautiful mommy Baby L has!

MINI-SESSION #1: A Sweet Couple & A Gorgeous Dog :)

2010-11-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

I had my first Holiday Mini-Session last weekend and it was an absolutely GORGEOUS day for a photoshoot! I know Meghan from work and she approached me about Holiday Photos awhile back for herself, her boyfriend, and her adorable dog. I was thrilled to be able to do these photos for her! She is the sweetest person and it was so fun meeting outside of work for a quick session. Meghan, I hope you all love your photos and they look great for your Christmas cards :)

Aren't they just so cute?!

REMEMBER THESE CUTIES???

2010-10-27T04:47:00.000-07:00

You just might remember these two cute twin boys gracing my blog a few months ago. Well, I had the pleasure of photographing them for the second time about a week ago. I meant to post a preview sooner but things have been busy around here lately! E and B's mom wanted to try outdoor shots this time around for something different and we had lots of fun chasing these super active guys all around Nippersink Forest Preserve :) They remind me of Logan because they are in that stage where they just wanted to walk and run all over the place and would rather not be held when they are outside! I definitely got my exercise in during their session...haha. These adorably boys are enjoying an awesome vacation right now and I sure hope they are having a blast!

Sorry this post is a little late, but here is a sneak peek of your session. Hope you love these images as much as I do!

JUST A FEW MORE......

2010-10-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist posting a few more images from Shelby's session. All of her images turned out so well!!!

She brought along these gorgeous flowers and I had to incorporate them into a few shots!

FAMILY PORTRAITS: Navarro Family

2010-10-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I took a few family photos for our good friends, the Navarro family. They really wanted an updated photo of their family, especially since they are going to be welcoming a new bundle of joy in the Spring :) The Navarro family is a fellow Navy family that we met almost a year ago and they have become some of our closest friends! In fact, Krystine babysits Madison and Logan the days that I am working and it works out wonderfully for all of us...I wouldn't want them with anyone else :) I know this was a quick fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants shoot, but I hope you love these photos of your beautiful family! Love you guys!!!

This one is my favorite! I just love how natural it is!

FALL WEATHER + ADORABLE GIRL = AMAZING PHOTOSHOOT

2010-10-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I was asked by a member of our Hot Shots group to take some portraits for her! I was beyond flattered that she would even think of me and I was incredibly excited because she is so adorable and the sweetest person ever :) She was never able to have fun Senior portraits taken before she graduated and is now in her first year of college....the perfect time to have a super fun session! We met yesterday at the University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary (which is a breathtaking location) and had such an awesome shoot. Her mom came along to have fun with us and help out and we all had a blast chatting and laughing! I adore them so much and hope that we get to see each other again very soon! The air was crisp and we had perfect fall weather for her photoshoot.....and she brought so many fun outfits and props that made it so amazing. Everything about this session was perfect!

Shelby, I hope you love these images and I can't wait to finish the rest for you! You are such a gentle soul and special person! Thank you for such a wonderful session and enjoy your sneak preview :) These are just a few of my favorites so far...

I love the sun pouring in behind her...

Shelby is passionate about Photography too and she is one talented lady so of course we had to get some shots with her camera!

PUMPKINS......

2010-10-15T05:29:00.000-07:00

Oh blog, how I've missed you!

It's been WAY to long since I have posted any new photos of anyone or anything! Shame on me! Now that I am working part-time I have more time to work on projects and photo shoots....yay! Yesterday I was home with the kids and the weather here was just gorgeous so we had to get outside to play for a bit. We bought these little pumpkins at the pumpkin patch last weekend that are on our porch so Logan decided to sit and play with them for a bit. I am pretty surprised he didn't smash them to bits with the way he was throwing them around :) Needless to say, we had fun and went for a nice walk. Logan is such a busy body these days though and hard to keep up with...he doesn't sit still at all and just wants to go, go, go!

Madison is eagerly waiting for Halloween to be here so she can wear her Ariel costume that Ya-Ya bought for her :)

Stay tuned for an upcoming Senior/College Freshman Session early next week! I get to hang out and have fun with Shelby tomorrow and I can't wait for her session!

MY LIFE......

2010-08-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I last posted photos of my own family! I have been so busy with working full-time again and trying to keep up with my passion!!! I did take a few recent photos of my hubby and kiddos the other day that I would love to share....these three people are my life!

I love this man!

She sure is a crazy girl :)

Riding in his new wagon that he got for his birthday!

BIRTHDAY BOY......

2010-08-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

If this little guy looks familiar, it's because he was featured on my blog a few months back! Mark Anthony is turning 1 at the end of this month so this time we got to have a cupcake smash for his 1st birthday :) He is such a cutie pie and he is almost walking! He has such big brown eyes and the best smile! I had so much fun with Mark and can't wait for another session with him....I hope you love these images Kimberly :)

Love the look on his face!

JUST A COUPLE MORE.....

2010-07-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

I was sitting here editing Neil's images and just thought I would share a couple more that I liked :)

CHARISMATIC SENIOR {Warren Township High School}.....

2010-07-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

I was trying to think of one word that would describe this Senior and the one I kept falling back on was charismatic! I met up with Neil for this session last night at his home to take some Senior portraits in his backyard and a park down the street. We plan to have another session soon to get some more images! From the moment I walked in the door he was super friendly and outgoing and fun to work with. He seems so kind-hearted and has a gentle soul. And, he is passionate about Photography so the conversation was great :) I love to talk Photography!

Neil, it was a pleasure working with you to create your Senior portraits! I truly hope you and your family love these images! I wish you the best Senior year possible and the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. Here are some of my favorites from your session...the rest should be ready soon!

Enjoy!

Loved the suit!

He loves cycling! I am so happy we could incorporate his cycling gear into a few shots :)

I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF......

2010-07-30T05:19:00.000-07:00

After going through Paige's entire session, I found so many other photos that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE!!!! I know, I know. I am posting a huge amount of photos! But, I can't help it....I love the way the session turned out and I just have to share these images! I don't think I found one image where Paige didn't look stunning :)

So, here you go Paige! More of my faves to share with you!!!

The image on the left is another fave of my...definitely in the top 5!

I can't get enough of these purple wildflowers!

More faves :)

Ok, so I am seriously not picking favorites anymore, because I love too many! The right image is so fun and a great showcase of Paige's personality.

GORGEOUS SENIOR {Warren Township High School}.....

2010-07-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

This amazingly gorgeous high school senior has graced my blog before and she came back for her full session yesterday! I was beyond ecstatic to work with Paige again...she is fun, outgoing, personable, up for anything, and did I mention she is GORGEOUS :) She is my Senior Rep and has been working so hard to get some new clients in the door for me....I can't thank you enough Paige for your enthusiasm! I had some ideas in mind and I am so happy we were able to work a few of them out! She made everything easy for me....I barely have to tell her to do anything (she is such a natural model) and I must say that she rocks the serious look!!! I had a blast for those few hours and we were able to create some beautiful images for Paige and her family.

I always have a hard time narrowing down which images to post because there are a bunch that I love! I told Paige that I would put maybe 10 on the blog...well that idea was thrown out the window because there are definitely more than 10 here :) So, be prepared for a long post!

Paige and Karen, thank you so much for everything! I feel blessed to have met the two of you and know that we will be forever friends :) I hope you love these images and there are more to come soon! Paige, I hope you have an AMAZING senior year and I just know that you will accomplish anything and everything your heart desires!

I just love the colors in these!

She has such a great smile :)

I couldn't decide if I liked the the chocolatey black & white or the color version better...love them both for different reasons!

These purple wildflowers are amazing!

She has the prettiest eyes too!

I think this is my favorite so far....love everything about it!

I really wanted to do something with some fun throw pillows and Paige brought these...they were PERFECT!!!

ADORABLE TWINS......

2010-07-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

The mother of these super cute little boys contacted me a few weeks ago to take some very simple, studio-style portraits and their session was this past Tuesday evening. Mr. E and Mr. B are 14 months old so they are super active and we were chasing them around everywhere! But they have the cutest personalities and I had so much fun working with them! I hope to see E and B again very soon for more portraits :) Thank you S for inviting me to your home to photograph your little ones! I hope you loved your photos!

Here are a few of my faves from the evening....

TURNING 1.....

2010-07-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

I know all mothers say it time and time again, but I really can't believe how fast my kids are growing up! Logan turns 1 on August 4th and the past year has flown by! I can't believe my little man is turning 1 already. He isn't walking yet but I have no doubt that it will happen soon! He has 8 teeth now and more are trying to come in....and he just had his 2nd haircut! His hair is thick and grows super fast! I am so happy that I have had the opportunity to stay home with my kids and enjoy his first year, but I will be returning to work in a few weeks.

Over the weekend I decided to do a 1 year photo shoot for Logan and we had tons of fun....he absolutely loved his cupcakes and was shoving handfuls in his mouth! Then we headed outdoors the following day for some fun portraits. I am pretty happy with the way they turned out because it is getting much harder to hold his attention these days.

This is the same photo but two different crops and compositions...can't decide which i like better!

He is such a handsome and happy little boy :)

Love those chubby cheeks and arms!

LOVE these!!!

Some of my faves of them together!

And of course I had to snap some of Madison too :)

She is becoming quite the little model these days!

A FEW MORE FAVES.....

2010-07-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

I was going through the wedding images from last weekend and just found a couple more that I fell in love with! So, of course I wanted to share them :)

MY LITTLE MODELS.....

2010-07-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

I snapped some quick shots of my kids in the kitchen last night and I fell in love with these images! Madison is seriously turning into my little model and I love it!!!

Rockin' the serious face!

Can we say "Hello Eyelashes"!

ILLINOIS STATE BEACH RESORT WEDDING: M & G.......

2010-07-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to tag along as a second shooter to a fabulous wedding! I was asked awhile back by Heather Hart to attend the wedding with her to help out. Of course I said yes :) I have been wanting to get more experience photographing wedding so this was perfect.

The wedding was held at Illinois State Beach Resort and the weather was perfect. Although a bit humid, the clouds helped keep the harsh sun under control. The ceremony was outdoors in front of a beautiful cross made by the bride's brother. Following the ceremony, cocktails and appetizers were served outside and then everyone retreated to the reception site that was indoors.

Needless to say, everything went very well and M & G's wedding was gorgeous. From the dress (that was her grandmother's), the veil (that was her mother's), the decorations, and the friends and family there supporting the bride and groom on their special day....it truly was a great experience! Both families were such inspirational followers of Christ and I couldn't have asked for a more welcoming wedding party :)

Thank you again Heather for inviting me to attend! To M & G, I wish you all the best in your life together and may God bless you in everything you choose to do!

Now, on the sneak peek :) I always have such a hard time choosing photos to post and this was no easy feat! This is a lengthy post to say the least, but I chose my favorites (a few from the ceremony, getting ready and several detail shots).

What a beautiful setting!

Two of the flower girls....these girls were the bride's adorable nieces.

The cute little ring bearer...

I just love these "peek through" shots :)

I absolutely LOVE detail shots!

They just look so happy and 100% in love :)

Such a fun group!

Getting ready to head off in their slick mustang!

These are my absolute favorite shots. EVER!

The first dance as husband and wife....and the father/daughter dance

FIX IT FRIDAY IS BACK!

2010-07-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

I just loved working with this image this week for Fix it Friday over and i heart faces! It was from a Senior Session, which are one of my favorite types of shoots.

Original Image:

My edited version:

Such a fun image to edit! Check out the other edits!

FUN VISIT......

2010-07-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had some Navy friends come through town and they stopped to visit us for a few hours before finishing their drive down to Indiana for a wedding. We met them about 6 years ago in San Diego and have remained pretty close over the years....they now live in Kansas and we are of course in Illinois. It was so great to see them. It has been way too long and we both have new babies! I didn't get to take too many photos because we had a limited visit but I did manage to get a couple.

NEW LOOK.....

2010-06-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

I have been throwing around ideas lately for a different look for my blog and logo. I have never been completely satisfied with the colors I have been using or the logo itself. I wanted something different and modern. So, I have made some changes and so far I am loving it! Feel free to leave me some comments on what you think!!!! I would love to know your thoughts :)

I HEART FACES: "ALL ABOUT TEENS"......

2010-06-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

This week's theme is "All About Teens" over at i heart faces! I was super excited to see this theme!!! I have been dying to enter this photo of my Senior Rep, Paige! It's one of my all-time favorite images I have taken. You can view her mini-session here.

There are sooo many fabulous entries this week...check them out!

MY LOVES......

2010-06-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

I will admit that I have been soooo terrible about posting recent photos of my kids lately! I have been in a bit of a slump and keep forgetting to take out the camera at home....that tends to happen when you have your camera on you so much outside of the home! I finally spent some time taking photos at home and outside the past few days...much needed :)

So, here are some new photos of Madison and Logan. Madison is starting to cooperate a little more and allowing me to photograph her. Logan will be 1 years old in about 6 weeks and I can't believe he has grown up so fast!!!

LOUDEN WEDDING: Part 2.....

2010-06-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more photos from the Louden wedding in Indiana that I wanted to share....

I HEART FACES: "ALL ABOUT BABIES"

2010-06-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't participated in an i heart faces challenge in quite awhile but felt drawn to this week's theme, "all about babies". I couldn't resist entering a photo of my son, Logan! The requirements are that the baby is not walking yet. This photo of him was taken about a month or two ago and he is still not walking (possibly soon though). I just love his squishy cheeks and super blue eyes :) I can't get enough of this kid!

There are tons of amazing entries...head on over to check them out!

LOUDEN WEDDING SNEAK PEEK {Rising Sun, IN}.....

2010-06-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I drove down to the cutest area of Indiana to shoot a wedding for the Louden's. Our hotel was in Batesville and the ceremony was held in Rising Sun....both of which were super cute! I could have stayed and window shopped all day :) The ceremony took place right on the Ohio River and it was the perfect day! The weather looked rainy but cleared up just in time...love when that happens :) This was my first big wedding and I am so happy that I was able to gain this experience because they are a ton of work. I had so much fun though and still have lots more photos to edit! Mandy and Garrett, thank you so much for inviting me to share your special day with you. I hope you love these photos and I look forward to sharing the rest with you very soon. Enjoy your sneak peek :)

p.s. - don't mind the changes on my blog...I am planning another color and scheme change! I can't seem to find colors that I am in love with!

The whole gang :)

Mandy looked fabulous!

Details...

Definitely a fave! Loved it in color too...

And of course we couldn't leave out the mid-air shot :)

Thanks again for having me there guys! Hope you love your sneak peek!!!

BLUE-EYED BABES....

2010-05-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

Since it was a rainy day and we couldn't do much outdoors, I decided to take more photos of the kids....I have been so horrible about it lately! Logan is such a ham and is so fun to photograph at this age. Madison on the other hand, despises the camera and does not like to look towards the camera. And when I actually get her to glance my direction, she usually give me funny faces or covers her face!!! So here are a few from today...mainly of Logan because Madison doesn't cooperate :)

PARK FUN....

2010-05-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

These photos are from last week when I took the kids to the park. It was a super windy day and a little chilly but we toughed it out and Madison really enjoyed it. She always loves to get outside and play though!!!

SUNSET SERENADE: PART 1.....

2010-05-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

The Warren H.S. Prom was last night and I was asked to photograph a group of high school students as they prepared to dance the night away! The theme was "Sunset Serenade" and everyone looked fantastic. Paige is my Senior Rep and has been featured on my blog before. These images are of Paige and her date and I hope to post more images later in the week of the other couples and group shots. I hope you all had a great night and that Prom was a night to remember :) Oh, and it was Paige's birthday too so I hope she had the best of times!!!

LITTLE MAN.....

2010-05-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to the park yesterday and attempted to enjoy the sunnier weather, but the wind was insane. My eyes were tearing up and I felt like the stroller was going to blow away!!! We stayed for a little while so Madison could burn some energy though. I will post more from the park later this weekend, but for now I am just posting this one of Logan. I couldn't resist! Of course I am a little biased, but come on, isn't my little man just the cutest?!?! Can't believe he is already 9 1/2 months old...

FIX IT FRIDAY.....

2010-05-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

Another Fix It Friday over at i heart faces and I am loving it! It always gives me a chance to practice more and that can never hurt. I normally don't like to use too much Photoshop unless really needed, but I had fun playing with this image of this super cute little boy! On to the before and after photos.....

Original Image:

My Edit:

Here's what I did:
1. Used dodge tool over face to lighten it a bit
2. Used healing brush to cover blemishes
3. Dodge tool applied slightly to the iris of the eys (12% exposure)
4. Coffeeshop Perfect Portrait action with Color Pop layer at 32%
5. PW Lovely & Ethereal action with a Layer Mask applied to the eyes
6. Cracked and Dirty texture applied, erased from face
7. Aged 2 textured applied, erased from face
8. Coffeeshop Butterscotch Vintage action 100%
9. image cropped slightly

There you have it! It is much more than I would normally do, but I liked the end result :)

There are tons of awesome edits over at i heart faces...go check them out!

BEFORE & AFTER......

2010-05-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

I was going through some images yesterday and edited a couple more of my Senior Rep, Paige. You can view her first session here. I love the way they turned out! I was thinking to myself how important it is to get everything right straight out of the camera so that very little editing and post-processing is needed. Photoshop is great, but I don't like to spend tons of time editing and I would rather just enhance an image as opposed to completely having to change it! So, today I have decided to post two before and after images. My hope is that this will show people that these photos were enhanced with a little bit of editing, but not changed drastically. And that it is not about what kind of camera you use, but more about how you use it and getting the optimal settings right before having to edit your photos. Enjoy :)

FIX IT FRIDAY......

2010-05-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't participated in a Fix It Friday in awhile...I was on vacation a few weeks ago and then forgot last week! I was excited this morning that I remembered to get up and get my edit on :) The little girl in this image is so adorable and I wanted to liven it up a bit by adding a vintage look, making her eyes stand out more and cropping it to create more interest.

Here is the original image:

Here is my edited version:

What I did:
1. Adjusted the Levels to brighten the image
2. used Healing Brush on her face to cover blemishes and imperfections
3. Used the Dodge & Burn tools to make the eyes "pop"
4. Applied Coffeeshop's Perfect Portrait action
~color pop layer 26%
~brighten layer 33%
5. MCP's Burnt Edges 50%
6. Coffeeshop's Golden Vintage action
~Darken layer 23%
~Vintage layer 70%
7. Cropped image

There are so many other great edits over at i heart faces! Go check them out...

TIDBIT TUESDAY (well it was supposed to be posted last night).....MY HOME

2010-04-28T05:07:00.000-07:00

I realized it had been a couple of weeks since I did a Tidbit Tuesday due to vacation and whatnot so I planned to post one last night....I was gone all day yesterday. Then, our internet was not working and we had to completely re-boot our computer and then it was too late and I was dead asleep! So, I am posting it early this morning instead to hopefully make up for it :)

One thing has been on my mind a lot lately, and that is the thought of what constitutes a "home". What makes a place your home? This has been a touchy subject for me for awhile and being an active duty military family makes it even more difficult to make each place we live feel like home. We have to do our best to make whatever house, apartment, rental, and town that we live in feel like home.....not only for ourselves, but for our kids and family.

It dawned on me that a physical place (house or town) is not what makes a "home" at all! So, what is it then that makes a home to me? Well, there are three very important things that make me feel at home and they move with me wherever I go.

My family is my home. My kids and my husband are the roots that hold up my home. That feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you walk in the door and see those smiling faces....that's home. Home is family.

Familiar things are my home. My bed, photos on the walls, kids' toys taking over the living room, old rocking chair from my mom....all of these things will go with me to any duty station that I move to. Home is the familiar.

Memories are created at home. Our kids' birthdays, holidays, vacations, the first time they ride a bike, first teeth....all of these memories are kept with us in our hearts. Home is created from memories.

I have come to realize that "home" is not necessarily about the physical home that you live in. Remember that movie, "Home is where the heart is"? That is absolutely true! Home is where your family, familiar things, and memories are....your heart.

I know now that I am always at home...

I HEART FACES: "SMILES"

2010-04-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to participate in the i heart faces photo challenges again this week!!! While I was away, I was not able to participate at all. This week the challenge is "smiles". I was tempted to use a photo of one of my kids, but I really wanted to use one of someone else. I decided to use this one of my good friends, the Lemonds' from a recent couples session. I just love this photo of them because their personalities and love for each other really shine through! They are so fun and always make each other laugh...

Check out the other fabulous entries!

VACATION.....

2010-04-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a few photos from our family vacation we took last week. We drove from Hainesville, Il to Virginia Beach, VA and then back up to Columbus, OH and then home in a week! Lots of driving but definitely worth it!!!

AN AMAZING COUPLE.....

2010-04-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

My poor blog has been ignored for some time now, but with good reason....we recently got back from a week long vacation that was definitely needed! We packed the kids up and drove all the way to Virginia Beach, VA to visit some Navy friends that we have known for about 4 years and met when we were all stationed in San Diego...it had been way too long since we last saw them! The drive was long but the kids pulled through and we had a great time. And we had the opportunity to stop for a night on the way home in Ohio to visit more Navy friends of ours that we have missed dearly :) All in all it was a great trip and I am so glad we took the plunge and went!

While in VA, I snapped some photos of the Lemonds' together. They were excited because they never really had engagement photos done (they have been married for three years now) and they needed some updated shots of the two of them. And Allen is getting ready to leave for a deployment and we wanted to get some fun photos that he could take with him while he is away. We went down the beach and boardwalk for a few and then headed to a local park for the rest....I think they turned out great!

Thank you Allen and Megan for spending some time with us and I hope you love your photos....I posted a ton of them because there were so many that I loved :) We wish you guys the best through this deployment and we are here for you always....you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Storyboards are my favorite right now and I love the vintage processing of these shots...

We had some really nice light to work with which is always a plus...

I love the softness to this image...thank you sun :)

They are such a cute couple...Megan's tattoos are awesome and Allen is a tattoo artist!

I love this one of Megan...she is fabulous!

One of my faves...

I love the personality in this one...

They have matching dog tags with their anniversary on it...love it!

Amazing couple, awesome friends....hope we get to see you guys again very soon!

2010-04-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of taking photos of Miss Kaleyah and her baby brother, Will this past weekend. Kaleyah is 2 years old and a rambunctious ball of energy! She is in that stage where she is not so keen on having her picture taken and would rather play and run around...I remember Madison being like that too...wait what I am saying, Madison is still like that! It's that toddler stage and they are so inquisitive. Little Will is 3 months old and such a doll. Both kids are absolutely adorable!

I hope you love these images Kim....

oh how I love these storyboards :) and they look awesome on the wall!

She did seem to like the horse once I brought it out!

...and we got a smile...yay :)

this look says "I am so over this!"

2010-04-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Mark Anthony is turing 8 months old at the end of this month so his mom brought him by for some photos this weekend. Let me first say that he is one big boy :) Logan is 3 weeks older than him and they are the same size....and I love those chubby little boys! Secondly, he is the cutest thing ever! His eyelashes are to die for and he has the biggest brown eyes. I think he was more interested in blowing bubbles and chewing on everything during the session, but we were able to get some adorable shots of this little guy regardless! I had so much fun and can't wait to hopefully do some 1 year old photos and maybe a cake smash with him :) I hope you love these photos Kim.....here is your little man!

Look at those shoes!!! I love them...

...and a storyboard with some of my faves from the session!

REP CARDS ARE HERE.....

2010-04-09T06:18:00.000-07:00

I decided to wait to post the finished images of my Senior Rep cards because I wanted to see them in person to be sure I was happy with them (I get paranoid easily!). Well, they arrived in the mail yesterday and I was so pleased with the finished product!!! I opted to go with a postcard size instead of business card size because I wanted something that couldn't get lost as easily and was easier on the eyes. I love them! I will be dropping them off with my Senior Rep, Paige, later this evening and I hope she loves them too. So, here is what they look like...

This is the front...

and this is the back...

TIDBIT TUESDAY: WORRY

2010-04-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

I have been the world's worst worrier for as long as I can remember. I hate this about myself. That overwhelming feeling that I get in the pit of my stomach is horrible, yet I feel like I can't do anything to stop it most of the time. It seems out of my control. I worry about everything from money to how clean my house is to whatever else. The question is: what do I do about it?

I did a little research about worrying too much (yes, you can google it and there is a ton of information). Apparently, many people worry too much and it can lead to depression or other problems. Those people make worrying a way of life. They worry about daily troubles, conflict with others, saftey of loved ones, finances, or just about anything else. When worry becomes a habit and you can't control it, it can make life miserable. This is not the road I want to head down at all!

I found some really helpful tips that all of us should remember (especially me):
1. Most of the bad things we worry about hardly ever happen. Worrying won't protect us.
2. Don't try to get rid of worries. Instead, accept worry, but don't give it your full attention (this is huge for me).
3. Ask yourself these questions: Will this even matter next week? Am I making too much of this risk?

Probably the most important thing I need to always remember is to follow my husband's advice and trust God to get me through all of my trials and tribulations. He tells me this all the time and reassures me that everything will be fine and God is always here for us. I know this, yet I continue to hold back. I bottle up this fear of failure and worry about every little miniscule thing.

Matthew 6:25-27 says "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" This verse from the Bible speaks volumes to me. It is true in every way possible. Why can't I let go of my worries? I honestly hope to work towards worrying less and connecting more with my faith. Life is meant to be full of love and laughter....worry keeps us from truly living each day to the fullest!

Today I have shared a very personal aspect of my life and I hope it helps me to gain more confidence in myself and in God.

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter and here are my two little ones with their baskets :) Neither one is totally awake yet...haha.

I HEART FACES: "FIX IT FRIDAY"

2010-04-02T04:45:00.000-07:00

I think I missed a friday or two recently for "fix it friday" but I wanted to get one in today. This photo is of an adorable little girl and when I saw it I decided that I wanted it to have a vintage vibe. So here is what I did...

Original Image:

My edited version:

What I did:
1. Increased contrast and Levels to bring out the blacks.
2. Sharpened a little using Smart Sharpen to bring out the eyes more.
3. Coffeeshop Baby Powderoom action applied.
4. Coffeeshop Vintage action applied with these settings:
-Colorizer layer 58%
-Tint layer 17%
-Levels layer 91%
5. Distressed Texture overlay at 63% and erased off of girl.
6. MCP burnt edges at 50%.

Head on over to i heart faces to check out the other great edits!

TIDBIT TUESDAY (ON WEDNESDAY...HAHA): MILITARY LIFE

2010-03-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

So, I just realized that today was Wednesday and not Tuesday when I posted my Senior Rep photos and totally forgot my Tidbit Tuesday! Man, I am off to a bad start! I didn't want to wait for next week because I want to keep up with it so one day late won't hurt...right?!?!

After alot of thought, I decided that I have really wanted to write a little about the military lifestyle and what the life of a military spouse is like. Joe and I have been married for almost 5 years already (I seriously can't believe it's been that long)! Time flies. On occasion, people seem to think that being in the military or being married to a servicemember is easy...but let me tell you firsthand that it's not...at all! During our first three years of marriage, Joe was gone on deployments or out to sea for training circuits for just about half of it. He had to miss every single one of my birthdays and all of our anniversaries those first few years! It's not easy for him or for me to deal with. Not to mention the nights that they have duty when stationed on a ship. Those are overnight stays so you don't see them for two days in a row.

Deployments are extremely hard to comprehend. Can you imagine your husband or wife leaving you and your kids for 3, 6, 8 or 12 months? I don't think anyone chooses to leave their family for that long and is happy about it...if so there is definitely something wrong with that picture! The spouse that is leaving feels guilty and saddened that they have to leave and the spouse that is at home alone or with their kids can't imagine doing it all by themselves. Sleeping alone in an empty bed, caring for the kids by yourself, managing the household and bills, and all the other countless things that you can't comprehend are not becoming a reality. From my experience the first month or two and the last month are the most difficult. The time in between is just that...in between. You know they are gone and you can't change it, but you can't get too excited about them coming home yet because it't still a few months away. You have days when you feel like all you need is a hug from your husband and you know that you have to wait 6 months to get one.

I also feel sad when I think about how many military couples get divorced...it's a pretty high rate. I know that many people get married and don't realize how hard it is going to be, especially if your spouse is planning to make a career out of it. But, they have to understand that it is their job and they have to defend our country. As spouses, we have to be willing to push through the hard times and be thankful for our military and what they do for us. I could go into depth about this issue and I have alot to say, but I won't do that today. I will just say that we all need to always respect what our military servicemembers do for our country and the sacrifices they make! And the sacrifices that their spouses make as well. There’s not a lot of recognition for what we do: squaring our shoulders, rolling up our sleeves and carrying on with the day-to-day duties of running a household and family. When my husband comes home and his tired eyes light up when he sees us, that’s all I need!

I hope that next week I will actually post Tidbit Tuesday on Tuesday...haha!

CLASS OF 2011 SENIOR REP.....

2010-03-31T07:19:00.000-07:00

Meet Paige...my Class of 2011 Senior Rep! Paige and I got together on Monday to do a quick shoot for her Rep cards that I will be getting to her in the next few weeks. I expected the shoot to last about 45 minutes or so and my goal was to get a handful of images and be able to narrow down 2-3 to use for her cards. The shoot ended up only lasting 30 minutes and I am going to have such a hard time choosing which photos to use!!! I was able to get so many that I love in such a short amount of time! We walked around one block of downtown Grayslake and found a couple really fun places to stop for photos....I must say that I love the village of Graylake...it's so cute! Paige is a beautiful and sweet girl. We had fun chatting and getting to know each other. She is charismatic and outgoing and such a great model...I hardly had to tell her to do anything and she was full of ideas! And her outfit was adorable...I loved the scarf in her hair and her shoes :) Thanks for coming with me Paige and I CAN'T WAIT for your full session this summer...we will have more time and many more locations to have fun with :) I hope you enjoy your photos so far...I couldn't choose just a couple to put up so this is a long post. Check back soon because I hope to have a copy of her rep card up in a day or two! On to the sneak peek......

Paige plays guitar so we had to get a few with it...

I could not choose which version I liked better...

Love the cowboy hat...

Two of my favorites...

Hope you love them Paige!

I HEART FACES: "DRAMATIC B & W"

2010-03-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

So, some of you may have already seen this image of my amazing husband from a recent post dedicated to him....but, I wanted to use it again once I saw the theme for this week's i heart faces challenge! I love the dramatic feel to this photo and the artistic vibe it has so I couldn't think of a better image to use this week.

Check out the other great entries this week!

TIDBIT TUESDAY: MY FIRST LOVE.....

2010-03-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

First off, I would like to thank Desiree of D. Roa Photography for the title of this new series I am hoping to keep up with on a weekly basis! She came up with this title and I love it :)

I have been sitting here pondering what I wanted to write about today and it's actually been tough choosing a subject. I kept throwing around ideas in my head and I just kept coming back to one thing: my husband. It is going to be extremely hard for me to create a short little "tidbit" about Joe, but I just wanted to touch on a few special reasons I love my husband more than I can sometimes comprehend.

Caring. Inspiring. Hilarious. Gentle. Artistic. Thoughtful. Supportive. Amazing. These are just mere examples of what words pop into my head when I think about my husband. Joe cares for every single person around him in every way imaginable and he always goes out of his way to put everyone else first. He serves in the United States Navy and is a follower of Jesus Christ, which both embody what inspiring means to me. Hilarious doesn't even begin to describe how ridiculously funny my husband is! He always has me laughing (most of the time on the brink of tears) and he can always liven up a room with an off-the-wall joke (I absolutely love this about him). Joe is so gentle, especially with the kids....he has this loving quality and I just love to watch him interact with both kids. He is an amazing artist, both musically and technically. He draws, plays guitar, and creates graphic designs and logos that I am in awe of each and every day! He is the most thoughtful person I have ever met and he will go out of his way to tell me how beautiful I am or write me a little note or just sit with me and talk about whatever is on my mind. Throughout this Photography journey that I am on, Joe has been so supportive and encouraging with each step of the process. He is always telling me how much he loves my work and that he will always support my dreams. The word amazing just sums it all up really. I don't want to ever take my husband for granted because he is the most amazing person I could have ever found to spend my life with....Joe, I know I probably don't tell you enough how much I love and appreciate you! You are literally my other half...I love you!

Two weeks ago Joe was in the hospital with Rhabdomyolisis. When he first started having symptoms and pain I was beyond worried (I tend to do that alot) and he was finally convinced to go to the ER. Luckily he did because Rhabdo can sometimes lead to kidney failure if not treated early enough! He is doing just fine now and recovering from this, but during those few days that he was in hospital I was just praying that it was not something worse becaue I know that I would be lost without him. You can't wait for those moments of despair to tell your loved ones how much you love and care for them...we should do it every single day!

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."

—Romans 12:9-10

Maybe next week I will delve into something more controversial or interesting for some of you, but today I just felt a need to write about my first love :)

And, just because a post is no fun without a photo...here is a favorite photo of Joe.

I HEART FACES: "FOCUSING ON ANGLES"

2010-03-23T05:27:00.000-07:00

This week over at i heart faces the theme is "Focusing on Angles" so we had to enter a photo that has a unique angle to it. I chose this photo of my beautiful sister because I am a fan of these types of angles and I tend to do it alot....I guess you could say its part of my style! This is one of many photos I did for my sister's graduation this summer from Oregon State University.

Go check out the other "angled" entries!

SWEET.ADORABLE.SASSY.SAIDEY...

2010-03-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

These three words sum up little miss Saidey to a "T"....she is the sweetest and most adorable little girl ever! And she has that little sassy attitude that most toddler girls do (just like madison) :) Saidey and her mom came by today for some photos and we had fun playing dress up. She is a tough one to photograph though that's for sure....she is constantly moving and turning away and definitely not interested in the camera. We had fun playing and trying though and in the end we did get some super cute shots! I hope you like them Krystine!!! We can schedule another day to try to get a few more too :)

I really liked both the color and the black and white versions of this one...

I was not happy that I cut off her hands in this photo, but I still think it's cute and worth posting :)

And here is your storyboard Krystine...hope you love it!

I HEART FACES: "ALL BUNDLED UP"

2010-03-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

The theme this week over at i heart faces is "All Bundled Up." The photo has to of course have a face in it and signify the warmth of being bundled up during cold weather. My entry is of my son, Logan and I just love this one! He is all bundled up in his coat, hat and gloves and was sitting in his big sister's lap playing with the snow.

Head on over to check out the other great entries this week!

I HEART FACES: "JUMP FOR JOY"

2010-03-09T04:33:00.000-08:00

I got up extra early this morning so I could be sure to enter this week's challenge before I head to the hospital to see my husband. I was hoping I wouldn't miss the cutoff time!

This photo was from a fun family session. The kids came running and jumping towards me while their parents giggled in the background. Lots of fun!

Go check out the other fun "jumping" entries :)

SUNDAY FUNDAY......

2010-03-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

Well, yesterday was interesting and spent waiting in the hospital while my husband had a CT Scan to find out he had sprained his neck. All is well and he is doing fine, but he has to rest the next few days. So, today we had no plans and just lounged around the house. It was a great excuse to get the camera out and get new photos of the kids....shame on me for not doing it more often! Logan is 7 months old now and about ready to take off crawling! Madison is rambunctious as ever and full of life! Here are my two loves.....

He chews everything!

love those big blue eyes...

Madison is more into making funny faces right now instead of just smiling at the camera!

chunky little man :)

I HEART FACES: "FIX IT FRIDAYS"

2010-03-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

This week flew by and it's already "Fix It Friday" over at i heart faces!!! Yay...these are so fun for me. So here we go...

Here is the original photo:

And here is my edited version:

1. Adjusted levels to bright the photo up a bit.
2. Used Healing Brush to get rid of a few spots on his face.
3. Coffeeshop perfect portrait action used at 100%
4. PW's loverly and ethereal action used at about 80%
5. MCP's eyes that pop action used at 100%
6. Used dodge tool on his face to lighten a bit more.
7. Decreased saturation of the Reds in the Hue/Saturation menu to make his face less red.
8. Ran MCP's burnt edges action twice.
9. PW's warmer action used at 100%
10. Distressed texture overlay placed and erased off of his skin.

And that is it! Head on over and check out the other great fixes for today!

I HEART FACES: "HILARIOUS OUTTAKES"

2010-03-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

This week over at i heart faces it's a "Hilarious Outtakes" theme. Fun, fun, fun!!! I had a hard time choosing photos for this challenge, but I narrowed it down to these. We were able to enter 5 photos for this week.

This was during a fun 3 year old shoot for my daughter and I believe she was mid sentence...

My husband being goofy and this was mid taking his shirt off!

My daughter has somehow learned how to cross one eye in and she thinks it's hilarious! So do I :)

Again, my hubby being the goofball that he is...

Lastly, this was during a recent family shoot for my stepsister...her son decided it was a great time to relieve himself in the grass!!!! Of course I had to get a shot of that!

Check out the other great and hilarious entries for this week!

UPDATE.....

2010-03-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

I decided that today would be a day to update everyone on how my kiddos are doing! I feel like I haven't posted pics of them in quite awhile so today is the day.

Logan will be 7 months old on March 4th!!! I know, it's crazy how fast it's gone by. It's so funny because I remember thinking the same thing when Madison was this young, but you almost forget how fast time flies. At his 6 month appointment (which we actually did at 6 1/2 months), he was already 28-29 inches long and 21 pounds!!! He is in the 92% for his age. It doesn't surprise me though because Madison was off the charts until almost 1 years old. It runs in the family :) He has been spending a lot of time on his tummy lately and is now pushing up on his hands and knees! He will be crawling in no time...I need to invest in new gates for the stairs! Oh, and he has two teeth :)

Now on to Madison....our little handful! She is 3 years old and every bit the drama queen. She loves to be loud and rambunctious and run all over the place...normal 3 year old behavior. We have now pretty much conquered the potty training craziness. There were ups and downs, but we have gotten through it all and she is doing soooo well now. Only two accidents in about three weeks :)

All in all, we are doing great and the kids are amazing!

Sitting up all by himself...

Madison and her new friend, Saidey...

I HEART FACES: "FIX IT FRIDAYS"

2010-02-26T13:19:00.000-08:00

It's "Fix It Friday" over at i heart faces...yay! I really enjoy doing these because it really gives me time to practice using Photoshop. This week's photo was a tough one for me.

Here is the original image:

And, here is my edited version:

1. I started by doing a Quick Selection around the girl and then brightening her up a bit to lighten the skin and get rid of some shadows.
2. I then sharpened up the photo a little using the Smart Sharpen tool at about 2.5 pixels.
3. Coffee Shop's Perfect Portrait action was used and the Color Pop layer was reduced to 45%.
4. Pioneer Woman's Lovely and Ethereal action was used and reduced to 88%.
5. I added Dust and Scratches at 6 pixels on a new layer and then reduced the opacity to 33% and erased it from the eyes and lips.
6. MCP Burnt Edges action set at 60% and erased from girl.
7. Coffee Shop's Bold Pop action reduced to around 75%.
8. Distressed texture overlay 100% and erased off skin.
9. Lastly, I adjusted the Hue/Saturation. The Cyans and Blues were darkened a bit and the saturation was increased. The magentas were darkened and saturated a bit as well.

You can visit i heart faces to see all the other creative edits!

VALENTINE'S DAY SHOOT.....

2010-02-24T12:42:00.000-08:00

On Valentine's Day, Logan and I were heading up to Redmond, Oregon with my Mom and Steven. We decided to make a pit stop and get a few cute photos of the two of them together at a super cute park in Sisters. They needed an updated photo of them because the most recent ones were from September when they were married :) Hope you like them guys!

They are too cute...

Something fun...

Such a good looking pair :)

And here are some photos of my sister's two doggies....Buster and Layla!

VAUGHAN FAMILY......

2010-02-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

This family is a big one! We had a total of 10 together for this shoot, including 4 kiddos and I even photographed three dogs :) It was a rainy and overcast day but the rain held off for us in time to get some photos taken....thank you rain! They have a beautifully landscaped backyard so I decided that would be a great place to shoot some of the family and then we headed over to McDowell Creek to get a few more by the falls. I had a great time meeting all of you and I really hope you enjoy your photos. I set up a special gallery for the rest because I couldn't post all 30 here :) But, here are a few of my favorites from the day.

Sonya and family, I hope you are pleased with your photos and I would love to take more this summer with the bikes if I am able to get out that way! P.S. - I emailed the link to the gallery to Jeopardy :)

And I had to sneak one in of this car because I loved it :)

MY BOYS......

2010-02-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

The other night I had my camera out and was just getting some fun snapshots of the kids and I was able to get this super cute one of my two favorite boys :) Logan looks just like daddy did when he was this age!

Joe was playing his guitar for Logan and I caught this shot...I love how vintage it looks!

I HEART FACES: "HANDS-ON FUN"

2010-02-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

The theme this week over at i heart faces is "Hands-On Fun"! Instead of including a face in the photo, they wanted to see what you can come up with using hands as the subject matter. I had some older photos that I could have used, but last night Madison was laying in bed looking through the cutest Bible that my mom gave her and I just had to get this shot. I think it's so precious to see her chubby little toddler hand holding her very own Bible :)

Head on over to their website to check out the amazing entries!

OUT IN THE COUNTRY......

2010-02-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

My new stepsister, Lacey, wanted to have some photos taken when I was in Oregon of hers and her boyfriend's families together....8 of them all together! He has this great piece of property in a small town in the country and they had this amazing tree for all the kids to climb in! And an old, vintage gas pump to top it off! It was not easy to get all the kids together and some of them really did not want to have a photo taken, but we worked with it and were able to get some good shots in the end.

Lacey, I know not everyone was cooperative but we made due and I really hope you love these images! Maybe we can sneak in a few more of you and your kids if I come back in June.

I love the one to the left because it's such a natural interaction...everyone laughing and happy :)

Mommy and daughter...they look exactly alike!

Dad and his kiddos...they are all so sweet!

I thought this was sweet of the kids playing "Ring around the Rosies"

Emma is such a sweet girl...

I believe his exact words were "I don't want my picture taken, I'm angry"!

Dad and his two girls...

And my two favorite shots of the day...

I HEART FACES: "FIX IT FRIDAYS"

2010-02-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

I didn't get this done in time to get it posted yesterday, but I still wanted to get my edit up. Every Friday, i heart faces has "Fix it Fridays" where they give you an image to play with and then you can edit it yourself and tell everyone what you did. This is my first time doing this and I really enjoyed it.

Here is the original image:

And here is my edited version:

1. Quick selection around Emma and adjusted levels to brighten her up a bit.
2. MCP Burnt Edges action overlay at 60%.
3. Distressed texture overlay at 100% and erased off skin.
4. Broken up texture overlay at 63% and erased off skin
5. Cropped image.
6. Slight lens flare added.

Hope you like my edit! Check out all the others at i heart faces!

FRIENDS......

2010-02-18T16:30:00.000-08:00

While I was in Oregon shooting my sister's graduation photos, she also wanted to get some shots with her college friends. Of course, you will recognize Renee from her other session and the other beautiful lady is Marin (I hoped I spelled that right). She was able to stop by between classes and get a few pics with them! Hope you girls like them :)

OSU GRADUATE #2.....

2010-02-17T21:17:00.000-08:00

Renee is a friend and OSU classmate of my sister's. She is also graduating this summer and I was able to take her graduation photos as well this past weekend. We all walked around their college campus searching for the best locations and I must say that we did find some great ones! Even with the battle with the rain (which we won in the end), we were able to capture some great memories on campus. I had such a great time meeting you Renee and I want to congratulate you on your accomplishment...we will have to get together again and do a session with your daughter! I hope you love your photos!

She has the prettiest eyes...

Of course, I couldn't decide between color or black and white for these last two images, so I posted both :)

I hope you love them Renee!

SOON TO BE OSU GRADUATE......

2010-02-17T07:24:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are the rest of my sister's OSU graduation photos! I am really happy with they way they all turned out. She is such a hard working student and I know she is ready to graduate....aren't you sis??!!

Love the serious look :)

Yet again, I couldn't choose the style I liked best for this photo...so I posted both :)

I just think this one is fun!

Stay tuned....another OSU graduate will be posted here very soon!!!

LITTLE SNEAK PEEK.....

2010-02-16T10:53:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to spend the past four days in Oregon with my little sister and my mom. Logan tagged along and we had a wonderful weekend visiting and spending some time together...even though it was a short weekend, it was definitely worth it! My main reason for heading out there was to take some photos of my sister. She is graduating from Oregon State University this summer and needed to have her graduation photos taken for her announcements. I was thrilled when she said she wanted me to fly out there to take them!!! We had so much fun walking around her college campus to capture some great photos. Of course it is always rainy in Oregon so we had to work with that, but for the most part the rain cooperated with us. We were able to take a few photos when it wasn't pouring rain and then duck inside when it was too wet. The sun even peeked out a few times too :) I am still working on her photos because we took a ton, but I was excited to get a little sneak peek up for her to see....Kara, I hope you love them and I am so proud of you! I will post more later this week when they are ready.

Isn't she beautiful???!!!

I know she wasn't too sure about this one, but I love how it turned out...love the reflection.

And, I couldn't decide if I liked this one in color or black and white, so I posted both!

I also shot a graduation session for a friend of my sister's and I had two family photo sessions....those will be coming soon so keep checking back this week. I have lots to work on and post! Leave me some comments if you like an image :)

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE......

2010-02-11T06:04:00.000-08:00

I am heading to the airport this evening to head to Oregon. I get to visit my little sister and my mom and I am super excited! I haven't seen them since September. I get the opportunity to shoot some college graduation photos for my sister and her friend, along with some family portrait sessions as well so I am really looking forward to it. I can't believe my sister is getting ready to graduate this summer....it makes me feel old...haha. I mean, we are only 2 1/2 years apart in age, but it still feels weird that she is finished college! I am so proud of her.

Logan is coming along on trip because he flies free in my lap. Madison will be heading to visit her Nana in Michigan with daddy over the 4 day weekend. They will have a great time too!

I most likely will not be posting anything during this trip, but when I make it back next week I will have all kinds of new photos to blog about....yay!

WINTER STORM.....

2010-02-09T07:55:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning to a ton of snow on the ground and it hasn't stopped snowing once yet! It is supposed to snow all day today and some tomorrow too. The photo on the left is from my front door and the photo on the right was taken through the sliding glass door off of our kitchen looking out onto the street. They haven't been able to plow yet and it is piling up like crazy! I can't believe how much is out there...I won't be heading anywhere today that's for sure! I just hope the forecast stays good for Thursday...I would hate for my flight to be delayed at all. Praying for the best for Thursday :)

SIBLING LOVE.....

2010-02-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

I have a hard time getting enough photos of my kids together. Madison doesn't sit still long enough for me to get any good ones. But, today she was loving all over her little brother so I whipped out the camera in time :) Score for mommy! They are so cute together....Logan thinks his sister is hilarious and is constantly smiling and laughing at her. And Madison loves being a big sister and helping with Logan when she can.

They're the light of my life!

I HEART FACES: "WE HEART KISSES"

2010-02-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

It's time for the i heart faces photo challenge and this week the theme is "We Heart Kisses". With Valentine's Day right around the corner, the theme was a perfect fit :)

I chose a photo of my beautiful mother and her husband from their wedding day back in September. It was a very small intimate ceremony on a yacht in Lake Tahoe, California and it was a bright sunny day. Just gorgeous! This photo was right when they were announced husband and wife and they had their first kiss as a married couple. I just love this photo because they are so passionate and only focused on each other...no worries in the world.

Now, head on over and check out the other amazing entries this week!

SOMETHING DIFFERENT.....

2010-02-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

Madison begged me to go to the park yesterday, but I wasn't sure that was a good idea considering the cold and snow. But, I ended up giving in because she wanted to go so bad! In the end it was a terrible idea because the play equipment was super icy and slippery and I was afraid she was going to take a dive and it would have been bad.

I did get a couple photos and I decided to try something different when I was editing them. I thought this image looked very vintage so I made some adjustments and this is what I came up with....it might not be some people's style, but I like it :)

SNOWY DAY.....

2010-02-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I am now a self-declared SLACKER! My little sister called last night wondering why I haven't been keeping up with my photo of the day challenge and her exact words were "I'm going to start calling you a slacker"! She is absolutely right though....I have not been on top of my game at all lately. I could try and make excuses (because I have been busy with other things), but I am not going to do that. I need to stay on top of it and get my camera out every day, even if it's just to take one photo.

In an effort to make up for the past few days I am posting several photos today. These were taken yesterday after we had a good snowfall. I took the kids out for a bit to play in it.

Thanks for getting on me sis!!! Love ya.

NAKED BABY AND A PRINCESS....

2010-01-29T11:14:00.000-08:00

I decided to strip Logan down to his birthday suit today to attempt to get some naked baby photos :) This one was my favorite! He is getting so big and is a chunky little thing. I can't believe he will be 6 months old in a few days. And miss Madison dressed up in her Sleeping Beauty costume today and this was my favorite shot of her by the living room window. I can't get her to smile for the camera too often these days....she has quite the attitude.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY......

2010-01-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

My dearest friend, Adrienne was here visiting us and just left yesterday to head back to San Diego. We had so much fun while she was here just catching up on life and hanging out. It was her first time meeting Logan and of course Madison was stoked to see her! She was hoping to see more snow, but we only got a tiny bit right before she left on Monday. Here are a few photos from the weekend.

Thank you Adrienne for taking this one! I needed a more recent family photo :)

I HEART FACES: TEXTURE

2010-01-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

This weeks i heart faces photo challenge is "Texture" so I have to enter a photo that I have added texture to. I absolutely LOVE using textures and use them quite a bit actually! I would say I am a texture kind of girl :) I decided to use a photo from my Gasoline Gypsy photo shoot because not only was the location full of natural textures, I also added texures to many of the photos as well. Such a fun shoot for me!!!

Now head on over to check out the other amazing entries!!!

RUB A DUB.....

2010-01-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

I've been slacking on my photos of the day! I have had a friend visiting the past few days and I have neglected my blog :( But, I did get a chance to get a few adorable shots of Logan in the bath last night. I just love his little chunky arms....he is my little bugga boo (that is what I call him sometimes).

CANDY, CANDY, CANDY......

2010-01-23T14:04:00.000-08:00

Today's photo is just to the show off the mound of candy we picked up at the Jelly Belly Factory! They were having a huge sale so we couldn't resist and bought a ton :) I am surely going to pay for it later and have to workout extra next week....but it's sooo worth it.

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~Jason Love~

I AM ALREADY BEHIND.....

2010-01-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know I have already fallen behind on my Photo of the Day posts! But, today I will blog two photos since I forgot yesterday. One of my best friends is here visiting for a few days from San Diego and we took her to the Jelly Belly Factory today. Here is a photo of Madison riding the train and the two of them together. We are having a wonderful time and it makes me miss having her around so much!

PHOTO OF THE DAY...

2010-01-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to photograph something random in my house that was meaningful to me. I bought a couple plates last year and they were the first new items we brought into our new home here in Illinois. I just love the saying on this one because it is so true and it hits home for me.

I CHALLENGE MYSELF......

2010-01-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

So I have decided to challenge myself and start blogging a photo a day, even if I have other photos to post. It will keep me on my toes and make sure I have my camera out every day! Here is today's photo:

"A baby is God's opinion that life should go on."
~Carl Sandburg~

I HEART FACES: "WE ARE FAMILY"

2010-01-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

This week the challenge at i heart faces is "We Are Family." I haven't done very many family photo shoots, so I decided to go with this photo from Christmas. This is my brother-in-law and his family. He is a US Marine and his beautiful wife is from the Philippines. They met in Japan. Adam is the cutest guy ever, but was sooo tired of having his photo taken that day. And they recently welcomed another baby boy, Taylor, into their family. They are a wonderful family!

Now go on over to their website and check out all the other amazing entries!

HOT SHOTS......

2010-01-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

I recently joined a local group of photographers called Hot Shots. We had a meeting this past weekend. I met some great people and wonderful fellow photographers that share my passion and we had a blast talking and practicing our skills!!! I can't wait for us to plan another get together. I know that this group will help me grow as a photographer and a person and I am anxious to see where it will take me on my photography journey! Here are a few of my favorite shots from the evening. I am bummed that I was not able to get a shot of Shelby though :( She is a sweetheart....hopefully I can next time. Now on to the photos...

THREE YEARS OLD ALREADY....

2010-01-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

Madison was officially a three year old on Christmas Eve and I have been dying to get some photos of her in this outfit! It was a gift from my grandmother (my nana) to Madison. She wanted her to have some dress up clothes to play with....and Madison loves it! She was twirling around the living room like a ballerina and I could barely get her to sit still to get a good shot :) I was able to get a couple that I love though.

I know I have said it before, but I LOVE storyboards and have yet to get any printed for my house! I better get on that.

I HEART FACES CONTEST: 1 Year Anniversary...

2010-01-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

This is my first time entering one of the i heart faces photo challenges and I am super excited about it! Wish me luck! I have been following the blog for awhile but this is my first time entering a challenge. The rules for this challenge are to use their logo in up to five photos, but they need to look like were meant to be there (not just slapped on any photo). Here it goes!

This photo is from back in August....my hubby and his guitar..."i heart him" :)

This entry didn't quite turn out how I wanted, but I still thought it was pretty creative...

Can you find it? HeHeHe...it's there if you look closely.

My sweetie with one of her Christmas presents...

My nephew, Adam. He wasn't really crying, but it was so cold that he was tearing up. He is the cutest kid!

"I am submitting this photo into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of this website."

HAPPY NEW YEAR.....

2009-12-31T21:06:00.000-08:00

So, this year has come to an end and 2010 will be here in an hour. It amazes me each year how fast the last year has gone by and this one has slipped by as well! We moved to Illinois a year ago and I can't believe it has already been that long. 2009 had a ton of great memories, including the birth of our son, Logan. But I say bring on 2010...can't wait to see what it has in store for us! Happy New Year to all. No photos to post, but I wanted to share some awesome quotes.

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ~Hal Borland

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

CHRISTMAS IN MICHIGAN.....

2009-12-30T06:22:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas vacation this year was a busy one. We spent about 9 days visitng with Joe's family and had a great time. Madison turned three years old on Christmas Eve and had a princess birthday party! I can't believe she is already three! I sure missed my side of the family over the holidays, but I hope to see them soon. Here are just a few of my favorite photos from our holiday trip. Enjoy!

Our newest nephew, Baby Taylor....he is sooo cute!

GASOLINE GYPSY.....

2009-12-28T18:15:00.000-08:00

We spent a week in Michigan for Christmas with Joe's family and just got back yesterday. It was a great trip and we had a blast visiting with everyone (including our Wii bowling tournament that Joe won)!!!

During our first few days there, I had the opportunity to photograph my brother-in-law and his band, Gasoline Gypsy. The shoot was alot of fun and the location was FANTASTIC! They found an old, abandoned grain mill and it was an ideal day...except that it was freezing cold :) It was my first time capturing a band, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleased with the results in the end. Their band is amazing and I am sure they will be famous very soon! You can check them out at www.myspace.com/gasolinegypsymusic.

I had a blast guys and I hope you are happy with the photos!

I think this one is my favorite :)

CHRISTMAS PARTY.....AND RICE KRISPIES.....YUMMY!

2009-12-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we went to a Christmas party on base for the kids. It was fun, but Madison did not want to see Santa this year! She was excited up until the point where she was supposed to sit on his lap and then she refused....bummer. He still gave her gift anyways....thanks Santa :) Logan met Santa for the first time though. I don't think he will remember it since he is only four months old, but it was fun regardless.

So, I decided I was going to make a Gingerbread house with Madison and asked Joe to pick one up for me and he found a Rice Krispie Treat house instead and got that. We had fun making it, but I think Madison enjoyed eating the candies more! And the houses are already gone! We couldn't help ourselves..we all love Rice Krispie Treats!

I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE 2 KIDS....

2009-12-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

It still amazes me when I think about the fact that I have two little ones! It sure can be tough, but it is the most amazing feeling in the world to be a mother. The time passes so quickly and I find myself trying to remember Madison being as small as Logan is right now....it's so crazy! My little girl is turning three years old on Christmas Eve and I can't believe it. She is growing up so fast. She is such a blessing. Although she can be a handful these days and like to throw her share of tantrums, she is the funniest and smartest three year old I have ever met! She makes me laugh so much! I wanted to practice with my camera more today so I took out a backdrop and here is what I came up with. We also headed out into the little bit of snow we had and Madison had a blast.

I seriously love these storyboards and I want some printed for my walls!

I love this so much that it might just be her three year old photo...

LET IT SNOW.....

2009-12-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

So, as I am writing this, the snow is falling outside! Our first SUPER cold day is here and the grass is turning white. It is not quite cold enough for it to stay for too long but it sure is pretty to watch it fall. I must say that I enjoy watching the snow fall (even though it is freezing outside) and I wish I had a hot cup of cocoa right about now :) Sounds yummy. Watching the snowflakes fall makes me think of the Christmas song, "Let it Snow".

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

It doesn't show signs of stopping,
And I brought some corn for popping;
The lights are turned way down low,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

When we finally say good night,
How I'll hate going out in the storm;
But if you really hold me tight,
All the way home I'll be warm.

The fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing,
But as long as you love me so.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

While Logan was napping, Madison headed out on the front porch to check out the snow so I took the opportunity to get some cute photos and her face just lit up!

I love the way this storyboard turned out...she was dancing in the snow :)