Last fall I photographed this Indianapolis area family at the end of October. We thought we were going to have rain but ended up with a beautiful pink sunset as a backdrop to this unique family photo shoot.
I'm extremely close to my family and wouldn't have it any other way. Because of that I'm sort of drawn to close-knit big families. I was so excited Ashley wanted to do a session with her brother-in-law and sister-in-law whom they happen to live right next door to out on some beautiful country property!
These kids are so lucky to get to live next door to their built in best friends. They properties are directly next to one another and they have done some amazing work building trails and places to hang out. Pretty much my dream life.
Fall sessions will always be my favorite. You can't beat the sunsets and warm colors. Also, it's just way more fun to come up with outfits in the fall than any other season.
My family moved to Danville about 5 years ago. I've since walked or rode my bike or drove by this little laundromat about 1,000 times. I've wanted to do a shoot there forever. I proposed the idea to Maya and her mom and they were on board. Or, at least, They didn't say no or act like I was crazy. Instead they trusted me. Maya is a natural in front of the camera. She was up for anything I suggested. The outfits she put together could not have been more perfect. My favorite part of the session? When I found out she was going to IU Bloomington for college! I tried not to overwhelm her as I geeked out telling her about everything I loved about being a student at IU. It was seriously THE BEST.
My husband's good friend from college lives in the picturesque city of Fort Collins, CO. and we recently made a quick visit. They had just bought a new house and would soon be leaving this little house where they had made so many memories as a family of four. We decided to do a quick shoot on our last evening to document some of their favorite spots in their home. My husband and I definitely enjoyed the adult company while we visited but the tiny humans in the house definitely made our visit extra fun. Fiona and Kaiser may be the main reason we repeat the visit in the future. The Jones Family have this amazing vintage VW camper van that I was stoked they wanted to get some photos in. It's not always about choosing a beautiful landscape or new clothes. Sometimes your photographs are more magical when they capture your everyday moments. The moments that make your family who they are. Those little things that are unique to each family and child. Every moment is beautiful and I'm so lucky to get to glimpse into my clients lives every once in a while.
I photographed Dustin and Heather's wedding on a beach in Florida so it only made sense that we did their maternity session on the beach as well. While Lake Michigan is no ocean it can hold it's own when one is looking for a beautiful beach. This was one of those nights where the sunset just kept getting better and better. That means that I just keep saying, "just one more shot, I promise". Maternity sessions are one of my favorites because there is so much unknown, so much hope and so much love. Just waiting on that little baby to finally make his appearance.
When Lauren contacted me she was very specific about what she wanted her session celebrating the birth of their new baby to be and she had just found out she was pregnant. This is something that I can get behind. When I get a vision for something I have a hard time accepting anything else will work. So, when she told me she wanted overcast skies I just started praying. The skies were perfect. It was cold but that just made them cuddle harder. The location she picked was different than many of my clients want but I LOVE it. It's different but you still get that fall feeling. When picking a location don't look at what is trending on Pinterest but think about what your family loves and what fits the aesthetic you are trying to tune into.
Last year, I photographed Heather's wedding on a beach in Florida. Although, we couldn't' fly back down for her maternity session we are lucky to have the next best thing right here in Indiana...Lake Michigan. The sky was the most beautiful pink and the lake was calm. There was no one on the beach so it was peaceful. Just Dustin and Laura talking with excitement and a little giddiness about meeting their baby boy.
Also, a HUGE thanks to Nicole for helping me on this session...these photos would be nothing without your expert wind making!
I swear Lindsey is my style, plant, vacation soulmate. I love getting direct messages from her on Instagram because I know it will be some incredible airbnb, vacation spot or plant I need. I was so excited to photograph her and John together. I was even more excited when they wanted to do the session in downtown Valparaiso and Lindsey brought coffee "because that's who we are". Anything that makes your session more "you" is going to make me smile.
I love that photography allows me to capture my family's biggest moments and not just my clients. My sister in law and brother told us at Christmas 2016 they were pregnant and that baby was highly anticipated over the next year. I had an open weekend and the weather was kind of perfect so we last minute planned this session. I am so grateful to the local photographers who didn't even think twice to go out of their way to meet me on a Sunday afternoon so I would have the gorgeous gowns for Secret to wear! Also, is my sister-in-law not one of the cutest people ever?
Lifestyle newborn sessions have quickly become one of my favorite sessions my clients book. Welcoming a baby into your family whether it's the first baby that makes you parents or one that means you are growing your family is such an intimate time. I love seeing new parents gently hold their precious babe or a big brother smooth down the hair of his new little sister. Being able to do this in the comfort of my clients home makes the session that much more personal. I have loved watching this family grow. Theo's mom, Brittany, is extremely talented at interior design so I love seeing how their home changes each time I'm there.
I met the Mussa family through another client and I am so thankful that happened. This session will go down as one of my most memorable, I think. I talked to Shannon (mom) quite a bit before we met about location, time and outfits. She totally trusted me and my vision and I think this made the biggest difference in how our session went. I like for my sessions to be full of playing, laughter and candid moments. Of course, we will always get that "everyone look at the camera and smile" shot but those in between moments that are full of tickles, swinging through the air and snuggles are what I want the majority of my galleries to be filled with. When a family can just relax and have fun I tend to feel the most inspired.
Lisa has been one of my best friends and most loyal, supportive photography clients. She trusted me to photograph her children, way back, when I first started out. Looking at those photos is bittersweet. I love seeing the growth that I've made but it pains me a little to see just how truly horrible some of my shots were back in the early photography growth days. It's also crazy to think that I've been photographing these four kiddos since Thalia (the youngest) was a baby. Lisa calls her family a village and following their adventures on Facebook is one of my favorite past times. She is hilarious and she has passed that humor on to each of these four people. While they each have their own mountains to climb Lisa makes sure they are dedicated, hard working, empathetic individuals. Raising four people to adulthood and not only making sure they come out alive but also as productive human beings is, I'm sure, no easy task yet Lisa and Sean seem to be mastering this fine art.
Meeting Sara and Tim was kind of like meeting my soulmates. Just kidding...or am I? I loved hanging out with them. I will say this repeatedly but photography doesn't always feel like a job or maybe to rephrase that photography feels like a fun job. Sara and Time are just cool people. They like cool music, TV shows, dogs, coffee, essential oils, have cool jobs
etc. They just have a good vibe. Tim is super romantic and photogenic and Sara is a little more practical and awkward in front of the camera but it just works out into this beautiful couple who seems to balance each other out perfectly. They chose to do their engagement shoot in the area they live. We started out at a coffee shop they often frequent. Then we walked back to their house and I got to meet their dogs and listen to them play guitar together. The whole time I'm geeking out about how cute they are, their house is and their dogs are. We then took some pictures in front of their house. I loved this idea. It's their first home together. We took photographs of them doing things they love and do often. We didn't have some beautiful field or miles of endless beach but we had what was important to them and their is so much beauty in that.
I have been photographing these girls since they were newborns. My sister has allowed me full creative freedom with their shoots and they are like my little muses in a way. Our sessions haven't always been the easiest. I found myself with some free time this summer and suggested we go shopping then do a beach photo session. Their enthusiasm for this was shocking to me. I guess combining buying them things and the beach together (their two favorite things) is what got them. They started off modeling in the dressing room and I knew we would get some good shots. They were actually a little "too" pose-y. I started asking them to sing in some spots just to get them to relax and ease off the "peace signs and duck lips" (how do kids learn that at such a young age??) and those shots ended up being some of my most loved! They were also willing to do pretty much anything I asked as long as I promised them they could jump in the water at the end of our shoot fully clothed. These girls are wild. I told my mom the next day I don't know how they haven't all broken major bones yet but they are also so kind and tender hearted. I'm so thankful for each of them and think these photos did a pretty accurate job at capturing their true personalities.
This little lady is so loved. Getting to do her "grow with me" sessions was a highlight of 2016. Seeing a family go from expecting their baby and anticipating what being a family will mean, to holding their newborn and then watching that baby develop over the year is such a gift. Braelynn's curls in this session are one of my favorite little details. Capturing these little things for the parents to look back on is something I always try to do during a session.
I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this little girl since her brother's two year session last summer. I worked with Emily, the mother of these beautiful children, in what feels like another lifetime. Being able to stay in touch and gift friends with beautiful captured memories is one of my favorite things about being a photographer. I have being photographing the Taylors since Theo came along almost three years ago. He is one of the most intelligent children I have ever met. I am surprised at something he says multiple times throughout our visits. He is also ALL boy. Emily and Luke are extremely laid back and have a strong desire for Theo to learn through his mistakes and to life large. I am going to love seeing how this little lady grows along side her brother. Sometimes I kind of miss posed newborn sessions and then a session like this comes along and I know this is really where my heart is. I love seeing a family interact in their home. Cuddled up on a bed or couch together and just doing normal things. These are moments that we all know are going to pass much too quickly.
This was a mini session and I wasn't familiar with the location which always makes me nervous. When you come in from out of town to a clients home I feel like it's always risky. One thing I try to express to my clients is how important lighting is in sessions. You can have the most jaw dropping back ground but without good light it's just "eh" in photos. The same goes for a boring background with beautiful lighting. Your photos are transformed somehow by the magic that is good lighting. Alison did a great job choosing this location and we arrived at the perfect time. Her little family is so beautiful and I loved the way they interacted both tenderly and with lots of laughter.
This is one of my favorite sessions. Upon first scrolling through it might be easy to see why. It includes all the elements that make up a "winning" photo session. We had a gorgeous, in-love couple, vibrant fall colors, and the perfect sunset for the elusive backlighting. That is not what is making it my favorite session, though. I had just purchased a new camera right before taking these photos. I was messing around with the settings and accidentally took this entire session in Jpeg instead of RAW files. Most photographers know that RAW files are so much easier to edit and so much easier to save the "bad" pics that you mess up on than jPegs. I was devastated when I realized this. Then I remembered how I when starting out I shot completely in jPeg. I loved those photos. I decided to just see how these would edit. Luckily I wasn't rushed during this session and they all turned out perfectly because I didn't have any shots that were under or over exposed to the point they couldn't be saved. The rich colors in this session make me so happy. I love color shots. I always include black and whites in my galleries but rarely do I find myself more drawn to a black and white shot over a color.
I photographed Cindy and Jimmy's wedding and was so delighted when she asked me to shoot their family of three in the same location we did both their engagement photos and wedding photos. Cindy is up for pretty much anything when it comes to photography which makes my job so much better and we end always end up with some of my favorite shots. We shot our session on Cindy's families dairy farm. Of course this meant we included a day old newborn calf in some of the last shots we did of Ava. Babies AND newborn calves...pure cuteness.
Katie is a friend of mine and we fit this session in during what is usually a busy season for photographers. Early fall. This fall, though, was over run by mosquitos. Like a horrible, swarming, you can't breathe because mosquitoes fly up your nose infestation. We still managed to quickly pull this off. We all felt rushed and it wasn't, admittedly, my favorite session ever but considering the obstacles we were up against I think we did alright.
Susan and I met at IU when we were college sophomores. I am forever grateful for the people that come into your life that you aren't exactly seeking out but they fit perfectly into a place you didn't know you needed filling. I am also grateful for this gift of being able to capture my friends families because at this busy season of our lives it's a way we can connect even if for one hectic hour a couple times a year. Susan and Mike are raising their family in Chicago so they wanted to do a shoot in the city by the lake and we couldn't have asked for better weather. Well, in the midwest in the summer you can always ask for less humid weather but I guess it could have been worse than it was. As you scrolled through some of these photos you may have wondered why they would be included in a professional photoshoot? I like to capture your life just as it is right now. Each season of your life passes so quickly. Especially when you have small children. These moments go as quickly as everyone who has been there before warns us that they do. I want you to remember what it felt like to have your little girl rest her head on your shoulder with her binky in her mouth for comfort, what it looked like when you walked across the park hand in hand and even when your kids wouldn't stand still or happily smile at the camera despite the bribe of cookies back at the car. The happy smiling moments and all those in between are what I"m trying to capture.
Rachel messaged about getting some family photos with her two littles at the exact time I was looking for someone to model for a mommy and me mini session. She was so great about working with me to pick outfits to fit into my vision. Her twins are seriously some of the cutes kids I have ever photographed. This is seriously one beautiful family and she is such a strong yet tender mom. I love following her on Instagram...she's always real yet uplifting!
I've known Sara since she was a driven, single woman. She adopted Dawson and, although we don't often talk in person, I've loved watching her become a mother to this sweet little guy. It's obvious that he is such a blessing to her whole family. He has a lot of personality fit into that small little body. They also brought their newest addition to the family along to this shoot making it extra special.
I squeezed the Hamelman family in at the end of the season. It was cold but for November it could have been a lot colder! I was, of course, disappointed that we didn't have sun but I love the moodiness of these photos.
Extended family sessions are, you might be surprised to know, the most difficult sessions for photographers. Especially when we are trying to capture "real" moments, intimate feelings and tenderness...it's difficult to get that with 20+ people. BUT they are also fun! It's cool to get to see how an entire family interacts...to see how they tease each other and love each other. You notice similarities and differences that are passed on and developed. It's also so cool to see how a family grows from just two people.
I did a little dance and squealed with joy when Kara was just as excited as I was about an engagement session at the Art Institute in Chicago. I have loved going here since I was in high school. Trust me that is a long time. When I met them outside the gift shop I was just as excited when I saw Kara's outfit was perfect for this location! She is the epitome of classic, feminine fashion. We walked around the institute searching for good light, no crowds and hidden corners. It gave us so much time to talk and get to know each other which is one of the best things about doing an engagement session with your wedding photographer. Ryan was a little nervous about the session but Kara was extremely comfortable in front of the camera and quickly put him at ease.
To be creative we must step away from what we know works into something either unknown or at least be forced to make what we know not to work somehow work. This is what I was faced with when shooting the Kulak Family in full sun. Due to schedules and weather we had to move our session to 1pm in the afternoon. Images full of shadows and harsh light is what I knew we would get but we did it any way because life doesn't only happen at golden hour. The Kulaks showed up to our session with their outfits on point and their ability to relax and have fun with each other beyond my expectations. I loved seeing them interact both with loving soft touches and full blown tickle fights. This family of six is full of personality and I loved being able to capture a little bit of what makes them "them".
Chris and Leah came to me for engagement pictures and I couldn't have been more excited when she called and booked "just because" pictures. I especially love that they brought, Winnie, their beloved dog. When I'm around other people's dogs I'm reminded of how incredibly ill-behaved my own dogs are...
I usually choose locations that are wild and overgrown so it was kind of cool to shoot on the canal's in downtown Indianapolis. The light during this session couldn't have been anymore perfect.
From trying to coordinate outfits to finding a time that will work for everyone, photographing my entire family is always my most challenging task as a photographer. The kids are all getting to ages where they can smile and look at the camera on command which reduces a lot of the stress of a big family picture. My dad was Santa Claus so we knew we had to do an "I saw mom kissing Santa" picture. My sister told me not to let anyone else do that photo since she thought of it. I assured her that none of the other moms would be asking to make out with our dad. We took all of these in a bout a 15 minute span with the help of my life-saving friend, Katie, from Katie Mrozinski Photography.
