Teddy

I love this guy.

Recent Work: Love + Birthdays

We are off to Florida for the weekend for my Birthday!!! This year it is my "golden birthday" (25 on the 25th) and I will be celebrating with Tim and my close friends in Florida who are driving over to spend the day with us. I think 25 is going to be a fantastic year :)

*Above is one of my recent images from engagement shoot in LA

Recent Work: A Retro Inspired Engagement Session

Stephanie and Chris are so much fun to be around. They are just so happy! While editing their photos I kept catching myself smiling like crazy - their personalities just do that to you. One of the best parts of this job is getting to see two people in love and catching that in an image. Stephanie and Chris make that part easy! Their engagement session was so relaxed and laid back. We wandered all around my favorite park (Tower Grove) and checked out some of the vintage shops along Morganford and got some really amazing shots. Enjoy...

 Love Love Love the Vintage car!

Have a sweet weekend!

Today my little nephew turned ONE! I can't believe how big he has gotten. He had such a blast getting messy and eating his first birthday cake. We love you little man!

*Photos courtesy of Timmy :)

Recent Work: A Vintage Inspired Engagement Session

Laura and Pat are two of the nicest people you will ever meet. They are so fun to be around that this photo session didn't even feel like work! We spent nearly two hours traveling around Benton Park and Soulard (did I mention Pat and Laura are also very patient?) looking for fun places to take photos. I have to say this was one of my favorite sessions ever, and I am so excited to see what they have in store for their wedding day! I have so many favorite photos from this session that I can't wait to share, but for now enjoy this little preview...

Recent Work: Babies!

I got to meet one of the cutest babies I have ever seen last week! He is so precious and looks just like his Mom. He was not a big fan of having his photo taken, but he put up with me anyways and gave me some beautiful shots. It is always amazing to spend time with new babies, and Dana and Adam will make such amazing parents to little Henry. 

Enjoy...

Recent Work... Inspiration

I have horrible luck. In my photography career it seems like everything that can go wrong has gone wrong.   I've had cameras stolen, broken, all of the above. I've had memory cards melt in July heat. In fact my first digital camera fell out of a locker (2 days after I spent my life savings on it) and smashed into a million pieces in front of me (even the lens was smashed beyond repair!). I've had days where I just felt like giving up. It's interesting how people come into your life for such unexplained reasons and are able to leave such a mark. If it wasn't for my few close friends and supporters, I honestly don't know if I would have had the courage to go into this career. My friend Lisa is one of those people. She has been my constant cheerleader. In fact my first family photo shoot was nearly 3 years ago with Lisa's family! It was so nice to get to spend last Sunday morning with Lisa and her family at the Botanical Gardens. Her kids have grown so much! Here are some of my favorite images from the day...

This is my new inspiration for the week...

“What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

-Ira Glass