Tony | Children Portraits | Helena, Montana | Christmas

Meet Tony! This is my second time photographing him. Isn't he a cutie?

His parents came to me because they wanted some portraits done to use for their Christmas cards. They weren't sure what they wanted or what he should be wearing.

One of the things I always tell my clients is that it is very important to keep in mind where and what the photos will be used for. If you are going to be hanging a portrait in your home, its important to look at your decor. Is your home decorated in bright colors or more neutral colors? If its neutral colors and you choose to wear neon colors in your family portraits, they will look out of place hanging in your home and you won't be nearly as pleased with them. So try to make sure the colors of your clothes go with the color scheme of your home.

If you'll be using a portrait strictly for greeting cards, holiday cards or announcements, keep the colors and outfits as simple as possible. Think of the design and colors they'll be used with. If you choose a pink Christmas card design but you are wearing a blue dress with yellow polka dots, it's not going to look as nice as say a white dress with a smaller pink pattern will.

Tony's parents had already looked at my Christmas card designs and had picked a design that I knew using a simple white background would look best with. I suggested that Tony dress in Red, Green or Black.  His mom found this outfit at a local store and knew it would be perfect!

  

Tom Melissa Gabriella Jorge | Family Portraits | Bozeman, Montana | Adoption

I love photographing families...capturing the love and interactions between parents and children and even siblings.

Awhile back, I photographed a family that I couldn't help but fall in love with.  The love felt in this family can be seen in every photo I took. Meet Tom, Melissa, Gabriella & Jorge.  This family was brought together by adoption. Gabriella and Jorge were adopted about three years ago from Guatemala.

 

Adoption is very near and dear to me because my son is also adopted from Guatemala and I think thats why it was so easy to fall in love with this family. To know the struggles of the adoption process and knowing the feeling you get when you bring your adopted child home for the first time, we instantly clicked.  Gabriella and Jorge are obviously very happy kids. They were a joy to photograph and I hope that we can get those two and my son together soon for a playdate!

Did you know that November is National Adoption Month? Check out http://national-adoption-month.adoption.com if you'd like more information.

Fall | Children Portraits | Helena, Montana

Fall is my favorite season of the year. The morning air is crisp and the days are still warm. There's pumpkin carving, corn mazes, hay rides, the smell of baked goods wafting in the air. I can wear hoodies and jeans and boots. College football starts. Go UM Grizzlies! But most of all, I love the colors of season! They are gorgeous!

Robert & Jenna | Family Portraits | Missoula, Montana

Last week, I got to spend a beautiful afternoon near Missoula, Montana with one of the nicest people I know, Robert and his daughter, Jenna.

It’s been so wonderful to watch Jenna grow from a chubby wide-eyed baby girl, to a energetic gap-toothed little girl. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone.  Every time I am with them, I am amazed at how much love they show each other. She is definitely Daddy's little girl. I’m so happy they asked me to shoot these moments for them.

Baby J | Children Portraits | Helena, Montana

I've known baby J's mom since high school which is another way of saying "a long time". When she found out she was pregnant with J, I warned her I was going to be like the paparazzi around that baby! Before she gave birth though, she and her husband moved out of state. It broke my heart that I wouldn't be around to see her grow up on a daily basis. I'd still see them, just not as often as I'd like.

They made trip back to Montana right before J's first birthday! I had already purchased her gift: a pink tutu with a ruffled diaper cover and a ruffled shirt to match because lets face it, a girl can never have enough pink (or ruffles) in her wardrobe! When they stopped by my home to visit, I couldn't wait for Mandy (aka Mom) to see it! We put it on her and she looked adorable so of course, I grabbed my camera! But like most babies, J liked to be without clothing. So we ended up removing the shirt but J was fine with the tutu! I grabbed the pearls from my stash of props and the feathered headband and BAM! The opportunity for a photo shoot presented itself! I love when that happens...isn't she beautiful!

Caleb | Children Portraits | Helena, Montana | Cake Smash

Caleb, Caleb, Caleb...what can I say? Can he be any cuter?  He celebrated his first birthday recently and I talked mom into doing a cake smash. So after making sure everything that could possibly get dirty was covered, we began.  Mom placed Caleb in his spot and turned around to grab the cake. Caleb stood and waddled away. Mom grabbed him, put him back in his spot, turned to get the cake and Caleb giggled and headed right for the toys. Mom wrangled him in again, only this time, I was ready with the cake. As soon as he saw that cake, he sat still, his eyes lit up and a little squeal of excitement came from his tiny mouth. I put the cake in front of him, mom handed me my camera, I brought it up to my eye and he had already started eating it.

This only took about 30 seconds or so to shoot. But boy was it fun and obviously, Caleb likes chocolate cake!