I can usually tell how a photography session is going to go within the first few minutes of meeting my clients. The R family climbed out of the car smiling and giggling at each other. I immediately knew this was going to be a fantastic session. M, the oldest daughter was visiting from out-of-state and decided to purchase a photography session for her mom for Mother's Day. The last time the family had family portraits was before the younger daughter was born. They were a bit overdue. Grandma also came along for pictures. The fun-loving family was open for everything, and offered tons of their own suggestions. The end result? Beautiful family portraits with just a touch of mischief and laughter. Perfection. 

H. is a graduating senior and wanted to have Senior Portraits with an urban feel. After a bit of discussion, we decided that doing a split venue photography session would give her just the look and feel she was going for. For the first half of the photography session, we went to a recently closed bridge downtown to for some industrial/graffiti backdrops and for the second half we went to a nearby sculpture garden for some architectural backdrops. I am so happy with the end result, and H. has told me that she adores her portraits! Congratulations to H. for her upcoming graduation and best of luck on all future endeavors! 

Ms. C had a simple request for her portraits with her son. She wanted to have fall foliage. Our original photography session was supposed to be in early October, but Mother Nature decided to throw a wrench in that plan and the trees were still green. Between Mother Nature's complete lack of cooperation and scheduling conflicts, we were finally able to get together for a photography session in mid-November. By pure coincidence, we happened to choose the weekend the gingko trees were at peak color. I believe this is what they mean by "happy accident"? 

I was very excited to meet up with the S family in downtown Liberty for a sisters photography session. As you can see from the portraits, all three girls are naturally photogenic and it was so fun to walk around Liberty to take advantage of all of the different backdrops. The weather could not have been more perfect, one of the last "shorts days" of late summer. 

I met up with the K family at Liberty Memorial to take family portraits with a skyline view. It was a beautiful fall day with clear blue skies. The boys were a bit skeptical of me at first; understandably so, it is much more fun to roll down hills and make funny faces than it is to stand still and smile for your picture. With a little compromise, some mild bribery, and a lot of giggles we were able to complete the photography session. Overall, this was such a fun session with genuine smiles and love. 

There are few things better than a warm, sunny day in early fall. I met up with the A family on a perfect early fall day at English Landing Park in Parkville, MO. We were able to get a few portraits by the river before little T decided he was done sitting still. Fortunately, mom and dad had plenty of tricks in mind to keep him entertained and there was a playground to explore!  The A family was so fun to work with, and I love all the toddler giggles we were able to capture. I hope they look back on these portraits with smile as T grows up. 

Over Memorial Day weekend I had the opportunity to take family portraits for a large family consisting of three sisters, their families, and mom! It was a group of 13 all together. Gezer Park in Leawood provided a variety of backdrops with it's pond, stone walls, gardens, and mini-vineyard. There was even a playground to encourage a few smiles from the smallest family member. 

Six-year-old Miss A asked her mom if she could have her pictures taken. Her mom reached out to me and we set up a 30-minute photography session at English Landing Park in Parkville. It was the first warm sunny day after nearly a week of rain. Kitty in tow, we dodged the mud puddles to get some pictures by the river, on a bridge, and on the playground. My favorite part is Miss A's beautiful smile.

I got to meet up with a beautiful couple celebrating a handfasting in a Kansas City park right around sunset. Depending on my camera angle, some of the portraits have the golden glow of the setting sun, while others take advantage of the deeper shades of the "blue hour." In celebration of the handfasting, the majority of the portraits are couple's portraits, but we did sneak in a few family portraits too! Such a beautiful family, I wish them many happy years together. 

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of visiting my cousin Audrey at her home for a family portrait session. It was a cool, blustery fall day. Her yard had a lovely layer of fresh leaves, and she had a pumpkin. Once her family was bundled up for the weather, we had the makings of a perfect fall photo shoot. Audrey and her husband are a beautiful couple, and their son is absolutely adorable. Here is a teaser of a handful of their portraits.