Is it cheesy and lame to feature yourself on your own blog? Probably. But this is like a one-time thing. Since having my son, Michael, I’ve made a point to take a yearly photo of him as well as a yearly photo of our family. This is usually how it goes down with my husband and son:

Me: We need to get a family photo.
Husband: Uggggghhhhh. Why?
Me: Because. Also, you need to pick out a nice outfit. I’m wearing blah, blah, blah. Try to figure out something that will coordinate.
Husband: Uggggghhhhh. Why do we have to dress nice? This isn’t how we dress every day.
Me: No one needs to see how we dress every day. We are not taking photos in sweat pants, dirty jeans with rips in them or t-shirts with pit stains.
Husband: Uggggghhhhh.
Me: It’s for like FIVE minutes, and we only need one good shot. You’re gonna have to suffer.
*****At the shoot*****
My son: Screaming and refusing to look at the camera.
*****After I think we get one good shot and look at the camera on the tripod*****
Me: We’re done! We got one good photo!
Husband: THANK GOD!!!!
*****Major eye roll from me*****

SCENE

I guess my family doesn’t see me being a photographer as a benefit but more like a nuisance!  Haha!

Cara Hilsendager Buss has been a very loyal client to me during the past year, so I graciously accepted her offer to shoot some family photos as a gift to her parents for their 50th wedding anniversary! The whole Hilsendager clan spent a fun weekend in the pretty Rocky Mountains as part of this milestone celebration.

Although we faced some harsh sun and shadows, we found a way to get some cute shots in nature. Luckily everyone was very easy going for the whole group shot (17 people in total!), and didn’t mind the kids holding suckers and looking this way and that way. Honestly, I personally think photos like these capture the family as they were in that moment in time (i.e. wrangling six babies and toddlers for a family photo)!

In the feature image, I asked Frank to whisper sweet nothings into Connie’s ear, and I captured a priceless moment. I love this photography trick, because it almost ALWAYS creates an amazing candid moment. I usually follow it up with something like, “I don’t want to know what was said, and I’m sure your kids don’t either!!!” It’s good for laugh 🙂

Congrats Frank and Connie on 50 years of marriage!

Would you believe Zach and his mom traveled all the way to Denver from Pittsburgh to have his senior photos done? Well…it’s partly true. Zach is my youngest cousin and is now in his senior year of high school. He and my aunt flew out to Colorado to visit the Colorado School of Mines and CU Boulder (two schools he’s interested in attending). While they were here, they asked if I’d be interested in shooting his senior photos. I, of course, accepted. We decided to hit the trails in beautiful Red Rocks at 6 a.m. to shoot during the golden hour!

We all love the way his senior photos turned out, and I would bet money that no one else in his school will have Red Rocks in their senior photo backdrops!

Wow! I remember when my friend Bree‘s talked about her little niece Ashlyn being born! I never thought way back then that I’d be shooting Ashlyn’s senior photos 17 years later! After perusing my blog posts for cool locations, Ashlyn decided that City Park would be the perfect place for her senior photo backdrop.

Her pretty pink dress even complemented the color scheme of the pavilion! She looked so great, and I was very pleased with how her photos turned out during our golden hour shoot.

I wish her the best of luck in her last year of high school at Chatfield Senior High!

Mike and Colleen have been an item practically since my husband and I have been together. Mike and John both played for the Denver Highlanders Rugby Football Club, and Colleen and I both showed up on the scene around the same time. During Colleen’s bachelorette party, she told me how they met, and I literally laughed out loud because the same Welsh rugby player, “Taffy,” who introduced me to my now-husband had also introduced her to her now-husband! Who would think Taffy to be such a great matchmaker?!

Mike and Colleen’s wedding day was so perfect. They held the ceremony and reception at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science near City Park. The day was gloomy, but no matter because I was petrified we’d have a bright sunny blazing hot August day that would make for not-so-ideal photography conditions.

I thought the most special moment was when Colleen began saying “I do,” the sun broke through and filled the ceremony with warm sunlight. It was almost divine.

I’m so happy for the two of them. They have been great teammates (rugby and footy) and even better friends. I love them, and wish them nothing but happiness!

More than 80. That number means a lot to someone I know very well. Debbie hired me at the company I worked at prior to starting my photography adventure. I was so thrilled when her daughter reached out to me, asking to purchase a photo session birthday gift for her mom. Debbie lost more than 80 pounds through Weight Watchers, and wanted to celebrate this monumental occasion by doing a photoshoot with her two grandsons. I love capturing moments in time for people and their families. I was very honored that Debbie wanted me to capture these extra special memories for her. I think she looks fabulous, and am so impressed by her achievement. Way to go Debbie!!!

I was so excited that Cara reached out to me to do a mini-session. This was their second shoot with me, and was extra special because the photos were a surprise Father’s Day gift for her husband Robert.

We met up at a park in Denver, and Cara, Crosby and Keaton looked so incredibly adorable. We had to battle some harsh sun rays, but in the end Cara loved all the photos. Plus I think Robert was pleasantly surprised, too! What a great idea for a Father’s Day gift!

These are beautiful pictures… I let Crosby look at the gallery, and he just blushed and giggled! I am literally having the problem of picking which ones to frame because they are all so cute!” — Cara Buss, Denver

In mid-April I was hired to shoot a charity golf tournament for TIC – The Industrial Company, called the TIC CUP. The tournament director also asked if I would be interested in donating a photography session for the silent raffle — I was more than happy to donate to the cause, as this particular golf tournament raises money for childhood cancer nonprofits. In fact, their goal is to raise enough funds in 2018 to cross the $1 million mark, which is quite the accomplishment for a tournament that started out so small only a handful of years ago.

Pam outbid her competitors and won the photography package, so we set up a day to do family photos in pretty Golden, Colorado. One of her sons had just graduated from the University of Colorado, so the whole family was in town to help him celebrate. I think these photos turned out really cute, and I hope they enjoy these for years to come.