I don’t have a whole lot of words, but the oh-so-beautiful Nadeen and I spent some time together flitting about in the wilderness taking gorgeous photos and meeting interesting people.

The important part of the line up there is the “taking gorgeous photos” and the funny part was the “meeting interesting people.”  We [...]]]>  

I don’t have a whole lot of words, but the oh-so-beautiful Nadeen and I spent some time together flitting about in the wilderness taking gorgeous photos and meeting interesting people.

The important part of the line up there is the “taking gorgeous photos” and the funny part was the “meeting interesting people.”  We came across several dogs, lots of people walking on the trails, and one person walking their parrot.  Yes, a parrot.  I mean, they had dogs with them too, and I’m pretty sure the parrot chided one of the dogs for walking too slow, because I’m almost 100% certain the bird said “Come on, Carl.”

This brings me to a couple of thoughts; 1. Who names their dog Carl?  and 2. Where do they live?  I want to go to their house, meet them and shake their hand for naming their dog  Carl as well as teaching their parrot to keep the dog in line.

I decided very quickly that whoever they are, I like them.

Anyway, I digress…

Back to the incredible subject that I got to photograph.

She was AMAZING.  She brought her wedding dress with her, too, which is this dreamlike gauzy material with gentle pleats and a flowy cut.  SO beautiful.   I was in love.   I think she brought it “just in case, maybe we might get a chance to use it, who knows” but it was honestly my very favorite bit of the bunch.

SO, I said I didn’t have a lot of words, and here I am blabbing… of course.

Without further ado, Nadeen:

I don’t want cards or gifts.

I don’t really care about a ton of happy words on my facebook wall (though, I obviously won’t turn them down)

I definitely don’t need a night out [...]]]> I’m turning 28 on Saturday.  (did I just say that out loud?  I seriously thought I was still 22… crazy)

I don’t want cards or gifts.

I don’t really care about a ton of happy words on my facebook wall (though, I obviously won’t turn them down)

I definitely don’t need a night out downtown or a fancy dinner at a winery.

I don’t even care for a piece of cake…

I DO want you to spend some money though.

Before you get all kinds of crazy over a random person asking you to spend your very  hard earned money, let me explain a little.

There is a little boy named Ethan whose family is very close to my heart.  I’ve known him since before he showed up here in this mean world,  I’ve known his dad since I was 19, and his mama since I was 12.  12!! As in, before I actually liked boys for real, before I knew it was important to wear a bra every day, and when she went to visit her family in Arkansas, I cried because I felt like she was going to be gone FOR-EV-ER.  Needless to say, they are important to me.

When Ethan was born, they found out he had a respiratory disease called Cystic Fibrosis.   If you don’t know what that is… it’s freaking scary, and I recommend you read up on it.  Here is some light reading material for later:

http://www.cff.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cystic_fibrosis
Basically, your lungs are at any given time, susceptible to filling up with mucus and drowning themselves.    Any hint of illness could be fatal.

Scary, right?  Now, imagine being an infant or a toddler… having to be hospitalized over a cough, having to be tied down to beds and forced to take medicine.

I would think it’s completely terrifying.  NOW, if you’re a parent… imagine that being your child.   Not knowing what you can do for your baby when you know the likelyhood of a “common cold” could send him into a lengthy stay at a hospital or in PICU.  Imagine having to have every ounce of your trust in God and specialists to care for your child with a disease that until lately, didn’t have a very positive prognosis…

Because of the research and advances in medicine in recent years, breakthroughs are being made.  There are new, incredible drugs on the market that help break down and thin out the gunk that builds up in the lungs.  There are respiratory vibration jackets that help with breaking up the mucus as well.  But these things do not come without a cost.  Unfortunately, when it comes to saving lives, it’s always a high cost.

Organizations like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation rely heavily on donations to support the families that are living with and caring for their children/loved ones with Cystic Fibrosis, like sweet Ethan’s mom and dad. They also help fund research for new treatments and better ways to heal this disease.

Which brings me back to my initial request.  I want you to give money.   

You can do it one of a few ways:

++ Book a mini session.  $100 for a 20 minute mini sessions with $25 print credit and 5 digital sharing images and a Custom Facebook Cover Image.  Held Saturday April 29th and Friday May 4th.  If both days become filled, we will open up May 5th as well.  There are only 5 sessions available each day.
Half of this session fee will be donated to Ethan’s Great Stride’s Fundraising Effort
CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR SESSION

++ Book a Full session.  $200 for a full portrait or playtime session with $50 print credit, 10 digital sharing images and a custom Facebook Cover image.  Many mid-week dates are available.
Half of this session fee will be donated to Ethan’s Great Strides fundraising effort
CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR SESSION 

++ Donate Directly.  If you’ve already had your family portraits done, if you don’t care to get them done, if it’s just not in the budget to have them done, you can donate smaller amounts directly to the Ethan’s Great Strides team here:  http://www.cff.org/great_strides/dsp_donationPage.cfm?registeringwalkid=7841&idUser=380044

Even if it’s $5, please help them support this incredible organization that has worked so hard, and continues to work SO hard to save their little man’s life, as well as so many others.

I totally understand that a lot of you will find this annoying, this near-begging for your money, but the lives of SO many people can be made healthier, and lengthened by the progress being made with the help of our funding.

Here is a little video to help explain a little bit more why they’re raising the money:  http://youtu.be/SXCnRxuum3s

I LOVE LOVE LOVE you guys so much!!  L

 
Fine Print:  all session price will have tax added for a total of $108.25 for minis and $216.50 for regular sessions.  Print credit will be added to your account when your gallery is made available.  In-person ordering is recommended, but not necessary.

Orders placed before May 7th will be available for pick up before Mother’s Day. 

I do like cake, but I like healthy kids better than I like cake.

Someone three houses down just mowed their lawn, so the air smells like fresh cut grass. Not like the grass in your yard though.  It’s kinda long, [...]]]> It’s kind of warm outside.  Not too hot, obviously.  It’s only half past April… But there’s certainly no chill either.  Not too much wind, it’s just nice.

Someone three houses down just mowed their lawn, so the air smells like fresh cut grass.
Not like the grass in your yard though.  It’s kinda long, but that’s ok.  It’s a good place to look at the bugs.  PLUS, it won’t stain the cotton on your clothes as bad… at least that’s what you tell yourself to justify rolling in the tall blades.

Lying in the soft lawn with your head on your arms you notice a sweet little lady bug.
You pick her up (because they’re all ladies, right? haha) and let her toddle about through your fingers and up your arm.   Trying to pick her up again, sends her fluttering off with her chunky little wings…

Thankful for the short ladybug connection, you lay back on the ground and just enjoy that cut grass smell and warm breeze for a little while longer.

I’m posting a super crazy edited image of myself and a straight out of camera version of the same image.   I’m doing this to show that the things you see in media are not how things really are.

My hope is that women can get [...]]]> I’m doing a little real talk here again.

I’m posting a super crazy edited image of myself and a straight out of camera version of the same image.   I’m doing this to show that the things you see in media are not how things really are.

My hope is that women can get over the way they see themselves… You know, the “ugh, I look like garbage, I need to get -new makeup-lipo-breast augmentation-extensions-spray tan-botox- (Insert alteration of choice here) Yes, it’s fun to get dressed up and yes it’s fun to play with makeup and change our hair, but that’s not what I’m worried about.  I’m worried about women downright HATING themselves because they don’t look like Adriana Lima or Heidi Klum (both seemingly supernaturally beautiful and fantastic models before they even get photoshopped).

I’m worried that young girls are growing up with a false sense of reality.  They’re growing up to believe that the person they see in the mirror is not ok because it’s not like the pictures on the cover of the magazine.  It’s not like the girls/women on TV, in movies, commercials and on billboards.

Let’s raise the next generation of girls to be strong, love themselves and the people around them.  Not wallowing in pity for themselves because they can’t look like someone whose magazine cover doesn’t even look like their real face.   Yes?  Please?  It starts with us.  Loving ourselves enough to be ok with the body and face we were given.  Take care of it, but don’t hate it so much you need to take drastic measures to change it.

If you know me, you know why this picture is funny, and why it’s so obviously not real.

I don’t look like that…ever.  The bottom picture is hardly even how I really look.  I rarely wear that much makeup, and my hair is never so soft and downy blonde as that, and I am not nearly as thin as this picture makes me look.  I mean, I’m probably a good 70 lbs heavier than I appear in this image.  Of course you’d never know because of the position of my face, and the omission of everything but my shoulders and head.

The things I did to make the picture happen are the same methods that ad designers are using to create the illusion that if you buy their product, use their service, or follow their diet, you will look like that too.

It’s a lie.  Don’t buy it.

(CLICK THE IMAGE TO SEE LARGER)

and here is the original:

Not necessarily wordy, but very image laden. For as long as I have been cognizant of love, I have never in my life seen two people so completely ridiculously enamored with one another as Alex and Pattie are.

The love surrounding these two radiates so beautifully.  The joy [...]]]> Ok.  This is a lengthy post.

Not necessarily wordy, but very image laden.
For as long as I have been cognizant of love, I have never in my life seen two people so completely ridiculously enamored with one another as Alex and Pattie are.

The love surrounding these two radiates so beautifully.  The joy of their wedding day was like a song, that regardless of language barriers (half of the guests were non-native english speaking), everyone was singing along.

A sweet, brief ceremony preceded an incredible meal and mini-dance party  that went well into the evening.
What a beautiful day, Pattie and Alex.  Thank you SO SO much for letting me come and take part in the festivities.

I wish SO many blessings  for both of you in the years to come.

Love love, and a little more love,
L

I partied like a rockstar (and by rockstar, I mean, like I am feeling WAY too old to shake mah booty like that) and took pictures for the gorgeous Mrs Nikki’s Birthdayyyy! I talked with old friends, ran into a couple old acquaintances, and chatted up some new friendies.  It was a [...]]]> that’s right.

I partied like a rockstar (and by rockstar, I mean, like I am feeling WAY too old to shake mah booty like that) and took pictures for the gorgeous Mrs Nikki’s Birthdayyyy!
I talked with old friends, ran into a couple old acquaintances, and chatted up some new friendies.  It was a fun night.

AND here’s proof!

I do wish I could spend a little time JUST photographing Nikki, btw, she’s so seriously beautiful!

Happy Birthday Darling, I hope it was amazing!!

Love Love love, L

I am.  This little man is absolutely beautiful.

And I had the pleasure of working with him

Love, L

He’s super awesome, and I’m about to only tap into a TINY bit of why… ready?

He plays piano (really well, even on a garbage piano) He plays the organ He’s incredibly smart He LIKES Calculus.  (like, enjoys it.) He is an Eagle Scout He treats his mom really [...]]]> OK, so this is G.

He’s super awesome, and I’m about to only tap into a TINY bit of why… ready?

He plays piano (really well, even on a garbage piano)
He plays the organ
He’s incredibly smart
He LIKES Calculus.  (like, enjoys it.)
He is an Eagle Scout
He treats his mom really well
He loves Jesus
He’s pretty dang handsome

And that’s just the beginning.

We had a chance to hang out and take some pictures this week, and let me tell you, this was a seriously fun session.
We traversed all over the universe and back (alright, maybe we didn’t go THAT far, and it was only Folsom to Shingle Springs, but for him it was a long trek), and he didn’t miss a beat.  He just rolled with whatever came next.

Here’s a little tiny bit of what we caught during his senior portrait session: