Today I’ve compiled my favorites from every family, baby, child, maternity or senior session this year into a fun little slideshow.  I love shooting families!  This year I was privileged to shoot lots of families, and I think my favorite parts of this slideshow are the parts where you see a maternity session and then the newborn baby, or a newborn baby and then that new family’s family session.  I love getting to be a part of the stages of your lives, thank you so much to everyone who allowed me to freeze their special moments in time this year.  It truly is an honor.

Here are my top favorites of all the favorites from families this year.  Scroll down and vote for your favorite and then watch the slideshow!

Dorrie

Chapmans

Dorrie & Mia

Gage

Esther & Cody

Brenna

Griffins

Adelaide

And here is the happy little slideshow of all my family favorites!

Meet the Keller family!  This family is very special to me for lots and lots of reasons.  This is the third year I have photographed them!  You can see last year’s photos here and here.  The year before I wasn’t blogging yet I guess!  I go to the Keller’s house every Monday night for girls Bible study which has been such a hugely important part of my life for quite a while now.  It’s pretty much the best Bible study every because Ronna cooks fabulous food for us each week and doesn’t make us feel bad if we don’t finish our homework – basically a win-win if you ask me!  Last year the whole family couldn’t be together all at the same time for pictures but this year it worked out to get everyone together for Thanksgiving.  We had perfect weather and even pretty impressive cooperation from three year-old Max (once there were cookies involved =)

LOVE these two of Ronna and Wayne -

How cute are Devin and April?

I have always thought that Max was such a handsome boy.  Some kids are cute, Max is handsome -

To see more of the Kellers, click below to see their slideshow!

We had so much fun photographing Stephen and Dana and Libby.  They are fun to be around, and Libby is so dang cute!  And I’ll admit it, since they were the last session on Saturday we definitely went a little longer than 20 minutes.  But everyone was just having a good time and the light was so beautiful, why stop?

Yesterday while I was editing their session, Shep was sitting in my lap saying, “Wibby!  Wibby!!!!” over and over again.

Outfit change!  Love the shades of purple!

I couldn’t get enough of little Libby, she’s such a cute!

Aren’t they fun?  I love how these came out of Dana and Stephen -

I first met Selena this summer (ironically through the same friend that connected me with Sharlie – Holly when am I gonna do your kiddos!).   I walked into my friend Holly’s house and there was furniture everywhere!  Out of a bedroom came Holly and Selena panting and dragging a dresser.  They were preparing to steam Holly’s carpets and Selena had come down with her steamer and proceeded to help move all Holly’s furniture and then do all the steaming while we sat outside with the kids!  And Shep and I had just decided to pop in that day.  We’ve been keeping up through Facebook since then and hung out at a birthday party recently so it was fun to get to meet the rest of her family and photograph them!

Andrew is a little ham.  He would turn that smile on and off like a switch – with a great attitude – it was really cute!

Hehe, that grin kills me!

These guys had a little easier time keeping their eyes open than the Chapmans =)

Selena, I think you may have said not to post any of the family pictures, but I just couldn’t help it, y’all are too good lookin’!

To see more of the Lewis family, click the image below to see a slideshow!

I have to say, all of the families that participated in Portraits at the Preserve last weekend did so well on their styling!  I was very impressed and excited to see all the outfits that showed up that day, way to go everyone!

I love this family!  Every Sunday almost, Esther and Cody run up to greet Shep.  Esther loves to follow Shep around playing with him, and Cody donated the Wall-e costume that Shep ultimately refused to wear.  I started getting to know mom Sharlie earlier this year when we were up swimming with another friend and her kids having conversations about being real.  I always appreciate real people who aren’t afraid to be themselves, so and so does she, so we’ve enjoyed getting to know each other this year.  I was thrilled to be able to photograph the Chapman family, check out the eyes on those kiddos!

Esther is a jumper!

They really wanted to do a cute laying down shot but they all have sensitive eyes and no one could keep their eyes open, it was really funny -

Hehe

These last two are my very favorites!  Look at those eyes!

I love this one because it’s so relaxed, natural and you can tell how much they all love each other -

To see more of the Chapmans, click the image below to see their slideshow -

People ask me all the time what to wear for their photo shoots.  I tell people to coordinate but not match.  Pick a color scheme of about three colors (preferably one that goes with their living room, office, bedroom or wherever they will hang their final prints) and build outfits from there.  I have put together several different outfit combinations based on different color schemes to show you as examples!  I chose to build outfits from affordable stores like Old Navy, Forever 21, and American Eagle so you can see how easy it is to look cute on a budge.  Click on the photos to see purchasing information, or just use these outfits as inspiration and shop in your closet from what you already have.  Think layers and textures.  Hats, scarves, jackets, vests, tights, shoes and jewelry all make outfits more visually interesting.

This first set is comprised of clothes from Old Navy and accessories and shoes from Old Navy and other places.  I just loooove aqua!!

This set of outfits would be great for my family (if I had three kids =) because it is using the color scheme of my living room!  My walls are sea green, my couch is brown and we have a blue chair with white shelves.  Next to the living room is the kitchen where you see my red chairs.  And these outfits are all from Old Navy.  It doesn’t have to be expensive to buy great outfits!  This set includes an outfit for a baby boy as well.  Moms, this sweater is nice for you if there are any areas you may want to hide

This set is made up of outfits from different stores.  Mom’s outfit is from Forever 21, with shoes by Jessica Simpson, Dad’s is from American Eagle and the kids’ outfits are from Old Navy.

These sisters’ outfits are from GapKids’ Himalaya and Leopard collections.  The first set is a  Girls outfit and a baby outfit.  The Leopard outfits are both baby/toddler.  Every piece is available at Gap!

These two sets are both from Gap Kids. Great for brothers! The first one is Boys and Baby/Toddler. The second set is both Boys.  And every piece is available at Gap.

I hope these outfits inspire you!

Danielle was the winner of my very first contest!  It was so fun to get to meet her and photograph her and her sweet family.  It was great practice for me to follow around two little boys since that’s going to be me soon!  Danielle gave me her potty training tips and told me about how they picked their sons’ names (Pierce and Heath).  And she completely validated my complete and utter loss at coming up with name #2.  It was a challenge to get two small boys to look at the camera and be happy at the same time!  But I think we got some cute shots that show the love this family has for each other.  It was so nice meeting you Nowell family!

LOVE this one.  Such a cute brothers shot!

Pierce is going to be a pirate for Halloween and was carrying around his pirate telescope while we walked around.  I love this shot of him being a pirate!

A sweet father/son moment on the steps.

Click the image below for a slideshow of the Nowell family!

I had the pleasure of meeting Dede  and her mother Paula when I photographed baby Gage earlier this year.  It was so fun to get to get to meet Dede’s husband Blaine and get to photograph them as a family!  Gage was such a good subject!  He was smiling and looking at the camera, such a good baby!  Isn’t it nice that I get clients who have wonderful children?  I’m pretty lucky in that regard.

Click below to see a slideshow of the Harrison family’s photos!

The Wetzel family was such a pleasure to photograph!  They showed up ready to go and hung out chatting with us after they were done.  Little Anna is simply adorable and was very happy to smile for us with her bribery candy =)

My favorite -

Is she beautiful or what??

Loooove this, she looks like a little doll!

Click below to see a slideshow of the Wetzel family’s photos!

Oh the Hauns.  To know them is to love them.  Cheryl is one of the most loving and unselfish people I know, and there is not a child on earth that doesn’t looooove Casey Haun.  They are so much fun to be around and such a blessing to all of us who are lucky to know them.  I was honored to be at the hospital when they became parents earlier this year.  It was probably the most precious moment I’ve ever been honored to document.  I’m seriously tearing up just thinking about it.  This past Sunday I was honored again to document their family!

How can you not love a family that brings an outfit change to a 20 minute portrait session?

Click below for a slideshow of the Haun family!