Fun Times Two!

Two peas in a pod - these two.  How fun to head out on a beautiful, sunny, fall day in Wisconsin and hang out with this family.  I took lots of photos of the mom and dad... and entire family together too, but couldn't resist highlighting the images of this brother and sister duo.  They're going to have their ups and downs I'm sure (as all brothers and sisters do) but how lucky they are to have each other! 

Isn't Fall Fun?

I mean, really.  Fall is when so many great things happen.  The skies soften and the leaves burn a brilliant orange, red and yellow.  Families get back into the rhythm of their lives and dreams turn to the holiday season... which is coming up, by the way.

I met this family - well a portion of it - last year when I shot family portraits at St. Johns' in Delafield.  At that time, I met the youngest member, Olivia, and her parents... I didn't even know there was so much more to come!

What a treat to see this family interact - clearly enjoying each other on a beautiful fall day - and clearly loving the connection they have with it's youngest member.  She's the beautiful string that ties it all up together in a sweet little bow. 

Tenley... makes 10!

You've seen this baby girl before.  I had the opportunity to photograph Tenley when she first arrived on the "scene" - see her here in my Baby Love entry.   Tenley is the youngest of a brood of little ones belonging to Mary Kay... a proud grandma that asked me along as her family took in the sights and had a little fun at Lapham Peak State Park.   We picked out a couple of spots to stop and group together... then grandma pulled out the squirt guns and the chaos took over.  How great to see a family that knows how to have a little fun together!  Thanks for bringing me along for the morning you guys... next year Miss Tenley will be in on all the fun too!   

Sneak Peek!

This is a sneak peek from a session I did just this morning!  Beautiful girls in beautiful dresses - it's hard to beat!  I'm still working on editing the rest, so stay tuned!  

Togetherness

I had a wonderful time photographing this lovely family - they're friends and so our session was full of laughter and chatting... and a little bit of driving around looking for the perfect location.  

In the end we found a few - a backyard, a nearby tree lined street (I'm sure that no trespassing sign was wasn't meant for us!) and the new space at Studios Etc. in downtown Oconomowoc.  (beautiful!)

Summer won't last forever, but these portraits will - thank you friends!

Enjoy!

Showstoppers

Every couple of weeks my kids get the urge to put on a "show."  Sometimes it's a concert.. other times it's more like a variety act.  Today I was treated again to a wonderful display of their talents.  Jackson sang a couple of tunes (I only really recognized one) and Caitlin whipped out the ol' hoola hoop.  Is it wrong that in between "sets" I noticed the beautiful light setting up across the driveway?  I love these kids - and the fact that they don't even care when people passing by stop to watch their performances.  In fact, I hope that never stops.  I wish they could stay carefree and focused on how doing what they love makes them feel... not seeing the world through the eyes of every one else.   

This is the face

The name of my photography company is "smile out loud."  That phrase, which at first doesn't seem to make sense, comes from something this young lady said nearly seven years ago!  When she was around four, I think, she and I were doing something together - and she turns to me and says,  "Momma, that makes me smile out loud!"  To which I replied, "silly girl, you can't smile out loud."  I went on to explain that a smile was an expression and didn't make any noise.  She just sat there looking at me like I'd not quite made my way to discovering that she wasn't talking about a sound, she was talking about a feeling.

It occurred to me then - to smile out loud is to feel such happiness that it cannot be contained inside yourself.  It's the happiness that seeps out between the cracks in your soul and displays itself for the world to see.

Now - all these years later, my little girl is growing into a beautiful young lady.  She just recently blew out eleven candles topping her birthday cake.  I'm so glad to be a photographer on days like that.  Because see what I caught?  See the look on her face?  She's not just smiling - she's smiling out loud!