The Daddy-Daughter dance is an event I look forward to photographing every year! I shot my first one three years ago when Mel Miles (the event director for The Club at Pradera and The Pinery) got in touch with me last minute (read: days) before the event. She had just taken the job and had weeks to coordinate the whole thing, but you would never know it!

Fortunately the last two years have been a little less stressful haha- and this year was the first combined Daddy-Daughter dance for Pradera & The Pinery! Mel is super creative and always has her theme sussed out by the day after the previous year's event haha! She has been wanting to do Alice in Wonderland since the first year- and man did it show. From the color scheme to the adorable little teacup salads everything was spot on. And of course, Alice herself was present- and just incredible...I'm not sure I actually caught her real name (whoa...maybe it was actually Alice haha) and she was there for almost 7 hours and I never saw her break for more than a moment for a sip of water. On top of that there were carriage rides, a dessert table to make any kid's eye grow to the size of saucers, and Holly and Craig from Adventures in Dance mc'ing and leading some super fun dances for the group....including an impromptu "Thriller" lesson towards the end of the night which was nothing short of hilarious and adorable- something about 7 year olds grooving to the King of Pop just tickles me haha!

Beyond the amazingness of the event itself is the girl's with their dads. I'm a softy for that particular bond in the first place so documenting these doting fathers and their utterly gleeful little girls (who of course are all dressed up) is really something special. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next year!

If you've followed me for any amount of time you know by now that if I travel I shoot. I love finding cool new locations to work in- in this case it was the incredible back yard at my Aunt & Uncle's home in Palm Springs! Their yard is an artists dream- there was so much variety in a relatively small area, and fortunately we were there in March so the crazy desert heat had yet to really amp up.

I brought a whole suitcase of wardrobe for this little princess- one of the hazards of shooting away from home haha! Between Nellystella, Tutu Du Monde, and Bowie James we had plenty of options to work with. This girl was so ready for her portraits...I find that most kids get that camera in front of them and ham it up a bit, which I love! I directed her very little and mostly just followed her lead. I really can't wait to make another trip out there to shoot again- well and maybe for just a little pool time ;)

I first met this gorgeous baby and her mama while photographing my own little at the end of last fall. I knew the moment I saw them that I had to photograph them- I was so glad to get the opportunity to this spring! Anna's dreads are SO stunning and these two together...well- there's little more symbiotic in this world than a mama with her baby. 

We decided we would shoot when the cherry blossoms finally bloomed, which was super late this year, so poor Anna was on call for this shoot for about a month haha! Cherry blossom shoots tend to be that way though- once they pop we're lucky to get two weeks of blooms...and often the snow destroys them before that.

It was definitely worth the wait- these two with the flowering trees was sweetness overload. And can I just take a moment to oggle over the adorable outfit Anna chose?I love photographing mamas with their babies...the bond is so new but so strong already, and as all parents know- that time is SO fleeting. I'm sure this little princess has grown another inch just since this shoot!

If you're wanting a Denver cherry blossom shoot next year please hop on my wait list now- as I said they are so fleeting and sessions are first come first serve <3

Winter is my dead zone. I spend all those cold indoor months thinking about all the places I want to shoot...yes- I am a photography nerd...why do you ask? ;)

So I've been planning this shoot at the RiNo art district for some time. If you've never been down there I highly suggest you take a day- well done street art is so incredible and the whole area is just full of color...I wish we would cover all of our buildings with art haha! 

My mama was in town for Mother's day and had taken a few extra days to be in town so I decided it was time to dress the kiddo in the outfit I had long set aside for this purpose and head on down. We really just enjoyed strolling through the area and stopping to snap some shots any time inspiration struck...which is really my favorite way to shoot anyways- I'm no good at all at trying to get all my work done in an hour time frame >.< I will say that I'm lucky to have the rare kid that doesn't come down with "photographer's kid syndrome" (where they see a camera and run) but man she was EXTRA on point this day...I think it was the heart sunglasses- she was really feeling the movie star vibe!

Insanely cute open shoulder top by Bowie James
White jeans from Old Navy
Baby Adidas (which she looooves because they match Daddy's)
Amazing heart sunglasses from one of my favorite kid's online stores- Mini Dreamers

I love photographing kids in an urban scene- so if you're looking for a unique portrait session for your kiddo drop me a line- Denver has some amazing locations!

Have you ever had a moment or an experience that completely convinced you that you were exactly where you're meant to be, doing exactly what you're meant to do?

That was my shoot with Davin.

The day I met Davin was just an all around awesome day. I spent the morning photographing Santa with dozens of kids. I don't know if you've ever had an opportunity to just sit and watch kids light up for hours on end- but that was what I got to do for the whole morning. As the Santa pictures wound down, Santa and I got to talking about my little girl...and Santa said he would follow me home to pay her a visit!

If you're here you probably have a little one- so just imagine the super-hero bouncy feeling I had as I drove home with Santa following close behind in his lifted truck (Santa has a pretty serious vehicle when he's not driving the sleigh haha!) on his way to meet my girl at our house. Yeah. I was flying.

So that sets the scene for the mood I was already in when I first said hello to Davin. This kid- man he's something else. Davs is a natural born performer- you know the type...they just ooze energy and charisma- their personality JUST this side of overwhelming, but never quite crossing that line. And of course, he IS a performer. Davin is a ballet dancer- an incredibly passionate and talented one.

The second I first clicked my shutter magic happened. I'm not sure I had a bad shot for the whole session- the scenery was perfect, and I barely directed him at all. It was the kind of symbiotic session where Davin was doing what he loved (dancing and performing while being fawned over by an adoring fan) and I was doing what I loved. It was perfection. 

I even drove home to the most incredible sunset.

This kid is something special- hes had some truly rough times, and his incredible mother works her tail off to keep him in dance. One day I know I'll be purchasing tickets to see him dance professionally- and for now just watching him grow as a dancer is such a privilege.

Something anyone who works with eventually starts noticing is that you won't hear from me before noon. Often my emails will hit your inbox at about 2AM...and if you do see an email from me at 6AM it's definitely because I haven't gone to bed for the previous night yet.

That's because I have a super fun (not) sleep disorder called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. Which is a fancy name for a circadian rhythm disorder, which is a fancy name for saying I'm genetically a night owl. My entire life falling asleep at an appropriate time has been difficult on a good day and impossible the rest of the time. My body's natural schedule wants me to fall asleep around 7AM and wake up for the day around 3PM. Fortunately I'm able to move that back by a few hours- but no more than that (there's currently no cure and very little treatment available for DSPS.) Double fortunately I found a calling that allows me to work hours that are natural for my body- yay photography!

Things would have been a little easier had I had a name for this obnoxious affliction when I was younger. So I wanted to take a minute today to give ya'll some information on sleep in kids- we all know that a tired kid is a craaaanky kid and nobody enjoys that haha!

How much sleep should your kiddo be getting?

• 1-4 weeks old-  16-17 hours a day with periods of wakefulness lasting 1-3 hours. Most newborns have not developed a night/day sleep cycle, so their periods of sleep and wakefulness can vary to all hours of the day. Which basically means- sleep any chance you get 'cause that little one is controlling your sleep schedule for a while!
• 1-4 months old- Sometime during this period most baby's night/day sleep cycles begin to kick in, with them sleeping longer at night, although they still wake for feedings and changes. We realized we had an issue with my little girl when at 5 months she was waking EVERY HOUR. Yeah. That was fun. We finally realized she had an ear infection with no other major symptoms- once that was cleared up I was finally getting 4 hour stretches of sweet blissful sleep.
• 4 months-1 year- Babies of this age still require between 14-15 hours of sleep everday. However, many of them are able to sleep through most of the night, and take up to 3 naps during the day and evening. This is the time when establishing a set sleep pattern can really benefit your little!
• 1-3 years- Most toddlers need about 12-14 hours of sleep. They will more than likely lose their early morning nap and early evening nap and tend to only take one nap a day. 
• 3-6 years- Approximately 11-12 hours of sleep. Younger children of this group may still require a short nap during the day, but the need to nap usually diminishes by the time they enter the first grade.
• 7-12 years- Children of these age groups tend to need about 10-12 hours of nightly sleep.
• 13-18 years- Teens of this age require about 8-10 hours of sleep, but rarely get the full amount they need. Don't even get me started about the multitude of studies done about school start time and how awful they are for teens >.<​

Sleep disorders usually manifest in childhood and adolescence- mine was pretty established by 7 years old when I would regularly lay in bed awake until long after my parents had gone to bed.

The most common types of sleep disorders in kids are;

1. Sleep-related breathing disorders:  most common symptoms are snoring, gasping for breath in sleep- and often hyperactivity during the day
2. Sleep-related movement disorders: if your child tends to move a lot during sleep or regularly jerks their limbs you might look into this
3. Insomnia: difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep. 
4. Parasomnia: Common symptoms include nightmares, night terrors, sleep walking, and bed wetting.

I really hopes this helps anyone who's having sleep issues with their kiddos- or themselves...you don't realize how much you need it until you're not getting it!

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I don't know how many times I can say this- but I love what I do. Most people vacation to get away from work- I plan vacations just TO work haha! So this year I decided I would head homeward with my little to Seattle and visit the tulip fields in the Skagit Valley. 

People love to gripe about Seattle being rainy- but they forget that all that rain has a stunning trade-off; SPRING. Haha! Spring in the Northwest is really something...the diversity and color of plant life everywhere is just incredible.

We waited until Monday to head up to the tulip fields to avoid the crowds (highly recommend haha!) There's just nothing like looking at row after row of perfectly cultivated flowers...they feel endless when you're in the middle of it. Someday I'm going to make it out to Holland and do the real deal! But I still count this one checked off the bucket list- got some amazing shots of the tulips, my little, and my beautiful 10 month old niece. 

If you like to travel please reach out to me to be added to my bucket list model calls- I'm always looking for kiddos to photograph when I go beautiful places...tried to find an extra for this shoot but it just wasn't in the cards this time- good thing I have one on hand most of the time!

So I have a secret...
​I LOVE photographing toddlers!

They're unpredictable, sweet, and generally just this side of insane. Trying to get a toddler to sit for photos is worse than trying to herd cats! So I don't ask them to sit. I ask them to play. In reality- this is such a fleeting and unique time of their lives...capturing it in all of it's insanity and beauty is what I'm really trying for with the littles.


Miss K here was in the midst of a Lion King obsession (yeah- you know the kind- where you're reciting lines from the movie in your sleep lol) so she insisted on spending about half her session as a lion. Mama's instinct was initially to ask her to just smile pretty for the camera- but I encouraged her to let her spirited kiddo just *be* a lion. And after every roar she let out the sweetest giggle with the most genuine smile.


So yeah- I understand why some photographers cringe when they hear "2 year old" but not me- it's a wild ride but always a delight!


So if you've been hesitating to have your snack crazed, refusing to nap, fit throwing, perfect bundle of joy photographed- bring 'em to me!!!
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Everything about this session made my heart sing...

This was the first time I had the privilege of photographing this sweet girl. Princess S is always a perfect combination of kind hearted with just a hint of sass. She loves art classes at school and is so in love with her mama. I love getting to capture amazing personalities like this- it's the whole reason I specialize in children's photography!

At the end of her session we decided to go a little more extreme dress up with some face paint and about a dozen roses in her hair- because if you can't dress up when you're seven when can you?

The Denver Botanic Gardens is one of my all time favorite locations for all the beautiful color it adds to images- but it does come at a premium. I try to schedule a couple days a year where I accept multiple clients at this location in one day at no extra charge (for a full solo session at DBG the permit fee is $150.) If you're interested in one of my upcoming Denver Botanic Garden dates please reach out and I'll add you to the list!