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So two weeks in Hawaii doesn't suck haha! Between a week in Maui and a week in Kauai my soul is feeling quite refreshed. Just wish I could bring the ocean home with me >.< I'm working hard on the portrait sessions I did while on vacation (yes I work on vacation...pretty much every time lol) but for now I'll share some of my favorite images from the trip- after our pretty amazing bomb cyclone yesterday I figured ya'll could use some warm thoughts ;) The Maui Ocean Center was really cool- and since we got POURED on all day we figured the aquarium was a good place to chill for a few hours. I ended up getting a LOT of great photos to use later in compositing (mermaids here I come haha!)
On Maui we were staying at the very beginning of the Hana Highway- so this incredible bamboo forest and the amazing rainbow eucalyptus trees were only minutes from our rental home! 
 So getting up at 3AM to make it to sunrise on Haleakala was rough- but ultimately worth it. Oh and check it out- that's some leftover snow from the week before when they had shut down the mountain to visitors!   I basically spent 2 full weeks insisting I be on a beach at sunset...and these are why haha <3  
 
Kauai especially had so much beautiful plant and wildlife...and there are chickens EVERYWHERE on that island- much to my daughter's and my delight haha!        
 
  After the ocean the thing I'll miss the most is the incredible skies full of stars...when you're away from light pollution it's not hard to see why our ancestors were obsessed with the heavens.   
And finally our tiny little buddy...he was about the size of the tip of a finger haha! 
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So these images are actually a couple years old (and you would not believe how big these girls have gotten!) and from one of my first ever studio shoots. These were done with poor quality lights and somehow I managed to use my backdrop on what were still carpeted floors back then o_O....my studio has grown a lot, but I have to say, I'm still pretty proud of these images...plus I mean- these princesses are beyond adorable <3 We had a lot of fun with wardrobe changes and just playing and twirling! Oh- and Happy Valentines day everyone <3         It's that time of year again! This is the 3rd year I've participated in the Shoot & Share competition- billed as "the only free and fair photo competition" and I'd say that's probably accurate- usually in photo competitions you can send a link to your photos to your friends, family, and followers- which basically turns it into a popularity contest instead of a photo contest. In Shoot & Share you're shown 4 images at a time from a category, you select your favorite and then get a new 4 images to select from...honestly it's pretty damn addictive haha! I love that Shoot & Share is free to enter- when I invest back into my business I prefer that money goes towards improving my client experience! Here are my entries for the year- keep an eye out and happy voting!
 Last week my own little princess got her first pair of glasses 0_0 She's completely thrilled and picked glasses that "match mommy's" (be still my heart- must remember these moments when she's 13 and I'm the worst mom in the world haha!) We knew about a year ago that she *might* have some vision issues, but it became pretty clear by fall that we had an early adopter on our hands.
So how can you tell if your kiddo needs to get hooked up with an optometrist? 1. Squinting- if you catch your munchkin regularly mean mugging the tv, or the bird in the tree, or the ice cream truck in the distance- you might wanna get 'em an eye test. Same goes for the good 'ole pirate eye....unless of course they're pretending to BE a pirate. 2. Headaches- we started getting a fair few of these around here...a little water and some tylenol put her right, but hopefully her new spectacles will knock 'em out! 3. Sitting too close to the tv/holding tablets or phones too close to the eyes- okay so take this one with a grain of salt- because I know I'm far from the only one I know who did this as a kid, and my eyesight didn't abandon ship until I was about 14. But if your kiddo complains that they can't *see* their favorite show unless they sit that close- that's a red flag. 4. Eye rubbing- eye strain is a real thing, and even if your little doesn't realize they're struggling to see, their eyes do. Eye rubbing outside of the nap or bedtime window is something you should look out for. 5. Problems in school- issues concentrating and comprehending new material are common in kids who need corrective lenses- so if you're noticing any of the other signs and your little has struggled a bit in class, you *may* have found the culprit. Our trip to the optometrist was pretty painful. Instead of the giant machine (which I have just googled is called a phoropter haha) they had a little handheld doodad which they could manually pop lenses in and out of- way less intimidating for a kiddo. She did end up needing her eyes dilated (baby bear inherited her mama's astigmatism)...she was not a fan of the eye drops but was okay with watching The Good Dinosaur while we waited...and was definitely okay with the promise of ice cream haha! Then she got to pick her frames...and man she might be the most adorable thing I've ever seen in them. The Mr. and I will randomly call her over just so we can look at her- she has quickly tired of that game =P Don't wait too long if you think your little one is having vision problems- some vision issues can be caused by eye disease and other health issues, and uncorrected vision can actually impact the development of the eye- plus you know...seeing is pretty nice ^_^   Being a children's photographer in Parker is super convenient haha! I love living here because we're right on the cusp of country and city...which means lots of beautiful locations to shoot. One of my tried and true locations is 17 Mile Farmhouse Park. Most people are familiar with this park's super cute white house, big red barn and classic wind mill...but I really love how versatile the whole space is and rarely find myself near the structures. There's a path that leads back to a beautiful woodsy area, a small stream if you're willing to do a bit of path finding, and oh man the light that hits this place right before sunset is just unbeatable. I also love that every kiddo I photograph at this park finds their own magic in exploring it. Plus it's less than 10 minutes from my house- can't beat that commute! And if you're out on the right day you might get to meet the neighbors... ;)          Is there anything better than a snow day when you're a kid? Overnight the world goes from the same plain old boring place to a white fluffy wonderland. Snow balls, snowmen, snow angels, catching flakes on your tongue- even just watching it fall. When I woke up to this wonderland my nordic blood tingled and my daughter and I were on the same page- we wanted to get out in that snow! I love doing snow sessions- it's pure magic as soon as I get behind my camera, every time, and totally worth the frozen fingers. If you're interested in a snow session get in touch with me! I keep a snow day call list for those who want to take advantage of these magical days and get some unforgettable photos of their littles =) 
 We brought our other baby out with us to play too...he loves eating snow haha  When I saw this image of her standing there all I could think of was little Lucy Pevensie entering Narnia If you haven't had a chance to check out the Ice Castles in Dillon yet- you definitely should! This magical place is seriously straight out of a Disney movie and only around for a couple months out of the year. This red headed beauty made a striking contrast to the blue pillars of ice and man was she a trooper because it is COLD inside a real palace made of ice haha! I can't wait to go back in a few weeks...it's rare to get to shoot somewhere so intrinsically magical and I'm taking as much advantage as I can.        These adorable little girls were full of sweetness! We had a super fun time playing dress up, trying on crowns and of course- tossing sparkles all over my studio! It's definitely a challenge photographing a young toddler in my studio space- but I'm pretty pleased with how much of her silly personality I was able to capture!          This Holiday season I FINALLY had a finished studio to shoot at! As much as I love sessions out in the winter light, it's a rare kiddo that will tolerate our Colorado weather for long this time of year. These three little girls were just a bundle of giggles at my studio- they were all super excited to play dress up for an afternoon and take some beautiful holiday photos! I had the best time creating these classic portraits of these beauties- and we only made a moderate disaster of my studio in the process haha...which is par for the course in my studio sessions and completely worth it ^_^                 I'm a bit behind on blogging- and I figured everyone could use some colorful garden beauty as we approach the first official day of winter ^_^ This sweet soul was such a delight to work with. One thing I love about being a children's photographer is watching an imagination spark up and start to create its own magic- once that happens my job is always easy. We spent an amazing few hours wandering the Denver Botanic Gardens playing and laughing and of course- shooting! I do love my warm beautiful winter light- but when spring comes 'round again I'll definitely be ready to head out with some more little fairies! All styling and wardrobe for this session were provided by yours truly =) Purple Dress: Tutu Du Monde Wings: Hello Faerie Rhinestone Crown: Joyfolie Flower Crown: Handmade Botanicals        
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Parker, Colorado | 719-660-3371