Be sure to check out the rest of the entries at I Heart Faces.

You may wonder then, is it difficult to come up with something new year after year for the same family? Well, yes and no. Yes, it can be a challenge to make every session unique and capture a child’s changing personality. Yes, it can be hard living up to the images you’ve knocked out of the park for them at past sessions. But on the other hand, and I think more importantly, it gives you a freedom you don’t always have with brand new clients. You know what a returning client likes. You know their kids already, so you don’t have to introduce yourself and make friends in the first 20 minutes of the session. But even more importantly, it gives you the freedom to just be yourself and capture the art as it develops naturally.

For example, this session had all the components of a dream photo shoot. The location was amazing at the family’s working cattle ranch, the clothes were to die for, and the two girls couldn’t be more adorable and precocious. The rub, well, little Miss Marlee was exercising her budding independence, and that day she didn’t want a thing to do with pictures or her big sister, thank you very much. No matter how we tried to get them together in a photo she was out of there in less time than you can say “cheese”.

Now some moms would be getting pretty stressed out by this point, so I turned to their mom, Kim, who has become a dear friend over the years, to let her know it would be alright, and not to worry. Kim, cool as a cucumber, then gave me one of my most cherished compliments to date. “Sandy,” she said. “I’m not the least bit worried. No matter what the scenario you always come back with beautiful photos. I can’t wait to see what you get this time.”

Well my goodness. What an honor to have someone place such faith in you. Yet what she really did was help me see something that I should have already realized. When things get the hardest is when my inner artist comes out the strongest. Some of my most difficult subjects have produced my absolute favorite images. And it’s not because I had to work so hard to achieve them. In fact, it’s the opposite.

There reaches the point where you cannot do a thing about it. Children are beautiful in not just their innocence and honesty but in their resistance to direction. You cannot force a child to do something they don’t want to. Not only will there be screaming involved, but the resulting pictures are not going to be something your clients will want to hang over their mantelpiece.

Instead you just have to let it go. Take a deep breath, turn off the thinking part of your brain, and let your inner artist come out. Take chances you might not have before. Why not, it’s not like the traditional photos are much of an option at this point anyway. Just capture what is happening in front of you from pure instinct. Shoot from the heart and not the head. You may be surprised what happens when you do. This session, well, it turned out to be one of my favorites from the whole year. And yes, the profile picture of the two of them running across the pasture went up big on their mantelpiece.

When we first arrived there I was delighted to discover an old concrete irrigation pipeline running through the lakes. What a dramatic way to get an overall view of the landscape. I had to stand back and admire the couple’s moxie because they were all for getting images from the very top. You see, I’m pretty fearless when it comes to doing what it takes to get the picture. There are places I’ve been and things I’ve done in my career as a professional photographer that would blow your hair back, and you can bet I haven’t told my mom about even half of them. But if there’s one thing I’m a bit of a chicken about, it’s heights. God made me short for a reason. But hey, you do what it takes right? At least I wasn’t in six inch platform heels like Andrea.

The session sure started out with a bang, and it only got better from there. The light! The light! Oh my goodness the light! I about had a heart attack over it at least a dozen times. Even better, the two are just so in love, and it was such a joy just to photograph them. And because Adam’s family are local farmers, we finished the session at one of their nearby potato fields just as the sun was setting and the dust from the dirt road was settling over it. Perfection defined!

I can’t wait for their orchard wedding this June. Best wishes you two!

I’m so looking forward to this year. If it’s anything like last year I’m in for a quite a ride. I can’t wait to discover all the beautiful images that are going to be created during the next twelve months. I feel like each and every one is a blessing, and I’m so thankful to my clients who are my muse and my inspiration for every image I create. Without you these pictures would never have come to life. So thank you from the bottom of my heart!

What better way to start off a new year than with a new blog post. You’ve probably been wondering what’s taking me so long as it’s been months since my last post. Let me tell you, in the fall of 2010 I had a newborn baby to take care of, but it didn’t feel half as busy as the fall of 2011. You all kept me hopping! I’ve got so many beautiful sessions to share as a result so keep a look out.

Meet the lovely Bre and her husband Jarred. I was really excited to find out she wanted to do her maternity portrait session at a rustic barn. I spent quite awhile driving around the area checking out good spots. I saw this old hop drying barn and knew it would be striking to photograph.

No one was home but a lone tiny kitten on the front porch when I stopped by the first time. So I dug through my car for a blank piece of paper, and I left my business card and a note in their front door asking permission to use the location the following week. Of course, in the country not everyone uses their front door on a regular basis, so I dusted off my old journalism skills and tracked down a phone number to call them a few days later. Not only did they not think I was a crazy stalker, but they were more than willing to let me use their beautiful property for this portrait session. Let that be a lesson, don’t be afraid to cold call someone if you find a location you really love. Most people are more than willing to help you out.

Stay tuned for the newborn session. These two made one stinking cute baby!

I Heart Faces

Weekly Challenge: Let Them Be Little

Heather was working a summer job at Ranch & Home in Kennewick, Wash. when another employee came over to gossip about the cute boy looking for boots in the shoe section. She talked a reluctant Heather into going over to help him out. Sure enough, she found him the right pair of boots, and Marcus, well, he found himself smitten.

He didn’t say anything to her, though. Instead he went home and told his brother all about it. In response, his brother took him by the arm and promptly marched him back to the store to ask her out. The rest, as they say, is history. They were married on a lovely summer day at Bella Fiori Gardens in Kennewick, Wash.

City: Kennewick, WA

Wedding Venue: Bella Fiori Gardens

Wedding Coordinator: Cinda Guenther

Flowers: Lucky Flowers

Cake: Frost Me Sweet Bakery & Bistro

Catering: Famous Dave’s

DJ: Sight and Sound Services

Dress: Allure Bridals, Purple Parasol

Hair: Euphoria Salon & Spa

We had a lot of fun with all the locations and outfits we used for this child portrait session. Check out my take on a urban look in the first pic below! I couldn’t have dreamed up better lighting if I’d planned it weeks in advance. I love the storybook feel to the woods images too. I don’t think Miss “E” wanted to take off her pettiskirt. She was having such a good time twirling!

The last location produced one of my favorite images. I adore the image of Miss “E” in black and white on the chair. Who needs pictures with everyone smiling in them all the time. I love her soulful, serious gaze. I can’t help it, there’s just something about the quiet ones that draws me to them.

Enjoy!

I shot this for her 9-month-old session. I waited a little too long to capture it, though, and unfortunately my husband had already harvested all of our own wheat. To top it off, both Addie and I had the worst summer colds, and I almost canceled the whole thing. But wheat harvest in our area was nearly over, and I had scrambled to track down a field that hadn’t been cut yet. This one was scheduled to be cut the very next morning, so it was now or never. I’m so grateful we did it because I think it worked out even better than I’d imagined. The wheat had grown so heavy that it had fallen in a few places making it the perfect spot to photograph her.

My main purpose was to photograph her standing up as it was a recent milestone for her. But I can’t help it, I just love this image of my baby girl bathed in sunshine. You could eat the light with a spoon, and her solemn gaze just makes me want come out from behind the camera and smooch her chubby cheeks.

I Heart Faces Weekly Photo Challenge

Theme: A Touch of Sun

This session was photographed at the family’s lodge on their working cattle ranch near Moses Lake, Wash. I loved incorporating all of their dramatic decorating  and antique pieces into Finn’s newborn pictures. The clock reminds me of how they’re only this little for such a little while. They’re probably lucky the rocking chair wouldn’t fit in my car because I absolutely swooned over it.

I had hoped to also photograph some images outside to show more of the ranch. The views and rugged terrain are just breathtaking there. Unfortunately gale force winds decided to welcome the new baby too. It was so windy we could hardly close the heavy wooden doors to the lodge. No worries, though, just think of all the fun I’ll have using the old barn, corrals, and basalt rock in his pictures as he grows up!

Thank you Britney and Patrick for choosing me to document your special day. Your wedding was as lovely as the smiles and the vows you shared when you said your I-dos.

After formal portraits are done there’s sometimes a little down time before the guests start arriving. Where do you suppose the groomsmen stopped for lunch?

And more waiting…….

And then it’s time for the big moment! I love how long her train is.

Britney’s laughing here because she accidentally threw the bouquet into the gift table, hehehe.

City: Othello, WA

Venue: Othello Church of the Nazarene

Flowers:  Hats & Roses