Family Photography

Family Portraits require special skills from a talented Family Photographer to bring and capture the love families show one another throughout Colorado.

Baby’s First Year Collection: Beau Thumel

Most of the time I write blog posts featuring images from every photo shoot that I do, but today I thought I would do it a little differently and show some of the best images from all of one families “baby’s first year” photo shoots.  I photographed Meagan and Bob Thumel’s engagement and wedding several years ago and more recently we have been working together over the last year and a half capturing their darling son, Beau, at all the various stages of his baby-hood.  The babies first year collection includes a maternity photo shoot, a newborn photo session, photos at 3 months, again at 6 months, 9 months, and finally at one year.  Beau wasn’t quite walking at his 12 month session and his mom and dad wanted to do a final session to go into his album when he was, so we actually added another session at 18 months.

I love being able to put all the images together like this to show what it looks like to capture one child at all these key baby stages.  Children change and grow so much in such a short amount of time and I am convinced that if these wonderful times are not captured often over the course of the first year, the memories will fade away into the past along with all the darling faces and chubby cheeks that make up so many wonderful days for parents when their baby is little.  Most of my clients that decide to do the babies first year collection do not do so without a little bit of hesitation as it is a definite expense at a time in their lives where everything is changing.  But I haven’t ever had one client even slightly regret it!  The memories  we create and capture together are truly priceless.  And once the first year is said and done, the album we design with the images from all of the various photo shoots is the most amazing way to look back on your babies first year of life and to remember what they looked like all along the way as they grew and matured from a little peanut into a big boy or girl.

Meagan and Bob, I have absolutely loved all the time we have spent together and I hope that I will continue to see you as Beau continues to grow up and change into a wonderful young man.  You have been absolutely fantastic to work with and to get to know more intimately as friends as well.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for inviting me into your lives at yet another amazing and monumentally important time for you.  I love you and I love your baby boy more than you know and I appreciate your undying loyalty to my artistic evolution as a PHOTOGRAPHER FOR LIFE!

Baby and Family Photography in Denver: Connor’s One!

It’s a bittersweet time for me as I post the last of  Connor’s “Babies First Year” photo sessions.  I have loved every minute I have spent with Katie, John, Connor and Scout (the beloved doggie) over the last year capturing this darling little boy and his beautiful family! And even though I know this will surely not be the last I see of them, it still makes me a little sad to know that our regularly scheduled time together has come to an end.  But the good news is that now I get to design a beautiful album with all of the images from our maternity, newborn, three months, six months, nine months, and now one year photo shoots.  It’s going to be a gorgeous documentation of this very special year in the Wickliff’s lives, and I know that as Connor grows up he will love having his very own book too.  I know I would personally love to have something like this of my life as a baby with my mom and dad and little sisters.

But alas, all the cutie-pie babies I know are growing up, too quickly I might add.  It’s funny, when I first got into photography over 10 years ago, I didn’t see myself as a family OR a baby photographer.  But as my wedding clients that I developed really special relationships with during their wedding year began to start families, I was thrilled when they started requesting more photo shoots with me.  Just like people and families grow and change, so too has my relationship with my business grown and evolved.  I can’t imagine my business without these kinds of portrait sessions and I have to laugh at myself knowing that I didn’t used to consider myself a “portrait” photographer.  What started as a one-man-band wedding photography specialty endeavor has grown into a much bigger and well-rounded business.  Now I get to call myself a LIFE photographer and feel lucky to have been able to bring my documentary style or artistry into peoples real lives and homes.  There is nothing that gives me more pleasure than keeping in touch with my clients as friends and getting to be their very own photographer for life.  The loyalty of my clients is truly the fire beneath my creativity and I love my clients for helping me to stretch my own boundaries.  Thank you to the gorgeous Wickliff’s for being a very important part of this process.  I love you all and look forward to starting this all again when you decide to add another family member to the mix!  XOXO

Connor the Cutie is 10 months: Denver Baby and Family Photography

Oh boy little boy, could you be any cuter??  I don’t think so!  Actually, I know so. Connor is one of my favorites and I have had the pleasure of knowing him and photographing him at every adorable stage in his new life this past year.  I also photographed his mamma and daddy when he was still in the womb, and before that, I photographed Katie and John’s gorgeous Beaver Creek Wedding at Allie’s Cabin. And even before that, I photographed their engagement session at the Cherry Hills Country Club, the same place we met for Connor’s 9 month (technically 10 month) photo shoot!  Whew!  You could say that Katie and John are big fans of mine and I am big fans of theirs as well.  And Connor… well truth be told I would steal him if it wouldn’t be totally obvious who had taken him- LOL!  But seriously, I love this family and I love love love this baby boy.  He cracks me up!  He makes the silliest faces and loves to stick his tongue out at me.  I don’t mind.

The only thing missing from this photo shoot was the family dog, Scout, who I’m sure was super bummed out to miss a chance to show off for the camera.  Ah well, he got to be a star at the one year session- that post is coming soon!  It’s with a bitter sweet sigh that I say this is my second to last Connor post for his babies first year sessions.  Boo Hoo.  We did his one year old photos about a week ago and he was as darling as ever.  Now I think I will officially start bugging the Wickcliff’s to get going on baby #2.  I am going to miss seeing them every 3 months.  Thank you to Katie and John for being such big supporters of my work and for continuing to believe in what I do.  You have become wonderful friends that I will cherish for a lifetime. KissesXX & HugsOO.

Baby & Family Photos in Colorado: Shay turned 2!

I have known the Laga family for years and they are dear friends of mine.  Kim and I met when I  moved back to Denver early in 2005 and we’ve been fast friends ever since.  I was lucky enough to be present at Kim & Steve’s wedding & I have known Shay since before he was even born.  I’ve been photographing this family for years and I love every chance I have a time set up to get together with them.  When Kim reached out and said it was time for Shay’s two year old photos I was more than happy to oblige.  We met on a beautiful fall afternoon last year and did our best to keep Shay smiling, which trust me, was not so simple a task.  As a two year old he was the least interested in what I was trying to accomplish than ever before.  Imagine that!  But I made sure to include a stop at the park so he could play and that’s definitely where I was able to capture the best photos of him.  Posing for the camera was apparently not on his agenda that day.  ;-)   Who can blame him?  With the playground in sight he was pretty much not happy unless we were headed in that direction or if he got to control Betty’s leash.  I’m fairly certain little Betty was less than thrilled with that option, but it made Shay smile, so we agreed she would most likely  forget the mild torture she would have to deal with in the meantime, including a trip down the slide. Ha!

Two year olds are tough subjects folks!  I have yet to meet one that cared a whit about having their photo taken.  They can’t be forced to cooperate and unfortunately, are still too little for bribing to have much power. But, given the right setting, a few fun things up in the mix (such as the family dog or a playground), a photographer with running shoes, it’s not a totally impossible scenario.  And this time, I won.  Thank goodness!  Till next time little man…. smooch and XOXO!  P.S.  Thank you to Braden for being such a fabulous big brother and a SUPER cooperative subject!  You rock buddy!