Families
Tayler Celebrates in Parker
Tayler is five years old. And she is my hero. For the past year and a half this incredible child has fought and beaten a brain tumor that has rarely been defeated. She has done so while remaining unspoiled, delightful, and braver than many adults. This is a tribute not only to her but to her amazing family, especially her parents Shane and Alena and brother Tristen. And a couple of weeks ago, the water park in Parker stayed open to help over a hundred of their friends and family celebrate with Tayler. The night was special. As is she.
The celebration begins in Tayler’s backyard. Then it’s time to travel like a princess as Tayler arrives in style in a stretch limo!
Tayler has no trouble convincing her little brother to try out the water slide.
Happy Day to All Fathers!
Just in case you wonder about the awkward wording of the title, it is because the website won’t allow me to use apostrophes in the title. And I HATE grammatical errors, so this is my only solution so far. 
First, Happy Father’s Day to my wonderful father in Washington state. I feel so fortunate to have had him in my life for all these years. I get to see him on Tuesday, so that (for me) is the best gift of all. Next, to my husband for being the best possible father to our daughers. And finally, to Chris on his very first Father’s Day. I can already see that he will be great in his new role.
Now I can finally post the shots we took on Nolan’s “glamour” day for his dad. Can you tell which sports his parents love and the one Chris played all through college??
Happy Birthday, Nolan!
I’ll keep this short; I’ve got a baby to go visit! Nolan was born just before noon today weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces and stretching out 22 inches. The birth was perfect, as is Nolan. More photos to come!
Baby You Can Drive My Car
…and other photos of an adorable one year old!
I first met Nicholas and his parents Melissa and Chip doing a newborn shoot. We couldn’t wait an entire year to photograph him again, so met right before Christmas for a six month session. This weekend I met up with the family again to help mark his first birthday. I cannot tell you how much fun it is to photograph toddlers (and crawlers!) as they never, never hold still. But the joy they find in absolutely everything is so inspiring and delightful that I end up with far more photos than I could ever imagine taking in just an hour. And Nicholas is a special joy, from discovering his dad’s baseball glove and his mom’s stuffed dog to driving his “new” car! Happy birthday, Nicholas!
The car is the perfect color for this cool special effect (as are Nicholas’s eyes!).
Okay, how can you help but love a kid who reacts like this to a camera? (Not to mention his grandparents waving pompons behind me.)
At first, Nicholas didn’t know exactly what to do with his “prop”. But after awhile, he didn’t want to let it go.
Some of my favorite photos are the ones we cannot possibly plan for. In the middle of our group shot, Nicholas decided it was time for an Eskimo kiss with his mom instead!
Emma & Kaylee in Denver
One of the best aspects of multiple photo sessions with families that include young children is watching them grow into their distinct, amazing personalities. I began shooting Emma as a newborn and did the same for Kaylee when she was born just eleven months later, and I so enjoy just studying and following and capturing their moods. And watching Tonya and Josh parent these two darling girls with such love just warms my heart. Emma had a cold during this shoot, but that didn’t even begin to slow her down, and Kaylee was content just to be held (especially when she was wrapped in her bug blanket!). I can’t wait for the next photo shoot! (If any of you have been following their story, the yellow truck has appeared in almost every shoot; as a newborn Emma fit in the truck’s bed.)
And I just HAD to try out my new fish eye lens on a couple of shots!!
Our Australian Family
One of the highlights of our trip to Australia was reconnecting with our nephew Andrew and finally meeting Maddy and Sam and Max. We spent a perfect day at their home nestled in a Sydney suburb high on a hill and surrounded by trees and birds and huge insects. Andrew cooked up “snags on the barby” (I have no idea how to spell that one!) and we spent the day visiting and laughing and getting to know each other. (Maddy, not only are you a wonderful addition to the family, but you have raised two incredible, delightful sons.) I can’t wait to see you all again.
Smiling in Aurora
When Pam called to ask me to shoot an extended family portrait for J’s big birthday celebration, I was thrilled. And having known Kristine and Alison since they were toddlers, I had to keep checking my camera viewfinder as it captured not the girls I know so well, but two stunning young women. I know that Don and Char are extremely proud of their family; I think you will see why when you look at the pictures below. (Note: I promise to post some of my favorite photos from our New Zealand/Australia trip in the next few days; there are simply too many gorgeous ones to choose from!)
Nicholas in Centennial
I first met Nicholas when I shot newborn photos of him and his parents Chip and Melissa seven months ago. And after this last photo shoot, I am so grateful they did not wait until he was a year old before letting me photograph him again. He is absolutely adorable, not only photographically but in his personality. After being around his parents and grandparents, I could clearly understand where he gets both traits. We shot for over an hour and he was wonderful every minute, although he wasn’t so sure he liked the snowstorm! Thanks, Chip and Melissa, for the chance to spend time with your son. And Happy Holidays to you and everyone as I leave tomorrow morning for three weeks in New Zealand and Australia. I’ll post my favorite shots in January.
Cooper Turns One in Stapleton
Every time I look at these pictures of Cooper I start to smile. And I can’t quit. He kept that infectious grin going for over an hour solid as we shot pictures of him in the freezing cold, playing with his aunt and uncle’s cat, and crawling all over the house. I also had a great time with his parents, Missy and Danny, while we captured Cooper at one. And, continuing my tradition of photographing landmark birthdays with something special that belongs to a parent, I managed to get a shot of Cooper with his dad’s baseball cap (before he tore it off his head!). Happy Birthday, Cooper!
Lauren and Megan in Stapleton
When we recently moved to the Stapleton area in Denver, we bought our house from a wonderful, gracious couple who were also expecting their second daughter soon after closing. Perfect timing for some shots of two adorable girls and their parents; I had so much fun playing with Lauren, who would put a real princess to shame, and Megan, who provided all sorts of entertainment. Thank you, Leah and Josh, for the opportunity to record your beautiful family.
