Look who just turned one!  Our dear friends Kelsy and Brandon’s beautiful baby girl, Akashi, had a blast with her family out on the lawn at Kihei Surfside while posing for her first birthday portraits.  I am so glad to know this family!  Brandon is an accomplished helicopter pilot (who also happens to be my personal instructor), and Kelsy is one of the sweetest moms I know, and it is reflected in Akashi’s calm temperament.  I had so much fun taking your Maui family portraits, guys!  (Now let’s go fly some helicopters!)

This July, Marisa and Nate welcomed their beautiful baby boy Ethan into the world, and into their newly built home in Champlin, MN.  I had the pleasure of visiting shortly after Ethan was born to take some MN newborn portraits.  The proud parents were relaxed and welcoming, despite having moved into their new home just one week before Marisa went into labor!  Their house was so beautiful and well kept that I thought these two must be superheroes.  Ethan was very calm for his photo shoot, but he didn’t go to sleep like we were hoping… so a lot of his newborn photographs feature him squirming around and squinting up at us.

Marisa and Nate’s adorably tiny yorkie pup, Charles, joined us for a few of the family pictures.  He doesn’t quite know what to make of Ethan yet… but he was sure glad we put a little peanut butter on the baby’s cheek for him to lick off so we could get some “doggy kisses” pictures.  At the end of the portrait session, Marissa and Nate mentioned that they wanted a picture taken “downstairs” for their parents.  I assumed they wanted to showcase their beautifully finished basement, but they led me right through it, over to a plain white door, and when they opened it I was amazed to see… a basketball court!  It was complete with a giant Minnesota Gophers logo on the floor, and a Gophers blanket for Ethan to snuggle up in for more pictures – pictures inside a room in which he will be spending lots and lots and lots of time in the future.  Congratulations Marisa and Nate!

Kelly and Ryan celebrated their baby Lyla’s 1st birthday with fun professional 1 year old portraits.  A former clothing designer, Kelly was sure to bring lots of outfits and props, and Lyla looked absolutely adorable!  Kelly even made a birthday cake for the photo session, complete with edible buttons to match the buttons on Layla’s outfit.  The proud parents even got in on the fun with a cake fight at the end of the session!  We had a great time taking these fun Minnesota family portraits!

I’ve had the honor of taking professional photos for Kelly and Ryan since 2009, starting with their engagement photos at the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, MN.  I got the honor of being their wedding photographer, capturing their special day on the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth.  Now that they’ve started their family I’ve taken Lyla’s 3 month, 6 month (doubled up as a Christmas photo shoot!) and 9 month photos too! Our New Family photography package is a great way for growing families to stay up-to-date on professional photos to print for their homes and share with their loved ones.  Contact us to learn more!

I am blessed to be a part of so many of Jenna and Ryan’s big life moments. I was with them for their engagement photo shoot under Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis (4 years ago!) I was there for their wedding pictures in Wayzata, MN.  I photographed their maternity photos and watched as they learned they would be having a boy at their gender reveal party and, before we knew it, Jenna and Ryan welcomed baby Beau into the family with some newborn photos. Now Beau is 3 months old and turning into such a cutie! I’m so happy for this wonderful couple!

Many couples are opting for our New Family package, which includes a maternity session, newborn pictures and photo sessions for baby’s 3 month, 6 month and 1 year milestones! Contact us to learn more about our awesome New Family package!