Hounakey Family 2022

Winter can be a tricky time for family pictures, but I’m grateful for hotels with beautifully decorated lobbies and families who are up for anything :) I met the Hounakey’s for the first time last December and we had lots of fun, so this year I was excited to do holiday photos for them again! The JW Marriott downtown Grand Rapids has an iconic staircase that I’ve used as a backdrop for photos during the day before, but I didn’t realize they lit it up blue at night and this just added to the festive look. Plus the Christmas trees were so pretty. Here are some of my favorites from the Hounakey family last Saturday!

Joseph's Senior pictures

Another class of 2023 senior session to round out this year! Joseph’s mom contacted me in November asking about taking his photos by the blue bridge specifically, and since this time of year Michigan is not exactly pretty outside (or warm) we made the most of the indoor spots downtown Grand Rapids. I love the sky walk that connects the hotels because it provides so much natural light, the stairs in the lobby of the JW Mariott are another favorite indoor location. Joseph was so easy going that we got lots of great photos in a short period of time. I had fun meeting him and hearing about his plans to study interior design at college in the fall!

Grand Rapids Pride Festival

Last month I was volunteering at Pride Festival in the Open Circle booth, and because I love documenting events, I brought my camera with me :) After two years off due to Covid, all of the festivals are back in Grand Rapids this summer and it’s great seeing people outside doing things that are “normal” in the city! This was my first time visiting Pride and it was a lot of fun seeing the kids, families, adults, and even dogs enjoying food and activities. Plus, everyone was so creative with how they incorporated rainbows into their outfits/ makeup/ hairstyles. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day.

Elle Class of 2023

On a very hot June evening i met up with Elle and her mom at the downtown Grand Rapids library. to take her senior pictures! I was excited to take pictures in this cool building and the original plan was to take some inside and outside, but since it was an unseasonably hot day we chose to stay inside. Luckily there were many great spots throughout the 4 floors of the building and it wasn’t very busy at the time! Elle loves books so the library was a perfect location and since she is a dancer she was good at posing :) I enjoyed meeting her and hearing about her plans for the future. Have a great senior year Elle!

Festival of the Arts

After a two year hiatus due to Covid, it was so exciting to see Festival of the Arts return to my city last weekend! In true Michigan fashion on Friday I got sunburned while walking around and then Sunday I wore a sweatshirt and raincoat when taking pictures ;) The first two groups to perform Sunday morning were friends of mine, so it worked out perfectly to be there with my camera to capture both of their dance sets. Arts in Motion are the ones featured in this post, they are a local dance and art studio for individuals with disabilities and watching their joy while preforming is contagious, even in the rain they bring smiles. I hope these photos make you smile and if you know anyone with a disability who likes art, dance or music make sure to check them out!