Baby Ozzy

Taylor reached out to me before Ozzy was even born to inquire about doing newborn photos at their home and I was thrilled to find out she and I have many mutual work friends in common and a very similar work history (in my day job as a social worker)! Little Ozzy was just two weeks old when I met him last weekend, but as a preemie he wasn’t even to his actual due date yet, and he slept though almost the whole session. He had us laughing with the way he kept returning his arms to the same position when we moved him and though we would’ve liked to see him open his eyes it was agreed that sleeping is better then crying for photos :) Taylor, Will and their two dogs were in love with this new addition to their family and I’m so glad that they let me capture these sweet moments in their house. Here are some of my favorites from their session.

Ross and Shanna's Wedding

On a beautiful fall evening I had the chance to photograph Ross and Shanna’s intimate wedding ceremony at their friends house on a small lake in Hudsonville. This wedding was more then just a celebration of the bride and groom, but also a joining of two families. Small weddings are so special because the couple gets to spend time with all of their guests and enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere. After the ceremony everyojne headed to the nearby Hudsonville Winery for dinner, drinks and even a game of touch football for the kids. Congratulations to the new happy family, thanks for letting me be part of your special day!

Soraya's senior photos - Class of 2022

On Saturday I met up with Soraya and her mom at one of my favorite locations in Grand Rapids, Millennium Park and I even got to discover some new trails thanks to Soraya having previously scouted out photo spots she liked! Not very many teenagers would agree to having their pictures taken at 8am but she had to work later in the day and showed up early ready and willing :) Here are some of my favorites from her session.

Miss G Ballet summer recital

This was the second recital I’ve been able to photograph for the kids of Miss G ballet and even though it was a super humid day they were a joy to watch! Miss G, or Gia as I know her, runs an awesome dance program from her home which instills self confidence in kids while teaching them the foundations of ballet. Her group continues to grow each session and I absolutely love being an honorary member of the club/ official photographer. Here are some of my favorites from their summer recital two weeks ago!

Kevin and Meriah's Wedding

Last weekend I drove across the state for Kevin and Meriah’s outdoor wedding. This couple has been together over a decade and it was immediately clear how much they are loved by their family and friends. Many tears were shed during Kevin’s vows (which were a surprise to Meriah) and I heard so many people say that they were so happy to be celebrating the marriage of these two. Despite the humidity and the mosquitos their guests were partying on the dance floor all night. It was such a joy to be a part of their special day, here are some of my favorite images!

Baby Sophie

This is the summer of babies and I love it! So many of my friends are having second (or third) kids and my sister in law gave birth to my first niece. Sophie was born at the end of June and after a week long stay in the NICU, I finally was able to meet her on the 4th of July when she was 10 days old. She was very tolerant of me sticking a camera in her face which is great because I anticipate this will be the first of many times I’m taking her pictures :) Here are some of my favorites from her photo shoot last week.

Baby Ivan

I’m lucky enough to live just a mile from this family and get to spend time with them often (especially during the last year of COVID). I was so excited to meet their latest addition, baby Ivan and see how Olive was adjusting to being a big sister! He was just 11 days old and wide awake during the photo shoot (despite all attempts to get him to sleep), but we managed to get some great pictures anyway. Here are some of my favorites!

Jessica M Professional Portraits

Jessica and I have a mutual friend who I often take photos for so I was more then happy when she reached out to ask if I could take some portraits of her to use for her new business website! I also realized that last summer I took professional head shots of another friend named Jessica at the same location- Aquinas College makes such a great backdrop :) I wish Jessica the best of luck in her new private practice and if you know anyone looking for a counselor check out https://www.jmatthewscounseling.com to connect with her!

Koopman Family

I had been trying to schedule this family for a long time and am so glad we finally picked a day and got some photos taken for them! Alyssa is expecting baby #3 later this summer so it was a great time to capture the stage of life the “big” kids are in. She knew of an old school house near a field and I was more then happy to discover a new location for family photos. I know it can be challenging to get young kids to sit still for pictures so I always tell families to let them run and play while I capture them and because of that I think we got some great pictures. Here are my favorites :)

Ian's first birthday

I can’t believe this little guy is officially a year old! It’s been so much fun getting to photograph him every three months this last year and see how much he has grown, plus his mom is a good friend of mine so it was a great excuse to see her too! We took a few photos of him while family was arriving for the small backyard party and Ian loved the balloons. Although he didn’t know what to think of his gifts all wrapped up and was hesitant of the cupcake at first, eventually he realized how good frosting is and ate every last bit of it! Here are some of my favorite photos from last weekend :)

Rock Royalty Ball

Taking photos of this backyard dance recital was such a fun and unique opportunity and luckily the rain held off until the girls final bows! The five “queens” as they called themselves were adorable, and as a dancer myself I enjoyed seeing the things they have learned in just the 3 months since they started this class. One of the “good” things to come out of COVID is the creative ways people have found to continue doing the things they enjoy and this dance recital was no exception :) Here are some of my favorites from the day (not posted are the bonfire and pinata the girls had afterwards to celebrate)!

Tonya's and Mike Maternity Photos

From the moment my sister in law announced she was pregnant we began to plan her maternity photo shoot, but west michigan weather did not cooperate and her sunset on the beach ended up being unseasonably cold and cloudy! They toughed it out though and we had a great on the shore of Lake Michigan in South Haven, Tonya even walked into the freezing cold water at the end. We got so many great photos and because of the cold there were hardly any other people didn’t have to worry about crowds of people. I can’t wait to meet my first niece next month - congratulations Mike and Tonya!

Anissa and Ryan's Wedding

Last weekend I started my 2021 photo season with Anissa and Ryan’s intimate backyard wedding! I loved seeing how their families and friends came together to help plan and make the day run smoothly for them. Though it was colder then expected for the end of April, the heaters kept the tent warm and we were able to find some blossoming trees at a nearby park that made a great backdrop for photos. Plus, they ended the day by doing a gender reveal of their new baby! Congratulations Anissa and Ryan and baby girl on the way- thanks for letting me be part of your celebration :)

Baby Ian - 6 months old

My friends Mary and Aaron decided when their son was born that they wanted to document his growth this first year with a photo session every 3 months. It has been so fun to capture their jouney from pregnancy, to newborn, to three months and now 6 months! This time, Ian was in a better mood then last time I saw him for his 3 month photos, but he still didn’t give me or his parents many smiles! The most fun part of this session for me was when we went outside and Ian got to experience snow for the first time. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day.

Ricardo Family

Two weeks ago it was an unseasonably warm November day and I had so much fun walking around Millennium Park with the Ricardo Family! They are officially my last family session of the fall and I’m so glad our last minute scheduling worked out and I got to meet their two adorable girls. Plus, Millennium Park is one of my favorite places to do photos so I was happy for a chance to go there. Here are some of my favorites :)

Ensink Family

I love taking pictures downtown Grand Rapids and I’m glad the Ensink family gave me this opportunity. We seized the opportunity of the last warm weekend this fall and walked along the river looking for spots in the shade (who knew it could be so sunny in November in Michigan). Though the kids were loosing interest after just a few pictures, they rallied and I think we ended up with some good ones. Here are some of my favorites!

Virtual NYC Marathon

In the midst of a busy fall family photo season I had the chance to take pictures of something really fun and unique, a virtual marathon. Courtney got my name from another photographer and luckily I was available on the day she would be running and I was familiar with the course location, around Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids. I was so impressed with the organization and creativity of this event, and of course impressed with Courtney and Jeff running so many miles in the first snow of the year! Here are some of my favorite photos from that day.

Voorheis Family

I was back at the beautiful Hager Park a couple weeks ago for another family session! Mike, Michelle, and Olive live about a mile from me and I see them often, but this fall we realized they haven’t had family pictures since Olive was a baby. I was so happy for the chance to photograph these friends of mine while the fall colors were still at their peak. Here are some of my favorites from their session :)

DeJager Family 2020

I’ve gotten to photograph Jess and Jason multiple times, their engagement, wedding, and family pictures when their first daughter was younger so I was excited when they wanted pictures now that they are a family of four! We met at Hager Park on a beautiful fall evening and it was such a fun time catching up, meeting baby Julianna who was born just before the start of the pandemic, and exploring with three year old Josie, who wanted to hold my hand while walking the trails! The leaves were at their peak color and we found so many great spots to take pictures. Here are some of my favorites from their session.

Wiersma Family

The Grand Ravines are such a pretty spot for pictures in the fall so I’m glad the Wiersma family chose this location! Plus, it was a beautiful fall day for walking around a park (which I did after the session ended). Despite the pandemic, it’s so nice being able to take pictures of families gathered together this fall. Here are some of my favorite photos from their session!