A few weeks ago I joined Jen, Lori and a small group of their family and friends for an intimate wedding in Saugutuck, MI. Despite the pandemic and the challenges it presented them with planning their special day, everything turned out great and after dinner we were able to go on a sunset sailboat ride. Jen and Lori’s families were so kind and welcoming that I was sad to leave them all at the end of the night! Here are some of my favorite pictures from their wedding :)
Last week I met up with the Stoubs to take some updated family photos (last time i took their photos they didn’t have a dog) and I loved seeing the unique locations in Hudsonville they chose for pictures! I see this family regularly, but something about taking photos made me realize how grown up the “kids” suddenly are. With one having just finished high school and one starting her senior year of college I’m so glad we were able to schedule this photo shoot and commemorate the last time they were all living in the same house!
Jen and I have a mutual friend so I’ve known her for several years and was thrilled when she asked me to photograph her wedding in August. As with any wedding I photograph, I offered engagement photos and I’m so glad Jen and Lori took me up on the offer. We met at Grand Ravines on a very hot August Sunday but these girls did not complain about the heat and I had lots of fun getting to know them while walking around the park trying to find shade for photos. Here are some of my favorites from their session, I can’t wait to celebrate their wedding in just one week!
My friend Jess, like so many others, is in between jobs right now so when she reached out and asked me if I’d take some head shots for her to use in her job search I happily agreed. We met at Aquinas College, a location I’ve only photographed once before but knew had some great buildings to use as backdrop. Since I took her engagement photos and her wedding photos in the last year and a half we didn’t have to worry about the first few minutes of awkward getting used to being in front of a camera, she was great from the beginning. Here are some of my favorites from her session last weekend!
Even though I did a mini front porch session with this family back in May, now that it’s July they were ready for a longer session (away from their home, with the additional family members who don’t live together) and I was happy to oblige. Although the place we planned to do photos didn’t work out, we were lucky that right down the road was Crane’s Orchard which provided some great backgrounds. We even managed to get the two year old to hold still long enough to be in a few photos. Here are some of my favorites!
Last weekend I had the opportunity to do an extended family session with the Sommerfeld’s while they were enjoying a family vacation in Grand Haven. I had met them once before when I photographed their daughter and son in laws wedding a few years ago so it was great to reconnect. They chose a park away from the crowds and the bright sun of the beach which was the perfect choice for a holiday weekend in a beach town as it provided plenty of shade and we didn’t have to worry about other people in the background! I also loved seeing how the kids were having fun with their aunt, uncles, and grandparents, here are some of my favorite photos of them!
Another great event in support of Black Lives Matter happened in my city last weekend and this time it was focused on children. Despite the heat and humidity (even at 10am) there was a great turnout of families for the short march and many of them stuck around for the dance party, crafts, and snacks at the end! I love that this event can be a conversation starter for parents and their kids and it was so great seeing all their homemade signs. I personally don’t have kids but I love them and I wanted to be part of this event so I volunteered to be their photographer :) Here are some of my favorite images.
Last weekend I attended a rally/ march in support of Black Lives Matter. I used to be very hesitant to speak up and show up for causes even if they mattered to me, but I no longer feel comfortable staying home and staying silent. I have also always had a passion for photojournalism and I wanted to document what has been happening in my city. So I listened, I marched, and i took pictures. These are some of my favorites.
It doesn’t seem like that long ago that there was snow on the ground and I was with Mary and Aaron taking maternity photos. In February we had no idea about the Coronavirus and that they would be giving birth at such a strange time in history. Baby Ian was born on Memorial day and I got to meet him at 9 days old. Since they weren’t allowed visitors in the hospital and have only had limited contact with family members since being home I was thrilled when they asked if I could do some outdoor photos :) I know this is not how they imagined bringing Ian home but they are just happy that he is healthy. He slept most of the time and never got upset with the outfit changes and position changes - here are some of my favorites of Mary, Aaron, baby Ian and dog Toby.
Although Tulip Time festivities were cancelled this year due to COVID-19 I am fortunate to live close to Holland and had the opportunity to go see the Tulips and take some photos earlier this month. It was really fun to walk through places like Windmill Island without having to deal with huge crowds of people, but I do hope the festival can return next year because I know these places are taking a big financial hit without the tourists. Here are some of my favorite pictures of the tulips :)
For my second front porch mini session I met up with a family I had just photographed last December. Amy and Bryan have been friends of mine for a couple years and it’s been so fun watching their family grow from one, to two, to now three little boys. We had beautiful weather last week and I loved getting to incorporate the encouraging window signs they made at the start of the stay home order into their family photos :) Here are some of my favorites!
Now that the restrictions on photography have been lifted in Michigan I began offering “front porch sessions” for families who have been quarantined together in their homes the past two months. The first family to jump at the opportunity to capture this strange time of their lives was the Baker family who I’ve photographed several times over the years! It was fun catching up with them and hearing stories of how they are passing their time at home. Here are some of my favorite photos from their session :)
It may not be as common as family photos or weddings, but I do enjoy taking portraits for individuals to use for marketing their business/ service. I love when people want creative head shots and not just traditional head and shoulders pictures against a solid background :) For example, my friend Michelle who reached out and asked me if I could take some photos of her while practicing social distancing in the midst of a global pandemic. I happily grabbed my zoom lens and met her at a park last week (before winter made a comeback in Michigan) and here are some of my favorite pictures of her!
Before Michigan issued the stay at home order I was able to do a fun maternity session with Jessica and Jeff downtown Grand Rapids. It was such a strange thing seeing downtown so empty on a beautiful sunny weekend but it allowed us to walk around to some of my favorite photo spots. At the time they thought it would be a few more weeks until their baby girls arrival, but she had other plans and was born just a few days after we took these pictures! Sending much love to Jessica and Jeff and all other families with newborn babies in the time of COVID-19!
Two weeks ago I got to meet 10 day old baby Joshua. He was such a calm little guy and didn’t seem phased at all with me moving him around to take photos :) Joshua was born at the end of February and weighed close to 12 pounds making him look almost as big as his 3 year old sister! Here are some of my favorites from their in home session.
I’ve gotten to photograph my friends Mary and Aaron many times over the years so I was excited to meet up with them again and grateful for their flexibility when our first choice in location was under construction and we had to find a last minute alternative! I can’t wait for them to welcome a little boy in just a few short months and we had a beautiful, sunny winter day to take photos at Riverside Park downtown Grand Rapids! Although their dog, Toby, did not feel like cooperating we still got some great pictures, here are my favorites :)
On a sunny Thursday in West Michigan I had the opportunity to meet Keagan, Nicholas and their families for their intimate wedding ceremony at the courthouse. The love that they had for each other and the support of their families was clear in all the tears that were shed on this happy day! We kept saying it was “good weather” simply meaning the sun was out and it was not raining on their wedding day, but Nicholas’ mom who flew in from Arizona for the wedding, had a differnt opinion about the snow on the ground :) Here are some of my favorite pictures from their special day.
When I think about returning clients for family photos this group are the ones I think of first because they are the ones I’ve been taking pictures of the longest (who are not family/friends) and I’m grateful that each fall I get to document how their family has grown! As with any fall session in west Michigan we never can predict what the weather will be and this year it was cold but luckily not raining or snowing yet. Here of some of my favorites from their session!
Another return of familiar faces this fall with the Still family! Chris and Sarah are good friends of mine and it’s been so great photographing their growing family throughout the years. Two year old Emma was not super excited about taking pictures but she is excited to be a big sister in February :) This was my second time photographing at Hager Park this year and the trails had some great fall color that we were able to capture! Here are some of my favorites.
Last Saturday was such a beautiful day downtown Grand Rapids and I had so much fun walking around to all my favorite spots in the city with the Kuiper family! Janet and Matt’s girls Maki and Jayse were so sweet and when I offered them opportunities to pick backgrounds or poses for the family they both chose several spots that they saw and liked :) Take a look at some of my favorites from their session!
