Abortion Protests - June 2022

The day after Proposal 3 was passed in Michigan to restore women reproductive freedoms, I remembered these photos I took (but never edited) of the protests last June when the supreme court ruled on abortion. Since my days taking pictures for the high school newspaper, part of me has always been drawn to photojournalism. I think it’s important to document and remember what is happening not just nationally but also right in my city. I am proud of the hard work so many volunteers did to make history in my state with drafting petitions, gathering signatures, and encouraging others to vote! Here are some of my favorite pictures from a rally and protest June 25, 2022.

4 generations - Johnston Family

Some of these faces might look familiar and that’s because I’ve done family pictures for one family several times and senior pictures for two of the girls. The day after I took Brooklyn’s senior pictures, I met up with her extended family at Hager Park for round two of photography! It was so great to see four generations of a family all together and I’m grateful for this opportunity to capture a beautiful fall day with them.

Abby and Nic's wedding

At the beginning of October Abby and Nic has a beautiful fall day for their outdoor wedding at The Old Wooden Barn. It was hard to believe almost a year had passed since I took their engagement photos, but these two were just as photogenic and their bridal party was fun to work with! I loved the unique touches of burning a brand on a table during the ceremony, having a bonfire and s’mores kits available to guests after dinner and they made sure to include the dogs in at least one wedding picture :) Congratulations Nic and Abby, thanks for letting me be a part of your wedding day!

Brooklyn and Sydney class of 2023

Another double senior session on a beautiful fall day! We’ve been so lucky the last couple weekends to have great weather and the colors have been really vibrant. Having a friend to do senior pictures with makes the experience more fun for everyone. These two girls walked all around the Grand Ravines dodging mud puddles and following my crazy ideas. Brooklyn is interested in photography so she was a natural at posing and she had great ideas for Sydney as well. Have a great rest of your senior year Brooklyn and Sydney!

Michigan Scenery

I’ve traveled to northern Michigan twice in the last two months and am finally taking time to look through the photos I took! Fall is such a pretty time in this state and I have pulled over on the side of a road more then once to take pictures of trees (or a rainbow) ;) Here are a few favorites, the locations are:

1 and 2. Grand Haven State Park lighthouse/ pier

3 and 4. Laughing Whitefish falls, Munising

5. Wagner Falls, Munising

6. Miners Falls, pictured rocks/ Munising

7 and 8. Rainbow near Interlochen

9, 10, 11, 12. Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Sleeping Bear Dunes

13. Empire Bluff trail, Sleeping Bear Dunes

14. Empire Beach, Sleeping Bear Dunes

15. DH day farm, Glen Arbor

Still Family 2022

Fall family photo season is officially beginning with the Still family! I’ve photographed Chris and Sarah so much over the years and it’s always a joy to see how their family has grown. This year Chris’s parents and sister joined for an extended family session and the kids had fun showing me their garden and the horses next door!. My favorite part of this session was after the group pictures were done watching the kids
(and adults) in the garden picking vegetables and smelling flowers :)

1920's Party

Friends of mine started a tradition back in 2017 of hosting a theme party each September, and I have been able to photograph the fun. Due to Covid (and their having a baby) the 1920’s theme party was delayed two years, but finally it happened. Mary and Aaron have a great backyard for hosting events, and this year the party had musical guests and a magician. Plus, they set up a photo booth with props in their garage! It was so fun to see everyone dressed up and all the themed decorations and food! Here are some of my favorite pictures from the event :)

Rayne Class of 2023

Rayne’s mom contacted me at the beginning of August about taking senior pictures but we hadn’t decided on a date or location until I had the very last minute idea of doing a photo shoot at the fair. I’m so glad this worked out and I was able to meet Rayne after hearing about her for years because her mom and I used to work together. The fair was busy, but she was patient with me always waiting for people to move out of the background for our shots. Here are some of my favorites, have a great senior year Rayne!

Ellory and Ceana Class of 2023

I’ve known these two since they were in 6th grade and I can’t believe they are now seniors!! Ellory and Ceana are cousins so when Ellory scheduled her senior photo shoot at Hoffmaster State Park it just made sense to invite Ceana to join in on the fun. To be honest, beach photos are not my favorite because I have to work with direct sun and wind, but these girls made it fun and kept each other laughing. I highly recommend bringing a friend along for pictures because they can get you to smile and provide good ideas for posing :) Here are some of my favorites :)

Sophie's first birthday

At the end of June, my niece Sophie turned one! My sister in law set up a cute photo backdrop in their home and decorated for a mermaid themed birthday party. Sophie was in a good mood and eager to show off her new skills of pointing and waving to everyone at the party. She loved eating her cake and looking at all the gifts she was given. Unfortunately, the day we took family pictures Sophie had not slept well and was very attached to her mom. We managed to get a few smiles when she saw dogs or other kids walking by and she loved the few bites of ice cream she was given! Here are my favorite pictures of Sophie from the two photo shoots :)

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!

Ian's 2 year old photos

It was so fun seeing how much Ian has grown since I took his pictures a year ago! He is definitely a toddler now, and in typical toddler fashion had his own agenda for this photo shoot his mom had carefully designed :) Ian enjoyed looking at all the Pooh stuffed animals but wanted to carry them around rather then sit still with them. He was very uninterested in taking photos with his parents but we did manage to get a few smiles! Here are some of my favorites of the new 2 year old.

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!

Ivan's First Birthday

Traditional first birthday cake smash photos can be really fun or really unpredictable, for Ivan it was the second :) He did not like everyone watching and singing to him and was not wanting to sit down. Initially he was curious about the cake, but once frosting got on his legs he wanted nothing more to do with it. We actually did this photoshoot over two separate days since he didn’t touch the cake the first day. The balloons were much more fun for both Ivan and big sister Olive so if nothing else he had fun with those!

Miss G's ballet recital 2022

I was so happy to be back photographing the 3rd dance recital for the kids of Miss G’s ballet. There was a threat of rain all day, but luckily it held off until the dancing was over and the kids were able to show off what they have been learning to friends and family gathered to watch. Plus, they had snacks and pony rides afterwards as a way to celebrate their accomplishments. This recital had a western theme and seeing the little girls in tutu’s and boots was so cute I could’ve taken photos all day :) Here are some of my favorites!

Jesudas Family 2022

Due to Covid and distance, it had been a year since I visited my old college roommate and her family! When I finally had the chance to fly down to Tennessee for a week last month I made a point to bring my camera and schedule a time to take photos between playing with the big kids and holding the new baby :) I always tell parents that family pictures are a reflection of your kid at this age and there is no need to make them sit still and smile perfectly. Here are some of my favorites!

Hudsonville Varsity Lacrosse

Before yesterday I had never been to a Lacrosse game so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I showed up to support a high school student I know. Since photo season has not gotten very busy yet I thought this would be a fun opportunity to try taking pictures of the game. I am not trying to be a professional sports photographer and since this project was just for fun I gave myself permission to edit creatively :) Here are some of my favorites from the game!

Laugh Fest 2022

One reason I enjoy photographing events is because I get to learn about all the great organizations in my city. Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids provides free emotional support to children, adults, friends or family of people on a cancer journey or those grieving the death of someone they love from any cause. They run support groups, social events, and provide meals to people in the community and Laugh Fest is their big annual fundraiser. After two years off due to COVID the festival was back for 5 days mid March and I was able to take pictures at two different events. The first was a clean comedy showcase and the second was a family improvisation. I hope that next year I’ll be able to photograph even more events!

Italy 2021

Back in September, between COVID variants, I was lucky enough to travel to Italy (rescheduled from April 2020). I had the opportunity to visit Rome, Florence and Venice which was a photographers dream! I took so many pictures but finally this winter had time to go through and edit them. It was hard deciding what to share but I hope you enjoy seeing Italy though my eyes and maybe get inspired to take you own trip in the future :)