{ashley, rosalie, and juliana soon-to-be | maternity and children portraits}

Over Mother's Day weekend, I had the opportunity to take some pictures for my expectant cousin and her precious daughter. I so wish I was closer to San Antonio because just the other day sweet Juliana was born!  How I would love to take some pictures of her.  :)

I was super excited because I had not done any maternity pictures.  Ashley was so nice to volunteer her belly.  ;)  I just love pregnancy and the miracle of life.  Seriously.  There is nothing more beautiful. My dear friend took maternity pictures for me during my last pregnancy.  They are some of the most treasured pictures I have.  I will always be able to look back and remember that special time.  I love that I am now able to capture the same memories for others.  I have since done three other maternity sessions with more on the horizon. 

My friend took a picture like this for me when I was pregnant.  I loved it so much I had to try it out with my cousin. :)

.love this.

perfect round tummy

Hello, Juliana!  Can't wait to meet you!

What a beauty! Love her big brown eyes!

Happy baby girl!

I'm always so glad to spend time with my cousin.  I hate that eight hours separate us.  I cannot wait to make a trip to Texas to meet her new sweet baby girl.  :)

*****

Expecting or know someone who is?  I would love to be the one to capture those memories for you or a loved one.  Also, I am about to embark on a new photography adventure.  I simply cannot wait to attend and photograph the birth of my friend's third child.  She is due any day, and I have my camera bag packed and ready.  Please, contact me for more information! :)

{it's only two months past mother's day}

I love Mother's Day.  Not just because I have a husband and three cute boys who love to spoil me.  For the last four years, the ladies on my mom's side of the family get together for what we call the "Top Chef Mother's Day Cookoff". 

My mother is one of three daughters born to my Granny and late Papa.  I am my mother's only daughter.  My aunt Cindy has a daughter, and aunt Teresa has two daughters.  We all gather on Mother's Day weekend for lots of fun, food and this year "fotography". 

We each are assigned a dish the prior year, and show up that day to win the crown.  ;)  This year's winner was my cousin who prepared a delicious salad with local ingredients. 

Hungry??
(in case you're wondering, mine was the meat dish, an Indian spiced kofta with freshly made naan and tzatziki sauce.)

After lunch we headed out to the backyard to get some photos.  It was fun playing with my self timer.  (I got several funny shots!) 

All the moms and daughters. 
Also, there's Granny with her great-grandchildren.  (She has one more that will be here in about a month!!)

We always enjoy our special holiday.  Preparations for next year have already begun!  I think I've got a real winning dessert! :)


(to visit past years click here and here back when the only camera was an iPhone.) ;)

{a "bridal" shoot | oklahoma bridal portraits}

A few months ago, my photography teacher (Amber from Fife Photography) introduced me to a group of local photographers.  This group consists of beginners up to professional photographers with years of experience and loads of talent.  They meet monthly to discuss different topics in the photography world. 

The first meeting I attended was actually hosted by Amber.  It was about how to pose clients to look their best.  So great and informative to a newbie like me.  :)  I learned great new ideas not only about flattering posing but also info on clothing and lighting. 

The following meeting was hosted by Benita Cloward of BRC Photography.  She graciously allowed us to visit her "headquarters" located at her beautiful home located in rural Oklahoma.  She spoke about her photography and was open to answering lots of questions.  Benita had arranged for a model to be there in a wedding gown for us to photograph.

I cannot tell you how excited I was to try my hand at getting a few bridal portraits.  I had just gotten a new lens (50mm 1.8) and could not wait to try it out. Benita lead us to a lovely field at sunset.  Then we just started to click the shutter.  :)

When I first started getting into photography, I never dreamed I would be able to take photographs of a beautiful bride.  (This also inspired me to have a special shoot that I will blog about soon!) 

It was such fun and a fantastic experience. Maybe I will have the opportunity to photograph a "real" bride soon!

{cute babies j & r | family & children photographer oklahoma city}

Back in early spring was when I started feeling comfortable enough behind the lens to do some pictures of someone other than my boys.  The first person to take me up on the offer was a friend (actually one of my husband's former coworkers).  They had their first baby in December and wanted some three month pictures and some new family shots.  A couple of my first blog posts I wrote were about two of their pictures (here and here).  I thought my first "official" photography gig went great!

In June, I took some pictures again for them now that he was six months old.  We met in downtown Oklahoma City for this session.  Baby J brought along his cute three month old cousin Baby R to get a few shots too.  Here are a few highlights from the shoot.  :)

check out those baby blues!

big boy!

old friends having a good chat :)

rub a dub dub, two cuties in a tub!

so handsome

he loved being in the air

so serious!

I got in a few shots with Baby J and his sweet parents.

How cute is this Pinterest pose?

I've loved seeing Baby J grow the last few months!  Can't wait to see you again when you turn ONE!!

I'm not gonna lie, this camera stuff takes a lot of work!

I posted a while back about taking a photography class.  I cannot tell you how glad I am that I took it.  Being a social worker turned stay at home mom, venturing into photography was like trying to learn Chinese.  I was great when I was just using my iPhone, but a DSLR was so intimidating.  I felt I had all these pictures in my mind I wanted to create, but the buttons and dials were getting in the way. 

I searched out different class options online and found one through a local university.  I almost enrolled in it until I found a hands on class located right here in Norman.  Back in March, I enrolled in Photo Basics I offered by Fife Photography.  This class gave me the solid foundation in camera basics that I really needed.  I cannot say enough good things about Amber Fife.  She is such a talented photographer and is so giving with her knowledge and expertise.  I don't think it's very often you find a professional photographer sharing all her tips and tricks. 

I also took Photo Basics II to learn some more in depth controls of my camera.  Again, this class helped immensly in improving my photography.  On the final day of class we had a mock photo shoot to test out all of our know how.  It was an awesome location in downtown Norman with a gorgeous model, who I think resembles Katy Perry. 

The third class I took was a Natural Lighting Class.  I loved this class.  I love using natural light for my pictures, so it was great to learn how to take advantage of available light.  We also did a photo shoot at the end of this class on the OU campus with a handsome young model. 

When I got my camera, I really was just a mom who wanted to take beautiful pictures of my kiddos and surroundings.  Reading my manual and watching YouTube vidoes only could help so much.  I'm so happy to have found these classes.  They have really boosted my abilities and given me the confidence to take my hobby to the next level.  If you're interested in classes, here is the link.  And if you're reading this outside of the Oklahoma City metro area, don't worry some of these classes are offered online. 

Thanks Amber for your help and new friendship! :)

{ cute kiddos | child portraits norman, oklahoma}

I would guess most moms love taking pictures of their little ones.  Snapping photos of my three little boys helped spur my interest in photography.  For a while they were my only subjects.  They were pretty thankful when I started booking photo sessions because they realized the camera would be out of their faces for a bit.  :) 

Here are just a few of my favorite shots of my little muses.  I'm a lucky mom!

I would love to be able to capture your child's personality and freeze this moment in time.  As my boys grow, I am so thankful I have these memories I can look back on. 

Thanks sweet boys for being my willing subjects on this journey.  I love you each more than words. :)

{beautiful babies | newborn oklahoma photographer}

Newborn photography is definitely an art.  I've been fortunate enough to have a few friends let me take some pictures of their newest bundles of joy. 

Taking pictures of little babies is hard work, but it has such a great reward.  I love being able to give the family the images of their newborns.  Time passes so quickly, and it's wonderful to have those moments frozen in time. 

I would love to be able to capture these memories for you!  Visit the tab above for session information. Please, contact me if you are interested!

Cowboy Up!

My nephew turned three last week, and on Saturday we celebrated him cowboy style. My sister in law went Pinterest crazy in finding the perfect decorations, snacks, and activities to fit this fun theme. I was happy she let me practice shooting pictures. :)

Ice Cold Root Beer with Cute Straws

Smore's Bar!

Cute Cookies

Cowboy Cake

Loved the Decorations!

The barn was filled with several horses, all unique.  Some big, and some small.  I've always felt horses photograph beautifully.  I'm glad I was able to get some pictures.  This one below cracks me up.  I imagine her as a spunky, gossipy little horse. 

Below is such a beautiful horse.  The mane in her eyes and that look she's giving me gives off such emotion.  That is, if horses have emotions. 

This one below is my favorite, this solemn old fella.  He was so gentle and seemed wise.  I wanted to take him home.

My entry for Shoot.Edit.Submit. and Sweet Shot Tuesday.

My brother tossing around his little cowboy! It's so funny to see us as parents. :)

Birthday Boy's Dirty Hands

My little one evidently was not informed on the cowboy theme.  He INSISTED on his superhero suit.

Pretty little cousin

We had a blast!  I mean, who wouldn't with all the yummy snacks and horse ridin'!