The Smith Family

If you’re local to Phoenix, you’d probably agree that there’s not much better than spring time in the desert. The weather’s warming up, cactus flowers are starting to bloom, and it’s the perfect time to schedule your family portrait session since the weather is guaranteed to be amazing!

The Smith Family chose to book a mini session with me and it worked out so well with their little ones. Mini sessions are only 30 minutes in length and can be a great option if you have small children to help keep their attention. Ginny did an amazing job of coordinating her family outfits following my complimentary JHP Style Guide that she received prior to her session. I love the camel colored dress that she chose! Fun fact: So many of my other client’s also loved her dress that I added it to my JHP Client Closet after her session. Her family’s camel colored and blue toned outfits paired perfectly with the glowing desert backdrop at sunset.

Ginny and her husband Adam are such a cute couple and rockstar parents. I loved watching the way that they interacted with their little ones, L & C. L has the most adorable big brother bond with his little sister C, and it was so precious to see them run around and play together during our shoot. I have a good feeling the two of them are going to continue to have an inseparable bond as they grow!

To the Smith Family: Thank you so much for allowing me to capture this special time in your lives. I know that your little ones are growing oh so fast, and I hope when you look back on these photos, you remember all the joyful, playful, and innocent moments that L & C had at this age. 

The Valentine Family

When photographing young families, I never know what to expect with the little ones. Sometimes the kiddos can be shy, or wiggly, or just have their own posing ideas. No matter what, we always make it work and have a blast doing so. The Valentine Family really brought their “A Game” to their desert shoot though. Their two little guys, T & C, did such an awesome job! They were the most energetic and engaged kiddos I have photographed.

I was so amazed how into the shoot they were! I started by taking some group photos, and as I got everyone set up and started counting down, both boys yelled “CHEESEBURGER” as loud as they could. It was so funny to watch them do this each time, and they kept it up for the entire shoot! They couldn’t wait to keep taking more photos. Even the hikers passing by couldn’t get enough of them and their cheeseburger yells. T & C certainly brought smiles to everyone’s faces!

If the brotherly bond between T & C wasn’t sweet enough (I can tell they are going to be best buds as they grow older), Tracy and Brian were so much fun too! Brian’s sister and brother in law, Maria and Sean, were in town visiting from New York, and we were lucky to get to include them into the shoot as well. Everyone was incredibly laid back and had a great time joking around with one another. This fun family really added some joy and laughter to the golden desert glow behind them. Sean brought some binoculars to take in the sceanery, and the boys had a blast looking for wildlife. At the end of our session we ended with, my favorite, a tickle party! The expression on T & C’s faces during the tickles were priceless.

Tracy & Brian: Thank you so much for allowing me the honor of capturing your fun-loving family! You all had me laughing and smiling (under my mask) the whole time. And, you better believe that I went and got a cheeseburger after our session - haha. I hope that you all had as much fun as I did! I can’t wait to watch your boys grow and work with you again in the future. 

The Jonovich Family Session

Pure joy! If you asked me how to describe the Jonovich family, this would be the first thing that comes to mind! 

When the Jonovich’s first showed up for their session, I knew we were going to have a blast. I quickly saw what a strong bond Sara and her husband Kirk have, and the love they showed for their family was palpable. Sweet M. was telling me all about her upcoming birthday and her big plans for turning 4 (which included some delicious strawberry cake)! And, little S was having a blast running around through the trees. But, maybe the cutest thing of all was the way that M. & S. looked up to Ryan and loved to hold his hand or go for a piggy back ride on his shoulders. He was so sweet and kind towards them and did such a great job at keeping them entertained. 

When Sara and I were planning her family session, she totally trusted me with choosing the location and I think it worked out beautifully! The way the sun peeked through the green trees was gorgeous, and I love that this spot is quite different compared to our “normal” desert scenery in Phoenix. It’s amazing the variety of landscapes that Arizona truly has to offer! The kids had so much fun running around and tumbling in the dry grass. Sara had the most infectious laugh as she watched her littles play - it was darling!

I always like to include time for some photos of Mom & Dad alone during family sessions. Just when I thought Sara and Kirk couldn’t get any cuter during their photos, they began to tell me about how they were high school sweethearts and a bit more of their love story. How adorable are they?!?! They also explained that this was the first time they had gotten photos of just the 2 of them since their wedding almost 8 years ago! I knew instantly how special these would be for them and wanted to make a little magic happen. I’m sure you can tell just by looking through their photos what a fun loving couple they are! 

Sara and Kirk, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to capture your fun and joyful family. I had a blast getting to know your family and feel so honored to have been able to freeze this little moment in time for you. I hope when you look at these photos, the love you have built within your family radiates through them!

A Surprise Session

I’ve been holding off on writing this blog post for a little while now, because I was keeping a little (no, BIG) secret! You’ll have to read through to find out what it is…

Tessa and I met in our Happy Mom group that I’ve posted about before. I’m telling you, this group is SO GOOD, and if you’re local and expecting a little babe of your own soon, I highly recommend joining – 10 out of 10! Our daughters (who happen to share the same Birthday) are now passed the infant stage, but it’s brought me so much joy to keep in contact with Tessa! 

Let’s first talk about the fact that Garett and Tessa are total couple goals! Throughout their session, Garett would whisper into Tessa’s ear and constantly make her laugh. Their daughter, Parker, is one special little lady and is such a cutie pie. Parker’s name comes from Tessa’s maiden name and I’ll never get over how special it is that she gets to carry that on. She loved running across the bridge and watching the nearby ducks. I just love the way this family all look at one another, and you can truly feel the joy radiating through simply being around them. Just take a look at their photos and I bet you can’t help but smile! 

When Garett and Tessa were first dating, one of the first gifts he bought for her was a pair of Nike shoes. Ever since then, they have a tradition of being a “Jordan Family”. Whenever they leave the house, you’ll likely find them rocking their coordinating Nike sneakers. When they found out that they were expecting Parker, they used a new pair of baby Jordan shoes to share the news. And now… there’s another pair in the mix – SURPRISE!

Tessa & Garett, I’m so over the moon excited for you guys to grow your family. It’s so clear to see how loved the newest member of your family already is! This new babe is going to be the luckiest to get to join the three of you, and I know that Parker is going to be a fantastic big sister! I’m so honored that you allowed me to capture this extra special moment in your life - thank you! I hope that you’ll look back on these photos and remember the excitement that came with your family’s newest little miracle. 

Calvert Family Holiday Photos

I had so much fun photographing the Calvert Family for their Holiday photos. Between Marlo’s flowy red dress, Nick’s plaid green shirt, and Nora’s ruffled light gold dress, they really brought the Christmas vibe! It was so easy to see how joyful this family is and the love that they have for each other. We really got some great shots for their Holiday cards. Sweet Nora gave me quite the workout – she was on the go! Her favorite parts of the session included chasing the toys we brought to capture her attention, playing with the dry grass sprigs, and roaring when I asked her what sound a lion makes – what a cutie!

Thank you so much, Calvert Family, for allowing me to capture this precious moment for your family. May you always remember the sweet moments that Nora brings to your family and how much fun she is at this stage! 

The Jarvie Family

I’m obsessing over how good all of the photos from the Jarvie Family session were. I had such a tough time choosing my favorites! Claire suggested using the community area right near her and Will’s home which meant easy travel for the kids. The desert landscape and mountain backdrops were completely beautiful! We also chose to do a sunrise photo session which I think was a great fit for their kiddos. Sometimes, sunset sessions can be right in the middle of dinner or bed time, so scheduling a session for sunrise, although early, can be a great alternative option for happier little ones. 

Vivian and her big brother Landon had the sweetest bond. She was always reaching to hold his hand and they were all smiles throughout the session. Landon was so charismatic- he was telling me all about his Paw Patrol Halloween costume, how to spell his name, and followed my directions perfectly! He also had fun chasing his sister and couldn’t wait to go to the playground when his session was over. These two could totally be Gap Kids models!

Will’s sisters and nephew were in town visiting from Rhode Island. They were such great helpers in the background making everyone smile and helping the kids giggle. We even had a chance to capture some extended family shots at the end as well. It’s such a small world, because Will and his sisters actually grew up just outside of my hometown of Buffalo, NY. I’m always amazed how many people I meet out in Arizona that have Buffalo connections.

Claire also did a great job of styling her family’s outfits. I love the neutral tones that she chose. Both her flowy navy dress and Vivian’s tulle skirt were so dreamy. Will’s light pink shirt perfectly picked up the pinks in Vivan’s sweater. I loved that she paid close attention to the small details like her gold belt, Landon’s navy suspenders, and Vivan’s cream colored bow.

To the Jarvie Family: Your session is truly one for the books! I am honored that I was able to capture such precious memories of your loving family. I hope that some of these photos will fill the walls of your home and bring you joy when you look back on these precious moments. 

The Carreon Family Holiday Photos

How cute is this fun & festive family? Erica blew me away with the outfits that she chose for everyone! Her emerald green long sleeved dress was STUNNING and paired perfectly with her husband Matt’s lighter patterned shirt. I especially loved her booties that had a cute bow detail – she was a champ for walking through the desert trail wearing heels. Connor was also looking dapper in his festive plaid shirt and adorable green vest. Erica did such a great job of coordinating all of their looks, and I love how she mixed different prints together while keeping a holiday vibe. They all looked so good! Sometimes it’s hard to imagine Christmas in the desert, but they definitely brought all the holiday feels!

Connor was quite the little walker and was on the move during his session. Both Mom and Dad were so fun trying to get Connor’s attention to look at the camera. On a typical photo shoot with littles, you can expect there to be a lot of songs, animal sounds, and maybe even some high-pitched noises to grab the kid’s attention. I may have had to apologize for my signing voice once or twice after going through the different versus of “The Wheels on the Bus” - haha! Erica also had a great idea of bringing a helper for the behind the scenes with Connor. It worked out perfectly to have someone to watch Connor while we snapped photos of Mom & Dad alone too! 

Erica and Matt: Thank you so much for allowing me the honor to capture your family photos. You were naturals in front of the camera and I hope that you had a little bit of fun on your session too! When you look back on these photographs for years to come, may you remember what a fun stage Connor is in, all of the new and exciting things he discovers daily, and all of the sweet family moments that you share together. 

A Colorful Family Session

Mesa, AZ

When Sarah said that she wanted to do her extended family photos at the Mesa Arts Center, I was excited to check out a new location. This modern & urban vibe was a photographer’s paradise. There were so many other families here getting their holiday and yearly family photos taken. I could easily see why because of the variety of options with great lighting and colorful, modern backdrops. Although it’s a little different than my typical style, we decided to go with some bright and bold colorful backdrops and I think that it perfectly reflects the cheerful happiness of this family. The kids were so much fun to work with and we promised them that they could get in the water for their last shots - they couldn’t wait! For a mini session, we were able to get such a great variety of photos.

To the Moulton & Schilling Families: I had so much fun photographing your joyful family. I hope that they photos will bring you smilies as you look back on this time. Thank you for trusting me to capture your family.

A Fall Family Session

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you may remember me talking about Happy Mom School being my top recommendation for new Moms. I was lucky enough to meet Lorain through our Happy Mom group. It was always so nice to meet with her, and other moms, weekly to share our highs and lows of new mom life. I’m forever grateful for this group and the bonds that we have formed. 

Lorain and John have such calm and easy-going personalities. It was one of the first colder fall weekends in Phoenix, but they didn’t let the wind bother them one bit. Instead, they made photographing their lovely family so fun. Lorain’s floral dress flowed so beautifully in the wind, and I loved how she paired it with a cream sweater and knee-high boots – the perfect fall look! She did a great job coordinating everyone’s outfits together. Her sweet daughter was so talkative, and it was adorable to watch her engaged in all the new surroundings. Her expressions during the shoot were so so cute! Plus, I loved the way she would give her parents the sweetest looks. You just have to peek at the photo below of her looking at her Mama! Does your heart not melt?

Thank you to Lorain and John, for trusting me to photograph your adorable family. I hope that when you look back on these photos that you remember what a fun stage your daughter was in and all the sweet memories that you’ve built together. 

Colton’s Newborn Session

The tiniest fingers and toes! At just about a week old, Colton was absolutely precious during his newborn session. Colton is already so in love with his Mommy (and she is smitten with him too)! His favorite place to be during our session was snuggled up with her. She was able to get him sleepy enough for a few tries of swaddling and individual close ups. Danielle was such a natural Mama. She knew exactly what to do to calm Colton and was so patient with him. I know that they are going to build such great memories together and she is going to be such a loving and fun boy mom. Getting to see the bond between the two of them melted my heart. 

Let’s talk about all of the cute details that Danielle planned for his nursery. I can’t get over the navy-blue accent wall that her Dad (Colton’s Grandpa) helped her create. His wooden name sign over the crib completes the room perfectly. Grandpa even worked on making some personalized wooden toys for Colton that were signed “Love Grandpa” – definitely made straight from the heart! 

Danielle, thank you so much for allowing me the honor of joining your sweet family to capture some of Colton’s first moments. I hope that when you look back on these photos you remember the precious newborn moments that go by way too quickly. May you cherish them forever!

Tania’s Desert Family Maternity Session

I wish you all could have been with me on my session with Tania and her family to see how cute the 3 of them were together. Tania, her husband Rudy, and daughter Sophia were like 3 peas in a pod (that’s a thing right?!?!). They were in town visiting Phoenix from Minnesota. Despite the summer heat, Tania didn’t seem bothered one bit and was in awe of all the cacti and beautiful mountains that surrounded us. It was so cute watching Sophia “trek” up the mountain and find little coves in the rocks to call her clubhouse. She was also a little pose guru, creating some fun ideas for her time in front of the camera. When it came time for Mom to slip on her blue dress, Sophia was the best helper. I also loved how sweet Rudy was, telling Tania how beautiful she looked! And man, was he right - this Mama was glowing!

Tania and her family will welcome a baby boy into their family next month. Congratulations Diaz family! I’m so honored to have been able to capture this special moment for you and I’m sure that Sophia is going to be the best big sister to her new baby brother.