Wow! There really isn’t anything else I can say except that Ryan and Leaha’s wedding day was simply beautiful. I can’t stress how stunning Leaha was and Ryan looked just as handsome in his suit (that HE picked out). Just a couple teaser images…
-alm
When Mitch and I made yet another move last year, it left me with the decison to do my photography full time or keep it part time and find a different job out here. The more I thought about it, I couldn’t justify having a day job that I didn’t love and a weekend job that I did. So, I made the leap and commited what seems to be every waking hour to this little photography business. I did decide though to throw on a little part time bartending job at Parkview Field. Why not? If Mitch was going to be down there most nights, I may as well have done the same thing and brought in a little spending cash, right? Thanks to the crazy business that August has brought me, I did end up leaving that part time job, but before I did I met this cute little blonde.
Back in April I bundled up and headed down to the field for orientation. I was lucky to have one familiar face in my friend Jamie there, but quickly found another in Leaha. I knew that we were going to have a fun summer working together and thought that was probably about it. However, a couple of days later she mentioned that she was going to get married in August. So, I have this adorable, bubbly little blonde that is super fun to be around, who is also getting married. If you think I hesitated for one second to give her my card and tell her that my “real” job is photography, you’d be crazy!
Tomorrow is Leaha and Ryan’s big day, so I wanted to get a full post of their engagement images up before I had wedding ones to put up (sneak peek was here). When we were getting ready to take these, I think Ryan was a little nervous that I was going to have him skipping through a meadow or something goofy like that. Then, there was Leaha who was so excited and ready for these pictures that you’d think she was a seasoned pro in front of the camera. Luckily, I didn’t make them skip and they even had a couple beers.
-alm
Before you get into this post, I just want to preface that it has nothing to do with my photography, but is instead a personal post and more just for me to write. I know that some people just don’t get the connection that pet owners have with their pets. If you’re one of those people you’ll most definitely want to stop here.
Last night my 22 year old cat had to be put down. Her name was Friskie, a name that only a 4 year old would be so “creative” to give.
Growing up in the country, we had numerous cats that people would drop off when they decided they just didn’t want them anymore. When one of those cats found their way to our home it usually kicked off a routine of me begging to keep it, my parents saying that we didn’t need another cat (especially my Dad who was far from a cat lover), and me putting food out for it anyway to convice it to stay. My first foster kitties though didn’t tame that easily. Because these two kitties hadn’t had a home, they were as wild as can be. So, imagine a not so sneaky four year old, who wanted nothing more than to hold and love these kitties, trying repeatedly, day after day to catch or at least touch one of two little 6 week old speedy kittens. Slowly but surely, the little black one, who my brother and I so creatively named Blackie, calmed down and would let us pet her. But, the fluffy little tiger striped one wanted nothing to do with rambunctious little me, I can’t imagine why.
I don’t know when she turned around, but for the last 22 years she was my companion, even when she didn’t want to be and would hide under the bed only for me to pull her back out. She even broke my “too tough to like cats” father. You see, all of these strays were essentially our incredibly friendly “barn” cats. I wasn’t allowed to take them inside, although every now and then my mom would let me when dad was at work. Eventually, he gave in though and Friskie began to rule the house. Every single night she would hop up on the arm of his chair and practically demand her pet job.
Of course her death wasn’t a total surprise. After all, how many cats live to be 22? Since we moved out to Indiana, each time I went back home, I would pet her a little extra before I left knowing that it could be the last time I would see her. She always made it to my next trip though, and would even wake me up in the middle of the night with her midnight sprints from one end of the house to the other, to show that she still lived up to her name. Next week when I go home though, Friskie won’t be there and it just won’t be the same.
Sorry for the less than flattering picture Brian. This picture was taken in 1987 not long after Blackie and Friskie found us. My brother and I were on our way to get our Christmas pictures done. I can only imagine that I insisted on one with the kitties before we left. It’s a small miracle that Friskie didn’t tear my fabulous heart tights to shreds.
-alm
Being able to shoot two people that are in love is pretty much a dream come true for me. You see, I am and have always been a total romantic sap. I will 99% of the time choose a chick flick over anything else. A good engagement story will quite easily make my day. Heck, back in my dating days I tended to give all the wrong guys an extra chance (or twelve) with the thought that love conquered everything. Now, there are few days that I don’t just stop and wonder how I got so lucky to find Mitch. For those of you that are my polar opposites on this one, I can only imagine how many times I just made you roll your eyes.
The end of July I made my very first trip to Lafayette, Indiana to shoot Jessi and Daniel’s engagement pictures. The fact that I made it there alive is a small miracle. Suffice it to say that I no longer blindly follow my trusty GPS. Once I made it there though, I finally met these two and they were exactly what I had pictured from Jessi’s emails and phone calls. The entire session they were looking out for each other, and just so totally in love. The first time I asked them to kiss you should’ve seen how excited Daniel was, as if he needed my permission!
Before we actually started shooting, they took me to the church that they’re going to be married in and a couple of locations they had in mind for wedding pictures. Jessi was just absolutely glowing as she shot off a few ideas she had in mind. I can’t tell you how excited I was after leaving that night. Besides the obvious reason of me being a sucker for a good couple, this is the main reason I include an engagement session with my wedding packages. I feel like I know these two so much better now and even got to see exactly what they have envisioned for their big day. Now, I don’t feel like I’ll just be some photographer showing up on their wedding day.
-alm
I go into my children and family sessions with a very open mind and try to have a very open schedule. Kiddos have their days planned out the way they want them, and who am I to change those plans?! When Brenda and I started working out the details of getting some family pictures and shots of her little guy Ethan and her niece and nephew Keira and Jace, we attempted to plan around them sleeping in a little later. We thought that since they were in different timezones and would have been playing hard at Grandma and Grandpa’s house that they would have been a little extra sleepy.
Ethan apparently didn’t get his extra dose of sleepiness and instead decided to throw a late night/ early morning party at Grandma and Grandpa’s. He of course invited his mommy and daddy to the party. When I arrived that morning and everyone was just finishing getting ready, Ethan was happily talking up a storm. Brenda was pretty surprised as she told me about his little party plans. It was at that point that we should have knocked on wood. No big deal though, we may not have gotten tons of smiley pictures of Ethan, but his big blue eyes make for great somber shots.
For some reason, Ethan didn’t invite Jace and Keira to the party. You couldn’t hardly get Keira to stop smiling and all it took was a little car talk to earn Jace’s trust. I about fell over when he pointed out the chassis on my “ruby red Dodge”. Maybe I should have asked if he could do a quick oil change for me!
Of course the normal two sneak peek shots wouldn’t do when you have three cuties!
The Party Animal
Smiley
The Car Prodigy
-alm
As soon as we started shooting on Paul and Angie’s wedding day, the clouds rolled in and it looked like the skies could open up at any moment. As we were out shooting Paul and the guys, it started to sprinkle and I was afraid that was the end of our outdoor shots. Then, it stopped. So, I hurried the girls outside hoping to get in a few images. Well, it started sprinkling about half way through, so we moved it inside.
That wasn’t the end of our rainy day hokey pokey though. After the ceremony was over, it stopped just long enough for the newly married couple to make their church exit and hop into the horse and carriage that was waiting for them. Of course, nearly the second the carriage pulled back up, it started doing the sprinkling/ threatening to pour thing again. So, we adjusted. Luckily, Fort Wayne’s downtown First Presbyterian church has plenty of beautiful indoor locations.
Here are just a couple shots to leave you wanting more!
-alm
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve needed to get images up on here, but just haven’t had time to sit down and write everything that I want. So, instead the post gets put off. Well, not today! This is short and sweet on the words (there will be more for their full post), but I have to get out the door, so here are the images you came here for!
Oh, and Leaha and Ryan get a bonus sneak peek image because of my lack of writing!
-alm
So, I know that I can buy colored contacts, but I don’t think there is a prayer that they could give me eyes like Sarah’s. I can only imagine how many compliments she gets on them. Since I couldn’t buy the look though, I’ve decided that getting to shoot her was the second best thing.
I’m noticing a bit of a theme with the Class of 2010. Thus far, I’ve had two stunners who didn’t rely on their looks, but were also incredibly sweet and very well rounded girls. Sarah was also up for absolutely anything, and never even gave me one look questioning my sanity as I put her in the middle of the road or in some flowers on Main Street.
You can go back here to see a couple of images from her sneak peek.
-alm
I’ve been working away on a few sessions and a couple weddings, and when I started on this one today, I realized I never got their sneak peek up. So, here is a bit of a delayed peek from Mike and Natalie’s Valparaiso wedding. It was my first time shooting (or setting foot in) the Valpo University Chapel, and wow! It was so beautiful! It was probably the most indoor images (outside of ceremonies) that I’ve shot in a long time.
Their wedding was also my first official Indiana wedding. I love getting the chance to fly back to Colorado and shoot, but it was fantastic just having a short drive to work. The best part was that I had an awesome second shooter and my fabulous husband Mitch to assist me. I’d gotten so used to doing it all on my own, that I’d forgotten how much easier it is with a couple extra pairs of hands.
Of course there will be more images from this wedding in the near future, but for now these will have to do.
-alm
ALM Photography:: Children, Seniors and Wedding Photography