This little man was the most snuggly little model I’ve ever had! He kept hugging and kissing mom, dad, and his older sister the whole session. And seeing how his daddy treated his mommy the whole session, you could definitely tell he learned it by example.

Asher is a fighter if I ever saw one. You’d never guess how much this little man has been through in his first 18 months in this world, but anyone so blessed to meet him would see from his genuine smile and personality so full of life that he never lets the obstacles get in his way.

Brody turns 1! I met the Clark family when they were looking online for someone to take 1st birthday photos of their oldest son Stanton. We then found out they lived two doors down from us, and I was privileged to not just see Stanton growing up, but now his little brother. The military has a way of moving you far from your family and friends, but I’ll always be grateful to have social media to stay in touch and watch these little guys grow into the amazing men I know their mommy and daddy will raise them to be.

I got to babysit Brynlee a few times when mommy and daddy went on dates. My daughter loved having a friend her age over and kept begging for a sibling of her own. It would be Brynlee though who got to celebrate the arrival of a new little brother, and even later on a little sister….meanwhile my daughter is still asking for a sibling!

Sometimes I have an idea and location in mind that I’d really love to add to my portfolio. Usually my clients look at what I already have worked with and choose something along those lines. So what do you do in this situation? I went online and found Valentina and Luke, who let me run with my creativity and see what we could come up with. After this session had been added to the portfolio, I had my next five clients book this location!

When I did this session, I was pretty new to the Colorado Springs area. Another photographer friend shared this gorgeous location spot with me, however the vastness of this area was not exactly explained to me. I showed up an hour early and still kept getting lost, my GPS wasn't directing me correctly, and then Nate and Sarah showed up with their family and were so kind to help me figure it out. As a photographer and someone with OCD tendencies, I always want to be professional, personal, and prepared, but honestly I was so embarrassed because I really felt like I had failed that day at a first good impression. It's also so difficult to admit it publicly like this too because you never want to come across as unprepared to clients. However, they were so kind, and patient as we all figured it out together, and fortunately they had hiked this area a few times already. I am so grateful for all my amazing clients who are very gracious when they allow me to be human for a few moments during those times everything isn't running perfectly.

This military family requested a last minute location change and their instincts were right on! The sunset was amazing, and the session was full of complete happiness! My main priority is always making sure the client enjoys the whole process from our very first interaction all the way to your session, so if you ever want to make a change or give input never be afraid to let me know and we'll work with you on creating the best solution for everyone!

Max was a model I met when running around Austin, Texas with another photographer when scouting locations and learning new things. I love working with clients who already have in mind what they are looking for, but I also love a challenge when trying something new and someone who is adventurous enough to go along with my ideas.

And then sometimes life comes full circle....

I met Stephen 16 years ago when we were just kids. We went to church together, hiking with our friends, traveling, and even did a 40 mile bike ride in one day once. My family eventually moved away, and we all grew up but now the military has moved us back to our beautiful Colorado. I never knew back then that I would get to be a part of this special moment years later, and I couldn't be more happy for him and his sweet fiancé Karen!

Before the day ends, I must leave you with this adorable photo of Faelyn. From the moment I met this family, I knew I was going to enjoy this session! They were very easygoing, and the entire experience for me was so enjoyable, not to mention I love the personalities of little kids at this age since it reminds me of my own little one. Faelyn gave me all the expressions, and her personality comes through in each photo.

Dina is one of those kind-hearted souls of the purest sort that you feel very blessed to have spent a moment with and can't wait to do it again. She is a literal supermom, storyteller through her own photography and travels, and it feels like you've known her forever from the moment you've met. I truly cannot believe how many families I've met over the years that each have such fun and sweet spirits all while having their own personalities. Every day I wake up feeling so blessed to be able to create these memories for others, and it's all made possible by people like Dina.

Frances is a nurse and Shayne is in the Air Force. We were less than a month from moving away, when they scheduled a session with me, and I’ll never regret it. Being able to serve those who serve our community is a privilege and an honor. I may never meet them again, as it goes with being a military family ourselves, but I will always remember those few moments of time that I got to be around them and hear their stories.

I have only met Asher twice, and yet he's the kind of little guy you'd do just about anything for! He's got the most infectious smile, one that can instantly make your whole day, and in this session we were joined by the newest member of the family, little Rory. Watching these two parents interact with their babies, you could easily see where their beautiful little children got such sweet and happy personalities from!

This whole family were great sports during this session! Dad had just had knee surgery, mom is just a few weeks away from a new baby and rocked it in heels, it was cold for Kason but he braved taking his coat off and on without complaint in between photos and was absolutely polite, and Kamden? Well that little guy might make you work for a smile at first, but once he gets to know you you can count on a buddy for life. Little sister will arrive soon, and she'll be so lucky to be in this family that's ready to take on any adventure. Also can we just give a huge shout-out to dual military couples?! I always have massive respect for families that are able to do this and still grow together, especially with all the unknowns of not knowing whether the military will keep you stationed together. I'm always privileged to serve a family that is giving so much of themselves back to the community.

This is probably my most favorite place in all of Colorado Springs to watch the sunset, and I've come to realize the fall season has even more heightened the beauty of this location. I used to live in the Springs sixteen years ago when my parents moved here, but as an adult and photographer I'm getting to experience the area all over again with new insight. I am loving our first fall since moving back and enjoyed meeting the Grimes family during this session as well! This military family used to be stationed at the base we just moved from, they left there about the time we arrived, and now they are about to leave the Springs area. Somehow we managed to meet up regardless of all the moving parts of the military, and the world gets a little smaller every day. I know I always say this, but I walk away from each session a even more grateful for the opportunity to meet new people, learn new things, and get to do a little photography in the process.

We had to reschedule this session because mom ended back up in the hospital with a serious infection soon after giving birth. While I may be a mom myself, I am in awe at what other mothers have been through, making my pregnancy and birth experience seem simple and easy. While it's definitely not a competition and should never be, some mothers go through things the rest of us may never experience. And while I'm always grateful to wake up to another day with a healthy mom and baby, I give a silent prayer to the mother who going through the worst experience of her life. I am a mom to three babies, two in heaven. I am an aunt to a 7 year old cancer survivor, I am a friend to numerous moms who have experienced loss and child sicknesses...and I am always here for anyone who just needs someone. Reach out today to a new mom, no matter what they are going through as some things aren't always visible to the outside world such as post-partum depression. It's okay to struggle, it's okay to seek help, and it's also okay to be fine, because again it's not a competition, but rather women supporting other women.

Baby Armie was one of three babies I had in studio this week. I've done numerous newborn sessions, but usually don't have that many in one week. However, I have no complaints because it helps with the set-up and take-down for sure since I could just leave it up all week. While it may be difficult to distinguish a personality right away with such a new baby, I was able to see how each little newborn already had their own preferences within just two weeks of birth. Some like swaddles, others like being held, some eat a lot and others want to just sleep the whole time, some wake up to every slight motion, and others could sleep through the noise of a construction zone. Each baby is unique, and it's completely okay for them to want what they want as they don't understand and are new to this world. And each mother is absolutely amazing in not only what they went through to give birth, but also in how they continue to exhibit strength and patience during the adjustment period of a new little one.

Oh this session! How do you describe chaos and peace all at once? Linkin was so calm and did so well...on the other hand my milk bath somehow managed to leak everywhere, so I see a trip to Lowe's in my near future for some better sealant. No matter what I tried to do to fix it from hot glue to using a trash bag at the bottom of it, finally I just had to settle for some good old fashioned photoshop on that milk. Next time I promise it will stay sealed little guy. But on another note, can we just talk about those baby blues and all that adorable curly hair?! This little guy had the patience of a saint with me this day and taught me a lesson on how it's okay when things don't always go the way you plan because you can always find a way to salvage things and still have a great day!

No matter how good of a photographer someone may be, there is always a session where you can't get the kids to smile. But this session? We were going for an old fashioned family photo session and were trying to pull off the serious looks. But the moment you tell kids they can't do something, all they wanted to do was laugh the entire time! To be honest, I'm pretty sure all of us were struggling not to laugh this whole session. It was one of the most fun things I've ever done in photography, and I hope more people are up for "awkward family photo sessions" because you have no idea how much you are missing out. That person in your family who hates photos? They may just find themselves actually enjoying it!

I promise the baby is real....but so is the photoshop! This was definitely another fun one for the books. I love doing photography, but what I really enjoy is going out of my usual ideas and adding a little extra spice and fun to a session. I never want to get bored or burnt out as photography is something I'm very passionate about, so I'm always looking for ways to add a little more to a session, the opportunity to try something new that I've been learning, and a family who trusts what I envision. A huge shout-out to my cousins for letting me work some photoshop magic on their newborn. This session met all my own expectations, and also created a fun little conversation piece amongst the comments from our family. Welcome to the world baby Bowen and all the adventures your aunt Melissa has planned for you!

Welcome to Colorado, Amy! While I always appreciate a clear mountain view, I can't help but love a cloudy day even more. Amy was here for a vacation to the area, so obviously a good location to take anyone who hasn't been here before is Garden of the Gods. Sometimes I feel like those who have lived here all their lives may get used to this place, but the enormity of it all never ceases to amaze me. And for those who aren't from here, it's always a great place to experience! When you're driving through the Springs and you reach the top of a hill, you can really tell just how small Garden of the Gods is compared to the mountains. Then, when you're standing right in the shadows of those amazing red rocks, you realize just how massive Pike's Peak must be. It may get busy at times, but if you can just overlook the people, you can really immerse yourself in the beauty of it all.