Kirsten Turns 9 Months

Baby Kirsten is, in one word, precious. We wanted an opportunity to really show off this beautiful innocence and that led us to doing an outdoor photoshoot. The wildflowers and lush long grasses framed her little body and lend to us ideas about our own childhoods - the excitement of exploration and discovery. Kirsten was very natural outdoors, playing with anything she could find and getting distracted and excited by everything new that appeared. We were so happy to truly be able to show what a beautiful baby girl Kirsten is with her bright blue eyes, perfect white skin, and little pink lips. It made for a very relaxing and enjoyable afternoon.

{Bethany + Dustin = ENGAGED!} Part II

Part II:

As the afternoon wore into early evening, we switched locations to a nearby beach. Dustin proposed to Bethany on the beach at Mackinaw Island on the fourth of july. The story is picture perfect - a chilly night, fireworks bursting in the background, and four special words written in the sand. Bethany now has her own little firework fixed in a band of gold around her finger to remind her of the love they share and the night that began it all.

{Bethany + Dustin = ENGAGED!} Part I

Part I:

On a summery September day we met Dustin and his fiance, Bethany, at his grandparents' farm near Luxemburg. The location made for beautiful photos - fields of yellow flowers showing golden in the sun, a rustic barn with layers of red paint peeling to reveal years of dedication to the tasks at hand, and plenty of land for their puppy, Tanner, to play about in. What made this location even more beautiful was that it was a place they were emotionally connected to - a place that feels like home. Bethany is smart, organized, and completely dedicated; Dustin is hardworking, easygoing, and full of joy. Together they enjoyed with us a day of celebrating their love for one another.

New Baby Hudson!

Never before have I seen a fighter like new baby Hudson. Arriving early at 7 pounds 9 ounces, Hudson Michael was totally convinced he was three months instead of seven days. During our session he held his head up, rolled over on his own and had his fighting dukes up and ready each time we wanted to disturb his comfy positions. He is such a beautiful baby - very alert and full of personality. He toughed out all of our most difficult positions without any tears, showing us he is already a modeling expert. With all the things he learned to do in seven days I wouldn't be shocked to see him walking in a couple weeks. ;) Getting to document those special first few days is one of our most precious gifts as photographers; we can't wait to see him again soon!

Evelyn Turns 8 Months

One of our favorite little ladies to get a visit from is baby Evy. She is playful, easygoing and incredibly curious....not to mention that she is just so itty-bitty for her age that she is impossible not to fall in love with. Evelyn's mom, Nikki, brought with some cute outfits and accessories, including one that matched our yellow daisies perfectly! We knew that we had to take that opportunity to transform that baby girl into a flower of her own. Evy had a blast playing with us, crawling around, and letting us tickle her with flowers. We can't wait until next time!

Katie's Senior Photoshoot

Two weeks ago we got to finish up the last of Katie's Senior Portraits. It was a warm breezy day and the waves were crashing up against the rocks at Cave Point creating beautiful sprays of water in the edges of our shots. Katie, her mom, and her boyfriend Drew braved the winding trails and sharp rocks to make sure her photos were perfect. We were lucky to have the beautiful bright green of the woods still alive with summer and soft gray stones contrasting one another. The perfect amount of cloud cover showed off the subtle tones and details.

Peyton Turns ONE YEAR!

Baby Petyon has been with us since before he arrived in this world. We did his mother, Paula's, maternity pictures and have seen him every three months since then. Two weeks ago we celebrated his one year birthday in style. With balloons, cake, and a "number one" it was a second little birthday party. Sharing this moment with he and his family was very special to us since we have gotten to know them so well over the last year. It is one of the most wonderful things to see a little newborn baby grow up, learn to roll over, sit on his own, and now venturing out on his first steps. Peyton has developed his own personality, always quick to laugh and smile, showing off those long curly eyelashes. For his one year photos he shared some of the spotlight with his sister, Addison, and was a good sport about letting us get him good and messy.

Josh's Senior Photoshoot

In one of the last really beautiful weeks of summer, we headed up to Luxemburg for Josh's senior photos. Captain and center midfielder for the LC Spartans soccer team, and heir to the Vandenhouten soccer throne, we wanted to give Josh sports photos that made him feel like a star. We had a great time trying out different shots, and having Josh demo his many skills for us on the field. Later we took some more relaxed photos in downtown Algoma and at the beach. Josh is laid-back, easy to be around, and knows how to enjoy life. He is looking forward to his last year of high school and all the freedom and excitement that comes with it.