"It doesn't matter what story we're telling, we're telling the story of family."
- Erica Lorraine Scheidt
Jessica is a fellow photographer. We've both taken a few of the same workshops but have never attended together. We've chatted in facebook groups and became facebook friends, but had never met in person. I was thrilled, and a little nervous, when Jessica contacted me about taking some photos of her family. It's always a little scary photographing another photographer. Like she'll totally call me out and tell me I have no idea what I'm doing. Ha. ;) She didn't say that and the session went well. I love the laid back natural feel of these photos and they totally show the love and playfulness this family shares. Thank you Jessica! - A :)
Lara and Brian were married almost four years ago and I was honored to have been their photographer. I was excited when they contacted me about a family session because I hadn't seen them in four years and hadn't met Miss. Mila. Oh my goodness...Miss Mila. She reminds me SO much of my little Ella, so stoic and serious and not at all amused by my silly antics! ;) Lara and Brian it was so good to see you all again, your girls are beautiful! Thank you so much. - A :)
I have been photographing this sweet little girl since she was born. It's hard to believe that a year has passed, but as a mother of two girls I know all too well how quickly it goes. Delaney is smart, quick, head strong and knows what she wants...look out world! :)
They met in their church's youth group several years ago. They were just friends at the time and after high school they each went their separate ways. Ten years later they bumped into one another and decided to catch up over coffee. During their conversation and coffee they realized that maybe there was something more than friendship and began dating. The rest as they say is history and they are now getting married! Tamara and Jeff, thanks for braving the heat with me for your engagement session. Here's hoping its a little cooler for your September wedding. :)
My family recently went on vacation in Mexico and stayed at Sandos Playacar in Playa Del Carmen. We have actually been two other times and have a time share there, I guess you could say we like it! It's so nice to go and not worry about driving all over the place and wondering where to eat, how long the wait will be, what traffic will be like, and so forth. It's relaxing, the food is good, the shows are fun and its very family friendly with all the kids activities. Here are some of our pics...I already miss the beach! (all pics on kodak film and scanned/developed by RPL)
We have had SO much rain lately in the midwest. The day that Crystalyn and Jonathan were to get married they were calling for 100% rain...all day. This was no light rain either, we are talking torrential downpour rain. Ugh. Plans were altered and it didn't go exactly as they had hoped, but at the end of the day Crystalyn and Jonathan were still married. I'm just grateful that we did catch a small break and were able to take a few photos outside! Thank you so much C&J, I hope you're having a great time in Napa. :)
Could not be happier for this couple and their new precious baby boy. He is super tiny and oh so cute! Congrats Jeremy & Maureen, I think he's a keeper! ;)
I don't even remember who liked who's photo first or who friended who first, but Lindsey and I met on social media (more than likely it was Instagram). We knew that we were both living in St. Louis but had never actually met...until recently. A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of photographing Lindsey's adorable family. I was a nervous wreck because A) Lindsey is an amazing photographer herself and B) I put the digital camera aside and shot this session entirely on film. Oye, the pressure. ;) Lindsey is fabulous and her family is so cute I can hardly stand it. I'm so thankful that we finally met and grateful that they allowed me into their home to document their afternoon. Thank you Lindsey! :) (shot on kodak film developed & scanned by Richard Photo Lab)
Brooks recently celebrated his half birthday and I was lucky enough to spend some time with him capturing some of his favorite activities. At six months Brooks enjoys daily reading time with his mom and dad, tummy time with his toys and being introduced to a world of wonderful food! Thank you Brooks for letting me take your pictures, I look forward to seeing you in 3 more months! :)
SHAYE & CHRISTOPHER - June 5, 2015
Planner? - Rouge Event and Design
Venue? - Fox Run Country Club in Eureka Missouri
Dress? - Justin Alexander, Signature Series
Shoes? - Betsy Johnson, Blue
Jewelry? - Macy's Collection
Hair/Makeup? - Cody Bouckaert from A Valeria Boss Salon in Springfield Missouri
Bridesmaid Dresses? - hand picked from different dress shops around Missouri.
Flowers? - Fleurette Design with Lara Trudell
tux/suit? - Navy attire
Cake? - Harter Bakery Arnold Missouri
DJ? - Complete Music
Shaye's fave part of the day? - First hearing Christopher sing his vows to me in front of our families, then being able to relive it during the reception when guests would comment about how thoughtful and romantic Christopher's vows were. I couldn't agree more!
Christopher's fave part of the day? - Seeing Shaye during our first look pictures. It was fantastic to share that moment between just the two of us.
Anything you would change? - If it was possible, I would relive that day over and over again!
I photographed Alison and Clay's engagement session nearly four years ago. I was so excited to hear they were expecting and was even more excited when they asked if I would take photos for them. It always warms my heart to have repeat clients and see them evolve from engagement to wedding to baby. I'm so grateful to be a part of these momentous occasions and happy to document it all. Thank you. :)
Faith was born in Missouri and Owusu was born in Chicago, it would seem impossible that these two would meet under normal circumstances. After college Faith moved to New York for work and around the same time Owusu also moved to New York to peruse his music career. Of course there are a bazillion other people living in New York City as well, yet these two met and fell in love. Faith's father shared at the reception that he believed without any doubt that God had brought them together and that He would see them through any situation. Faith and Owusu had prayed for one another before they even met, and God was certainly with them as they exchanged their wedding vows. :)
FAITH & OWUSU - May 31, 2015
Dress? - JNEAL Label by Jennifer Neal
Shoes? - LaBoutiqueBride on Etsy
Jewelry? - MissJoansBridal on Etsy
Hair/Makeup? - FACE by Scotti
Bridesmaids Dresses? - Weddington Way
Tux/suit? - Mens Warehouse
Venue? - Park Avenue Mansion
DJ? - DJ D Jones; Duerell Jones
Faith's fave part of the day? - Seeing Owusu for the first look.
Owusu's fave part of the day? - Our first dance.
KATIE & JESSE - May 23, 2015
Venue? - Chaumette Winery - Ste. Genevieve, MO
Dress? - Mori Lee from Robin's Bridal
Shoes? - Antonio Melani from Dilliards
Jewelry? - Nordstrom Rack
Hair/Makeup? - Mary Mullins from American Image
Bridemaid Dresses? - Tevolio from Target online
Flowers? - Bought flowers from Harold's Wholesale, but all the arrangements were done by me, Johanna (sis-in-law), Karen (mom-in-law) and Tom (brother)!
Tux? - BLACK by Vera Wang
Cake? - Blue Owl Bakery
DJ? - Equipment from PRO Sound DJ Rental & iPod by bride.
Katie's fave part of the day? - There were countless, but the moments that got me were the amazing toasts/speeches and the guest's reactions. EVERYONE was so engaged in those moments. It made me realize how much fun everyone was having and that meant the world to me!
Jesse's fave part of the day? - The nonstop dance party.....literally it did not stop til 230 am.
Anything you would change? - NOTHING! Weather was perfect, venue was gorgeous, food was delicious, but most of all THE PEOPLE MAKE THE PARTY!
The Owler family contacted me a few weeks ago and said that they were interested in a large family session. The grandparents live in St. Louis but the rest of the kids/grand kids live out of state. They were all going to be in town over Memorial Day weekend and wanted to have pictures done, especially since there were a couple of new family members! I'm happy to have captured such sweet memories for this beautiful family and hope they cherish these photos for years to come. Thank you! :)
As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm shooting more film. I started out as a film photographer and I just love the colors and look of film. Shooting film causes me to slow down and think before I shoot and it's helped me become a better photographer. I almost always shoot film for my personal work, here are a few recent shots of my sweet girls. :) All photos shot on kodak film and developed/scanned by Richard Photo Lab.
