Hand Family Portraits - *Oklahoma Portrait Photography*

A few weeks ago I had the honor of spending a few hours with a wonderful family.  Although it was freezing, we bared the cold.  Ok they bared the cold... I had my big coat on :)  Despite slowly turning into popsicles, I was surprised how happy and excited the little girls were!  Kielyn and Taylor ran all over the place, and Kielyn held my hand and helped me pick out all the best places to take photos!  And when they weren't running around they were clinging to their brothers' sides. 

This was an opportunity to capture a family, at a moment in time, happy and full of life!  I found out during our session that Ben, who is in the military reserves, is actually getting ready to leave for Afghanistan for the next year.  Knowing this it makes me love and appreciate my job so much more.  I hope that these photos are something they can hold on to during their time apart and I pray that time goes quickly and that Ben comes home soon! 

Hand family - Thank you for the sacrifices you are making to keep this country free, and thank you for letting me be a part of capturing your memories.  Enjoy!

 Throwing leaves!  Kielyn picked this spot :)

 It's easy to see why they have such beautiful children...

Also, I want to share with you all a new feature!  I am now able to create slideshows and put them right here on the blog to let you see a lot more pictures!  So, if you are interested in seeing a bunch more photos from this session just click play below.  My favorite feature is that you can also email the show... at the bottom, under the controls bar, there is a little envelope.  Click that and you can send the slide show to anyone you want to share it with! 

Happy Friday everyone!

Carmen & Kane - Christmas Portraits!

Starting last weekend, the weather here in Oklahoma decided it was time to turn into winter and freeze all of us to death! When you can stay inside snuggled by the fire with hot chocolate and a new book, this can be a wonderful thing. However, when you're trying to do an outdoor portrait session...it’s quite the opposite.

Allow me to introduce you to some of my new friends Carmen & Kane. They both went to school with Ryan (who recently married my friend Chelsea and I did an engagement session for last July). So, Chelsea and Ryan introduced them to Dwyatt and I and we have all rapidly become friends. I was honored when they asked me to take some Christmas card photos for them!

Well, the world of engineering is certainly a small world because, believe it or not, Carmen and Kane are both petroleum engineers as well. So guess what that means… yep, more pictures with pumping units! I promise not all my photos will feature oil field equipment, but with engineers, it just seems natural. :) 

They are celebrating their first year together in Oklahoma City, and the purchase of their first home! Carmen is so full of life, and you can tell how deeply Kane loves her just by watching them together. They share a deep sense of respect for one another, and they lovingly refer to each other as “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” on a regular basis. They are happy…pure and simple.

Carmen & Kane, I wish you both a very Merry Christmas and I hope that your love continues to grow as you start your lives together here in OKC.

My 1st Photo Shoot - Rachel & Jody

I am so excited to write about my very first photo shoot! I have taken plenty of pictures in the past, but this was my first time to take people out and about solely for the purpose of taking pictures! I couldn't have asked for better Guinea Pig subjects :)

A couple weeks ago my friend Rachel asked if I would do some photos of her and her Mom. Her Mom was in town visiting from Australia, so you can imagine, they don't get to see each other as often as they would like. It was so special to watch them interact and be asked to capture those moments. It was easy to see the genuine love and respect they have for each other.

I took them to downtown Oklahoma City and we walked all over the place. We explored different locations and snapped pictures anytime we found a unique wall, bench, or bridge... basically anything that inspired us! It was incredibly hot outside so we had to keep ducking into the shade. Rachel & Jody were so fun and willing to try whatever I suggested. They even sat on some railroad tracks in their skirts! I was so impressed...

I am humbly aware of the many amazing photographers out there, and I am by no means claiming to be a professional. I am just starting out, I have a lot to learn and experience. However, I must say, a new passion has ignited! Now, more than ever, it is my dream that one day I could make a career out of photography and be one of those very lucky people who truly loves their work. The only way I can build toward that dream is to keep working with generous people like Rachel & Jody. Thank you both so much for your time, I enjoyed every minute of it!!

Below are some of my favorites from the shoot. Please feel free to leave comments... I love hearing your thoughts and opinions!

Thank you all :)