I just can’t believe it. It seems like it has been going on long enough. So many homes have been destroyed, and tonight they are telling people in certain areas of Boulder proper to be ready to evacuate. No one wants to worry about their babies in the middle of the night. I am so sorry for all of those families that have lost their homes already to this fire. We are just a few blocks from the foothills. I hope they can contain it soon. I am actually afraid we will get a call in the middle of the night to evacuate. The winds are so strong right now.

Boulder mothers have been AMAZING. Amazing. I can’t believe how quickly they have organized. Setting up drop off points for donations quicker than the major organizations. Go all you Boulder moms! You rock.

Boulder has opened a drop off location for victems of the fire.

Fourmile Canyon wildfire donation drop-off site opening tonight

Boulder County, Colo. – The official Boulder County donation drop-off site will open at 7 p.m. today at 3111 28th St. so that community members can drop off donation items for victims of the Fourmile Canyon wildfire. The drop-off site will continue to be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until further notice.

The following items will be accepted:
• Gently used children’s clothes
• Size large adult clothing
• Unused personal hygiene items
• Adult and baby diapers
• School supplies

Please only bring items listed. Home-canned or packed foods, perishable items, bottled water, heavily used or dirty clothes will NOT be accepted.

Adventist Community Services is managing the donation site.

People with questions about donations or volunteer opportunities are asked to dial 211 or call 866-760-6489.

Please do not drop off donations at local fire facilities.

So, I did a wonderful Littlest Heroes Session this evening, and here is what happened, the helicopters were non-stop throughout the whole session, picking up water from Wonderland Lake. My thoughts are with these firefighters, I can not imagine how hard this is for them, and many of their own homes have burned already.

The time has come! Fall mini sessions are now available to schedule. I think I put together a nice little package. And wait until you see my new Christmas cards-they are to die for! I love them! (scroll down, there are lots!) This is the perfect time of year (Boulder is GORGEOUS in the autumn) to get beautiful family photos for holiday cards and Christmas gifts. So, why is a mini session perfect for you? I find that full sessions work better for some families, while some do well with minis.

Choose a mini session if you:

*are trying custom photography for the first time. It is a wonderful experience, that ends with heirloom pieces for your family and home. If you have only ever been to a, ahem, cheesy portrait studio, you will be amazed at the beauty and thought that goes into your photos. I create custom artwork that expresses who you are as a family and captures who your child is now, in this very moment of time. It is sometimes intimidating to try custom photography for the first time, as you are not sure what you will get, so a mini session is a good way to try it out at minimal cost

*would like to have your children photographed several times a year. Mini sessions are a great way to get photos done more regularly. Most of my mini session families do one big shoot a year and then usually two mini shoots. It is also a great way to capture baby’s first year (one big newborn shoot, then a 6 month and 9 month mini).

*have children who would only last 20 minutes anyways. I actually find the opposite it true though: if you think your baby might only last 20 minutes, you might actually want to book a full session. There is less pressure in a full session, and it is more laid back and relaxed. Your baby does pick up on this.

Choose a full session if you:

*want a truly custom experience. With a full session, we talk at length about where the best location is for your family, what time of day works best for your kids, and what images you really want me to capture. We walk around the park, find beautiful backdrops, and don’t stop until we have exactly what you were envisioning.  Mini sessions are booked back to back and tend to go quickly. We stay in just one area of the park, and I go through a series of poses that are quite similar with each family. While mini sessions still produce beautiful images, it is not as custom as a full session.

*want a large variety of photos from which to choose. We will walk around, have fun, I will play with the kids and be silly all around. We’ll get daddy throwing your toddler up in the air, everyone reading a favorite book on an old quilt, baby snuggling up against mama’s chest, the whole family looking at the camera-everything.

*only do photos once a year. If you only do photos once a year, a mini session might not be right for you. What if we don’t get that perfect family shot that you need to have every year? With a full session we have more than enough time to get a bunch of family shots-ensuring that everyone is happy and looking at the camera in at least a few. If you only do photos once a year, you really want to be sure to capture everything you can about your child at this very moment-they grow up so fast. I get happy shots, angry shots, giggling shots, crying shots-everything. Since a mini session only produces 10-15 images, there is not enough time to capture every little thing about your child. In a full session we can.

*your kids are a little, ahem, shall we say rambunctious? I know you love your kids, but you are also in tune with reality. You know that they are a little out of control. They won’t sit still, they have a hard time listening, they like to destroy things. Yes, these kids do way better in a full session since we have more time to make it fun for them, they have more time to settle in and settle down, and I have more time to chase them around and corner them:) It is ALL good fun to me, so if your kids are like this, bring it on!

*your child is very shy or uncertain of new situations. Time and time again, I do these mini sessions (especially the spring ones) and my client’s babies have never been put down on the grass. So, I set them down, ready to take photos in a beautiful location, and they are FASCINATED with the grass. They can’t keep their eyes or little hands off of it. Or, they are used to just staying home with mommy, and can not understand what the heck we are doing, dancing around in a field making silly animal noises at her. Or, maybe your child is just slow to warm up, and needs to hang out with me a little before he will start smiling and laughing. That’s ok with me, I, too, like to check people out before I show them my soul. It is a sign of wisdom. So, if any of this might describe your child, it is better to do a full session so we have time to relax and get to know each other. Mini sessions are fast and I can’t take the time to get to know each baby (though I wish I could!). If you think your baby might spend a full 30 minutes playing with the grass, then book a full session:)

{Folded Cards} various sizes, press printed with envelopes

{Flat Cards} 5×7, double sided, press printed with envelopes

What a beautiful little family! I got to photograph Charlie when he was just 9 days old. They have such a beautiful home right on the foot of the mountains. I hope you guys are not getting too much smoke from the fire! I am a few blocks from the foothills and our house is soooo smokey every morning. For those that don’t know, Boulder has an uncontrollable wildfire going on right now. So many homes have been lost, so many people are displaced. It is devastating. I am so happy to see so many local mothers I know stepping up to help out and to donate. Boulder mamas are so amazing. Here are some images I grabbed off the web, these are not mine! I hope to track down the photographers to give them credit.

So anyways, Charlie! He is such a sweet baby-he slept for us almost the whole time. We were able to squish him up into all sorts of cute poses. I just loved this shoot! Hope you guys are doing well. What an interesting time to be so new in the world. There are so many intense emotions and energies here right now. Yes, I know I sound all Boulderish, but really, the energy in the air is very different right now.

I know mom and dad must be dying to see these! Here is one for now, more tomorrow! I have been home taking care of a sick 5 year old and battling all the smoke in my home from the fire. Thinking of all of those displaced by the fire and hoping for the best…

Anyways, isn’t he so sweet?

One thing I love about photographing families is that I often become friends with my clients. Sarah came to me for her maternity photos just shortly before I had my own daughter. I am so honored that they have chosen me to do their family photos and Gigi’s one year pictures. Are they not the most beautiful family?

…they are mine, and I love them.

I just love doing pregnancy photos. The pregnant body is so beautiful-we are creating life. It never fails to amaze me. This mother was so stunning, too, and her and her husband just glow when they talk about the new baby. Beautiful!

If you did not see the 1 day old photos of this beautiful little baby, you can see them here. He is the most beautiful baby ever, isn’t he? He was sleepy, happy, and content the whole time. I think I heard him cry maybe once. And that cowboy hat photo? How much cuter can you get?  He fits in his mom’s cowboy hat. That is nuts. I will make sure to get him at 6 months with the hat on, I have a feeling he will be a big boy:) Congratulations Kevin, Danielle, and Harper! I can just feel how complete your family is now with Cale. I can’t wait to get to know him! Oh-and I clearly need more cocoons and hats-everyone always picks the ones below to use during their session…so, if you or someone you know knits, please contact me, I would love to work out a trade!

Wow, photographing triplets is not easy! I work hard even with one baby, but three! Luckily we got the sweetest, loveliest little babies I could have asked for.  They were born a little early, so at 5 1/2 months they are more like 3 month olds. The girls are twins, and the boy, clearly, even without knowing he is a boy, is not identical. He is such a big little baby compared to his sisters. I can’t wait to see him when he is older-he will be the protector of the bunch. They were all calm, happy, content babies. I really enjoyed photographing them and always love photographing multiples.

And because I had other photographers emailing me and asking me about how I did these shots, I thought I would post some pull-back shots. When I photograph triplets, I always bring along another photographer to help. You just can not do it on your own. My good friend Kim helped, and she is an awesome photographer in her own right.

In this first shot, we were out on the porch where we had nice, even light. We put two bean bags side by side, and Kim supported the baby on the end just in case. Then, I had mom, dad, and Kim all pull on corners of the blanket to make it nice and flat. I still have no idea how we got all three babies to sleep at the same time, naked, and we were able to pose them so that we hid their little baby parts. It would be hard to do this with triplet newborn babies, who are nice and sleepy still, but with three 5 month olds! Such luck.