So, I am just in love, LOVE with this session. I normally don’t like doing babies under 6 months for mini sessions. It is just not enough time to capture that random smile, and at three months, most babies don’t smile on cue. It is better to photograph a baby this age in his own home. Since he can’t sit up on his own yet, we can do all sorts of sweet things on his parent’s bed, or in his crib, or on the living room floor or sofa. But this baby was so calm, happy, just looking around and digging the enviornment and his parents. I kind of gave up on trying to get him to smile, and then dad popped in right behind me and got him smiling a bit! Dads are good like that. Look at those eyes, too! And mama is just gorgeous. And that feet photo? Come on!

Another one of these mommy and me mini sessions! I just love doing these. There is nothing like this connection. Really, we carry them for 9 month, GIVE BIRTH to them, and then we are with them constantly for however long. They are a part of us. I really, truly think that my connection with Amelia as a baby would be vague and fuzzy when I am older if I did not have these photos. Elijah was MY baby. He was with me constantly, he breastfed constantly, he LIVED in my sling, and he is still my little mama’s boy at age 6. I would never forget that feeling.

With Amelia, however, I have never felt like she has totally belonged to me the way Elijah does. She is such a firecracker, and SO independent, that I feel like she touches in with me-snuggles, nurses, sleeps with me-but, then she just runs off and totally forgets about me. I love her just as much, but the moments where I turn around and she is climbing a high ladder all by herself, or riding a big kid scooter (at 14 months!), or sneakily getting into the Easter candy-those are going to be much more prominent in my memories of her. And we ARE super sweet together, and she IS my little mama’s girl, but without those images that show just how much I love her and she adores me, I think that in my later years I would not remember that exact feeling.

Rhys from this session, however, seems more like Elijah. Super in love with his mama, very snugly and calm. You can see it-the closer he was to his mother, the happier he was.

So, I am off to San Francisco in a few days! I have sooo much to do before then. I have three sessions before I leave, I have an album to finishing creating, and then packing, trying to get everything together to sell Karma Baby,  not to mention hauling kids to ju-jitsu and piano and school. Thanks goodness for Heidi, my super nanny. What we would do without you in time like these?

The weather is looking so fabulous for San Francisco while I am there, and for that I am so grateful. I have had to reschedule so many sessions this past month, and having to fly back out to San Francisco for rescheduling would be hard to fit in. It is supposed to be in the 60′s and sunny with NO rain! Can you believe it? That is very good luck.

Will be posting the *sweetest* 3 month old photos tomorrow!

xoxo stacey

Easter in Boulder. It was such a nice, perfect day! And, ok, ok. I know that this post has the most pictures I have ever posted. I was going to spend the time to resize all the photos and stick them in like I usually do in a cool, editorial way, but I am exhausted (baby is not sleeping) and that would take me HOURS. Instead, I picked my favorite 30 and just plopped them all right in. The photos look better big anyways, right?

So we woke up and went to a lovely event our neighborhood was having. First, Easter stories for the children, then a big Easter egg hunt around our neighborhood, and then a really great brunch. As if that were not enough, we then went to a photograph client’s house (and a  friend now!) and had wood fired pizza (yes, they have a REAL pizza oven in their backyard), and another Easter egg hunt. It was sooo much fun and I met so many new people, saw old clients, and had a fun time. Amelia, 19 months, just kept climbing up the swingset and going down that slide over and over again. And then some more. She was fearless. She is awesome.

So, I am not sure if I have ever told Kim this, but I COVET her house. It is the most wonderfully decorated house that I have ever stepped into. Her style matches mine completely. I am thinking of having her help me next time I redecorate. You see, for the first time this year we had the money to totally redecorate. I got a new sofa, table-everything for our main level was replaced. But the problem was, that the table I picked out was black, so then I had to get black for everything else. And then I went shopping for a cool piece of art to brighten things up, and saw a friend there and she said I could not have something bright, so I got a red cherry bloom painting, and I dislike it all. I hate black furniture. So, I just spent all this time, effort, and money on new things, and I really just want to pack up and ask Kim if I can live at her house. There is a baby swing (a real one, like in a park) hanging from her kitchen ceiling. And a kids sized one right in the middle of the living room. Chalkboard paint everywhere, it is perfect for kids AND for grown ups. I love it!

Obviously, my favorite thing she did was have one of the newborn photos I took of Nell blown up. Isn’t that GORGEOUS? I love it. I think it is a 30×45 canvas. Just stunning.

So, that was our Easter.

Hope yours was as wonderful and magical as ours.

xoxo stacey

Last night was GORGEOUS! This was my first session last night, and although it was windy, it was sunny and nice.

I woke up today. SNOW. What is with this Boulder weather? I am not sure why if this is strange for this time of year, or if this is always how it is in Boulder, and I just got busier with photography earlier this year than I normally have and so I am noticing it more. I had five mini sessions scheduled for today. Five sessions I am going to have to figure out how to reschedule, even though I am booked on the weekends for over a month. I will figure it out, do a session here, one there, but darn Boulder weather-stay more consistent so I can do my job!

This is an example of a PERFECT mommy and me session. Maddy was super curious about what was going on-looking around, sitting and enjoying herself, tolerating the wind. But all I had to do was play peek-a-boo and she would look up at me and totally light up.

I personally love looking at these photos because Maddy reminds me of my own daughter at this age (ten months)-petite, happy, bald. Amelia was way more of a firecracker (still is), but they look very similar. I love how intertwined mommy and baby were-they were very sweet. I love how Maddy is discovering her hands clapping in that last photo-priceless.

So, today we may go see a movie, decorate some Easter eggs, and hang out around the house. Even though I am bummed I had to cancel my sessions, I do love just loafing around on the weekends. Nothing nicer than doing nothing every once in a while…

xoxo stacey

I have never done a shoot with a horse before so I was excited when Kellan’s mom invited me to do his one year photos at their farm. Or ranch? Not sure what is what, as I am a city girl through and through. I was welcomed like a member of the family by all of Kellan’s aunts and grandparents. We did these photos just before his big one year birthday extravaganza, which was-you guess it-cowboy themed.

So, take a look here at the bald, chubby little baby he was in his 6 month photos. So sweet and happy and I LOVE the way his eyes always light up. He brings so much life and energy into the room, and everyone stops to fawn over him.  I was a bit jealous, as he actually has hair now, where my Amelia is still struggling with that aspect of her growth:)

So, hoping for a not so windy day as I have a bunch of mini sessions later!

So, this was a super windy mini session! But it turned out awesome. We were *supposed* to be doing Ellery’s photos on Saturday evening, but the wind in Boulder was out of control (what is with that lately???). So, we did it Sunday morning instead. Things were calm for about ten minutes, and then it got super crazy. Still, a very sweet mommy-an-me session. AND, mom gets to look like a model with her hair blowing in the breeze:) Ellery was such a sweetheart-and looks JUST like her mom, don’t you think?

With all this nutty weather, I have been rescheduling a lot of portrait sessions lately. It is just the nature of being a photographer in Boulder-it could be 60 degrees and sunny in December, or snowing in the middle of April (like last week!). Hard to tell.

As many of you know, I am a very, VERY unorganized person. I do what I can, but I just have not been able to wrap my head around how to be and stay organized. I do have an awesome office manager for both my businesses (you rock kellie!), and that changes everything. But, today I found an AWESOME ipad (and iphone too!) app called Tomorrow HD, so I wanted to share. If you are like me, check it out. Thanks to my wonderful friend and photographer Michelle Enebo for recommending it. You made my day go from okay, to stellar!

Off to a session, and then 10 minis this weekend… And one full session, so lots of blog posts of beautiful sweet little babies and kids to come!

xoxo

stacey

Just had to share these photos we did a little over a month ago. I am getting this first photo as a big canvas for my living room. Aren’t they so sweet? Okay, and the second picture-we turned around at one point and Amelia had put on my heels! I had taken them off to shoot, and thrown them to the side. And man, could she get around in those things! Like she was born with high heels on. We went to the store to buy her new shoes a few weeks ago, and the whole time we were looking at shoes she was bouncing around and screaming in a high pitched voice “shoes, shoes, SHOES!!!” She was so very excited. And then, when we tried a pair on her, she would not take them off. She ran away, and looked for anyone she could find to show her new shoes off to. She skipped around singing “shoes!” and when she saw someone she was pause, put one heel out in front of her, and say in her coolest voice “shoes.” And of course everyone just ate it up, because she is the cutest baby EVER. Just love, love, love her! She also adores purses, tutus, and is obsessed with baby dolls and make up. I am thinking we are going to have a very expensive teenager one day. And believe me, I SWEAR that I am not all girly girl. Those heels? I ONLY wore them for photos. I normally wear flip flops, comfy jeans, and a dash of mascara and foundation. So, it is not me that is teaching her. It must have been her past life.

So, check out the last two photos, my wonderful friend Emily Elizabeth did those of the kids and I. I was so happy when I saw them, I almost cried. It really was the inspiration behind making the spring mini theme “mommy-and-me”.  What you see in those photos, that is who we are, and how we are always together. Do I want a formal picture of the kids and I, with a white background, all wearing khakis and white pants, sitting nicely and smiling at the camera? NO WAY. Seriously, I would not even keep a photo like that. And to also think about what you have to do to get a toddler to sit still and smile and look at the camera while sitting in a stuffy small studio. Wouldn’t you remember that every time you looked at that photo? I want to remember how Elijah always climbed on my back and snuggled into me. He does that 20 times a day. And how full of pure joy Amelia is whenever I nuzzle my face against hers. There it is. I will never forget now. I wish I had a  million photos like these.

Spring! Boulder is beginning to be green all over. I am soooo relieved and happy. I love, love, the beautiful yellowness of the foothills, but as a photographer I need to have a bit more color, and after the next few days, everything is going to be super green (it is supposed to rain a bit in Boulder each day this week). You can already see it creeping in in these photos-the yellow and green really gives everything that soft, lovely look that I love so much.

So, these two sweet kiddos *appeared* to be shy at first, and then quickly started just having fun. I just love that first photo, I think it is my favorite. That is what I would have looked like in my childhood photos if my parents had taken  more than 5 pictures of me. Total. Yeah, I was the youngest of five so the thrill of capturing every moment was gone. Anyways, these two were so wonderful with each other an so sweet with their parents. This was one of my spring mini photography sessions. There is one session open, the morning of the 23rd at 9:30am if anyone wants to book one last minute.

Tomorrow I get to do photos for a family that owns a cloth diaper company. I love that kind of stuff! We did cloth with the first, but the second only gets cloth every once in awhile. It is just too hard to keep up with since I am working now, and was not with my first baby. Anyways, diaper photos to come!

xoxo stacey

What a weekend. I had three mini photography sessions scheduled for Friday, but only ended up doing two as the third family’s little one got sick just before:(  Such a bummer since I know it takes a lot of effort to get the little ones ready for a session. And, it was one of those windy Boulder weekends. Sometimes I will cancel the session if it is windy, but this night was not so bad. The wind seemed to cycle from being strong to being calm-at which time I would capture the photo (both moms this night had long hair). So, all in all, it worked out. I did a super windy shoot Saturday morning (with horses!) and then rescheduled the Saturday and Sunday evening sessions. I did shoot Sunday morning-and it was calm for literally about 10 minutes, and then the wind just got CRAZY. Anyways, for those of you in Boulder this weekend-you know. My Amelia got knocked right onto her tush this morning. Granted, she IS only 21 lbs.

So, all and all it was a wonderful weekend. I did what I love most-photographing babies and kids, spending time alone with my own baby and kid (Adam did a meditation retreat all weekend), and bbqing with my wonderful friends.

Super busy month ahead. Weekends are booked until the third week of May, so if you are thinking of setting up a session anytime soon please get in touch.  I also have one mini photography session open for next Friday at 6:30pm if anyone is interested.

xoxo

stacey