All in Portrait
I’m so glad that my mom was willing to go out and make these portraits with me. I teared up as I was editing the last of them because photos of my family mean so much to me, especially now. A few years ago, my mother-in-law suddenly lost her battle with cancer. It makes me so sad that she didn’t like having photos of herself taken; she always thought there was something about her appearance that she didn’t like in photos. She was beautiful, though. And her heart even more so. I wish I had talked her into going out and doing a photo session with me so I could have those memories instead of just the ones I try to hold onto in my mind. There is something so important about portraits, and now we have such easy access to them. Please bless your family by getting in front of the camera so they may have memories of you to hold onto so they won’t fear they’ll forget what you look like.
While camping on BLM land near Spokane, Washington recently I would take our dog on hikes around the area, one of which led me to the edge of a cliff overlooking a cute little lake. I had the itch that I really needed to photograph someone there as soon as possible, but I only knew one couple in the area, Rebecca and Curtis. I reached out to Rebecca in the afternoon with the slightest hope that she and her handsome man would be available that evening at the last minute to model for me in my newfound photography location. I loved her response; "SHUT UP! Heck yes!!!!!!" We had the last half hour of light and made it count!
“As we hike and explore, I keep doing more location scouting for future sessions in these amazing locations that we now get to call our backyard. We have a beautiful country full of so much variety, and I’ve been loving seeing it so far. I already have so many locations for epic engagement, elopement, and portrait sessions that I can’t wait to photograph people in.”
I like how the wet and rain made the aesthetic of this session a bit different. At the end, we were not only experiencing the rain, but also the wind carrying the spray of the crashing waves below us up to completely soak us. (Thank goodness for weather sealed photography gear, right?!) It just shows, that the "perfect" photography conditions are a myth. What's perfect to me, is the real experience and the connection between hearts.
With the wind and Brooke's willing, adventurous spirit, we we able to capture the stunning views of the river and the hills, amazing backdrops of moss-covered boulders, and the strength of this beautiful woman.
A little glimpse into a fun, last minute lifestyle session with some friends.
Steven and Jessica are two of the most down-to-earth and caring people. They deeply love each other and their absolutely adorable little boy. Seriously, SO adorable! But this session focuses on just the two of them (the little one didn't join us on our camping trip). We had such a great time adventuring through the area, first to Muskallonge Lake and then took a short walk over to Lake Superior. You better believe we took a few breaks to dip our feet in the water, collect rocks in the hopes of finding some agates (This area is supposed to produce really good ones! We didn't really know what we were looking for, however. haha), and to sit on the beach and enjoy the sunset.
I appreciate that Hannah lets me try new things. This adventure involved busting out my new flash set-up and playing around. I prefer not to use flash during my sessions, but on wedding days you never know how the light might treat you. I want to be ready for whatever is thrown my way. :) Oh, did I mention another variable we worked with? Rain. Yup, we took on the challenge of a rainy, dreary day and even did some of our session in the almost complete darkness of night. I wanted to take a behind the scenes photo for you guys with my phone, but...uhh...I couldn't...cause it was dark. haha
One of my favorite things about photographing Cara was how our morning photographing made her feel. I was overjoyed to see this on Instagram, "Oh my! This girl! I've been admiring @corriemick and her photography work for some time. I finally scheduled my session and spent this morning with her getting my photos done. She made me feel like a million bucks and like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. I had the time of my life. She is one of the kindest, sweetest, most genuine people I have had the privilege of knowing. Corrie, thanks so much for today. I'll remember it forever." Oh my heart. Thank you, Cara! :D
One of my favorite reasons I love photographing people is that I have the opportunity to capture memories, times that you will always want to hold a glimpse of. Having a baby is definitely one of those times and I am so glad I could capture it for my sister. I can't wait for my niece or nephew to arrive here soon! (They're keeping the gender a surprise even from themselves, and aren't sharing their name ideas. Last I heard Mephibosheth was top of the list.haha) ;)
Hannah and I decided to switch things up a bit and photograph a little closer to home instead of in the big city. We picked the cute little downtown of Plainfield, Illinois and it's Electric Park. (You should look up the history of Plainfield's Electric Park! Here's a link. ;) I wish every town had something like that was in its heyday.) I hadn't been in that area just to walk through it in ages, but it was a great little blast from the past as we wandered.
I want to be the one to capture your memories, but I also want the privilege of experiencing them with you. I think one of the most exciting things in this world is getting to know people for who they really are, and with my love language of quality time, I hope that I may share some time with you and get to know you all while making sure you and your family have something to treasure from these moments in your life. You are worth it.
Hannah has such a caring heart for everyone around her. The entire evening her smile and personality must have seemed so inviting to everyone who passed us because we found ourselves meeting many of them. And how could you not want to meet this beautiful, godly, compassionate woman? I certainly feel honored to count her as one of my new friends.
I love photographing these two. The last time I did so was for their wedding earlier this year, which was wonderful, of course. Their adventurous spirits are so fun to capture and I'm glad I could do so again so soon.
