Family Photos at Home, Overland Park June 25, 2009

I met up with this family at their Overland Park home. One of my favorite things about photography sessions in my clients’ homes is that I get to capture them doing the things they normally do in a place that’s comfortable, familiar and cozy! It’s especially great for young children to stay in their home environment — because they love to show me their favorite toys (which makes for great photos!). I love how these in-the-home photos turned out!

First of all, this family is just beautiful. Their children have the most gorgeous brown eyes:

Adam showed me around his room, from “his guys” (stuffed animals) to his Pinnochio toy that was his mom’s when she was little!

We did some family photos on the couch, like this one:

And got little miss Kate to sit up all by herself (isn’t she precious?)!

We also went outside, and I got to witness the very first red cherry tomato of the season! Makes me wish I would’ve gotten my tomato plants planted before it was too late… 

We got some family photos in the backyard:

And then headed back inside (out of the extreme heat!) for my favorite portion of the day. These were all taken in the master bedroom, which had beautiful light.

I love this one!

What a sweet girl…

And I love this series of the whole family, and snuggled together!

Thank you so much for inviting me into your home for our photography session! It was such a joy to meet you, and I am excited for you to see the entire gallery of photos! :)

Fall Family Portraits: The Harrells November 2, 2008

The morning of the Harrell’s family session, the air was so thick with fog I couldn’t even see the sign for the Overland Park Arboretum! It ended up being a wonderful backdrop and great weather for their session!

With younger kids, it’s always great to choose a location where kids can be kids and have a little bit of fun exploring and being themselves. The Overland Park Arboretum has neat trails that are not only great for photos but for letting the kids play. Since a session with me is not as still and formal as a studio session, we can get some great shots of kids being who they are. I love how these shots of Luke and Lauren turned out!

See what I mean about kids being kids? :)

And if this isn’t completely precious sibling love, I don’t know what is…

The Harrells have to be one of the most photogenic families I’ve ever met. They look so naturally “posed” in these shots — I love it. It helps that Lauren is quite the little model…I can always count on 8-year-old girls to tie it all together. :)

They also chose great colors to wear for the session, which was especially helpful since we ended up with a very foggy, subdued background. Bright colors like this that complement each other are wonderful for family sessions!

I love seeing photos of me with my parents when I was younger. I hope these shots are a treasure for the parents right now, and can someday be fun and special reminders of childhood for the kids!

Some more fun shots of the kiddos!

Great job, you guys! You were such a joy to photograph…thanks for a really fun session, and enjoy your photos! :)

Family session: The Sumpters September 18, 2008

Reunited.

You might remember part of this family from an OpLove session a few months back — now, meet the husband and dad of these beautiful ladies. Jason returned home for a short leave during his deployment to Kuwait. He just arrived back in Kansas just last night, but they knew they wanted to squeeze in a family session right away. It was such a joy to see this family all together, reunited, and loving each other in a way that proves that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I can’t believe how adorably cute these little girls are. They have such awesome facial expressions and the cutest little personalities. I hope I get to see them grow up! Seriously, see what I mean? :)

I just love this photo. Too precious — the big sister-little sister relationship at its finest:

More cute family bonding, on the canoe docks at Shawnee Mission Park. This was a great location for family photos, because the girls were really captivated by people fishing, boats, the water, geese and deer! It’s also incredibly picturesque.

The lighting was absolutely gorgeous this evening for their shoot. I couldn’t get over how awesome the sky looked. I love this silhouette, of Dad reaching for his daughter’s hand. So great.

Kristy and Jason, thanks so much for asking me to capture your family’s memories. I am so excited that I have the chance to get to know you, watch your girls grow up and preserve your legacy for years to come.

Jason, have a wonderful time at home over these next few weeks — and thank you, again, for your incredible service to our country.

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