Taylor Family Portraits

These guys are close to my heart (and many. many others' too, for sure!). I didn't know this at the time I took these, but they had not had professional family portraits done ever! Ever! But now they have beautiful, love-filled portraits for their home (and family!).

This was a super quick, slightly freezing photo sesh in their cute back yard. There was a lot of laughing, and beautiful smiles. Family portraits don't have to be a pain to plan for; they can be spontaneous and quickly thrown together.

Let's Get Real {Fashion, Cows and Newsies}

My husband is the fashion guru in our home. I grew up on an island where most current fashion was impractical (in my opinion), not to mention we had limited options,  and I have always been content with my  graphic t-shirt and jeans. I wear a skirt to church and when I'm pregnant, but 80% of the time I'm in sweats. My hubby on the other hand is quite particular about what he wears (and dang he looks good!). If I ever do need to dress up, and actually care that everything matches or goes together - I will definitely ask for his opinion (otherwise he's learned not to offer unsolicted advice haha). Who has the most fashion sense in your home?

I really wanted a milk cow. It was on my vision board and everything! I always thought it would be brilliant to have my own milk cow because you can do so much with raw milk and the babies are sooooo cute! My aunt has a farm that the boys and I love going to and she has goats, horses, pigs, chickens... and a milk cow and holy smokes that cow is big! So... for now I'm good. So good. But I'm not making any promises that one day my love for baby cows won't overcome all rhyme and reason and I won't end up with a real life milk cow. Because I might.

I love exploring new cities. Dangerous, right? Like I said, I grew up on an island and all I wanted was to go to New York because, Newsies. (Obviously.) After I was married at age 20 I had the chance to go to New York with my parents and siblings and you better believe I took it! And I loved it. My husband traveled for work until we had our first child and I loved going with him to see the different cities in our amazing country! There are still so many places I haven't been just in the United States that I want to see! Let along the world! GAH!!! And nevermind all the small towns and hole in the wall treasures that only the locals know about! It gives me butterflies just thinking about it! We do travel a lot as a family but I'm less adventurous with 5 little guys in tow. What U.S cities are your favorite to visit?!

So, so, so random today. But there you have it! Truth. 

Let's go to Kaua'i {Ke'e Beach and Dry Cave}

My favorite beach on Kaua'i is Ke'e Beach.  If you can get there on a relatively calm, clear day you will not be disappointed. In fact, you will probably get toasted because you forget to reapply your sunscreen again and again because you're going to be there for so long!

Kasey, Fashion Portraits

Gah! This girl is stunning! And as real as they come. She has a mind of her own and won't hesitate to tell you how much she loves Krispy Kreme doughnuts or belt out Celine Dion! 

Hele On to Kaua'i {Duke's Kaua'i}

The Original Hula Pie

Hele on to Kaua'i,

Hanalei by the Bay,

Wailua River Valley...

...and Dukes Kaua'i where I go for the friggin' ono (delicious) mahimahi and Hula Pie.  

Let's Get Real {Snapchat, S.A.D and Comic Con}

I'm bearing my soul here, guys!

I am slightly obsessed with snapchat filters. So is my husband. I will hear him cracking up at himself. Like, die laughing and it makes me laugh to see/hear him losing it! In all honesty some of those filters are disturbing and freakin' hysterical. Especially the ones with a voice changer.

Let's Go to Kaua'i {The Skinny on Fast Food}

Oh, Monday. You're the day I kind of dread because I have to get back into my morning routine (and mornings can get rough around here), and my hubs goes back to work and I have to get back into the daily grind. I mean, don't hate you, Monday, but I don't really like you. So here's what I'm going to do-  I'm going to dream of being on Kaua'i every Monday and then, I think, we will have a better relationship because any day that I get to talk about Kaua'i has to be a good day.

Creative Portraits {fog inspired}

My boys aren't always so great at listening and not bugging each other... but they are good at modeling for me (and they're ridiculously photogenic). It's a fair trade off, I guess. ;)

Kayleen, Maternity Portraits

This is my lovely cousin, Kayleen. Yep, I'll claim her! We're 5 months apart and grew up on opposite sides of the pacific ocean, but somehow we stayed good friends through the years. She's seen me at worst, for sure, and still claims me too! We've both moved around a lot since we've started families of our own, sometimes even living in the same state at the same time! That's always fun for us!

Let's go to Kaua'i {SNUBA!}

(That's me! The blondie that was in hula and didn't even know -or care- that she was so different.)

You may or may not already know that I grew up on the Island of Kaua’i. More specifically, my parents moved there in 1988 with three kids (I was 4) and are still living there.  I’m sure you’ve heard of Kaua’i. If you haven’t, google it – right now. Kaua'i is my childhood home and holds a very special place in my heart! Why am I talking about Kaua’i on my photography blog? Why NOT?

Carol, Maternity Portraits

I don't always want to go play outside in the cold, so I've been using the light I have available indoors. (My sliding glass doors to be exact). This is a totally different feel and challenge than being out in wide open spaces!

Let's Get Real

I'm a wife first and always.
As long as that stays in place everything else works out for me.

My kids suck the life out of me...  and I don't even mind. Those life suckers are mine and one day I'm going to consistently sleep through the night when there are no little bodies waking me up because they can't sleep or when they get home late at night and I'm going to miss it and I know it. They are my most important work in this life and let's be real - I'm probably going to screw it up. Because...

Marsing Family, Winter Family Photos

I adore this family. I've been taking pictures of these kiddos for about 7 years now! We've done train tracks, gardens, and canyon parks (to name a few places) so this time we tried something different! SNOW! I guess it was meant to be because that morning we got a LOT of snow! 

Family Photos are THE WORST

You needwant (yep that's one word) family pictures taken. You have a new addition to the family, your children have grown so much since your last picture (if there is a last one), you've lost weight, your child is leaving home, your children are all back home for a minute, it's the holidays and everyone is finally together, it's a gift for mom, it's a gift for grandma... there are so many reasons for family pictures!

But even the idea of family photos can induce anxiety.

What should we wear?
Who to hire?
Where should we take them?
How do I convince my husband? (ammiright?)
What should we wear?!
Last time the kids were awful!
When in the world are we going to find time?
What about the weather? (Only in Utah. :p)
How should I do my makeup?
We'll all need haircuts!
What should we wear?!?!

You might even avoid family pictures like the plague.

I get it, I do! I have five boys and I break out into a cold sweat thinking about wrangling them for  and taking the pictures (and then literally end up a hot mess by the end of the photo shoot) so I promise! I get it.

And I'm here for you 100%.

But your kids are going to be so much better then you think (they always are.) You probably don't know this, but my husband (who is my second shooter on most family shoots) is a child whisperer. For seriously. I have a 100% success rate at getting pictures we will all love no matter how your morning goes or what mood those kiddos arrive in. I'll say it now (and I'll say it again at the shoot), Mom - relax. All you have to worry about is looking good. Let me tell your kids what I need them to do. 

Oh, your husband hates having his picture taken? Good. I can work with that. I also brag that 100% of the time, at the end of the session, the men comment "Well, that wasn't bad at all." (or something really similar). One of the 3 goals of my business is - get this - to make the photo shoot EASY BREEZY FOR DAD / the men. True story. It's really important to me that everyone has a positive experience.

This is not my first time at the rodeo.

So talk to me! 

Tell me what your fears and concerns are. Tell me the vision you have for your family photos and I will help you figure out the least painful way to get them done! We will make a plan (and it won't be hard - taking family pictures is what I do!).  

Be BRAVE!

And message or text me. Seriously. Let's start the conversations and we will get through this together!

My BLOG is getting loved - intentionally.

My blog has been getting some one-on-one time (like a child who needs some extra attention). It got a makeover and was bumped up on my priority list (right below my 3rd child... bahaha just kidding.) But really, it's like re connecting with an old friend. And my old friend is awesome.

Because I'm list maker (and so I can hold myself accountable), I'm listing the purposes of having a blog...

First of all, to document and share my journey as a photographer (did you know I started this blog in 2008!?)

Second, to share my photos.

Third, I have a blog so I can connect with others! I connect with clients and photog friends and we get to know each other better!

and Fourth, FOR FUN. I enjoy it - so it has a special place in my life and business!

One of my goals for 2017 is to do things with intention, and breathing life into this blog is something I intend to do this year (and forever after!)

What are you doing with intention this year?

Let's Get Real

This is me on a good day. A really good day (aaaand a little bit of photoshop). Meaning I miraculously got enough sleep (though there is only so much I can do about the circles under my eyes - but its me) and woke up before the boys and got a shower in before chaos ensued. My hair is washed and styled. My favorite long-sleeve tee is clean and my makeup cooperated. I needed new head shots for my photography business and after setting up the lighting I wanted to and the 
camera settings, I let my 10 year old have at it. I actually got a few I like. It's a day of miracles, people!

Zack & La'i, Engagements

This cute couple met in the warmth of BYU-Hawaii and are now here in Utah where we did their engagement pictures. Of course, we picked the coldest day of the season (it was two degrees that morning... TWO!) and got through the  photo session with all of our fingers! We decided to do their engagement pictures in American Fork Canyon where snow was plentiful and people were scarce.

How Professional Images Actually Help Your Memory

Professional portraits are considered an investment because while we are told our brains save everything we hear, see, read, feel, smell, taste… we have not yet mastered the skill to recall those things at will and with utmost clarity. Try remembering the details of a face you haven’t seen in years… can you do it?

Without high quality images, I wouldn’t remember the details in the baby blue eyes of my now 9 year old - whose eyes have incredibly turned a shade of gold and green. I just couldn’t! Without high quality images, I would hardly remember the mischievous grin,and twinkling eyes of my younger brother who passed away over 10 years ago at age 20.

Images keep long distant relationships alive, and connect us to people we may never see again in this life (or may have never even met). Images keep stories real and memories closer to our mind’s reach. I despair to think how many priceless, precious moments have been lost to oblivion because no one bothered to record anything referencing them. How much more do we cherish the images of our babies - once they’re grown? How much do we cherish images of the best times of our lives - when those times have long since passed?

It is far too easy to let time slip away thinking there is nothing significant about that birthday, that family get together, that random road trip, that whole year, or that Halloween costume. Or have you already experienced the pang of regret that you didn’t get pictures while she was still around or when you went to that one place that ended up meaning a lot to you…

“I wish someone had gotten a picture…” Have you ever thought that?

Now let’s get your pictures taken!

Why I LOVE Family Photos!

Creating timeless family photos is like...
Unleashing a little bit of magic -
that mostly looks like the family you spend so much time with and know so well -
with a hint of other worldiness
that makes you realize how amazing your life really is and
how lucky you are to have these
perfect-for-you people
in your life.
As if your looking through a window you never noticed before and think,
“Yes, I know them, and I can’t believe how beautiful we are together.”

THAT is what I love most about family photography. That is when I know our time and efforts together were successful!

6 Tips to Get Great Pictures of Kids!

Kids.

Oh, kids.

They can be exasperating to work with.

Let's be honest, a happy child is the most wild, free spirited thing you'll ever know and will hardly sit still or look at a camera long enough to say cheese. BUT if you know a few tricks they can be the most beautiful, magical creatures you've ever worked with! 

Here's a few things I've learned that make photographing kids my favorite! (And they don't even have to smile...)

Connect. You have to have to connect with them somehow. If you connect with them they will be more likely to respond to your direction.

1. Be FUN - throw leaves with them. Play a game of making faces. High five them - a lot!

I think it's really important to know their names, and use it a lot!

2. Change it up. K, now jump around. Look at mom. Make a silly face. Now give me your best smile! Now stop smiling and freeze…. Work with their short attention spans! They're guaranteed to get a little cranky (or maybe a lot) if they are expected to sit still and hold a, now fake, smile.

3. Give them breaks. Again, work with their short attention spans, and give them quick breaks to run around or get a drink or go to mom

4. Encourage good behavior. If mom and dad haven’t already bribed - I mean encouraged - them to be (generally) well behaved, then figure out some kind of reward. Small candies (with parents' permission) like smarties (NO CHOCOLATE) or pez work miracles. If candy is a no-go, simple rewards like hopping up and down can feel like a reward (and also goes along with "give them breaks").

5. Don't make them smile in every shot. Sometimes I like to tell the kids, "don't worry about smiling, just look at me like you're listening." Or, "don't worry about looking at the camera right now... why don't you look at _____________?"

6. Follow them around. Let the kid(s) set the pace for a little bit and follow his or her lead. Ask for their ideas, and go with them. If there is a child who just refuses to cooperate you might be amazed at how they change when they feel like they are in charge! Action shots are another great way to capture their personalities. Follow them around and snap away!

No matter what you do, don't forget to breathe. Don't rush through the experience, try to enjoy it and create those portraits that will be timeless for them and possibly generations to come!

You've totally got this!

What are some of your tricks to get great pictures of kids?
What other challenges do you want to overcome in your portrait photography?