Emily and Eli, you two are the sweetest humans and I am so glad that you picked me to document your sibling love. Eli is my daughter, Emma’s best friend. Eli is so special to me, like my own child. Can I be your surrogate mama? You can’t say no. These two peeps have got this siblinghood thing down. I mean, you cannot look through this gallery and tell me that they don’t like each other. More smiling and laughs than going to the damn amusement park.

Emily had been wanting to schedule something with Eli for a while and my daughter finally sent me a “business inquiry” for Emily, haha. I was totally down and we made it happen. I don’t typically shoot downtown Colorado Springs but this really fits them and their personalities to a T. It was perfect, just like them. Thanks for sharing your rawness with me. Your joy with me. Yourselves with me. I love you both with all my heart.

Steven, Brandon, and Brandon’s family came down from Denver to spend an afternoon with me at Garden of the Gods for an extended family photography session near Christmas time. This session was super important to Steven and Brandon for multiple reasons.

Brandon’s grandfather had passed away and he did not have many photos with him, so capturing images with his grandmother was special and important to him. Steven and Brandon were also celebrating their 5 year wedding anniversary as well as being together for 10 years. I was so honored to be chosen to be the one who got to take this journey with them.

Extended family sessions are something special. To see parents with their babies and them with their babies, generations in the making, it’s the sweetest thing you can imagine. I got to meet up with Lori and her bunch during their December vacation to Colorado Springs and we got to play in the mountains and explore the beauty that is Colorado.

To be honest, this is the second time I got to meet Lori and her crew. On their scheduled session date, we met up and the wind was super chilly. We walked up to where we were going to start their session and looked at each other and I knew that it wasn’t going to work. They have twin newborn babes and a tiny sweet girl and with those kiddos in tow, we just couldn’t make it work and have everyone happy.

I was lucky enough to travel to Arkansas and spend time with this sweet family to document their new baby boy, Knight with an in-home newborn session. David and Shereka were so welcoming when I arrived at their home. They let me do my thing by finding great little pockets of light throughout their home and I think that the spots I found worked perfectly for this session.

Their home was quite dark with little natural light access. I found some light by their backdoor out of their bedroom and also in a bathroom by the window, a lovely spot in one of their older sons’ rooms that I could use, as well as a nice shaded area between their garage and house. I moved around some furniture and set it up for making use of the light that I had. It was perfect.

When I get to work with a client for both their maternity AND their newborn session, I feel extra special. It is something special to trust someone to document not only one but two amazingly important times in their life. Laura is due in just a few days and I am so excited to get that message that their sweet babe has arrived.

I noticed something during my time together with Laura and David. David helped Laura along during our session. Making sure her every step was carefully taken and he was there to ensure she didn’t fall. It makes me think about how it might feel to be the dad in a pregnancy. I have been pregnant, but I am not a dad. To feel so much love for someone before you have ever met them, let alone felt their presence, in the unique way only a mother can. They protect and care for and love that sweet babe, right from the start. That is some powerful love.

Comfortability and feeling safe. That is what I offer families during their time with me. I want you to feel like you can be whoever you are without judgments or faults. That your kiddos can enjoy the same feeling as well. In order for families to authentically connect with each other, you have to give them space to help them make those connections happen.

Have you ever dreaded scheduling a family photography session? I am guessing that you are concerned about what to wear, where to take the photos, and the fact that your kiddos might act less than perfect is making you sweat. I got you boo. I have a client closet and online service to help you with choosing your clothing, I have a client exclusive location catalog for you to browse through all the best locations and I LOVE kids, truly, so if they are acting crazy, it is probably going to be an amazing day for me!

Maria wanted to adventure with her sweet girl Charli and have me document their mother/daughter relationship. We met in Cheyenne Canyon and let Charli lead our time together. She is an adventurous little girl and I had so much fun following her lead as we journeyed through the area.

Sessions that focus on motherhood are special to me. I have five children in this blended family of mine. Each one of them is special in their own unique way and they all whole my heart. Maria wanted our session to focus on the love she has for Charli and the love Charli has for her. I wanted their clothing to be simple so we could really allow their connection to shine through. Charli is wearing a sweet little dress from my client closet and Maria was able to find the perfect dress for her using my online styling service.

I got to work with Lauran and Colt for their maternity session. We traveled up a crazy rough dirt road to get to an amazing spot. We got to adventure in the mountains together. When River was born, they invited me in their home to spend time with them in their element. Their home was quiet and inviting. Such sweet humans, I could feel the vibe. Calm, ever so in love with this girl they created.

When I get to shoot for myself, I almost always don’t edit the images for months. It was no different with this session for my cousin, Jenni, and her girls. Jenni is more like a sister than a cousin. Though we didn’t get close until later in life, we are thick and thieves and I love her and her heart so damn much.

I visited Iowa for the first time in years over the summer. My mother and I moved there when I was a sophomore in high school and I moved away shortly after I graduated. My mom stayed, along with a lot of my mother’s family. My cousin Jenni and her family hang their hats there too.

When we made plans to visit, the first thing I did was convince Jenni to let me photograph her and her girls in the water. This session was bucket list for me. I styled the clothing 100%. Jenni is wearing my wedding dress from the amazing We Are Reclamation. Her girls are wearing dresses that I hand-picked to go along with that dress. Jenni and her girls played barefoot in the creek, over the rocks and trees, and enjoyed each other. They let it all go. We just relaxed and I documented the love she has for those little girls and the love they have for their mama.

Sweet family. Sarra and her boys adventured with me in the Garden last month. Sarra and I planned out their session clothing well in advance. I ordered Harvey’s little jumper from one of my favorite Etsy shops, Dannie and Lilou. They have the most beautiful linen clothing for kiddos. They didn’t have Harvey’s size available so I reached out and they made it special, just for him.

Sarra was interested in capturing the innocence of her boys. The smallness of them. Her babies. This jumper was the perfect way to showcase that he was on the cusp of growing older, but still that small boy in Sarra’s mind. Both boys brought along with them little treasures and trinkets. Leland was proud of his glasses, Harvey, his little blue harmonica. It was special because it was them.

Felicia and her crew were so sweet during our time together. You can tell they are a family who loves together and plays together. They will be welcoming this sweet babe with open arms and the warmest snuggles you can imagine. They are waiting to find out the gender of their new babe until they are born. When you have one of each, it just makes sense. I cannot wait to meet them via IG and gush over messenger about how cute they are!!

Are you thinking of traveling to Colorado and want to capture your crew with our beautiful scenery in an authentic way? I. Am. Your. Girl! Hit me up, let’s chat about how I can help you with not only photos, but also how I can help you find a great place to stay, yummy food to eat, and fun things to do!

Pregnancy. What a gift. How amazing is it that women can grow a whole organ (the placenta) and ALSO grow a whole sweet babe? I can’t even wrap my head around how amazing the body is to be able to accomplish such a task. It seems like a miracle at times. I am not a religious person but the human body and creation of life makes me want to be.

Allison and her sweet family met me for a perfect night in Colorado Springs. We enjoyed each other’s company and I spent allll session trying to be friends with sweet little miss Ellie. If you scroll down the bottom of these blog post image favorites, you will see that it finally happened. Or maybe it was just the chocolate chips and first-ever Annie’s Bunny Gummy Snacks her mama gave her. Either way, I’ll take it!

Leticia and her crew were as fun-loving and they were absolutely adorable. Her two sweet girls and her husband met me at one of my favorite new locations and we explored our hearts out. We adventured by the red rocks, on fallen cottonwood trees, snuggling up on blankets, hiking up paths, and secret staircases. It was like a fairytale.

I have been waiting to deliver this session for what seems like ages. I met Sarah at a Tuesday Together networking meeting. During this meeting, she said she really wished she could meet other local photographers who would actually be her friend and have it be genuinely real. I look at her, gave her my card, and said, “I’ll be your friend!”. The rest is history and what has really only been a few months but has seemed like a lifetime.

A mohawk, a bolo tie, the cutest pigtails, a man bun, and one barefooted mama, was this beautiful family session with Amanda Zoe and her crew. From the moment she and I talked, I was smitten with the love she had for her children. The grace and kindness. The genuine love and caring she exudes from her heart.

This family traveled down from Denver to hang out with me at the base of Pikes Peak in our breathtaking Garden of the Gods. This space allowed her family to explore and play. Connected. In love. Can I also say, her session clothing choices were on point! Like, really really. The whimsical boho style and feel of it all together were perfect for the setting and their personalities.

Being a twin mama is special. I know because I am also a twin mama. Though I didn’t birth my two beautiful babies myself, I thank their mama for doing that hard work for me. With the marriage to my wonderful husband, brought three bonus kiddos into my life, Ethan, Emma, and Jack.

Like Emma and Jack, Clara and Henry get to grow up together. Built-in best friends from the start. Growing together in their mother’s womb, they have known and will continue to know each other as no one else can. Mallory, you are a rock star. Brian, you are that hands-on dad that women need in their lives after the birth of their babe, and in this case, babes. Give yourselves both a huge hug and pat on the back for me. Twins are double the trouble, diapers, feeding, waking up, and just everything. You are doing it with grace and love.

There is something special about being second-born. You have a built-in playmate. A friend for life. That is what Rhett can provide, even at such a young age. Someone for Ray to always look up to, his big brother. To get into trouble with, to pick flowers with for mama. To hatch secret plans and complete crazy antics with.

I want to let you in on a little secret of mine. I want to be a kid. Perpetually. I want to dress crazy and make goofy faces. I want to talk gibberish and eat all the candy. I want to dance until the sun comes up and sleep all day only to wake up and watch cartoons and eat pizza and ice cream. I know that as an adult I can’t do these things on a regular basis, but believe you me, I DO DO THEM SOMETIMES!! Honestly, I wish that I could all the time. That is my why for shooting families and especially kiddos.

Often times, we meet people that change our lives when we least expect it. I was a wreck when I arrived at that hostel in Denver. Over the next few days, my faith in people being kind was renewed. Somehow, it helped. Jocelyn was one of those people. When you go through something hard and there are people around to lift you up, you tend to hang on to those people with all your heart, even if they don’t really know the full reasons why.

Ten years. That is a long time to wait for something you want so badly. Their time is finally here though and it is the best damn thing in this world. Lauran and Colt have waited so long for this. Ready to be parents. Arms open and warm. The thing is, when you have to wait so long for something, when it finally happens, you cherish it. I mean really cherish it. Every moment. Every feeling. Every thought. I am here for it friends. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with me. I cannot say enough how honored I am to be the one who sets these moments in stone.