2023 Fall Small Sessions will be held on September 28, 29, 30, and October 1. To see available dates and times, check the calendar at the link in the blog post. Small Sessions will take place in central Colorado Springs at the locations pictured above. Sessions on September 28 + 29 will take place at Blodgett Peak Open Space and Sessions on September 30 and October 1 will take place at Garden of the Gods. To secure your small session, complete the calendar section and the form collecting your information and you are all set!

When I was asked to lead a mini session on street photography at the 2018 Dear Photographer Elevate + Grow Workshop in Portland, Oregon, I was humbled and honestly beside myself. The group of photographers that frequent the Dear Photographer community are inspiring, uplifting, and downright amazing (just take a look around their Facebook Page and you will see what I mean). I am blessed to be able to take part in such a lovely group. The Elevate + Grow 2019 Workshop that will take place in Austin, Texas is already sold out and I am excited to say that I will be there. This will be my fourth year running with these girls and can I just say how thankful I am to hang my hat in their group.

Laura and her crew (pups too) came and hung out with me after a long time of waiting. We had to reschedule their family session at Ute Valley Park several times due to weather and changing schedules and all the things that come with doing this thing called life. Sometimes that happens, friends. Life gets in the way of doing the things that we want to do, the things we should do, and everything in between.

It has been a while since I’ve blogged anything. If I am being honest, it is because I lack what to say, dear friends. Life has been hard lately. Hard af. I’m in spaces I didn’t think I would be in again. Dealing with changes to life and family. Those things are delicate and figuring them out is like walking a tightrope that has a little too much slack in it when you need it to be solid. So, we do what we do, and we struggle with the end in sight, even if the end is too far to reach out and grasp. It is there. It is always there. Right?

2022 Fall Small Sessions will be held on September 6, 7, and 8. To see available dates and times, check the calendar below. Small Sessions will take place in central Colorado Springs at the location pictured above. You will receive the exact location after booking. To secure your small session, complete the calendar section and the form collecting your information below. Your session fee must be paid in full to officially hold your date and time and an invoice will populate for you after you submit your information.

These two girls. These friends. These magnificent beings. KC and Saylor adventured at Brainard Lake, through the chilly water and silly bugs, to have a mother and daughter session with me. KC wanted a gallery that reflected the nature of her motherhood story. She wanted to feel this time in her life. Really feel it to her core. I’m here for it girl. Thank you for sharing yourself and your story with me. Your bond is one that needs no proof. But, because it’s what I do, here you go babes. Love you to the moon.

Connecting with your photographer is essential: Creating rapport and making the photo session experience time enjoyable helps you relax, resulting in candid images that tell stories. Building a relationship with your photographer prior to your session allows us to get to know each other, get to know each other's personalities, and will enable me to understand your needs more deeply. The more we know about what makes you tick, and what is important to you in your life, the easier it will be for me to authentically document your story. I want you to reflect on your photos and remember your gallery as a whole, not just the images, but your feelings, your soul.

When you have a good connection with your photographer, they will be able to understand and capture the highlights of your life. They should be able to create for you a gallery that reflects your personality, as well as your personality as a family. For me, the perfect gallery captures the physical details of our time together and the emotions and personalities of your children that you know and love. Finding someone you feel comfortable with and can trust to document your authentic love and connection is essential when looking for a photographer.

The Talluto family and I have hung out before. The last time, it was freezing, snowy, and wet, and miserable. This time, it was golden and warm and wooded and all the things for their family session in Black Forest. I love the galleries from both sessions but they are very different. Not only different in location and colors but these kids have grown! In body and in mind. Their family endured long-distance living so the kids could get the best education they each deserved. It was an experience they all loved but they are stoked to be back together as a unit again, especially because the family dog gets to be loved by all now and the kids are excited about that!

Doing what I do, I connect with all different types and styles of families both in size, nature, and inner workings. I mean, that makes sense. Everyone is unique, and I like it that way. I love this part of the “job”. Getting to know the passions and quirks and lives of the people I am spending time with. Personalities are the best to see evolve, especially over the years when photographing families again and again. I love seeing parts of my children in the children I photograph. It makes it feel super personal and for those moments, I feel what they feel it seems. Empathy can be heavy but it can also be the best thing in the world to be able to pick up on feelings and navigate those strange seas with direction.

Where to begin? Dana and Tom, this is what 30 years together looks like, friends. Take a moment and soak it all in. Thirty years of laughter, all-nighters, frustration, blissful times, sad times, downright hellish times. I am sure that you two have seen it all with so much tread worn in your journey. When you connect so deeply that you don’t know how else to feel or think. What a world to live in. A world where you are each other’s anchor. Rooted in the ground so firmly that nothing can disturb the solid foundation.

Maybe those are just wild dreams? What if love isn’t any of that? What if love is simply the choice to keep choosing each day to do what moves you. To keep with the vibe until the vibe isn’t what you want anymore? I know that people say that relationships are hard. Damn fact, friends.

Emily and Chase reached out to me shortly before they began their cross-country van trip from the east coast. They had decided they wanted to forgo the big wedding idea and elope during their time in Colorado while on the trip. When they had first reached out, they were interested in eloping at Garden of the Gods, which is a beautiful place! It is close to me and I visit there often. Emily and I had our video call shortly after she reached out and I could tell they wanted this elopement to be something epic (duh, as you SHOULD!). I suggested that she look at some other locations I have listed in my Location Catalog and she fell in love with Brainard Lake.

I had shot at Brainard Lake several times last year and I loved the space so much, I was excited to be going back again. Emily and Chase needed a sunrise elopement because they had plans that evening and it would work better for their schedule. I had never shot at sunrise at Brainard Lake but damn, I was down for it. From my side, this elopement coverage required some special planning. The location is about 3 hours from my home and sunrise was at 5:30 am that day, you do the math. Sleepover! I turned this sunrise elopement into a travel date with my kids and we had the best time visiting RMNP and sleeping someplace new. Best thing about it? I didn’t have to get up extra early and worry about fighting traffic or missing sunrise because I was less than an hour away in Estes Park. I won that day. For sure.

Ashley and her crew were so beautiful to hang out with during this newborn session to celebrate baby Drew (and Ashley!) in the creek at Castlewood Canyon. If you venture just a little bit farther downstream there is a beautiful part of the creek that is perfect for splashing and exploring, without feeling too overwhelmed with littles in/near the water. Easy enough to get to for this new mama while carrying her newborn and her small boys. This is just the second time I have used this location and I can already tell it will be one I will travel to often in the years to come. I’m okay with that.

Baby Drew was a few weeks old during our time together. Colorado weather kept doing its thing and we had to change our date a few times. By the time we met, Ashely and her crew were in a beautiful groove with their new family member. The dance of being a new parent is one I think we quickly forget. It is a mesmerizing flow of love and trust, sacrifice and selflessness, empathy and humility. It is a gift to be able to watch families grow and transform from their small nests, to place roots like trees in the ground and become sturdy forms, strong in the winds of the world. Growing those little babes into strong, just, tolerant people is hard work. Ashley and Bryan you guys are doing it right.

Color Theory. What is it, how is it useful for your family session with me (or any other photographer), and how can I help you figure this whole thing out. That’s what I want to talk about today while bringing you this beautifully styled family session at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I am new to color theory, thanks to my friend, Stormy Solis who has her own epic photography and photography education business just north of me in Denver, Colorado. I enrolled in her course two years (or more) ago but haven’t really actually taken it yet, oops. That is okay, I’m in groups with amazing people from my connection with her and the AHA community and sometimes those people mention things I hadn’t really heard of before and I get curious. Color Theory was one of those topics and here we are, hi, hello!

Color Theory is essentially a roadmap for combining, manipulating, and mixing colors. I am sure everyone who had art in elementary school has heard of the color wheel and primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. If we dig a little deeper we will discover there are also complementary colors as well as analogous colors. Looking at the color wheel and all of these combinations can help us figure out what type of look you are going for and what will work best in the environment we will be shooting. For Lisa, she wanted neutrals that would help create a cohesive style that matched well with their location, Garden of the Gods. The subtle tones and colors she picked for her family worked well because the colors are similar in temperature and create harmony when paired together with the landscape.

The family session that was two years in the making. That’s what you are seeing here. Gerald and his family had seen my work long ago, when Gerald’s son Lucas and his mama, Soraya, would hang out with me each year. They lived in the midwest and being so, we didn’t quite get the chance to connect. A few years back Soraya, purchased a gift certificate (yes, I have those!) for Lucas’ dad. Fast forward a few years, they moved here AND had a sweet baby girl. It was fate that our paths did not cross until this very moment. Getting to this moment was like a careful dance. Reschedules dues to COVID, colds, and the weather. It was meant to be on this day. Perfectly beautiful in all the ways. The universe provides.

This is the first time I have worked with a blended family like this. Seeing my little friend, Lucas with his mom and now with his dad, it’s a beautiful thing to take part in. To see the people that sculpt his mind into one that is always curious, inquisitive, respectful, and kind. Co-parenting at its finest, friends. You can see the love that Kayla (his bonus mama) has for Lucas and it reminds me of the love I have for my husband’s children. The kind of love that is so big it hurts in a good way. Kayla and I were chatting about date nights and she said the only person she feels okay with leaving baby girl with right now is Lucas’ mama. How sweet is that? Soraya, I see what happens when you aren’t there mama, trust me when I say, he’s in the best hands.

Sometimes, the best memories are made when you take a chance—when you step outside your comfort zone and just do the thing. I learned that firsthand during this incredible family session with a friend of the family who came to visit my then-husband and me here in Colorado Springs.

When they first arrived, they weren’t entirely sold on the idea of doing a family session. It wasn’t their thing, and they were feeling a little hesitant. But after a bit of convincing—and some help from the beautiful landscape of Garden of the Gods—they took the leap. And let me tell you, it was SO worth it.

They trusted me, and together we set out on an adventure, all while soaking in the stunning backdrop of Garden of the Gods. The gorgeous red rocks, the expansive sky, and the crisp Colorado air—it was the perfect setting for a family session that was about so much more than just photos.

Kris and her family met with me in Cheyenne Canyon for their family session. Kris and I hit it off straight away when we had our video call and I just knew that I was going to enjoy her company during our time together. I was right. Plenty of laughter and exploration was had the evening we got to meet up. This was the first time Kris and Mike had taken photos since Lachlan was born so it was extra special that they traveled down to see me from Wyoming.

Getting ready for a family session with me involves a few things that I feel are imperative to us having the best time possible. One of those things is completing a questionnaire that I have curated to get to know you and your family a bit better. In this questionnaire, Kris expressed to me that she wanted their gallery to focus on authentic interactions and she was worried about looking “off” in photos. I am so glad when a client shares with me their doubts and worries, this gives us space to talk about them before it’s too late. Kris and I visited about her worries and concerns during our video call and I was able to pay extra attention to those specific things for her and deliver a gallery that she is in love with. I will call that win.

A Garden of the Gods engagement session in Colorado Springs featuring sweeping views of Pikes Peak and the Front Range. I took Jordyn and Matt to my secret spot over at Garden of the Gods. Not too many people hang out over where I like to go and I like it that way. This engagement session was extra special because Jordyn is the niece of one of my favorite people in the world. I swear, their genes run strong because Jordyn and her Aunt Courtney look so much alike. So beautiful in all the ways.

Jordyn and Matt are extra special people for yet another reason. They are pediatric nurses. Matt is diabetic and he didn’t say it but I am sure that his profession probably has something to do with his experiences as a child and wanting to help those babes who need all the love and understanding they can get while in his care. Navigating whatever new thing has come their way is super scary and having someone on your side is the absolute best. What they do is amazing work and I love that I got to witness their love firsthand.

This family session at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs commemorating Arthur’s first birthday was perfect in all the ways. I was hoping to document all of his personality and I think it’s safe to say, I succeeded. Arthur was shy at first but quickly warmed up with some shy bouts in between. Which was totally cool with me. I want kiddos (and their parents) to feel relaxed during their time with me so we can get to all the sweet moments that your babe is bound to throw your way. Sometimes it takes time, but we get there, promise.

So, how do we keep babe happy and the session a successful one? I have a few tips to keep them smiling and you stress-free. Bring along a few of your child’s favorite things to help them feel comfortable. Arthur brought his pacifier holder, Walton, and also brought along one of his favorite stuffies, Star Bunny. Relax and let your child explore – the best shots will be the candid ones! Notice that some of the shots I included are of Arthur exploring his environment. I bet you a dollar his mama is going to treasure those. Oh, and I can’t forget Snaaaaacks. Bring them. You will thank me later.

Colorado Springs Small Sessions are open! This year I am offering an indoor and an outdoor option for Spring Small Sessions. Small Sessions is another way of saying Micro or Mini sessions but I took a note from my friend Jocelyn Collins (hey babe!) and are calling them small sessions this year because it’s fun!

For the indoor sessions, we will hang out at Cultivate Studios in Old Colorado City and for the outdoor sessions, we will adventure in an urban creek located in South Springs. Yes, that means we don’t have to travel into the mountain and it won’t be (as) freezing.

Small Sessions are taking place both April 29th and 30th. Read the post for all the details and to book. See you there babes!

AnneMarie and her crew have changed so much over the years. Their family has grown and I am thankful to have been there for the changes. When I first met them, their youngest boy was only two or three at the most and now they have a baby sister to hang out with too! As a mama to five babes, I completely get that documenting your family as it grows can be a daunting task. I will tell you, friend, it is so worth it. To help ease the stress I have some suggestions on the best way to get started (and some reasons for a session, so you don’t have to find your own, haha!).

Decide what story you want to tell. Do you want to document every year of your children's lives? Or do you want to focus on specific milestones? Knowing what story you want to tell will help you narrow down which photos are most important to document and that will help guide your decisions around photography and professional sessions versus home photos. Some clients love to meet up with me every few years to document their children’s growth. Some meet up during pregnancy and birth and then when babe is a bit older. This family met with me when they were a family of four, then when mama was pregnant, and now they are a fam bam of five! There are so many reasons to jump in front of the lens. They are all valid and you are worthy of having your family’s love documented in an authentic way.

Having a connection with your photographer is important, friends. Creating rapport and a comfort level that feels good is something that should be strived for. This helps me, your photographer, document your authentic moments, naturally. Connecting with your photographer also allows them to understand your vision for the session and what’s important to you. I truly believe that the more you get to know the person documenting your heart, the better experience overall you are likely to have. I want to document your essence and tell your story through your gallery. Period.

When you have a connection with your photographer, they will be able to understand what you are trying to highlight and will be able to provide you with a gallery that reflects that. For me, the perfect gallery should be able to not only capture the physical details of our time together but also the emotions and personalities of your children that you know and love so well. When looking for a photographer, it is important to find someone who you feel comfortable with and can trust to create with you and document your authentic love and connection.

This is the second time I got to connect with Madeline and Nick, this time for an anniversary session in Garden of the Gods. Super special friends. Thank you for letting me part of your trip once again up from Arkansas. One day we will get to hang out on your turf and you can show me all the cool places around where you live. Let’s plan a date!

One of the many things that I love about this photography gig is that no two sessions are ever the same. Every couple is unique and brings their own personality to our time together. While every season has its own benefits, I have to say, I love winter sessions, they are a close second to fall. There's just something so beautiful about snow during a couples session. It adds a layer of magic and romance to the photos. Plus, it's the perfect excuse to bundle up in cozy clothes and snuggle close to your bae. If you're considering booking a session, don’t let the fact that it’s winter stop you. Photographing couples in the snow can be a challenge, but with a little bit of effort, you can create some beautiful images.

We know that in most cases, when the weather forecast predicts snow, people either cancel their photo session or reschedule to a later date. However, if you have a travel photography session scheduled like Madeline and Nick did with me, don't let a little snow stop you from getting great images! Just be sure to dress appropriately and take along a few extra blankets and snacks in case you get stuck somewhere because snacks are life and your car can run a surprisingly long time at idle with a full tank of fuel.