Courtney; Gulf Coast childhood photographer

With the snow fresh on the ground and a promise of more to come, I think I'll cuddle up with a warm cup of tea and dream of June -- the gloriously warm month the boys and I spent with family in Alabama.

Pretend it's summer with me, and enjoy these photos of sweet little Courtney. The Lord even graced us with a rainbow on this beautiful June day!

my fellow Janeite; Eastern Iowa senior photography

What a blessed young lady -- homeschooled by a loving mother; raised on a beautiful farm, surrounded by amazing landscapes and feasting on natural foods; and she discovered the literature of Jane Austen early in life. :) I didn't begin reading Jane Austen's works until after I was married; but once I read my first -- Sense & Sensibility, I believe -- I quickly found and devoured all of Austen's novels and short stories (even those begun by Austen & finished by others). My favorite? Pride and Prejudice! So I was delighted when this lovely senior walked outside with a copy of P&P to incorporate into our photoshoot. I love meeting kindred spirits!

Looking back at some of my favorite images from our afternoon together, I imagine that Miss G is not so unlike Miss Austen who walked this earth 200 years ago. A quiet beauty, grace, humility, intelligence.... Can you see it? Can you feel it?

Sweet Christine; Iowa, Illinois maternity photographer

For my dear friend, Christine, who has waited so patiently for me to post a few of her maternity portraits.... Last month, we stopped by her home on our long drive back from Alabama. I was so excited not only to visit with her lovely family, but also to squeeze in a maternity session as well! My best friend Lauren came along as my assistant (Fun!), and then we topped the evening off with our favorite Mexican restaurant in central IL. Yum!

And who could resist this sweet face?

Miss Emme; Clinton, Iowa newborn photographer

This little doll was only 4 days old when her mom brought her in for her newborn session. And her mom Kathleen happens to be a very talented Creative Memories consultant. Kathleen created the two page prints below for Emmersyn's 1st year scrapbook. If you need any scrapbooking assistance or supplies, Kathleen is an excellent resource -- whether you prefer digital albums or old school cut and paste.

And a few more images from the session.....

Ella's sneak peek; Clinton, IA childhood photographer

Can you believe this beautiful young lady is only 11?! We had such a fun afternoon, soaking up some of the welcome sun on a warm spring day. Yes, I said "Spring!" I'm so glad it's finally here! I'll share more from this shoot later (I have two other shoots to process before finishing Ella's). Just couldn't resist posting at least one.

Senior Portraits for Stormin' Norman; Fulton, IL Senior photography

I recently had the pleasure of helping out with a project called "Stormin' Norman Portraits." A friend from the Muddy River Camera Club, Beth Wiersema, has organized this fundraiser for the past 2 years to raise money for Relay for Life.

Beth is a member of the Stormin’ Norman American Cancer Society Relay for Life team of Clinton County and sprearheaded the portrait sessions because she wanted to help her relative, neighbor, and friend, Norm Criss, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer almost 8 years ago. This year, Stormin' Norman Portraits raised over $2,000!

Beth and I had a great time shooting senior portraits for this beautiful and very sweet young lady. Here are a few of my favorite shots....

A & J at Clinton Country Club; Clinton, IA lifestyle photographer

Oh my! Beautiful people, beautiful day (well, the diffused light was beautiful through the photographer's eyes!). It's amazing how little the cold and drizzle bother me when I'm capturing moments like this. :o)

Sweet A & J were not only 2 of the most adorable children imaginable, but they were also so easy to work with. You can tell this family is very loving -- I couldn't resist including a few pics here that show Mom & Dad interacting with the kids.

We had a lot of fun riding from location to location in the golf carts. If only I had a golf cart at all of my shoots -- what a great way to lug all of my gear and props around!

Sneak Peek for M and L; Eastern Iowa children's photographer

What a crazy month it's been! We've had visits from both sets of grandparents, an out of town wedding weekend, and lots of shoots! In the coming days, I will blog some of my other shoots, including some fun senior sessions with my fellow photog friend Beth.

In the meantime, check out these gorgeous girls! We met out at the beautiful Bickelhaupt Arboretum on one of the few dry and sunny days we've had of late. Still a bit chilly, though. :)

Fallon Raine; Clinton, IA Newborn Photographer

My family traveled to Mississippi last month to meet our new niece -- Fallon Raine. This beautiful little doll was 13 days old, and I was soooo excited to be able to capture these shots of our very first niece. She still has her days and nights mixed up, so we shot these in the last light of the day with hopes of catching her with her eyes open. We did manage to get a few, but my favorites are those where she's sleeping peacefully.







Love those little toes!