m photo blog

I'm moving...

2010-03-11T16:24:00.001-08:00

I have moved my photo blog... it is now here:

www.mphotoforyou.net.

Thanks for following me!!

This blog will be deleted in a few weeks, so please update your bookmark. :)

One

2010-03-03T16:46:00.000-08:00

Well, almost 18 months.
This session lasted a total of about 15 minutes, then he was done. :)

I put him up on a low stool so he wasn't quite sure how to get down. After about 7 minutes he figured he was done and figured it out. You can see by his confident smile in the last one he was going to escape. :)

I LOVE in-home sessions! The kids are just so comfortable. And you have everything you need right there - change of clothes, drink of water, a little snack, favorite blanket and when it is all over, a nap.

Spring Mini-Sessions!

2010-03-01T12:11:00.000-08:00

The sun is shining, I see blue sky and we are off to an early spring! I hope!

I will be doing a few [M]ini Sessions. To capture your kiddos in their spring finest, the whole family, or just your children at play - whatever you want! But these sessions are mini!

Saturday March 20th & Saturday April 3rd.
30 minutes, short and sweet. :)
Your choice of my 3 pre-chosen locations - Liberty Lake Regional Park, the Veradale Grange, or Liberty Park.
Two 8x10 prints and four 5x7 prints. (Digital images available for purchase.)
$125.

**In case of inclement weather, I will reschedule for another Saturday in April.

First few to respond can pick their times and location, then they will be set.
Sessions both days starting at 10:00.

These prints will make GREAT Mother's day gifts, or father's day gifts. All other print/mounting options available as well.

Questions:
Do my children have to be in Easter clothes? Not at all. Send them in rain boots if you want! :)
Can I purchase 2 times slots for more time and images to choose from? Yes.
If I refer a friend who books, do I get a discount? Yes, you will receive 2 of your digital images for free! Just have them tell me who sent them my way!
Are these going to be like Kiddie Candids? Was anything candid about those images? No. I am not going to be posing your children, lining them up in a seated train. I have picked locations that will lend themselves to beautiful fresh images.

Happy Spring!!

for Dan & Staci

2010-02-12T07:58:00.000-08:00

These are some of my favorite photos ever!
I love the light and the softness and feeling in them. They make me feel calm.
It doesn't hurt that she is my newest niece and soooooo sweet.

We moved around every piece of furniture, and Dan held the portable heater right over her to keep her warm. And it was so worth it!

Happy Valentine's day. Love those that you love this weekend.

PMTS [day two]

2010-02-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

I was impressed with the girls' work! I said we were doing head shots to really focus on hair and the make-up and I thought they did such a great job!

I am excited for our next shoot together! I am hoping to get outside... :)

PMTS

2010-02-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

This was day one from my shoots at Paul Mitchell the School, Spokane. I wanted to do just head shots this time so that the girls would really focus on the hair and make-up and get really creative. This was super fun! I love the make up on the third model. Her eyes are so gorgeous and just SO clear. Congrats to these Future Professionals. Great job!

Day two for me tomorrow with a full schedule, so lots more to come soon.

Happy February! Can you believe it is already February? Wasn't it just Christmas?

coming soon...

2010-01-27T11:32:00.001-08:00

Currently working on some Paul Mitchell shoots again!

for Candy

2010-01-27T11:24:00.000-08:00

Candy needed some photos of her little doll. I was more than happy to oblige. This dress has been in the family for years... all of the girls, and there are LOTS, have worn it around the time that they were 1. That is SO neat. I love that. I loved the juxtaposition of the old, timeless dress against the modern feel of the PM school where I took these. Fun!

Thanks Candy!! She was SUPER good. And you weren't bad yourself. :P

sur la plage

2010-01-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

Manhattan Beach. January 11, 2010. 4:30 pm.

Just got back from the Lyon Shop 3 in LA. It was amazing. Too short. Too fast and just awesome. More images to come from that, but I wanted to post these today as I am already missing the sun!

for anna & matt

2010-01-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

Rainy? Cold? Dark outside? No problem. Have lights; will travel.

I had been thinking about setting up a studio in my basement, buying a bunch of backgrounds and seating options, etc. But I never did it. Then as I was thinking about it, I realized what I love is meeting families in their environment. Their blankets and heirloom chairs from grandma. Their comfy couches and window light. So when Anna talked to me about taking photos of their new baby girl, and it was totally rainy and dark, I said, "No problem. I will come to you."

So I have decided that I am not going to set up a studio. [for now]. I like taking my stuff to YOUR houses and making it work there. Here are a few from Anna's house. We moved her dining room table, kept the kids low and made it work!

Thanks Matt & Anna for letting me come with all my stuff and set up! It was great! The kids had access to their favorite animals and blankets and then snacks and coloring when it wasn't their turn.

Perfect! Perfect new baby. :)

for heather & doug

2010-01-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

this little boy LOVES fire trucks and fire hydrants. heather said, "oh yeah, get a picture of him by the fire hydrant." and I said, "really?" and she said, "yes, that is perfect!"

thanks doug and heather. I had a great day with your family in vegas. and the little balls of dough drowning in butter screaming out for dear life only to be covered with Parmesan cheese were great too. but the best part of my day was our shoot at the end of the day. i love watching you with your kids. so happy. so much love. good luck welcoming number 3. :)

thank you.

gifts??

2009-12-17T14:54:00.000-08:00

last minute gift ideas??

Give the gift of photos. I can custom design any kind of Gift Certificate to tailor to your needs/recipient using Heritage Makers...

And speaking of...
Heritage Makers is having a Gift of Story special too. To help you give the ones you love the opportunity to record their stories. Every product is on sale right now so you can stuff their stocking with a credit for any book or card or canvas... Great for the daughter who is expecting, the family who just had a reunion, the sister who just took a great trip or the family who had a rough year. Contact me if you would like to learn a little bit more.

I have gift cards that can be filled out and wrapped, or I can email you the pdf and you can print them yourselves too.

Season's Greetings!

www.rstorybooks.com

for Elizabeth, just because photos

2009-12-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

I had such a great time watching these two boys in their element. Elizabeth invited me to come to their home for some just because photos, my favorite kind. Their home is so unique and relaxed and fun, just like them.

We hung out by the lake, on the cliff, in the house playing legos, outside playing basketball and just being brotherly. ;)

Thanks Elizabeth! I felt like a little fly on the wall, and it was so fun.

Happy Holidays!

keeping 'em coming

2009-12-15T15:13:00.000-08:00

I really am still here... I have been busy, wrapping up holiday orders and finishing up projects from back in the fall! But I am still alive!

Just skipped down to Vegas yesterday. My good friend Heather and her hubs flew me down to take some photos of him for his new dermatology practice. I was so flattered. And we did a family shoot as well. We went to the JW Marriott hotel way outside the Vegas scene and it was perfect. Here is a small sampling.

More posts to come as I finish up 2009!

ooooooooo

2009-12-10T08:44:00.000-08:00

i like.

i wish these were around before i bought my bag....

check these brand new bags out here - www.epiphaniebags.com!

and i still really like these too - Shootsacs

maybe i should sell my bag and swap over... any takers?

And the winner is....

2009-12-01T10:46:00.001-08:00

After over 300 votes...

The winner of the first mPhoto Give Back is:

DaNae Durtschi!!!

Congratulations DaNae. You and your family will receive a photo shoot, a 12x12 Heritage Makers storybook with all your photos from our session and ...

a day of pampering for the family at Paul Mitchell the School Spokane,

and a $50 gift card to coco boutique. (thank you Calie!!!)

Congratulations DaNae and the Durtschi Family.

And thank you to ALL the voters out there! Thank you so much for a great year!

*****
I will be in Utah this weekend (room for 1 session), and the I am coming to Orange County January 11th (room for 2 sessions). Maybe I will see you there!

THANK YOU!!!

for Kiley

2009-11-23T16:47:00.000-08:00

Kiley, my sis-in-law needed some 6 month photos for her baby girl. So she brought me a Starbucks signature hot chocolate which is a SURE fire way to get me to do ANYTHING and I set up the studio in my kitchen/dining room. After a few images, I was having some technical difficulties, so we turned the set-up around and just used the natural light of my windows and had the kids sit on the dining room table...

Not glamorous, but very functional.

Kiley got her little girls to give some great expressions. :) Of course I had to get my little girl in a few with her cousin. They are 3 months apart.

I should have taken a picture of what my house looked like at the end of the session. It was so funny. 5 kids, 15 blankets, 10 outfits, rice krispies, cords, stands, and 2 half drunk hot chocolates getting cold. But it was so fun.

Thanks Kiley!!

for Carrie

2009-11-20T16:31:00.000-08:00

"It's pretty windy outside. And cold. What do you think?"
"My kids all got haircuts. Let's do it."
So we did. It was cold and there was wind and some runny noses, but we made it work. It actually ended up being a beautiful day with the Larsens. The kids were all having a good time, I think, and we got some fun shots. My favorites were the ones of the boys with mom at the end. And it ended up being almost a dog pile. :)

Thanks Carrie! I admire you! 5 kids and you are holding it all together. Well. :)

the nominees are...

2009-11-16T09:20:00.000-08:00

Well, first a few words from your sponsor:

When I came up with this idea I was thinking how grateful I was for all my clients this year, and I how I felt so blessed. So I thought, I really do want to give something back. BUT I did NOT anticipate how hard it would be for me to choose the TOP 3. How do I decide who is more deserving, or which situation is the most deserving?? This was a lot more difficult than I was thinking. I guess I did not think it ALL the way through.

SO. I am posting more than 3 of the nominees. I just couldn't narrow it down to 3. So now YOU have to narrow it down for me.

A few guidelines, if you please.
Please read through all of the nominees.
Please only vote once (maybe twice) but send as many people as you want to the blog to vote.
and... PLEASE VOTE!

Okay, now on to the important stuff.
The nominees for mPhoto GIVE BACK 2009 are:

A.
I would like to nominate my co-worker and her husband. They have been married for a few years and the are having their first baby in December! They are having a baby girl.

This has been a very difficult pregnancy and for a few months they did not know if their baby would survive much past her birth. The doctors found some problems with her and since then my friend has had to go to specialist and multiple doctors appointments every week. She has had so much stress of not knowing what would happen to their baby girl that it has been hard for her to prepare for her arrival. Now she only has 5 weeks to go and while they are so happy for the baby to be coming, she most likely will still need some surgeries when she is born.

I truly believe they need this photo shoot. Both of these parents are wonderful people and I know it would warm their hearts to be able to capture images of their beautiful daughter when she is born. Since Randi takes the most beautiful photos of families I know my friends would be so blessed to have this very special gift of images to celebrate the beginning of life they will have with their daughter.

B.
We could really use a little bit of joy around here. We just recently moved to Spokane after living in Las Vegas for about a year. My husband had just graduated from BYU and had landed a great job in Vegas. Well, everything was going perfectly. We bought a beautiful new home and found out we were expecting our 2nd child. Life was great. And then crap hit the fan. My husband came home and told me (so unexpectedly) that he had been laid off due to budget cuts. We had no idea what to do with our house, insurance for my pregnancy, etc. So after months of searching for a job, with no luck (dang economy), we decided to leave Las Vegas and come back to Spokane. We are both from here and thought it would be nice to get some support from family. Now we are living in my parents' basement and my husband is getting a masters degree. So we are back to the poor student life. Things are slowly working out, but this has been the hardest year. Financially, emotionally and spiritually.

I would love for you to take pictures of my family, especially with my new addition in them! I have wanted to get family pictures done, but it just isn't in the budget for us right now. I love your style and I would love to spice up our living quarters- aka the basement.

C.
I want to nominate my sister and her family. They have not have the money for a family photo for more than three years. SAD, she has three growing girls! Ages 12, 6, and almost 4 right now (the youngest was less than a year in the last family photo so it's quite out of date). She and her husband opened three restaurants right when the economy tanked and they have basically lost everything. All three restaurants have closed and they are in the process of selling their home to compensate for the loss. On top of this her husband is being laid off in the next month. They do not tell anyone about this, and do not want/expect any sympathy. They have food to eat and all, but nothing left for extras. I know she would love nothing more than a family photo these days! Her family is what keeps her going during this rough patch.

D.
My brother & sister-in-law have been married for almost four years. She is a school teacher and teaches 2nd grade. He is a graphic designer and works for one of those companies that make nasty-tasting healthy drinks. After trying for a long time, they are expecting their first child in January- a daughter! Our whole family is thrilled for them!
Since she miscarried twins last Fall, we've been crossing our fingers for them.
They married "later in life" according to the Utah time line- which means closer to 30 than to 20- GASP! She was the kind of girl who had her wedding colors and baby names picked out before she was old enough to date. Expecting this little baby is a fulfillment of her dreams for a family of her own. She plans to quit teaching after this school year so she can be a stay at home mom. But with the meager salary of a graphic designer and her mega-frugal budgeting, there won't be much room for extras; which means they are doomed to JcPenney or Kiddie Kandids pictures!! I know with his artistic flair and her love of family, a beautiful photo of their new little family of three would be especially cherished.

E.
I have been overweight for a big part of our 17 year marriage, you know having 4 babies (all boys) will do that. For that reason, I have not wanted to be in pictures, so I stay behind the camera. As I look through tons and tons of our memories (pictures), I am rarely in them. When my husband offers to take one of me with the kids, I always find a way to get out of it. I didn't feel good about myself and didn't want any more proof of how bad I looked. But looking back now, it makes me sad that I am not in the pictures, sad that I let how I felt about myself keep me from documenting my life with my family. Well, I have lost 60 pounds in the last year and FINALLY feel good about myself. And actually WANT to be in the pictures. Thinking back on our 17 years of marriage, I can only remember 3 times that we had a family picture taken. Twice when my first born (who is now 15) was a baby and then again about 3 years ago. The only reason we took the one 3 years ago was because we were moving away from my parents and sister and wanted a picture of us all together before we left. While we were there, we took on of our own family. The only place we have ever had a picture taken was at a Sears or JC Penney type of place. I have been looking at your blog and drooling over the pictures you take and wanting you to take my family's pictures...to capture those candid moments that I cannot capture myself, and JC Penney certainly cannot capture. I finally feel happy with myself and would love for that to be captured in a beautiful family photo...

F.
I would like to nominate one of my closest & dearest friends. We met in church a little over 8 years ago. We were both very pregnant with our first babies—soon after they were born; (about 6 months old) we started a playgroup with our little girlies. It was more like a social survival hour for first-time mommies!! A VERY MUST-HAVE hour indeed!! We were also pregnant at the same time with our 2^nd babies! A lot has happened since then…She decided to stand STRONG through a super tough divorce all the while remaining what I call-- a stellar mother, daughter, sister & friend! I could go on & on all day about one of my best friends-but why she deserves this the most is because of all the negative in her life---this would be a “positive” to fill in her basket (so to speak). I have yet to ever hear her complain about her life! She is SO inspirational to me in many ways!!!! Did I fail to mention that on top oh her first priority, her children, she works full-time taking care of her ill brother & is going to school full-time to pursue her new interest in being a RN? She does SO much more for others than I could EVER mention in this little “scoop”! These are all the wonderful reasons why I think she & her cute little family would love a touch of some m photo in her life!!

G.
I would like to nominate my brother & sister-in-law. They have had a rough year. In one year they have moved 3 times and between the two of them- they have had 6 job changes. With 3 little children, they are busy and then busy some more, but trying to hold it all together through all the change. They could sure use some mPhoto this year.

***********
There you have them. The nominees for this year. This was SO hard. I hope that you take a moment to read through all the nominees. Put yourself in their place. Give it some thought and vote.

THANK YOU!

nominations coming.

2009-11-15T21:09:00.001-08:00

thank you all for your nominations.

I am going to process them and come up with the nominees for voting. Stay tuned. :)

for Summer (& Chris who was best man at our wedding)

2009-11-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

We have been good friends with Chris and Summer for years. George has know Chris since the old school days. They roomed together in college and so it was so fun to get to shoot their family. We had such a pleasant evening in Irvine. Their little girl, Claire is right between 2 of mine. And they wanted to have more children but that wasn't the plan, so we were SO happy for them when the opportunity to adopt little Lucienne came about.

They are both such warm, wonderful, GREAT friends. Thanks you guys. And dinner at Houston's was fantastic!

for Lindsey & Nick (engagements)

2009-11-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

I haven't done tons and tons of engagements... I'll be honest. BUT I love them!!! I forget after working with so many cute children how when you tell an adult to hold still or do that again or move slightly to your left, no my left, they actually understand! It's amazing! Nick & Lindsey were so fun. It was cold, but we had a good time. We went exploring, ruined some jeans, shed some blood like I mentioned, BUT I think it was WORTH IT!

I loved looking through all their images - so many great ones because you can tell they are in LOVE. In all my work I look for emotional connections. I don't use the ones that aren't or else it won't speak to me or my clients. Sound kind of silly? Maybe - but I want all my images to have emotion; joy, love.... and Nick & Lindsey had that in abundance.

Thanks so much you guys. It was a great afternoon.

trade?

2009-11-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

I am looking for someone who can sew.

Like seriously sew. I will trade some photos with you.

I have a little project for you...

for MOI!!

2009-11-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

I am sosososososososososososososo excited, as my 3 year old would say.

I got into LYON SHOP part trois!!! WHOOO HOOO!!

I LOVE these guys and have been following their blog for a few years now and I am so excited to get to learn first hand from them. So, I am headed back down to OC in January!! WHOOO HOOOO!!!

for Heather

2009-11-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

This is my friend Heather and her family.
We met up at Irvine Regional Park in sunny California a few weeks ago. Ahhhh, just remembering the sun makes me feel a little warmer. It was such a pleasant day at the park....

I love this one of Heather and her little sweetheart. They have a word in their family that he made up - lown, lay-down. Here he is lowning. :)

Heather has her own cute paper company - Swanky Paper that you should check out! She also designed my previous Flutter logo and is designing me new M photo logo.

Thanks Heather! It was so fun seeing you guys again. I am so happy for you with your new baby girl with red hair!! :)

for Rechelle

2009-11-10T23:02:00.000-08:00

Meet my friend, Jeremy.

Jeremy is 1 of 4 in the entire world with his condition, the only one in the U.S.
He has an extra aorta in his heart. This blocks his airway.

He has had 3 open heart surgeries to try and move this aorta out the way. But as he is getting older it is getting worse and his parents have been told that there is no additional treatment for him.

He has had multiple seizures and has stopped breathing many, many times.
He chokes on his food because of his obstructed airway. He is hooked up to tubes and oxygen every night. He is always with a nurse (Christy is one of his nurses) or his parents.

Doctors are astounded that Jeremy is going to turn 13 this year.
We had a shoot scheduled last year when I was in California, but then it was canceled. Jeremy was in the hospital.

Jeremy was very shy at first, so I gave him some space.
But as the shoot when on, I would look over at Jeremy and he would be waving at me.
I get teary thinking of my afternoon with this family.

Tanner, the little brother, is a ball of sunshine and energy and excitement and curiosity and exploration. Everything a little brother should be.

This is from his mom, Rechelle - Every day is a miracle; we are so grateful for each moment with him.

Thank you Rechelle and Pat for sharing your boys with me for a short while.

Our time with our families is such a wonderful gift. And your family is just beautiful.

rMb

for Christy

2009-11-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

I love the surfer just heading out of the frame in this one. :)

The weather was perfect. The sun was warm and there was a perfect breeze. Christy was one of my clients from last year, and it was so good to see her again with her sweet family. Their daughter is 2 and therefore very independent with ideas of her own. I loved her parents' attitude, "It's a Stella year." Christy is so sweet- such a warm person and I am so glad we could meet up again, this year in Huntington.

Thanks Christy, for a great afternoon on the beach!

sneaky peeky: Lindsey

2009-11-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

I am posting a few for Lindsey even though there are some sessions to wrap up before hers...
But she was the first person to nominate someone for my GIVE BACK, so I wanted to post a few that I was excited about. She and Nick shed blood, ruined clothing, stretched limbs to make some of these images from our shoot happen and I think it was worth it! (sorry about the jeans!)

LOTS more to come! Thanks Lindsey (& Nick).

for Amy

2009-11-05T17:09:00.000-08:00

Amy & Steven were my clients last year and I was so happy to work with them again this fall. Their twins are such sweethearts. The little man is a future botanist - he LOVES plants. And SHE is a little doll. You just want to make her smile.

We had such a pleasant afternoon rambling around the park, playing and making beautiful pictures.

Thanks guys!

for Jessica, who is sick today

2009-11-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

heard you were feeling under the weather today. hope this brightens your day. :)

Jessica is awesome and I am so glad that I moved to liberty lake to meet her and become her friend. She is handy. We are not. She made a bench for us. I took photos of her family. As Dances with Wolves would say, "good trade".

You can check out Jess' blog here.

Thanks you guys!! My favorite shot is a toss up between the one of you and Cheeks, or the one of you and Aric. ;)

Feel better.

for Lindsay

2009-11-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

see lindsay? nothing to worry about. sweet, new, tiny, beautiful. baby mila. :)

for Stacie

2009-11-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

This family was so much fun. Just look how adorable these boys are. They posed so well, and I said, "You must do this often." "Yeah, our mom makes us do this every year..."

But I heard the dad say, "Hey, I like your style. This was fun."

POINT!

Thanks so much Stacie! I had such a great afternoon with you and your fun family of boys!

for Joy

2009-11-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

It was SOOOOO cccccold the morning I met Joy and her sweet family.
We met at manito and the ground was frozen and slushy and one cold mess. They were troopers though. Poor Katie!! Her little fingers were frozen but what a sweetheart. She is such a doll.

Thank you Joy!

the Give Back 09

2009-11-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!

I would like to announce the first ever,
mphoto GIVE BACK.

This is a contest especially for you, my friends and clients, to thank you for being a part of my year. I had such a terrific year and I want to GIVE BACK by giving away a free photo shoot!!! This photo shoot and Heritage Makers storybook will go to one deserving family as nominated and chosen by YOU.

Here are the details:

Between now and November 15th, please nominate a deserving family who you think could use, would enjoy, or NEEDS a family photo shoot. Send me a little summary explaining why they deserve this. Also send me their most recent family photo!

I will gather all the nominees and pick my favorite top 3.

Then on November 16th (or thereabouts) I will post the top 3 nominees and YOU will vote on them and choose the winner of a free photo session!!

Important stuff:
-Photo shoot will take place sometime between 1 December 2009 and 1 December 2010.
-Photo shoot will take place in Spokane or in a location I frequent - Seattle, Utah, Island Park, or -Orange County. Exceptions might be made. ;)
-Photo shoot will take place on a date mutually agreeable between myself and the deserving family.

Winning family will have a certificate made for them that you can present to them, stuff a stocking with, or use as bribery.

Be creative. Look around you. Maybe there is someone you know who could really use some some joy, some love, some m photo to brighten their year. Maybe it's you!

THANK YOU to everyone for helping me have such a great year!

All submissions can be sent to
flutterpix@gmail.com or
PO Box 852
Veradale WA 99037

thank you! looking forward to hearing from you.

randi M

for Amy.... happy halloween!

2009-10-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

Check back in tomorrow, November 1st, for a SPECIAL NOVEMBER THANKSGIVING announcement!

for Jen

2009-10-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

Jen was one of my clients last fall. This year we did Canon Hill Park. It was my first time there and I loved it. If I can't live by Manito, someday, I would definitely be happy right by Canon Hill. It was super cold that morning, but the sun warmed us up and we had the boys running around and exploring. :) They did lose a soccer ball to the duck pond, but I am happy to report that it was recovered.

Thanks Jen! It was so great to hang with you guys again, talk hair, and kids, and enjoy the sunshine. :)

for Wyatte & Tim

2009-10-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

....who wanted some wedding photos in Hawaii.

Wyatte brought her wedding dress all the way to Hawaii.

I was more than happy to oblige. And the clouds cooperated for us. And so did the rainbows.

Thanks Wyatte & Tim. It was my pleasure. :)

for the Horners, who took me to Hawaii

2009-10-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

I had a great time with this family. We picked a calm morning and headed down to a beach with some cool trees. And a cool bathroom wall. It was so fun to spend some time getting to know them and you can't really go wrong in Hawaii.

THANK YOU so much Horner family!!! I will do it again! Anytime. Especially October - April. ;)

~rMb

for Jen

2009-10-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

This was such a great shoot. The sun was setting, fall weather was taking shape and the kids were happy playing in a friend's yard in Otis. I love when I can not only see the love between a family and husband and wife, but also feel it. I think you can feel it in these photos.

Thanks Jen. We made it happen, despite the battery issues and setting sun!

missed these eyes

2009-10-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

Janna Beecher took this photo when she did our family pictures a few weeks ago. Just found it again and edited it. I missed this little girl while I was gone! I will be getting back to YOUR photos tomorrow!

Coming up:

Horners
Robisons
Obersts
Codds
Eckerts!

Stay tuned!

New logo finally coming soon! Can't wait to see it Heather! :)

moments

2009-10-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

this post inspired me today.

Sloan Photographers/ Kristi

take photos of the ones you love.

sneaky peeky: Lindsay

2009-10-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

"R
hey I feel like yesterday was rough, just wanted to apologize for the chaos. you left your black sheet and the kid's shoes at our house...Thanks for your patience! can't wait to see the pix :)."

"L,
No worries. It's gonna happen on picture day no matter what. She is an angel. And you are amazing. You kept your cool. And Aaron deserves some daddy-candy for saving the day. LOTS more photos to come when I get back from CA."

"P.S. Didn't you know that I am kinda a magician?"

for Wendy

2009-10-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

I forget how easy it is for older kids to hold still. I get them ready and then.... they hold still and smile and are still holding still! Its hilarious. Because then I have to tell them, "Okay, now move a little!"

I had so much fun with Wendy and her family.
Her daughter and I talked America's Next Top Model and I told her to "smile with her eyes"

Her son and I swapped favorite Mac commercials and I earned some solid respect when I told him I was Mac exclusive. (POINT)

Dad warmed up by then end and decided to show his son some of his old wresting moves. I think you can tell who is going to win this!

(point!)

THANKS WENDY!! Your family was awesome. And still is.

for Heidi

2009-10-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

When Jeremy & Heidi got out of the car at Manito, they said, "We are not really posy people."

"Good. I am not a good posy photographer."

I then watched them play with their sweet, energetic, fun, happy, loved children for the next hour and half.

And I took a few photographs while they were doing it. :)

Thanks Heidi. For not being posy. :)

for Jessica

2009-10-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

really, how do you choose?

Jessica is my current "running" partner. I use running VERY loosely. Really, partner should be the operative word. I am the worst partner. Jessica actually comes to my door to get me.

Anyways, I am so glad that I got to shoot her family. Really. Her kids are kind of ridiculous. I really couldn't choose which ones to use and which ones to not to. ;)

Found some new film actions that I am liking a lot.

Thanks Jessica. And Ryan. I know picture day is not the most fun thing - but you guys were awesome!

I consider it a victory when I the husbands say to me, "Hey that wasn't too bad. It was kinda fun." I give myself a point.
I had 2 shoots today on the South Hill and I got another point! Ryan, do I get a point?

caught my eye today

2009-10-09T17:11:00.001-07:00

helps to have hawaii in the background. more on this couple later. :)

for Melissa

2009-10-08T00:34:00.000-07:00

We wanted to do a family shoot with Melissa's new little one, Ainsley. It was too cold to be outside, and she is so little, so I wanted to do it inside, on their bed. So I brought out my huge lightbox and set up camp in their bedroom. I honestly didn't think the kids would be as interested as they were. They were so good. They played their parts perfectly.

Except for Ainsley.

She was supposed to be sleeping. Apparently either photo shoots excite her or I smell funny. She was not happy. So I came back a few mornings later for a little session with just her and mom & dad.

Same deal. Oh well. She is so sweet. Doesn't even matter that she was awake the whole time. And any that she had her eyes closed in she was faking it. :)

Thanks Melissa.

for VaLynn

2009-10-08T00:19:00.000-07:00

So, almost 2 years ago I called VaLynn up, whom I barely knew and I said, "Can I come and take pictures of your baby?" She said yes and we've been friends ever since.

She is SUPER into horticulture and plants and garden design, etc. So much so that she has a whole blog dedicated to it. If you are interested go HERE.

She is awesome. Anyways, we tried out a new location for me - Liberty Park with some cool old stone steps. Apparently the park is over a century old. It's got some transients - but all in all I would use the location again. And VaLynn is so fun to hang out with and talk to.

So thanks VaLynn!! Thanks for letting me shoot Anna way back when and then now again! Her eyes are amazing. And Isaac and Alex were perfect.

in the works...

2009-10-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

for Melissa

for VaLynn..

for Jessica...

and lots more to come!

oooh... it has gotten cold here! While gone in HI, it turned into fall!! I love fall weather, it just lasts so briefly here. It's fun working on these last family photo sessions remembering the warmth... Now, gone.

for Kyle

2009-10-06T23:42:00.001-07:00

This is the second senior photo shoot for this fam. I LOVE you guys. Thanks Kyle. You were so cool to work with. Thanks for bringing your cal flavor for me too.

for Ben

2009-10-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

Ben is awesome. We had a fun evening at Mirabeau. He had an entourage with his as well.

His eyes are ridiculous.
Thanks Ben!!

for Alisha (seniors)

2009-10-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

Alisha is just too cute. This shoot was so easy because the girl is already a model! Thanks Alisha and Brenda! Thanks for humoring me and being so chill! You guys are awesome!

Wrapping all the seniors this week. Trying to get everyone ready to submit their yearbook photo! Seniors have been so fun for me to work with - boys and girls. They take direction. They understand what I am saying. They hold still. They want to be photographed. Most of them. ;)

It has been so fun! Thanks everyone! Excited for next year's batch.

Meanwhile, I still have 6-7 families coming down the pipe to edit as well. Busy week! Welcoming me back from me vacation.

**Also - I had 2 spots open up for the OC in 2 weeks! Know anyone interested??

for Heather

2009-09-24T23:42:00.001-07:00

I feel lucky that I even know this family, let alone be related to them.

How do you get 7 kids ready for some family pictures, ages 15 to 2 and remain this calm and collected? See this post here for the answer! ;)

Thanks Heath. YOU ARE AMAZING. And how do you keep getting more and more beautiful each year?! Seriously.

in the works...

2009-09-22T23:26:00.001-07:00

Alisha (seniors)

Kyle (seniors)

Ben (seniors)

Graczyk's
at the church they were married in 10 yrs ago :)

I am getting all these sessions finished up and more this week before I head off to Hawaii for a photo shoot!!! I will be gone for a week.

Watch me fly. Watch me swim. Watch me come back with a superbad sunburn.

for Christine

2009-09-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

I traded my new bff Christine for art lessons for my kids this summer. i am so glad. their precious art adorns my walls via Ikea frames. She did such cool things with them and I think she is SO COOL!

Thanks Christine & Kevin for such a cool shoot. Thanks for coming and seeing Depeche Mode with us too. Your children should be models. Zoe was workin it. :)

for Sam (seniors)

2009-09-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

Sam. He's a senior. He's tall.
This was a cool shoot. We went to the apparently haunted house in Mica, a railroad bridge off Dishman and then his house. I also did the family photos too, those to come... Like the all blue look. And the bright orange shoes.

thanks sam.

for Nick (seniors)

2009-09-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

Nick and I met up at Mirabeau Point. There were some cool areas around there that I had never explored before and Nick was up for anything. He was so chill. Nice.

Then we went to CV so we could use the track and such. He competes in various events in track so it was fun to use the field and bleachers. It was a great shoot. Thanks Nick!!

8 years ago...

2009-09-11T17:09:00.001-07:00

we lived here. on the 21st floor. we moved in june of 2001, back to utah, and i was 7 months pregnant. dexter was born 8/7/01.

9/11/01

for Amanda

2009-09-11T16:55:00.001-07:00

I was so excited when Amanda told me that she liked some of the same photographers that I like.
I knew that we would have fun with her shoot.

I was right.

thanks amanda. i loved all of luke's faces and isabella's missing tooth. :) perfect.

for Beau (seniors)

2009-09-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

I met Beau and his mom and brother by the river...

it was a few days later that his mom sent me this video. that explained A LOT. :)

Thanks Beau! It was so fun to hang out with you for an evening. :) Have a great senior year.

my screen saver

2009-09-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

in the works...

2009-09-08T23:06:00.000-07:00

Hooray for the start of school. White sneakers. Bicycles. About $80 worth of school supplies for our suffering education system, lunch boxes and sandwich bags, snack and papers papers and more papers. But most of all... TIME TO GET SOME WORK DONE AT HOME. I could literally hear the sigh of hundreds of mothers across the spokane valley today around 9:27 am.

Here's what I am working on now with 2 darlings back to SCHOOL!

Jeppsons

oooh, those dark chocolate eyes.... I feel like Augustus Gloop.

Chambers

LOVE the plaids. Downtown.

and...

Nick P. (seniors)

PLUS + MORE to come!

Thanks guys!

like father...

2009-09-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Just started going through these images from the Jeppson session last night around midnight. I just had to share these 2 real quick. So many fun ones. :)

This was such a great session. Everyone was so relaxed and just being... themselves. ;) More to come soon, Amanda.

for Michelle

2009-09-04T22:59:00.001-07:00

I had such a hard time deciding which of these images to use for this post...

I met Michelle and her husband and sweet little girl up at Manito in the evening. It was so pleasant. They were so relaxed and happy and in love with their sweetheart. They brought a ball and some bubbles and some sweetness. :)

my favorite of the night

or these two

Thank you Michelle.

for Madi (seniors)

2009-09-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

I had a great time with Madi, and her mom and brother. We met up at Rocket Bakery on South Hill. I got into their car and we drove out to the Palouse looking for some wheat that had not yet been cut down. Luckily after a few U-turns we found some. :)

After the wheat, we started looking for a cool barn... there were none to be had. Well, none that weren't behind a fence and an unseen guard dog, I am sure. So I spotted some trees in an abandoned lot.

Then we got back on the highway... "There." I pointed. Madi's mom was awesome. We drove right onto these people's property and she went and asked permission while I started shooting around their stash of perfect junk. The owner didn't quite understand. But it was the perfect spot. Thank you lady who was also a little creepy, threshing her wheat.

Thanks Madi!!! And mom and bro. It was such a fun afternoon adventure. Have a fun senior year.

for Brady & Whitney

2009-09-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

I got take a few shots of the new couple at their reception out in Hayden. :)

Beautiful.
Congrats you guys.

off camera

2009-09-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

playing around with off camera lighting. outside. bright sunlight. the kids loved it.

for Ali (seniors)

2009-08-31T22:18:00.000-07:00

Ali was so awesome. She went and scouted out her own locations. Not just one, but 3. It was great. She found this barn surrounded by this field of bright yellow flowers off Bigelow gulch. (It was so great, I took my kids there yesterday and did a warm up photo session for our family session next week.) The barn was cool, and I loved the bright flowers everywhere. It was such a fun shoot, with such an amazing model.

I've worked with Ali before, so I was really excited to play around with her photos. As you can see.

Thanks Ali!!!

for Scott (seniors)

2009-08-31T22:04:00.000-07:00

I met Scott (and his mom, and his dad, and one of his sisters) down by the river. It was a perfect evening. Not too hot. Clouds and sun. Great spot. Great model. This first one is one of my favorites.

Thanks Johnsons!!!

for Candy

2009-08-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

I brought a light with me to shoot these newborn photos of Candy's little one. But I didn't like it. So I brought everything a little closer to the window, and used the soft light coming in. It fit so much better.... so sweet, and soft and new. :)

thanks candy. for everything. :)

for Sue

2009-08-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

I was so happy when Sue wanted me to photograph her family again. She lives in Seattle and works with children who have cancer. She's a nurse and my good friend Candy met Sue when Candy's son had cancer a few years ago. "She see so much sadness, everyday." Candy told me.

But in her children, her husband, and their relationships, there is so much warmth and love and hope. It was good to spend some time with them again.

Thanks Sue. It was so good to see you and your family again! Had a great day at the beach. :)

**for all those who are interested, the actions I used on these photos are Pool Party from Totally Rad and NicholeV's light B&W

in the works...

2009-08-22T23:40:00.001-07:00

here is what I have been working on lately!

5 sessions last week. 3 this week. Lots more photos to come from all these sessions.

The Kenworthy's

Love jarom & canon's faces in this photo. I can make fun of him, because he is my brother. I'm allowed to do that? right?

The Ehlings (Seattle)

The Lutz Family (Seattle)

and little Ryder May

candy is one of my best friends. couldn't be happier for her. he is so sweet.

Scott Johnson (seniors)

More coming too.... :)

Most of you know that 100% of the time when I am driving anywhere, I am looking for new locations and interesting spots for photos. Seen one lately? Let me know!

I am so excited too that my friend Janna Beecher from Helena Montana will be here in September and we are going to do a swapper-roo. Janna is an awesome photographer and will be here doing some shoots as well! If you need a spot - let her know. So excited for our family pictures and thanks to one of the seniors I shot last week or so, we have an awesome location! You will see it soon.

And soon, I will get a real blog that does not wash out all my colors. :[ .... can't believe summer is almost over...

for Kaylie

2009-08-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

I drove out to Mead to meet Kaylie for her senior photos. We started just right in her yard. They have fields and a pond and beautiful sky and it was a perfect setting. Just lovely. :)

After a while, we hopped in her sister's car and we drove into some nearby farms/orchards, for some orchard shots. We got yelled at, but took our photos anyways! ooops.

Then finished up in the setting sun. It was a PERFECT photo shoot. Thanks Kaylie!! And Kenzie! :)

update:

2009-08-18T08:17:00.001-07:00

OC sessions are full!

Thanks everyone! Didn't even have to do an email blast! That warms my heart. :)

for Kendra & Josh

2009-08-12T23:07:00.000-07:00

I met up with Kendra (my stylist extraordinaire) and Josh and fam down by the river... I love this location. AND I loved their clothes and smiles and hair... :) Fun morning.

Seriously great hair. I wish my kids' hair was like this. So photogenic.

my favorite photo of the day... sorry, blog washes so much color away

thanks Kendra & Josh!!! It was so fun to hang out with you guys for the morning! Your kids were SO good and beautiful. :)

for Shelby

2009-08-06T00:00:00.001-07:00

Shelby and her friend and I met up downtown a few weekends ago for a fun summer evening senior photo session.

We wandered around in Riverfront Park until we came to some cool spots. Then wandered some more....

Obviously out of order, but this photo was taken when we were out of daylight. We went into the Davenport Hotel. So many of the rooms and areas were taken. We kept peeking in doors and found this paneled room that was really cool. Loved the chandelier.

dog

cold water. Shelby is such a stud.

seriously, how ridiculously hot is this girl?

Thanks Shelby!!! Have a great senior year. I had a blast hanging out with you downtown and thanks for showing me some GREAT spots! You rock.

~rMb

for Rachel & Brandon

2009-08-05T23:25:00.000-07:00

"It's BRIDE DAY! "
That is what Rachel said when she woke up on Satuday a few weeks ago, the day of her wedding.

Brandon went right along with her. :)

We met up at Manito park at 7:00 am for some pre-wedding shots with the bridal party and warm sun.

I just realized that I didn't post any photos of the bridal party. Oh, well. They were there. But really it was BRIDE day.

Then on to the temple.

a quick moment

the view from the top

thank you Rachel & Brandon.

You guys were so awesome and don't worry there are 120+ more of where these came from!!
Congratulations on a beautiful bride day. The groom was pretty great himself.

~rMb

Open Date

2009-07-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

I had a cancellation for next week - if anyone is interested I have August 4th open for a photo shoot.

After that, my next opening is September 22 or 23. Thanks!

I will be in Seattle August 10 & 11.
I will be in Las Vegas September 17-19th.
I will be in Orange County end of October.

~rMb

for Jason & Christie

2009-07-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

This was my favorite shoot of the year. So easy and relaxed. They are just the most beautiful family in a ridiculously beautiful location.

I am so glad that we were in Island Park at the same time!!! Thanks you guys for letting me hang out (and drive around looking for THE most ideal spot) for a couple hours. It was a great afternoon!

This was his angry face! How cute is he???

love, love, love.

It was so great to see you J&C. We miss those late nights with Survivor and Bluebell ice cream. Swimming and Tin Star! Your kids are ridiculous. So adorable. :)

booked

2009-07-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you all so much!! I am booked through the middle of September! I couldn't be more grateful!

To show you my gratitude... I am hosting a Christmas in July digi-crop for the company I use to do my books & cards - Heritage Makers. They have their best prices ever in July to help get ready for Christmas. But the credits are good for a year - so you can use them anytime.

Thursday, July 23rd, 7-9 pm
23403 E. Mission Ave, Liberty Lake

Or COME to MY house!

Thursday July 23rd 10-12 (morning)
Liberty Lake (if you need directions, please email me, flutterpix@gmail.com)

Anyone who comes to my open house or the digital workshop will receive a gift from me! Hope to see you there!

~rMb

working on...

2009-07-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

the Plummer family Reunion in Island Park,

the Kenitzers in Island Park,

and Rachel & Brandon's wedding in Spokane...

PLUS... the Stroud's 50th wedding anniversary up at Beacon Hill and Shelby's senior photos from downtown.

I am currently booked from now until September 11th... Book now for September and October. Thanks!

~rMb

for Matt & Kami : married

2009-07-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

This marriage is a new start for 2 great people, and 6 great kids. Kami has 4 children and Matt has 2.... A whole new beginning for one big family. :) I am so glad that I got be a part of this.

Thanks so much, Davis family. Congratulations! I am so happy for you and your children are so blessed to have you as parents.

waiting is so hard

2009-07-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

the wedding photos are almost done....

thanks for being patient while I was away on vacation!

stand outs on SALE

2009-07-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

Stand- Outs are on Sale this week at the Printing house I use, White House.
People often ask me how I hang or display my photos... I LOVE standouts. They are super light weight, have holes in the back so they are ready to hang straight from the box. Super clean, modern and a lot of emphasis on the photo.

Let me know if anyone needs some standouts! This sale is only good through July 19th.

~rMb

studio antics

2009-07-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

I don't work on Sundays. I do however take time to do some fun stuff - just for me mostly. Today I had D & our friend Skylee, who is staying with us, come downstairs for some studio fun. They were excited and good sports.... Although, some of Dexter's poses and faces... I had to ask him what magazines he'd been reading...??

new lens! kind of

2009-07-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

So I got a new lens. Well, I use the word GOT, loosely. I rented a new lens. I have read lots of reviews, looked at, ogled, liked, wanted and now am using this lens: 35mm f/1.4 prime. It is a mere $1300 for this lens... hence the rental trial. But I am loving it! It is very crisp and I love how wide it opens! Check out my death of a cookie post - all using the 35mm. Not even open all the way. I am NO lens expert, but I really like this lens - and yes, because it is a prime - I have to move more than with my 24-70mm, but frankly I could use the extra steps....

Anyway, there you have it. Gonna be sad to let this baby go in a week.

All donations to the

HELP RANDI BUY A $1300 LENS

fund can be sent to my pay pal account at flutterpix@gmail.com.

~rMb

for Sheri

2009-06-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

When I first met Sheri, 2 years ago, and saw her home, I thought "Hello! I would LOVE to do a photoshoot of your family here. "

Didn't say that outloud of course... but their old farm home in Rockford, and sprawling grassy acreage, big red barn and endless sky was just too picturesque.

So 2 years later... I got the chance!! I met Sheri's husband's family; the 3 brothers and parents. Sheri's family hired me as a gift for the parents, Mother's Day & Father's Day gifts. No better gift. :)

Thank you so much to Sheri & Chad's family. I had a great time meeting you all and spending the evening. What a perfect night.

Happy Mother's & Father's Day. You obviously have done a fantastic job.

Thanks!

pmts: the photo shoots

2009-06-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

I know everybody was waiting on pins and needles to see how the shoots went at the school.

I think they went pretty well, if I do say so myself. The FPs did fabulous job of getting their models, doing hair and make-up, picking a theme/idea and running with it!

It was way fun! Anyone want to be a model next go-around? ;)

for Staci

2009-06-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

When Staci told me what she wanted for Ronan's 6 month photos, she said:

"I want to capture what he is right now; happy, drooly, and in love with his feet."

Check, check and check!

His eyes are amazing. I did not do anything to them! They are just that sharp and cool. :)

~sorry I took so long, stace.

for jessica

2009-06-13T17:44:00.001-07:00

So... not a total waste of time.

I had my friend Jessica bring her little sweetheart over to help me try out my lights.

Apparently he did not like my lotion. Jessica was lathering his little feet up and he freaked out! I mean screamed for a good 10 minutes.

Then promptly fell asleep.

But it was not a complete loss. Look at his cheeks!

Utah sessions

2009-06-07T21:18:00.001-07:00

I will be doing a few sessions in Utah on June 30th.

If you are interested, or know someone who might be please pass on this info and email me at

flutterpix@gmail.com

The cost is $250 and includes around 30 images from the session on CD and a $35 print credit.

Thank you!!

for Dana + Jeff : the wedding

2009-06-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

Dana called and said, "this is just a small casual wedding." She was NOT joking. They found a pretty spot along the river, we drove up, walked around, pulled out 6 chairs for the folks and Jeff's dad married them, there in the sunshine on the river.

LOVE how he is looking at his beautiful bride.

Swollen fingers from the heat. "They fit a few months ago!"

whoa.

A sweet moment with Dana's daughter and their new family.

woohoo!

Thank you so much Dana & Jeff and congratulations!!!

for Melissa, and her girls.

2009-06-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

These are Melissa's daughters.
I have been wanting to shoot them for some time, and you can see why.
Last week, or so, there was some great cloud cover over the sun, so I called Melissa to see if like, right NOW would be a good time. She said yes! But by the time we got to this spot that I have been eyeballing for several months now, it was all sunny again.

Oh well.
Still beautiful.

for Matt & Kami : engaged

2009-06-02T08:50:00.001-07:00

theirs is a long, sad and now happy story.... years of knowing each other, married to other people.. serving together and now, finally, being together. congratulations matt & kami.

preview for Kiley

2009-05-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

don't worry, more to come. :)

profile banner

2009-05-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

I took profile shots of the fam.
Pulled them into photoshop and used the magnetic lasso tool.
Put them into a new file of 800 x 100 px. and did a color overlay.
Typed our initials next to each one and voila.

Profile banner for blog.

lights!

2009-05-21T08:57:00.001-07:00

So I am venturing into the world of studio lighting. I must say that I am terrified. It is a completely foreign language... I don't understand much of any of it, but I am also very excited.

I am to be the guest speaker at PM Spokane on photography and how the future professionals can get good shots of their models. Then we are doing photo shoots for 3 days. (what have I gotten myself into??)

This is a time for growth! Right?! That is what I keep chanting to myself anyway.
So when the lights arrive, I plan on setting them up and shooting away. Anyone want to volunteer to be a model? :)

for jessica

2009-05-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when my friend Jessica asked me to do some pictures of her daughter to document her 6 month mark.
1. Because that very same day I had thought of asking her if I could take pictures of her and
2. Because how ridiculously cute is this girl!
3. And because I knew Jessica had decorated her room so cute and I wanted to do a shoot in her room.

She was such a trooper!

Then we headed outside... love the yellow doorway.

Thanks Jessica!!

for Bianca

2009-05-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

I meant to post these a while ago - from my shoot in Seattle. This is Bianca's family! They are from Germany and Australia and Switzerland and France... They were so cool to hang out with in downtown Seattle for a few hours!

You can see we had a lot of fun looking for interesting colors and architecture. Thanks Bianca!

picture of the day

2009-04-29T22:59:00.000-07:00