Nick & Amy | Engagment& Wedding Photographer Helena, Montana

Another fantastic engagment session!!! Nick and Amy are such a cute couple! I was excited when they asked me to photograph their wedding next summer. I have known Nick since he was just a little boy and it was a pleasure to meet Amy. She is perfect for him! We had a great session out on the Chevallier Ranch just west of town. Nick and Amy are friends with the owner so we lucked out on getting access to such a gorgeous ranch with a ton of different settings and outbuildings. A photographer's heaven!!! I think we got some really great shots of the two of them and I cannot wait for their wedding next June. It is at a gorgeous ranch in Winston and I am sure it will be a beautiful day!

Berg Family | Family Photographer Helena, Montana

Anothe one the families I had the joy of photographing during my mini sessions this fall. Shannon was a year behind me in highschool so it was great to get to catch up with her and meet her husband and two adorable children. They aer such a cute family! And I also go to photograph Grandma and Grandpa who are celebrating 38 years of marriage. I just love meeting couples who have been married for a long time. It reminds us that it can be done with a little love and work!

Hernandez Family | Family Photographer Helena, Montana

This fall I decided to offer Fall Family Mini Sessions and I had the oppurtunity to photography some great families. Kristi has brought her daugher in a few times to model for an ETSY shop I do work for, so it was great to finally get to photograph both her and her two gorgeous girls. It was a little windy during our session but we made the best of it during our short time. Her girls and her are all so photogenic they made my job pretty easy.

D & M | Engagement & Wedding Photographer Helena, Montana

Having friends ask you to photograph them is one of the biggest honors ever in my opinion. It means they love my work and trust me enough to photograph them. Photography is an art and not everyone has the gift of really seeing and capturing a person or a relationship behind a camera. If we all did everyone would be a photographer and I would be out of a job! Meghann and I have been friends for several years now and now Darrin and her are regulars on couples dates with me and my husband. We love the both of them and really enjoy spending time with the two of them. They are great people and perfect for each other. They recently got engaged this past spring, and the proposal was original and awesome, thanks to Darrin's creativity. Who doesn't love antlers!! He carved a verse into an antler and while they were out riding in the pasture one day he hid it so she would find it. It was a total surprise! Meghann was completely shocked!! I was so happy for them after hearing the news and thrilled when they asked me if I would photograph their wedding next summer and their engagement this fall. I was beyond thrilled that Meghann finally found the "One", that he finally proposed, and that I would be blessed to capture it for them. Their engagment session was in the works for months but we were just waiting for fall and the right colors. We had a great time photographing them out in the countryside by their house. Meghann had some great ideas for their shoot and the scenery provided an amazing backdrop. I am super excited for the wedding now! Their locations is gorgeous and I know everything is going to be awesome!

K Man | Child Photographer Helena, Montana

This little guy is close to my heart! It was great to finally have him back in the studio again. I had the joy of capturing him his first year and now he is turning the big 2!! Our session was short but we managed to get a few great shots of him between the terrible 2's hitting! He is definately coming into is own and finding out how far he can push mom. Kids around this age can be difficult to photograph but I just try to remind the parents that their child's behavior is normal and we will get what we can. Worst cas scenario is that you come back in for another session, but I try my best to try to capture each child's personality, and I try not to let you leave unless I know I have some great shots. Patience is always a virtue when working with toddlers!

Butler Family| Family Photographer Helena, Montana

The past month has been a crazy one full of sessions and traveling around the state. The end of September I had the joy of traveling up to Havre to photograph the Butler Family. Stephanie was nominated back in May for my Mommy & Me Contest and won the grand prize, which was a FREE family session. I told her I would come up to Havre, just because I love to get out of town once in a while, and because her Sister-in-Law is one of my best friends. It was great to finally meet them all and we had a great time during our session just south of town in the Bear Paw Mountains. It was a perfect evening out and we beet the rain that came just a few hours later.

Mullenbach Family | Family Photographer Helena, Montana

Fall is always a crazy time of year for photographers and this one is no exception. I have been super busy with family sessions, but I love it because it is my favorite time of year, and al the colors outside are absolutley gorgeous! I was excited to finally get to photograph my Aunt and Uncle and my cousin's family. We talked about it earlier this year and we finally got a good oppurtunity to do them. My Aunt and Uncle have a gorgeous setting right out their back door so I took full advantage of it. I think we got some great photographs of everyone!

Lena | Child Photographer Helena, Montana

We had a great time celebrating this little girls first birthday in the studio a couple of weeks ago. She was so cute and fun to watch. She is the first child I have had that wanted absolutely nothing to do with her cake. Mom and to pull out all the tricks to try to get her to try it. We managed to get her to eat part of the fondant cherry on top but that was about it. It was hilarious! What kid doesn't love cake?

Ava | Child Photographer Helena, Montana

She is such a doll! And she gets cuter everytime I photograph her, if that is possible. She has such a laid back personality and loves to smile. I always enjoy photographing her. She makes my job effortless! It is hard for me to bleieve that she will be one soon. This last year of capturing her has flown by! I am exctied for her 1 year old session. Mom and I have some great ideas in store!

Calvin | Child Photographer Helena, Montana

My cousin's little guy is so cute and has big blue eyes and eyelashes any girl would envy. I was excited to finally photograph this little guy after talking about it with my cousin for some time. We had a great time in the studio an made quite the mess with his cake smash! And I have learned a good lesson, I will never have black frosting on a cake again!

Williams Family | Family Photographer Helena, Montana

Another family session from my Fall Specials! This is another one of my best friends and her family. I get the joy of photographing them a lot! They make it pretty easy though, they are all so photogenic. We got some great portraits of her and her kids and a couple with her man friend. They make a pretty cute family if I do say so myself!!

McGree Family| Family Photographer Helena, Montana

Fall is my favorite time of year! I love the crisp air and all the fall colors! This year I decided to offer Fall Family Specials due to my crazy schedule. I have had people asking left and right for family portraits but there was absolutely no way to fit all of them in in our short fall season. For the first set of Fall Family Sessions we went to a private ranch just east of East Helena. It is a gorgeous 1200 acre ranch that has been in the same family since the 1940s. It is absolutely gorgeous out there and has many different settings perfect for Family Sessions. The McGree Family is such a nice family and I had a great time getting to know them and all their children. They were full of love and you could just see it in their smiles.

Anglin Family| Family Photographer Helena, Montana

It was so great to meet this family. They purchased a gift card that I donated to Rossiter Elementary Schools Annual Tailgate Party back in January of this year. We had attempted previous sessions but something always came up. So it was great to finally photograph them. For our session we ventured out in the mountains outsided of Montana City. It is one of my favorite places and has a lot to offer in scenery. It is gorgeous out there! I just love how their photographs turned out!

Emily Class of 2015| High School Senior Photographer Helena, Montana

Emily has grown into such a beautiful young woman. I have known her Mom for several years now and it is hard to believe that she already has a Senior in High School. For her session we went to a private residence just outside of Helena. They have a beautiful piece of property with a creek running right through it. I just love this location and all it has to offer. I will be doing Fall Family Session up there in October. Emily, her Mom and I had a great time during our session and we got some great photographs of Emily.

Owens Family | Family Photographer Helena, Montana

I had the joy of photographing one of my best friends and her family earlier this month out in Toston. As usual, we had a great time out at their ranch and ventured into Toston to take pictures on the bridge that straddles the Missouri River. Their session turned out great and we captured some really great photographs of all of them. Their kids are growing so fast! It seems like yesterday that I was holding their daughter as a newborn. I can't believe that in just a few short years I will be taking her Senior portraits! Her parents better lock her up once she enters High School. She is a gorgeous girl just like her Mom!

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep | Affiliate Photographer Helena, Montana

In July I finally took the leap and applied to be an Affiliate Photographer for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. It is an amazing organization out of Denver, Colorado, that helps connects families greiving the loss of a newborn child with Photographers who donate their time and talent to help these families heal. I had heard about the organization some time ago but was not confident enough in my skills as a Photographer yet to apply. So in July I got the courage up to apply, submitted my application and portfolio. Their screening process is very stringent due to the nature of this type of photography, but I knew if my portfolio passed I would be good. I have more than 10 years experience in the medical field as an X-Ray Technologist and I knew that this was right up my alley. I know the hosptial environment like the back of my hand and feel very comfortable there. It was like my second home, and I believe that is why I am so passionate about Birth Photography and this new venture. I love documenting life and I believe that the parents of these tiny angels deserve a great way to remember their child long after their gone. So, I was estatic when I got the email several weeks after submitting it, that they had approved my application. I was like a kid in a candy store excited! So now a couple of weeks later, I am in the process of going through their training manual,training videos and getting information together for the medical communities in Helena and many of the surroudning commuities I hope that by helping provide these services many of the families affected by losing their child will find a way to cope and heal. I have never suffered the loss of a child, but my second pregnancy had major complications that nearly took my life and that of my childs 10 weeks before she was due, and it could very easily turned out much differrent than it did. I am thankful everyday for the experiences I went through and the gift of life. I know my compassion comes from my own difficult and trying experiences and and I hope that I can somehow help these families during such a tragic time. Please take the time to watch the video and spread the word in our community. And if you are a Photographer and interested in applying to become an Affiliate Photographer, September is Recruit a Photographer Month for NILMDTS, and I would love to chat with you about joining such an amazing and worthy organization. NILMDTS Video

Maci | Child Photographer Helena, Montana

This little girl has won my heart over this last year. I may be partial since she is my neice, but she has a great little personality and now know as my "red head sassy pants". My husbands sister and her family moved to Helena last fall and stayed with us for a while and during that time this little spitfire and I bonded. I love photographing her because she has quite the personality and it shines through. We had fun during this session modeling items for Nordeen's Baby Couture, an ETSY shop out of New York. Maci was in heaven playing dress up and showing me her moves as she calls them. If you get the chance make sure to check out Nordeen's Baby Couture on Facebook and on ETSY. This shop has some really cute stuff and I am so excited to be able to work with them.

Royal | Pet Photographer Helena, Montana

This was a totally random shoot but I couldn't resist after my brother brought this little guy over. He was watching him for a friend and since my husband wouldn't let me keep him I had to at least photograph him! He is probably one of the most beautiful Pit Bulls I have ever seen. The color of his coat and his eyes are amazing! He did such a good job in the studio and with a little bribing we got some great shots of him. I may have to dabble a little bit more in Pet Photography because of this little guy!

Samuelson Family | Family Photographer Helena, Montana

This shoot was by far one of my favorites so far! This family did such a great job planning for their Family Session and envisioning what they wanted the final photographs to look like. Their outfits were amazing and combined with the perfect private location I knew we were going to get amazing photographs of all them. I also knew I had to nail it because they drove all the way from Miles City to get them done. It was fun getting to catch up with an old classmate from High School and meet his adorable family. His wife is amazing and their 3 little boys are darling! I couldn't be happier with the way this session turned out and I am glad that they are in love with their photos just as much as I am. Thank you again for asking me to photograph your family, it was a pleasure and a joy!

KyLee Capital High Class of 20145 { Senior Portrait Photographer Helena, Montana}

This session was so fun! I met KyLee and her Mom and Dad at the York Bar (My favorite place for a great burger!) and we drove up into the mountains about 30 minutes past the town of Nelson down the the river. It was a perfect morning out and the smoke had finally cleared out of the skies after a week or two of being here. I don't usually shoot in the morning but we made the best of the lighting and I tried out some new lighting techniques. KyLee was so easy to photograph and we took our time trying out different outfits and settings. She has a great personality and is so sweet! I could have probably photographed her all day but I had to get home to my girls!

Helena Holding Resevoir { Wildlife Photographer Helena, Montana}

I love photographing wildlife and landscapes, but I don' t get the pleasure of doing it very often, so I jumped at the oppurtunity when my Aunt asked me to go kayaking with her. We had a blast and I got some AMAZING photos! Some of these will definately be going up on my walls. Sunsets are probably my favorite time of day and that night I think we had an endless sunset that kept changing and the colors were amazing. This experience totally got me hooked to kayaking and I hope to get one soon, along with a longer lens to shoot more wildlife. I may just have to drag my children out with me so I get photograph more of what I love.

Ruppert Wedding Bismark, ND { Wedding Photographer Helena, Montana}

This wedding was near and dear to my heart. It always brings me so much joy to photograph people that have been a part of my life at some point. Nick is a good friend of my husbands and the reason that we are together. He introduced me and my husband almost 14 years ago and the rest is history. It was great to finally catch up with him since he moved to North Dakota and meet his beautiful bride Shayda. They are perfect for each other and their wedding was absolutely beautiful, even if the heat and humidity about killed me! I had the pleasure of being a second shooter with my good friend Leslie Livengood Photography out of Lincoln, ND. We had a great time and got some pretty amazing photos that document their special day!

Mr. B turns 9 months old! { Baby & Child Photographer Helena, Montana}

Oh this little guy is so adorable!! I will miss the day when he turns 1 and won't visit me every 3 months! I have had the joy of photographing him since he was in his mother's womb, his birth and every few months since then. He is always such a ham for the camera! He tried to trick us this time and didn't want anything to do with the camera but we managed to squeeze out a few smiles and a little bit of his personality. He is all boy for sure!!

Jaelee {Newborn Photography Helena, Montana}

This little one was such cutie!! She was my last session in my small studio in town before my move. We had a great newborn session that lasted a couple of hours. She teased us a little bit by falling asleep for a short time right after she got to the studio, but she didn't want to stay asleep very long, she wanted to see what we were up to. After a little while we managed to get her back to sleep just long enough to get some great photographs of all her adorableness. We even got to try a few different headbands and setups before she was wide awake again. I loved photographing her, she is one of the prettiest babies I have had the joy of photographing as a newborn.

My Girls {Child Photographer Helena, Montana}

I finally planned a session for my girls after being in business for almost 2 years. I found some adorable outfits from an ETSY shop and we headed for the hills! We found a gorgeous spot up at our friends cabin near Niehart. All went well until I photographed them together, if you have ever tried to photograph your own children you know how hard it can be. We managed to get some great photos but by the end of our session both girls were in tears and didn't want anything to do with each other and I was screaming. One of the last photos I took I asked them to hold hands and you would have thoght the world ended! It wasn't funny that day but it is now and you can't tell at all! Now I know how some parents feel when their session goes a little crazy because of their chidlren and they are sure that I didn't get any good photographs. I am so thankful that we really captured these. I was the perfect setting and I am totally in love with the images. I cannot wait to get some canvases up on my walls!!

3 Generations {Family & Child Photographer Helena, Montana}

It was such a joy to photograph these 3 generations. I have known Kristen and Rachelle since grade school and was thrilled when Kristen and her Mom contacted me to photograph all of them and their children together. I hadn't seen any of them in years and was so excited to meet their daughters. They are all so beautiful! We had a great session in their yard and their neighbors beautiful back yard. It was a little hot out, but we got to end the session with ice cream! I just can't say how much I enjoyed this session. It was great to meet their daughters, catch up with old friends and photograph 3 generations of best friends.

Ryder turns 1! {Child Photographer Helena, Montana}

This guy's first year flew by! I was excited to see him to see how much he had grown over the past year. He was so much fun to have in the studio and by far he had the BEST cake smash to date! He completey demolished it! I just love this little guy's personality! I think his Mom and Dad may be in trouble when he gets older!

Gunner {Newborn Photographer Helena, Montana}

This little guy is so adorable and looks just like his older brother did a year ago. I am amazed at how much they look alike. Once again Dad brought in some AMAZING props for me to use. I just love using antlers and natural things in my sessions. I just love the Elk antlers and his Dad's saddle that we used with his other son. I think it really makes the photographs more meaningful when people bring in their own items.

ETSY Models {Child Photographer Helena, Montana}

I was so excited when Nordeen's Baby Couture Boutique out of New York contacted me to photograph their products for them. This is such a great oppurtunity for me to get my name out in the community more and also to build up my prop inventory. I had a shop contact me a while ago but it didn't work out much to my dissapointment. So, I was thrilled when the first box of products came, they were absolutely adorable!!! I had several little models come in over the course of a few days and got some really great portraits for them to take home and some great shots of all the cute headbands and rompers. I am excited to be doing more this coming month with some gorgeous custom headbands.

Reed Wedding { Wedding Photographer Helena, Montana}

Another wedding! This one was absolutely gorgeous! The 4-R Ranch in Montana City is absoluty beautiful. I was grateful to get to photograph this wedding with Dawn Smart Photography again. We spent the whole day up there and got some really amazing shots that really showcased the venue and the bride and groom. It was an emotional wedding that had me in tears at times. Yes photographers do cry! I couldn't help it after watching the brides father put her mother's necklace on her. You could definately tell that even though her Mom had passed away years ago that the love and mourning were still very raw, especially on a day where we all expect are parents to be there. They did a beautiful job keeping her memory alive at the wedding. Again, it is one I will never forget! I just love being able to help capture these special days and moments.

Wood Wedding { Wedding Photographer Helena, Montana}

I was so thrilled when I got asked to help Dawn Smart Photography out of Boulder with a couple of Weddings this summer. She was great to work with and I absolutley love her work. This wedding started at Helena First Assembly of God and the reception to follow was out at Kleffner Ranch. The day was absolutley perfect! You could just feel the love between the bride and groom and the presence of God was amazing. It was very heartwarming to see this young couple keep God as the center of their relationship. Their wedding party prayed over them before and during the ceremony and I was grateful to capture it. It is definatley something that I will never forget.

Miss Tenley turns 1! {Helena, Montana Child Photographer}

Another 1 year old! I am still amazed at how much children change in their first year. Miss Tenly has been coming in since last fall and she has changed so much. She still has gorgeous blue eyes and smile that lights up a room, but this time she wasn't too sure about the camera. We had to resort to dancing and Dad pulling out the Elmo voice to get her to smile. Thank God it worked!! We got some great photos and she had a great time smashing her cake!

Muir Family {Helena, Montana Family Photographer}

I have been photographing Lacey and Mr. Braxton this past year and was thrilled when her Mom asked me to photograph all of them this summer. They are such a great family!! We had a great time during our session in their backyard. I love the colors that they had picked out for thei portraits!

Miss Karlin turns 1! {Helena, Montana Child Photographer}

I cannot believe how fast her first year went! I will be sad not to see her come in every few months but at least I get to keep up on how she is doing when I go get my hair done. Her Mom has been one of my friends since Middle School and it was such a joy for me to photograph her little girl who means the world to her. Her session was great and we got some really great shots from her cake smash. I just love seeing how these little one's grow!

Hartman Family { Family Portraits} Helena, Montana Family Photographer

This family is near and dear to my heart! I have know all of them since I was a young girl and now Tanya's daughter watches my girls. I was absoluty thrilled when Tanya asked me to photograph all of them in celebration of Kaytlyn's High School Graduation. I am excited for her to go off to college but it will be hard to let go of such a great baysitter. My girls absolutley LOVE her! Our session went really great and we go some amazing photographs of her parents and her brother's family that was visiting from Arizona.

Issac {1 Year Old} Helena, Montana Child Photographer

This little guy was such a ham for the camera! He was absolutely adorable! Mom wanted to celebrate him turning one the month before by bringing him in. She had picked out some great outfits for him and I had some little hats lying around that were just calling his name. I just love all his expressions!

Miss Ava {6 Months Old}

Oh she is such a doll! She makes my job of photographing her so easy. She is always so easygoing and in such a great mood and her smile just lights up the room! I just love her and cannot wait to see how much she changes throughout the year since she is a member of the Watch Me Grow Club. See you in another month!

Lloyd Family {Celebrating 90 Years}

What a great family! This was my second time getting to photography them with the addition of the rest of the family. They were all together to celebrate their Dad's 90th Birthday! What a great occasion to bring a family together for a family portrait. Our session went great and we got some really great images of all of them, each family and all the grandkids.

Mommy & Me with Mr. K

Oh it's been a busy one!!! This spring and summer flew by and before I realized it I hadn't blogged in over two months. Eeeek!! Guess it is time to cactch up on all these great sessions I have had since May. We'll start with Mr. K and his Mom's session that I did back in early May. Of course I am partial to this little guy's cuteness since he is my cousin's little guy and he is one of the main reasons I started up my own photography buisness. He is always so adorable and I swear he gets cuter and cuter every time I get to see him. I just love his big blue eyes and those curls!! He is going to be a heartbreaker for sure!

Updated Watch Me Grow Plan

This first year of doing a baby club has been great and very rewarding. I love watching your children grow! It always amazes me how much they change during the first year and it is fun to see them develop their own personalities. After some trial and error on my part, I think I have come up with a great new program, and I am excited to share it with all of you. The Watch Me Grow Program will be by membership only. The fee is $750 for the entire first year and includes: 3 Sessions: Newborn (5-12 days old) Sitting Up (6-9 Months) 1st Birthday including Cake Smash (12-14 Months) 20% OFF all Purchases! A FREE Family Session included during one of your sessions! A FREE Grandparent Session! Additional discounts on added sessions: Add a Maternity Session for only $50 Add Birth Photography for 50% OFF the regular price of $350 Member only coupons and specials to use for prints, canvases and gift items! Referral Bonuses! Refer a friend to the program and receive a $50 print credit! And a special gift from me to for being a member!

MR. Braxton {6 Months old!}

I can't believe how time flies! It seems like just yesterday that I was photographing this little guy's Mom and then his birth. He has grown up so much in 6 months and is still as cute as ever! He makes my job pretty easy when he come in to the studio. I can't wait to try and get some photos of him outdoors this summer!

Miss Abbie { Turns 1!!}

These sessions are so fun! It is great to see how much they have grown up in the first year and celebrate by having a cake smash. Abbie wasn't too sure about smashing the cake but eventually she got into it and had a great time! The cake was super cute and made by Dani Morris with Piece of Cake Creations. She did a great job! So great that I will be using her for future cakes for these special sessions!

Miss Tenley {9 Months old}

Wow how time flies! It seems like this little girl was just in the studio yesterday. She has grown so much since her last session, but she still has an adorable smile and gorgeous blue eyes! She made my job pretty easy during this session. We were done in about half and hour and that included some clothing changes. She is just such a ham behind the camera! Love that smile! I cannot wait to do her cakesmash session when she turns 1!

Helena Athletic Club Cheer Teams

These kids were so much fun to work with! I was a little intimidated because I haven't photographed sports teams yet but I was excited about the challenge. Everything went great! The kids were naturals in front of the camera and we got some great individual and team portraits. And just a couple of weeks after our session they took Nationals. Congratulation HAC Cheer!

Kayla & Wyatt {Gettin' Hitched}

This session was so fun and so hard to keep a secret for a few weeks before they enounced their elopement to their family and friends. We had a great session capturing the two of them! They are such a fun couple and were really great to work with. The best part was putting together their announcements to mail out the day they left for Las Vegas to get married. I had so much fun putting them together and helping them surprise everyone. Congratulations Kayla & Wyatt!!

Springtime!

Well March got a way from me! It seems like once the weather started getting a little nicer the busier I got. I even had a chance to make it up to Freezeout Lake to photograph the migrating geese. It was amazing!!! So, there will be lots of updates to the blog documenting March sessions and what is going on around here. I also will be sharing some more information on pricing, the reasons behind my changes and why they are GOOD for you! Hope you all are having a great spring so far and enjoying the weather!

Miss Ava {3 Month Old}

Awww! She is such a doll and so easy to photograph. I just love seeing how these little ones change from when they are born to each of their milestones. I have been able to capture her since she was in the womb, to her birth, and newborn session. And now we are embarking on her 3 month milestone. My how they change in just a short period of time! That is why I think it is so important for parents to document their child through photographs their first year. I know when I look back at my own children's photos it is amazing how much they change.

Isaac {1 year old!}

Isaac is such a sweet little boy! We had a great session getting some photographs of the whole family and taking some of just him. He has the prettiest blue eyes and a smile that is contagious! He was so cute when we were trying to get him to smile. His Mom would sing for him and he would just light up! I just love capturing these emotions for parents. Our children grow up way to fast and being able to capture expressions that will last a life time is so precious.