Class of 2010: Chris

Chris was such a blast to work with! We bonded over discussions of politics, the Hershey's Kissmobile, and life in general. I love knowing that there's young peeps out there like Chris.... there's sunshine on the horizon! This first image is perhaps my super fave.... I can't decide! :) senior-photo-artist-02senior-photo-artist-03

As you can tell... we laughed a *lot* on his shoot!

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Chris... I'm so glad to know you! :) Have a great year!

Down the Aisle: Brent + Kelsey

For some reason, I feel like I've known Kelsey and her sisters for just about... ever. I first met her sister Jill through my mom.... who is a regular in Jill's chair at her salon. Through Jill, I eventually came to know Kelsey and Kylee... and got to work with all three of them as the photographer at Kelsey & Brent's wedding in Beatrice, Nebraska yesterday. The girls got ready at their parents' house and watching them buzz around like a well rehearsed symphony (in overdrive) was a royal treat! lincoln-nebraska-wedding-photographer-beatrice-29lincoln-nbebraska-wedding-photographer-beatrice-07

The instant I saw Kelsey's dress I fell in love with the material the skirt was made of... I know it has a name.... that swishy, accordion-folded material.... but I can't think of it. The skirt had multiple layers draped one over the other.... simply delicious! Anyone know what it's called?

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I am totally obsessed with the open road, so I was thrilled when Kelsey agreed to oblige my request for these images. We had a good laugh when the flower girl and her mom drove by as we shot these.... they must've wondered what in the world we were doing..... maybe she thought Kelsey was a run-away! Ha ha ha ha!

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When Brent first saw Kelsey... how cute! (You could hear the onlookers 'awh-ing' through the house windows.... nice try you guys!) Ha ha! (BTW- remember their rockin' loveshoot pics?)

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This home has been in Kelsey's family for four generations. They brought the wrought iron fence with them from Germany and it has been here since they first built the house. Unbelievable! The house now belongs to Kelsey's aunt and uncle and they have done an incredible job maintaining its unique charm.

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I think weeping willows are among my most favoritest (is that a word?) of trees!

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Ummmm.... is this be-AU-tiful or what? :)

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The little peeps... (minus one of the flower girls......)

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The girls.... with Kelsey's two sisters on either side of her. Too cute! Hooray for outdoor shots and cooperative weather!

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Can't forget the boys!

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Isn't this image the church crazy? (in a good way!) It sits on a hill.... on a corner... and with the sun setting just behind it, the illusion is that it's alone atop the world. Fascinating!

lincoln-nbebraska-wedding-photographer-beatrice-23 This shot is all you Brent! :)

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The priest was so helpful and welcoming.... I love this image of him with the marriage certificate. :)

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On to the reception!

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Phew! Job well done you two! Now you can sit back, relax and enjoy Maui! :) Thanks for inviting me to be part of your celebration!

Down the Aisle: Clayton + Sophie

Look at the gorgeous weather Sophie + Clayton got for their wedding! They certainly had somebody looking out for them in the weather department... pure delight! This lovely jewel is St. Mary's Church in dear ol' downtown Lincoln. lincoln-nebraska-wedding-photographer-04

I was a sucker for Sophie's chunky sparkle bracelet..... it went well with the overall Greek goddess look she had goin' on.... beautiufl!

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Clayton + Sophie.

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To the party!

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Re. Ow!!!!! I am *diggin'* this!

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Ok, ok... So the reception was held at Lincoln Station in the Historic Haymarket. Sophie's sister Maggie made a darling toast at the reception... and topped it off with.... a surprise performance by UNL's Bathtub Dogs (a rockin' male a capella group!). They stole everyone's hearts while they serenaded Sophie with not one, but TWO songs. I was blown away.....

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So darling!

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First dance time!

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These ladies were having a good time!

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Wha????!!! I happened to catch the *exact* moment this drink got knocked from her hand. He's reaching to save it.... but doesn't quite make it. (The dance floor was eventually covered in various beverages.....)

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Sophie  is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at UNL. Her sorority sisters (her real life sister Maggie is a Theta too!) were proudly on hand to represent...

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After the reception, Sophie + Clayton made a mid-night get-away with a sparkler send-off!

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Sparklers at night are an excuse to play with light! Good idea you two! :)

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It was great to meet your family Sophie.... and Clayton.... it was wonderful to see yours again! Especially little Ryder... the newest member! Congrats to you all and best wishes for a happily ever after! (travel safe ya'll!) :)

Down the Aisle: Bryan + Carrie

It came as no surprise that Bryan + Carrie's wedding was gorgeous. One beautiful detail after another paraded themselves in front of my lens, and I was soaking up every minute of it. Here are some of my favorite moments.... nebraska-wedding-potographer-16

As you'll see a few shots later, I was pretty much obsessed with Carrie's bird cage veil. :) You can get one like it from DistinctiveVeils.com. Let's not forget the beautiful monogrammed door decorations.... together with the ostrich feathers in the bouquet... the scene was set for a bird/nest theme kissed with dash of vintage charm. Tré glam!

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Can you feel the texture in this?????!

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Veil + bouquet = LOVE!

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Let the veil homage begin!

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The florist also created these incredible arrangements that lined the church's aisle. How many words are there for gorgeous?! Not enough!

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You can see the characters I was forced to deal with all day. Rough. Rough I tell ya. :)

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The handle bar mustache takes the cake!

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Check. Out. This. Eye candy!

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I love this shot of Carrie living and laughing in the moment....

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I hope she knows how beautiful she looked on her wedding day..... and that she felt as gorgeous on the inside as she looked on the outside!

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These lil' cuties watched as Carrie + Bryan brought every fairy tale happy ending (complete with prince & princess!) to life right before their eyes.

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Simply fantastic. May your life be filled with an abundance of love and happiness!

Love the locales? Here's the deets: The wedding was held at the Columbus First United Methodist Church in Columbus, NE  &  they danced the night away in celebration at the gorgeous Oak Ballroom in Schuyler, NE.

As always, I love to read your comments, so don't be shy! ;)

Love Shoot: Haifeng + Yuyan

Are these two adorable, or what? Haifeng currently lives in Texas... and has been a regular feature at airports jetting back and forth between Texas and Lincoln. They will be together again soon, as their wedding is coming on in only about 3 weeks! (We just recently shot this love session... but so glad we could fit it in!)  :) I am so excited to be part of their wedding celebration. Enjoy your images you two... and I will see you soon!

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Yuyan is so funny!!!

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Having met at the university, they don't call it 'love' library for nothing!

4653Simply gorgeous. :)

Class of 2010: McKenzie

I had the honor of photographing McKenzie's brother Alec last year... and was thrilled when her family called on me again for this lovely lady! Are those eyes piercing, or what!? Simply incredible! senior-portrait-photographer-lincoln-ne-05senior-portrait-photographer-lincoln-ne-06senior-portrait-photographer-lincoln-ne-03senior-portrait-photographer-lincoln-ne-08

We lucked out with the most gorgeous summer day EVER. It was so fantastic, you'd have sworn it was fall. That's the best kind of summer, in my book! :)

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Another darling cutie with rockin' bangs.... what is their secret? My hair revolts against me for even thinking about bangs that work.... ha!

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Getting this shot involved a barbed wire fence. That's all I'll say about that one. :) (Thanks for your help Lisa! I hope the bug bites are well and healed by now!)

senior-portrait-photographer-lincoln-ne-02Love. Love. Love. Great job. :)

A Little Imagination (and a Cape)

Two imaginative boys  + one pair of blankets = instant super heroes! Of course, these are no two ordinary boys.... they're the extra imaginative sons of Randall Myers... creative genius extraordinaire (and clever designer of the beloved KaBloom logo!). I caught up with them on a recent balmy evening to capture their 'now' moments. The drama of this shot makes it among my faves!

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Caden is FAST! But I managed to catch him as he flew by... undoubtedly on his way to perform heroic duties of some sort.....

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How classic is THIS?

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This just cracks me up...

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As the boys climbed the trees, they would occasionally get nervous and reach for Dad. Randall was always right there with strong arms and a quick "I won't let you fall... I'll never let you fall." Isn't that the best comfort in all the world? No wonder Caden looks so at peace on this tree branch in the image below.....

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Nothing like some quality wrestling time with Dad!

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Sometimes just getting the old skool water fountain to work is an amazing feat of dexterity and patience. Nice job Grant!

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I *heart* this image of Caden! He was such a good sport... putting up with me and the camera in his face for so long.... I hope he looks back on this image years from now with a smile. :)

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I"m told that Grant is sometimes lovingly referred to as 'ditto' because of his tremendous idolization for his big brother Caden. If Caden is on the tree swing, Grant wants on the tree swing. If Caden is sporting a super hero cape, Grant wants a super hero cape, etc.... It's endearing to say the least. :) Here, both boys catch their breath on the park bench..... (but not for long!)

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General monkey business....

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The boys are quite fond of their butterfly net.... after running around the playground, Grant drags it home victoriously!

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The perfect ending to a hot summer day... icee treats in the backyard with brother. :)

lincoln-nebraska-childrens-photographer-07You guys are a great. Enjoy!

Lil' Slice o' Heaven: Mackinac, Island

The day after Megan & Jeff's wedding, Emir and I headed up north to a magical little place I've wanted to explore since I first learned of its existence during my Wisconsin college days. It's a quiet throw back from the good ol' days otherwise known as: Mackinac Island (pronounced 'Mackinaw.') If you've never been there, you should really consider adding it to your family 'go-to' list. It's a small island off of the coast of Michigan surrounded by the ginormous water body, Lake Michigan. Roughly 3 miles long, what the island lacks in size it more than makes up for in charm, peace & quiet. There are no cars allowed on the island, so tourists and residents alike (there are roughly 400 lucky people who live there year-round) ride bikes everywhere (or... travel by horse-drawn carriage!). The weather is perfect in the summer (maybe 65-70 degrees, little/no humidity) and if you have a sweet tooth, you're a stone's throw from a fudge shop almost anywhere you go. To put it simply, it is truly a little slice of heaven. We were happy to lose track of time and enjoy the simple life for the few days we were there. Here are some of my fave pics from our 2 day visit. mackinac-island-03mackinac-island-01

Fun details from our room and other inside gems from the Harbour View Inn B&B. The house had a fantastic wrap around porch where we enjoyed watching the endless parade of visitors on bikes while we caught up on our reading.

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Naturally, we rented bikes as well.  Of the numerous bike rental shops on the island, we happened to pick Mackinac Wheels, which we're told is the only shop owned by full-time islanders. They were incredibly helpful and hooked us up with two mountain bikes for the morning. We highly recommend them if you go!

After our regular P90x workout (yes, we took Tony Horton with us! We're almost finished with phase 1, and we 'brought it,' literally!), we set out to ride the entire circumference of the island (not as impressive as it sounds.... remember the island is only about 3mi long/wide.... but.... it was still a great workout and an even better excuse to enjoy some more of the island fudge later!) Here, Emir caught me enjoying the island sun along the coast...

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Darling light houses.... what more to say? :)

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Why does Emir always look so darn gorgeous? Even while on vacation, he's just beautiful 100% of the time. With zero effort. Totally unfair. :) But....  I never get tired of this view..... ;)

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More bike riding.....

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I suppose this shot could've been taken about anywhere..... but.... I was into the patterns of the structure and the flare of the sun. Sometimes, that's all it takes. :)

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We veered off of Main Street (though not far.... there's literally not much else.....) and found this darling historic building. Interestingly, several of the historic buildings seemed to be 'guarded' by these darling little Boy Scout kiddos..... He obliged my photo interest with a smile.

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One of our favorite things to do when enjoying a care-free vacation day somewhere, is to visit a little local market and get some goodies for an outdoor picnic. We usually go for something along the lines of cheese, grapes, french bread and some wine.... but at Doud's, we went with pasta salad made fresh that morning, tuna wraps, yogurt.... and.... apple chips. We ate in the park down the street.

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While we were enjoying our lunch, we spotted Kevin riding by on what's known as an Ordinary Bike, High Wheeler or a Penny-Farthing. I was just telling Emir the day before about how much I love the lines of such bikes.... and here was Kevin.... driving one down Main Street... IN COSTUME no less! We watched as people stopped him every few yards to ask about his bike. I thought he was there as part of the island hospitality (like a hired street performer or some such thing...) but it turns out that he came from the Boston area with his wife to enjoy the island and meet up with other Penny-Farthing enthusiasts. He was kind enough to indulge my photo obsession with his bike while filling us in on the group he belongs to called the Wheelmen. Thanks Kevin! (Surprise for you coming in the mail in the next 2 weeks!)

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We passed more time sitting on the docks, watching the sail boats.... eating fudge, and plotting our next big adventures. The day wore on and eventually.... day turned into night. But, things are far from over just because the sun goes down.... The island even boasts a colorful nightlife! Would you believe this little tiny place has 18 bars!? We popped in to check out a few... but mostly just enjoyed people watching and the view to be had on Main Street.

mackinac-island-15A great family vacation spot, we're already plotting a return with our future kiddos! (not that there's any news on that front yet.... but someday!)