Shannon | Expecting
Shannon and I used to work together and she approached me to do a session of her newest baby bump! The timing was perfect, because I was looking for a guinea pig to drive out to Globe to Peridot Mesa and play among the wildflowers! Wildflowers are definitely one of my favorite things! Shannon and her husband David started a nonprofit organization called God Feet, providing some really cool flip flops for people in developing nations.
The weekend we chose to go out was the first weekend of the season over 80 degrees. When it warms up here, the critters start to come out. So, while we were out on the reservation having fun and taking photos, I happened to look behind me to be sure I wasn’t stepping into any cactus, when lo and behold there lay a rattlesnake!! All I can say is, this white girl can jump. And yeah I screamed like a little girl. Luckily, no one got hurt, and then they wanted to get a picture with the snake. Fun? Yes, after I stopped shaking enough to hold the camera steady.
Sam | Seniors 2012
I met Sam via a mutual friend and her mom contacted me for her senior portraits. I remember having my senior portraits taken a looooong time ago and was so excited to be able to create these memories for Sam. Turns out she is super photogenic and very stylish to boot! We were able to enjoy a beautiful evening out at Papago Park and hiked up to Hole in the Rock for sunset.
Elaina + Caleb | Wedding
I love small weddings. They are so much more intimate and personal. This was no exception. I was fortunate to tag along to assist Mike Olbinski with this lovely wedding at Val Vista Lakes. Elaina & Caleb and their entire wedding party were hilarious! I felt like I had new friends by the time I left. Here are a few images from their day that are my favorites.
Bridal Party!
Okay, I can only hope to do this with my friends someday! These girls are all married and decided to get together for an afternoon for a photo shoot, in their wedding dresses. Awe-some. They put together a gift exchange, brought delicious snacks, and we toured around the Civic Plaza. Boy, did we attract some attention! We even had people asking for photos with the brides. Several people asked if they were models. Of course we said yes!
Erin | Expecting
Erin & I were in bible study together and I play trumpet with her stepdad at Highlands Church. I remember hearing Erin was pregnant and I couldn’t wait for them to be new parents! Erin & DJ have known each other for a long time as business partners and as love would have it, eventually got married. They are so happy together every time I see them! Erin & DJ live near some open desert so we snuck over the fence and were able to walk around and get some great shots of Erin’s baby bump and their expectant smiles!
One Shot | Dena
Dena and I have worked together for awhile and as we both transitioned into new opportunities, she asked me to do some new corporate headshots for her real estate team. I wanted to share this one because it’s my favorite and she is so beautiful. Best of luck in your new career, Dena!
The Stern Family
Beth and I have worked together for awhile and we have gotten to know each other pretty well. She asked me to do this session with her new grandson, daughter and son-in-law…. and they brought dogs! I love dogs. If you have dogs, and they aren’t crazy crazy, bring them. Well maybe bring them anyway. I have a little doggie myself, a minpin named Lilu. She is part of my family too! So, when we do family sessions, definitely bring all of your family! We headed out to The Grove church in Chandler for this session. It was a crisp overcast day which led to some fabulous shots beneath the trees of, the grove.
Maureen + Chris | Wedding
I had the pleasure of assisting Rachael Kuivinen with this lovely wedding. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.
Sherrie + Mike | Engaged
When it rains it pours! In addition to myself getting married, so did 4 of my friends, right within 2 months of each other! It was like we were fighting for wedding dates! It all worked out though. I was honored to shoot my good friend Sherrie’s wedding and also get to know Mike a little better. We’d been out to some pub trivia nights together, and let me tell you, Sherrie is sharp as a tack. We have won several pub trivia nights, I’ll have you know. For their engagement session, we covered a lot of ground around Old Town Scottsdale, ending up at the Civic Plaza. It was such a beautiful day!
Amanda + Brandon | Engaged
I’ve known Amanda for several years and got to know her better when we traveled to Buenas Aires, Argentina together on a mission trip with Highlands Church. Turns out we got selected to be housed with the only all Spanish speaking host. Our broken Spanish came in handy! While it was somewhat frustrating the first few days, we eventually made it pretty well with our ‘abuelita.’ Brandon sings on the worship team at our church, and I was so happy when they started dating! I don’t think Amanda had dated anyone while I knew her! Brandon had such an exciting plan for the proposal, which I’d heard about in advance from playing my trumpet on the worship team. It was hard to keep it from Amanda so I could hardly wait for Brandon to propose! They graciously allowed me to shoot their engagement photos, which was a total blast. Amanda loves mediterranean architecture, and through a friend, we were able to get access to Desert Mountain Golf Club. Beautiful!
Rachel Ann Photography 