Ross, the daddy, emailed me today and it made me smile inside and out:

“Thank you so much for the maternity photos, they are beautiful.  You have made my wife feel wonderful in her last few weeks of pregnancy.  I see how beautiful she is every day, but she needed a reminder. ”

Alli had no intention of having HER photo taken during this photo shoot. We all know how mommies feel for about 5-10 years after having babies, but we ALSO know how strongly I feel about capturing a few gorgeous images of the moms. You are more beautiful than you realize. Trust your husband, your mother, your friends and your photographer!! These images will be TREASURED by your children, I promise you.

I am delighted to present Recherché’s Best Children, Family & Maternity Portraits of 2009! We had a very difficult time narrowing this set down. So much so that we decided just to create a slideshow of the final selections. Enjoy! Please share with friends & family! Looking forward to working with you in this new year!

~CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW~

Time is just flying by. This sweet baby has become a toddler. I’ve photographer her parents’ wedding, her sister’s first 2 years and now it’s her turn! She is just a doll baby and I had so much fun photographing her in her home. She doesn’t realize this now, but her mom is brilliant and impassioned artist, visual merchandiser and refinisher! Reb has been my friend for a decade (!) and has helped me not only furnish my home but has helped to arrange the furniture in EVERY place I’ve lived and worked! There is no way to count the number of phone calls she has received from me in a composition panic and arrived within 48 hours to quell the crisis. She is a kindred spirit in that she understands my perfectionist nature and my desperate need for beauty and order in my surroundings. And she has always helped me accomplish that. I am delighted to be able to create gorgeous images of her children to help balance the scales a bit! She ran Good Use for 8 years and is now refinishing people’s kitchens and bathrooms. Do you need a fresh look in your home but don’t have the funds or energy to gut the space? Hire Reb! Check out her website and be prepared to be wowed!!

Last night a friend was talking to me about her recent 30th birthday party. Her family put out lots of photos of her when she was a baby but she said the pictures that were the most precious, and sadly the fewest, were images with her parents and grandparents. She validated the message I’ve been trying to send to my friends and clients for years: as precious as these baby photos are to you- that is how precious images of you will be to your children when they are grown. (Even if you’re 10 pounds heavier than you wish you were or haven’t gotten in for that manicure or feel like you haven’t slept in 2 years straight.) Photos of you, as you are now, will be treasures for your children.
 

The Frea Family just moved to Boulder County and they have had the same photographer creating their family photographs for several years back in CA. I was so privileged (and nervous!) to have the opportunity to create these precious photographs and hope this will be a new family tradition! We’re so glad you moved here, Riki & Bill! Wishing you a White Colorado Christmas!  

The Frea Family online gallery is posted here: www.pictage.com/762327

Heather would be the first to tell you that this session was a disaster. They had just gotten back in the country a couple days previous to the session and both kids were out of sorts. Sloan burst into tears within minutes of arriving at my house and could not stand to be even slightly detached from him momma. And Heather was not interested in making an appearance in the photos, so we had a dilemma. The crying got progressively worse until an exhausted Sloan fell asleep in his mother’s arms. Strong fit yoga mom carried that boy all the way down the open space trail- there and back! And somehow, we ended up with so many really sweet photographs. It’s a mystery and a relief for all of us!! And now they’re off to London for Christmas…sniff, just a little envious!! Now this shot is a complete treasure since it was literally a blink.
I feel like this is a very important “character” shot representing this time in their lives  

Sessions will last 20-30 minutes. We’ll pile your family together and get a great shot for your holiday cards and Christmas gifts! To see examples of recent Recherché portrait sessions click here.

Need me to come to you? Mini Location Family Portrait Special: $500
(additional travel fee may be required depending on where we meet)
     This is one of the busiest times of year so don’t delay in booking your session!
We still have several session times available these next few weekends!

And please share this limited-time offer with your friends and family! Recherché has dropped all print advertising and funneled that money into charities we love, so word-of-mouth is now our ONLY source of new business. Thank you a million times over for your enthusiasm, your referrals and your continued support. 

 
I have to call this one “the Headless Horse girl”    
Just for the record, this gorgeous girl is my niece and she was ready to be held! So this sweet pic was the LAST shot of our session! I just could not resist capturing those LIPS!!!
A rare tentative moment for Georgia Ryleigh Sinkey.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW RECHERCHE’S HALLOWEEN 2009 SLIDESHOW!

As soon as they walked in the door he was enraptured with Finnegan, our new puppy, and tried to make friends by offering to share his baby pumpkin. Finn was not particularly interested, but that didn’t bother Luke a bit!

While this photograph is nothing special, I have to include it because it represents how we spent about 75% of the portrait session- watching Luke and Finnegan chase each other around the tree. I was half expecting one of them to turn into syrup! Finally, after many many many circles, Luke fell on the ground laughing his little head off! Instantly I knew this was the moment we had been waiting & hoping and shot about 10 frames before he was up and running again.
A triumphant moment in the life of an candid/unstructured children’s portrait photographer!
About one and a half seconds on the tin bucket to catch his breath and ponder…
Classic attempt at a “family portrait” with a 20 month old little boy!
But leave it to dad to improve the situation- for the photographer at least!!
I consider this to be a fabulously lucky shot!! Why Luke is smiling so adorably at me I’ll never know! This moment lasted for approximately 1/3rd of a second!  
This shot is a perfect example of why it’s great to bring grandparents along to a portrait session! The only reason Luke is smiling in his semi-restrained position is because his grandparents are booth standing next to me cooing at him! Otherwise he’d be screaming and crying to be let free like a normal two year old!
This was my little treat for Anji & John- a quick and beautiful shot of just the two of them!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW OF THIS SESSION

Luke’s Online Gallery is located at: www.pictage.com/745045