All images from this portrait session are available for viewing & purchase: www.pictage.com/876341

To view the rest of the images from this session, visit their Online Gallery: www.pictage.com/866781

These shots with the little big sister or brother-to-be checking out the pregnant belly of their mom is about as adorable as it gets! And so very profound. I often wish I had an image of me with my mother when she was pregnant with my brother, Daniel. It would be such a treasure. Sometimes I wonder how much of my work is trying to create images for people that I wish I had for myself. What are the most priceless images you own? How do you have them displayed and/or archived? Share with the class in a comment below!

Maria brought this scarf from home and it was unbelievable cool on her belly!!
Kaliyah has a new baby brother or sister coming soon! And she’s not so sure about things at the moment. Maria says she is going a little bananas because Kaliyah prefers to be wrapped around her neck at all times! Can any of you mommies relate to that?  This yoga pose was for real. Kaliyah was kind of freaking out so Peter was having a moment with her outside. I asked Maria if she practiced yoga and if so, perhaps this was a good time to center and “come into her breath!” I love that we were able to create such gorgeous images in the midst of what felt like a very chaotic and emotional photo session. This is definitely what I do best- somehow!

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. ”

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~

Marion, you are gorgeous and as sweet as ever. Jason, thank you for doing an impromptu examination of MY baby, Obadiah, before our session. Very generous of you. It is such a pleasure to work with both of you and I’m waiting with baited breath for our first session with your baby this fall!!

It was too beautiful of day to work inside the studio, so we quickly moved outside. I just tacked up a piece of lace on our front pergola. Love the combination of natural light with a soft vintage backdrop.

I am so happy with the way our front porch is working for portrait sessions! The trick is always to find the balance between lush and cluttered; to create a beautiful setting that doesn’t distract from my subject. This happy couple seems to be oblivious of my presence. I find this common occurrence  ironic because I would not describe myself as a wall flower! But I guess my happy chattering and fidgeting with my camera puts my clients at ease. Maybe I’m kind of like a white noise sound machine.
Behind Marion is my whimsical vegetable garden! Super happy that I threw in all those cosmos and morning glory seeds! They are a MUCH better backdrop than the onions or squash- or bolting lettuce.
 
As you know, I have traditionally created more black and white images. But these colors are just sublime. So I guess that’s my approach- I want to be knocked out by a photograph. Sometimes color is just a big muddle and very distracting from the shape and emotion of an image. If my reaction to a color image is not, “oh my GOSH those colors are gorgeous!!” I will convert it to black and white or sepia. But I have to play with each image to see where it needs to be. Honestly I do not have a very efficient post-processing routine. David Jay highly recommends not having a “creative workflow” and I can see his point 100%. It’s not good business. I just can’t get there. I want every one of my images to be just right.
To view the complete set of these portraits & to order images, please visit Marion & Jason’s Online Gallery: www.pictage.com/715005

In celebration of the new space I am delighted to offer Studio Portrait Sessions for only $199 through the end of October! Call 303-665-2708 or email to book your session!

Also, I’ve had many many requests to see both the new space and our new puppy so I’m having an OPEN HOUSE with sangria, snacks and puppy smiles this Friday (Aug. 21) from 2-6pm! Please come by and enjoy a tasty treat! See you soon!

Christy and I had breakfast last week and she gave a spectacular argument for waiting until the little ones are born to find out the gender. I always thought I would just want to know so I could try to get my head around who was coming into my life, but she said it is like Christmas times 100. After all, when again in your life will you be able to live with that much anticipation…and let family and friends savor the excitement along with you? Hmm, lots to ponder there.

In the meantime, here are a few photos of the babies-to-be and little Kate Hayden (who I’ve been photographing since she was 3 months old!! see past blog posts!)