Monday, December 30, 2013

Baby's First Christmas

There's something magical about seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child.  This little darling just saw something absolutely magical in a Christmas tree and couldn't tear herself away.

And check out that smile!


Friday, December 20, 2013

Peacock Christmas

So, for some reason, this Christmas season the big "trending" thing in holiday decorating has been peacocks.  Hmmm.  Intriguing.  I can't say I quite comprehend the connection between the two, but hey, I'm not complaining!  I love peacocks!  :-)



Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Christmas Bling

I confess -- I love a good sparklie!  And one of the best parts of Christmas for me is all the fun "bling"!  Especially when I whip out the star filter and each light on the tree becomes a bright shiny star.






And talk about the ULTIMATE bling!


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Midway Ice Castles

Several years ago, I discovered the beautiful Ice Castles in Midway, Utah.  Much to my dismay, they moved them the following year to Colorado.  And I haven't been able to get out there to capture them over the last couple of years.

But, to my intense delight, I learned that they have decided to bring them back to Midway again this year!  They'll still have the Colorado ones, but they're building in two locations.  So excited to see what they come up with this year!



















Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Festival of Trees

One of my favorite events of the holiday season is the Festival of Trees -- hundreds of decorated trees and wreaths, dozens of gingerbread houses, festive music, and fun activities for the whole family.

It only lasts a few days, but it's fun.  Now I just have to wait another year before the next one.  *sigh*







Thursday, December 5, 2013

Winter Engagements

I always love a good portrait shoot in the snow.  This couple jumped at the chance to use a fresh snowfall for their engagement photos.





Tuesday, December 3, 2013

First Snowfall of December

"Let it snow" indeed!  Here in Utah we've been clobbered by quite the storm.  Welcome to winter!

So what I do when it's snowing and the smartest thing would be to stay at home in front of a roaring fire with a mug of hot chocolate?

That's right.  I brave the elements in search of photo opportunities.





Monday, December 2, 2013

The Start of the Christmas Season

Say what you will about the over-commercialization of Christmas, I love this particular holiday season.  The lights, the wreaths, the ornaments, the carols, the colorful wrapping paper and bows.

I love it.  Such celebration!

And so I couldn't really resist getting a bit festive my own self and sprucing up my site for the holidays.

May your December be filled with magic, however you may celebrate!


Thursday, November 28, 2013

Family Fun on Thanksgiving

People often think it's easy to take portraits.  Set them up, get them to smile, and click the shutter...easy as pie, right?

Well...

The thing is, every photographer has their expectations.  And the more experienced you get, the more skilled you become, the higher those expectations rise as a result.  (And yeah, we've all had our more cocky moments, let's be honest.  ;-) )

But people -- in particular, children -- can be a mite...unpredictable.

So we walk into the situation expecting to get shots like this:



Or maybe even something like this:

But in reality, what we more often get...is this:

And that's when the parent comes out with this: "We're going to take a shot of you crying now and show it to your future wife."

:-)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Engagements at Stanford

Loving being here in Northern California!  Among visiting friends for Thanksgiving, I also had the wonderful opportunity to take this darling couple's engagement photos.  They chose to go to Stanford University, which offers so many wonderful choices for backdrops.  It's such a beautiful campus.

It was a chilly morning, but that only provided more of an excuse to cuddle up.  ;-)



Just got engaged?  Check out some more of our favorite couples here:
http://www.simpleelegancebylaura.com/photos/engagements/