Amanda Senior Pictures

I was excited to do another senior photo shoot a few weeks later. I loved Amanda's spunk and her vision of what she wanted her portraits to be.

Markee Senior Pictures

Markee's aunt is a friend of a friend, who suggested trying me out for some senior pictures. So I am making the foray into taking pictures for others besides friends and family. Markee was a very sweet girl who put up with my craziness well, I had a lot of fun doing her shoot.

Sophie's 3 month pictures

Fini, Search and Rescue 2012

Search and Rescue Color Session 2

This was actually several sessions, just didn't get pictures in between. It's pretty refined by this point.

Search and Rescue color session 1

Search and Rescue drawings

I call these "drawings" even though it's paint. It's the under-painting if you will. 

But this process is much more like drawing then painting.

Starting out:

And all fixed up:

2012 Search and Rescue Study

This years Search and Rescue portrait begins. Meet Archie. We're going to become good friends. I will have completely imagined this man's identity by the time I'm done with the painting. And our few phone conversations.

Last year I had such a hard time getting the composition right, that I contrived a new method for this year. The study is on tracing paper, which I plan to retrace on the back side with charcoal and then transfer to my leather canvas. Here's hoping it works.

Day one:

And fixed a few drawing errors for day 2:

Sophie's official newborn pictures

I need to get out from behind the camera and computer more, I think. This is becoming a photography blog for this unprofessional photographer. Added a new category especially for "baby and kids photography." I think I will be taking many more pictures of Sophie in the years to come. I learned a lot with this shoot, though. And she was for the most part a pretty cooperative little model.

New Baby Photos

New niece Sophie recently arrived in the world. A few days before she came I snapped a few quick maternity pictures of Alison:

And I got to be the official photographer on her birthday. It was so awesome to be there.

Christmas Card Pictures

Sometimes you realize that it's time to send Christmas cards, and you don't have a decent family picture to send with them. So you run to a picturesque spot, meet your sister's family, and quickly take a few photos as the sun is setting. 

Here is Christina and her family:

Chrissy took this picture of my family, obviously. But I edited it, so here it is. (:

Alison's Baby Shower and Diaper Cake

Myself, my mother in law, and a few other friends put together this fun baby shower for my sister in law and beloved friend Alison.

This is the diaper cake Aubree and I made for her.

And the mini version since we had some more stuff and didn't want to add more to the one above. This one felt like a little bouquet which made me happy.

 Steph made all of the paper pinwheels.

Pretty food table:

I made those quiches! (I'm not the world's best cook/baker.) If nothing else, they were pretty.

The activity at the shower was making onesies for the soon-to-be baby girl. Here's what I constructed.

Laurie's Family Pictures

I feel like I'm getting a disproportionate amount of photography on this little blog. But here's some more. I took family pictures of my sister Laurie's family. My biggest accomplishment from these pictures is having the guts to call a friend I haven't talked to in a long time to ask permission to go on their property. It ended up being the perfect location. 

Sylvia

I was commissioned to do this pastel portrait of my late friend Sylvia, the mother of my friends Jessica and Rachel, by Rachel. She was a special lady, and it was a neat experience drawing this. I didn't have an exact photo reference, so we had to improvise and I had to go on memory and gut a little more then I'm used to. 

I like that in the final product she looks happy. I think she is.

Initial sketch for the family's approval and feedback:

Final portrait: