And here she is now!… a big, independent, beautiful one-year-old!

As you will see by the photos… her mama adores PINK! She even had a Pinterest board dedicated to her pink first birthday photo ideas. So glad that she has a little girl to share her love of all things pink with.

Oh Ava Jane, I’m so glad I got to see you again. You are the sweetest thing ever! And such a lucky girl to have such awesome parents who are so head-over-heels in love with you!

Little Cash was in one year ago for his newborn photoshoot, and let’s just say it did not go well. He really didn’t love having his photos taken and kinda, sorta screamed pretty much the whole time. So I think his mama and I were both a bit nervous when it was time for his one-year session. Good news! He didn’t hold a grudge against us for the newborn shoot and this time we all had a blast together. He was a one-year-old boy of course, so he was more than busy, but all-in-all the experience was fabulous. So glad we are friends now Cash!

“C” is for Cookie…. and Cash. Happy first birthday buddy.

This little guy sure does look up to his big bro… love it!

They had the cutest matching p.j.’s. How fun for Christmas morning!

Doesn’t he have the best blue eyes ever???

Her mum is a pretty fun lady too… love taking their photos together. Kris is the owner of the ever-fabulous Pout.

Thanks for the fun afternoon ladies… (and the yummy treats you brought me; they were delicious!)

This family will be adding baby #3 in a few months!

A few studio shots too…

We came back up to the studio to snap a few pics for Brianne’s one year photos too…

Hello little model man…

It was on one of those hot, humid, 95 degree days, but since we didn’t really have an opportunity to reschedule we trudged out in the field for some family shots anyway!

Four kids and they’ve still got it…

And a few of the little man alone for his six month photos…

A while ago, I read the following message posted by Pinkle Toes Photography on facebook and it really stuck with me.

“If you haven’t had family pictures taken within the past 3 years, promise me right now that tomorrow morning, you will find someone to do it. I don’t care if it’s a neighbor, a portrait studio, or a tripod and a remote. Just do it. We have no guarantees in life, but at least we can have the photos to prove that we were here, we were together, and we were happy.”

Pretty powerful huh? Makes me want to go out and have my family photographed right now. Even though my kids are no longer little and cute, but rather big and uncooperative, this is us. Right now.

So glad that this lovely little family took the time to have their relationships captured this summer. They were here, they were together, and they were happy. June 20th, 2011.

And a  few kid shots up at the studio…

Some mama-love…

His auntie is Michelle (our office manager and my assistant for newborn shoots) and his beautiful mama owns urban b photography down in Rochester.

I just love the smiles on both of their faces in this one…

It was a gorgeous afternoon so we had to head out on the town for a bit too!

We had to hide the balloons from him until it was time to shoot them because he is a balloon fanatic. He got so excited when he saw them!

And what is better after a long hot session than a little chocolate ice cream???

I mean seriously…

In case you don’t know Vicky, I will give you a little background on her story and then let you read the rest over at “The Westra World”. She is married to Rick and has two young boys, Nolan and Colton who go to the same school as my kids. Both of her boys play hockey and since our Moorhead Hockey family is very tight, you sorta end up feeling like you “know” everyone in that circle. I have gotten to know her husband through his photography work with Moorhead Spuds hockey and also with the Cullen Children’s Foundation. About a month ago, we were all shocked to find out that Vicky had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and then devastated to learn that it had traveled to other parts of her body and was considered stage IV. Through it all,Vicky has been keeping us updated on her journey with entries on her blog. Every time I read her words, I am astonished at her ability to remain positive and see the good even through all of the scary and uncertain times. Let’s just face it… cancer is unfair. It sucks. But Vicky is reminding us daily of what it’s like to live with grace… and cancer.

So many people in our community are doing so many amazing things to support the Westra family. When Vicky mentioned that perhaps she would really enjoy a family photo session with me, I was absolutely honored to be able to give that to her. A trip to Mayo has taken place, and experimental treatment has begun and we are all praying for complete and total healing for Vicky.

Her boys…

A moment with her “superman”…

A benefit for Vicky will be held this Sunday, May 1st from 2-6pm at Good Shepherd Church in Moorhead. Hope to see you there.

And I just have to share this with you too… Vicky writes on her blog about all of the nice things that people have been bringing her so I thought I’d brag about her a little bit. When I got to work one morning this week a little gift bag was waiting for me with this inside.

This is “SO” Vicky… in the midst of everything that she is dealing with, she is thinking of others; taking the time to find the PERFECT gift of appreciation and making a special delivery. Thank you so much Vicky… I will cherish it always.

She didn’t really want to lay still and snuggle with her brother for this shot… but I still love it anyway.

Here she is in her authentic Ethiopian dress and head wrap. It is clear that I have fallen in love with this little girl. I think it would only be fair if they shared her with me!

We also did Kate’s one-year photos. What a doll!

Happy Monday all!

How cute is this little baby smile?

The mom of these kids got some really fun things for her walls… can’t wait to see them when they are hung!

Mom and dad got in on the picture-taking fun too!

This photoshoot was the brain-child of Casie, a photographer for tiny sprout. She had a ‘vision’ for a romantic family shoot at sunset complete with paper lanterns hanging from a tree. I love the fresh ideas and energy of budding photographers… sometimes when you do shoot after shoot you forget to be inventive and creative and get back to your passion for photography. We had a fun “photographers night” thanks to this adorable family who came out last minute to help us out. We would have hung out much longer if it hadn’t been for those pesky biting bugs. Thanks Casie for setting this up and for taking the time to make your vision come to life!

Do you recognize the little girl? She’s definitely been on the blog before… and on business cards… and on display in the studio… and in magazine ads….

All grown up!

My favorite of the night… I love the way both of their pink tongues are sticking out!

I love this shot because Maren set it up all by herself and was so proud!

Adorable headband courtesy of Etsy… I’m obsessed!

Happy Tuesday!

and when I had them all lined up and sweet little Anya squatted down in front all on her own, I couldn’t help but get flashbacks to that image from last time.

Something that I’ve noticed that can make a session go from good to GREAT is a fun dad. A relaxed dad who is “up” for a family photo session can really set the tone. This family was lucky enough to have a super-FUN-guy for a dad, and as you can tell from the photo below, he had just said something totally silly and unexpected… and I LOVE the expressions that were captured as a result.

Hope you enjoy your images Perry family… thanks again for making the trip to Fargo!

How can you NOT be happy looking at that little cherub face? I think it has a permanent smile…

And big sister Ella is still as beautiful as ever.

Yep, “happy” pretty much sums it up.

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A few notes…. Don’t forget to submit your pet photos to The Forum’s calendar contest! Deadline is tomorrow…

Also, after some VERY high demand, I have decided to open up ONE more photographerMAMA workshop for this year. The dates are October 1st and 2nd, but there are are only THREE spots left. Call Michelle at the studio if you’d like to reserve a spot!

Love this family, loved their simple and colorful clothing choices, love these photos. love. love. love.

Finally the rain won out. Pierce was just as sad as I was to have to be done with the photoshoot. (Totally kidding… he was ready to be DONE!)

They got a HUGE canvas of this image for their living room… it was gorgeous.

Allie is the sweetest big sister ever… loved their matching pettis!

Isn’t she just the sweetest little peanut? At the time of the session she was still being fed by a tube because she refuses to drink a bottle or eat (I kept whispering to her during the session that she didn’t know what she was missing!) So here’s hoping that Mariah will soon discover how yummy food really can be, will start eating all on her own and grow up big and strong!

A sweet little sleepy smile…

And some kissy-smoochie lips…

And check out what a hot mama he has… yes people this is ONE WEEK after giving birth. Seriously.

Since Liv was not at all interested in wearing the cute birthday hat that her mom made her, she got quite a kick out of the dolly wearing it. Casie is a total crafty chick and I’m pretty sure she has a tutorial planned for the blog to show you how she made it!

Gettin’ braids in her hair…

Ughhhhh…… can’t get enough of those balloons. So cute!

My heart just melts looking at these images… How much do you LOVE that little curl hanging on her forehead?

The amount of PINK in this house just doubled!

And I love this last image so much it has already been blown up for the studio! Thanks “H” family for sharing your new little peanut with me… she is a total doll and I am in love with her!

Anyone remember the photo last winter of the little baby with the red hat and red tutu with the big pouty lips? Yep… this is her. Love this girly.

 I really do count it a privledge to be given the chance to document the lives of so many wonderful children and families. And the fact that they come back over and over and I get to see these little ones grow up is so special to me. I have so looked forward to the sessions of all of my repeat clients this holiday season… thank you!

~~–~~sigh~~–~~ … these are some of my ALL-TIME favorites.

This fall…

Isn’t it just crazy what a difference a year makes? For their session this year, I met these four boys and their mom and dad (who is my cousin!) at their gorgeous home tucked way back on some of the most beautiful property I’ve ever seen. It would be any little boy’s dream to live here. They have lots of room to run and play, woods with many creatures to discover, [they even have a camera mounted on a tree so they can see all the different animals that wander by... kinda cool, but maybe a little creepy when you know exactly what's out there.] They even have their own dirt track in the back yard for racing.  Even the littlest boys get in on the fun!

A funny story about the little gray kitten from the collage above. It was a stray, and when we started the shoot the boys noticed it watching us from the edge of the woods. It kept getting closer and closer to us, and everytime we moved to a new location it followed us. So, of course when we were almost done shooting, their dad went in the house and brought the little kitten some milk. His wife just had to roll her eyes (hey, it’s better than a squirrel or fawn, right Heather?). I wonder if little gray kitty has stuck around?

Thanks so much for the fun afternoon Miller family! I want to come back again very soon, but this time I’m going to bring my boys with so they can “shoot” something in your woods!

The shabby old building…

The grove of trees…

The sun setting over the evergreens…

The old tractor…

And the way “J” kissed his little sister…

Loved it all. Thank you Thompson family for inviting me out and showing me around! It was a photographer’s dream.

Unless I’m outside.While we were shooting inside the studio, we could not get little “C” to sit on a chair, or wear her cute birthday hat. But as soon as we took her outside… tah-dah!

(She’s a smart cookie… her parents said she would probably keep the hat on outside because she knows when she goes out she has to have a hat on!) Here are some more of this adorable family’s session.

And two of my favorites? Bunny on the ground = D.O.N.E

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On the homefront… the good news is that child #1 appears to be on the mend and headed back to school today. The bad news is that child #2 woke up in the middle of the night with a fever. So, I’m heading home for the rest of the day to hang out with her. Michelle will be holding down the fort at the studio. I don’t know what I’d do without her… she has been a lifesaver!

You see, when he was just ONE week old, his daddy had to leave him to go to Iraq. He missed his daddy very much, and even got to travel to Italy to visit him when he was six months old. But, of course for a little boy [and a new daddy too] one visit during your entire first year of life is no where near enough. But now, his daddy is home and little “C” couldn’t be happier. Can you tell?

Thank you Kenny for serving our country.  Although we are all glad you arrived home safely, I don’t think anyone is happier about it than your son!

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Just a few scheduling notes for all of my readers…

We are now scheduling sessions for January – May 2010. Send us an e-mail or call the studio at 701-478-9659, and Michelle will get you all set up.

I have also scheduled my PhotographerMAMA workshops for January February and March. The dates are as follows…

Jan. 8-9, Jan 20-21 (this is a weekday workshop and will be held during the day),Feb 5-6, and Mar 5-6. Registration opens on Monday October 5th. You will need to call the studio and pay the registration fee in full to reserve your spot! All the details are under the workshop section at the top of the blog.

Have a great weekend!

The oldest brother was at the perfect age to be totally grossed out by his parents kissing… so I made sure they did it a lot during the session!

A couple of just the boys…

But…. on the VERY last shot [not kidding] of the night… we got this!

Here are a few more of my favorite shots from our fun night…

That is… until you’ve had enough and you just want your nukie and blankie! I love this little series of “C”… he was d.o.n.e.

Here are some from the studio BEFORE we headed outside… where he was all smiles and ready to go, go, go! I loved the simplicity and color in his little one-piece romper!

Just a couple of hours before sunset, when the light is all warm and has that “glow”….

This lovely family invited me to their home in the country for their photoshoot and were so kind and welcoming. And the light… well it was just perfect.

I love this next shot… perfectly captures busy family life. Puppy running in one direction, toddler running the other…

It was one of those sessions that just reaffirmed the purpose of my work… why I do what I do. You can read about their story here.

So here are “L” and “L” a year later… thanks for coming back to see me!

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A few other notes….

***I will be out of the studio Thursday-Friday and will not be returning until Monday afternoon. I will be so excited to share my experiences with you when I get back as I will be doing something that I know will be among one of the MAJOR highlights of my career!

***Thank you for all of the interest in the office manager position! I will be contacting those whom I’d like to interview next week.

***Since I posted about being booked for the rest of 2009, I’ve received many requests to book into next year. Just to let you know, we will begin scheduling for Jan-May 2010 on October 1st of this year, for June-August 2010 on February 1st, and September-November 2010 on June 1st.

She was actually the first newborn I ever photographed at the loft… and now she is one! She came in for her photoshoot on the DAY of her first birthday and we had such a great time. She is totally MY kind of girl… she LOVED her cupcakes! We could barely get them away from her to finish our session! Happy Birthday “O”!

She was just learning to walk and was SO excited!

I loved these candid shots of “O” getting changed outside…

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A few housekeeping items ….

~~The studio will be closed on Fridays throughout the summer months. If you e-mail or leave a message Fri-Sun, we will get back to you on Monday!

~~The Photographer Mama workshop for September is now sold out. There are still spots for the October 9-10th workshop.

~~The Feed the Forgotten program reached it’s goal of raising over $20,000 to feed children in Uganda! That’s 7700 meals…Thank you for making a difference!

~~We are now offering low-res watermarked digital files for use on your personal blog or facebook. They will be $10 each with a limit of 5.

~~I am considering the possibility of hiring an assistant photographer at rialee photography. This by no means is a definite plan… I’m just exploring the idea. This person would assist me on some photoshoots, and would also have their own clients. The applicant would need to be VERY comfortable working with young children and families, have an outgoing and bubbly personality,  a creative photographic and design style, a strong work ethic, and be familiar shooting manually with a DSLR and editing in Photoshop. If you think this is a position for which you would be qualified, please e-mail us (info@rialeephotography.com) your resume and  five to seven low-res images from your portfolio. Obviously, these photos should showcase your work with children and not landscapes or flowers etc. I’m very excited about this possiblity and am hoping to find just the right person!

I’m quite certain I don’t have the right words to explain this amazing little girl to you… and really I only met her once. But during that short time, and through reading her Caring Bridge site, I’ve been given just a glimpse of what makes this little girl special. She is strong. She is sweet. She is funny. And she is BRAVE.

Morgan was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2008, when she was six-years-old. After having surgery to remove the tumor from her brian, she began 6 months of treatments which often left her feeling sick, or tired, or both and unable to do all of the things little girls should do. But in the fall of 2008, after finishing the last of her chemo treatments, stem cell transplants and radiation she began to feel better… she went back to school, got her tubes removed and life for this family slowly started to feel somewhat “normal” again. In February of this year, an MRI scan of her brain came back clear and Morgan was doing remarkably well. The family had eagerly been anticipating a trip to Disneyworld she had been granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Then, on April 14, just a week before they were to leave for Disneyworld, they received the devastating news that the cancer had returned and was now in the spine. They had been noticing some balance issues and walking was becoming increasingly difficult for Morgan, which led them to have the scan. They put a treatment plan in place and were determined to take the family on the Disneyworld trip… a chance for some really great family memories together. And that is exactly what they did.

In May, the doctors told Morgan’s parents that the treatments she was undergoing were not working. She could continue to get treatments, but they would only prolong her time here. They would not cure her. As you can imagine, many tough decisions had to be made. In the words of Morgan’s mom Angela: “We have SO much that we still want to do and trust me the time she has left with us will be full of laughter and memories.”

As a mom, this photo just gets me… your child looking into your eyes hurting and scared… and ALL you want to do is make it better for them.

And there was time for laughter too… a little sibling rivalry as she stuck her tongue out at her brother and laughed. It was so good to see her being a “typical” little sister!

The family has already gotten involved with numerous causes to raise money for cancer research. They have participated in the Cares for Kids Radioathon,  Angela has traveled to Bismark to Lobby for cancer research funding, and Morgan is even coloring pictures and selling them to raise money(over $2000 so far!!!) for Make-A-Wish. In June, they will have a team in the Relay for Lifeevent. Their team is named Pookies Patriots (after their nickname for Morgan). They are selling these t-shirts to help raise money to find a cure for cancer. This is such a cool event… which occurs over a 24 hour period where one person from the team is always walking or running. The date for their Relay for Life event is June 12th-13th.  It will have even more significance for them because Morgan’s 8th birthday is on June 13th.

I was so honored to meet this amazing family, and their incredible daughter… and hopefully was able to capture moments that they will be able to treasure for a lifetime.

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Having been so touched by this experience, I have decided that I would like to be able to offer complimentary portrait sessions to other families in the FM area who may be going through the heartbreaking experience of  having a child with a terminal illness. This is a time of significant grief, and most people are not thinking of professional portraits. But I can’t think of a time that is more important to capture and preserve the tender moments of their young lives. I am going through the application process to become a member of the American Child Photographer’s Charity Guild (ACPCG), which is a non-profit organization of volunteer child photographers who have come together to form a guild that is dedicated to children in need and their families. Feel free to let me or Karina know of any families who might be interested in this service.

This last one just makes me smile…

Enjoy the great weather out there today! My plan is to sneak out of work early today and head home to start planting my shrubs and flowers!

“How old are you?”

Little “T” had been up to the studio for her one-year-photos last fall, and this time she brought her twin cousins with. They were such a riot! How do you get three toddlers to sit together for a photo?

Ummm…. you don’t.

How cute is this little guy’s tie?

I think I may have a new assistant!

LOVE, LOVE, puffy heart LOVE this one…

And my favorite…