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!

We actually had to split this session in two… it was raining on the day of their first session, but I just couldn’t stand the thought of not getting shots of these two in their adorable matching dresses out in a field. So back up to Fargo they had to come!

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A few things to note:

All fall workshops are now FULL (first one coming up this weekend!), but we do have a waiting list started in case any attendees need to sell their spots. If you’d like to be on the e-mail list to be alerted when more workshops are scheduled for 2011, just let us know.

The first round of voting for The Forum’s Pet Calendar contest  is going on right now! Even if you have not entered a pet, you can go online and vote for the one you want to win a spot on the 2011 calendar. Each vote costs $.25 and proceeds will go toward purchasing newspapers for area classrooms as well as funding the needs of the FM Humane Society. The top 50 pets with the most votes will move on to round two. Some of my favorites right now are Lucy5, Dozer, Betty, George, Summit, Nevaeh, Buddy2, and Mario. My pups, Emme and Mya still sit with zero votes each, so I may have to send them a few sympathy votes to make them feel good. Who are your favorites?

Also, I need to thank everyone for their kind words about the recent article in the Forum’s business section. It was so neat to be featured and we loved seeing the FM photography scene highlighted and recognized. You can read the article by clicking here.

Happy Tuesday!

~Ria

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.

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!)

Yep… I’m pretty sure fun was had by all. Maybe even mom and dad?

*****

The October photographerMAMA workshop is now full. This will be the last workshop for 2010, but if you would like to be on the list to receive an e-mail when the next workshops are scheduled, just let us know!

BTW… are you getting excited for the big announcement? We sure are!

What a little honey he was to photograph… I love his little old man forehead wrinkles in this one.

And at only 5-days-old, he was already a little charmer smiling for the camera. Ahhhhhhhhh………

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It is time to announce the winner of the Children’s Miracle Network donation contest. Congratulations to Michelle Currence! She has a three-year-old little guy and is expecting baby #2, so we will do some shots of her son, and of her growing tummy during our session in August. Can’t wait to meet you Michelle, and thanks again to everyone who donated to such a wonderful cause.

On a side note, the annual Cully’s Kids event is going to be held this weekend and you won’t want to miss it! You can purchase tickets to the Auction/Concert Friday night at the Hub, or the family picnic on Saturday at Newman Outdoor Field. Both cost $50 and go to help the fund Cullen Foundation which in turn gives grants to various children’s programs and charities such as  The Ronald McDonald House, KampKACE, and Riding on Angels Wings. I’ll be at both events with my camera in hand so make sure to say hi!

Where are you going?

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I have contacted the winner of the free session and DVD of images from the Children’s Miracle Network contest. Once I receive proof of donation, I will announce the lucky winner on the blog! Have a great weekend everyone… I will be down in the cities watching two of my kids play soccer!

~Ria

These two were full of energy and spunk!

Have a great weekend everyone!

- Casie & Lindsey

Love love love his mini-boden sweater…

And sweet little Rosie with her pigtails and cute outfit just made me want to take her on a picnic!

This is Jack. He is one of the coolest kids you will ever meet.

Jack is also living with SMA [Spinal Muscular Atrophy]. Now this doesn’t happen very often, but I have given Jack control of the blog today to tell you about something very exciting happening this weekend.

“Hi Everyone!  It’s time to get ready for the ‘Jack Attack on SMA Round 6′.    This year the walk will take place on Saturday, June 12th at Lindenwood Park in Fargo.  Registration starts at 9:00am and the walk begins at 10:00am.  If you would like to donate to me and help my friends and me fight SMA my webpage is now ready.  Just click HERE.  Please feel free to email my page on to your friends and family too. Or if you want to come and walk with me you can now register online and then make your own personal fundraising webpage too!  Even if you can’t make the walk you can still make you own fundraising webpage to send to friends and family.  All the money you raise will go directly towards the Jack Attack and finding a treatment or cure for SMA.  And that would definitley mean a lot to me.  Thanks for helping me out and hope to see you at the walk. TOGETHER WE WILL KNOCKOUT SMA!
Thanks So Much!”
Jack

What a kid that Jack is… thanks for sharing that info with us!

~Ria

Mom got a big wall portrait of this one because it so perfectly captures each of them.

The individual photos went much better… take a peek!

Big contest to be announced on the blog tomorrow so make sure to check back!

~Ria

I think their mama should win some kind of saint award for traveling internationally with two young children… all alone. Seriously, I don’t think I could do it. Carseats, strollers, bags, tired kids. Ugh. She joked at our session that when she got back to Turkey she was going to hand the kids to her husband and say “see ya honey, I’m going to Istanbul for a couple days.” I couldn’t help giggling thinking… now there is something you don’t hear everyday. Maybe I’m heading to the Albertville, or the Mall of America. But Istanbul? Not so much.

Thanks for coming back to visit me Ellerich and Kiera. I’m excited for your move to the states this summer… now your trip to Fargo won’t be quite so long!

~Ria

Have a good weekend everyone… try to stay dry!

~Linds

Kisses from the big sister… [Check out his sweet diaper cover!]

That last one is my favorite… especially the pouty little bottom lip!

~Ria

And I think big brother Lane was just a little bit thrilled to have another boy in the house… just LOOK at his sweet expression!

In fact, I don’t know what we would have done with out Lane during this session. Baby Finn was having a hard time settling down, and Lane had this cute little lullaby that he sang over and over to his little brother, and it did the trick everytime!

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Thank you to everyone who has sent in Happy Dog photos! I will be contacting those that I’d like to photograph during the next week!

~Ria

I especially love my heavy use of the “soft focus” application. (No Photoshop program for me yet… this was all Picasa editing baby.) We all start somewhere right?

Enough of that. Let’s just fast forward to present day and enjoy the sweetness of this boy.

Ummm.. hello little GQ.

His big sister came up to the studio to be in a couple sibling shots with him, but of course I couldn’t let her leave without a few of just her. I adore this girl.

~Ria

I did a blog post about them last October, when their mama was still pregnant with baby #3. They wanted to keep the baby’s gender a surprise, so we were all guessing what they would have. Well, baby “W” turned out to be another boy! I think his big brothers are very much in love with him.

Congratulations Arnold family! We can’t wait to see them all out on the ice rink together.

 I AM thankful that I still have the opportunity to keep up with these little people that filled my days just a few short years ago. And guess what… “Big D” had somebody new to introduce me to;  his adorably squishy, rolly-polly, and super squeezable baby sister!

 Oh dear. I don’t know if I can handle the cuteness.

Photos of the two of them together were a little bit of a challenge… but that is sorta what you get with kids this age. I like the ‘real life’ looking images better anyway!

Thanks for coming back every year to see me “D”, but don’t grow anymore okay?

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!

These twins filled the typical boy/girl newborn roles… The little girl was very curious and alert and just didn’t want to close her eyes. The little boy didn’t care what was going on, and we couldn’t get him to OPEN his eyes!

After some hard work, we finally got little sweet pea to settle into a deep sleep so we could try some fun twin poses!

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.

This time I visited, it was winter and my trip started out with me in the ditch and their wonderful daddy coming to save me and pull me out. [Don't ask.] But, I was so excited to visit them this time because they had somebody super special to introduce me to! A new baby brother…

I got to spend a cozy afternoon with these boys and their awesome mama . I really thought maybe I could have stayed all day. They are the kind of people that just make you feel so comfortable. They make you want to hang around and never leave. This little guy is so lucky to have been born into such a wonderful family.

Just think of all the things these three big brothers are waiting to teach little baby “A”!

Thank you Swenson family for such a fabulous afternoon, (and for saving me from freezing to death all alone in the ditch!) I can’t wait until I can come and visit again… maybe next time another summertime session with FOUR boys running around!

I was able to capture a few of the moments that this mommy and daddy had with their sweet baby boy before they had to say goodbye to him forever and I can tell you that it was an experience that I will never forget. All in one day, these two amazing people had to come to the realization that their baby would not be born alive, give birth to him, take in every second they could with him, and then say goodbye. Absolutely heartwrenching. When they got pregnant again, it was a time filled with much anxiety and concern, as this family had learned that you can never really take a healthy baby for granted. I am happy to say, that this family now has a sweet new little girl in their lives to love and watch grow up. We all know that her big brother Beckett will be watching over her from heaven, and that he will never be forgotten.

Meet Liv Harper…

A true miracle…

And truely loved with every fiber of their being…

And sweet one year old “B”… she had the most adorable combination of brown hair and blue eyes. I just love it!

The front and back of one of my favorite Christmas cards this year…

And baby “C” is getting so big. Seriously one of the most adorable little boys you will ever meet.

I did a session with “J’s” little sister this summer, but he was turning four in November and it was his turn for a session. Doncha just love the color of his eyes?

And sweet baby “S”… she came in for her 6 month photos, but wasn’t feeling good so we rescheduled. Mom took her to the doctor and she had a double ear infection… Ouch! When she came back she was feeling a little better, but still wasn’t too fond of me and the whole picture thing. I think we scarred her the first time by trying to take her photo while she was feeling so miserable! Poor little girl…

And these two had quite a tough fall battling bouts of H1N1, pneumonia, fevers and colds. Luckily they were finally feeling better so we could squeeze a session in before the REALLY cold weather set in!

Phew…. that was a lot of photos!

Just one more… a quick sneak peek of our trip. I LOVE the light in this image… and I also love that my girls who fight constantly at home got along [mostly] on this trip!

I would like to introduce you to Regina. She is approximately five years old (isn’t it sad that they don’t have a record of birthdays in Africa? Most times when you ask a child how old they are, they have no idea what you are talking about.) If anyone is interested in sponsoring Regina, please e-mail me  at info@rialeephotography.com and I will give you all of the details.

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It’s been awhile since I’ve posted any of my work, and I’ve got lots to share! Here are some more images of those sweet boys I first showed you a couple of weeks ago. I just love these brothers.

Have a great day all!

Ria

The oldest sister in this group has such a tender, care-taker spirit. I think it really shows in this photo…

And I just LOVE the personality of sweet “J”… she is a spitfire!

And little brother “O” is… well… TWO.

And very adventurous and curious, and ALSO….who wants to get their picture taken when there is a park just up the hill anyway?

This year, as always, I am so so very thankful to all of my wonderful clients who continue to trust me to capture their lives in photos. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

~Ria

sorry Jack… just had to post it.

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Have a great weekend everyone!

P.S.    I need to send a quick thank you to my new blogging friend Amanda, who writes the funniest blog ever called i am mommy. (I’ve blogged about her before here.) She recently started a new blog called i am baker (you HAVE to see the cookies she makes… I don’t like cookies, but they sure do make me WANT to like them). Anywho, on her new blog she is featuring 5 sites that are inspirational to her, and yesterday she featured ME! So thanks for the shout-out Amanda… can’t wait to meet you at the workshop in January!

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.

Their mom just picked up her order at the loft this afternoon… she purchased these three photos in big square canvases for their living room. I absolutely love how they turned out!

I loved their style. And I also loved that their cool mom let them skip just a little bit of school to come in for a session. Not that I’m advocating skipping school or anything. But I mean… that’s a cool mom. Because what would YOU rather have, kids who know long division, or photos like THESE…?

Yup… thought so. Me too.

And check out little miss crewcuts. We did some photos of her alone since she just turned FIVE. Love it!

I love the look of these black and white urban-style shots from downtown Fargo. Their mom ordered a big canvas of the image on the bottom right and I can’t wait to see it!

It was actually “E’s” first day of school on this day too… good thing she still had enough spunk left over for our session!

Check out “E’s” rockin’ shoes in the photo below….

My favorite little model…

Our TEENAGERS…

And I had to include this one too because it makes me laugh… we like to pretend that our dogs are BFF’s too, except that Alex wants absolutely nothing to do with poor sweet little Emme.

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…

Thank you daddy “K” for not thinking we were completely nuts, and going along with our idea. Because… seriously… does it get any cuter? Nuh-Uh.

And then all of a sudden… these sweet angelic children in white were… SUPERHEROES!

And I just have to share this last one because I was laughing so hard I nearly peed my pants while I was taking this photo. It was oldest brother “O’s” turn to get his photos taken by himself and I had asked him to put his hands in his pockets. And… because “monkey-see-monkey-do”, he had two little brothers right behind him trying to find their pockets and get in on his photo. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen!

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…

Have I mentioned that I LOVE them????

And here she is this summer… two years old already. And still one of the most beautiful children I have ever met… and so easy to photography too!

And… this time she had a little someone to introduce me to! She brought along her brand new baby sister…

Guess What????

Now you can become a fan of Rialee Photography on Facebook. Check us out!

Oh did I mention….?

She had an equally adorable [but much more active!!!!] one-year-old big brother!

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A NOTE…

I will be going on a much needed vacation with my family and will be out of the studio all of  next week. Galleries and orders will be a bit delayed because of this, but I will be getting right back into the swing of things on September 8th (when school starts for my kiddos!). It’s hard to believe that summer is already over… as always, it went by SOOO fast. I’d like to send out a big thank-you to ALL of the amazing clients I had this summer for being so wonderful and amazing to work with! I’m looking forward to a great fall season too… See you in September!

And her handsome big brothers… who may look like twins, but are really Irish Twins!

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…

What good sports they were when we wanted to take them outside … it was one of those freezing windy 50 degree days we had in July!

Not sure why… but I just really love this shot!

Another one that I LOVE… he did NOT want her sitting next to him!

“Sophie” the Giraffe is by far one of the most popular baby toys here at rialee photography… and in case you are wondering they are available at Pout!

Little “R” was the girl of 1,000 facial expressions during her session. Let me tell you… this girl has PERSONALITY!

When she spotted the huge letter R on the shelf in my office she literally gasped and said “Oh mama, LOOK!” So of course, I had to climb up on my desk and get it down so she could have a photo with it…

They had a super cool mama who sent me the sweetest e-mail after she received her gallery. I asked her if I could share it here on the blog, because her words do an excellent job expressing  why I do what I do…

Ria-

I just had a chance to go through my gallery, and I am literally speechless. I’m sure you’ve heard a thousand parents thank you for doing a wonderful job photographing their children — so I’m going to be 1,001.
You can’t imagine the gift you’ve given my husband and I of capturing our children the way we see them. You were able to bring out their personalities, and I’m so grateful that I’ll always have these photographs to remember them at this age.
I literally had tears in my eyes looking through the photos. I’ve looked at your blog and your website countless times at the great photos, but never imagined how beautiful my children would look popping up on my computer screen!
You have an incredible talent. Thank you for the photos.

Thank YOU Jessi, and ALL my clients for allowing me the opportunity to capture your children for you.

The baby of the family…

Big sis is such a good helper with little “C” who has cerebral palsy…What a little ham he was!

Older brother “J” had just celebrated his 4th birthday!

And gorgeous “H”… sure has model quality!

The boys… I don’t think dad and big brother could be any more proud!

We also had to get four-year-old pics done for “S”! He liked getting his photos taken so much more than last year… and I LOVED the clothes his mama chose. The t-shirt says “I’ll Change the World Someday”……….

I think even HE would have to admit though… that it wasn’t ALL bad! See you at hockey camp this summer “H”!

And finally~~ I need to post images of this cute little man who was in for his 6-month-photos. He was an adorable little chunk of all boy… love the little spike-i-ness of his hair!

Leave it to me to break out the candy without asking mom first. When I commented on how much they seemed to be enjoying their suckers she replied, “that’s cause they’ve never had one before!” GULP. She assured me that it was okay… but I still felt really bad!

We tried to get a shot of them walking down the sidewalk together, but “E” always left “K” in the dust!

And check out the sneaky action in this series… so, so cute… and so glad I caught it! [In case you can't tell, "E" is stealing the yellow sucker right from "K's" mouth, tasting it and giving it back.]

And… the countdown is on! Only FIVE more days until I leave for Africa. I fly out on the 28th. If you are willing to donate items for me to bring to the children, they will need to dropped off (I could also pick them up from you!) by Monday. Thank you to those of you who have already donated! I can’t wait to see the faces of these children when they see what we have brought them. The three main things we are trying to collect are toothbrushes & toothpaste, kids’ underwear of all sizes, and pencils & plastic sharpeners. So far we have over 300 toothbrushes and over 1000 pencils… but would love to have many more to share!

The amazing woman who is leading this trip has a wonderful post on her blog about various prayer requests we will need during our journey. She has traveled to Africa before and has thought of so many things that would never have entered my mind. I can’t even tell you how helpful and encouraging she has been to me as I have been preparing for this adventure… usually freaking out asking her millions of questions.  Thank you Brandi for calmly walking me through this process. I can’t wait to meet you in person! [And thank-you for adding to the prayer requests "PEACE for those traveling alone"... I know that one is for ME!]

She was less than a week old on the day of her session… and was just the cutest little peanut ever. I sorta wanted to take her home with me!

Gotta love those newborn smiles…

I love this series…

Can you tell that big sister “A” was a little annoyed during this shot? She really wanted to hold her baby…

So we let her! 

This vintage-y/Poloroid-ish effect is my new favorite!

Here is the new baby brother of those twins I posted a couple of weeks ago. This is a sample birth announcement… doncha love that hat?

That’s it for now………more to come!

I’m off to do the cover shoot for the next OTMOM issue and then I’ll be back up to the studio to get ready for my first PhotographerMama workshop. I’m sooooooooooo excited!

I can just imagine what little tid-bits of advice she was sharing with baby “J”  in this photo…

Look at the new hat I just got on Etsy!

These were taken while we were just fooling around waiting for baby “L” to finish his snack… but I really love how they turned out!

Well… one of my favorite families came to see me again and their little newborn has grown up and  is now a busy one-year-old! Here is a sneak peek for you “O” family…

This one is especially for my girls at Pout….

You can find almost ALL of these products like the safe sippy and sophie the giraffe there. [and little "N"s mom also sells her fabulous products there too!]

funny

And not to be left out… “A” and “L” got some photos taken too.

I had a LOT of favorites from the day… but this one …

I just fell in LOVE with…

love this outtake… it’s not easy to get a busy two-year-old to be all snuggly with a tiny baby!

But then we got this… and I LOVE it!

Dad was teasing him about having a “girlfriend” in this one…

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PS… have you noticed the new link at the top called “look here too”? Check it out! You’ll find info about workshops, my policies, and a cute little Glam Session slideshow.

Check out his studly tie!

And her gorgeous curls…

14-month-old “W” had the darkest chocolate brown eyes!

This little guy was so sweet and soooooo shy! I finally got him to crack a smile on the last few shots of our session!

This little newborn was so tiny…. she wore her big sister’s American Girl doll’s skirt! Also, a funny little story about this shot~~~ We had just gotten her settled on her tummy (she had no diaper on under her teensy weensy skirt) and I was looking through by camera to set up the shot. All of a sudden I saw a little puddle start to form under her legs. Her mommy was so great though… she let me grab the shot and THEN we cleaned her up! What we won’t do to get a photo.

Love this little girl… a photo of her from her session last spring hangs in the gallery at the loft. She turned two in November so she came back with the cutest orange dress and boots! She was also PAINFULLY shy… her mama (who I also ADORE!) and I were a little worried for the first half-hour or so. But…. after a few rousing renditions of the theme song from Scooby Doo she loosened up! [You should have seen us dancing and singing like crazy people... it was quite a sight.]

Another sweet newborn…. this one had a two-year-old big brother! As I’ve said before, for sibling shots at that age you take what you can get. This little guy gave me exactly two seconds to snap exactly two shots!

I loved his curly hair and pouty lips!

Pheww….. that was a lot of photos. Still more to come!

My brother’s not so crazy about this one… but I love it! That is his favorite little animal “Joe, the Monkey”. He loves it so much that for quite a while he went around requesting that everyone call him “Joe”!

It was so good to see you all yesterday… love you guys!

Could this little girl GET any cuter?

…sigh…. arn’t they just the most adorable children?

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On another note… there are a few things I need to mention!

First of all… this SATURDAY Pout Baby Boutique is having a big Christmas sale with holiday goodies and 15% off all day! So make sure to go check it out!

Second… today is the deadline for Christmas card approvals… so I will not be taking anymore design requests this year. (Unless of course you have not received your galleries yet… we will do everything we can to get you your cards before Christmas!) The ordering deadline for all other prints to be guaranteed Christmas delivery is on Wednesday the 17th!

And finally… I need to send a big huge thank-you to Alyssa Flaten from Mosaic Photography who so graciously borrowed me her camera so I could do a last-minute newborn session this week. My camera decided to go on the fritz during my last holiday session of the year so I had to send it in to the camera doctor this week! Yikes… lets hope it is fixed quickly and makes a safe return!

I love the snowflakes that show up on the top of this one…

This little girl wins the prize for being able to hold the most toys in her hands at once! Everytime we tried to take a few out of her hands she threw a fit… oh well!

His mom brought this cute little hat.. and a train just happened to be going by the studio during their session so we decided to go outside and watch!

This little guy’s mama is going to be surprised with his photos for Christmas courtesy of Grandma! When he was in Fargo for a visit she snuck him up to the studio!

The last time I saw “B” he was a tiny little peanut.. Now he’s a big one-year-old and so handsome!

This little guy had the sweetest personality. So content and easy-going. I hear his daddy is a talented photographer, so I am honored that they chose me to capture some of his first “professional” photos!

Love that look….

These three brothers were truly “all-boy” and their agenda the morning of our shoot didn’t exactly include taking photos. So we had to pull out all the tricks and bribes that we parents and photographers use to convice them that photo sessions are fun!

I loved the out-takes from this session!

 When I told “N” how amazing his eyes were he replied “I know, my mommy tells me she wants my eyes all the time.”

Love these shirts from Chasing Fireflies!

This is my fabulous assistant Karina’s family!

I love how their little “E” is standing in this one…

~~~Hello Mr. GQ!

Their mom ordered a huge canvas of this one for their sun-room and it just came in this morning and looks amazing!

Little “J” wasn’t so sure of me at first, but after we showed him how cool acorn “nests” were he was totally game!

And for this little beauty… I see some GAP ad modeling in her future!

And these two… you’d never know they were twins since they look so different! Just a little fyi… one of them is going to be the next Bill Gates. I’ve never seen a six-year-old get so excited about Windows Vista in all my life. He even helped me download the photos from their session!

And my favorite…

For those of you getting antsy to see your galleries, I am currently working on sessions from September 16th and 17th!

Her older brother and sister jumped in for a few shots too…. here is one of my favs of the day…

“Umm….mom…what do we do when she is um…. laying on the ground?”

Three adorable little boys, a farm setting and a gorgeous sunset…what more could a photographer want?

One of my ALL-TIME favorite photos….

Total boy ~-~ dirty fingernails and all!

And here they are this year. They’ve gotten so big!

And I loved the two block trick!

Big brother “R” was my helper when “C” didn’t want to cooperate…which was most of the session! But I love the pic below…an exact snapshot if what it is like to get a one-year-old to sit for a photo! I think “R” was thinking…’I told you he wouldn’t sit still…’    

Poor little “J” was all smiles when I got to his house…but when we decided to take a trip to the neighborhood park he just got too hot! His mom said he had taken a two-hour nap that morning, and after I left, he took another nap for four hours! He was a worn out little dude!

Four handsome boys…and finally a sweet baby girl!

 I’m pretty sure the name of this little chicken was BBQ!

Five kids and guess what…they’ve still got it!

I think he was making a wish on this bubble…

And my absolute favorite of the day…

Not only do I photograph children, but did you know I also do insects? “E” brought this little treasure along to the park because she really really wanted to show it to me. How could I not capture that? There is just something I LOVE about this image…

She IS the most amazing child to photograph (this is the same child that I got to stand with her hands in her pockets when she was 13 months old)…she listens and does exactly what I ask and looks directly into the lens and she only just turned TWO! Someone must have trained her at an early age!

Love you “E”!

And her big brother is as studly as ever…

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This post is for the triple “A” girls…they came in for a fun morning at the loft and downtown Fargo. Here are some of my favorites from your session…I hope you had fun!

well not really… (can you imagine being asked to do that shoot?)

But these fabulous parents do have brand new boy girl twins! Because of some time in the NICU they were almost a month old on the day of our shoot, but since they were just 3 and 4 pounds when they were born they were still teeny tiny…and so sweet and delicious.

Oh I remember those days of double feedings…

Little “E” already smiling…or is she dreaming?

And my favorite….

And this little peanut butter just turned one…I know she thought I was a little bit crazy when I sat her in a chair in a bunch of weeds!

I love love love the light in this one!

And one of the last captures of the day…and I think maybe my favorite!

Get a load of this beautiful little guy’s eyelashes… the LONGEST I’ve EVER seen!

And if you take a peek inside…you’ll find my ad. More of my “most favorite-est ever” shots.

***On another note, my e-mail has been flooded with people wanting to make summer appointments. I think I’ve gotten back to everyone, but if  you haven’t heard from me..PLEASE e-mail me again! Also, only a few spots remain for July so e-mail me soon if you MUST have one!

Two-year-old “L” really got attached to this wooden duck during the shoot, so it shows up in MOST of his pictures. Here he is feeding ducky a fruit snack!

And little “G”…I really hope I get to work with her again in the future! At just three-months-old, she is already skilled at giving me the “LOOK” that I am always after.

I don’t think “D” and “A” knew they would have this much fun at their photo shoot!

But we laughed and giggled almost the entire time…especially when we were trying to get them to walk down the middle of the street for this shot. They kept walking over to the side of the street so we had to explain to them that this was the ONE and ONLY time they could walk in the middle of the street!

Lots more to come so keep checking back!

And look at the different personalities captured in just one photo…The older sister is a caretaker, more cautionary and careful, the middle sister is bubbly and carefree and the baby brother is full of curiousity and wants to go go go. I was only with these kids for a couple of hours, but these are exactly the personalities I witnessed during their session! So glad I caught it…

Here are a few of their individuals…

And here is a priceless one of all of them with their lovely mama… I’m so glad she let me take these of her with her kiddos. It is so rare that us moms have photos of ourselves with our children because we are always the ones behind the camera! So… this shot is near and dear to my heart, because THIS is how she will remember these days…with one kid hanging on each hip and one on her lap. But, she couldn’t look happier!

I spotted this gorgeous vintage looking chair and really wanted to try some shots on it. Baby “I” cooperated so nicely!

I had to get a few shots of her adorable big brothers too… love this one.

And this one.

And this one just makes me smile.

And little boy “K” was the sweetest brother…he seemed like he was already being protective of his sister.

He was quite a bit bigger than her–you can really tell in this photo.

He didn’t enjoy his individual shots nearly as much as his sister!

Finally…at the end of their session we got them both to fall alseep at the SAME time for this shot ~ the sweetest ever!

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And here is a photo from last fall that I came across the other day and fell in love with all over again. I am going to be working on a “sibling series” project so I am going through all of my sessions with siblings and choosing my favorite photos. I have such an emotional connection to so many of my images and this is definitely one of them! I loved those boys.

But…it does “perfectly” capture the relationship of these beautiful siblings. I love the way the baby brother is peeking out at me with this perfectly content and happy look on his face, knowing he is surrounded by pure and unconditional love.

Here are those beautiful kids!

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The BIG brother.

The LITTLE brother.

This is another favorite image from this session because I think it captures so well the amount of energy these two boys have!

And here is the little SISTER …who was so shy at first, but really lit up when she saw my pink fluffy petticoat!

Finally…the BABY brother, who I have to say was the most content, easy-going baby I’ve ever met! Such a sweetie!

And little boy “B” had quite the personality! With three older sisters at home and a twin sister, he is going to have to be able to hold his own and let me tell you…he is already practicing. He let us know when he didn’t want to do something…like wear that darn hat!

Since baby girl “B” was a TEENSY bit more cooperative, we got to do a few more of those sweet sleepy newborn shots with her.

A sweet one with mom.

Little “L” was a total girl, and fell in LOVE with my pink rain boots!  Her favorite part of the session was when she got to wear the boots outside for a few shots…she cried and cried when it was time to take them off. So CUTE!

…sigh…isn’t he just delicious??? I love all his hair!

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I will be out of town from this afternoon until Sunday. I will be returning calls and e-mails on Monday!

He sported a killer mohawk!

  And here are a few of his big sister “H”. She walked in the door and said “Hi Ria!” She was so much fun, by the end of the session I was asking her parents if I could keep her. (I think that was after she told me how pretty I looked!)

And the two of them together….

Baby “N” is also lucky enough to have a very sweet older brother and sister who simply adore her.

And just in case you thought that it was all fun and games and that she slept soundly the whole time…

But then…she realized photo shoots weren’t so bad.

Don’t try looking for this adorable hat in Fargo Moorhead…this one came from the Netherlands. Isn’t it the cutest? And her mommy made her the fabulous orange blanket. I want one JUST like it…hint hint Natalie!

Another wide eyed shot…

I think I may have bored her a little bit…she fell asleep during these shots. She made the perfect little pea pod!

And we had a few smiles and laughs too…

and I told his big sister that she was a “natural”!

Here are a few more from their session!

He followed the newborn trend of not wanting to sleep for his session…but…

We were patient…and finally…

Now…to get that big green nukie out of his mouth!

Phew….we did it! Here is one more of this precious boy…

Here were our helpers for the session…his big brother and sister!

Very sweet kids…with such a lovely mommy! It was a pleasure to work with you.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one…

Cooper likes getting his picture taken…Carter not so much.

For their room…

Look are her AMAZING eyes!

And I am in LOVE with these photos…every girl should have her own tutu!

Here are some more from their session. They gave me soooo many stunning “looks”. Magazine quality I tell you!

Thanks “J” and “C” for the fun time…I hope to get to work with you again sometime! And “J”, I still owe you a sucker! Thanks for understanding–you are such a big girl!!

These kiddos came all the way from Sioux Falls for their session. It was a very cold morning so we did our session inside. Despite their mom’s worries that they wouldn’t cooperate, especially 4-year-old “E” who she was sure would give me a hard time, we had fun and got some great photos. Little “A” was a little worried that I might be mean. So cute…I have had so many people (kids especially) tell me that they didn’t know that photo sessions could be so easy and fun.

I had the pleasure of photographing little “L” on his 1st birthday. It was a cold afternoon, but the sun gave us the most gorgeous warm light. He was just learning to stand on his own.

By the end of the session, playing look for the squirrel had lost its excitement.

We had a very windy fall day for this session, but we still managed to have a fun time and even got the family dog in a few shots.

And my favorite of the day…

This little sweetie had the cutest clothes…her mom went BOUTIQUE shopping in the cities.  I LOVED the brown and pink Converse tennis shoes!

Oh cute little “R”…she was turning five, had a new baby brother, and was crazy about Troy Bolton! I hope you got a chance to go to the High School Musical play! Watch for photos of her sweet brother in December.

What will I do to make a little boy want to have his picture taken?

Climb up in his tree house…

Go for a treasure hunt in the woods…

Help him climb a tree…

Take the dog for a walk…

See? Photo sessions arn’t so bad, right “A”?

We did a few shots together and then got to play around a little with their individuals. I love the light we had that afternoon, the sky color was amazing!

Can you believe she is only an 8th grader?

And my favorite shot of the day….I love the color of the brick, and the hat reflecting on her cheeks. Stunning “S”!

These kids had the coolest farm with tons of awesome spots for photos. Here are some of my favorite shots from our session.

More tomorrow!

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After we did the family shots, I got to work with the kids one-on-one. They were fantastic! (There were some heavy negotiations about the possibility of treats afterwards.)

You guys were too cute! Thanks for the rockin session “K” family!

Her brother was adorable as well…and a big helper with those fruit snacks!

We had to play a little game of ring around the rosy to get them to think the idea of walking and holding hands was fun!

A few more of my favorites…

Here is a session with another fabulous family…they were so much fun and had two adorable boys!

On that note, here are some sessions I have done recently that resulted in images that will look fabulous on holiday cards!

This family was such a blast…each child had their own personalities, but really seemed to enjoy getting their photos taken.

And mom and dad were sooooo much in love…you could just tell.

This mom is one of my friends from way…way back when. Her two boys have the most beautiful dark brown eyes…it was great to finally get to meet them! Thanks for coming such a long way for your session!

More family sessions to be posted tomorrow!

These are from my house…I have a living room with tons of natural light and white furniture. This option is good for newborns and younger children.

Another indoor location with great light is the Plains Art Mueseum. Their 3rd floor is a loft like space with hardwood floors, brick walls and huge windows. This option is good for older kids and larger groups. They also have a neat covered sidewalk to do some outdoor ones there as well.

I had so much fun photographing this brother and sister…they were ready to go the minute they stepped out of the car!

“A” was gorgeous…I kept teasing her that she should be a model… I really think she could be!

Sometimes people wonder why I take so many photos at one time. Here is a perfect example. This big brother was FULL of energy…as lots of big brothers are. He was so excited and having so much fun…he just couldn’t stand still! So lots of the shots look like this…

But then…..among all of those there was one….

JUST ONE…

Like this…

Here are a few more from my session with these adorable kids.