rialeephotographyBLOG » toddlers

time flies ~ [fargo child photographer]

Ria — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:30:19 +0000

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

one year older ~ [child and family photographer]

Ria — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:47:16 +0000

ketchup? ~ [child photographer fm area]

Ria — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:32:41 +0000

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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!

cool dude ~ [modern kids photography]

Ria — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:08:54 +0000

Between the dimple, the hair, and the little toes, I am just in LOVE with this photo!

Have a great holiday weekend everyone!

~Ria

little man ~ [fargo child photographer]

Ria — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:35:42 +0000

I had been dreaming about doing this red balloon/alley shot for quite awhile now… I couldn’t have had a better little model to help me out with it!

And we finished off the session with a big ice cream cone… it doesn’t get much better than that! YUM!

family fun ~ [natural light photography]

Ria — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:43:35 +0000

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.

cute ~ [fargo children's photographer]

Ria — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:57:31 +0000

Oh man, I love those lips.

And we snuck this little guy’s two-year-old session in right before I left for Florida. It was hard to believe he was two already since it seems like just yesterday I was standing out in the snow snapping his one-year-photos! Remember him?

Here he is, one year later…

hey girlie ~ [fargo children's photographer]

Ria — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:02:20 +0000

Check out this sweet onsie… I ordered it from one of my favorite Etsy stores, Vintage Lucy’s!

it finally stopped raining ~ [children's photographer fargo]

Ria — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:06:12 +0000

watching them grow… part 2 ~ [fargo photographer]

Ria — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:45:06 +0000

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.

thompson family ~ [north dakota photographer]

Ria — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:00:14 +0000

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.

brothers are the best ~ [fargo children's photographer]

Ria — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:09:43 +0000

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!

meet sweet baby “l” ~ [fargo newborn photographer]

Ria — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:22:33 +0000

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!

more boys ~ [children's photography]

Ria — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:55:14 +0000

family photo sessions are…

Ria — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:51:00 +0000

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!

shopping anyone? ~ [urban photography fargo]

Ria — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:28:29 +0000

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

boys ~ [fargo photographer]

Ria — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:32:29 +0000

All the kids have been loving my new bike… available at Pout!

And finally a one of the biggest newborns I’ve photographed, who made his mama wait two whole weeks past her due date to meet him!

little man ~ [fargo children's photographer]

Ria — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:56:45 +0000

time for some photos ~ [children's photographer]

Ria — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:19:22 +0000

a milestone and a big thank you

Ria — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:43:23 +0000

To celebrate I am going to give away a free children’s session to one of my lucky blog readers! Just leave a comment on this post and I will randomly choose the winner around 11am Monday morning! In honor of the big day, I am posting ONE YEAR photos of little “S” [yes...ANOTHER little girl whose name starts with "S"!]… she was just so yummy. Her auntie gave her this fabulous Anthropology dress for her birthday… I absolutely LOVED it!

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And, I need to say a big thank you to everyone who has donated to our Feed the Forgotten project. As of yesterday, we had raised over $8000, which translates into 57,000 meals for starving orphans in Uganda. Thank you so much! For more info on creative ways to GIVE… click HERE.

one year

Ria — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:16:41 +0000

sweet family

Ria — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:58:16 +0000

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!

lots of little girls

Ria — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:16:29 +0000

***BTW, did anyone go to the open house at the new Fargo Library this weekend? It looks like such a cool place… and of course the photographer in me thinks it would be a killer place for a session!***

sugar & spice…everything nice

Ria — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:54:43 +0000

~~they don’t get much sweeter than this…

catching up

Ria — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:24:58 +0000

“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?

phew…

Ria — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:08:42 +0000

And my favorite…

t.w.o

Ria — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:10:53 +0000

How do you get a two-year-old to stand with her hands in her pockets?

You hide fruit snacks in them of course!

And then when she finally gets one out and pops it in her mouth you get a shot like this…

I just got this adorable knit bunny at Zandbroz… it’s just down the street from my studio!

LOVE the colors in it!

sugar & spice

Ria — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:41:19 +0000

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!

let’s go little sister

Ria — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:44:34 +0000

the more the merrier

Ria — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:08:43 +0000

true boys

Ria — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:07:04 +0000

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.

such sweet kids…

Ria — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:10:03 +0000

Check out his studly tie!

And her gorgeous curls…

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

more from 2008

Ria — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:30:31 +0000

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!

mmmmm….

Ria — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:47:49 +0000

more cute kiddies

Ria — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:35:32 +0000

It’s Friday!

Ria — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:20:50 +0000

Halloween is coming…

Ria — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:05:22 +0000

Little Lucy is getting to be quite the model… she was in that same week for her own photo shoot and LOVES the camera.

Sneak Peeks!

Ria — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:37:21 +0000

cutie pie

Ria — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:05:47 +0000

This little girl was in for her six month photos last winter…what an honor it was to be asked to photograph her again at one year!

brovers

Ria — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:22:59 +0000

Wow…I don’t know if I’ve ever met a little boy with as blue of eyes as “C’s”….what a little charmer!

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…’

bittersweet

Ria — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:54:04 +0000

I was so happy to have finally gotten to meet this breathtakingly beautiful little girl and her family. You see, little Ella had a session scheduled last spring, and then her mommy called me to say she would most likely have to reschedule because she was on bedrest with her second baby. They had discovered that the baby had some heart problems and that he would most likely need to be born in Minneapolis. I remember standing at the park that day that I talked on the phone to her, as if we had been friends for a long time, watching my kids play and talking about my experience with my own son’s heart defect and heart failure. Ella would have to be without her mommy for months while she was on bedrest in Minneapolis. Little Evan Thomas was born on June 24th, 2008 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis and sadly he passed away six days later. I cannot imagine the grief this family has experienced, but I do know that they are AMAZINGLY strong people and that their little Ella brings them more joy than you can know. I was simply honored to have been able to photograph their little girl for them during such a difficult time in their lives.

She fell in love with this little green-haired dolly and insisted in having it in just about EVERY photo!

Pure joy I tell you…

Donations in memory of this sweet little girl’s baby brother can be sent to:

Children’s Foundation

2910 Centre Pointe Dr.

Roseville MN 55113

Attn: Heart Fund in memory of Evan Thomas Tamlyn

Favorites

Ria — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:58:13 +0000

Hi…it’s Monday again. Where do the weekends go? I am now officially done proofing all the sessions from July…too bad August is now almost over! Good news….help is on the way. I will be making that exciting announcement sometime next week! So…for your viewing pleasure here are some of my favorites from the end of July!

boys

Ria — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:24:07 +0000

These photos are from my last two sessions in the cities. It was such a hot day…about 90 degrees and super humid. It was a long drive home with my sweaty self after these little guys had me chasing them all over the place!

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!

These three

Ria — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:45:55 +0000

girls were so darn cute!

Too many…

Ria — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:58:37 +0000

There were so many great shots from this cute family’s session…I just couldn’t narrow them down so there are a LOT! Check out “E”’s adorable toothless grin…

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…

my princess…

Ria — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:31:06 +0000

is getting so big.

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…

He’s One!

Ria — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:23:46 +0000

The adorable little boy that starred in my last Area Woman ad is now one…and still the cutest little bugger ever! He brought his big brother along for a few shots too…

And my favorite….

It’s another

Ria — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:10:47 +0000

set of siblings with two older brothers and a little sister! How cute they were…

….loved this shot….real life!
Little “F” was so totally yummy I could have just eaten him up! Love that look…
And his big brother “A” had such a fun sense of humor…can you tell?

Seriously.

Ria — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:59:37 +0000

These three human beings were so unbelievably gorgeous. I could have just let them sit in my studio all day and looked at them…they would have thought I was a little creepy…. but look….

I told you! And they were so sweet and fun and nice too…and they are lucky they live in North Carolina or they would have had to be my new best friends. Seriously. And I loved little “F’s” style…just jeans, a grey t-shirt and bare feet. Perfect.

A behind the scenes shot…a little game we like to play called “make the baby smile!”

Seriously. He was so dang cute!

Time flies..

Ria — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:46:53 +0000

see that little baby on the top of my blog? It wasn’t that long ago that he was little enough to be wrapped snug as a bug in his little white and yellow duckie blanket. Well…look at this big boy now! He doesn’t quite fit in his little blankie anymore.

Thanks for coming to visit me again “L” and “B”…next time bring your dad!

Too Cute

Ria — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:47:24 +0000

****Please note**** I will be out of town from today through Thursday and will not have internet access. I will be checking phone messages. I will be back in the studio on Friday!
Look at these two peanut-butters. It was POURING rain on the day of their session so we had to stay inside the loft…but we still had fun and got lots of great images.
The “big”sister had the most contagious smile…I couldn’t help but smile behind the camera when she flashed me this gorgeous grin.

The “little” sister wasn’t quite so sure about the whole photo shoot thing…

See…it’s not so bad!

When you are working with 2-year-olds….you are almost certain to get one of these shots!

And this is one of my new favorite photos! I’ll be using it somewhere….

Just hold your horses…

Ria — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:05:58 +0000

Don’t be getting all excited that I have had a change of heart and decided to photograph weddings…no way. This mom just wanted to get a few more images of her adorable kiddos in their wedding attire, so she recreated the day…right down to real rose petals in the flower girl basket!

Does it get any cuter than this?

Here’s the scoop…

Ria — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:01:08 +0000

on my schedule! August is completely booked and a handful of sessions remain for September. All weekend appointments are booked through the end of the year. I will only be taking appointments through the first week of December (except for newborns), so if you were thinking of an appointment with me that month, e-mail me now! I will be working on my 2008 holiday card collection in the next month so look for that on my website under the featured tab soon. All card orders will need to be placed by Monday December 8th. Just a reminder that it takes up to 10 days for your gallery to be posted and then one week for you to place your order so if you are thinking of a session for holiday cards, you will need to have it scheduled before November 24th! I know it seems crazy to be thinking this far ahead, but it will be here before we know it.
Now…onto the photos. This little fella was such a cutie pie! Thanks for the fun “D-man!”

His wonderful mama got a huge print of this image for his bedroom! So fun…

So many to blog…

Ria — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:01:21 +0000

Here are some photos from sessions I’ve done in the past few weeks! I’m so behind that I need to lump some together…
First up is a group of cousins who got together at their grandparent’s farm for their photo shoot. The surroundings were beautiful, the sky was bright blue and the weather was perfect!

Big sisters…big helpers. This sweet family was blessed with an adorable baby boy and the girls had so much fun helping me at his newborn session…and getting a few of their own photos taken as well!

And finally is this busy little two-year-old. I can tell you that most two-year-olds are not big fans of getting their photos taken, and little “H” was no different…but I think we managed to distract her long enough to make her forget that she wasn’t supposed to be enjoying herself. I LOVED her aqua polkadot dress!

Big News

Ria — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:30:34 +0000

I am delighted to finally be able to announce that Pout Baby Boutique will be opening soon. Two fabulous clients of mine have gotten together to open a cool new boutique offering unique clothing and accessories for baby. I am proud to have gotten to work with them during the launch of their business and look forward to our continued partnership! Check them out at poutbabyboutique.com. Here are some shots of our recent photo shoot!

Meet my new cover baby

Ria — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:28:45 +0000

This stunning one-year-old is on all of my new summer marketing materials. She was an amazing model!

At the loft…

Ria — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:22:20 +0000

This sweet little lady got to be one of my first to have her session at the new studio. She spent most of the time running around being a typical two-year-old…giving me a workout trying to catch her looking at me. I was up to the challenge. One of the great things about the loft is the natural light that flows in from everywhere…so there is not a bad angle or low light area in the entire space! Here are my favorites…

Little Man

Ria — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:35:07 +0000

I got to go to “B’s” house for his session and he had sidewalks with gorgeous big trees that made for the perfect backdrop. He was so cooperative with me and his mom…and we had a fun morning watching all the trucks go by, playing golf, riding trike and of course taking some photos too!

Sweet Pea

Ria — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:42:24 +0000

Not much time to write today…it is a very busy week for sessions and luckily it looks like the weather might cooperate. I photographed this little sweet pea last fall and now she is 18 months old! Gotta love her little headband!

And I just love this one of little “G” and her mama.

I’m behind

Ria — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:51:29 +0000

on my regular blog posts from recent sessions! Here are three adorable kiddos that I got to photograph last winter when their new baby was brand new, and now we got to do some fun outdoor pics at the park. Even though the weather was chilly and on the verge rain the whole time, these kids were great sports!

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

a boy!

Ria — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:55:09 +0000

Another one-year-old…but this time it was a BOY! And was he ever a charmer. He had the funniest facial expressions and the cutest little polka dot tie. I had such a good time with him and his mom and dad for their “FAM” session!

J & E

Ria — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:15:10 +0000

I love these kids as if they were my own. Seriously. I will miss you guys like crazy cakes!

month for one-year-olds

Ria — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:55:27 +0000

***~~~***Just a quick note about the commercial shoot scheduled for June 7th at my studio. We have located all of the models needed for this shoot. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who passed along this information or sent photos of their beautiful children. If I have not contacted you, then we will not need you for this shoot. ***~~~***

Now onto the photos! I have had SO many one-year-olds in recent weeks. This little girl definitely qualifies for “best hair”…I couldn’t believe she was only one because her little hair do made her look so much older!

gerber baby

Ria — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:06:51 +0000

I have been so excited to share this gorgeous little girl’s session with you. Is it just me, or does she look just like the gerber baby?

Almost Summer

Ria — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:14:13 +0000

We had such a warm summer morning for “M” and “S’s” session…it almost felt like summer! Here are some of my favorites from their shoot.

“two-ness”…

Ria — Tue, 20 May 2008 01:34:07 +0000

includes doing your own thing…on your own schedule! This adorable brown-eyed-girl loved the petties I brought…but didn’t love standing still…or me trying to put her hair in pig tails! I think this may be the first time I have ever made one of my subjects cry…. I hope you have forgiven me “C”! Here’s my favorites from our session.

What a fabulous mommy she has…she brought ice cream cones to the park! It doesn’t get any better than that!

Brother & sister

Ria — Sun, 18 May 2008 19:36:27 +0000

I photographed these siblings a few weeks ago and they were so cute together. I’d say they are maybe at the hardest ages to photograph…especially together, but I think we managed to get some really adorable shots. I love the way she is looking at him in this 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.

models needed!

Ria — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:40:21 +0000

I am in need of models for an upcoming commercial shoot. Models and one parent must be available on Saturday June 7th for approximately 4 hours.

Needed are the following:

Newborn boy or girl (around 2-3 weeks old)

6-9 month old Asian boy or girl

Toddler boy under 2 years

12-15 month old African American girl

Please e-mail me a photo of your child by May 23rd and I will get you more information about the shoot and where your child’s photo will be seen!

For another project, I am looking for a 9-15 month old boy or girl with black curly hair. This child will receive a free session and discounted print prices. Again, you can e-mail me a photo of your child!

Yesterday I felt like such a lucky girl. I had three shoots scheduled and we had the most magnificent weather! Wow, it was fun. Here is one of my favorites of the day…. more to come as soon as I finish editing!

One year…part III

Ria — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:53:56 +0000

I hope all of my “mom” blog readers had a very nice relaxing mother’s day!

I told you I have had a lot of one-year-olds lately… and they were all girls! This adorable little girl had the cutest little earrings and had so much fun with her photo shoot, until we took her outside and made her sit in the grass…then she was not so happy with us!

One year

Ria — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:37:54 +0000

I’ve had quite a few one-year-olds lately~~but this one certainly wins the prize for the client who has traveled the farthest! She is from North Carolina and was here to celebrate her first birthday with her family. Minnesota even welcomed them with a snowstorm on the day of her party! I told them next time I would come to them for their session…on the beach!

During the session little “W” decided to show off a little and for the first time, went from sitting on the floor to standing up all by herself. We were all giggling and cheering her on because we were so proud of her…and she thought she was pretty hot stuff herself!

I love this “behind the scenes” shot…. photo shoots are FUN!

super cool

Ria — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:45:05 +0000

grandma and grandpa! They got their grandkiddos together for a session at the park. They even all had matching Blues Brothers t-shirts!

Better call Ralph…

Ria — Sun, 04 May 2008 20:57:11 +0000

Lauren that is. I think I’ve found a new little model for his spring collection! This little one-year-old was so fun to photograph. My favorite are the “urban” shots we did downtown.

Thanks “B”…you are adorable….don’t forget me when you make it big!

It was Spring

Ria — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:27:10 +0000

when we did this photo shoot. Not sure where it went, but we enjoyed having the warm weather for little 18-month-old “A’s” session. Her mom even trusted me enough to not think I was crazy when I suggested we take off her clothes and put her in the woods!

Waaaaaiiiiiiitttt!

Ria — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:10:43 +0000

This adorable two-year-old gave me a run for my money…literally! My view of her for most of the session looked something like this…

She ran and ran…and ran…and ran. And conveniently, it never seemed be towards me…just away from me. This wasn’t a typical toddler waddle-run either…I think she may have a future in sprinting! I bet I looked like quite a sight chasing this cute little girl in her pink tutu all around the park!

Here she is saying…”what, are you tired?”

So…we tried to bribe her to sit on these steps with some fruit snacks and she spontaneously did this….

So sweet! I think maybe she even tired herself out!

And a funny little story about this shot. I have never laughed so hard during a session as I did while I was taking this…..

Her mom had gotten her this big colorful lollipop so we set her up in this cool alley and unwrapped the sucker and gave it to her. She took a few licks and just as I started shooting she threw the lollipop on the road and it broke into all these little pieces. I could barely contain myself….infact I’m pretty sure I didn’t. I love the look on her face….like “how do you like THAT camera lady?”

So….we continued with half a lollipop….

Thanks for the exercise AND the laughs “A”…I loved every minute!

my new friends

Ria — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:24:39 +0000

Seriously…by the time our session was over, I felt like these two little girls were my friends! I met them at Como Zoo for their session and we had lots of fun places to explore. This photo is my absolute favorite from their session…one of my favorites ever!

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!

Just Beautiful

Ria — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:42:18 +0000

I got to do a session with this precious baby girl when I was in the cities last week.

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.

Okay…

Ria — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:56:11 +0000

this just may be my favorite photo I’ve ever taken. There are a few different reasons why I fell in love with it the instant I saw it. One is that is so perfectly represents my style of photography. It is not a traditionally “perfect” photo…the lighting isn’t exactly right, the focus isn’t spot on, the background isn’t beautiful….

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!

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!

Ria — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:34:48 +0000

I’m back after my long weekend away and have an adorable little red-head to share with you!

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!

Remember this little guy?

Ria — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:39:50 +0000

Well he is now a proud big brother who adores his baby sister…can you tell?

And here….is sweet baby “L”.

And I couldn’t resist posting this one…

super cute

Ria — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:01:54 +0000

This little girl came in for her two year photos and was so fun and spunky! She reminded me of a little Shirley Temple. And you gotta love those beautiful pouty lips!

Being a super model is tough work…sometimes a little juice-break is needed!

Watch out American Idol…I think she looks like such a rock star in this one!

I love the honesty in this photo…it is my favorite from our session. You can just tell that this is one of those laughs that comes straight from the belly.

Twin Cities Sessions

Ria — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:19:19 +0000

I will be doing sessions in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas on Wednesday and Thursday April 2-3. Session times will be limited so if you are interested in reserving a time, e-mail me!

And for a little pick-me-up this Friday after a COLD week, doesn’t that face just melt your heart?

toddler.fabulous

Ria — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:41:06 +0000

I knew I was going to love this girl the minute she walked through the door.

This is what she looked like…

She was a little firecracker with enough personality to fill an entire room! She didn’t sit still long enough to catch many of those “looks” I love so much, but we managed to get some great shots anyway.

Girls Girls Girls

Ria — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 02:10:20 +0000

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!

Contest Winner!

Ria — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:35:40 +0000

Congratulations to Andrea Burner, who was the first person to correctly guess the number of photos with 141. She will be receiving her gift certificates soon and thanks everyone for playing!

*******************************************************************************

And now on to some of my new favorites…you may have seen some of them already on my new website. There were just so many really great ones! Little “J” had the most amazing blue eyes…the kind that make you melt when he looks at you.

I will be heading out for the weekend for the “Girls Getaway” weekend…the one where you sign up and get on a bus and the trip is planned for you but you don’t know where you’re going. Should be interesting…I’ll be sure to post details when I get back. Plus I’ll have a few newborn sessions from this week to post! Happy Friday!

There are no words…

Ria — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:24:13 +0000

…really…for how adorable this little girl is.

Love these!

Ria — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:45:41 +0000

I think these two were the most cooperative kids I’ve ever photographed! Even the little two-year-old…he gave me several of those “looks” I’m always trying to capture!

And we had a few smiles and laughs too…

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

cutie patootie

Ria — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:02:25 +0000

This little two year old had her own idea of what we were going to do during her session…none of which involved looking at me or the camera. Everytime I asked her if she wanted to do something…her reply was a very cute “no”. Anyway…I think I captured alittle of her spunk in a few of the photos and even caught her looking at me for a split second a few times!

My absolute favorite….

And to her awesome, helpful big brother…you rock!

ooohhh….a contest!

Ria — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:39:42 +0000

These two images will be on display at an area business that caters to children. The first person [their mom and store employees excluded ha ha!) to spot them and leave a comment with the name of the business will receive a $50 certificate to use at rialee photography! Happy hunting!

Here are a few more from their session!

…dude…

Ria — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:13:05 +0000

This little guy is one of my VIP clients….I got to do his family’s session this fall, and his little sister is plastered all over my website, most noteably on my blog banner. But he is turning three, and it was his turn to be the star of the show!

A clothing change and MORE pictures wasn’t what he had in mind…

And in this one he is saying….”Are you kidding me Ria…another clothing change?”

What a trooper he was…but it is more fun to play hockey!

Another perfect newborn

Ria — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:39:51 +0000

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.

One-year-old

Ria — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:28:55 +0000

My adorable nephew…when they were here to visit a couple weekends ago, I got to do his one year photo session! He is such a fun little dude–even if he did NOT want to get his picture taken. We finally had to get uncle Tim to help and then it was all good!

Finally

Ria — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:32:23 +0000

I have been wanting to blog the photos from this session for a long time now….and I’m finally getting around to it! I got to meet these three beautiful girls…the “L” girls! The older two are sisters and the little one is their cousin. The biggest “L” was such a big helper for their group shot! Even if she did almost strangle her sister…this photo makes me laugh everytime!!!!!

Look are her AMAZING eyes!

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

Home Session

Ria — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:36:11 +0000

Many people are a little nervous to schedule a session in their own home. These photos prove that a home session can be fabulous! You don’t have to have a big fancy house or spend hours and hours cleaning. All we need is a spot with a few windows for light, and I’ll go from there! I sometimes move furniture around or open blinds, but it really is painless. Plus it is fun for the child to get to be in their own surroundings and capture them in a place that will have special memories for all of you! I loved how this families’ home session turned out. Thanks “S” family for opening up your home!

A funny story

Ria — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 19:08:18 +0000

about these two sessions. The dad from family “M” heard about me from a collegue at work, and sent my website address to his wife who called and made an appointment with me. She sent her sister ( family “A”) my website address and she also called and made an appointment with me. When the husband of family “A” came home from work he had gotten my card from a collegue of his and told his wife she should look at my website and she told him she had already booked with me! I have discovered over and over again what a small world this is…and how “word of mouth” advertising is so powerful! Thank you to all of you for sharing my work with others! Here are my favorite images from these two families sessions.

Before the snow…

Ria — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:03:56 +0000

I still have several sessions from the past month that I have not had a chance to blog yet. First up is a family that is very special to me…their two kids mean almost as much to me as my own children! I was honored when they asked me to capture some family shots of them…and we even got a gorgeous warm November day!

My “cover” kids!

Ria — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 02:24:14 +0000

Here are some of my favorite photos from sessions this fall that I chose to use in some new marketing materials I designed. I really do get to photograph some of the cutest kids in town! Look closely…your child may be featured.

More sessions to blog

Ria — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:32:07 +0000

Here are some pics from sessions I did a few weeks ago. I am so behind on my blog posting!

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.

Two more…

Ria — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 15:16:02 +0000

This cool family chose the Plains for their session. Beautiful girls with gorgeous brown eyes.

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!

Hey Megan,

Ria — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:47:02 +0000

Since I ran out of time to get your gallery done and you are going to have to wait until Monday for it, I thought I’d give you a few sneak peeks of your beautiful “G”. Hopefully these can hold you over for the weekend.

To all my other clients waiting for galleries…I am a little backed up with the holiday rush. It is running a little bit longer than a week to get galleries up but know that I am working as fast as I can!

New Favorites

Ria — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:05:50 +0000

After I am done editing a session I usually think to myself…”Ohh, these are my favorites that I’ve done so far.” But SERIOUSLY…THESE are my favorites I’ve done so far. Heidi…here is a sneak peek at your photos~~your gallery is coming!

’tis the season…

Ria — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 04:14:38 +0000

for holiday sessions. Here are a few examples of both “park” and “urban” sessions that I’ve done recently.

brothers & sisters

Ria — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:35:52 +0000

One of my favorite shows on tv…but also a really good blog title for this post.

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.

Thanks again to these great kids for our awesome photoshoots…it’s fun kids and families like you who make me love my job!

At first,

Ria — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 06:38:07 +0000

this little guy wasn’t so sure he wanted his photo taken.

But after awhile, he thought this picture thing was pretty fun!

And he LOVED my little red chair.

Here are a few family shots…

I absolutely love it when I get a look back shot!

Beautiful Girls

Ria — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 22:15:55 +0000

I had the pleasure of meeting these two adorable sisters and their awesome mom who had the cutest clothes picked out for their shoot. Their blue eyes? Amazing.

it’s true

Ria — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 03:44:52 +0000

When I say that I get to photograph some of the COOLEST kids and families, I am NOT lying! These families were oozing coolness for their photoshoots. I love the way both of these sessions turned out.

Two

Ria — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:10:38 +0000

This adorable little girl is a perfect example of a session where you just hope you got one or two photos of her standing still and maybe even looking at the camera. Most of the session, she spent ignoring me or running like this….

Then, as usually happens, she finally warmed up to me and the camera, and with the help of a few fruit snacks in her pocket, even stood in one place for a whole minute! So moms…don’t worry if your child is running non-stop during their session or it seems like they are not cooperating. I am patient and will be ready for that split second that they might just look up at me. Like this…

Here are a few more from our session…loved the boots!

Weekend Sessions

Ria — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:29:41 +0000

All of my sessions from last weekend should have received their online galleries by now. If you haven’t heard from me, please let me know. Have fun picking out your favorite photos! Here are a few of mine…

Thanks for the fun sessions everyone…

~Ria

We’re up for whatever…

Ria — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:16:24 +0000

I love it when families have this attitude about their photoshoot. These guys went along with all my crazy ideas and were even excited about the big ugly couch I brought along! Thanks W family…you are fabulous!

Hey…that’s me!

Ria — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:02:12 +0000

I was asked to be the featured photographer on the website pinkinkstudios.com for their Friday blog mixer. [You'll have to scroll down a bit to find it.] PinkInkStudios is a website that provides design services for professional photographers. So check me out! Here is a fun fall…and pink..photo for this gorgeous Friday.

fall family fun

Ria — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:11:21 +0000

Here is a good example of those fall colors I was talking about! I met this family at the park for their session and their two-year-old was non.stop.energy….she even ran full speed down a hill, fell and skidded face first on a bike path and it barely even stopped her. Luckily, there were no scrapes or blood! What I loved about this family was that I really didn’t have to ask them to do anything, they just played with their kids while I snapped away and we got some great natural shots. Here are a few of my favorites!

Another One-Year-Old

Ria — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:07:38 +0000

This little girl was a trooper, even with three clothing changes and goosebumps on her sweet little legs! You are a doll “E”!

I’m One!

Ria — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 01:08:25 +0000

This is my favorite photo from this little guy’s session because it perfectly captures him at this stage of his life. He was turning one (and learning to hold up one finger) and learning to walk. Happy Birthday H!

Talk about…

Ria — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:07:15 +0000

gorgeous weather. We had the most perfect summer night to do these photos at the golf course! These three were so cooperative…thanks you guys! Here’s a few until the rest are ready!

These two…

Ria — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 15:34:21 +0000

..are so her mom can see the model moves I taught her! Too cute!

Miss E

Ria — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 20:42:19 +0000

These images are from one of my first “real” shoots….and she just happens to be one of my most favorite little girls in the whole universe. She was turning one and only a hot pink tutu would do!