Last Saturday, the Stevenson Family came down to my studio (which hasn’t officially been announced yet). We decided that since the temperature outside was freezing, it would be best to take some inside and then venture out in the cold. These guys were so great to work with. I loved Savannah and Austin’s enthusiasm when we took their individual pictures. They’ve both got mad jumping skills! I was also excited about shooting by this killer teal wall that I’ve been wanting to use as a background for a while…so thanks guys!

The Jensen Family was all in town for Allie and Randal’s wedding (which I am posting next). All of you with families know how HARD it is to get everyone together, so we had to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and take their family picture. I had to create a makeshift studio down at the Jensen’s office. They are seriously a beautiful family and their kids were so good. Thanks Jensens!

I just had to show my makeshift job on this background. But, I say that it’s because their family was just too big to fit! :D

We went to the International Peace Gardens because I wanted a place we could have great scenery and backgrounds, but somewhere the kids wouldn’t get bored. It worked perfectly! Whenever the kids started getting antsy, we’d just move to a new spot. It was so great to spend time with them, see them interact, and feel their love for one another. Their boys are fantastic, too. David, James, and Josh all are a joy to be around. I hope these photos can be a treasure to the Lloyds as a reminder of this difficult, yet wonderful time of their lives.

CLICK HERE to watch their SLIDESHOW.

I felt honored that she asked me to take her family pictures this year! I mean, last year she had Jon Canlas (another one of our friends from school) do it and he is AMAZING.

I had big shoes to fill.

Crew and Raleigh are so much fun! Crew is hilarious in front of the camera. He loves to make goofy faces and jump up and down. Raleigh, on the other hand, doesn’t like having his picture taken — he likes to be the one taking them, the same as his mom. He has his own ‘camera’ (a pair of binoculars) that we had to bring out to make him happy.

There were so many fun photos of them, it was seriously super hard for me to narrow them down for the blog. CLICK HERE to watch their SLIDESHOW! (And, Crew, this song is for you since I know you like the movie Ice Age)

Michael, a rambunctious 2-year old couldn’t stay in one spot too long, but it was fun to run around and watch him play and interact with his family. Little Michael is the most easy-going baby I have ever met, just chillin’ and taking it easy. He only got fussy at the end because he was hungry. By the end, the sky looked incredible! I was glad that Michael cooperated until the very end :)

Since we went downtown and then out to the Great Salt Lake, there were so many awesome shots! CLICK HERE to watch their SLIDESHOW with tons more pictures. Let me know what you think!

Liz wanted to get some great shots out by the Great Salt Lake. As I was driving out West toward the lake, the sky in the East was beautiful and clear and was creating a beautiful light out West where dark skies loomed ahead. I was hopeful that the rain would hold for at least 30 minutes so we could get in some good shots. Instead of 30 minutes, we got 2. Before we even started, the rain started coming. It was windy and icy, not a good combination for two young boys. We decided it would be better to reschedule….Here are a few of the pictures I took.

This is the picture I took when I first arrived at the Lake (looking out toward Antelope Island) while I was waiting for the Ott’s to arrive. Beautiful, isn’t it?

Second of all, meet my family! These are some pictures that I took a couple weeks ago before my little brother left on his LDS mission to Milwuakee, Wisconsin. It was a last minute thing, so instead of hiring another photographer to do it, I was in charge. I had to pose myself (which is quite harder than you might think) and I look pretty awkward in most shots…. Luckily, our neighbor came to ‘snap the picture’ so I didn’t have to keep running back and forth.

As you can see, my two little nephews, Will and James, are growing up so fast! I love living close to them so I can play with them and see them frequently. They make me so happy! This is going to be the last family photo until my bro gets home in 2 years. I am so grateful for everyone in my family. The older we all get, the closer we become. I couldn’t have asked for a better family. I love you guys!

They are a busy family, but so much fun. They are such great neighbors and I’m glad that I had the chance to photograph their family. Oh, I almost forgot to mention David, the exchange student from Peru who has barely been with them for a week. David is one of many exchange students who has lived with the McSweeneys. They are generous and excited to provide opportunities for kids from outside of the U.S.

CLICK HERE to see a short SLIDESHOW.