Cactus Fun - Anthem Child Photographer

Who knew cactus could be so much fun?  Yesterday I had the pleasure of doing a mini-shoot wit the K family.  We met at Jack Ass Acres (for those of you not from Anthem, yes that really is what it's called).  The K family moved to Arizona a little over a year ago and wanted a picture for their Christmas card that would really capture the spirit of Arizona and make all their cold-weather friends jealous.  I think we accomplished this quite nicely and had a ton of fun in the process.  These kids were a crack up and I look forward to watching them grow.

I wanted their images to have a fun, "weather is beautiful, wish you were here" kind of vibe so I punched the color as I edited the images.

See, I told ya cactus were fun...

Truly gorgeous works of art this family is creating...

Thanks guys.  I had a great time!

Pasta Salad w/ Goat Cheese and Arugula

So it's not a picture, but it is yummy.

Tonight I made Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula.  It was super yummy and super fast.  And if your kids are picky eaters, the ingredients work well separately as well.  This recipe comes from this month's issue of Everyday Food Magazine.

Ingredients

- corse salt and ground 

- 3/4 lb gemelli or other short pasta

- 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

- 3/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (3 oz.)

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

- 1 bunch arugula (8 oz), torn

- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente.  Drain pasta and rinse under cold water.  In a large bowl, toss pasta with beans and goat cheese.  (I'd add the goat cheese last so that it doesn't melt.)

2. Make dressing: In a bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and mustard and season with salt and pepper.  Toss pasta mixture with dressing, arugula, and onion.

You can also prep the ingredients in advance and assemble it later.  Refrigerate pasta mixture and dressing separately, up to one day.

Enjoy!

S Family Sneak Peak - Anthem Child Photographer

Meet the "S" family.  With four kiddos ranging in age from 8 1/2 months, to 13 years, they are very busy bees.  Everyone really looked after each other and even though it was really hot, we had a fun time.

This is little Miss "P."  Mom brought bubbles (what a great idea!) and P wanted to play too.

Look how soulful this little one's eyes are...

I love it when babies play with their feet =).

Here's Miss "S."  She was very much on the go.  I had a great time chasing her around.  Here she is trying to see the monkey that lives in my camera =).

Handsome "B" wants to play basket ball when he grows up.

But he's also got a pretty strong arm...

And a beautiful smile.

Mr. "C" had just finished a photography class.  We had a great time choosing locations and discussing photographic design principles.

"C" will be starting HS in the fall and is going to be a soccer player when he grows up.

Congratulations on your 8th grade graduation =).

And towards the end we were able to get everyone to slow down for just a few seconds so we could capture these beautiful family portraits.  Can you feel the love?

Mom had mentioned to me that she didn't have any pictures of her and Dad together.  Since these two make it all happen, it was very important that we took some time to honor their dedication to each other and to their beautiful children.

Thanks so much for inviting me to share this special time with you.  It was an honor =).

Leading Moms In Business Competition

Thanks so much everyone for voting for me in the Leading Moms In Business competition.  I know it was a long competition and so many of you voted every day.  That means so much to me =).

Here's an article about me on OnlineAtAnthem.com

Brand New Baby "S" - Anthem Newborn Photographer

How quickly they grow.  This is "K."  You might remember her from the portraits I made of her for her first birthday at the end of last year.

I love how little kids have such a wide range of expressions and how they really let you see their pure selves.   Here's "K" as the wise old soul.  What secrets must be hidden behind those eyes.

And here she is as free-spirited little one...

Meet her younger brother "S."  He is three weeks old and so tiny and perfect.  He was asleep when I got there, all swaddled and warm.

"K" is already such a caring big sis.

I've been wanting to try this setup for a long time and we finally had the opportunity.

Beautiful Mama.

And I just couldn't help myself...

Thanks so much for letting me capture this special time and for sharing your beautiful family with me.

Historic Phoenix

I love photographing people.  I've always loved people watching.  I think people are neat.  When I was acting, it was fascinating to take on someone else's persona.  Now, as a photographer, being able to capture the essence of real people with my camera is so much fun and quite an honor.  

That being said.  It's good to mix it up.  Get a different perspective on things.  I've been trying to hone my landscape photography skills.  So the other day after a shoot downtown I went on a little walk.  There are some really cute, historic neighborhoods downtown.  Everyone seemed to really take pride in their home.  Living in Anthem where all the houses look alike, it was fun to wander around and imagine the lives that are lived in each of these unique houses.