Meagon Martindale | {Franklin Pierce 2012 Senior}

As the months turn, the end of the year nears and the life of a high school senior gets that much closer to the “big day” which is otherwise known as GRADUATION! This senior, Meagon, who attends Franklin Pierce High School also is going to school at BJ’s Beauty and Barber School…talk about ambitious!! On top of that, she will finish with ALL of her classes in February, a semester earlier than the rest of her graduating class…now that is impressive! So, for Meagon, the “big day” is much sooner, really just a few months away! It was a pleasure to meet her and her mom, Shiloh, on a rather blustery Sunday morning…and despite the cold weather, we were fortunate, as it didn’t rain!  I’d been watching the forecast all week, as I’m sure Meagon had been…and someone was definitely looking out for us with the dry weather! It’s always a delight to get to know these seniors, find out about their plans, dreams, goals and hear what they are doing and enjoying in their senior year…it’s such an exciting time in their lives and it’s great to hear the excitement and enthusiasm that these young people have.  Meagon was no different…she is ready to finish classes, but a bit nervous about what’s ahead after that. I asked if she planned on moving anywhere new and exciting to start her career….her mom instantly said, “she’s not allowed to leave the area!” I love that…her mom, like all moms, is holding on tight to her little girl and  just isn’t ready for her to go far…I can certainly relate to that. Poor Meagon was freezing when we started out, but I think (or at least acted like it) warmed up a bit as the session went on…she was a great sport and a lot of fun to photograph!! So, it’s now time for you to meet Meagon…a beautiful young woman!

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Beauty…this word is going to be part of Meagon’s career, but also is an adjective describing Meagon….inside and out! undefined

This beautiful tattoo is in memory of Meagon’s grandmother and what a wonderful way to honor and remember someone who obviously meant a lot to Meagon.

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M  M  –  Meagon Martindale…when we saw this in the Graffiti Garages, her mom said she had to get her photo by them…her initials and the print on her shirt nearly matches that of the lettering on the walls!undefined

Did I say beautiful…and she’s got incredible eyes…wow!undefined

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Meagon’s mom is obviously quite proud her daughter, as well she should be…she is obviously a confident and strong young woman!undefined

Oh, this is probably my favorite….BEAUTIFUL, Meagon!!!!undefined

A little attitude…we laughed about attitude because any young woman needs a bit of that to succeed in life!!undefined

The looks say it all, love, pride and joy….in her daughter’s success!undefined

Meagon…you are a wonderful young woman and I know you will be very successful…enjoy life, live it to the fullest, be proud of who you are and remember your family…that’s the key to success!

 

 

Matilda & Indy | {Auburn Family Photographer}

Last week I had the pleasure of spending some time with two darling little girls! These two are not related, but share the same birthday and their mother’s are good friends…how fun is that!! You’ve met Indy before – when she turned one in August…and I believe that even Matilda made an appearance on the blog from Indy’s party…and of course, she was one then as well! So, how neat to get to see the two of them together and even capture a few photos of them with one another. They are so cute together, both very different and very sweet…it was great to watch them interact! Although, as you might expect, getting two little ones this young do do the same thing, well, that was a bit of a challenge…it seemed that often one was going the other direction or not wanting to sit…so it was “snap, snap, snap” in my effort to try and get some photos for their moms! We did get a few, but not as many as we would have liked….oh well, next time! The two families shared a session, so you’ll get to see a little of each family…

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Here are the two cuties…Matilda and Indy…contained in a sleigh for this photo…aren’t they adorable!undefined

And, now, Matilda gets to be the star…she was really fun to get to know since when I first met her, it was a busy time with lots of people around. She is quite calm and was very content to sit and play or read…and check out her boots, aren’t they adorable!undefined

I love this photo…Matilda was as happy as could be, sitting on the stool with a book and you can see her sweet smile just shines, while her parents are beaming with pride in the back ground!undefined

And dad and mom, otherwise known as Matt and Karmin…wonderful and very loving parents, who I really enjoyed getting to know.undefined

Then Indy had her spotlight and I couldn’t resist sharing this photo of her…doesn’t she have beautiful eyes…and I love the color red on her…it all went perfectly with the sleigh!undefined

And, you’ve also met Jason (dad) and Katie (mom) before…they are definitely proud parents…who are expecting another one next spring…undefined

Indy sure loved her little teapot and had so much fun playing “tea party” with her set…she shared tea with all of us…what a sweet little girl!undefined

Well, we did figure out one way to get both of the girls in the same spot…have the dads get down with the girls and “encourage” them to stay put…and it worked…what a great photo…two first time dads with their little girls who obviously have melted their hearts!!
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And, naturally, we had to get moms and girls…and I am sure the two little ones will become life long friends, like their mothers…such a wonderful thing and so refreshing!!

 

Matt, Karmin, Jason and Katie…thank you all for asking me to capture some special memories for your families and sharing an evening with your beautiful daughters…there are more photos which will soon be available for you to see! Until then, just enjoy the girls!!

Alex & Carly | {Tennessee Kids & their mom}

Last month I was in Tennessee (North Carolina a bit as well)…for some fun, a workshop and to visit friends…and the last bit of the trip involved visiting with friends. Although the whole trip was wonderful, I must way that the time with friends was AWESOME…we met this family when we lived out there (we’ve been in Washington for over 16 years now) and they have remained dear and close friends, who we visit often and occasionally travel with. It’s funny because when we met, our kids were little…preschool and now, I’m photographing their preschool aged grandchildren…it just isn’t possible, is it? Well, I guess time happens and passes, whether we like it or not…we don’t have a choice, so I will just enjoy it and appreciate the times with those we care about! These two little cuties are Alex, who is 4 and Carly, who is 2…and let me tell you, they are BUSY kids…but wait, 2 and 4 year olds are busy…right, right! They kept me on my toes, literally and at first they really weren’t sure about me and/or the camera, but by the end of our visit, they had warmed up and I must say that one night, I was the only who who got a hug and kiss from Carly before she went to bed…that’s the best acceptance ever!! I photographed them a few times, over two days and the first was at Sewanee University in Tennessee. What a beautiful campus…although we didn’t see a lot of it, what I saw was wonderful and oh, I’d love to return some day to see more of this beautiful location…and it’s amazing buildings. We had a bright sunny day, so we had to find some good shade and at that we did…the kids were on the go and happy to be moving and not in a car…  It was a tad chilly, but that certainly didn’t slow them down a bit, as you can see. Their mom, Michelle, is our friends oldest daughter and one thing that stands out in my mind is when our daughter (four years younger) and her would get together, they’d have their own radio talk shows and it was so much fun to listen to…the stories, the songs and the imagination…I can see that in her children!!

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Aren’t these two adorable…such great smiles and beautiful bright eyes…full of lifeundefined

I love these photos of Alex and his mom…such a special relationship!!undefinedundefined

LOVE, this…the smiles, grins and expressions…this is them…full of life, with mom holding on time while they are little!undefined

A reward at Cracker Barrel (oh, how I love that place!), for lunch…Alex was determined to try and beat this game…it’s certainly challenging!undefinedundefined

The next day we were in the yard and Alex had to show me his sword that went with his Halloween costume….you can see, he was having fun!!undefinedundefinedundefined

Carly absolutely LOVES swinging…as you can see, she’s quite comfortable…it was a time she was still and content being in one spot!! LOLundefined

Isn’t she a beauty…look at those eyes, she’s going to have the boys calling when she gets older!!undefinedundefined

Alex loved racing cars with his Papa (and my husband)…you can see he’s pretty adept at this and knows what he’s doing…he was sure concentrating!undefinedundefined

Beautiful Michelle…we had to grab a few photos of mom, alone, since this is probably a rare thing…alone when you have two little ones…it’s time you cherish and appreciate!undefined

Getting Carly roped in for this photo was a challenge…she wanted nothing to do with being still on this beautiful morning…but we managed to get this before she darted off!
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Our little pink spider…loved the tights and shoes with the skirt…too cute!undefined

I must say that we sort of got in “trouble” before this shot! We had a security guard yell at us as we approached the “tree” made of oak barrels…which were on the grounds of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee…it’s funny as we didn’t even see him until he shouted that we were to “step back!” You would have thought that we were in a high security area of a government building…it was just oak barrels! Thankfully, he seemed to back off as we moved a bit away and we were able to grab this photo!undefined

Oh, I LOVE this shot…Carly had a bit of a melt down (she was exhausted!)…and so her papa took her ahead of the rest of us to head back to the car. I couldn’t resist “lurking” behind with the camera (surprise!!)…and capturing this very sweet moment!undefined

Both Alex and Carly were excited to model their Halloween costumes, so we stepped outside to capture these..which were going to be put to use the very next day!undefined

Michelle, it was great to see you and the kids and I enjoyed capturing some special memories/photos for you and the kids. I will look forward to the next time we visit and seeing how they’ve grown…enjoy them as they grow way too fast!!

Dills Family | {delightfully charming}

Have I said lately just how much I enjoy my job? Well, if you’ve heard it before, you will hear it again because I do LOVE what I do…and meeting families and people like the Dills family is exactly why I love this! We met at the UW Tacoma campus last Sunday afternoon and although I had only spoken with Kimberly (mom), it was something I was really looking to as I could just tell this would be a fun session!!  Not only did I get to meet and know beautiful Dahlia and her parents, Daniel and Kimberly, but they were also joined by Daniel’s parents, Paul and Leticia as well as Daniel’s brother, Paul, Jr.  Such a great family – very easy to talk with, work with and so down to earth! It was a GREAT afternoon!!

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Papa and Nana (otherwise known as Paul and Leticia) and Uncle Paul…it was wonderful to see just how close this extended family it…so refreshing!

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Paul and Leticia…they were wonderful to visit with and it’s obvious they have a great love for one another…and the pride they beamed with in watching their family was amazing to see!

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This little beauty, who is 17 months old, was so good, despite not choosing to take a nap this day…she knew what she wanted and when she was finished with something, she’d “sign” she was all done…it was so cute and I couldn’t help but laugh…and of course, keep shooting!undefined

This little girl is loved dearly by her parents and you can see just how happy she is…her parents were delightful and it was obvious they are SO in love with her!!!

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What a handsome looking family…and they are all just nice!

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Such a beautiful family…I love this photo!!

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Someone has her Papa wrapped around her little finger!!

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The boys…and Dahlia…she loves them all!!!!

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Yes, I encouraged her to sit on the gravel and play in it…she was quite happy and seemed to really enjoy it…and a little bit of dirt, no problem, that’s part of being a child and growing up!undefined

These grandparents are absolutely LOVING their new roles in life and it was fun to talk with them about just how wonderful it is to be a grandparent…we shared stories with one another about how amazing it is…I completely know how they feel!undefinedundefined

Kimberly and Daniel said they couldn’t remember the last time they had a photo taken of just the two of them…as once Dahlia entered their lives, they have been busy with her, so we made sure to get some of this wonderful couple…just them!

undefinedAnother photo that I LOVE…Dahlia’s expression is priceless and it’s as though she’s letting me know that SHE is in charge…of her parents and not afraid to show that she has them wrapped around her fingers!!!

Dills family…thank you for asking me to capture some special memories for your family, I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to meet all of you…enjoy the photos and hopefully, this will hold you until they are all ready!

Maddy and Max…back again | {Sweet Siblings}

You probably recognize these two cute faces…they’ve been here before, actually 6 months ago to be exact, when Max was born! He’s now 6 months old and look at how adorable he is! You just want to hug and squeeze this little (not so little!) guy…it was so great to see him again! And, of course, beautiful Maddy, who has been here several times, just as sweet as always. Later this month, Maddy will turn 4…and between her parents schedule and mine, this was the best timing for getting the photos in for the two darlings! We started out by meeting at Scholz Pumpkin Patch in Orting, unfortunately, just as they arrived, so did the rain…and the clouds were dark and threatening and we knew it wasn’t going to blow over soon. Drats…but thankfully, we had a back up plan of my studio, so we loaded up and headed there, where it was dry and warm! I’m so thankful we were able to get this session in and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them this afternoon….besides Maddy and Max, their parents, Ed and Kerry are wonderful and kind people as well and it’s fun to watch them with their children…such a great family unit!!!

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undefinedMaddy has the prettiest hair and her eyes are full of sparkle and life…she’s your typical four year old, with curiosity, a desire for independence and lots of energy…and so very sweet!

undefinedIsn’t Max just ADORABLE…he has those cheeks that you just want to squeeze and kiss…and he’s such a happy baby with LOTS of smiles to share…he was a great little model and very patient…until he decided it was time to eat!!undefined

Ed and Kerry are wonderful and patient parents…Max and Maddy are so blessed to have them as parents!
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undefinedAs you an see, we “attempted” shooting outside, but the rain wasn’t going to give up…so after just a couple of quick shots, we had to give in and head to the studio!! Oh well, it all worked out just fine in the end and if we’d been outside, we wouldn’t have been able to get such cute photos of him with his tie (which is VERY talented mom made….and sells!).undefined

Maddy did get to pick out a couple of pumpkins before we left the pumpkin patch and so she brought them along to the studio, for a bit of “fall” for the photos!undefined

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these….isn’t Max the cutest!

undefinedSuch a GREAT family…I love watching them together and seeing how happy the kids are….a sure sign of a very settled and stable home…and these kids sure show that in the photos! Thank you, Ed and Kerry, for allowing me the pleasure of capturing some more special memories for your family!

Jordan…gorgeous | {Puyallup 2012 Senior Rep}

undefinedSometimes you wonder why things happen the way they do and other times you know why they happen.  Earlier this year I was told that this girl, Jordan, was looking for someone to do her senior photos and I mentioned that she could possibly be a rep for me at her high school (Puyallup HS).  A month or two went by before I heard anything from her and when I finally did, we were able to arrange a session fairly quickly. We had it set for Saturday afternoon, but Saturday morning rolled around and it was raining and the forecast wasn’t looking great, and we both had the next afternoon available, so set a time on Sunday and as it turned out, that was just about perfect…the weather, the light and Jordan! I had not met her before, nor her mom, but it quickly felt like we’d known one another for a while and after a few shots, Jordan relaxed and the fun began. As you can see, she’s beautiful, but in getting to know her this afternoon, I quickly learned that she is just as beautiful on the inside. She’s so down to earth, not afraid of trying something new, but also not afraid to speak up with her ideas or suggestions and funny…very funny! We covered quite a bit of ground during this afternoon and after worrying what weather we’d have that day and not knowing what she would be like, I can tell you, it was a GREAT session, relaxed, fun and inspiring! Jordan is excited for her senior year and looking forward to the future….dreams of cosmetology school, quite possibly in California! When I asked if she planned to return to Washington (especially the grey weather we have time time of year!)…she said “maybe” we’ll see! Why wouldn’t a young, eager and enthusiastic woman go in search of her dreams and some beautiful weather….I think it’s wonderful she has goals and dreams because without those, how would one know where to go in life! So, this lovely young woman now has her turn on my blog and I’m excited to share some of what we captured during her session! Back to the first thought…I don’t know why Jordan asked to have me do her senior photos, but I’m happy to have met her and had the opportunity to capture some memories for her and her mom…and I know why we changed the session from Saturday to Sunday…because it was MUCH better weather on Sunday than it would have been on Saturday…and we had the opportunity to see some fun things during the session.undefined

Sunshine…what a treat it was to have this after the rain the day before…so thankful!

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Jordan had a “guest” during shoot, this beautiful cat didn’t want to be let out, so tried to get in the pictures, but wouldn’t fully cooperate…imagine that!

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As you can see, Jordan is stunning, beautiful eyes, gorgeous smile and I loved her hair, which seemed to glow with the lovely light we had this afternoon….oh, and her boots (which I want!) are called…..”Jordan” boots…aren’t they great!

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She’s such a natural, so relaxed and seemed quite at ease (after the first few photos)…I told her she could be a model!

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I love this photo with Jordan and her mom, Amy! When Jordan saw it, she said she loved it…that you can see the love between them, but also the “look” that I sure between a teenager and her mom is frequent…these two were so fun!
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The colors and her beauty just radiate in this photo…I must say that the first few times I asked for a serious look, she couldn’t do it…she’s be serious for about half a second, then start cracking up…but she caught on quickly and I must say that I love this look (as well as her smile)…as I said before…a true natural.

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As you can see, some fun was had during the session…and Jordan said she definitely wanted a pic or two by the “We Don’t Hate” sign…and we had a bit of fun with it! And, her beautiful mom…you can certainly see the resemblance!

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These guys were so funny…they were coming up the stairs during the session and stopped…I asked them to join in…at first a bit shy about it (really??), but they quickly agreed and I captured this fun photo….Jordan was a great sport about it!!

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BEAUTIFUL, KIND & SWEET…these words describe Jordan and I thoroughly enjoyed our session and getting to know her! If you are a friend of hers or attend Puyallup High School…and are interested in photos, get in touch with her, she has a card that will give you a little extra bonus!!

Happy Saturday, everyone! I’m off to enjoy some quality time with my husband!!!

 

Jonathan | {Kentlake 2012 Senior}

Just a week ago I drove to Covington and had the opportunity to meet and photograph Jonathan and let me tell you, I was quite impressed with this young man. First off, his dynamic smile just grabs you, but in talking with him, you quickly learn just how nice and relaxed he is. Besides Jonathan, his mom, Jenny, joined us during the session and it was really enjoyable to talk with the two of them. We were fortunate to have a beautiful day, maybe a bit more sun than one would want, but it sure beat the rain that had been “hitting and missing” during that week. We had lots of trees to work with around their yard and it was nice to have such a lovely afternoon to spend outside! Jonathan is an avid mountain biker…actually more than avid, he competes around the country and is considered semi professional and is often spending his weekends traveling to compete in different locations…he was off to Kellogg, Idaho just two days after our session. When I asked Jonathan about his future, he said he’d love to be a real “professional” in the mountain biking and actually make some money at it….and was willing to sleep in his car and eat poptarts if that is what he took, to follow his dreams! Wow, I love hearing things like that…he truly has a passion and I hope he’s able to follow his dreams!

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Talk about a great smile…I would imagine that he’s caught the eye of at least a few (if not many) young women….undefined

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You can see the passion Jonathan has for his sport….he’s very dedicated and devoted and obviously quite good…it would be great to see him race sometime, I’m sure he’s even more impressive when flying down the mountain on his bike!undefinedundefined

Jonathan is trying to decide where he’ll be next year at this time and at this point he’s looking at Western Washington State University and Washington State University (Go COUGS!) – I am sure that wherever he ends up, he will be successful as he’s a determined young man with great goals to succeed!

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Best of luck in your senior year and with your mountain biking…I know you will do well at whatever paths you choose in life!