A winning weekend for these pretty girls - AND Center Stage

This weekend, the Stage One dance competition was in town and three girls from the Academy of the Arts dance studio won Photogenic Awards with Center Stage Photography portraits! I'm very tickled for the girls, and happy I could do my part to get them recognition and a trophy.

Gwen, one of my favorite dancers to photograph, won the Senior Photogenic award with a senior portrait I took of her last fall;

My daughter Paige won first place in the junior division (it was a repeat for her as she won first place last year as well);

and Ashley, won second place in the petite division with a portrait I took just a couple of weeks ago!

I can do headshot sessions for your dancer as well - $125 gets you the 20-minute session and an 8x10 to enter at the competitions (weekdays only - contact me for details).

Congratulations, my pretties! =)

Mother's Day Portrait Session - Kansas City Portrait Photographer

You know I've been pushing you all to get Mother's Day portrait sessions done. I truly believe it's important that we have portraits with our own mothers, children, and sisters. I am happy that my business partner, Tonya, wanted a session with her mom and girls. I just love the image of the four of them together. I am going to make sure Tonya gets a nice, big print of that!

I am offering discounted Mother's Day mini sessions in April and May. I have limited weekend session times available, so if you would like a Sunday session, please contact me as soon as possible. Weekday sessions times are still plentiful. For more information about my special Mother's Day minis, click here.

The beauty of pregnancy - Kansas City Maternity Photographer

I happen to think that every pregnant woman is beautiful - but honestly, I am amazed by the stunning women who come to my studio for maternity sessions. Each is so different in both personality and physique - but each is so excited about her session and it makes me feel so good to be able to showcase this particular beauty that happens when a woman is creating new life inside her.

Ana and her family came from St. Joseph last Sunday for a session and she was so happy about her session, and the images I was showing her on the back of my camera that during the session, I kept thinking to myself, "I love my job!" She was also so complimentary of my work that I have now told her that I will need a weekly Ana fix just to boost my ego on a regular basis =)

Ana - sorry to make you wait a few days for this preview - your gallery will be online by Easter. Thank you so much for choosing me for this special portrait session!

Amy and Tony's Baby Boy -- Kansas City Newborn Photographer

Two years ago, when my photography career was just beginning, if you had told me that a couple would be driving from Des Moines so that I could do a newborn portrait session for their 18-day-old son, I would never have believed it. But that's just what happened today. We had a maternity session a few weeks ago, and Amy and Tony returned to my studio today with their tiny little man. I am truly humbled and honored! Thank you so much for choosing me - I have enjoyed photographing you so much - and there's that matter of 6-month portraits we were discussing today....

Lady in Blue - Kanas City Maternity - Center Stage Photography

I am so excited to give Jenn this preview of her maternity portraits. I have photographed Jenn's kids a few times and was so happy to hear she was expecting #3 and wanted me to document her pregnancy for her. It's been a rough one for her, and she and her husband really wanted portraits to remember, also, the beauty of this time. I'm pretty sure I was able to deliver on the "beauty" part.
(I have to show off the "hands" image - we worked so hard for this! Their 2-year-old gave us fits - it's a bit of a miracle that we managed to get this image, I think.)

Absolute Doll - Kansas City Baby Portraits - Center Stage Photography

When her mom sent me snapshots of this baby recently, I was so excited about doing her 6-month session because she's such a beauty. I couldn't wait until our session. And boy was I not disappointed! Look at her! She's so beautiful. I can't stop looking at that first portrait in this blog post.

I was lucky enough to have done her newborn portraits as well, and her parents are just so in love with her.

I can't believe sometimes that I get to do this for a job...

Rural Engagement

I really enjoy engagement portrait sessions - each one is so different, dependent on the personalities of the couple as well as the location of choice. This one was as sweet as can be, because Crystal and Austin are just that - two sweet kids in love. I enjoy photographing this family - I did family portraits for Crystal's family two years ago when I was first getting started; then it was Holly's newborn portraits; then Elaine's senior portraits, maternity portraits for Holly's second pregnancy; and now engagement portraits for Crystal. I love that part of my job - being a part of a family's life.

(Thanks to my sister, who served as my photo assistant - now I want you to come to every session!)

Thanks Crystal for choosing me for your engagement portraits - I enjoyed it!

High Key Dancer

Over spring break I had a chance to work on some high-key dance portraits. "High Key" is a photographic term for portraits that consist of mainly light tones. I don't often create high key portraits, but have been wanting to work on that for a while. One of my favorite dancers, Marquette Shannon, served as my model - we had such fun! I also used gels on my white backdrop to create some interesting silhouettes and different shades in the backdrop -- all very interesting - I am looking forward to working more with gels. I also photographed my 10-year-old, but she's forbidden me to put any of her on my blog (oh, wait, she okayed just one - and she chose it).

Thanks, Marky! I hope you are enjoying New York.
Gels:
Silhouette with gels: