Taylor Grey Photography Blog

New Blog!!!

2009-10-13T18:54:00.004-04:00

Check out my new blog! I am so excited...bigger images and a much more sexy design...it's way cooler over there.... here's a sneak peak:
Now what are you waiting for! click here or go to www.taylorgreyphotography.com/blog

See ya on the flipside!

Beth & Kris :: I DO

2009-08-04T21:24:00.001-04:00

I know its been so long since I have posted on my blog...but this has been probably the craziest summer ever! Drew's grandfather lost his battle with cancer and then a matter of only a few days later my grandmother also passed away....and then a few weeks after that my beautiful baby girl Eden Isabella was born (more about that later) Needless to say its been a whirlwind of change for me and my family. Luckily things have started to settle down and now I can finally get back into the swing of things....including posting some of my fave images from a fabulous wedding in Petoskey, MI.

Beth & Kris are made for each other! I pretty much have wanted to adopt Beth as one of my new BFF's since we met last year. She is the sweetest most genuine person you will ever meet (not to mention drop-dead gorgeous!) and watching how much Kris adores her makes my heart melt :)
I had such a blast hanging out with them.....Here are some of my faves from their day...enjoy!

Val & Dan :: I DO

2009-06-07T21:38:00.006-04:00

My poor blog has been so neglected...but hopefully I will make up for it with this monster post! I still had more images from Val & Dan's wedding in Grand Rapids that I wanted to include, but I had to draw the line somewhere :)

As soon as I showed up to take pictures I knew I was in for a fabulous day...the weather was perfect and everyone was such a riot! Dan is from Australia and a bunch of his close family and friends flew halfway across the world to help celebrate with an Aussie flare (a.k.a. lots of fun and tons of great speeches) ....they even gave me my own Aussie name! I am convinced now that I really need to add Australia to the top of my list of places to visit VERY soon!

It was such a pleasure capturing their day (and it totally rocked having my buddy Jonathan shoot with me too!) Enjoy!

The Details
Ceremony: Ada Congregational Church
Reception & Catering: Kent Country Club
Cake: Mirabella Confections (probably the best cake I have EVER had!!!)

Lindsy & Derrick :Engaged:

2009-05-28T19:25:00.004-04:00

I love it when my couples BRING IT! These two cuties totally knew how to rock it out like supermodels.....Lindsy & Derrick were a total blast to hang out with and they are high school sweethearts too awwwww :) How cute is that?!
I am so excited for their wedding at Castle Farms in August....hot bride+hot groom+awesome friends&family+a flippin' castle = very happy photographer!! I seriously think I have the most perfect job ever! Check out my faves from their session below:

ok, doesn't Derrick look like Lance Bass (but way cuter of course!!)

Love this!

Isn't Lindsy such a hottie!? I think I want her hair :)

STACY & HA :ENGAGED:

2009-05-22T20:24:00.003-04:00

Stacy & Ha are so much fun (and super hot too!)! I headed out with them the other day for their e-session in Grand Rapids and I simply adore what we came up with! I cannot wait until their wedding in August! Check out some of my faves...

P.S. So glad I can still work it even with my pregnant belly in the way......holla!

Faith & Leo

2009-05-18T21:02:00.002-04:00

Faith and Leo are one of my favorite couples this year...when I first met them we clicked instantly and I knew that photographing their wedding was going to be a dream! I was honored to have the ultra-fab Kelly Braman come with me to shoot (she is the peanut butter to my jelly!!)

The ceremony took place outside in the garden at the breathtakingly gorgeous Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, MI. Planning an outdoor Spring wedding in Michigan can be tricky, but Faith is one of the most brave brides I know and she went for it anyway! Even though there was a hint of rain in the forecast, the weather stayed beautiful throughout their entire ceremony ...you couldn't have asked for anything better! Later as it started to rain (which of course is good luck), we all headed to Cherry Creek Golf Club and everyone danced the night away...it was the perfect end to a perfect day!
Check out some of my faves:

foto~mamas :: Updates & New Date Added!

2009-04-25T08:17:00.006-04:00

We have had so many inquiries from all of you foto~mama's asking for one more date~Kelly and I have decided to offer another workshop on May 16th.

Same time, Same location, Same details

Many of you wanted to come, but just want to rock with your point and shoot~
hey...it's our workshop, so we can make up the rules as we go!lol
We are happy to have you come with your trusty point and shoot or your SLR!(no film, please)~

Annnddd.....We have one more surprise for you ladies!!!

Confession: We Love Sweet Deals...So we are offering one for you!! We are giving away one spot to one lucky foto~mama.

Here's the skinny:

Nominate a friend or yourself by sending us a short and sweet explanation of why we should choose you to attend! This is only for the first week~so send your email today! We can't wait to meet you!~You are all going to be taking Fabulous photos just in time for summer!!

Remember: Our first foto~mama's workshop on May 2nd is coming up very quickly and we only have a few more spots open so sign up while you can!

Open publication - Free publishing - More workshops

Lauren :urban couture:

2009-04-16T09:37:00.002-04:00

Lauren is another one of my Team Members for the class of 2010 and this girl can kick some serious butt! She plays soccer, basketball and she has even played hockey with a team full of boys and I think she may have injured some poor guys too :) As tough as she can be, she is still such a knockout! I love that combination! I have a feeling she will accomplish anything that she sets her mind to....even if its living in the Bahamas! <----I am so going to visit her!
Check out some of my faves from her session below:

:: foto~mamas ::

2009-04-14T19:23:00.000-04:00

:: a hands-on photography workshop for fabulous moms ::

Hey all of you fabulous mamas out there....after months of planning, I am happy to announce that Kelly ( Kelly Braman Photography) and I have teamed up to host a photography workshop for moms at Kelly's ultra-fab downtown studio! We are foto~mamas too, so what better way to connect with other mamas who love photography and want to feel more confident with their cameras....
here's the skinny:

Saturday, May 02, 2009
11am-3pm

4 hours with Kelly & lil' old me
hands-on instruction (complete with models) to give you the skills to rock your camera
free family photo shoot (valid for up to one year)
smokin' headshots for your facebook profile
Lunch & chatting with other awesome foto~mamas
plus a few more fun surprises

Check out our snazzy little flipbook with all the extra details:

Open publication - Free publishing - More workshops

Don't forget: class size is limited so what are you waiting for!! Email me at kerri@taylorgreyphotography.com to sign up before its too late!

We can't wait to see you there!!

Andrea ::Intern

2009-04-14T19:19:00.003-04:00

I have been truly blessed this year to have a few fabulous interns that rock my socks! One of them is Andrea....she is such a sweety and its so exciting to have her on board!
One of the perks of interning is getting to have a photo shoot....I mean a girl has to have nice pics of herself! We headed out, drove through the country, I talked her ear off and made her walk aimlessly with me through the woods, but we still ended up with some really fun stuff.
On the way home from picking up my kids, she even witnessed what had to be the worst 2 year old melt-down in the history of kids and she didn't run far far away....How did I ever get so lucky??!!

Check out some of my fave pics below:

Meagan :urban couture:

2009-04-13T17:59:00.003-04:00

Meagan is such an adorable girl with tons of style! When I met her I immediately started eye-ing her adorable purse...maybe she will get sick of it soon and pass it on to me! hehe
Even though we did a mini promo session, we rocked it with tons of locations....a fun old building, railroad tracks and one awesome graffiti wall. This girl can model like its nobody's business and I love the results! Check out some of my faves below:

Lexi :: urban couture :: class of 2010

2009-04-05T17:23:00.004-04:00

This year I have such rockin' seniors and Lexi is no exception! My class of 2010 Team Members and I have had so much fun with our mini promo shoots! I am just loving the style these girls have....just check out Lexi's boots :) I need to go shopping with this girl!
Here are a few of my favorites...I can't wait for her next session!

Katie :: urban couture :: class of 2010

2009-04-05T12:13:00.006-04:00

Katie is one of my super-fabulous 2010 Team Members from the Grand Rapids area. We headed out on what had to be the windiest day this year for her promo shoot and even though I almost froze her to pieces, we came up with some fun stuff. Not bad for our mini-session! Trust me, you will be seeing a lot more of this girl soon....we have already been bouncing some awesome ideas around for more photo shoots--and since my Team Members get free photo shoots for a year she might as well hit me up! I can't wait! :)

Check out a few of my faves...plus the awesome video below...rock it out Katie!

Like Mother Like Son

2009-03-21T00:05:00.003-04:00

I was just scanning through some images that I shot a few weeks ago when my family and I were out & about and these two photos just made me laugh so naturally I had to share them with someone! I am naturally goofy so I hardly have any images of myself without a weird look on my face (except for my super sizzling photo shoot with bobbi+mike ). Well it looks like I must have passed along my goofy genes to my son......we practically made the same face! I love it!

p.s. I suck at self portraits so I am also surprised that I even got my whole face in this time (i.e. my blog header) Maybe there is a workshop for that!
Enjoy!

Spring Mini-Sessions!

2009-03-18T21:43:00.004-04:00

Spring is in the air and to me that means its time to schedule a portrait session! I am now offering Mini-Sessions for $99! Perfect for your whole family, just your kids, or even your friends!

I am offering a choice of 3 of my fave locations:
The Urban Shoot :: April 26 & 27
The Country Shoot :: May 3 & 4
The Beach Shoot :: May 10 & 11

Here's what you get:
1 Hour Session
30 Beautifully Enhanced Images Displayed in an Online Gallery
$20 Portrait Credit

Mini-Sessions will be very limited so schedule yours soon! Call me at 616.669.7207 or feel free to email me at
kerri@taylorgreyphotography.com to reserve your spot!

Kate & Andy

2009-03-17T20:30:00.002-04:00

I had the absolute pleasure of photographing Kate & Andy's wedding on one of the most beautiful Saturday's of the year. They are such a sweet couple and they are making me totally jealous by moving to San Diego very soon. I need that kind of sunshine in my life...but simply knowing that they are headed there to start their new lives together makes me warm and fuzzy anyway!

p.s. my legs are still sore from all of the yoga moves I did when I was shooting...I so NEED to get in shape!

Check out some of my favorite images from the day:

LOVE IT :: My New Pricing Guide

2009-03-06T09:52:00.003-05:00

This year is about change! My business has grown and it has been begging to break out into adulthood....complete with a new look and some new opportunities. I have been working on a few things that make me so excited...I seriously want to spill the beans on all of it, but I just can't yet. However, I am not going to leave you empty-handed! That would just be rude :) I did just finish something today that I am dying to share. My new Flipbook Pricing Guide!

I was inspired by one of my favorite photographers in TX ( SarahQ) to take my sad little pricing guide to the next level and this is what I came up with. Isn't it fabulous??!!!

Wrinkly Faced Goodness

2009-02-27T23:01:00.004-05:00

I have always had a thing for squishy wrinkle faced dogs! I just love everything about them....they just look so darn cute!
About a year and a half ago Drew and I were feeling the itch to add a dog to our little family and as we were browsing Petfinder.com there he was---we fell in love and the rest is history!
Murphy is half Shar-Pei and half Lab and is the sweetest most cuddly dog that I have ever met...he follows me all over the house, and sits at my feet all day while I edit. He doesn't even complain when I forget to play fetch all day.....but he does come up to me and give me a very sad look as he drops his toy at my feet. So, I just thought that I would share a couple of images that I shot of him today....isn't he adorable!

Client EDU :: Modern Guest Book

2009-02-17T17:49:00.003-05:00

I adore shooting engagement sessions with my clients! It not only helps me get to know them and how they interact with each other and with the camera, but it also gives them a chance to get to know how I work and they get a sneak peak of how fabulous they look when I am done!

The Modern Guest Book is a new way to display all of your favorite images from the engagement session. Each book comes in 10x10 size and is custom designed with a photo cover, your rockin' pictures plus blank space for your guests to sign & write a special note!

Check out the fabulous examples below:

Client EDU :: Fine Art Books

2009-02-16T15:23:00.005-05:00

I offer a few options to display all of your favorite images from your big day, and one of my favorite options is the Fine Art Book. This is a coffee-table style book with press-printed hinged pages (so it lays flat) and it comes with your choice of a leather cover or a custom photo cover.

The Fine-Art Book is a great option as a companion book to your Wedding Album to give to parents or grandparents or even a cost effective way to have a beautiful contemporary book for yourself instead of an album.

Fine Art Books come in 5x5, 8x8, or 10x10 sizes

Here are some examples of both the leather cover and custom photo cover Fine-Art Books in the 10x10 size:

Here is a 5x5 Fine Art Book and a 10x10 so you can see the difference in sizes. The 5x5 is perfect for grandparents or as a brag book to show off to all of your friends since it can easily slip easily into your purse)
Here's an example of the 8x8 (perfect for parent albums!) and the 10x10 side by side

Link Love

2009-02-13T16:48:00.005-05:00

Here are some wonderful vendor's that I adore! I will be adding to this list here and there so check back often!!

Wedding & Event Planners:
Pearls Events

Fabulous Make-up Artists:
Julie Strating

Gorgeous Venues:
Roostertail
JW Marriot
The Amway Grand
The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa
Noto's
The Felt Mansion

Awesome Custom Invitations:
Sondra's Ink

Rockin' Videographers:
Jamie Honce Productions
Epic Motion

Bands & DJ's:
MacDaddy Band
Audio One

More Amazing Michigan Pros:
September's Bride
The Photobooth Company
Lil' Miss Cupcakes
Sweet Cakes Designs

WAHOO!!!! My Urban Couture Seniors Site is LIVE!!!

2009-01-29T20:24:00.002-05:00

I have been working on this new website especially for my Urban Couture Seniors for months and I have to say that I am in love with the results!! Now I have a rockin' new place to show off my ultra-fab new passion for senior photography. Be prepared to crank up your speakers and shake your booty while you navigate the site.....its a requirement!

Feel free to pass it along to your friends too....I am sure not going to stop you!! I have fallen madly in love with these sessions and I cannot wait to do as many as I can this year. If you are a class of 2010 senior then give me a shout because I have already started booking for the season and you don't want to miss out on the Urban Couture experience!

Call me : 616.669.7207

You can get there two ways:
Check out the awesomey-goodness here

Here's a sneak peak:

Here's my lovely new splash page for my main my website

and here is the home page of my new Senior Site

Internships!!!

2009-01-28T12:06:00.005-05:00

I have been so blessed in this past few years to have such wonderful growth in my photography business. I started off as a one-woman show and never thought that running things alone would not be possible in such a short time. Last summer I quickly realized that I cannot do it all myself....there are simply not enough hours in the day to maintain a great working relationship with my clients, edit images, update my blog, prepare client files, balance the books, have photo shoots, meet with potential clients, answer the phone and reply to emails and so on, as well as also juggling my personal life where I need to be a great mommy and a wonderful wife and friend. I seriously have tried to do it all, and maybe its because I am wiser after turning 30 (yay to getting older), but now I know that I do not even WANT to try to do it all alone.

Luckily for me, I am also committed to sharing knowledge and giving others a boost that may be looking at getting into this field. So I am getting an early start to make sure I find the right people that clicks with who I am and how I work. If you are someone who might be interested or know someone who may be then send then my way....

Internship Requirements:

If you are easy-going, able to make it to Hudsonville, MI 1-2 days a week, must be great with kids (this is key), an excellent multi-tasker, able to enjoy wrinkle-faced dogs, have a commitment to excellent customer service, great at staying on task, well-organized & goal-oriented, lover of lattes, have the ability to commit to at least 5-10 hours per week for 6 months to receive hands on training in various aspects of running a photography business as well as credit toward photography services and possible permanent employment

*Experience with Mac computers and programs such as Adobe Lightroom, Indesign and Photoshop a plus

**I am more than happy to arrange College Credit by working with your professors to provide the progress reports and documentation of your hours etc..

What you'll learn as one of my interns:

Image editing...how and why we select the perfect images to showcase the best of each session and event
Color correction...how to make your images pop and maybe even how to add a little of my special sauce to kick it up a notch :)
Data management...protecting and managing images and client files with multiple back-up storage systems
Office Management...answering phones, preparing & organizing client files, scheduling, marketing and product ordering
Album Design...organizing files for design, using InDesign to create the most beautiful heirloom for each wedding client, album proofing, and even album ordering
Camera Technique...lenses, camera modes, and lighting oh my!
Personal Assistance...lets face it, I might also need you to run to the post office, play Barbies with Madyson, Remind me to eat, pretend you are Thomas the Tank Engine with Harrison, grab me a latte here and there, etc...

Those awesome people that are chosen will also be in for a few special treats that are not listed here.....its all very hush hush so don't ask! Just trust me you'll walk away knowing more than you ever expected :)

To Apply:

To apply please call 616.669.7207 and leave me your name and number and I will get back to you to conduct an initial phone interview. I will also be conducting personal interviews February 16th-20th to fill all 3 positions. I have also gotten a few inquiries in the past few months concerning internships that I will be contacting for personal interviews, but feel free to call if you haven't heard from me yet.

Good Luck!!!

My little Mister

2009-01-27T16:12:00.003-05:00

This past week I spent some extra time focusing on family and going through tons of old pictures....I love reliving the moments that sometimes are forgotten! Though its hard to admit, but I realized that I really don't take pictures of my kids and my friends and family nearly as much as I used to. I have boxes full of pictures of Madyson when she was a baby, but as she started growing into a toddler I started my business and somehow I stopped taking so many pictures at home.
Harrison was born about the time that I went on my family picture hiatus and though I took a bunch of pictures of him...he does not have nearly as many as his big sis. The poor guy will grow up and think that he wasn't as cool or something...and that is so far from the truth. I adore my little hurricane....he is only 2 1/2 so maybe I can get back in his good graces by blogging about him. What else would a photographer mom do? I guess it doesn't help that I mostly want to ease my own guilt...I mean will my kids really sit down and count all the pictures to see who I love the most? I doubt it....but I do want to make it my personal goal to take pictures of them everyday. Lord knows they grow up way too fast.

So here are a few of my faves of Harrison from his birthday this past year....I can't believe he'll be 3 in July already! Wow time flies!!

Out of the Office

2009-01-20T13:18:00.003-05:00

As some of you may know our family has had quite its share of illness this year. Both My and Drew's grandparents have had such a rough time with heart surgeries and cancer treatments etc.. Well this past weekend my Grandpa Del passed away after a long battle with numerous health issues. He is no longer suffering, but of course we will miss him dearly.
So I will be out of the office starting today and will not be returning until Jan 29 to attend his funeral and to take a little time off to be with friends and family.

Thanks so much for understanding!

Valentines Day Already!!

2009-01-03T19:38:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe that Christmas is over and that we have already begun a new year (yay 2009!!) Time has been flying by and if you have been taking advantage of all of the after-holiday sales you have probably noticed that everyone is gearing up for Valentine's Day! It may seem kind of early to purchase those little candy hearts, but it's the perfect time to book a boudoir session!!!

Of course getting in early will get you even more great deals...the first 3 ladies to book will receive a free photo greeting card for their sweety!!

Call now to schedule your session!!
616.669.7207

:urban couture: Just for Fun!

2008-12-16T10:57:00.007-05:00

Shooting for fun is one for the most important things that a photographer can do to remain creative.....so when I got the chance to meet with an brand new area photographer (Allie Ledger of Allie Marie Photography) I couldn't wait! Allie invited some of her gorgeous & super stylish friends, Liz and Cort, along to model for us and we had a blast braving the cold & wet weather together. Thankfully we all survived and here is what I came up with....enjoy!

Jaime & Jamie :: Part I

2008-11-26T11:04:00.007-05:00

Jaime & Jamie have to be the most gorgeous couple ever! Though they live in NYC I love my NYC couples this year!), they celebrated their day in the Birmingham area (this city is super cool!! I need to go back just to shop) with friends and family from all over the country. The ladies started off with a relaxing and yummy brunch at the lovely Townsend Hotel and then headed over to have their hair and make-up done

Here's some of their details in case you were wondering:

Bride's Make-Up:

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics at the Somerset Collection

Ceremony:

First United Methodist Church of Birmingham
Reception & Catering:

Forrest Lake Country Club

Fabulous Videographer:

Jamie Honce

(I LOVED this guy and his name is Jamie too!!! Check out the rockin' video trailer he did of their day on his blog here)

I have so many favorite pictures to post here, but I couldn't wait to post some before we head out for Thanksgiving....so here is Part I....

Enjoy!

Check out that gorgeous hair....major props to that hair stylist.....I need to remember her name so i can blog it!wonderful details....
Jamie's dress was one of the most gorgeous dresses I have seen yet....she said she saw it in a magazine and hunted for it all over NYC a year later.....you DO fall in love with your dress too! This must have been the ONE!

I have a crush on these flowers!!

Did she look awesome or what??

He's totally in the running for the handsomest (is that a word??) groom ever (well except for my Drew!)

Sexy shoes make me happy!

The lovely bride!

They are hot stuff!

Don't these ladies all look like models??

I am pretty sure they are laughing AT me...but that's cool whatever it takes :)

The perfect place to get married!

Love this shot--the church and the kiss are breathtaking!

Bling!

AWWWW!!

They are just too lovely together!!

What a knockout!

Stay tuned after Thanksgiving for more yummy shots from their day!!

Save some Cash!!

2008-11-23T14:32:00.003-05:00

Our economy is in the crapper and all of these After-Thanksgiving sales got me thinking........so I am offering a very special rate for 2009 weddings in the months of September, October and November. Let's call it my own little Stimulus Package! :)
Here's what you get:

One Photographer (me!)
8 Hours of Coverage
Online Proofing for 90 Days
Color Corrected Images on Disc
$2200

I'll only be booking 2 weddings at this special rate! Email or call me for more details!
kerri@taylorgreyphotography.com
616-669-7207

Email Trouble!

2008-11-22T19:08:00.003-05:00

I seem to be having some email trouble...its been brought to my attention that some of my email has been getting dumped into my junk folder. So if you have emailed me and have not heard a response please email me again.....or go ahead and call and leave me a message. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Thanks!

Adrienne & Carl :: E-Session

2008-11-14T22:00:00.004-05:00

Adrienne & Carl.....I cannot say enough about these two! I met them for the first time in person on the day of their shoot and even though I had only exchanged emails with them, I felt as though I have known them forever. Adrienne and I have way too many quirks in common and I LOVE it! I adore having amazing connections with my clients! When we were planning their engagement session, we were both thinking covered bridges and fall colors and we found the perfect spot thanks to Adrienne's resourcefulness! I am so glad that the weather was so beautiful for their day because Adrienne lives in Traverse City and Carl lives all of the way in Chicago (and he drove for the shoot that morning) and who knows when we'd get another chance!
Here are a bunch of my faves....I can't wait for them to see the rest! Thanks for the apple cider my friends--and thanks to your mom for sharing her birthday!
Enjoy!

Adrienne is such an amazing girl--and she's a total knockout!
I love the fall! This year was so strange...having leaves not change until so late in Oct is hard for most fall pics, but it perfect for their day!
Kissin under the apple trees---I bet this place is amazing in the spring too when all of the blossoms are covering the trees :)

Love the orchard! The whole place smelled like apples!

Adrienne and Carl are going to use an image with the number 7 as a table number ...they've been taking pictures all year with various numbers..its going to be so awesome to see it all together!

This reminds me of a magazine AD :)
Carl is the MAN!!you are such a beautiful couple!

Railroad tracks are always one of my fave places to go.... Adrienne lost her shoe off the bridge, but thanks to Carl, who hiked down to get it, she didn't have to go barefoot all day!

nothing is better than a kiss in the middle of the road :)
I love making people lay in the leaves!

Comfort Foods

2008-11-12T14:07:00.002-05:00

When I was younger and the weather got chilly, my favorite thing to eat was a grilled cheese sandwiches paired with tomato soup. That was the best combination of flavors...the gooey cheese wrapped up in buttery toasty bread dipped in tomato soup was heaven to me! Occasionally, I would get impatient and put the burner on high with the intention of making a faster grilled cheese (because waiting 5 whole minute was way too long!), but all that would happen was my toast would burn and I would set off smoke alarms and yet my cheese hadn't even started to melt. My efforts aimed at improving the grilled cheese were all wrong, so I went back to my roots and enjoyed the simplicity of the grilled cheese that I had always known.........I mean who could improve upon such a perfect thing?!! ME that's who!!! Today I tried something new and I created the yummiest cousin of the grilled cheese and I am not sure what to call it, but it kicked the old one's heiney!!! I dare you to try it....here's the recipe:

2 slices of bread (use wheat or something substantial not wonder bread)

1 Tablespoon of Mayo

1 Tablespoon of Salsa

1 Slice of Muenster cheese

2 slices of Cheddar cheese

1 ripe Avocados

2 strips on crispy fully cooked bacon

Butter

Mix the mayo and salsa (I know it sounds weird but do it anyway) in a little bowl

Take slices of bread and coat the inside of each piece with mayo salsa mixture

Then add 1 cheddar cheese slice to each piece of bread on top of the mayo-salsa

Cut some slices of fresh avocado and add a bunch to one side

Add bacon if desired whole or crumbled

Add muenster cheese

Close and Butter outsides of the sandwich

Cook on low heat until both sides are golden brown and the cheese is melted

Eat and ENJOY!

I also created an easy gaucamole dip that I used to dip my sandwich (I heart avacados!) here's the recipe below:

use the rest of the avacado and mash in a bowl as 2 tbsp fresh lime juice and a teaspoon of salt then add equal parts of salsa or canned diced tomatoes with green chilies. Feel free to use whatever gauc recipe you want, but that's all I had on hand.....adding fresh cilantro and fresh toms and red onion is another yummy option......then mix and use for sandwich dip.

Just thinking about it makes me want to create another one!! YUMMO!

Allison :: Urban Couture

2008-11-08T11:31:00.002-05:00

Allison got in touch with me through Facebook (one of my recently added addictions) and she said she has been wanting to me to do her senior pictures since the beginning of the summer when she saw her friend Jordan's photo shoot--I love having such cool seniors! It turns out that she is also interested in getting into photography after she graduates...great minds think alike!! I still can't believe that she and her mom and cousin drove in from Birch Run (2 hours away!!) for her Urban Couture Session! Its so humbling to think that people want to sit through 4 hours of driving in one day for me to take their pictures....thanks again guys! I had a blast hanging out!
I am so sad that the weather is going to get yucky because I am so in love with my Urban Couture sessions. Anyone want to do one in the snow?? Let me know and I'll hook it up!

Here are some of my faves from the day....doesn't Allison look like Carmen Electra from this angle?

a new fave location!

Allson's boots look so cozy!!

love this door!

Allison's dress is such an awesome color!

I love this image..Allison looks so sweet :)

a new leaf....

2008-11-07T14:56:00.002-05:00

In the middle of working my butt off catching up, I have been changing a few things on my blog and adding a few surprises for the future of my business.....one thing I am doing is making my images bigger so I am posting this image of a little cutie named Mason from a recent family session to see if I can get it right...thanks for your patience! Enjoy!

Teresa :urban couture:

2008-11-03T10:52:00.007-05:00

Teresa, my most loyal blog follower, contacted me to do a very special session to celebrate a very wonderful accomplishment--she will be graduating soon with her Ph.D.!!! You go girl!!
This girl is very busy--aside from earning her doctorate, she is also a photographer and her favorite subjects are animals...she donates her time taking awesome pictures of animals for some local shelters so the little sweethearts have a better chance of getting adopted (check her blog out here and learn a little more about how to help too). I had an amazing time hanging out for he afternoon and getting some fierce images! I think we chatted so much that I forgot that we were supposed to be taking pictures a few times....its so nice to gain such wonderful friends that enjoy the same things as I do. I hope we can do this again soon Teresa!
Check out some of my faves below....enjoy!

Melissa & Chris

2008-10-31T15:53:00.012-04:00

I am a little behind on my blogging so look out for a bunch of sessions to be posted here soon!
Melissa & Chris met me in Grand Rapids for a super fun day of trekking around the city for their engagement session. I had an absolute blast with them using some of my favorite spots....I just didn't want to stop shooting, but the sun went down :( and they needed dinner to refuel from all of that hard work modeling. I guess I can't let my sessions last for 5 hours--I just get in the zone and can't stop. Do they have a support group for this kind of thing??
Anyway, I am so happy with what we came up with....
Enjoy!
These two are going to have babies with the most gorgeous eyes!

Work it Chris!
This is part of a series of images that Mellissa wants to use for her invites...I loved it!

Are you kidding me? You two are hot stuff!
I love this image! It tells a story....plus that door rocks!
Bling!
Bling!

my fave stairwell :)

I heart Mellissa's red coat!hanging out up on a rooftop is smokin hot!
they really knew how to work that doorway
Melissa's eyes are so lovely...I had to get in really close again to show them off
You know I love this door!

Melissa with her two fave things in life--Chris and Starbucks!

Thanks you two for hanging out with me! I can't wait for March!

Client EDU :: Post Processing

2008-10-29T12:32:00.008-04:00

As a way to show you some of what I do behind the scenes, I decided to write an informational post so you know all of the technical terms involved with my editing style.
Besides all of the other techy things I have to do to keep my process running smoothly , my images each go through a few edits before they are ready to print. So the different phases of an image are:

1. Straight out of the Camera
2. Color Corrected
3. Fully Edited

Straight out of the Camera Images are exactly what it sounds like: they are straight from the camera untouched. These images are backed up and only used for archival purposes.

Color Corrected Images are the original Straight out of camera images edited down to account for eye blinks or unusable images then processed with my secret recipe to make sure the colors pop!

Fully Edited Images are color corrected and then each image is fully retouched to remove acne, unwanted scars, stray hairs, spots on clothing, enhance and whiten eyes and teeth, etc...then they are sharpened, and then maybe some fun thing like textures or a vintage vibe is added to the image to really make it stand out.

I want to show you all a few examples of what each step involves so you can see what I mean:

Straight Out of the Camera:

Color Corrected:

Fully Edited

Here is another example of an image, but this time from a wedding:

Straight Out of the Camera:

Color Corrected:

Fully Edited:

Another example, but this time of a just a head shot where some yucky lighting created some distracting facial shadows:

Straight Out of the Camera:

Color Corrected:

Fully Edited:

Faith + Leo

2008-10-14T22:15:00.008-04:00

A few days ago, I headed to the University of Michigan campus in beautiful Ann Arbor to shoot a super fun e-session with Faith and Leo (one of my fave 2009 couples!) I arrived a little early to meet with one of my photo buddies Dustin Francis and his amazing fiance Kassie for breakfast at Cafe Zola (crepes rock!) and to scope out all the locations that Faith had in mind. Then after hours of begging ( lmao) Dustin agreed to be my navigator throughout the day (yay Dustin!) and he even shot a few of his own images while he hung out with us (which I cannot wait to see by the way!)

I love how everything turned out......even in spite of the freaky 80 degree October weather and all the mosquitos bites...it was a beautiful day! I can't wait for their wedding in April!!

Enjoy!

Faith is a total knock out!!

You know how I love old doors :)
The Law Quad has so many beautiful places for pictures...Ann Arbor Rocks!

Awe!! They are just too adorable :)
I love how they laugh together all the time! Laughter is such an important part of love!

LOVE this one *swoon*

Danny :urban couture:

2008-10-13T16:46:00.006-04:00

Danny is my first Urban Couture senior of the male persuasion, and to tell you the truth I was super nervous beforehand because I wanted to rock this and it was hard to think of ways to pose a guy while still making sure he looks masculine. Luckily Danny is a total natural in front of the camera so my worries went out the window right away! Did I mention he brought some of the most stylish clothes (can you say american eagle model!).....I highly recommend bringing all of your favorite clothes and then we'll put together some rockin' outfits for the shoot. Danny happened to have a whole entourage of ladies to help him out in that department because he is dating my niece Amber and her and her sisters trekked around with us on the day of his shoot.
Danny also brought the other love of his life "Esmerelda"---a guitar :) that we used in a bunch of shots too. I took full advantage of the yummy light in one of my favorite locations and came up with some really cool images that I love! Now, I can't wait to have more guy seniors...if you know any then send them my way!

Enjoy!

He knows how to be adorable no matter what!
Adorable!guys that play guitar make the women in my family weak :) Drew plays too and it made me fall for him hard!

Danny + Amber = so cute!!

This should be a giant canvas somewhere!
Danny is super tall (like 6'7") and I am pretty short, but somehow we made it work :)

We headed to the beach during some really harsh light but sometimes shadows can be cool if you work with it......he looks like superman to me!

Kerri 3.0

2008-10-08T09:07:00.001-04:00

pssssttt! My birthday is coming in just 18 days and I am so excited! I better figure out what to wear cause I want to look smokin' hot and dance the night away with Drew and some of my new wonderful friends. Let me know if you want in on the V.I.P. list :)
Goodbye 20's!

Theresa & Darin :: Mr. + Mrs.

2008-09-28T22:34:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I had the honor of shooting Theresa and Darin's wedding in Grand Haven. Its was such a beautiful day sprinkled with some awesome details (Theresa needs to start a wedding planning biz!) As I am sorting through all of the wonderful images I really couldn't wait to show some of them off so I thought I'd post a few right away. Have fun on your honeymoon you two!!!

oh yeah and happy birthday Darin!!

Enjoy!

Theresa is so very gorgeous!

Lotsa bling!

Aren't their invites adorable--Theresa had their invites, guestbook, table numbers, place cards, and programs custom created by the super fabulous Sondra's Ink! I am very impressed by her work!

Watch out GQ!

We borrowed somebody's porch--I hope they didn't mind :)

They are such model material!

I can't wait for you to see the rest!

Laura + Tim :: Rockin' the Wedding Day

2008-09-24T22:26:00.010-04:00

This wedding was one of the most fun weddings I have been able to be part of! I love the colors so much (green is so hot!), the locations rocked, their family and friends were a blast not to mention Laura and Tim who were one of the most amazing couples I have met! When I first got to know them over coffee, I could tell that they were super laid back and were all about having fun on their day. Right then I knew we'd be a great fit. We rocked the wedding until the very end and then I even headed over to a swanky new bar downtown Grand Rapids to capture some images of them chillin' in the V.I.P. section. They know how to party in style--and I loved every minute of it! Except I had Katy Perry stuck in my head all the way home :)

I had such a hard time picking my faves because I love them all....but here are a ton of fun ones to tide you over for now :) I'll have to add more so you can see the reception too---but my eyes are sleepy and I know that Laura is on the edge of her seat to see these :)
Thanks for being patient girly--and I am glad you two are home safe in Colorado!

In case you are wondering here are some of their details:
Ceremony: St. Cecilia's Music Society
Reception: Aquinas College
Florist: Tim's Aunt who is a pro (contact me if you want her info she did a rockin' job)
DJ: Rick Reuther's Music Host Productions

Enjoy!

the bouquet was amazing--and it smelled even better than it looked--fresh limes were tucked in among the flowers :)

Laura's neice is such a cutie!

Aren't these the hottest bridal shoes ever?? I wanted to try them on and maybe sneak away, but I figured they'd know I was missing :( I still can't find them online either....my heart is broken. At least I have some pictures :)
be still my heart....

Her dress looks amazing!

Laura you are such a doll!

The ladies looked smashing (love my new word?)

Tim is the man!
Rollin with the homies...I wonder if he even knew how cool those aviators looked with his tux?

Waiting for Laura...
Such a lovely wedding party
Laura has such a great smile :)

Ok, this is my fave--they actually got a car that matched their wedding colors! Perfection!

awww....

Laura's one request...and of course I obliged! I highly recommend not wearing white shoes--go for some color girls!

stay tuned for a few more :)

Tina & Brian :: I DO

2008-09-18T19:00:00.014-04:00

Tina & Brian's wedding day was such an honor to shoot! There is just something that tugs at my heart about these two! They just fit together perfectly.....and not only are they awesome in person but they rock in pictures too--lucky for me! After their lovely ceremony we all headed downtown Grand Rapids to some spots that Tina had already scoped out for her formals---and she did an unbelievable job! The light was amazing in each place she chose....yay Tina! She is such a great planner! Then we headed to NOTO's for their reception and some of the best wedding food I have EVER had (YUM!) It was so much fun celebrating with them and capturing all their memories--I can't wait to put together this album!
Here are a bunch of my faves--enjoy!

Tina looks so relaxed :)

Guys are so nice to help each other out with those tricky tuxes :)
Brian's last portrait as a single man
LOVE LOVE LOVE this dress
I heart shoes!Tina is one beautiful chica!

a good old "ring in the Bible" shot Tina really wanted a shot of them in the limo -- I love how it turned out!

Hangin' with the girls and resting her feetTina wanted a shot with their super awesome wedding party walking arm in arm so we did a few and they rocked!
YAY!

So romantic
SO HOT!
I can feel the love in this one---they are so adorable :)
Bringin sexy back---
He didn't break that pose until I was done--what a pro.

I love that freakin' door! I use it all the time! Dancing in the streets
I love the feel of this one.... its so old hollywood to me

heading up to the reception

Noto's has an amazing staircase leading down to the wine cellar...perfect for some gorgeous shots of the bride and groom
I love the way Tina look so at peace during the first dance

This cake was amazingly yummy so it deserves two pictures!

I had a blast with you guys---enjoy married life!!

Kirsten :urban couture:

2008-09-16T23:10:00.007-04:00

Kirsten is a senior this year who decided she didn't want the same old senior portrait experience, so she contacted me and we headed out for an :Urban Couture: session. I was slightly nervous because she traveled 2 hours for this session, but once I met her in person I knew this would be an amazing shoot--this girl is gorgeous! We had a blast stumbling upon a new location that I am totally in love with and creating some modeling-portfolio-worthy senior portraits.
Enjoy!

The different shoes must have made her smile!

Her eyes really do pop like this....I did nothing to them! So gorgeous!

I don't know why, but I love dumpsters....
WOW!!!!! Can you believe she is 17!!

I was so excited to use this spot--the textures and the light pouring in were an amazing combo!This reminds me of a folk album cover......Kirsten are you thinking of releasing a CD anytime soon?
I encourage my Seniors to bring a friend and grab some ultra cool images together, so Kirsten brought Jordan, one of my reps and one of my biggest cheerleaders!! (Love you Jordan!!)
Don't they look amazing!

There is something fun about railroad tracks and a prom dress that I just love!

Kirsten had so many amazing outfits...I love girls that are so into fashion!

Breathtaking!
I am only booking 5 more Urban Couture senior sessions through November so book now before you miss out on the experience!

Megan & Jacob :: I DO

2008-09-12T02:52:00.008-04:00

Passionate is one word that could be used to describe both Megan & Jacob. It is evident in everything that they do, from their love of University of Michigan football to the love that they share for one another. Even the way that they look at each other from across the room makes me remember why I fell in love with my own husband. I simply adore this couple and I had a blast hanging out with them capturing their wedding!

Here are a few of my faves (I'll add more pics soon so check back!):

Guys--the bar is CLOSED!! lol!
Men look wonderful in suits!

Megan you are gorgeous!

Sometimes you have to get tricky with the harsh sunlight--just work with it!
It wasn't hard to find something with the U of M logo on it at this wedding!

I love this sign in Grand Haven! ( and yes, they ARE kissing again--what's wrong with you two!)

I saw these pool tables and the moody lighting and told them we HAD to take some pictures...and they just went with it! I love couples that are up for anything! Do not try this at home! :)

I love golden light! I seem to be posting all the kissing pictures! Who cares--I love them!

Dawn & Robbie

2008-09-09T01:40:00.011-04:00

Dawn & Robbie live in Colorado, but traveled back home to Michigan to be married among friends and family....and they had a fabulous wedding at the Lost Arrow Resort in Gladwin. (super fun location!) I don't know how Dawn did such a wonderful job planning things from so far away, but she really rocked it out with all of the details! From the candy buffet to the personalized table names and those rockin' hot pink shoes I could tell she was hard at work planning this day and it couldn't have ended up more beautiful! The weather was a bit tricky and it rained like crazy out of the blue right before the ceremony, and at the last minute everyone thought they may have to go to Plan B instead of having their ceremony under the beautiful gazebo. Thankfully as soon as the ceremony was about to begin, their good luck cleared the skies just in time for the their guests to arrive. The weather held up just log enough for them to get through the receiving line and then it started to pour again.....luckily it was time to head inside anyway for the reception and start the party! Then just as before when we wanted to sneak out after dinner to do some formal shots of them the skies cleared up again. It was perfect timing!

I had so much fun hanging out with everyone that I didn't want to leave!
Here are some of my favorites from the day..enjoy!

Dawn and Robbie have 2 dogs and one of them had the honor of fulfilling the role of "Best-Dog" --he was so good walking down the aisle and even sat through the whole ceremony! Very Impressive!
Dawn is so freakin beautiful when she is primping....I love these shots!

Hot Pink shoes rock! I love when brides add a splash of color!
Love love love the bouquet!

Her dress is my fave so far!!

Every time there is dress to be laced up, it makes for some fun pictures. It seems to take forever to figure out and so many relatives get involved---its so interactive!! I love it!!

Happy newlyweds!
This little guy had some big GUNS!
This one is my faves! You cannot tell by the sky that it rained so much--it was freaky!

Dawn --you are oozing with loveliness!
Robbie's dad was not only the father of the groom, but he palyed the sax in the band too!

Dawn and Robbie knew how to work the dance floor---I love when couples take lessons! Somebody sign me up!

Julie & Chris :: Sneak Peak

2008-09-05T12:37:00.010-04:00

I am in the middle of editing all of the images from my breathtaking wedding at The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Traverse City with one of my fave couples Julie & Chris and I simply could not wait to share some with you.

Julie & Chris were amazingly easy going on their wedding day--in fact most of my clients are and I love it! I must attract some awesome people! The first time I met them I just loved their personalities...and I loved Julie's shoes!! So I knew we'd be perfect for each other! (Next time I'm in NY we need to go shoe shopping Julie!!)

On their wedding day, they had the perfect weather for their ceremony on the golf course. Then as I whisked the newlyweds away for pictures their guests enjoyed mingling during cocktail hour while being served Julie & Chris' signature drink the "Manhattan". I love when couples add fun details that reflect their personalities!

This group wasn't afraid to let their hair down, so after all the festivities and an amazing dinner everyone rocked it out to the amazing Mac Daddy Band which was a perfect way to end the night.

I hope you two had an amazing time in South Africa....I am soooo jealous!

Enjoy!!

they had the most yummy light--so many pics looks so amazing straight out of the camera!! Like this one-->

Sarah & Ryan :: I DO

2008-09-04T04:37:00.010-04:00

Sarah and Ryan are one of those couples that you know will last forever! The moment I finally met them in person, I could tell exactly why they were meant for each other. They have the perfect balance in their relationship of laughter, passion and sincerity and such a strong faith in God and in each other...plus they are extremely "GOOD LOOKING"! :) BONUS!

I had so much fun with them in Lansing celebrating their big day....here are a bunch of my faves!

P.S. I am so behind on blogging my weddings! I should be all caught up in the next few weeks so you'll be bombarded soon with tons of yummy eye candy, so stay tuned!

I love this dress shot--it looks so vintage!

Ryan's a hottie!

Sarah is one gorgeous bride! She has the most beautiful smile too! Love it!

Comfy shoes are the shizzzz!!

So many lovely ladies!

I LOVE old buildings!!

This one is my fave! BIG CANVAS potential for my office!

I love this shot! The first dance is so fun to capture!

At just about every wedding, there is one party animal that rocks the dance floor all night and this guy was hilarious--so this time I handed off my camera (scary!!) and we got our picture together---I promised I would blog it so here it is! I look freakin' crazy after shooting all day!

How to Rock it out :: Celebrate Your Love

2008-08-28T13:44:00.009-04:00

There's nothing more important in a relationship than celebrating your love for one another. I truly believe that making a big deal about things when it comes to anniversaries is an amazing way to keep your love alive. Thankfully my husband seems to agree! This year marked our 3rd year of marriage (but 7 1/2 since our first date!) and we spent some much needed time away from work and the kids and it ROCKED!! Coming from a family where divorce happens as often as some people change their socks, I have realized that "dating" even after your married is one of the keys to staying together.

On our anniversary Drew presented me with a bottle of Ice wine...that just made my night! If you know me then you know I LOVE wine....and I have been dying to try this for over a year. We only had a small conversation about it almost 12 months ago and somehow he remembered and hunted down a bottle for us to try. Not only was it a perfect present, but I nearly cried because it meant that he really listens to me......that in itself is amazing and if you are married or in a relationship then you know exactly why.

Sometimes celebrating each other also calls for some hot new photos! Earlier this month we headed out to Indianapolis for an awesome photo shoot of ourselves. We stayed at the Omni in downtown INDY and then headed out the next day with my fave photogs bobbi+mike who made us look ah-MAZZ-ing!! I think I may do this every year!! If you haven't heard of bobbi+mike then you NEED to go and check them out NOW--then you'll see why driving 6 hours was totally worth every minute! Here are a few images from their blog : Let me warn though, we are a bit TOO SEXY!!!! hehe!

Theresa & Darin :: Sizzling E-session

2008-08-23T01:27:00.010-04:00

Theresa and Darin are such a fun couple...Darin is cool in a James Dean sort of way, but he doesn't even know it--he keeps me on my toes and always has me laughing and Theresa is super stylish with moves that you'd normally see on the runway, and she seems like someone I have known my entire life --major "new friend" material (we still need to go have a drink one day girl!)

For their E-session we had an amazing time in Holland working with some gorgeous weather, yummy light, tons of outfit changes (I love couples with style!) and some pretty rockin' motorcycles (one of which Darin built all by his little ol' self and let me tell you--that bike is sexy!)

I can't wait for your wedding next month!!

Enjoy some of my faves from the day!

Tunnels have great light!!

This girl had the coolest shoes....too bad we don't wear the same size :(

They brought fierce-ness to the beach!!

Freakin' beautiful!
My faves of the faves! This one should be a giant canvas in my office! (yes, I love to be surrounded by giant canvases of hot couples in love!)

Work it Theresa!

They are so freakin hot!

Sam :: Urban Couture

2008-08-14T01:16:00.011-04:00

Even though I am still editing, I couldn't wait to show you this Urban Couture Senior Session! I have been having a blast with these and I cannot wait to do more very soon! Sam is one of my 2009 Senior Models and she goes to school here in my hometown of Hudsonville (yay Eagles!) Before our session, we met for coffee armed with fashion mags and came up with a game plan. Then her and her fun little entourage headed downtown Grand Rapids to rock it out big time! I love the results, here are a bunch of my faves! Be prepared for more of Sam in the next few weeks because my Senior Models get to have 2 sessions (they really deserve it so why not spoil them!) and we already came up with some ah-MAZ-ing ideas for her next shoot! Can't wait!

Sam--you look like you are a french model in Vogue right here! Love it!

Some alleys are just made for pictures, but don't ask what we saw in there! Not pretty!

It's awesome when you find a little splash of color that matches your shirt! We just had to use it!

Sam is great at being fierce....look out Tyra!
Nature brought out the wind machine and I love what it did with her hair!
Freakin' gorgeous! Those eyes are out of this world!

Love the fence, I have a thing for lots of lines and texture--oh and Sam looks HOT too! hehe

One of my favorite stairwells! The light is amazing in there!

I love catching real smiles! Isn't she a doll?

Stay tuned for more Urban Couture goodness very soon!

Sara & Hal :: Part 2

2008-08-11T12:32:00.011-04:00

Sara & Hal were an amazing couple to work with! Their wedding at Hope Church in Holland (I heart old churches!) and reception at the Holland Area Arts Council were filled with so many amazing details that Sara put together herself. As an Art teacher she may have had an advantage but she really has such a talent for making the ordinary look beautiful. Their guests enjoyed a cocktail hour where they sipped on marvelous drinks and nibbled on some amazing food while they mingled in the different galleries and enjoyed some wonderful work from many local artists. Sara and Hal also incorporated their love for ballroom dancing into their cocktail hour by having a dance instructor teach their guests some fancy moves to use later on that night. Aren't they the most fun couple ever??!!! Then dinner was served "family style" for each table which turned out to be quite a fun way to get the table talking -- although if you know me then you know I never have a problem talking! Everything was simply gorgeous! Good Luck on your new lives together!

There were WAYYY too many images to choose from so I had a hard time narrowing it down, but here are some of my faves of the day:

Enjoy!

Rachel & Greg

2008-07-29T23:16:00.010-04:00

Being married for a few years, must give couples the itch for some new pictures. I am glad that when they got the itch --they called ME! Rachel & Greg are such an wonderful couple and I loved hanging out with them! Since they are new to Michigan, I thought it would be fun to meet in East Lansing at the MSU campus for their very special shoot. There are so many beautiful ivy covered buildings that I thought I was in heaven! We walked around for what seemed like eternity (hehe) and I even got us a little lost, but Greg quickly brought us back to safety :) like a super hero! It was all worth it though because we got some awesome shots!
I also discovered that MSU has way too many abandoned bikes with flat tires chained up all over the place...maybe they should clean them up and donate them! They were fun to use in our shoot though...Enjoy the sneak peak:

Urban Couture

2008-07-28T08:23:00.006-04:00

Remember Taylor, one of my Senior Reps for 2009? Well once in a while I get crazy and let my reps have a second mini shoot because they are so much fun and so here are a few more awesome pictures of her. She is such a cutie!

Sara & Hal

2008-07-25T15:45:00.002-04:00

I was too excited to share a few of my faves from Sara & Hal's wedding, so I had to put a few up asap...the rest will go up later when I resize them for the good old blog. So for now here are a few teasers to keep you coming back!
Enjoy!

Marcia & Phil :: I DO

2008-07-13T23:00:00.009-04:00

Marcia & Phil are seriously made for each other! They share more laughs together than anyone I know! I loved taking part in their amazing day in Essexville at The Grand, even though the wind was fierce at times, they had an amazing outdoor ceremony that absolutely took my breath away.
I hope you both enjoy your new life together!
Here's a few of my faves from the day:

phone trouble

2008-07-09T15:38:00.004-04:00

This past few weeks have been nuts! First I had the worst static on my line so I couldn't hear anyone..but it would come and go so I waited to call AT&T....but then I finally couldn't take it and I called and scheduled a repairman to come (which takes about 4 days to get by the way).....so he came and said my line was fixed.. yipppeee! But behold, a few hours later it was the same. I was so frustrated again.

I called again and spoke over the static and had someone scheduled to come out and they couldn't get here for another 4 days. When they came and fixed the issue I had on my phone they made it worse-- now I don't have static, but my phone is completely dead! I swear I feel like pulling my hair out!

Luckily I have a cell phone, so if you need to reach me then please call my cell 616.299.9551 and though my voice line is dead my DSL is on for a few minutes and dead the next....so I can check my email (another great reason for having an iphone) and hopefully post this to my blog, but if you are waiting to view images online then there will be a delay. I am completely unable to upload images for online viewing until this is resolved.

I am so sorry for the inconvenience....but please feel free to send out good vibes so that this will be fixed quickly!

I am lost without my phone and internet!

Tina & Brian :: Taking the Plunge

2008-07-07T00:31:00.007-04:00

Tina & Brian are so cute together! I swear I have the best job ever! I get to meet all kinds of fun and amazing couples who let me hang out with them and capture them on camera just being in love! It really is a huge blessing to be able to work with so many wonderful people...and it makes all the endless hours of editing not seem so bad.
They wanted the beach, so we headed down to Holland State Park for their e-session and we got some super fun shots....I cannot wait until their wedding day! 8-9-8!
Here's a sneak peak of some images that I love.
Enjoy!

The Rizzo Family

2008-07-03T02:59:00.011-04:00

Last year I shot Monica and J's wedding....and they must have missed me because they came all the way over from the east side of Michigan to have a photo shoot in Holland :)
It was a perfect day to capture a few shots on the beach and to celebrate the their newest little addition. I love what we came up with!
Here are a few of my faves:

Amber :: Sweet Sixteen

2008-07-03T02:08:00.006-04:00

Amber is yet another beautiful niece of mine. She is also Brenna & Bregan's big sis and basically the leader of the pack when their mom is not looking!

In a little less than a weak she will be turning 16 and I can hardly believe what happened to that little girl that I used to bribe with twinkies making her repeat "Kerri is the best Aunt" over and over....(only later to find out that she hated twinkies and she was only trying to make me happy by playing my little game year after miserable year....how cute and sad at the same time!)

We went out a few weeks ago and walked the streets of Grand Rapids and captured some extra fun shots so I thought I would share a few....

I hope you have a spectacular birthday Ambo Wose! Your twinkies are in the mail!

(warning: Do NOT drool over my SIXTEEN year old niece! )

Autumn & Matt :: I DO

2008-07-01T15:07:00.013-04:00

Autumn & Matt are such an amazing couple! I headed over to Davison, MI and spent the day bearing witness to so much love from friends and family, that I found myself fighting back the tears quite a few times. One of the most amazing things that happened was when the best man gave his speech. He let Autumn & Matt in on a very special secret that he had kept from them ever since they were engaged almost 2 years ago. As soon as he found out that they were planning to be married, he started saving money whenever he could by doing things like borrowing spare change when they were all out on the town and collecting pop cans and putting them into a special "fund" to give to them on their wedding day. Inspired by his plan, everyone was in on it by the time the wedding came around and not only did they receive almost $1000 from the fund that their wedding party contributed to, but after the speech tons of friends and family members came up to the table to place envelopes full of money in front of them. I was so amazed that I could barely hold it together...they are truly blessed to be surrounded by people like these and to have one another.

Here are some of my favorites of their day:

Brenna :: What a doll!

2008-06-30T12:45:00.011-04:00

Brenna is my neice (she also happens to be Bregan's sis) and she came to stay with me for about 5 days recently while her mom and her other sibs were at Senior Camp with their youth group. She'll be off to Junior Camp in August so she won't have to miss out on all the fun!

Brenna was amazing to have around, she helped occupy my kids and she helped clean up my house and basically she was my little life saver. I love my family because they will help me out and all I have to do is pay them in pictures.....sounds like a win win to me! lol
She is 10 and in desperate need for some fun shots from Aunt Kerri so we headed to Spring Grove Park in Jamestown and snapped a few. Here are my faves:

Stay tuned because I have 4 weddings, an Urban Couture shoot, and a family session to blog....its been a crazy busy month!

LOVE IT :: Painting with Light

2008-06-27T00:33:00.003-04:00

My niece & lovely assistant Bregan has been staying with me for the last week to help out with some weddings and to let a little bit of my mo-jo rub off on her (lol). Well after many hours stuck in front of the computer trying to play catch up, I decided to make her help me with some fun techniques that I have been dying to try.

So we headed to my deep dark basement with my camera and a flash light and I "painted" her with light. It took some pretty funky images to get it right, but we finally ended up with a few that worked. I cannot wait to try this again.....and I am sure that Bregan will be bugging all of her friends to model for her too.....check out the images below and tell me what you think. Keep in mind that they are straight out of the camera with no Photoshop.

I am going to practice a bit more and I'll post more later on when I have it perfected...yay!

Enjoy!

Sarah & Ryan :: Engaged

2008-06-24T22:23:00.014-04:00

These are my favorite image of Sarah and Ryan's e-session in Grand Haven. We snapped some awesome photos and then the weather went crazy midway through our session. We decided to brave the elements and walk to the end of the pier (even though a storm was rolling in and the wind was practically blowing us over) they were so dedicated to getting "the shot" that they didn't care about freezing and getting all wet ..... their session kind of reminds me of marriage and how you have to brave the storms to really last together. Seeing them together and how much they love to laugh, I know they'll brave all the storms that life has to offer them.
I can't wait for your big day!!

Aren't they are so yummy? Thanks for looking so fierce for me!

Sarah not only had to brave the wind, but also the water from the waves that just wouldn't stop crashing over the end of the pier.
..then they pretended that nothing even happened....I told you they were dedicated!Once the storm rolled in....Look at that crazy sky!!

Theresa & Craig

2008-06-23T18:43:00.006-04:00

This wonderful couple and I had a blast hanging out in Grand Haven while we shot their engagement pictures....I am about to run out for another shoot on the beach so I will fill you in on their amazing relationship soon, I just couldn't wait to share a few images (especially because Theresa has been dying to see them all week!). I don't blame you girl! You guys are hotties!

Enjoy!

Email Server Down

2008-06-18T13:04:00.002-04:00

Hey everybody! I just found out that my email server has been down for a few days and I am now working out the kinks to get it back online by the end of the day. Don't you LOVE & Hate technology?!

If you sent me an email recently and I have not responded yet then please feel free to either call me at 616.299.9551 and leave a voicemail or try to email again tonight.

I also will be out of the office much of today for some appointments and to see the dentist again....wish me luck.

Thanks for your patience....you all rock!