I love working with these two little girls. Sisters and best friends, they always give me the best little expressions! They were even more than happy to brave the near 0ºF temps outside to play in the snow during an outstanding pink sunset (don’t we LOVE Alaska?).

Phoenix is a whopping 3 months old now and he got to visit me for his first The First Year session.
He was a champ all the way through and I’m loving his expressions!

Oh. mah. GLOB. (if you’re not a watcher of Adventure Time, then I just really showed my “nerd” right there)
Fendi totally brought it for her senior session! This little adorable thing came bopping into my studio with a smile and freckles that just wouldn’t quit. We had so much fun together and I am not ashamed to say how jealous I was (AM!) of her blue eyes and freckles.
The weather was below zero outside, but that didn’t stop us from heading out for some shots with the awesome, frozen light.
All in all, Fendi was perfect!

Such a cutie!
Callie came in with her beautiful blonde hair, blue eyes and had a brilliant senior session.
The snow had just barely started to fall, which made for some interesting (and fun) outdoor light and ground cover.
I loved working with Callie. She was super easy in front of the camera!

Mike and I recently flew down to Chicago to bring home our new baby!
We’ve added a very special little man to our life and I could not be more excited about his presence. Guys, meet Leonidas Demetri, the Great Dane puppy!

We are experienced dog owners, Leo being the fourth puppy we’ve raised together (and the SEVENTH puppy I’ve had in my life). But he is the first giant breed dog either one of us have ever owned. Needless to say, a LOT of research went into the process of deciding whether a Great Dane was the right choice for our family. And it turns out, he was!

We are expecting Leo to grow to be about 180lbs, based on his pedigree. This picture of him with Mike will be an image I plan on taking every few months to demonstrate his quick rate of growth!

Leo’s first studio portraits. He was a trooper!

Leo has already made himself at home in the studio. He visits pretty much every day and loves meeting everyone (especially the kids!). I figured a puppy who spends so much time in the studio needs a camera of his own.

We all agree, Leo’s favorite toy is his stuffed armadillo.

Leo was not a fan of the snow when he first arrived. But after about a week of being home, he’s starting to get comfortable with the white stuff.

Leonidas has been a BLAST to train. I’ve been working with him for nine days and he’s, by far, the best trained puppy I’ve ever experienced. He knows his commands, he sleeps through the night (three nights is all it took for him to get the hang of things), he adores his crate, he uses the bathroom outside on command (this was a MUST in my eyes for a dog his size) and he’s wonderful with people and other pets.
Okay, Mom Brag Time over.
Everyone is welcome to stop in to the studio to meet our new monkey. And if you can’t make it to the studio, just friend me on Facebook and you’ll get to see LOTS of pictures of my little man who is growing, literally, right before our eyes!

MacKenzie is celebrating the big 6 months old! She recently visited The Picture Lady for her second session in her very own The First Year program.
6 months is my favorite baby age to photograph, and here MacKenzie demonstrates exactly why this is so…