An amazing month.

This month, so many amazing things took place.  My second born, Jack, turned one.  On that very same day, my twin sister gave birth to her first baby, Benjamin.  I had the honor of shooting a wedding for one of my dear friends, and then I flew to New Jersey to visit my family.  While I was in New Jersey, I had 6 photoshoots in 7 days!  It was a whirlwind, and totally absolutely amazing.  I have to give a giant shout out to my mom, who watched my babies during each of my shoots.  It was definitely rough because Jack was going through some serious separation anxiety.
I had so much fun hanging out with old friends and family.  What an amazing trip.  So, without further explanation, I'll move on to some of my favorites!  Enjoy!

this is the end.

Well, the end of my 365 with Jack.  :) 
I definitely plan on doing another 365 (a picture a day) that will focus on my daily life.  So it will include Jack, Lilly, Matt, my job, my messy house.... it should be fun.  I really love the challenge of picking up a camera every day and creating art.  Here is Jack's 365, and in case you missed it, this is Lilly's 365.  When I look at the two sets, I can really see how I've grown as a photographer- thank heavens! 
If you've ever done a 365, I'd love to see it!  Just leave your link in the comments! 

why I am in love with photography.

It's the little moments that count.

It started when I had my first child, a gorgeous girl. My family was 3,000 miles from me and wanted to see her, so I began photographing her everyday. I was able to put my images up on Flickr, but my father had terrible eyesight and was confined to a nursing home for the last few years of his life.  My mother would print out photos for him, but I wanted him to be able to see every detail in the prints he was getting; I wanted him to feel like he was right there with us.  It was the birth of my style.

There was a strong connection between the two of them, and each time we were able to visit, we saw new photos plastered on his walls.  The nurses would welcome us as if they knew us for years.  My father passed away when she was almost 2 1/2, exactly one month before my son was born.

I'm not your regular photographer. I like to get close, break the rules, and create intimate portraits. .  I believe that photographs can create connections, and help preserve memories for more than a single lifetime. 

new.

I'm daydreaming today.  My twin sister is getting induced, and I have her on my mind.  So here is a very distracted post.  You know what?  I'll just put up some photos, ok?  enjoy.

winner, winner!

Well, my first contest has officially come to a close.  I am so excited to have had so many people participate!  I honestly can't express how much your support means to me.  All of you have said such great things about me!  Thank you, mah girrrrrls.  I love you.
So as strange as it may seem, I definitely had people I was rooting for during this contest, I can't lie.  I won't tell you who it was, but I have to admit, there were certain people that I was really hoping would win. Of course, there were more than 2 people I was rooting for, so I could never decide.  I expressed this to my hubby, who forced me to put my names in a hat, right then and there. Thanks to Jack, who loaned his hat for a very good cause. :)

. And to make doubly sure I wouldn't cheat, he made Lilly reach in with her grubby little hands and pull out the first name:

Can you read that?  It's Sandy Ormsbee Hogenauer!  She wins the free photo session!!!!!!  I'm really excited to see her since we've already talked a little about her session.  It's going to be fun!
and now for the second winner....

It's my friend Kristine Hickman Delp!  She gets free playdate cards!!!!

And  just so you know, Lilly continued to take all of the names out of the hat and make a giant "snake" out of the paper.  So really, you're all winners! Ha ha!

Again, I can't tell you all how much it means to me that you participated.  Look for something in your Facebook inbox from me as a "thanks" in the near future.
love, love, love,
kristen