Celebrating Sydney

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Oregon’s threatening clouds didn’t keep Sydney and the Baker clan from jumping the car and race down to my home a couple minutes away just as the rain gave us a break. We had been texting back and forth all morning trying to predict when the rain would let up, so we decided to fly on by the seat of our pants and have an adventure!

Sydney is a quiet outdoors man, boots, hat and all, so the race against the rain just added character to our senior portrait shoot. 🙂 With his cousins joining in the fun and his awesome Aunt manning the Reflector, we had a blast!

Thank you for the honor of shooting your Senior and Yearbook Portraits, Sydney!

If you would like to book your Senior and Yearbook Portrait, shoot me an email and let’s chat!

Africa’s Exotic Birds

The variety of birds are mind blowing. Think about all the different species, colors, sizes… When my family and I went to Florida’s Disney World, one of our visits was Africa. Isn’t God so creative?!

The color on this guy just blew me away…

A Lovely Floridian Evening

Alligators, warm, humid, turtles… and vibrant sunsets over North Lake. Yes, I think I fell in love with Florida…minus the alligators and humidity. 🙂

I’m pretty sure there’s an alligator in the reeds.

Vanilla Latte, Bible, relaxing on the dock, warm breeze caressing my face, and a lovely sunset makes for a perfect evening. ::happy sigh:: Can you feel the breeze?

Beth & Ryan’s Wedding

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A backyard, summer, country wedding? Yes, please! Beth and Ryan’s  wedding was filled with family and friends, peanut throwing wars & laughter, country music & dancing. A day of celebration in the sunny country is a happy day indeed!

Many thanks to Anna Edmonds for being the Stylist of the day!

The First Look

Family and friends witness the union of Beth and Ryan Brewer in the beautiful country.

Lovely decor arranged by all and coordinated by Diane Ratzlaff.

First Dance

Thank you, Beth and Ryan for giving me the privilege of capturing your wedding day!

My Sister, Hannah

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She inherited the art genes of the family. I’m pretty sure the right hemisphere of her brain is ginormous. 🙂 Meet Hannah, my artsy sister!

She’s my photography nerd friend. Whenever I have an idea for shoot, I always run to Hannah, “Hannah! Wouldn’t this be stinkin’ awesome?!” And, yes, she agrees with me. 😉

She is a fabulous jewelry maker… Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets… you name it, she can make it.

Jesus Christ if everything to her and when she prays, I can feel the Lord smile. 🙂

She’s a talented cellist & pianist. She’ll knock your socks off as she learns soundtracks by ear!

Often times you’ll find her on her bed in the cove drawing her latest inspiration or creating content for her book.

Even though she’s the youngest girl in the family, she can whoop us at perfectly timed, hilarious movie quotes that put us into a roar of laughter at the meal table. She keeps the sun shinning when we’re driving in the rain. 🙂

I love you, sis!

My Sister, Molly

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What do you do when you have three younger sisters and one of them is turning 20? A glam fashion shoot of course!

It ‘s my pleasure to introduce you to my beautiful sister, Molly! Isn’t she stunning? 🙂

Molly is the ultimate woman. She can go from reading Winston Churchhill and cooking to welding a Saw like a master craftswoman building wild wood furniture. Yes, stand in awe.

She speaks in tool colors… Dewalt Yellow, Kubota Orange, John Deer Green, and Milwaukee Red

We laugh a lot together. But, don’t be deceived by her smile… she’s probably scheming a way to start hilarious mischief. 😉

Her joy in life is Jesus Christ and she’d not embarrassed to talk about Him. She has a stack of 3×5 cards filled with memory verses on her bed stand. Often times when I say goodnight, she’s bent over them committing them to memory.

She’s a loyal friend and I can always depend on her for a listening ear.

She’s a gifted guitarist and flutist. I love it when she doodles on her guitar. Whether she’s rocking out music on the stereo, working out a John Mayer song by ear or learning Daddy’s favorite father/daughter song, Butterflies, she fills our house with music.

Molly, you inspire me to take time, to stretch my mind, and to serve where there’s need. Your love for the Lord spurs me on. I love you, dear and thank the Lord that He gave you to me.

My Sister Sarah

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It is my privilege to introduce to you my sister, Sarah Rogers!  I’ve mentioned her and her music studio, Legacy Music, a few past post, but now you get to meet her. =)

Well, she is a talented, not to mention, gorgeous, piano and voice teacher to 30+ students. She is an avid reader & self-educator. Get her going on the topic of history and prepare to get a history degree. She’s like a sponge for information and learning.

In sports and games, she’s competitive & a natural born leader.

Her passion for what she loves is intense and you can see her thoughts through her eyes. Jesus Christ is her ultimate passion.

Her smile is contagious and melts all of her students hearts.

She’s beautiful inside and out.

Our youngest sister and artist of the family, Hannah, did her hair. Didn’t she do a fabulous job?

I’m so proud of my sister Sarah. She reminds me of what is important in life and reminds me to find joy in the simple things of life.

I love you Sarah!

Thank you Molly & Hannah for holding the reflector for me!

Phonography: Water Lilies, Bubbles & Instagram

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“Phonography” has been coming up quite a bit on Twitter since the launch of Instagram for Android. Instagram is a great tool to capture memories with convenience via your phone. Whether you keep it in your back pocket or purse, your phone is only a reach a way.

Our white water lilies bloomed for the first time! I always look forward to their blooming; so out came Instagram (DSLR version will be posted soon!). =)  I was feeling particularly inspired, so I played around with some different Lightroom presents. Enjoy!

White Water Lilies are up to 10 inches across, floating on the surface of the water or just beneath. There is 1 flower to a stem, white, fragrant, 2–6 inches across, and floating on the water. There are 4 sepals and many rows of white petals, often more than 25, which are 3/4–4 inches long, thick, and pointed at the tip. There are more than 70 stamens. The outer ones are large and petal-like; they become smaller toward the center.

It usually flowers only from early morning until noon.

I’m enamored with water and bubbles, so why not include them? =)

Since downloading Instagram to my phone, I’m “phonographing” little memories & simple pleasures that pop up unexpectedly in my day. Loving it!

HOPE

One of my favorite things to do on a sunny, spring day is grab my camera and take a walk asking the Lord to open my eyes & astound me through His creation. I love what I come away with. 🙂

I love talking photos of yellow flowers so that on long rainy days, I can look at them and think about the sun. It makes me smile. 🙂

The smell of blooming Lilac is one of my favorite Spring smells. It gently wafts through our garden and fills your mind with happy thoughts. 🙂

This little guy lives next to our pond and I’m enamored with it’s design and texture.

Forget me not.

The rhubarb plant. Yes, it is massive and can grow over 5ft tall. I never cease to be amazed at it’s expanse and height. And when the light hits it just so, it takes my breath away…

When I soak up all the beautiful bursts of color and life around me, one word always comes to my mind. HOPE.

Thank you Lord for Your astounding creativity and color that bursts forth for us to enjoy and remind us that true hope is in you!