Molly::FHC SENIOR|Grand Rapids Senior Photographer

I had the opportunity to photograph this beautiful Forest Hills Central Senior.

We started downtown (always fun) and since Molly is a southern girl at heart we headed over to a friends barn for a few (thanks Dave). Barn light is like no other, it's truly magical.

Thanks Molly, I had a great time laughing with you & your mom. And hey, my try at a southern accent was pretty good and you know it!

I'll have the rest ready soon.

~L

**And it's official, July & August are completely booked. If you want to book a session in September, please contact me asap.

Gotta LOVE the shoes~

Amy ~ FHC Senior|Grand Rapids Senior Photographer

I love senior sessions! We had a perfect day downtown...not too hot....not too cold.....just perfect.

And, how could I go wrong with this senior, she is absolutely beautiful!

Thanks Amy~ I had a great time with you & your mom!

I'll have the rest ready soon.

~L

Joe|Grand Rapids Senior Photographer

You don't typically expect it to be breezy and cool in July......but it was and it made for a very comfortable day for doing senior pictures.

Joe said he wanted a few "funky" things done with his senior pictures, somewhat of a challenge in a park setting, but I hope that you like these.....I've got some ideas for some others that I'll post in your upcoming gallery.

Thanks for letting me do your senior pictures Joe, I had fun talking to you & your mom.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

~L

This family......|Grand Rapids Children's Photographer

traveled a great distance for their portraits....all the way from Tennessee in fact. We were supposed to do an urban session downtown, but unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate.

I love it when clients of mine that have moved from the state make time for a portrait session during their vacation. One, I love to catch up and Two, I love to see how much the kids have changed & grown.

Thanks Jen & Ryan for making me part of your vacation plans. Your kids are beautiful! I hope that you had a great time with your friends & family.

Next year.......downtown!

~L

Homespun Fireworks~|Grand Rapids Photographer

Even though it was cool & cloudy for most of the day it made for great weather to be out watching the parade...and then on to a family picnic by the water.

We didn't go to any "formal" firework shows this year...but always look forward to the show that our family does every year. Actually, there were firework displays going on all around the lake.....sometimes you didn't even know where to look, they were everywhere.

I hope that you all had a beautiful weekend with your friends & family. After all, that's what really matters.

~L

Happy 4th of July! |Grand Rapids Photographer

It's tradition, we always start the 4th of July Holiday off with the parade. Granted, this year we were going to skip it until our new neighbors convinced us that we REALLY did want to go and to go even earlier so that the kids could ride their bikes in the bike parade.

Ok, we had fun and we had a great time out in the driveway last night decorating the bikes, so Maria, thank you!

Here are some of the images that caught my eye during the parade. Not the things that most people would probably take pictures of, but what can I say.........that's me!

Have a SAFE & FUN July 4th!

And, on a work note, if you are wanting to schedule a photography session with me this summer, please call or email SOON, July & August are almost fully booked!

~L

2010 Senior Fun|Grand Rapids Senior Photographer

This was an amazing session. We started in the studio and then headed downtown.....we found some great locations and the best part is, the rain waited until just about an hour after we had finished. Now, the wind? That was a different story.

The wind was absolutely insane. It was blowing so hard that I had a hard time holding the camera......but that just made us laugh harder....and made for a very memorable day.

Thanks Kelsey! You were fantastic and I had a great time getting to know you and your Mom. I'll have the rest of your gallery ready soon.

~L

More Heat::The saga continues......|Grand Rapids Childrens Photographer

It was another scorcher when we met down at the river......but these kids were great and we got a lot of amazing images.

They both have the great eyes.......that just sparkle!

Thanks for braving the heat with me. I'll have the rest of your beautiful images ready soon!

~L

It's sooo hot outside......what? Smarties? It's all good................

Honestly, I don't mind when the kids don't have that big "cheese" going. Look how amazing their eyes are.......so beautiful!

Baby it's HOT outside |Grand Rapids Childrens Photographer

So, I have 2 new neighbors....their families moved to our fair state recently from Georgia & Texas.....so, me complaining about how incredibly HOT it is here right now doesn't exactly get me any sympathy votes from them.

But, come on, 96 degrees and incredibly high humidity levels......it's stinkin hot out there!

But, these kids? They were amazing. They didn't complain about how hot it was outside..not even once! Me, on the other hand, was dripping sweat and not feeling the love for the great outdoors.

Thanks for coming to see me, even in the heat! I'll have the rest of your gallery ready soon!

Stay cool!

~L

One of my favorite places.....|Grand Rapids Senior Photographer

to photograph seniors is downtown. I love the textures, the colors.......everything about it....minus the smelly dumpsters that is.

I have known this senior since he was in elementary school ~ I can't believe that he will be graduating next year. He's a terrific student & athlete.........I could go on and on about his wonderful family.

I had a great time walking around downtown with you and your mom.....I'll have the rest of your gallery ready soon.

~L

M. I. A |Grand Rapids Photographer

No, I haven't fallen into a big black hole.  I have been in beautiful Traverse City Michigan since Sunday taking a class at the Great Lakes Institute of Photography.

The class I am taking is sold out every year.  You have to sign up a year in advance and I'm finding out this week that it is TOTALLY worth it.  I am so excited about the different techniques that I am learning.  

It's my job to stay current with lighting techniques, posing, EVERYTHING that I can to make you look and feel the best for your portrait session.....and I am LOVING every  minute of it.

I'll be back in the studio next week looking forward to all of my upcoming sessions.

Thanks for stopping by the blog!

~L

Last One |Grand Rapids Senior Photographer

Saw this one and thought it should go on the blog too.  I love the colors and the bikes added to the fun urban look too. (Megan, if you haven't seen the rest yet, keep scrolling down)

I had sooooooooooo much fun with this session!

~L

Class of 2010 |Grand Rapids Senior Photographer

I couldn't have asked for a better senior to start off the season.

She is beautiful, smart & personality to boot.  The complete package.

Rain was surrounding the entire area, but somehow we were untouched by it downtown.  At one point my son called to find out why I hadn't come home yet since it was pouring out.  It was perfect for us!

Thank you so much for allowing me to do your senior portraits.  We got so many amazing photos....you're going to love them!

So, if you need your senior portraits done this summer, give me a shout!

Thanks again,

~L

Summer Fun.....|Grand Rapids Childrens Photographer

It was a perfect night to hang out at the park.  Warm & Sunny and relatively no mosquitoes.  Down by the river?  Are you kidding?  Nope, it was perfection!

I got so many favorites with this little guy and his parents that it was really hard to pick a few for this blog post.

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend!  Thanks again for coming to see me, I can't wait for you to see the rest of them.

~L

I loved his little sandals. 

Doesn't get any better than this!

I leave you with this last image....how sweet is he?

"You're Killing Me!" |Grand Rapids Children's Photographer

That's what the email said from this little guys mom when her sneak peek wasn't posted right away.  Ok, the session was only done on Thursday....cut me a little slack, ok? 

Honestly though, I am sooooo happy that she is just as excited as I am about seeing the images captured of her little guy.....my favorite kind of client.  

I had so much fun with this session.  He is truly amazing.  Typically a session with an 18 month old can be challenging, to say the least.  This guy?  No problem..... He was a pro.  He had us absolutely cracking up with his hundreds of facial expressions.......he was a real ham and an absolute DREAM to photograph. I could have kept them down at the park until midnight! 

Thankfully the mosquitoes seemed to be dining elsewhere that night....so we didn't have to rush off.

We got sooooooooo many fabulous images I can't wait to show them all to you!  I'll let you know when the rest of your gallery is ready.

THANK YOU so much for coming to hang out with me.  I LOVE YOU GUYS!

~L

Schools....Out...For...Summer!! |Grand Rapids Childrens Photographer

Today was the last day of school for 1/2 of my kids.....sorry high schoolers, 2 more 1/2 days for you...sniff sniff.

It was an ABSOLUTELY PERFECT day.  The weather was amazing and the kids spirits were high.  It doesn't get any better than summer vacation!  Bring it on!

We also had a pie eating contest......guess who won!  After the kids got off of the bus for the last time this year we greeted them with silly string & lots of candy......I think I had just as much fun as the kids......No more packing  lunches, no more books......barefeet, beaches, no bedtime,  Amen!

Happy Summer Everybody!

~L

Having some fun with silly string~

Better Late Than Never |Grand Rapids Newborn Photographer

Sorry about the wait for your little preview guys.  The end of the school year is just insane with activity.  It's impossible to catch your breath.

*Phew*

I had the best time with your family.  Your little girl, well, she's just too precious for words.  And her big brother, wow, his eyes.....AMAZING.  I keep hearing his little voice....after just one picture, "Are we done?"

Thanks for allowing me to photograph such a special time in your life.  I'll have the rest of your gallery ready soon.

~L

*sigh* 

Big brother is too stinkin' cute!

Canadian Nationals | Grand Rapids Photographer

We had a blast at our last regatta of the season.  The regatta was held in the beautiful city 

St. Catherines in Ontario.

Both of my kids were selected to be able to participate this year.  We are very proud of them as well as the whole team.

There were 142 schools that participated, 2,387 athletes, yes, it was HUGE.  Three days of racing with a race every 7 minutes!

We had 2 of our boats make it to finals (that is a great accomplishment) The girls 8 boat placed 5th and the boys 2 man boat 4th.  Way to go FHC!  YOU ROCK!

Whatever will I do with my weekends now?  Bet you can guess.

So, if you are waiting for your sneak peek, be patient with me just a little longer.....as soon as I get the slideshow done for the banquet this week I'm good to go!!!!  Last year over 2000 pictures were submitted~  Wow (code for h.e.l.p)

Thanks for looking!

~L

I'm a little torn with the fact that after looking at Gods creation of Niagara Falls, you then are smacked right in the face with mans creation of neon lights, wax museums etc.

I'll never get used to the power of that water.......just amazing!

My two youngest kids should get a medal.  Each weekend they spent hours on the sidelines watching the races.....not counting the fact that several times they spent hours in the truck just getting to the races.  Way to go guys!  I'm proud of you too.

As you can imagine, we share our race course with mother nature, and since it's spring there are a lot of baby ducks etc. out.  

We had a close call on the day of finals.  A family of Canadian Geese were making their way across the course (much to the dismay of the crowd) when they ended up right in the middle of a race.  It was a direct hit, the huge crowd was gasping in horror (really) I didn't know who to feel more sorry for, the boys who were racing (because none of us were paying attention to them) or to the poor baby goose that got hit directly by the boat.

He laid there for quite some time.  We thought he was a gonner, when all of a sudden he picked his head up and began to swim in circles.  I dubbed him "wrong way" he finally went the "right way" and the whole family crossed safely.  

This little family wasn't involved....they were located safely next to the dock where the kids were putting their boats in.  Drama, Drama Drama!

Birthday Fun | Grand Rapids Children's Photographer

I love one year sessions.  My favorite part is the cake smash at the end.......Before we headed down to the studio to start the fun, I couldn't resist taking a few photos outside first. 

This little one is absolutely adorable and I could have kept her with me all day with no troubles, but darn it, her mom wanted to take her home.......go figure.......

I hope that you all enjoy your long Memorial Day Weekend!  

~L

I love this kid~

She had the best facial expressions~ We had the ipod playing...it was so fun watching her dance & of course chow down on that yummy cake.

State Championship | Grand Rapids Photographer

This past weekend the FHC Rowing Teams attended the Michigan State Championships.

I volunteered to be a chaperone on the bus (my kids were thrilled) but let me tell you, it's just not human to have your alarm clock go off at 3:45 in the morning!  Anyone that knows me well will tell you that anything before 8 in the morning is considered too EARLY for me!  

Again, the wind played a big factor in our day.  The first part of the day we had drizzling rain and THEN came the wind.  At least it brought along the sun with it.

It was an exciting day of racing.  ALL of our girls boats that raced received medals!!!  Wow, congratulations ladies! The guys also received a medal, and had several boats make it to the finals...unfortunately their last 4 man boat race had to be cancelled because of the high winds.

Our next & last regatta will be Nationals held in Canada!  Good luck FHC!!!!!  You rock!

~L