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Sneak Peek | The Narciso Family

Not only is this family extraordinarily beautiful, they're extraordinarily sweet. More details from our super fun session to come, but for now, because Heidi has been so patiently waiting....a little sneak peek of her amazing family .

Meet Brock. Have you ever seen a kid with better hair? He's such a stylish little man.

And Naya. She's a sweet little princess with a heart melting smile. 

With parents this gorgeous, it's no wonder Brock and Naya are so adorable.

More to come very soon so stay tuned. And have a happy weekend!

H

 

Natalie | Lawrence Newborn Portraits

I shared a little sneak peek from Natalie's newborn session a while back and just realized I'd forgotten to post the rest. So brace yourself - there are massive amounts of cuteness ahead.

This sweet baby was so good to me. There wasn't anything she wouldn't let us do. She was such a treat for me to photograph and as you can see she's just as gorgeous as her parents. 

I even went out on a limb and made my first attempt at crocheting a baby cocoon. I kinda wish I would have had a few when Rilee and Lucee were little - I just love how snuggly the babies look in them.

So sweet how her little piggies popped out...

She made some of the most adorable faces.

It's exhausting being a baby, you know?

She even threw us a few smiles.

I wonder if she'll have her mama's beautiful blue eyes...

There's no doubt she'll have her daddy wrapped around her finger.

Her grandma's have already showered her with lots of love. This quilt was handmade by one of them.

And this quilt was made by the other one. I love being able to incorporate special things like this with babies. 

Nick is a firefighter who works with Chris. And if you know me at all you know I was only half joking when I told Chris that this shot alone, would almost be worth us having another baby. I'm so happy we got this one!

Congratulations, Nick and Alecia! This time passes all too quickly and I'm so honored to be able to capture it for you. She's a beautiful little girl who is already so very, very loved and I can't wait to watch her grow. 

Much love, 

H

Boy, Oh Boy! | Kansas City Child Photographer

I can't even begin to tell you how much I adore these boys and their amazing mama. I've been shooting them since Melanie was pregnant Otto. Most of you know him as Mantle Baby. He'll be five this year so he's definitely not a baby anymore and neither is his two year old baby brother Hank, also known as Doll Face. We had so many great shots - I could almost blog their whole session.

This one just cracks me up. So Otto!

Really? Total. Doll. Face.

And Melanie? She's too gorgeous for words. And she's just an incredible woman with so much love for her boys. 

Such a gentleman. One for his mama and one for me.

Mel, it's been an amazing five years watching your boys grow and I'm looking forward to many more. Thank you for having me there to document it all. 

Lots of love, 
H 

A Long Awaited Miracle | Kansas City Newborn Photographer

Happy New Year, everyone! After some much needed rest and relaxation at the end of an amazing holiday season I'm finally back to blogging and I've got so much to share with you. 

I posted a little sneak peek of this darling baby girl and I'm so excited for you to see more. Jenny and Matthew welcomed me (and my two amazing assistants for the day) into their home to photograph their sweet Julianne who is just as beautiful and photogenic as her parents. See for yourself.

This girl is a spitting image of her daddy.

I'm a sucker for a yawning baby. Gets me every time.

So, I mentioned I had two assistants that day. This next shot is the reason why. So hard to pull off, but so worth the effort! Thanks to Genna and Kristi for all their help on this one. And to Jenny and Matthew for trusting me enough to hang your precious baby from a tree branch. No babies were harmed in the making of this photo, but if I remember right, at least a couple of us got peed on. Ha!

So sad but so sweet with that tiny little cry of hers.

I told Jenny when we shot her maternity session to be prepared to fall in love with Matthew all over again and on a whole new level once Julianne arrived. Those of you who are parents know what I mean, but until you see it for yourself, it's indescribable. One of my favorite things about becoming a mother was seeing my husband become a father, seeing the way he looked at our daughters, the way he held them so delicately and loved them so whole-heartedly...there's nothing like it. And after this session Jenny concurred. She totally got what I was saying. There's nothing like the love these two have for their baby girl. She's their long awaited miracle and she's one lucky girl.

She wasted no time wrapping him around her finger.

This was the shot I was most excited for Jenny to see. May she never outgrow the desire to snuggle with her daddy.

Or hold her mommy's hand.

Congratulations, Jenny and Matthew. I can't wait to watch her grow!

Until next time, 

H

Words of Wisdom and a Sneak Peek

Some of you already know Melissa Evans.  She's an amazing stylist who I absolutely adore.  She's got mad skills when it comes to hair and makeup and I was so excited to finally have her in front of my camera. 

What a fun session it was!  Gorgeous parents, darling little boys, amazing wardrobe and a such a beautiful day.  We were rocking along getting great shots and as we were getting ready for outfit number two panic set in.  Something was missing.  Can you guess what it was?

Any guesses?  Nope?  She's just that smooth.  Not only is she crazy talented, but she's as laid back as they come.  This was Melissa's facebook status after she arrived back home from our shoot : Good advice to all - if you're planning a family photo shoot w/ multiple outfits - Don't forget your pants! Yeah, that happened...

But Melissa didn't let it trip her up.  She just rocked her amazing shirt with the black sweats she came in.  

And she looked damn good doing it, don'tcha think?  Love ya, girl!

Until next time, 

H

A Favorite Family | Kansas City Family Photographer

I've known Angela for almost twenty years.  There has always been a special place in my heart for her; and there always will be.  She comes from one of the kindest most special families I've ever known.  Her mom was like a mother to me at a time when I needed it the most. 

It's no surprise that Angela is an amazing mother herself.  She's kind and loving, funny and sincere and she loves her children for exactly who they are, unconditionally.  Motherhood suits her well and it's great to see her so genuinely happy. 

Meet Aliya and her daddy.

And Asher, the boy with a thousand nicknames. 

 

Angela and Daniel.  Their level of gorgeousness is borderline ridiculous!

Patiently waiting for the train...

And then we ended our adventure with a little ice cream. If there's one thing I love to photograph more than kids, it's kids with ice cream!

 

I had a great time with Angela and her family.  It was an afternoon adventure I'll always remember.

Until next time,

H

Roots and Wings | Kansas City Senior Portraits

All that stands between the graduate and the top of the ladder is the ladder. ~Author Unknown

I've always loved working with families.  Getting to know a family and watching them grow has always been one of my favorite things about what I do; and families with high school seniors are no exception.  Shooting seniors is exciting because so much lies ahead of them.  Where will they go?  What will they do?  What kind of impact will they have on our world?  Their possibilities are endless and I love to see the path that each of them chooses. 

This is the second senior I've photographed for this particular family.  The first was Jena in 2006 and then Jami last fall. (I'm a bit behind on my blogging, eh?)

 

During our very first session in 2006 I felt an instant connection with this family and Mom has become a dear friend and mentor to me.  She's an amazing mother who loves each of her children in different ways that all seem to be exactly what each one of them needs.  I tell her often that I want the kind of relationship with my children that she has with hers.  Open, honest and full of love. 

Here is Jami with Jena and their ridiculously adorable little sister, Jillian - all of them bright, beautiful girls whom I adore.  I'm sure one day I'll be shooting Jilly's senior portraits as well.   

And while Mom is a bit camera shy I did convince Dad to hop in for a few shots.  Gotta love daddies and their daughters. 

Best of luck to you, Jami, in whatever you choose to do.  With the roots you've been given I'm confident your wings will take you far. 

Much love,

H

Doll Face

I have to say that I TRULY ADORE THIS FAMILY.  We've been working together for about three years now and I've loved watching their family grow.  First came Otto (aka Mantle Baby) and now his baby brother Hank who has yet to earn a nickname, but I'm sure it won't be long.  He's the sweetest little guy with the biggest, bluest eyes and he's just so yummy!  George and Melanie are beautiful people (inside and out).  They're great parents and they have been blessed with two beautiful boys.  Shooting with them is like hanging out with old friends.  I can hardly call it work - especially when my subjects are as cute as Otto and Hank. 




Oh, that face!!!  He's just a doll!  Maybe we'll just have to call him Doll Face for now...




Dude, I have feet! 



Hank is a spitting image of his big brother Otto.  We did a coffee table book of Otto's first year and when Mel got it out during this session we were amazed at how much the boys looked alike.  Good luck telling their baby pictures apart 30 years from now, Mel!

Until next time,
H

Birthday Wishes!

Earlier this year I photographed the family of my wonderful friend and fellow photographer, Jennifer Mullinax.   Not only is Jen a fantastic photographer and a dear friend, but she's one of the best moms I know.  She's super fun, she's got the patience of a saint and is raising four brilliant little kids (three of whom are triplets - WOO! HOO!)  Oh, and her husband is a pretty cool dude, too!  :o)

Meet Jen.

And Jared (who is a super cool dad).

How hot are they?

 Isabelle.

Samuel.

Grace.

All three of the triplets.

And Busy Body...uh, I mean Sophia (aka Little Bit).

The shot we all worked really, really hard to get.  

And what fun is being on a farm if you can't get a little (okay, a lot) dirty? (Told ya they were fun parents!)

And since Miss Sophia really didn't have time for me that day I got to spend another afternoon with just her and Mommy and this was one of the many, many shots we got.

Sophia is celebrating her second birthday tomorrow so have a HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY birthday, Little Bit!

XOXOX,
H

A Wickedly Creative Family

I just love this family!  One of the many reasons is that they're all super creative...including the kids.  They give me such creative freedom and they're not afraid to think outside the box.  We recently sat down for their ordering session and this was the wall collection we came up with.  I'm dying to do one of these in my house.  It's definitely not your typical cookie cutter photo wall.

Three vertical 10x20s.  Most of the time I do a 10x20 as a horizontal storyboard, rather than a single image.  Not every image will work as a 10x20, but when it does you'll get a very modern feel from it.  I can't wait to see the finished product once they're hung on the wall.   I just might have to do one of those in my house.

And while I'm at it, here are a few other faves from their session.



I loved this old bus we stumbled upon.  Wish it was still there!










I had a blast shooting you guys  and can't wait to do it again.  It was great to see you last weekend and thanks for the Chef Burger recommendation.  We loved it! 

Chef Burger is located at 1350 Walnut in the Power and Light District.  If you've never been you've GOT TO GO!  Awesome gourmet burgers (I had the Hawaiian and Chris had the Texan), they make killer sweet potato fries and milkshakes.  We didn't have time for a milkshake (God forbid we show up late for Disney on Ice), but we're definitely going back because Bryan and Felice told me they do spiked milkshakes for grownups.  WOO!  HOO!

 

Happy Friday, everyone!
H