missouri wedding photographer – Kansas City Photography

Willows & Redbuds: A Gorgeous Maternity Shoot At Forest Park

April 7, 2017April 7, 2017 by Kansas City Photography, posted in Photoshoots

The third time is a charm! Ally and I had to re-schedule this shoot twice — once due to it snowing, despite it being 70 degrees the day before, and once due to a tornado. Such is the life of a photographer in the Midwest! But it was worth the wait — everything is in bloom right now! Plus, the wind LOVED Ally — it kept blowing her flowy floral jacket perfectly.

I met up with the lovebirds, Ally & Aaron, at Forest Park in St. Louis today (Kansas City Photography is in both KC & St. Louis!). Ally’s original due date was in May, but her doctor recently bumped it to the end of April. We are going to be meeting Mr. Jaxton even sooner — hooray!

Ally met Aaron six years ago while working at Syberg’s in downtown St. Louis. It took a few years, but Aaron finally worked up the courage to “officially” ask Ally to be his two years ago.

The couple brought along their pups Gonzo and Wilson. Gonzo is super old, and realllly blind, but he was a good sport. Thankfully, they brought a favorite squeaky toy that really helped get the pups to look at me! That’s one of the tips on our blog post about shoots with pets!

You can tell Gonzo is not impressed. Or he is just squintin’ ’cause he can’t see anything. Poor dude! It also helped they brought along an assistant, AKA the sisters of all sisters — Jessica!

One of my favorite things to do during shoots is crack jokes. Then, I get reactions like this:

It doesn’t help that I am good at getting people to laugh, builds up my ego a little too much! Hahaha.

Congrats to the happy couple!

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The Calm Before The Storm: Jenn & James’ Maternity Shoot!

March 9, 2017 by Kansas City Photography, posted in Photoshoots

We got hit really hard with severe weather Monday night. We even had to go to the basement at the wee hours of the morning when a tornado warning was issued for our area. But the good news is — I got a shoot in before all that hail hit! Meet Jenn, James, and baby Genevieve (she’s still bakin’)!

Jenn had a whole Pinterest board for me to look through, and I noticed a lot of those pins were silhouette shots. Some of my absolute favorite shots are silhouettes!! Done!

Not gonna lie, James supeeeer didn’t wanna do the shoot. He just got the Nintendo Switch (the last on in Missouri), so he had Zelda brain. But regardless, he was a great sport, and we got some amazing shots!

You could see how much they love each other just by the photos!

Jenn is very fit. She goes to the gym 6 days a week. It was important to her that we incorporate some workout shots into the shoot. Her favorite hashtag is #fitbump. She lives it!

I saved the best shot for last — this sums up Jenn’s pregnancy. She has been SO hungry, especially for sweets. Since my oldest daughter, Lily, just got her Girl Scout cookies in to deliver … we had quite a few cookie props for Jenn to use!

Congrats, James and Jenn!!

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A Day At The Park

February 21, 2017 by Kansas City Photography, posted in Photoshoots

I met with Sarah, Shane, and their adorable family this weekend in Parkville. They picked this location based off of our Top 10 Photo Locations in KC post. It was a gorgeous day — in the 70s — in February!!

Their three sweet girls were a riot. They didn’t want to say “cheeeese,” but we could get them to say “Anna,” “Elsa,” and “Frozen.”

At one point, they were dancing on the bridge singing “Let it gooooo, let it gooo!” How cute is that?

Since it was so nice, it was really busy — and joggers kept trying to interrupt our bridge shots. But we still got some great ones!

We walked past the bridge to look at the water, and then decided we may get our youngest princess Aarabella to smile if we used the swings. Who complains about swinging? No one, that’s who!

A gorgeous day for a gorgeous shoot!

How To Do A Photoshoot With Pets

February 16, 2017September 27, 2017 by Kansas City Photography, posted in "How To" / Tips & Tricks!

I was asked how to coordinate a photoshoot that involves the family pets. The number one answer: Patience. Pets don’t listen like people do.

Animals can tell if you’re stressed out. And if you’re stressed out, they’re gonna be stressed out. So, take a few deep breaths, you’ll get the shots! It just may take a little longer than you’re used to when working with non-furry companions.

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Location is important, too. If you take a pet to a super active park — they’re gonna get distracted and want to smell all the new smells, and go see all the new things.

Try to pick a quiet park, a scenic backyard (yours, the client’s, a friend’s), etc. Stay away from dog parks! Wayyy too much excitement!

And a bit off the cuff, but barking helps. I am not kidding. If the dogs aren’t looking at me … I will bark. It works!

Another great tip is to ask the pet owners to bring a few favorite toys, especially any that make noise. You can hold them above the camera and squeak them! Treats work, too!

If all else fails — let the pet run! Sometimes getting rid of that energy is the trick! And then, you can always get some nice action shots that way, too! And if kiddos are around — let them run with their pet, too!!

So, let’s summarize!

Be patient
Don’t stress
Avoid high-traffic places and dog parks
DO use quiet places, off the beaten path, or utilize your backyard or a friend’s yard
DO ask the owners to bring the pet’s fav. toys, especially any that make noise
DO let the pet run and burn off some energy if it’s needed! Maybe even play some tug of war to build trust and help wear good ol’ pup out

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An Ode to Love: Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 14, 2017February 14, 2017 by Kansas City Photography, posted in Odes, Photoshoots

It’s the day of love! I know some people grumble over Valentine’s Day — but the history of Saint Valentine is based on love, and I just love love!

Weddings are one of my favorite types of shoots. It’s a day focused on two people — in love! They want to spend the rest of their lives together, and they want the world to know it.

They invite their friends and their families to come and recognize two lives becoming one. They want the world to witness their commitment to each other. How awesome is that?

The morning of the wedding — the bride is all jitters. The clock seems to be moving 5 minutes too fast, there is so much hustle and bustle with the hair, makeup, jewelry, champagne.

I threw in the champagne. What’s a busy morning without some kind of brew, amirite?

The time comes when the bride puts on her dress. She puts on the veil. She takes a few deep breaths when she sees herself in the mirror. It’s all so real now.

She walks down the aisle and he sees her. He tries not to tear up, but he does anyway. His groomsmen can’t even make fun of him — because they are, too. But those tears quickly turn into elated smiles.

They say their vows in front of everyone. They exchange rings as a symbol of their never-ending love. They seal it all with a kiss.

Now, the couple walks down the aisle together. It may have only been 30 minutes, but something is different. She is now his Mrs. He is now her Mr. Forever! Their commitment was witnessed by everyone they hold dear, both present on Earth and up above.

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you celebrate, and give, love today! And here’s to not running into angry anti-Valentine’s Day dinosaurs!