Ever After Photography Blog

Portraits at The Groves in Gilbert, AZ

2012-01-22T21:08:00.004-09:00

I am really excited to share this recent session. I met with Christina, Daryl and their adorable son Easton at The Groves in Gilbert, which has become one of my favorite session locations. Easton is truly one of the cutest kids I've ever pointed a camera at...check this little guy out! It was so easy to get him to pose and play, he was such a happy little guy. I love how the images turned out.

They are such a beautiful family!

Easton LOVES to play football-he is only two!

Christina, please let me talk you into getting this one B-I-G for your wall.

More football:

So much personality in one little person. I couldn't stand all the cuteness!

To see the entire gallery of images, go here: http://everafter.smugmug.com/Portraits/Christina-Woods/Proofs/21144849_46dRdD#!i=1682201352&k=CbhQktf

Thanks so much Christina and Daryl! I hope you enjoyed it!!

xoxo,
Leah

Alison & Andrew

2011-10-05T21:34:00.003-08:00

Owen and Trevor: Lifestyle Session in Chandler, AZ

2011-10-05T16:09:00.003-08:00

I had such a fun morning a couple of weeks ago, doing a Lifestyle session for two littlw cutie-pies and their sweetheart of a mom, Jennifer.

The session was a baby-shower gift from Jennifer's neighbor, who is my good friend Suzi. Jennifer and I thought it would be a good idea to wait until Trevor, the baby, was old enough to sit. We just barely made it, because he started sitting the week before!

Jennifer, I hope you enjoy your slideshow!

Gilbert and Chandler Family Photographer

2011-08-28T13:19:00.005-08:00

WOW! School is in session and cooler weather is just around the corner. I can't believe it is almost Fall!

I am currently booking September and October sessions. Call today to book your very own one-of-a-kind Ever After Photography session. 210-602-1490

Here are a few images from one of my favorite Fall sessions from last year. I love how relaxed and happy the Bell family is!

Ever After Photography for beautiful photography for Gilbert and Chandler families | 210.602.1490

Chippy Table

2011-08-12T10:56:00.005-08:00

My sister Andie and I live across the country from each other, so we started a blog called Bloggers and Sisters that we use to show each other the decorating projects that we have going on in our homes. I've been trying to get a couple of posts of my recent projects posted, but it just isn't working so I finally decided to just post them here. This one is from a few weeks ago:

Dear Andie,

I called you last week from my car. I was on my way to pick up a little table that I had found on Craigslist and I couldn't wait to tell you about it, but Russ said that you weren't home. For no reason at all, I said "She isn't on her way to pick up something off of Craigslist, is she??!" Because that would be just too weird.

"Well, yes she is," Russ said.

We are the same person, on two different sides of the country! It's like you are my twin, but born three years later.

So I did get the table, and it is already painted and sitting in my front living room. I love it. I was thinking I might resell it on Craigslist but now I can't bear to part with it.

It was reddish, cherry Bombay table. There were a few scratches but it was sturdy so I knew it would be perfect to repaint. I took this picture after I had already started sanding:

After sanding, I primed with Bulls-Eye and then did the first coat with some bright blue spraypaint that I found in my paint stash:

I was running out of paint, so I just concentrated on the edges because I knew that this blue would be the underneath color, showing only where I sand down:

The day that I painted it was 117 degress outside! I was only out there for about 10 or 15 minutes, and once I came back in I had to sit down for a while with a cold drink. It wasn't until later that night that I heard what the temp was. If I had known I would have saved the project for another day!

I always check the "oops" paint shelf at Lowes and Home Depot, and usually end up buying 2 or 3 cans of anything that looks fairly neutral. That is where the top color came from that I used on my table. It is a greenish-gray and I think I paid $1 for it:

Here is a closeup of the finished table. You can see where I lightly sanded through to the blue:

Looking at it now, I wish I had distressed it a bit more. Here is how it looks in my work-in-progress living room:

It's been a long and busy summer so I wasn't able to blog much, but now that the kids are back in school I have lots of time to devote to blogging so stay tuned!

Until next time,

Leah

Ali and Andy-Engagement Session in Gilbert, AZ

2011-06-13T18:15:00.004-08:00

I don't mind the Arizona heat at all. In fact, I love it...because It's a Dry Heat. Really, once you have lived in the humidity of South Texas, this is nothing. I went back to San Antonio a few weeks ago and absolutely couldn't take the 90-degree-but-somewhere-around-100%-humidity.

So this past weekend, I had an engagement shoot on a typical 102 degree afternoon, and I barely broke a sweat. It was warm, but it was also a bit breezy, and the hazy sun really inspired me to capture the warmth and glow of Arizona.

Ali and Andy are getting married this fall here in the East Valley at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church. I'm sure they are hoping for cooler weather by then (if only slightly), but I know that no matter what we get, these two will look great!

We went to the neighborhood park of our old house in The Islands, which is also happens to be the neighborhood of Ali's mom, who was one of my first friends when we moved here. Ali showed up for our session in a gorgeous summer dress and looking absolutely beautiful:

Andy's eyes are amazing:

Alison, you are beautiful:

In this shot, they are praticing their "wedding dance." I think they will do just fine!

Toward the end of the session, Ali and Andy's kids joined us. This is Andy's son, Jackson, and Ali's two-Taytum and Talon. A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E.

The girls:

The boys:

Remember what I said about being inspired by the glowing, Arizona sun?

Just like her mom, Taytum is a beauty:

Just before the sun was gone for the day, we drove to Gilbert town square, where there is a little splash pad under the historic water tower. The kids quickly changed into swimsuits and we grabbed a few fun shots:

This image is a bit blurry, but I love Talon's attitude!

Ali and Andy, I absolutely can't wait for your wedding this October. It is going to be beautiful and fun, just like all of you!

The Deluna Family: San Antonio, TX

2011-06-01T06:26:00.004-08:00

Last weekend I flew to San Antonio to do a very special session for my friend Donna and her daughter Brittany, who adopted five siblings. While I was there, I also managed to do a Lifestyle session for Joe and Tanya, who have a new addition to their family as well!

Meet Baby Zoe. She is obviously adored by her older siblings, Noah, Juliana and Ella:

Everyone wanted to get a turn holding her.
Big brother Noah was so gentle:

Ella almost had her asleep:

Love these cheeks:

The girls snuggled a bit on the stairs:

Then things got a little silly.

We went out to the backyard so the kids could show me their jumping skills:

We needed a break from all the jumping, so I promised them that if they did a few posed shots we would go back inside for some more baby-snuggling and a drink:

To see the slideshow, click the image below:

Deluna family, I had a great time getting to know all of you! Thanks so much for having me over!

Baby Kiana-One year old!

2011-05-07T16:09:00.005-08:00

The first time I saw baby Kianna I couldn't get over how unbelieveably beautiful she was-and at the time she was only a few days old. Several months went by before I saw her again, but there was no change in her cutness. I was dying to photograph this little one!

I finally had the chance last week. Kiana just celebrated her first birthday, so it was the perfect time to capture her with her mom and dad as they played and cuddled at their Gilbert, AZ home.

I arrived to see Kiana already dressed and ready to play:

She looks totally relaxed here, but I don't think she held this pose for more than 2 seconds:

It's so adorable to see a dad playing with his daughter:

Kiana just started walking this week:

Love it!

So tender:

One of my favorites:

Anne and Dan are teaching Kiana sign language. Here she is saying "hey, get me out of here!"

Kiana took her first bubble bath and got a good taste of soap!

Another favorite:

Kiana was fading fast after her bath:

And she was out in less than a minute.

Anne and Dan, thank you so much for allowing me to photograph Baby Kiana! It was a perfect session and I really hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Until next time,
Leah

Prom Night-Portraits at The Arizona Grande Resort

2011-04-26T08:47:00.006-08:00

Have I mentioned how much I love to take pictures of teen girls? Well, can you imaging how much fun it is for me to take pictures of my own teen daughter??!! On PROM NIGHT?!!!!!!! I know that she had a great time, but I had a BLAST. It was so fun to see the kids all dressed up.

Devon and her date, Daniel:

Dev-just beautiful:

Daniel-so handsome!

Dev and Nicole-

And this is one of my favorites. Reminds me of those 80's teen movies that I used to love:
'

Most of the parents and kids were crowded around the sun-drenched fountain trying to get good shots, but I took Dev and Daniel across the street to a little spot that had some amazing light:

Unfortunately I couldn't get their friends to follow us, so Dev and Daniel would only pose for a few before they headed back over to the fountain. Once the sun went way down I did get some in front of the fountain. My sister says this one is her favorite:

Like I said, it was a great night for me. :) And I'm pretty sure the kids had fun, too.

Until next time!
~Leah

2011-04-23T06:55:00.002-08:00

Did you know that I have another blog that I share with my sister? We both love to paint furniture, so it's mostly about that. That's where you'll find me today...

Bloggersandsisters.com

See you over there!

Break is Over

2011-04-21T08:05:00.007-08:00

I don't know how it happened that I haven't blogged in OVER 3 MONTHS, but somehow it did. The weird thing is that I do blog posts in my head several times a day-just about everything I see and do goes through my "blog filter."

The truth is, I've been overwhelmed with life. So much has been going on that living through it has been enough for me-the thought of trying to write it down sends me over the edge.

I think the best thing is to start from here. We've had several fresh starts in the last few weeks: new house, new school and friends for Devon, new neighbors to meet, new kids for the littles to play with. I think a fresh blog start is in order as well.

So stay tuned! I'll be back to my regularly scheduled programming very soon with a lot of new Senior work as well as my Lifestyle Baby sessions.

Oh, and look!! Soon Morgan will be getting a new tooth!

Downtown Chandler: Model Shoot for U@RBlessed

2011-01-21T11:42:00.003-09:00

This morning, I had the opportunity to do a magazine shoot for Suzi who owns U2RBlessed, an online store that sells t-shirts, hand-stamped jewelry and hats that I absolutely adore. In fact, Suzi is the artist behind my line of portrait jewlery. What I love the most about her and her company is the positive message that Suzi has built her business upon, which is that no matter what our circumstances in life may be, we are blessed.

Suzi thought it would be a great idea to do the shoot in downtown Chandler, since that is where her business is based. She enlisted the help of her gorgeous friend Rhonda, who totally rocked the look we were after. I love how it turned out!

We are planning a bigger shoot in a few weeks using more accessories and locations. My head is already spinning with ideas for the shoot!

Feeling Inspired: PF Chang's Rock-n-Roll Marathon

2011-01-18T06:44:00.007-09:00

Sunday morning found me up at 5:37, out the door at 5:50, and by 6:30 I was somewhere in Scottsdale prepared to cheer on the Rock-n-Roll Marathon runners with my daughter and her cheer team. I was totally dreading this day. I didn't want to go. Turns out, it was a BLAST!

The girls made posters, hung streamers, and they chalked up the street with inspiration and love for the runners:

They also decorated themselves with as much red, fru-fru and silliness they could pile on:

The mom's got into the act as well. That's me, on the right:

They cheered and cheered, for about 4 hours straight!

You could tell that the runners really appreciated it:

These two are the team coaches. Cute, huh?

These were the last runners to go by and our girls were still at it, cheering and excited:

What really amazed me was that the runners were in so many shapes, sizes and levels of fitness. I had always thought that those who ran marathons were the "fittest of the fit." But what I saw was people who looked like everyone else. Some had awesome physiques, but most were just average looking people, out there pushing themselves to be better than they were before. I started thinking that I could do it too.

So now I'm really looking forward to next years marathon, but what I'm thinking somewhere way back in my head is: Wouldn't it be cool to participate this time? Could I do it? Do I even want to try, considering I've never been a runner in my life and I will probably fail?

I think I do.

A gift for my Gilbert friends!

2010-12-28T12:27:00.004-09:00

A couple of years ago, I made a shopping list for myself that was organized in the same order as the store where I shopped (and of course I blogged about it here). Ever since our move, I've been planning to create a new list and I finally did it today!

I shop at the Fry's on Warner and Cooper, so my list is created for that particular store. Of course it can be used at any grocery store since they all follow basically the same format, but using it at this store will ensure no backtracks-which makes me insane when I'm shopping!

The last time I did this, I shared it with several friends and got rave reviews-even from husbands! This time, I'm making it my slightly-late Christmas gift to all of my new friends and clients. I can't figure out how to share it online, so if I didn't already send one to you please feel free to email me and request one.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T07:53:00.014-09:00

Christmas this year was a lot different for our family than ever before. We didn't get to celebrate with our extended families back in San Antonio. In a way it was nice; we didn't have to rush around going from one home to the next. But it was also a bit lonely, and I know that our parents missed us very much.

One of the cool things about being away is I had the opportunity to establish some of the holiday traditions that I've always wanted to do, and we had more time to do the ones we always do. Here is a quick rundown of our traditions:

Cookies!
In the past, the kids did all of the cookie decorating at my mother-in-law's house, and I was always thrilled that they did it there. I have never cared to make cookie decorating a tradition. It's messy, you have to plan ahead, the cookies don't really taste that great and who needs the extra calories?

But then I did a photo session for my friend Shari and her family, and part of the session involved cookie decorating. I was so impressed with the whole thing! It looked fun, and the cookies were so beautiful, and tasted great. I was convinced, so the next day I pulled out some cookie cutters that my mom gave me years ago, bought a few new ones and also bought all of the ingredients that we would need. Here is the beginning of a new Godfredson tradition:

The Gade family also inspired our Gingerbread neighborhood:

One tradition that I've always wanted to do is new pajamas for everyone on Christmas Eve. The kids looked adorable on Christmas morning in their new comfy PJs:

On Christmas morning, the kids woke up ridiculously early, just like I did when I was their age:

One thing that I love about the street that we live on is the Christmas Eve Brunch that we do every year. I didn't get any pictures of it this year because I was too busy having fun, but here are a few from last year:

Our neighbor Ken organizes everything and sets up tables and chairs in the driveway of one of the homes:

We always have amazing, pot-luck style food:

The adults talk:

The kids play football:

Afterward, everyone pitches in putting luminaries together to line the entire street:

Then, at 6:00 PM, we all come back out to light them and enjoy the evening together:

All in all, it was an awesome Christmas made even better by our new and old traditions.

What traditions does your family do each year? I'd love to hear about them!

The Geurkinks: Gilbert Portrait Session

2010-12-22T01:20:00.000-09:00

It has been difficult for me to find great locations since moving to Arizona, but I think I found a new spot to love-the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert. There is water, shade, interesting vegetation, quiet paths and large expanses of green grass.

I've done almost all of my Christmas sessions there this year, and each one looks different because of how big and spread out the park is.

This was my last session at the Riparian Preserve, but since I'm working backwards it's the first to be featured.

Meet the Geurkinks!

Moms tend to love smiling images, me-not so much. I love ATTITUDE!

Here are a few shots for their mom:

Both of the kids are amazing gymnasts, here they are showing off their skillz:

Mother/daughter shot. Love this one:

Father/son. Love this too!

Gorgeous family, don't you agree? If you love these, let the Geurkinks know in the comments below!

Eggan Family: Portraits at the Riparian Preserve

2010-12-21T09:25:00.001-09:00

I've mentioned that we have made awesome, amazing friends here in Gilbert in the short time that we've been here. Well, here is another entire family that I love, love, love.

You've seen Kenzie before. She is my daughter's best friend and one of the smartest kids I've ever known. I've photographed her a bajillion times in the last year-on her birthday, before homecoming, once for no reason at all, in her cheer uniform, on the football field. She used to be at my house a lot, but now that she is taking a ton of very difficult classes in school so that she can go to college somewhere like Yale or Princeton, she always has her nose in a book and I don't get to see her as much. That makes me very sad, but happy too because I know how hard she is working and I'm so proud of her.

You know how there is always one dad from every cheer team that is as enthusiastic and spirited as the girls? How he arrives early, sits directly in front of the cheer team and yells louder than anyone? Never misses a game? Well, then you know Duayne, Kenzie's dad.

And you know how there is always a cheer mom that kills herself to get the girls on the team something special for just about every game? How she makes blonde brownies for the football players because they all dyed their hair blonde? Thinks a goody bag isn't complete unless it includes a custom-made cheerleader cookie with each girls name stenciled on the uniform? OK, then you also know Mari, Kenzie's mom.

My session with them was unusually short, partly because there are only three of them and partly because I didn't have to chase Kenzie around the park, hoping she would look my way. High school girls are cool that way-they look and smile on cue.

So here is their little family:

I love how "at ease" Mari and Duane were the entire time:

Kenzie and her mom:

Kenzie and her dad:

Kenzie and her spoiled-rotten dog Cocoa:

Love the feel of this one:

Thanks Eggans, for letting me grab some shots of you! I hope you enjoyed it. I sure did!

Whew!

2010-12-18T15:09:00.003-09:00

It looks like I've photographed my last session of 2010! The last 5-6 weeks have been the busiest I've ever had, which is the reason that nothing has gone up on the blog in that time.

So now it's time to catch up. For some reason, working backwards from the most recent session seems easier than starting from the beginning, so that's what I have planned.

My last session, and the first to be blogged, is one of my favorites. I'm sure you'll remember Shari and Patton, I photographed their wedding last September. Well, they are settled into their new home and enjoying the holidays with their brand new, combined family of five.

The reason this is one of my favorites is because Shari totally gets my "lifestyle" way of shooting and lets me do my thing-which really just involves me letting them do their thing! Shari had the girls in gorgeous, festive outfits, and her home was filled with the sights and smells of Christmas. We did some posed portraits, some touching shots of Patton with each girl, some playing-outside pictures and a bunch of cookie-decorating lifestyle images. I was really impressed with the girls gingerbread houses, cookies and all of the beautiful details, so I made a point to capture all of it so that they can always remember what Christmas felt like in 2010.

The Bell Family Portrait Session-Riparian Preserve Gilbert, AZ

2010-11-24T09:50:00.003-09:00

I've been super busy in the last few weeks with Christmas sessions and tons of family obligations, and my blog has definitely suffered for it. I absolutely must, however, take time to share this awesome session.

I love, love, love this family. Lisa has been one of the key people that have made our move to Arizona such an awesome experience-and her entire family has been amazing for all of us. Lisa's husband Brad was the football coach for my two sons, her daughter is our babysitter, her boys play at my house all the time (and lucky for me, mine play at her house too!).

So this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all of my new friends. I'll be posting a few more very special families in the next few days, but for now I hope you enjoy the images of the Bell Family:

Christmas Mini-Sessions at Freestone Park

2010-11-08T18:42:00.003-09:00

I have a very sweet friend named Kim who hired me to do her family Christmas portraits and now she is on pins and needles waiting for her pictures so here they are as fast as I can get them online. Whew!

Kim's daughter is on my daughter's cheer team. Aren't they all so good-looking?

Love this one:

You wouldn't believe how much my eyes were burning and watering from the sun as I tried to get this image, but it was so worth it.

Beautiful:

Thanks so much for a fun shoot guys. I hope you enjoyed it!

Judd Family: Christmas Portrait Session in Scottsdale, AZ

2010-10-27T13:58:00.007-08:00

Halloween isn't even here yet, but I've already begun to photograph Christmas card sessions, and I am so excited to share this one!

I've heard several times about the LOVE sculpture at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts from clients and friends, but until this week I hadn't had the chance to see it.

It was awesome!

I can see now what everyone is talking about-it's huge, colorful and whimsical and I think it is the perfect backdrop for this adorable family.

Meet the Judd Family!

We met on Sunday afternoon at the park where the sculpture is located, and had a great time clowining around and getting some fun shots.

The kids were adorable:

I had a great time with all of you, and hope you enjoyed it too!

Disney-Part 3

2010-10-20T08:55:00.004-08:00

I never intended to turn our Disney trip into a 3-day series of blog posts, but now that we live so far away from all of our family and most of our friends, this is the easiest and best way for me to share with them. So here goes my final installment!

Having two boys at very similar ages (they are one year, one month and one day apart) means that for the most part their interests are very similar. The both love to read, love all things Lego, and both happen to love Star Wars. We didn't see a ton of shows while we were at Disney, but one that we had to make time for was the Jedi Training. I was worried that they wouldn't get picked to participate, or worse, that only one of them would, but luckily they were both chosen from the mass of screaming kids to go up onstage.

This is TJ getting his Jedi robe:

Garrett was focusing hard on his training:

TJ face to face with Darth Vader:

At the end of their training, they received diplomas. So cute!

The park was getting very crowded by Friday afternoon, we had pretty much done everything that we wanted to do and we were exhausted, so we spent the remaining few hours playing in the various activity areas, shopping and eating.

We all went to sleep happy that night:

I don't know when we'll have the opportunity to go again, but I do know that I'm making family vacations a bigger priority from now on. So if you come to my house and wonder why we don't have a big-screeen TV or high-end furniture, it's because I'm spending all the money on trips with my kids. And loving every minute of it.

More of Disneyland

2010-10-19T07:34:00.004-08:00

I don't know why I have a blog, I have the most boring life anyone could possibly imagine. I guess that is why when something even slightly exciting happens I tend to completly blow it out of proportion. So yeah, our trip to Disneyland last week was the highlight of my year, maybe even of the last 5 years, and I'm just going to go ahead and keep sharing the entire trip even though the only people who really care are me and possibly my mom.

As I mentioned in my previous Disney post, the week ended on Morgan's 6th Birthday. I had decided that the best way to celebrate was with a trip to the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique for some major pampering and girl time. I knew she would love it, she is a total girly-girl just like I was at that age.

The week before the trip, I took Morgan shopping for a special party dress, but I told her that it was for her cousin, and that Aunt Andie needed her to choose it as a surprise for Addison. She surprised me by picking out the exact same dress I had my eye on. Great minds think alike! She never suspected that it was really for her, even when I had her try on shoes.

The morning of her birthday, I revealed the dress, shoes and finally told her about the boutique plans. She was so excited! We ended up putting her comfy tennis shoes on with her dress, though. I knew what a day of walking around Disney would do to her feet and decided that this time we would put comfort ahead of fashion.

Here she is, ready for her makeover:

She was a little nervous at first:

But her Fairy Godmother-in-training quickly put her at ease:

This cracks me up:

Some finishing touches:

A sprinkle of magic fairy dust:

Ta-da!

We skipped the Disney photo session because we were pressed for time, but I did manage to get a few snapshots outside in the garden of my beautiful little princess:

She received several phone calls from her grandparents who wanted to wish her a Happy Birthday:

Her up-do never moved!

This is my favorite image of the day:

I was so proud to be seen with such a beautiful girl. It really doesn't get any better than this:

I still have one more set of images from our trip, I can't leave out the Jedi Training the boys received. I'll be back tomorrow with those awesome images!

Our Magical Disney Vacation

2010-10-18T14:17:00.004-08:00

Soon after moving here to Arizona, we began to notice that every time there is a school vacation or long weekend this place becomes a ghost town. Everyone seems to go somewhere fun and exciting, and the only place we ever went was back to San Antonio (four times in one year-it got old!). I finally had enough and decided that we were taking a real family vacation to a fun place for Fall Break-and the most fun place I could think of was Disneyland!

This was the first Disney trip ever for the Littles (in case you don't know, that's what I call my three little ones). Devon wanted to go back to Texas with her friend Paige, and so they headed in the opposite direction for some Big Kid fun.

I have been beyond excited for this trip. Morgan's 6th birthday happened to be on Friday while we were there, and it was the perfect time to capture her facination of all things girly with a trip to the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. Garrett and TJ loved the rides and swimming at the resort's pool. Knowing how much fun there were having made it even more fun for me.

I used our little point-and-shoot camera for most of the images because I didn't want to carry around my heavy DSLR, and so the pictures are really pixilated! I did, however, manage to lug the big one around on Friday so that I could get some good ones of Morgan on her special day.

So, here we are at Disney! I only took one picture the entire week with all of us in it:

We began on Wednesday at the main park, and somehow managed to arrive at the gates before they opened for the day. We paused for a quick pic at the entrance:

Our very first ride of the day was on Buzz Lightyear and we couldn't have picked a better one for the boys:

Next up, Dumbo! Morgan LOVED this ride:

Morgan was facinated by all of the characters, and we made it a priority to get an autograph and and a picture each time we saw one:

One of my favorite shows was "Bugs Life" 3D, here we are with our bug eyes. It totally looks like the boys are creepy little bugs stuck to the wall:

It took Garrett an entire day to work up the nerve to ride the BIG roller coaster, and this is his worried little face just minutes before we boarded for the first time:

By the end of the day, he rode it 3 times:

Yes, that's the one, the California Scream:

I think I'll have to finish this up tomorrow-this is already a long post and I haven't even gotten to the good part yet!

Stay tuned!

$150 Christmas Card Mini-Sessions!

2010-09-22T13:27:00.003-08:00

Horray! It is time to start thinking about Christmas Cards, and I would love to help you with it. I am doing Family Portrait Mini-Sessions on Sunday, November 7th. Each session will last approximately 20 minutes, and as always include a disc of images that you can use to get prints or cards at the lab of your choice, as well as the opportunity to order custom designed cards.

We'll have plenty of time to get a group shot of the whole clan plus individuals of each kiddo, giving you several selections for a great card.

For those of you that would prefer a full-length session, I'll be doing those during October and November. A full session is $300 and includes a much longer private session at the location of your choice, a CD of images, a print credit of $100 to order professionally retouched prints and gifts. I recommend this session for those who have larger families or want a custom

These sessions always go quickly, so contact me soon to book your slot.

Email: Leah@EverAfterbyLeah.com
phone: 210-602-1490

Three down, three to go...

2010-09-20T12:13:00.004-08:00

We are smack in the middle of birthday season here at the Godfredson house-every month from July-December we have one per month. It starts with the boys-Chip, then Garrett, then TJ-and ends with the girls-Morgan, then me, then Dev.

TJ turns 8 this month, and we celebrated at our house with a backyard BBQ, swimming, fishing and friends. It was awesome.

Unfortunately, I can't take decent pictures and do mommy duties at the same time, so my pictures are all very snap-shotty, but that's OK. I'm definitely not a multi-tasker and prefer to concentrate on one thing at a time, so yes I put the camera on AUTO and used my on-camera flash for these shots. Shoot me.

I am very lucky that I managed to take these few shots, but I wish I had a few of the kids at Jump Street, some of them fishing, and a picture of me with Trevor on his birthday. Maybe next year I can hire someone else to help me out, I just can't decide if I'd rather have them be the photographer or the mom!

Shari & Patton : Scottsdale Wedding Reception

2010-09-14T08:22:00.004-08:00

Good things come to those who pray.

As Shari sat at her weekly women's prayer group with her head bowed, she prayed to the Lord for a husband. She wanted someone strong, someone that made her laugh, and most importantly, someone with whom she could share her faith.

She looked up to see Patton walk into the room, and quickly added to her prayer. "Someone like that, please, would be just fine. Amen."

What Shari didn't know was that she had caught Patton's eye as well, and that Patton had been praying for someone just like her.

As Shari puts it, "Conversation led to laughter, laughter led to charm, charm led to joy, joy lead to the Lord and the Lord led us to love."

Patton and Shari were married this summer in Colorado, in a sunlit field surrounded by family and friends and graced with the presence of God. Shari's stunning daughter Tatum was the maid of honor. Patton's daughters Annalise and Maci Lynn were the adorable flower girls. Coleen Takemoto, Shari's friend, did the food and flowers and her husband Arnold walked Shari down the aisle. The wedding was just as it should have been-intimate, touching, joyous and full of worship for the Lord.

It was everything that Shari had prayed for, and Patton was more than she had hoped for.

Coleen and Arnold had one more gift for the newlyweds-a candlelit reception at their beautuful Scottsdale home so that those who couldn't make it to the ceremony in Colorado could still share in the joy.

Shari and Patton once again dressed in their wedding attire and spent the evening laughing, eating fabulous food, and thanking their closest friends for holding them up in prayer until the day came that the Lord brought them together.

The evening wasn't just about Shari and Patton, that much was clear. It was about the faith, friendship and love of everyone present. And as each guest left, they took home with them the knowledge that they had touched the lives of Shari and Patton in a powerful way.

To view a slideshow of the evening, click the play button:

Introducing my Senior Rep for Mesquite High School

2010-08-31T07:05:00.008-08:00

The last few weeks have been busy for me and for my gorgeous, sweet Mesquite High School Senior Portrait Rep for 2011-Brittlyn Miller!

As you will soon see, Brittlyn pulled off many different looks fabulously, each showcasing a different side of her glowing personality.

Check her out!

If you are a Mesquite High School Senior who is interested in an Ever After Photography experience for your Senior Portraits, and if you want to get a discount while you're at it, then find Brittlyn and snag a Rep Card from her. She will have plenty of them on hand, starting next week.

Baby Cooper: Lifestyle Session

2010-08-16T20:24:00.010-08:00

The Krause family has grown by two feet!

This is the 3rd time in as many months that I've had the pleasure of photographing this gorgeous family. Suzette knew when she first contacted me that she wanted both a maternity session and a new baby session, and somehow we managed to squeeze a photography lession/photo session in the middle.

Our session took place on Sunday morning at Suzette and Christian's home. They have several areas of their house with amazing light, and we managed to take advantage of every one of them.

Suzette looks amazing:

I love this tender moment:

Here is the adorable big brother, Brody:

Suzette had the cutest big brother/little brother shirts for the boys, but it was very difficult to get them to sit together for a picture. I did, however, succeed in getting the following two precious moments, so I'm hoping Suzette can forgive me for not capturing the shirts:

This is Christian's mom, who has been visiting since Cooper was born:

I know that she helps out with the baby, but where she really shines is when helping out with Brody! I think every kid should have a grandma like this:

Cooper, it turns out, looks exactly like Brody did when he was a newborn, so Suzette asked if I could try to duplicate a photo that Brody took with his dad. I think it turned out lovely, although I'm not perfectly sure that the two images will look exactly the same:

I just love this last image. One of my all-time favs:

Suzette and Christian, thank you so much for letting me document your growing family these last few months. I've had a wonderful time getting to know all of you and can't wait to see your two boys grow!

xoxo,
Leah

Support your Wildcat!

2010-08-16T08:55:00.004-08:00

I have an new product that, as a Wildcat Cheer Mom, I know I'm very excited about.

This is a sterling silver photo necklace, with a hand-stamped medallion and two beads in the Mesquite High School colors:

I have one myself, to wear to football games this fall to support my favorite Wildcat cheerleader. I also have one with all of my kids pictures on it, that I wear almost every day.

I'm doing necklace mini-sessions for the next couple of weeks, so please don't hesitate to let me know if you want to get one for yourself. The cost is $100 if you simply want the necklace, or $150 to get a necklace and a CD of the images I take. And no matter which session you want, I always include a few files for your Facebook page.

Here are the images I took last night of Kenzie, who's mom is now patiently waiting for her necklace:

These are great for any sport or school activity, so if your son is in the band or your daughter is in volleyball, you can show your support and look good while doing it!

Jesse H. Ross 1922-2010

2010-08-13T08:33:00.007-08:00

Well, this is a hard post to write. My grandfather passed away early this morning. I only met him once, three years ago on Father's Day, and it was one of the most significant times of my life.

I had traveled to Georgia with my mom and dad, my sister Andie and my oldest daughter Devon to meet him. My mom's cousin had been doing some geneology research and discovered that my mom's dad, whom she had always been told had died long ago, was actually alive and lived in Georgia. After a few weeks of sitting on this information and not knowing what to do with it, my mom nervously picked up the phone and called what turned out to be one of her five half-sisters.

Months of phone conversations followed, and other members of the family were slowly let in on the news that Jesse Ross had another daughter. One of the very last to know was his wife, because no one knew just how to tell her, or exactly what to say.

Finally, one day, they told her. I think she was upset at first, but she is a very strong and wonderful lady and before long she began to insist that my mother come to Georgia so that everyone could figure things out.

So we all went a few weeks later. It was Fathers Day 2007 when we pulled up to the most adorable log cabin I had ever seen. There was a yellow ribbon tied to the tree, to let us know that we were home. We met my grandfather, who we now know as Pop, and his wife Thelma, who became Granny to my sister and me, Mama Thel to my mom. We also met the sisters- Francine, Nancy, Kathy, Sherry and Donna - and dozens of other family members. They had a huge barbecue with more food than I've ever seen, we exchanged gifts (Texas aprons for them, necklaces for us) and felt more welcomed than I can possibly explain. It really was like going home.

I took pictures of the entire weekend, and now these pictues are the only ones I have of my grandfather. He was an extraordinary man, truly loved by everyone. His daughters worshipped him, and I am completly heartbroken that my mom didn't have the opportunity to be raised by him. She had only three years of knowing him during a handful of visits, but even that was something truly special.

My mom has been there for the past couple of weeks, called to Georgia by her sisters and Granny Thel because Pop was in the final days of his life. I'm happy that she had the chance to say goodbye, and I wish I could be there with them as they lay this great man to rest.

The slideshow below begins with my mom and dad pulling into the cabin driveway for the first time, three years ago:

Miller Family: Lifestyle Session at Landa Park

2010-07-24T09:29:00.003-08:00

This session reminds me a lot of one I did last year for the Moore Family, and the reason is no surprise-the families are friends and co-workers, and even the girls in both families are best friends!

It was a fun and relaxed shoot, in spite of the fact that my favorite shooting spot in the park was completly blocked off. I was forced to find a new favorite spot, and now I'm so glad I did. Just across the street, there was a tiny little stream that I had never noticed before with the most amazing light.

We started off with a group shot, including their two adorable dogs. I truly love it when my clients bring along their pets. It adds a personal quality to the images that I can't get enough of:

This is Malori with her beloved doggies. Are they just beautiful together, all in white?

Love this sister shot:

Raegan is sooo sweet. She loves having her picture taken, and we discussed doing another shoot just for her sometime soon.

Total adorableness.

I just had to get a doggie portrait.

Love, love, love:

Thanks for a fantastic time at beautiful Landa Park, guys. It was such a fun shoot, and I hope I get to photograph Raegan again soon!

Summertime..

2010-06-30T19:55:00.004-08:00

...and the livin' is easy:

These are my kids and a friend playing at sunset at a park down the street. Pure joy.

No one's here today.

2010-06-29T17:12:00.002-08:00

Not sure if I've mentioned this before or not, but I have another blog! Its a decorating blog that my sister and I are doing together. I can be found over there today. Go to:

Blogggers and Sisters. Anything you can do, I can do BETTER!

Hope to see you there!

Published!

2010-06-25T10:16:00.005-08:00

Well, this is exciting: the images I shot from Lindsay and Richard's Nebraska wedding have been published on Project Bride!

Project Bride is an online wedding resource that brides can use for inspiration when planning their own big day.

Last week, I attended a seminar to learn the submission process. That evening when I got home, I sat down and applied the techniques I learned to choose the right types of images that the various publishers are looking for.

Within a couple of days I learned that Project Bride accepted my submission, and today I found out that it was posted. So cool!

Now that I'm familiar with the process, I'm hoping that I'll have more weddings published soon. Also totally cool is that I can cross this off my 101 in 1001 list. Whoohoo!

MOMS: Not All Superheros Wear Capes

2010-06-14T21:38:00.005-08:00

This past weekend was the weekend from hell. My 5 year old puked her brains out all day and into the night on Saturday. I thought I'd never see then end of dumping out her bucket, wiping her little face, and washing endless loads of laundry because she didn't ALWAYS make it into the bucket.

Sunday, bright and early, one of my sons took over the vacant position of puke master. By noon, my husband and I joined in, and later that afternoon, my other son decided he didn't want to be left out. Have you EVER had to take care of three kids, two of them alternating throwing up with diarrhea, while experiencing the same thing yourself?

Cruel. It was just so damn cruel. I cried for my mommy.

By today, Monday, everyone was recovering nicely, except my husband, who still did not leave his bedroom the whole day. What is up with that? I would have LOVED to spend the day (two of them, actually) simply being sick in bed with no other responsibilities. Was this on the mommy job description? I'm pretty sure I didn't initial that line.

I pray that in the future, we are allowed to vomit our guts out one at a time. I can handle days and days of taking care of sick kids, as long as I am allowed to lay my own puking head down for more than 5 minutes.

Amen.

Free Shipping at Mpix today only!

2010-06-10T06:02:00.005-08:00

As my recent clients know, I now include a CD of images of every session and recommend Mpix.com as the best place to get them printed.

They are offering Free Shipping on all orders placed today, so if you have images to print, don't delay!

101 in 10001: Photography Lessons!

2010-06-07T09:12:00.006-08:00

Last week, during my Krause Family Lifestyle session, Suzette told me that she would love to be able to take better pictures of her son and asked me if I would give a her a lesson. Well, it just so happens that giving photography lessons was one of the goals I made in my 101 in 1001 list a few weeks ago, so of course I jumped at the chance!

We decided to meet early (6:30 AM)on Saturday morning for a few reasons: it would still be cool enough for her to be comfortable (she is pregnant and due in just a few weeks), the park wouldn't be crowded at that time so there was no worry about having other people in the background, the early morning light would be beautiful, and because her son wakes early anyway and would be in a great mood and thus a fantastic photo subject.

We scored on all points, the greatest being our fantastic photo subject! Suzette's son is A D O R A B L E and he was so well behaved.

I was able to demonstrate the best way to ensure consistant results when shooting in overhead sun, how to look for the best light, what to do if you can't find good light and what the best settings are for general shooting.

I hope that Suzette walked away with some new knowledge, I know that she will walk away with some great shots of her son:

I am beginning to consider giving individual lessons on a regular basis. If anyone else is interested, please let me know! It will help me if I know how much interest there is.

Thanks Suzette for being my first student. I had a blast and hope that you learned some things you can use.

Krause Family Lifestyle Session: Gilbert, AZ

2010-06-03T21:22:00.005-08:00

Have you ever met someone that made you feel so comfortable it felt as if you had known them for years? Thats how I feel about Suzette, a new friend and client. I had the chance to do a maternity session for her and her beautiful family, and the entire shoot was fun and relaxed, because that is how Suzette is.

I love how the slideshow turned out. More specifically, I L O V E the shots of Suzette in her backyard:

>

Suzette, I can't wait to do your Family Session once your baby is here.

Senior Session: Brittlyn

2010-05-24T11:47:00.003-08:00

Who doesn't love a beautiful girl? As anyone knows, teen girls are just about my favorite subjects to photograph and I don't think I need to explain why but I will anyway-the clothes, the attitude, the willingness to be posed and move around to different locations, the laughter and fun.

Last night I experienced all this and more at a senior session for this gorgeous girl. I did a model call because I'm introducing a new line of photo jewelry, and she was the first to answer. If I had the chance to hand-pick the senior I wanted, I would have picked her!

Brittlyn is as sweet as she is beautiful:

I'll have some images of the new jewelry (featuring Brittlyn, of course)posted here soon so check back in a few days.

Thanks for an awesome shoot Brittlyn!

CD vs. Art Print: Which one?

2010-05-20T09:10:00.005-08:00

A prosepctive client recently asked the following question:

"What is the difference between the images we would get on the CD and the images we would get if ordering from you?"

Great question, and I think this would make a great blog post.

The images I take are RAW files, which I compare to raw food-there isn't anything done to the file in camera-so it is very flat and just blah. Although it kills me to let anyone see one, for the sake of this demonstration I'll share a recent image:

All of my images look like that straight out of the camera, but I don't usually let anyone see them like that! The first thing I do is add some spice by correcting the contrast, color and exposure. This is a fairly quick adjustment and every single image gets this treatment. I then convert all of the files into JPEGs and that is what you will get on your CD.

Here is the same image, after a few basic edits:

Much better!
I recommend to all of my clients that they use their CD to make prints, to share online, to archive. They can convert them to B&W, have them printed on a mug at Walmart, whatever they wish. But my clients know that the CD images are not individually retouched, and they will make acceptable small prints but I don't recommend using the CD for enlargements.

So how does an image that is ordered directly from me compare to the CD?

Well, here is the above image, after retouching:

This is what an Ever After Art Print looks like. It is printed on professional grade paper, which is thicker than what you'd get from Walmart and only archival grade inks are used (resistant to fading or coloring over time). This is how the print should look that you hang on the wall.

I think my clients deserve both-a CD of images so that you can inexpensively reproduce every single image if thats what you want, and professionally retouched and printed enlargements that you are proud to display in your home-and that is why I include the CD and a $100 Print Credit.

Here are a few more CD/Art Print comparisons:

I hope that clears things up!

My 101 in 1001

2010-05-19T08:54:00.008-08:00

I'm jumping on the bandwagon. A few of the photographers I follow, along with thousands of other people across the nation, are participating in a goal-setting excercise. The challenge? Set 101 personal and business goals, write them down and complete them in 1001 days, which is about 2.75 years.

My plan is to complete as many as I can, and I'm hoping that by putting it all here I can stay on track and have some amount of accountability.

I didn't come up with all of these by myself. Many of my business goals are directly copied from a fellow Gilbert photographer's 101 in 1001-Melissa Jill. I do, however, plan to implement each goal with my own style and personality, so that my business is a direct reflection of who I am, and not a copy of what someone else is doing.

My ending date is Feb. 13, 2013. That sounds like a very long time from now, but on the other hand, 1001 days AGO (August 2007) seems like yesterday so I think I'd better get cracking on this list. Here we go:

(In no particular order)
1. Complete photo packaging-boxes, bags, business cards, ribbon, etc.
2. Hire a graphic designer to design website.
3. Take a lighting workshop.
4. Buy a new computer.
5. Teach a beginning photography class or workshop. Done: June 7, 2010.
6. Hire an accountant.
7. Open a business bank account in AZ.
8. Design and order an Information Packet w/a Getting to Know You sheet.
9. Attend WPPI.
10. 2nd shoot for a photographer I admire.
11. Have professional headshots taken of myself.
12. Have professional photos taken of our family.
13. Purchase pocket-wizards and and SB-800 or SB-900 flash.
14. Outsource my photo editing.
15. Design and purchase 3 new sample albums.
16. Design, order and display in my home an Ever After Inspiration Wall.
17. Brainstorm, market and implement "Date-Night" couples sessions.
18. Come up with 5 ways to differentiate my business.
19. Develop and begin regularly providing session snacks.
20. Write my ideal client profile.
21. Determine my "niche" in photography-just one.
22. Blog something personal once each week.
23. Plan and execute a personal photography project.
24. Enter a print competition.
25. Take Devon and Morgan to a musical.
26. Visit the Grand Canyon.
27. Visit NYC.
28. Take kids on a picnic.
29. Donate blood.
30. Visit my sister.
31. Take kids to a fall pumpkin patch.
32. Develop and implement an "After Booking" packet.
33. Develop a referral gift.
34. Order personal note cards.
35. Begin collecting B-Day dates and send cards out on time.
36. Blog every day for 1 month.
37. Begin sending out Anniversary cards to past clients.
38. Purchase, organize and implement a gift wrapping station in my home.
39. Take photos of my parents.
40. Market and shoot a FB Profile marathon session for at least 5 business people.
41. Keep a list of future possible blog posts by my computer, check off as done.
42. Implement and enforce chore list for kids.
43. Finish the dining chairs (top coat, screw in seat cushins).
44. Paint Devon's chest of drawers black. Done: August 2010
45. Paint TV armoire and sofa table in complimentary colors.
46. Paint china hutch (white?).
47. Buy a widescreen TV.
48. Take kids to Disney. Done: Oct. 15, 2010
49. Get a livebooks site.
50. Get a better blog.
51. Get a wedding published by a wedding magazine or blog. Done: June 25, 2010.

Trying to come up with 51 more might be a challenge. I'll have to think about it for a while. I'll update on my blog as things get accomplished. Wish me luck!

Baby M turns One

2010-05-17T13:03:00.004-08:00

Brace yourself for adorablness. Not exaggerating, this baby will inspire other babies to be concieved, I'm sure of it. Not me, I'm totally done with all that, but I do think looking at this little beauty can cause pregnancy.

We met at Freestone Park here in Gilbert for a Tutu session. Now, I knew that M's mom was planning to bring a tutu, but when I saw the beads, birthday hat, balloons and lollipop, I could have hugged them. I just LOVE the accessories! The shoot looks like it was styled by a pro-my clients are amazing.

When we began the shoot, I knew that she would sit still for me for just a few minutes. I think she actually sat in one spot longer than most, and I was able to get a few different looks and angles.

I do love father/daughter shots:

Love this one!

To see a slideshow, click the play button:

Thanks for a fantastic shoot, I hope you enjoyed it too!

Kaleidoscope

2010-05-02T06:19:00.006-08:00

Anyone who knows me and my youngest daughter M know our infatuation with Matilda Jane Clothing. M wears it just about every day. In fact, the only person in our family that doesn't have at least one MJC outfit is my husband.

Recently the team from MJC announced a contest on their blog, the winner and a friend get to fly to Ft. Wayne IN on an all-expense paid trip to the MJC Art Fair.

The contest: Send in something that reminds you of Matilda Jane Clothing.

I thought about what I might send for maybe, two seconds. The story was written in an hour or so, and I had it ready to mail a couple of days later.

Here is my entry, beginning with a letter to MJC.

Dear Denise and Team 435,

“What reminds you of Matilda Jane Clothing?”

It took less than one minute for me to come up with the answer to that question – it was a slam dunk. But it wasn't a thing, it was a person; or more specifically a group of people that I believe completely embody the spirit of MJC.

Of course, I couldn't fit them into a 9 ½ x 12 ½ envelope, so I did the best I could by telling their story. I did try to keep it short-I realize that you have many submissions to go through and I don't want to take too much of your time.

I have enclosed a few pictures of my three youngest kids in their Matilda Jane gear. They are: G-8, T-7, and M-5. My oldest daughter (D-16) and I also have MJC outfits that we adore, but catching her at home during daylight hours is impossible and there wasn't anyone available to photograph me.

Thank you so, so much for hosting this contest. Even if I don't win, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to put this together. I created two identical envelopes, one for you and one for the amazing lady I've tried to honor.

In the very remote case that I win, I'll be bringing her with me to the 435 Art Fair.

So here is the story I sent in:

I also included in the package a slideshow of their BEAUTIFUL year together:

The entire contest entry is in the hands of the awesome team at Matilda Jane, and although I have my fingers crossed that we win, I was really just so happy that I could tell Donna's story.

Donna, you know that I think what you and Brittany are doing with those kids is simply amazing, and you continually blow me away with your generosity and kind spirit. I love you to death!

Macro Photography

2010-04-24T21:02:00.007-08:00

I dug out my macro lens earlier today, and took a few shots of the flowers in my yard. Fun, fun, fun!

Welcome Baby Crites: Lifestyle Photography in Mesa, AZ

2010-04-05T14:49:00.004-08:00

One of the things I love most about the kind of photography I do is that I get to be a "fly on the wall," quietly capturing beautiful moments as they unfold before me, as if I weren't even there.

The session I photographed for David and Nicole was just such a session. Their amazingly beautiful family grew by two adorable feet over the weekend, and I was enormously thrilled to be there to capture them in the hospital as they welcomed and loved their new son, Cayden.

David simply couldn't get over how small Cayden is:

I love baby toes:

Just beautiful:

Callie is still getting aquainted with her baby brother:

To see a slideshow of images, click below:

David and Nicole, thank you again for allowing me to be part of such a special time in your family. I enjoyed it more than I can say!

A blog post about a blog post.

2010-03-24T15:46:00.003-08:00

One of my recent clients blogged about me! Nicole Crites is the morning news anchor for KPHO here in Phoenix, and she used a few of the images from our session in a recent post.

I'm sure she would love a little blog-love, so drop by and leave a comment. To view her blog, click here.

Keeping it Super Simple, The Inspire Guide is here!

2010-03-22T04:27:00.012-08:00

I have a fantastic new addition to my photography services, one that will help my clients enormously when faced with the daunting task of putting together a collection of images for their wall space. Its called my Wall Gallery Inspire Guide, and I can't wait to begin using it!

It works like this: after you have booked a session, I'll send a link to my new, fabulous Inspire Guide. There you will find twenty different print layouts using various wall sizes and rooms such as the nursery, kitchen and stairways. Each one details the exact number and sizes needed for that particular look.

Once you have an idea of the layout that might best fit in your home, I can then take the best pictures during our session that work with your choice. For example, The Trendsetter features six 10x20 prints, which is an unusual number of tall vertical images that I probably wouldn't capture unless I knew in advance to do so.

Once your session is complete I can then insert your images into your chosen layout, completely eliminating the guesswork and frustration of designing a wall gallery from scratch.

The layouts can be fulfilled with framed prints or custom canvases, and the price for each option is displayed. I love the look of both, but I do love the fact that frames aren't needed with canvas prints and the look is so contemporary and clean.

Every arrangement is available as a print package from your online gallery, so ordering is extremely simple. I can also do it for you if you prefer.

Keep It Super Simple is my motto (KISS!), and this just fits perfectly into my way of doing things. I hope you enjoy it too!

Paige: Sweet Sixteen-Gilbert, AZ

2010-03-10T17:30:00.007-09:00

My job as a photographer has taken me across the country in recent months, which was thrilling and new and required tons of planning, packing and long weekends away from my family. The last three weekends in a row, however, I've been equally as happy as I walked the short distance across my street to do sessions for my neighbors.

The most recent was for a Sweet Sixteen Party for my very sweet and B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L neighbor, Paige. The theme was Denim and Diamonds, and I can tell you that Paige and her mom Rocked it. The decorations were adorable, the cake amazing, and the DJ had the party going before they even opened the doors.

We started off with some portraits of Paige with her new car:

Detail shot of the party favors. Love this!

Her cake rivaled any I've ever seen:

We brought her parents out for a quick shot before the party started:

Paige's friends arrived before everyone else:

And finally the party began:

To see the slideshow, click the play button below:

I decided to do another version of the slideshow. Paige, this one is for you:

Lifestyle Family Photography: Mesa AZ

2010-03-02T08:53:00.004-09:00

I think it was serendipity, or kismet, or the cosmos at work. It also could have just been a simple turn of events in our ever-expanding-internet-world, but whatever it was I am grateful for how things happened.

Last year before we moved to Phoenix I was online gathering information about the area. I wanted to know things like which schools were best, which neighborhoods were most kid friendly, and what to do about scorpions should I ever encounter one. That last thing, in fact, was HUGE to me. I am scared to death of all things creepy-crawley, and scorpions top the list.

I came across a blog post on just this subject written by KPHO morning news anchor Nicole Crites. She explained that you can go scorpion hunting with a black light because it makes the critters GLOW IN THE DARK. So you can get 'em and squash 'em and kill 'em dead before they get you. Because that is what they deserve.

I left her a quick comment to tell her thanks for the awesome information because I knew my two sons would love a good scorpion hunt. She followed up with an email, complimenting me on my website. After a few more emails back and forth, it was decided that I would do a session for her once I arrived here in Phoenix.

We've been emailing each other for months now, and I finally had the chance to shoot a Lifestyle Session of her and her husband, along with their A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E daughter, Callie. As is the case with my last couple of shoots, it rained on that day, but I think that made it a bit more interesting that the usual sunshine we have here.

Soon after I arrived, Nicole and Callie disappeared into the bathroom to change Callie's clothes. Knowing I might catch some intimate mommy/daughter/daddy time, I followed them and was not disappointed:

Yes, that is a baby bump that you noticed! Nicole is expecting a boy in a few short weeks.

Reading is serious business:

These are the kinds images that make me love what I do:

By the time we took the following shot, Callie was DONE taking pictures so we left her in her high chair. I love how it turned out:

It's Ok, you can be jealous. Nicole looks fabulous!

Nicole, you are beautiful. Seriously.

Nicole and David, thank you so much for putting your trust into me, a perfect stranger, and allowing me into your home to capture these for you. I can't wait to photograph your new little one in a few weeks.

To see the slideshow, click the play button:

Family Lifestyle Photography Session-Gilbert, AZ

2010-02-24T14:36:00.004-09:00

It feels so good to be shooting regularly again. I've had a couple of shoots here in Gilbert recently, and I have a few more lined up for the next few weeks. I think that now that the holidays are behind us I'll be able to fill my calendar much like I did back in San Antonio, and I couldn't be happier.

My most recent shoot was an absolute blast. My across-the-street neighbors, Heidi and Ron, took advantage of the fact that their whole family (minus one who had to work) would be here for a weekend visit, and booked a Lifestyle shoot so that I could capture all of them. With seven adults, two kids, one toddler and two infants, it was CRAZY. There were a few tears, a lot of laughs, and I think they got some great images.

To view the slideshow below, simply click the "play" button:

I hope all of you had as much fun as I did!

Freestone Park-D & K Portrait Session-Gilbert, AZ

2010-02-22T07:10:00.007-09:00

I have an incredibly difficult time getting photos of my own kids that I love. The reasons are varied; sometimes I don't have my camera with me, or my kids aren't cooperating, more often we just don't have the time to devote to it. It's a crying shame though, and I get chastised by my friends when they stop by my house and notice more images of clients than of my kids.

Last week I took a step to fix the situation and did a session of my oldest daughter D. She invited her friend to come along, and I really love how it turned out:

And here is the slideshow:

Today I'll order prints and frames, and I plan to have my new art hanging on the wall by next week. So that is one kid down, three to go. Wish me luck!

The Islands Daddy/Daughter Dance-Gilbert, AZ

2010-02-14T10:51:00.002-09:00

On Friday night I donated my photography services to our neighborhood's Daddy/Daughter Dance. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was sooo surprised by how many dads were there. It was the sweetest thing.

Here are a few of the formal portraits:

Yes, this is my adorable daughter and my husband, making a VERY rare appearance on my blog:

The DJ was amazing:

I was the only mom at the dance, and the entire night I kept thinking how much the other moms would have loved to be in my shoes. I hope the pictures give them a little glimpse of the truly special evening our daughters had with their daddies.
To see a slideshow and the rest of the images, click here.

Your Grandchildren Will Be Upset With You

2010-02-03T19:55:00.004-09:00

I am a heavy blog reader, and every now and then I come across an article that I would love to share with my clients and friends. The following blog post is one of them:

Author: Fred Molesworth, Salem, Oregon

I’m willing to bet your grandchildren will be upset with you. Here’s why. Imagine, 50 years from now, as your grandchildren or great grandchildren are going through the boxes in the attic. They are enthralled with the treasures and keepsakes they find and how they tie into the story of your life.

Amongst all the old items, they find a number of round silver objects. Some have writing on them, some are blank, but they resemble some kind of a small platter about 4″ across, with a hole in the middle.

Puzzled, they take them to their parents. “What are these, Mom?” they ask. “Oh, I think those are all of grandma’s photographs. Yep, here’s one labeled ‘My Wedding’. Here’s some more labeled ‘Family Photos,’ and some more labeled ‘Vacations’.”

“How do we look at them?” they ask.

“Well, I’m not sure we can. First of all, no one has the device that reads these anymore. Besides that, I doubt after all these years that they’re any good anymore. Being stored in the attic, the heat and cold probably ruined them.”

The kids are very disappointed. Nowhere amongst all the treasures are any actual prints. All that history is lost. Their connection with the past and all the wonderful stories that might have gone along with all those photographs are gone as well.

Along with all the wonders of our digital age come some significant problems that most people have never thought of.

Did you know that over 90% of all images taken on today’s digital cameras are NEVER PRINTED? I’m guilty of that myself. I have gigabytes of personal photographs that have never been seen other than on a computer screen.

In the old days, film went to the lab and everything that was printable was printed. Even if it was a bad photograph, it still was a hard copy, a part of your family history and it had permanence. Even if they never went in an album, they at least went into a box, to be discovered as treasures years later.

The same problem exists in professional portrait studios today. Many people are simply asking for the images on CD. “I’ll print them later” or “I’ll design my own wedding album” are common phrases. Usually this is done with the thought that they’ll save some money by doing it themselves.

But you know what? Most never make it into any kind of an album. Life gets busy and 20 years later they’ll be looking for some way to read those disks.

I bring this up only to point out the importance of what we, as a professional studio do. Our job is not just to create the images, to create wonderful story telling photographs about the people in front of our camera; it’s to create a final product, whether it be a professionally retouched and printed single image, a family heirloom wall portrait, or an incredible storybook album using a collection of the images that were created.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a wedding, a newborn baby, a senior or a family. Having the final product created for you is important. To do less is to leave the job half done and to short change the customer.
-Fred Molesworth

In addition to running a full time portrait studio in Salem Oregon, Fred Molesworth is a small business teacher and advisor, and the author of the Portrait Studio Marketing blog (www.portraitstudiomarketing.com). He’s also a nationally known business and marketing speaker in the portrait industry, and past president of the Professional Photographers of Oregon.

The article above really struck a cord with me, and so for 2010 I am now offering a print credit in my wedding and portrait packages. I want to make sure that my clients end up with beautiful, retouched prints from every session I shoot.

Bedtime Story

2010-01-26T10:06:00.002-09:00

My kids seem to be at their wildest every night at bedtime. Usually, they are OUT OF CONTROL, as if they believe that they can squeeze just a little more fun out of the day before they finally nod off to sleep.

I'm pretty used to it, what I'm not accustomed to is quiet. A few nights ago, that is what I heard (or didn't hear) so I creeped upstairs to see what they might be getting into.

It was the SWEETEST thing--EVER:

My other son, T was reading too, alone in his room (just the way he likes it).

Before long, the antics started up again. Sigh.

Finally, they all settled down. Here is M, saying her last goodnight to me.

Sweet dreams, my love.

2010 Brides Choice!

2010-01-19T13:05:00.002-09:00

So excited today! Ever After Photography has been given the Wedding Wire Brides Choice Award for the 2nd year in a row. What a huge honor. Following is the press release:

Gilbert, AZ – Jan. 19, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Ever After Photography has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Wedding Photography!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Ever After Photography is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Ever After Photography is among the very best Wedding Photographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

For more information, please visit my website today at www.EverAfterbyLeah.com.

Hiking with the Kids: Pinnacle Peak

2010-01-14T13:19:00.005-09:00

One of the things I most looked forward to doing here in Arizona is spending more time outdoors with my kids. Even though Phoenix is smack in the middle of a desert, there are dozens of things to do because the weather is phenomenal for most of the year. This week, for example, the average high temperature has been around 73 degrees. Don't hate.

So last weekend, after spending the day doing mostly nothing, we decided to hit the trail and take a hike. I did a bit of online research to find a kid-friendly, fairly easy and location and came up with Pinnacle Peak in nearby Scottsdale.

The drive was fairly short, but we wouldn't have found it if we didn't have a GPS unit because the directions I printed out were horrible. My daughter D accused me of not being able to read a map. That is soooo not true.

Scottsdale looks like what I imagined all of Phoenix would-a LOT of saguaro cactus, southwest architecture and wide open spaces. I felt like I was in a 1950's western movie. Like I should be on a horse. I even started talking like John Wayne, pardner.

Here are the kids at the start of our hike, with Pinnacle Peak in the background:

The trail is fairly steep, but still manageable for small kids. There were a couple of steep drop-offs that scared me, the kids didn't bat an eye.

Spectacular views. We were all impressed, and stopped often to gaze, take pictures and eat.

D cracked herself up with this pose. She said "Oh my God, why am I so funny?" You get it from me, of course.

Here we are, at the highest point:

And a rare shot of me with all the kids:

Things to know about Pinnacle Peak:
It isn't a "loop" trail. You hike to the end, then turn around and go back the way you came.
The highest point is about halfway down the trail.
Dogs and bicycles are not allowed.
The trail is 1.75 miles to the end. And of course, 1.75 miles back.
Rock climbing, for experienced climbers with appropriate gear, is permitted in three areas of the park with a variety of routes and skill levels.
Do not plan to take sunset pictures. The park gates close at 5:30, but the park rangers begin closing at 4:30 by walking from the end of the trail all the way to the trail head. If you meet the ranger on your way up, you must turn around and head back down.
The only restroom is located at the base of the trail.

My kids want to go hiking every week from now on. I'm looking for our next destination now. Any suggestions?

Giving back to my Phoenix, AZ friends

2010-01-09T07:32:00.010-09:00

On Sunday, Jan. 10 (tomorrow!), I'll be doing FREE Facebook profile shots for anyone that wants one. Each person will get a 20 minute slot, which is plenty of time for me to capture your fabulousness, and we'll both have fun while we're at it.

You'll have access to your images in an online, password protected gallery, and you can choose one image for me to retouch to use as your Facebook profile shot. For FREE.

But Facebook isn't the only place you might want to use your image. Do you use E-harmony or a similar dating site? Then I know you could really use an updated, fabulous, but still-looks-like-you picture. And for all the moms I know, when is the last time that you had a nice portrait taken of JUST you? I bet you can't even remember. And if you have a business, you need a current image for your website, right?

You deserve this. Don't wait until you lose weight or your hair grows or whatever silly reason you have for not getting it done. I'm sure there is someone in your life who would love to have a picture of you exactly as you look right now. You never know what tomorrow might bring, so please don't put it off just because you aren't happy with your current appearance. If you don't like the shots, you don't have to use them, and I can always shoot you again in a few months, kinda like a before and after, except that you'll look great in both images!

To secure a spot, just comment below or email or call me. I'll be at Freestone Park tomorrow waiting for you.

Here are a few Facebook images I've done in the past. Gorgeous, huh?

Please let me do this for you, I promise you won't regret it. Pinky swear, stick a needle in my eye and all that.

Thank You!

2010-01-07T11:30:00.005-09:00

I am so incredibly lucky to have the clients that I do. I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to capture you, your kids, and your once-in-a-lifetime events in 2009.

I put a few of my favorite images of the year into a slideshow, I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I do.

I AM BLESSED

2010-01-06T11:43:00.006-09:00

2010. Do you say Two-thousand-ten, as I do, or Twenty-ten, which is what my kids say? However you say it, I think we can all agree that it is a beautiful, nice round number. It just looks clean to me, like a blank sheet of paper (or blog page) waiting to be filled with activities, friends, family and memories. I'm feeling soooo energized and hopeful about this new year and the decade to come. 2009, in fact, was a pretty good year for me, and I truly believe that 2010 is going to blow it out of the water. I feel it.

What was so good about last year, you ask? Well, our move to Arizona tops the list. I love, love, love it here. The weather is phenomenal for most of the year, the town of Gilbert is the most family-friendly place I could possible imagine, and I adore our new neighborhood. Moving here was a great decision that I don't regret for even a second, even though it seems so far that I may have left my photography business back in San Antonio.

But I think the real reason I am so very happy here is because of my new friends. They are all amazing people who I don't know what I'd do without, and I just met almost all of them.

Heather-I called her simply because her adorable and precocious son gave me his phone number during the first week of school and told me that he wanted to come to my house to play. I was afraid to call her because I just knew that she would think I'm a nut-case and warn all the other moms about me, but to my astonishment she agreed to come over to meet us all and to let her son play with mine. She has been AMAZING ever since. I can't even explain how much she has done for me-her husband fixed my computer when I thought all was lost, she kept my 5 year old all day while I dealt with the death of our dog, she invited me to lunches, parties and introduced me to everyone I needed to know at our kids school. I feel like I've known Heather for YEARS already, and I know that I'll cherish her for years to come. (Get this-I just called Heather to see if one of my boys could play at her house today. She was headed to Tai-kwon-do with her son and so it wasn't a good time, but she called her neighbor who zipped over to our house, picked up my son and took him home to her house to play with her son who is also in 1st grade. I love this neighborhood!!)

Christine-Our daughters are in preschool together, and they have pronounced themselves BESTEST friends, so naturally we see a lot of each other. Christine is so easy to talk to, always positive and happy, and I really enjoy seeing her and her family as much as I do.

Fanny and Tina-these are the two other moms from our little preschool group that accepted me as if I'd been here forever. I've had their daughters over to play, and they have had mine, countless times already. (Actually, Tina is a Grandma, but she doesn't look or act it and I guess I think of her as one of the moms.) I feel like I could call on any of these ladies to help me out of a jam at any time, which amazes me since we have been here such a short time.

Last but certainly not least is my friend Suzi-We went to high school together, although we never really ran in the same circles (it was a big school). When we were planning to move here, my BFF Gina mentioned to me that Suzi lived somewhere in Phoenix and that I should look her up to get some information about what the best areas might be. Thus began a beautiful friendship.

Suzi sent me tons of information about Gilbert and Chandler, steered me away from a couple of schools, recommended a Realtor, did drive-bys on some of the homes that I was interested in, reported back on the various neighborhoods and basically made it her business to help us find the best house that we could get. And that was before we even set foot in AZ.

Once I arrived, her giving nature became even more evident. I still don't think there has been a day that I've seen her that she didn't have something to give me-a magazine that she thinks I'd like, a fancy pen I admired, something for the kids, something for our house. She is just like that. Giving, always giving.

One day Suzi told me about an idea that she had for a new business that she wanted to open, creating and selling fabulous T-shirts and jewelry, called u2rblessed. I've been looking for a way to give something to Suzi in return for all that she has done for me, and so I hope that mentioning her business will send someone her way.

I took the following paragraph from Suzi's website, because she explains it so much better than I could:

Some would say it was too hot (110 degrees), too sunny (Arizona June afternoon) and the food was cheap (Burning some generic hot dogs on the grill). But what we saw was kids having fun in the pool, a great day to be outside (in the shade or water) and the sharing of a meal with friends. The conversation ranged from one of us being let go from a full time corporate job to being “upside down” on our houses. And every time another topic came up, agreed there was always a silver lining. We talked about all the job opportunities a sudden layoff provides. Even when money was tight in a household, we recognized the blessing a home brings with its love and laughter within. We came to realize, and verbalized with one another, how truly blessed each of us is. And from that conversation we realized we wanted to share that message with each of you. Life can sometimes bring burdens on us that we think we cannot overcome. It is very easy to only focus on the negative. Each day you get to decide what you will fill your mind with-and we choose to remember and focus on the good.

u2rblessed was an attitude and belief before it was a business. And what better way to form a business than upon a principal you truly believe.

I really, truly believe in Suzi's business premise, because I know firsthand what an amazing, giving, happy soul she is. I also know that like a magnet, she attracts people that are just like her, and her husband Ivan and son G are male versions of Suzi-amazing, giving and happy. I hope their business takes off in a huge way, because they more than deserve it.

So you see, I am the one who is blessed. I have a wonderful home, beautiful neighborhood, fantabulous friends (see above), and an awesome family. It is going to be a great year.

Christmas at The Islands

2009-12-21T08:43:00.004-09:00

Our neighborhood is AWESOME. I mean, where else can you host a Christmas get-together in your backyard and have the evenings entertainment float by?

Every year, our neighbors get together with their spectacularly decked-out pontoon boats and cruise the lake, giving those of us with lake-front homes a gorgeous lighted Christmas boat parade. Our boat is not appropriate for this lake because it would have to be both electric and smaller, and so we couldn't participate in the parade, but I believe it was just as much fun to watch.

We invited our friends Suzi, Ivan and thier son G (who has the same name as my son, G) over to eat some grilled hotdogs, drink some eggnog, enjoy the parade and finally, visit with Santa at the Islands clubhouse.

Here are the boats, as they began their tour of our section of the lake:

I had a very difficult time getting good shots because there were several things working against me.

1. It was really dark that night. No light in the sky AT ALL. I wish the parade had started at least an hour sooner.

2. Since the boats were moving, I couldn't slow my shutter much without blurring everything to total obscurity.

3. Also, the boats were pretty far away, so I couldn't reach them with the flash.

Once they got closer to our yard, I started to experiment with slower shutter speeds and got some interesting shots like these:

These are our neighbors that live across the street, with their grandson at the front of the boat. Hi M!

A blurry shot of my kids, watching the boats go by and waiting for candy:

After the last boat motored past, we headed down to the park to see Santa!

Doesn't he look fantstic?

I was expecting a less-than-authentic looking version, but when we walked up to him Suzi and I looked at each other and said "He looks real!!!"

He let the kids test his beard:

I took at least 20 shots of Suzi's son sitting on Santa's lap. I'm not sure what they talked about, but it was a good, long conversation!

I also got a shot of G's friend, A:

My kids, who were being their usual camera-shy selves, would only sit NEXT to Santa, not on his lap, and only long enough to take one picture:

You can see the decorated homes in the background on the other side of the lake. I believe many of the lakehomes are more decked out in the back than the front:

And M, who was the most excited to go see Santa of all, who talked about it non-stop for weeks and weeks, wouldn't go anywhere near him. I was lucky to get this:

We stayed late enough to see Santa leave the park, but never did see any reindeer. Weird.

I think Deidre Garber, Islands Community Events Coordinator, did a fantastic job organizing the activities for the kids. I can't wait to participate in the next event!

Brooke & Rocco: Los Encinos

2009-12-09T19:40:00.007-09:00

During Thanksgiving weekend, I had the fantastic opportunity to fly back home to San Antonio to shoot the wedding of Brooke and Russ(Rocco)Cortez. It was a beautiful wedding from beginning to end, partly because of the bride and groom's casual and no-fuss attitude, partly because the location for the ceremony is one of my favorites, and partly because I had the opportunity to visit with some of my friends who were family and friends of the wedding couple.

The day began with a portrait session of the Brooke and Rocco. I always love it when my couples choose to see each other before the ceremony. Besides the benefit of having the day flow so smoothly, it is awesome for the bride and groom to carve out a few moments to themselves.

It was a fantastic night with gorgeous details, great music, tons of happy guests and a very calm/content/happy wedding couple.

If you look closely at the images below, you will even see a proposal happening. I had to blink back quite a few tears at that!

Thank you Brooke, Rocco and Minerva for allowing me to be there. And a special thanks to Michelle and Raul for recommending me. You are all very special to me!

Mood Board

2009-11-18T10:55:00.003-09:00

(Apologizing in advance, since the following post is not anywhere near being related to photography.)

Since moving to Arizona, I haven't had many photo shoots to keep myself occupied, and so naturally my attention has turned to decorating our new house. Of course, if I had more photography work then I could better afford to get the things I want, but then I wouldn't have time to do so. Such a terrible problem to have!

I created a mood board to keep myself focused as I decorate. I got the idea from one of my favorite DIY blogs-Young House Love. Check them out for some amazing inspiration and tips to transform your house within a budget.

At the moment, my house is a very tan, blank slate:

The curtains below are the first things things that I've purchased from my mood board. This weekend I'll be adding a chocolate brown panel to the bottom 1/4, bringing them all the way to the floor.

The red prints on the wall will GO. I'm so not into red anymore.

The color of the walls are most accurate in this picture. I seriously need something on the floor to warm things up:

What I'd like to do is add some texture with lots of baskets, add warmth with chocolate brown accents and and to maintain the airy feeling with a calming blue and tan palate-sand and sky.

So here is my mood board-most of these things are from Target:

1. The colors I love-chocolate brown, tan, pale blue-gray, creamy white.

2. I found these amazing curtains at Ikea, but they are 6" too short so I'll be sewing chocolate brown panels onto the bottom 1/4 to add length and hopefully a bit of style.

3. These prints, or something similar, will hang on each side of the dining room window. I just love the sand and sea colors, but you won't find any pictures of beach scenes or any sea shells in my home. Too cliche' for me.

4. To add texture and depth to the room, this sisal rug will go under the dining table and chairs.

5. and 6. These tables will go in the living room-one is for the TV, the other is to go behind the sofa.

7. and 8. I love this little birdy pillow. I'll need at least two of each of these.

9. A very thick throw, in the perfect colors.

10. and 11. Two lamps and a decorative bowl. These will go on the sofa table. Or somewhere. I love them.

12. and 13. More rugs for the entry and hallway by the stairs.

There are a few other things that I have my eye on, such as some silver candlesticks, wall art, and green plants, but I can get those things pretty much anywere.

I plan to get a little at a time, it simply isn't in the budget to purchase everything all at once. But thats OK, I'm enjoying the planning and hunting for the perfect combination of price, function and beauty. I just hope that we are still in this house by the time I get it all together.

White Painted Table-Part Two

2009-11-18T09:52:00.014-09:00

It's done! Yesterday, finally, I put the final coat of paint on my tired, old Craigslist table. I worked on it very sporatically, spending an entire day here and there, an hour or two occasionally, and mostly not doing anything at all. For weeks.

But over the last few days I went into overdrive because I'd like the entire set to be finished by Thanksgiving. Now that I know how difficult the chairs are going to be, I don't see that happening, but I'm going to get as far as I possibly can.

In case you've forgotten, here is the "before" image:

It really wasn't the ugliest table, but I wanted a white one.
Note the hideous water damage on the base:

And now it looks like this:

The table was first lightly sanded, then primed using Zinzer Bulls-Eye 123, painted with Valspar's Off White latex paint in a satin finish, detailed with some brown craft paint mixed with the Off White, and finally top-coated with water-based, clear semi-gloss Polycrylic Protective Finish by Minwax.

Here is a close-up of the detailing on the pedestal base:

...and on the top:

The water damage is long gone:

I worked endlessly trying to get a perfect finish on the table top, and I can honestly say it just wasn't going to happen. I believe I have (not kidding here) at least 20 coats of paint on the top, because I couldn't stand the brush marks. I tried using a sponge roller, several different brushes of different sizes, and a flat applicator. No matter what I tried, the brush marks were visible. I believe that I could have achieved a spotlessly smooth finish if I used a sprayer or even spray paint, but that was an expense that I couldn't afford.

After many, many days of painting, sanding, painting, sanding and painting again, I finally decided to purposefully apply the brush marks in a random pattern. And it looks JUST FINE. I could have saved a tone of time and paint if this had occurred to me sooner.

You can see a little of the brush marks, purposefully applied, here:

I'm so happy with how it works in the room. I love light and airy spaces, how can you feel down in a such a happy place?

Here is a side-by-side look at the table before and after:

So, what do you think? Was it better before? Did I ruin a perfectly good table? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so let me have 'em!

Lindsay + Richard: Married in Omaha, NE

2009-10-30T15:57:00.032-08:00

I always say that one of the best things about being a photographer is that I have the opportunity to make new friends along the way. I typically spend quite a bit of time with my clients, especially my wedding couples, giving us the opportunity to develop a relationship which often goes beyond the day the prints are delivered.

Such is the case with Richard and Lindsay.

I first met them over a year ago, when Lindsay contacted me about doing their engagement photos in San Antonio. That session was one of the best I'd ever done and the reason was crystal clear-they allowed me free reign to do what I wished. They set aside plenty of time to go from location to location, brought several clothing changes, allowed me to choose their outfits, and followed direction like nobody's business.

By the end of the day I was dying to shoot their wedding, but didn't think it likely since it would take place in Omaha, NE. Little did I know, Lindsay wanted me to shoot it just as much. So we planned, emailed, lunched and schemed. I think it took some time to convince her dad of the necessity of flying someone in, but eventually he agreed and things were set.

So last weekend I, along with my friend and second-shooter Gina, flew to Nebraska to capture the moments, details and emotions of Lindsay and Richard's beautiful day. As is their modus operandi, I was given complete freedom to shoot exactly what I wanted. I arrived on Friday night to photograph their intimate rehearsal dinner with family and friends, then woke the next morning to capture the bride and her attendants getting their hair and make-up done, then continued shooting as Richard saw his bride for the first time during an emotional and beautiful First Look. Next, I carried my camera through the rain as we ran through the streets of downtown Omaha doing portraits (yes, this was ON their wedding day, BEFORE the wedding), then photographed the family pictures, the ceremony and finally the beautiful and detailed reception.

But we still weren't finished.

The next morning, just after dawn, Lindsay donned her gown once more, woke Richard and the three of us set out together, along with her father at the wheel, toward the rolling hills and picturesque barns of Iowa, to capture still more amazing images in a slammin' Rock the Frock session.

I am completly aware that by now you simply want to see the images of their day, so without any further delay, here they are:

The weekend began with the rehearsal and dinner, which Jerry, the father of the bride, hosted on the backyard patio of his fabulous home in Council Bluffs, IA. He incorporated the best of Iowa into the soiree, with a catered BBQ'd pork dinner, pumpkins and gourds in baskets, a warm fire pit and plenty of friends and family:

The highlight of the evening was when Jerry presented Lindsay and Richard with custom made cowboy boots for each of them, along with a story detailing the signifigance of each carefully chosen symbol; the date of their wedding in Roman Numerals, a pin-up girl to represent Lindsays days as a USO girl, a Harley Davidson mortorcycle because that is Richard's passion, plus countless others.

The ceremony and reception were held at the majestic Magnolia Hotel, near the historic district of Omaha.

The details and colors were exquisite:

Lindsay, you are beautiful.

Richard and Lindsay chose to do a First Look session, something I always recommend. It was a sweet moment, one that I believe they will cherish for the rest of their lives:

Because they chose to see each other before the ceremony, we had plenty of time to roam the streets of Omaha, with Lindsay and Richard looking fabulous every step of the way:

Almost as soon as we started shooting, it began to rain.

Lindsay, however, was undeterred. Directly across the street was Blue, her #1 sushi spot. Dashing across the cobblestone street, we ducked inside and took advantage of the colorful, contemporary decor:

Exploring every corner of the restaurant, we ventured upstairs, where we were delighted to find a Buda set against an amazing brick wall and next to a light-filled window.

As the hour for the ceremony approached, family and guests waited inside the hotel as the rain continued to fall:

With only a few minutes to go the rain stopped, allowing the hotel staff to quickly dry the seats.

Then, in a moment that only happens in movies, the sun began to shine moments before Lindsay made her appearance on the arm of her father:

The reception was stunning, every detail a testament to Lindsays exquisite taste:

And now my favorite part of the entire weekend--Lindsay's Rock the Frock session. Richard is an absolute doll for agreeing to this. I think they both rocked the hell out of these images:

Richard adores Lindsay, you can see it and feel it each time he looks at her:

Rawr:

I am so happy to know both of you, and honored to have been there to capture your day. Keep me posted on your new lives in Georgia!

To see a slideshow of images, click here.

Sneak Peak

2009-10-26T17:54:00.007-08:00

I spent an amazing weekend with my best friend/second shooter Gina, shooting a fabulous wedding in Omaha, NE. I am busy editing the files, but I have two ready that I can share. I'll post the entire gallery along with the story of their day as soon as I can.

Herrera Lifestyle Photography Session-San Antonio, TX

2009-10-22T08:15:00.001-08:00

I did a handful of shoots last week while in San Antonio. Here is one of them:

More to come!

Ben Stein's Final Column

2009-10-21T08:20:00.002-08:00

My husband sent this to me today in an email, and I want to share it with you.

For many years Ben Stein has written a biweekly column called 'Monday Night At Morton's.' (Morton's is a famous chain of Steakhouses known to be frequented by movie stars and famous people from around the globe.) Now, Ben is terminating the column to move on to other things in his life. Reading his final column is worth a few minutes of your time.

Ben Stein's Last Column...

How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today's World?

As I begin to write this, I 'slug' it, as we writers say, which means I put a heading on top of the document to identify it. This heading is 'eonline FINAL,' and it gives me a shiver to write it. I have been doing this column for so long that I cannot even recall when I started... I loved writing this column so much for so long I came to believe it would never end.

It worked well for a long time, but gradually, my changing as a person and the world's change have overtaken it... On a small scale, Morton's, while better than ever, no longer attracts as many stars as it used to. It still brings in the rich people in droves and definitely some stars. I saw Samuel L. Jackson there a few days ago, and we had a nice visit, and right before that, I saw and had a splendid talk with Warren Beatty in an elevator, in which we agreed that Splendor in the Grass was a super movie. But Morton's is not the star galaxy it once was, though it probably will be again.

Beyond that, a bigger change has happened..? I no longer think Hollywood stars are terribly important. They are uniformly pleasant, friendly people, and they treat me better than I deserve to be treated. But a man or woman who makes a huge wage for memorizing lines and reciting them in front of a camera is no longer my idea of a shining star we should all look up to.

How can a man or woman who makes an eight-figure wage and lives in insane luxury really be a star in today's world, if by a 'star' we mean someone bright and powerful and attractive as a role model? Real stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines or in Porsches or getting trained in yoga or Pilates and eating only raw fruit while they have Vietnamese girls do their nails..

They can be interesting, nice people, but they are not heroes to me any longer. A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit , Iraq He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world.

A real star is the U.S. soldier who was sent to disarm a bomb next to a road north of Baghdad . He approached it, and the bomb went off and killed him..

A real star, the kind who haunts my memory night and day, is the U.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of unexploded ordnance on a street near where he was guarding a station. He pushed her aside and threw himself on it just as it exploded. He left a family desolate in California and a little girl alive in Baghdad

The stars who deserve media attention are not the ones who have lavish weddings on TV but the ones who patrol the streets of Mosul even after two of their buddies were murdered and their bodies battered and stripped for the sin of trying to protect Iraqis from terrorists.

We put couples with incomes of $100 million a year on the covers of our magazines... The noncoms and officers who barely scrape by on military pay but stand on guard in Afghanistan and Iraq and on ships and in submarines and near the Arctic Circle are anonymous as they live and die.

I am no longer comfortable being a part of the system that has such poor values, and I do not want to perpetuate those values by pretending that who is eating at Morton's is a big subject.

There are plenty of other stars in the American firmament...the policemen and women who go off on patrol in South Central and have no idea if they will return alive; the orderlies and paramedics who bring in people who have been in terrible accidents and prepare them for surgery; the teachers and nurses who throw their whole spirits into caring for autistic children; the kind men and women who work in hospices and in cancer wards.

Think of each and every fireman who was running up the stairs at the World Trade Center as the towers began to collapse. Now you have my idea of a real hero.

I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters This is my highest and best use as a human. I can put it another way. Years ago, I realized I could never be as great an actor as Olivier or as good a comic as Steve Martin or Martin Mull or Fred Willard--or as good an economist as Samuelson or Friedman or as good a writer as Fitzgerald. Or even remotely close to any of them.

But, I could be a devoted father to my son, husband to my wife and, above all, a good son to the parents who had done so much for me. This came to be my main task in life. I did it moderately well with my son, pretty well with my wife and well indeed with my parents (with my sister's help). I cared for and paid attention to them in their declining years. I stayed with my father as he got sick, went into extremis and then into a coma and then entered immortality with my sister and me reading him the Psalms.

This was the only point at which my life touched the lives of the soldiers in Iraq or the firefighters in New York I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that it is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon me, to help others He has placed in my path. This is my highest and best use as a human

Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God will.

By Ben Stein

We truly take a lot for granted.

Forget the Hollywood 'stars' and the sports 'heroes' ......and pass this on=

Phoenix Lifestyle Photography Contest Winner!

2009-10-06T11:16:00.000-08:00

Or should I say...WINNERS!!!

I apologize from the bottom of my heart for taking so long to announce the outcome of the contest. The thing is, I was stumped for days. Two of the submissions were very similar, but the first one was submitted by "anonymous" so I got hung up on that. Then, I had a late submission that I LOVED, but since it was late I couldn't decide if it should count or not. I mean after all, there might have been others who didn't enter at all because the deadline had passed. But on the other hand, that person (the late submitter) had submitted one on time, she just didn't really read the rules and so decided to edit it. So what to do, what to do...

Shoot all three, thats what!!! Yes, I'm going to do all of them. Well, if I ever find out who "anonymous" is, I will.

I loved all three ideas. So, if you are one of the three people who sent in a contest entry, congratulations! Just call or email me so that we can set up a date for your Lifestyle Shoot.

See you soon!!

Mesquite High School Homecoming '09

2009-10-03T21:39:00.012-08:00

My daughter, D, went to her first dance at her new high school here in AZ tonight, in fact she is there now as I sit here waiting for her to get home. She looked fabulous, I must say, even though I'm her mom and obviously a bit partial. Ah, but I have proof-

Is this not a gorgeous girl?

Her date, RJ, was gorgeous as well. But more about him later, here are a few more of my girl:

OK, back to RJ. I thought he looked fantastic:

How can you NOT return that smile? I bet his mother just melts when he flashes it at her:

Here are all the girls:

And the boys:

And the ~~paparazzi~~ parents:

And here is the whole group:

My youngest daughter M wanted a picture with her Sissy:

I couldn't let her go without getting a picture of the two of us, and as you can see G snuck into the shot:

Only 30 minutes until she gets home, and then we'll stay up for an hour as I listen to the details and dramas of the evening. I hope she is having fun, and I hope she is staying safe.

To see the entire gallery of images, click here, then on Mesquite Homecoming.

One Week Only-Fall Sessions in San Antonio!

2009-10-01T08:17:00.004-08:00

I am thrilled to announce that I'll be in San Antonio for one week to do as many fall sessions as I can for my dear clients back home.

When: Oct. 11-16, morning and afternoon sessions are available.
Where: You chose the place-the park, your home, a pumpkin patch. As long as I can drive there within an hour from San Antonio, its all good.
What you get: A family lifestyle session and a CD of your final images. Plus your images are posted online to share with friends and family.
How much? This is the best part! I am offering a discount of $100 off my usual fee of $300. So not only am I coming halfway across the country for you, I'm doing it for less than ever before.

Lets get some images of your family in time to get those Christmas cards out this year. We can do it!

For more information or to secure your slot, call me at 210-602-1490 or email Leah@EverAfterbyLeah.com I am hoping to see as many San Antonio faces as I can during my short week home.

Ever After Contest!

2009-09-21T11:08:00.005-08:00

I love a good contest, so its time to host one for my new Arizona friends. The prize-a FREE Ever After Lifestyle Family Session! To enter, put your session suggestion in the comment section of this post. I'm looking for the most interesting session-for example:

"We want pictures of our family while we fish together from our backyard" (if you happen to live on a lake).

or

"We would like you to photograph us during the Halloween season while the kids pick out pumpkins at the Pumpkin patch."

or

"I'd love to have photographs of my daughter at one of her soccer games."

The key to a successful Lifestyle shoot is that your family needs to be engaged in an activity together, it can be something exciting and fun, or relaxed, but the thing I'm not looking for is posed pictures at a park or in your home (although of course we'll get some of those, too). The activity needs to take place within 25 miles of Gilbert ,and can occur anytime within the next six weeks. You will get a free session and a CD of all final images, to print anywhere that you choose. This is a $300 value!

But wait, there's more...everyone who enters qualifies for an automatic 50% discount if you book the session that you describe.

This contest was super popular last year-I recieved dozens of entries and had an incredibly difficult time choosing the winner. Check out last years winning entry:

"We love Gruene, Texas. Prior to having kids, Jonah and I spent many weekends there listenting to live music and staying at the Gruene Mansion Inn for a mini-getaway. It is still a place we love to take the boys on Friday afternoons to listen to the sound checks at Gruene Hall or have a frosty beverage at the Grist Mill while the boys play in the open field. The kids love to get a scoop of ice cream or a candy stick from the General Store. So, I thought it would be fun to have a "Tour of Gruene" session, with pictures doing our favorite things there: dipping our toes in the river, eating ice cream on the stools at the General Store, playing pool with the boys and listening/dancing to music at the Gruene Hall, spinning under the stars in the open field by the Grist Mill, etc. I think it would be fun to celebrate our Texas roots with pictures with the boys in Gruene. "

And here is the slideshow from Marilyn's ultra-fab shoot:

The contest will run for one week, so get your Lifestyle Session suggestion to me by Monday, Sept. 27, 2009.

Good luck!

How to find what you want on Craigslist

2009-09-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

I've been asked four times now how I find things on Craigslist. I admit, it was a bit intimidating at first because of how many items there are and how often things get posted, but now I've kinda got it down to a science. Keep reading if you are interested in scoring some fabulous finds for next-to-nothin'.

First, it helps to know exactly what you are looking for, otherwise you will be completly overwhelmed by the amount of items that are listed each day. One of my best purchases in recent months was the dining table and chairs that I am in the process of recovering and painting. When I logged onto the Craigslist site to begin my search, I already knew that I was looking for a sturdy dining set with at least 6 chairs for $200 or less. Here is how I did it:

Once on the site, I go straight to "Furniture" and then enter my parameters in the seach box at the top of the page. I make sure to look under "Furniture-by owner" and not "by dealer", because the dealer items are usually just put there to get you into their store, where they will typically tell you the item has been sold, but they have others for just a bit more $$. I don't have time to weed through all that foolishness, so "by owner" works for me. Next, under "search for" I enter "dining set," then I put $200 in the max price field, and finally check the "has image" box.

Now every post with "dining set" in the title or body of the post will be listed, and they will all have a picture (some better than others!) and all will be less than $200. I don't usually find what I'm looking for the first time or two, so I check back every day (or several times a day, LOL) until I see something that will work.

I then call the person who listed the item, and arrange a time to see it. Many times it has been sold by the time I call, in which case I go back and start again.

I've used Craigslist to buy a coffee table, an end table, a dryer, a dining set and a rug. I've sold a dining table, a dryer and given away boxes and paper after our move. I think it is the ultimate recycling venue and most certainly worth the time it takes to use. If you enjoy garage sales and flea-markets, you will love Craigslist. Try it and let me know how it goes.

Tutu Cute-Part Two

2009-09-08T11:31:00.006-08:00

This morning, as I waited for my daughter M to finish up her pre-school class at the community center here in Gilbert, I saw a few adorable little girlie-girls skip out of their ballet class, pink slippers in hand. My heart squeezed at the sight of them-I adore ballerinas.

My first thought was that I wished I had my camera. I'd capture them walking hand-in-hand with their mommies, a little "slice-of-life" shot in black and white. But even if I had it with me, I couldn't get away with photographing the children of strangers.

So my second thought was a good one-it's time for another TuTu Cute Mini Session! It was a huge hit back in San Antonio, and now that the weather is starting to cool off I think Phoenix is ready.

Each Tutu Cute Mini-Session will last about one hour, giving us plenty of time to get a full range of fun, touching, and creative images.

The cost is $200, which includes the session fee and a CD of approximately 50 images which you can use to print, email, digitally enhance and share online with friends and family. As a mini-session client, you will also get a 10% discount off of the items in your personally designed Artisan Collection.

The session date has not yet been set, but I will only have four slots available so please don't hesitate to contact me for more information. Beacuse I am still new to the area, I'd love to hear from anyone who has a location suggestion! I can be reached at 210-602-1490 or email Leah@EverAfterbyLeah.com. Hope to hear from you soon!

White Painted Table-Part One

2009-09-06T14:42:00.014-08:00

Oh my-its been a looong time since my last blog post. I don't know if its because I have too much to say, or not enough.

So far, I am loving everything about Arizona. I never thought I'd find another city with people as friendly as those in my hometown of San Antonio, but Gilbert seems to be the winner. We've made friends so quickly! I've gone to lunch twice with new friends, started walking every morning at 6 AM with one of them, and Heather, the mom of one of the cutest boys I've ever met, took M for the entire day on Friday so that I could have a day to myself. Is that awesome or WHAT!!!

So, what did I do all day long? I painted a dining table! I bought it just before we left Texas, along with 6 chairs that I plan to recover. The table was just the right size for our family, the chairs were sturdy and gorgeous, and the entire set was a steal at $200.

I have wanted a white dining set for ages. Check out some of my inspiration photos:

The chairs are pretty similar to these, except mine have a rattan back instead of fabric:

I love the detailing on this table, but it's a little too fussy for how we live:

This Pottery Barn table is fabulous:

Can you tell that I love pedestal based tables?

This table is the one I am trying to copy. It's a closeup of the Pottery Barn table above, but without the leaf. Note the creamy finish and the darker colored detailing. I really hope I can pull this off:

Here is my table:

You can't tell, but it has a double pedestal base:

A close look reveals the water damage:

And the stained fabric on the chairs:

I really believe I can fix those problems, and get the dining set of my dreams for under $300.

My first step was to sand the bad spots, then prime.

It wasn't necessary to sand the entire table, because the primer that I used, Zinnser's BullsEye 1-2-3, covers glossy surfaces. I did two thin coats, applied with a foam roller on the table top and a brush on the sides and legs.

So far, so good! Now that the table is primed, I'll let it cure for a week before painting with my color of choice-Valspar's Off White in a satin finish. Its a creamy and dreamy white, the color of melted vanilla ice-cream. When that's done, I'll post part two. Until then, we'll be eating our meals outside. Hopefully it doesn't rain at dinner time this week!

The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful

2009-08-18T11:01:00.011-08:00

In response to those of you who have been asking for pics of our new life, here are a few that I managed to get. I'm still beating myself up over all the shots I've missed-the kids first day of school, G's birthday, D's new friends. Sometimes I'm too busy living life to bother capturing it, and others I'm too busy capturing it to live. Where is the balance I'm seeking?

So, here we go-
This is Sandy, our 11 year old Lab:
Chip and M hanging out at our pool. I love having a pool.

Sandy has been in the pool more than I have:

She gets tired easily:
Love the hair, G:

T finally learned to jump from the diving board:

We have ducks that come up to the edge of our property:
This is K, feeding the ducks. Her mom Gina is my best friend, and they came for a visit last week:

J and K:

It is so peacefull here. I don't think I ever want to leave.

Dinner time!

My kids are quite slow when it comes to losing teeth. G is in 2nd grade and has only lost two, until last night.
Here is G trying to pull out his own tooth, with no success:

Morgan thought she could do it:

She tried again, a bit harder:

"That tooth is weally stuck in there!"

T, looking cute. T always looks cute, but hates it if you say that:

Success! Now is that an adorable smile, or WHAT? And you should hear him talk. I keep asking him questions, just to listen to him mispronounce his TH's and S's. "Garrett, what day did we go to Walmart?" "I sink it was ssssaturday."

So the tooth fairy flew in last night, and in a surprising and bold move, left SIX dollars under his pillow (she was obligated to, considering that is the amount she left just last week when K lost her tooth while staying here). G, however, said he would rather have his tooth back, and so tonight we are hoping she'll swap back. I kinda think she will, considering the amount she paid for it. She is probably suffering from buyers remorse.

So there you have it, some images from our first few weeks of life in AZ. I'll get some of D soon, as soon as I see her for more than 5 minutes.

Lifestyle Session: Baby L

2009-08-17T21:13:00.007-08:00

I wasn't sure I'd be in San Antonio long enough to do this session, but luck was on my side. My next door neighbors Ashley and Curtis gave birth to their second daughter, and I was able to do a quick session just a day or two before we moved out, my last one in SA.

When I last saw her, "L" was only a few days old, but already proving to be a quiet and easy-going baby. I always say that if you have two kids, you get one of each, once quiet and reserved, and one NOT. It looks like that is the case here as well, because her older sister is a spunky and sassy little thing, who I just adore.

Ashley, I know you have been waiting WEEKS for these images, so I won't make you wait any longer. I'm sure she has changed already-here is a peek of her first few days:

This is how she looked as soon as I arrived, in an adorable bonnet (her not me!).

Getting a smooch from big sis.

These monkeys caught my eye:

Getting changed by mom:

A quick bottle:

And its off to dreamland for this little one:
Once she finally fell asleep, I don't think anything could wake her:

My fav:

I'm so glad that I had the chance to meet her before we left, and I'm sad to know that she'll be much bigger the next time I see her. Take good care of your girls, Ashley, and hopefully we will see you sometime soon!

Sweet Home Arizona

2009-08-10T12:35:00.003-08:00

Well, we are here! The past few weeks have been exhausting, even though we had a moving company to do most of the heavy stuff. Our house is wonderful, the neighbors are fantastic and so far we are loving it.

The kids started school this morning, and can you believe I forgot my camera again? Every year I seem to be the only mom without one. What a dunce. I'll take it with me tomorrow, the pictures actually might look better anyway because this morning the kids all looked like they were going to throw up from the anxiety of a new school. At least no one cried.

I wish I had some pictures to post of the house, but photography and blogging have been WAAAY down at the bottom of my list. That should change here very soon, but first I have to prepare for our very first guests to our new home. Last week I was informed by Gina, my BFF, that she and her ENTIRE FAMILY will be here TOMORROW. She said that she doesn't mind if the boxes are still out, but there is no way on earth that I'm going to let her see the house the way it is at this moment. In fact, I really wish I could buy the new furniture that's on my wish list NOW, like today. But I'll do my best to focus on the joy of spending time together, and I promise not to stress over what still needs to be done as far as decorating. Hard, but I think I can do it!