Baby Victor – Newborn Photography
I’m excited to post the gallery online today for Baby Victor’s parents! They’re close friends of mine. His mom and I go way back to story hour at the public library! So it’s no exaggeration to say I care deeply about her and I was so thrilled when I found out they were expecting and then I prayed with all my heart for a healthy pregnancy and baby.
When she texted me to say their little one had entered the world a healthy, (almost) 8 lb baby boy and they named him Victor, my eyes filled with tears of joy. I was THAT happy!
So without further hesitation, here are some of my favorite portraits from his newborn session. I captured all these images at their home in the Twin Cities. Needless to say, I had LOADED my van down with blankets, backgrounds and wooden crates… anything that might be needed for this monumental photo session! I am sure they thought I was moving in when I arrived. I suppose they would have been grateful for an extra set of hands to help, although Victor’s daddy is not averse to changing a dirty diaper! He jumped at the opportunity to handle any of his needs, which I admire.
Congrats M & J!
Enjoy,
Becca
Camellia + John Paul : Children’s Portrait Session
These littles are very dear to my heart. They just so happen to be my niece and nephew who live just far enough away to make taking photos a little hard to coordinate with school and work schedules. Needless to say, I was thrilled to finally have them back in my studio for some fun portraits documenting their ages (4 & 7).
The outfits their mama dressed them in were adorable and classic and so fitting for their ages. Camellia loves the camera and strutted her stuff like a girl who has seen a few episodes of America’s Next Top Model. Such a honey.
And JP, he’s golden. He really is. My parents get to spend lots of time with them since they live right next door and they never have a bad word to say about either of them. Gotta love grandparents.
I hope you love these images as much as I do… well, maybe that’s asking a lot if you’re not also related to them, but leave me a comment below and let me know which picture is your favorite!
Enjoy!
Becca
Shay – 1 Year Old – Children’s Portrait Session
Hello my friends!
Today is a beautiful summer day here in Iowa. I’m thrilled to be sharing these photos with you today because this little lady just turned the BIG 1!!! She is a sweet, smart, expressive little girl who loves to go-go-go! This wood on my studio porch is actually from Shay’s great-grandpa’s barn! So that is pretty awesome and significant, if I do say so myself.
Her actual birthday was Wednesday, but the big bash is this weekend so I can’t wait to see all the fun pictures they post on Facebook. She really loved the cake they let her dig into Wed night so I’m thinking after a little practice she’ll be a pro at it come tomorrow!
Enjoy!
Becca
Little Abel : Newborn Portraits
As I wrap up 2015 I’m pleased to share this little hunk of sweet baby goodness with you. Isn’t he such a stud? I love his eyes!!! And all that hair!?
**Swoon**
His big sister was one of my past baby portrait clients so I was so happy to get this wonderful family back in the studio again.
Needless to say, it was a bit of a challenge to get big sister to sit still… at 3 years old, it’s just hard to behave sometimes! We just rolled with it and got some AMAZING family portraits and just a couple of the baby and older sister Eve together, that’s all their parents really wanted anyway. No need to push them too hard at that age so they might dread the thought of portraits in the future. Best to keep it easy and fun.
Abel wasn’t too sleepy, but he was content to just lay and gaze at me contently with those big, beautiful eyes of his. I did finally succeed in getting a few of him sleeping and those are just so angelic.
What do you think? Leave a comment below to let me know!
Happy New Year!
Love, Rebecca
The Acton Family : Extended Family Photo Session
This on-location family session was just down the road from my studio! It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and everyone had gathered for a little celebration.
The two sisters were going to be together with their husbands, grown children and all their spouses and grandchildren, so it just struck them as the perfect opportunity to get a family portrait captured.
Once your kids have grown and married we all know how hard it is to get everyone back together at the same time. I was so glad they decided to give me a call, and though it was a little short-notice, we were in luck and it just so happened to work out for me as well.
Normally though, if you want to schedule for a specific date, especially a weekend, it’s good to call at least a six weeks in advance.
We did lots of fun combinations of the smaller family groups and then the whole big clan. By the time we got done, the kids were really tired and ready for their naps. I have to admit, I was ready for one too!
Enjoy!
Rebecca
The Ebbings : Sioux Falls Area Family Portrait Photography
I’m excited to share some beautiful images from the Ebbing family’s portrait session. I recently had to head out to Sioux Falls to photograph my husband’s cousin’s son who is going to be a senior. They have a neighbor that had me take family portraits quite often when I’ve been out there in past years. When I sent her a message to say I’d be out there again, she was happy to take advantage of the opportunity to have me capture their family once again.
It’s been a few years since our last session.
Here’s a throwback portrait for you… aren’t they cute??!
Now, their youngest daughter isn’t a baby anymore! Both of their girls are so lovely, and it almost feels like I’m visiting relatives when I take their pictures too, because I’ve known and photographed them for so long.
I was just giddy with excitement when I sent the email to share the gallery of images with their mom, and I got this lovely email in return this morning…
“I love the pictures! I realized I was showing coworkers and friends and I never let you know that they turned out great. The pictures of Allison with Mike & Anna with me are amazing.
Thank you!”
I love getting those messages in my inbox on Monday morning. Such a perfect way to start the week!
Enjoy!
Rebecca
McNaughton Family : Professional Family Portraits
Hello again!
I’m excited to share a few great images from my most recent session with you. They are of the McNaughton family who has done several sessions with me over the last few years and it’s extra special because they come all the way from the Washington D.C. area! They are just THAT loyal! … Oh, and her parents live about an hour from my studio so they stop by there for a visit since they’re in the area. 😉
This time around, we have the little guy who is 2 years old, almost 3… and little miss who is 5 years old now. I laughed when I was taking these because for her 2 year old portraits, she was “challenging” my photo taking skills and her brother tried to follow suit, but in both cases I worked my magic and captured some of the family’s favorite portraits.
Carys now, after 5 years of working with me was amazing! Last session I was so impressed by her willing and eager attitude, but this time she just blew me away. I think she’s taken up watching America’s Next Top Model, judging from some of the poses this girl was giving me! Love her so!
Here’s a sampling of a few of my favorites. I really love the outdoor ones of Carys with the flowers and the family ones turned out great too!
Enjoy!
Rebecca
The Carlson Family : Austin, MN : Family Portraits
This is one of my most loyal customers, and I have grown to love her and her children dearly! (Her hubs is pretty great too!) 😉
I’m always in for a treat when she calls to book her session… we’ve photographed her kids with baby chicks, and balloons, and their favorite things… well, this time we did an update of their favorite things and … wait for it… (pause for effect)… Fainting Goats!!! How fun is that???
Check out all these great pictures. Taking the time to plan something with your photographer that is unique to your family makes for much more meaningful family portraits = better memories!
Enjoy,
Rebecca
Emilie : One Year Old
This little honey was featured on the blog as a newborn a while back and I never got around to sharing her one year session on the blog. It turned out so cute I just had to share it, even if I am a bit behind in doing so!
A little FYI tidbit: Emilie’s mom gives the best massages! If you ever want to book one, she’s the person to call! Now, she’s based right out of her home in Freeborn, MN and has a beautiful, professional massage therapy business. Here’s a link to her facebook page if you’re interested.
We started the session with some family portraits, and then did lots with just Emilie. They are serious farmers and love their John Deere tractors so we HAD to get one on the pedal tractor in the cute pink tutu. Her mommy got the cute personalized chalkboard designed through a shop on Etsy and I can’t remember the name of it, but if you want, I can find that out for you. Or you could just do a search and you can find lots of options, if you’re planning a birthday party soon.
Wouldn’t it be fun to get one of those made each year (well, at least the first 5 or 6 years) and then display them all at a high school graduation party? So fun!
Enjoy!
Rebecca
First Birthday Photoshoot
It was time for my little man’s first birthday photo session and you know I’ve been planning this in the back of my mind for months now. I had always envisioned it being this beautiful black and gold color combination and I’ve got to say I’m very pleased with the outcome. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen. I hate it when I feel like I’m just doing my own version of something I already found online. This idea was totally original as far as I’m concerned.
I love the way he started chowing down on the cake! Although I didn’t let him get quite as carried away as I did at his party because I knew I wanted to take a few more after this and the black frosting can really soak into their skin and leave some not-so-attractive marks that I didn’t want to have to Photoshop out of all his other pictures.
The “cake smash to bath” idea wasn’t original, I’ve got to give credit to Pinterest for allowing me to stumble across that genius concept! I had all sorts of worries about getting the bath ready ahead of time and wondered if the bubbles would all disappear, but with plenty of baby wash soap and my kitchen sinks spray nozzle, I had some sturdy bubbles! I also worried about the water getting too chilly, but it was actually a bit hot still so I just added some cool water I had for drinking in a water bottle and that made it just right.
Adding the rubber ducky and the rolled up towel just added to the storyline and it gave Henry something to play with while I got all the shots I wanted. I loved seeing the water splashed all over the floor and I got a couple cute ones where I actually caught the splashes and a cute expression, but if I did it again, I’d try to get more of those. 🙂
All-in-all a pretty successful shoot if I do say so myself! I was lucky to have an old friend and fellow photographer, Emily Hassing of The Sparkling Image to help be my extra hands as Henry is very mobile and I didn’t want him to tip out of the bowl onto his head. Older brother Collin was also on hand to help me tease those smiles out of his little brother when he first seemed pretty hesitant about the whole idea.
Enjoy!
I just love this one, on it’s own…
And this one makes me swoon for some reason, especially with a vintage color effect added.
Rebecca
Henry’s First Birthday
I had a blast last Sunday when we celebrated my youngest son’s birthday. I was so excited to debut my long awaited gold and black “King Henry” themed party! Everything looked amazing. After the party, we did a little photo shoot in the studio just to round things out with the bottom tier of the cake and then it was ‘splish, spash’ into the tub! For a fun bath after the cake eating. These images are the perfect compliment to the laundry basket pictures I took of Collin when he was about this age. (I’ll show these pictures in the next post I write)
The party decor featured a gold fringe curtain with his monthly portraits hung from gold rope and clipped with black clothespins, black tablecloths with gold ribbons down the center and gold and black star balloons. There was a cute chalkboard printable I framed that was free online here, and some chipboard letters spelling “one” from Hobby Lobby were perfect accents. I painted the backs of some cheap plastic plates gold for a fancier look and tied gold plastic silverware inside black napkins tied with gold ribbon. A bunting with little gold flags hung from the counter and fireplace. The cake was proudly displayed after all the work that I put into modifying it from the version created by my local bakery. I actually ended up picking off most of the detailing she had done, piped on some pre-made Wilton black frosting and hand-painted the trim with metallic gold airbrush food coloring. Whew! LOL! Next time I think I’ll just make my own. We also had cupcakes with little flags for our guests since Henry got to have the whole top layer for himself to smash into and I saved the bottom for our studio session.
I made a bib with black faux fur I had on hand and decorated it and a black t-shirt I purchased with a #1 cut from gold painted fabric. I also made a crown out of the same gold fabric and lined it with felt to make it more sturdy and Henry wore it like the little king he is! So glad he liked it. He seemed to really enjoy the whole party. I think I’ll have my hands full with this little guy as he gets older!
Enjoy!
Rebecca
Little Ruthie : 2 Years Old : Child Portrait Session
I have a confession to make… I’m not perfect. I’m not a perfect person, and I’m not a perfect photographer. I’ve made my share of mistakes (which I skillfully correct and have never ended in a disgruntled customer, I am happy to say!) and there are definitely aspects of my business and photography skills that I’d like to improve upon… but I have to say, I think I have one thing nailed…
I’m awesome at creating works of art with my photography that make you FEEL something!
There. After a little self-depreciation, I’m boasting a bit. LOL! Bear with me though… I have a point I’d like to make sure I get across.
Now, most people hire me thinking they want a nice picture of their child, looking at the camera and smiling. I get that! (I mean, I understand that… but I guess I also mean that I get plenty of those to pick from)
I love those smiling portraits too! I’ll print one as an 8×10, 11×14, (or 16×20 if I’m feeling frisky) for my wall at home…
But it’s the images where my son isn’t looking, and often times, not even smiling that grab me: Make me stop & stare. I find myself studying his fine features that I adore so much… his soft hair, his long lashes… sigh.
THOSE are the ones that I wouldn’t dare put on my wall any smaller than a 16×20 and tempt me to order that 24×30 that I think just might be perfect!
I have found, repeatedly that I capture at least one of these grab-you-by-the-heartstrings-type of emotional images, that I throw into the proofs and hope that my customers are brave enough to step out of the box and order.
This mom is definitely one of those customers who always steps up to the plate and orders the images that are “non-traditional” and charged with emotion. Often times, we settle on the ones that make us laugh, that communicate the “realness” of life with four healthy children.
Here are some of my favorite images from our last session with little Ruthie who is growing up, and graduated from the “baby plan” and is now 2 years old!
Enjoy!
Becca
Little Keira : Newborn Portraits
You know that feeling that you get, when a kid you used to babysit is graduating from high school, or worse yet, college? For me it’s like this sinking realization that I really am aging, even though most of the time I don’t feel like I am. Do you know what I mean?
I felt that way when the mommy to this baby girl came into my studio for their newborn session. I did Senior portraits for her when she graduated from highschool, she’s done with college, been working for a while, got married, and now has a little baby!
I know the answer, but it always makes me want to ask the question, “How did this happen?!”
But enough about me… back to this little blessing.
Little Keira was already a month old so I wasn’t going to hold my breath and wait for her to go to sleep, but I knew if I worked carefully, I could still get some of those really cute artsy type of portraits with my favorite props. Lucky for me, she decided to play along and I got some of these beautiful images for her parents (and grandparents!) to treasure for years to come.
Let it be said again, because as much as we get annoyed hearing it, the phrase bears repeating… “They really do change so fast.”
I know, I’m in the midst of it right now with my little guy, Henry. He’s almost 8 1/2 months and he’s pulling himself up on things all the time and loves it when you help him stand on his own two feet! It really was only a few months ago I was cheering him on as he made his first attempts to crawl.
It’s crazy, but we need to do our best as parents to relish every joyful minute of it. And capturing it with beautiful, professional portraits is definitely a great place to start. Kudos to Keira’s parents for investing in her memories!
Enjoy,
Rebecca
A new year, new ideas! And a sweet little newborn!
2014 is going to be a year of BIG and LITTLE changes! I’m so excited to re-draft my business plan like I try to do every couple years.
I am always one to set both business and personal goals at the beginning of a new year, but I know that this year … with the arrival of the newest member of our family expected to arrive any day (the 18th is my due date) I need to be evaluating priorities and creating a new vision of our ideal life… photography business included!
I LOVE my photography business. Self employment definitely has it’s ups and downs, but even at the low moments I still know it’s what’s best for me and our family … and I still have that gut feeling that it’s a gift the Lord blessed me with I need to continue to share with others.
Thankfully, with my gift, I’ve continued to attract the most amazing customers of whom I’m so grateful for. No complaints here! Keep referring me to your friends and family. That’s the only way I can continue to use this gift to support our growing family.
A few of the upcoming changes you can expect to enhance your experience at Rebecca Lynne Photography:
– I will offer some “collections” this upcoming year and embrace the idea of including digital files with some of those collections. (Of course, there will still be the a la carte offerings)
– I will be offering 5-7 pm weekday photo sessions which should actually work better with my clients work/sports practice schedules. I am making this change to delay the need for full time daycare for at least the first 6-9 months of our new little one’s life. Depending on how well this works, I may just keep it this way.
– Prices will only increase very slightly (which I need to do every year to fend off the increasing costs of production) but there will be some amazing new products included in the collections to tempt my customers into investing in the products they have always wanted but maybe didn’t feel they could justify purchasing before, and save them money on things they “had” to invest a large portion of their budget into before the collections (aka gift prints for family members).
– I hope to do more in-home ordering sessions (which will now be called the “Session Premiere”) when it’s more convenient for the customer. This will allow me to see the walls they would like to decorate with the images we created.
– I will be adding in more personal touches throughout the process from the first phone call, to the photo session, as well as the session premiere and the order presentation. My ultimate goal being to take the whole experience to a new level of luxury and make my customers (who are mainly moms) feel pampered.
All in all, I want to continue to set myself and my business apart from those newbies and part-timers who we all know are out there trying to lure people in with free and discounted sessions.
Most moms (and some dads) know how much time goes into preparing for the photo session… researching for the perfect photographer, coordinating schedules, gathering outfits and scouring Pinterest and other sites for inspiration. A pretty big investment of time that is worth just as much as the money invested in new outfits… but one that is so rewarding when you have a beautiful work of art (aka family/senior/child’s portrait) to hang in the perfect place in your home and enjoy every time you look at it.
My goal will be to make sure you know just how much I appreciate all of that and help you understand that it would be the ultimate DIS-service to you if I were to just hand you a CD or ask you to download the files yourself from the internet and figure out on your own what to do with them from there… when we both know I can provide you with so much more than that.
……
If you’ve made it through this text-heavy post I figured you needed to be rewarded with some beautiful images I recently had the privilege of capturing for one of my wedding clients from 2012. They just welcomed this little miracle, Jace, into their family. I’m so genuinely happy for them. I believe babies are the best gifts we receive in our lives (be it our own children, grandchildren, nieces/nephews, friend’s children), and to be blessed with such a happy & healthy little boy … well, it just about doesn’t get any better than that!
Enjoy!
Becca
I’m back! And with a cutie-patootie to boot!
I realize that I’ve been whole-heartedly neglecting my blog and I think it all started when I was re-creating my website. I just didn’t have time do do both… and then it snowballed and I wondered if blogging was worth the time investment, like it used to be.
I am ashamed to admit that yes, it is worth the time. It forces me to have some fresh content out there on the world wide web. And I’m sorry to have neglected all my blog readers… although it wouldn’t hurt any to leave some comments at the end of a post you enjoyed, just so I know you care! (hint, hint!)
😉
So today I’m bringing you some lovely images from Eve’s 1 year portrait / cake smash session. She is the sweetest little girl in pink, pink and more pink!
I’ve gotta hand it to her. It’s definitely her color.
And be sure to check out her perfectly, perfected model pout. Priceless!
Enjoy!
Becca
Our Big News : Baby Houg Due in February!
In early August we were happy to announce to our families and close friends, and a few weeks later, to all our other friends via Facebook that we are expecting a baby in February 2013!
How we did it was a really fun idea… but more on that later… I’d like to share more about our joy for this newest addition to the Houg family…
Our son, Collin, who will be 6 years old by the time the baby arrives, is beyond excited. He is the sweetest and asks to hug the baby (aka: my tummy) all the time. He also says the sweetest dinner prayers… “God is great, God is good, and we thank him for our baby and pray that you help the baby grow strong, Amen.”
If that doesn’t melt your heart, I don’t know what will! I have been feeling great, all things considered. I’ll admit, being pregnant at 32 is definitely different than being pregnant at 26 years old! LOL! Plus having a little boy that comes home from school and wants me to get up and go play soccer outside instead of being able to put my feet up or take a nap whenever I feel like it, might be making a difference too!
But it’s all good! I can’t complain for a second. I’m unbelievably excited to be a mom to a new little baby. It took me a while to be ready… but managing my business, working behind the scenes for my husband, and building a new home can kind of put a bit of a damper on the ability to catch baby fever.
We announced our pregnancy to everyone using a clever shirt I’d seen on Pinterest a while ago that the gal had made herself with a plain white t-shirt and fabric paint. I decided I didn’t have time to monkey with painting a t-shirt, plus I’m a perfectionist when it comes to those things so if there was one letter not quite right it would have bugged me every time I looked at it.
So, I designed and ordered a shirt online through Zazzle.com and it was pretty easy. The product arrived fairly quickly and was screen printed to perfection!
I decided to offer the design on their site for other expecting parents to order.
Here’s the link in case you’re interested. I’ll admit, I earn a little credit for each shirt sold which is pretty cool.
And here’s the pictures I took of Collin wearing the shirt…
Oh, and while I was at it, I designed another shirt he loves that says “Soon-to-be Big Brother” he loves. You can check that one out too!
Emilie Rae : Newborn Baby Girl Portraits
This little ray of sunshine came to me from my good friend Kayla. She came to me for her wedding portraits about four years ago for a consultation and our personalities just clicked and we’ve been good friends since! I love the fact that she believes in me and my photographic abilities even when I doubt myself and my own talent. But, I guess, that’s what friends are for… but she’s really good at it!
I didn’t have an doubts that this session was going to result in some fantastic images though! I was very excited upon their arrival to the studio. I was dying to meet this little girl that came about two weeks past when we all expected her. I had been debating all morning which backgrounds and props to pull out for her portraits and Kayla made the choice easy once she told me her wishes for the overall look.
They did have their knit John Deere hat and cowboy booties for Emilie to wear.
The hardest part of the session was getting Emilie to sleep. Kayla even told me it would be fine if she wasn’t sleeping, but I stayed patient and it paid off! Because you really can’t get the picture where she’s on the chair when she’s awake. I worry enough as it is, and always have mom placed next to the chair, just out of the frame so that if by chance, she startles or rolls, all it would take is a quick reach to keep her safe.
I’m the most protective of my subjects. You can ask the parents! 🙂 I’m always saying “Be careful!” and “Don’t worry about ruining a shot.”
I love these little blessings and I want to make the sessions go as smoothly as possible while always staying safe, and still creating the artistic images their mommy is looking forward to hanging on her walls at home.
Enjoy!
Rebecca
Little Eve – 6 Month Baby Portraits
Another fun session with this little beauty and her mommy. I just love getting booked for the whole first year of a baby’s portraits because I know I’ll be able to see that customer again and again and see their child grow up and really get a strong grasp of their personal taste and style. By the one year session, I can almost predict what they’ll order and lots of moms and dads let me take the wheel and steer them in the direction I know they’ll love in terms of wall portraits or framed collage prints.
I hope you love these images from Eve’s six month session as much as I do. The half-way point for baby’s first year… if you’d like to see her newborn portraits, click here.
Enjoy!
Becca
Baby Gabriel : 6 Month Old Baby Portraits
Little Gabriel is back again, for his six month session on my baby plan.
The baby plan features three sessions the first year. One newborn session (ideally within 10 days of birth), a sitting up session (around 6-8 months of age) and a birthday session. These three sessions give new parents a wonderful variety of images to document their child’s first year in portraits. I have been recommending just three sessions for the baby plan for several years now because the older method of 3, 6, 9, 12 months just got to be too much for most parents… (especially when newborn photography gained popularity).
Some people were trying to fit 5 sessions into a year… which just gets to be too much work for the parents… every time they turned around, they were needing to find outfits, set up appointments, decide on their order, pick it up… YIKES! It was too much of a good thing… they didn’t even have time to enjoy the order they received before they were planning for the next session.
The three session plan is perfect! At first it might not seem like enough because you are so enraptured with your newborn and it seems like they change sooo fast… (I’ve almost been tempted to add one more session in there.) But I love the dramatic difference in the portraits… little sleepy baby, cute chubby sitting, (maybe crawling?) baby, and standing, (possibly walking) baby.
The parents are able to enjoy each order for a few months before they even need to think about scheduling the next appointment. They are also able to invest more in each session because their budget isn’t being spread so thin… so they’re able to create wall groupings, collages, or even get that big canvas gallery wrap they’ve been eyeing!
But let’s get back to sweet little Gabriel, shall we???
His parents had lots of outfits for him to wear, and we started off with a little boy classic… a simple polo and shorts. No shoes or socks here! We want to show off those cute little toes!
I had to work for the first few smiles we squeezed out of him… Apparently, Gabe is a big daddy’s boy and he ONLY bursts out the big grins for him. After Daddy arrived, it was much easier! I was laughing so hard at the silly sounds his dad was making that it was hard to hold the camera steady!
I can’t tell you how much fun it is to see a parent get so involved in the photo session. Some photographers are kind of snobs about letting the parents be involved. I’m all for parent involvement. I don’t mind if the parents just want to go in the gallery area and take it easy, but if they want to stay in back and get on their knees with me.
After the first outfit, we did some sweet bare baby portraits with a little elephant shaped piano his parents brought for him to play with. His daddy is a great pianist/organist and so it was very significant.
I love adding special touches into your portraits that make them even more personal and tell a little part of the story of your life. Little Gabe loved banging on his piano, and some of the images captured even make it look like he already knows how to play it.
Other outfits included showcasing their love for their favorite sports teams, the Twins and the Vikings. Lucky little Gabe has already been to Target field for a game!
Well, I best get back to work.
I’ve ordered some postcards to advertise for senior portraits this summer and I’d best get my labels ready!
Enjoy!
Rebecca
P.S. If you want to see Gabe’s newborn session, click here.
The Hagen Family : Northwood, IA
The Hagen family are return customers that loved the fun, colorful shots we created at their campground, Happy Time Resort so much they called me up to do it again the following year!
I just love this mom because she is INTO her family photos. She’s been dedicated about having them professionally photographed and I really give her credit for that. It’s all too easy to make excuses for not having them done… I want to lose that extra 5 lbs, or my hair isn’t quite the way I want it, or it costs too much.
Well, I’m here to say, I can make you look thinner by the way I pose you, that you can set up your appointment weeks ahead so you have time to get into your favorite hairdresser, and the biggest investment doesn’t come until a couple weeks AFTER the session… and even then, I only require 1/2 down. You have plenty of time to save up. Right?!
The memories we create are priceless and I truly believe that, with every ounce of my being.
Check out these great images. I love these kids, they are beautiful, great kids… but the oldest boy hates getting his picture taken… not sure why… I’m thinking it might be the braces… but whatever the reason, I’m slowly but surely breaking down walls with this one.
Then there’s the youngest… isn’t she ADORABLE?! Well, she always loves to put me through the wringer, too! I am pretty sure she likes me… but for some reason she thinks it’s fun to make it a challenge by playing the “I’m going to turn my back to the camera and do everything I can not to smile” game.
*Insert Evil Laugh*
Oh yeah??? This ain’t my first rodeo!
I must admit, they don’t make my job easy, but they sure as heck make it a whole lot more interesting and I’m the kind of girl that loves a challenge… so I say, “Bring it!”
Enjoy!
Becca
P.S. To her daughter and middle boy, I thank you for being so easy going and cooperative. You’re the ones that keep me sane! 
Brooklyn : One Year Old : Child Portrait Session
If you’re a follower of my blog, I’m sure you’ll recognize this sweet face! It’s little baby Brooklyn, looking all grown up at her first birthday portrait session!
I adore my customers who come for newborn portraits and sign up for “Baby’s First Year” because I get to develop such a close relationship with them and hear all about the trials and triumphs of their child’s first twelve months. (And often times the years following.)
This session we captured some in a little black corduroy dress with Brooklyn by her first pumpkin since her birthday is close to Halloween.
Then we changed her into a cute Iowa State cheerleader outfit and did some with daddy and played in the leaves. Don’t you just love how the red and yellow work with the fall colors?
Next, we went inside and did a couple more outfits and ended with the insanely fun birthday cake images. A friend of theirs made this huge cupcake for Brooklyn’s portrait session and I love how the colors go so well with the little onesie her mom picked out and then I added the cute little leg warmers with the polka dots to tie it all together.
Enjoy!
Becca
Brielle and Carter : Children’s Portrait Session
This adorable pair are the children of a past bride & groom, just like Aubrey from my post earlier this week. I guess you know you’ve been around a while when your customers are coming back with babies… I already have photographed babies of past high school Seniors as well. I know! … Mind-blowing, isn’t it?
This couple comes all the way up from Humboldt, IA to have me continue to take their family’s portraits. Talk about a loyal, happy customer. Must be doing something right. *wink*
I love these kiddos. I have really enjoyed seeing Carter mature over the last couple years from a toddler/little boy into a “big boy” and adoring older brother. His mommy shares the sweetest stories about things he does on her Facebook page.
With repeat customers it’s always a bit of a challenge to make sure you stay within the style they already know and love, but come up with something new and interesting. I think we did just that with these images. And it’s so nice to have a consistent “look” in your family portraits… they all hang on the wall so nicely together and you can mix and match portraits from different sessions and have them all look amazing together.
I don’t know how some people do it… jumping from photographer to photographer… that would be hard. Not knowing what to expect. Don’t you worry! Call me up. 507-383-2344 I’ll take good care of you. So good, you won’t want to leave. 🙂
Enjoy!
Becca
Aubrey : Family Portrait Session
I was really thrilled when one of my past brides, who lives out in Vancouver, Washington emailed and said they’d be coming home for a visit during August and wondering if I’d be available to photograph their family/daughter while here.
Of course, I made sure I had time! When someone wants you to photograph them that bad, I’ll move mountains to make sure we can make it happen.
The session went well. Aubrey was in a great mood. She had mastered crawling not long before their visit and already loved standing while holding onto daddy’s hands.
Her mommy had picked out a pretty dresses. I love the one of her peeking out of the tissue paper pom-pom blossoms. So sweet!
And of course, she had to represent mom and daddy’s alma mater, Iowa State.
Enjoy!
Becca
Baby Gabriel : Maternity and Newborn Sessions
I love new mommies! They are just the best people on Earth. The poor girls are going through a million changes, so many of them overwhelming, and yet they hold it all together for their new little ones.
I had the blessing of photographing this couple’s wedding and they are returning soon after… (within a year!)… to have me photograph the arrival of their first baby!
Adding another dimension of cuteness to the whole story, is the fact that their due date was their first anniversary! Did I hear you go, “Awwwww!”? … if not, you should have! 😉
This sweet new mommy had total faith in me, after being thrilled with their engagement and wedding portraits she knew I wasn’t about to disappoint her.
I have taken enough maternity portraits now to know the most popular images are a few of the expecting mom and dad together, and the interesting “belly shots”. And don’t worry ladies… stretch marks are all taken care of, unless of course you like that kind of thing.
It wasn’t long after the maternity session I was blessed once again with the news that their son, Gabriel had arrived. Healthy at 10+ lbs!
We were in the studio with him before he was even two weeks old. Which is the best time frame to be in by, so you can get them to curl up all cute and sleepy.
Isn’t he just precious! A little chunka-love!
Enjoy!
Becca
P.S. I want to mention Ryan is an insurance agent for Farm Bureau in Northwood, IA and has always taken excellent care of us as customers. Look him up if you are in need of insurance! 🙂
Ryan’s Contact Info:
http://www.fbfs.com/Pages/AgentOfficeLocator/AgentInformation.aspx?AgentId=14801
Rebecca Lynne Photography : Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota's Best Photographer! 