Family Photography

Shine On: Ghimire Family

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These are my friends, Mercie, Vivek and Harper. Last November, they drove out to Las Vegas to do another family session with me (their first shoot can be found here). We always have fun together and this time was no exception. I love all of the movement and laughter in the following images. It contrasts perfectly to the unusual and austere backdrop of the Las Vegas Wash. And most importantly, these photos reminded me that not taking things too seriously always allows our true personalities to shine through.

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Different but the Same

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AUGUST 2014

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Technicolor: The Ghimire Family

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When I first moved to Las Vegas, I was enamored with all of the classic motels on The Strip and Downtown. I used to drag my boyfriend around so I could take photos of them, especially all the vintage signs. It never dawned on me they might not be there one day. Sadly, I’ve watched them disappear over the years and now there are only a handful left. In the back of my mind, I really wanted to use one as a location for a shoot, but I knew it had to be for the right people.

Sometimes, despite all the dreams or pre-planning, you just have to wait for things to fall into place. When my dear friend and colleague, Mercie Ghimire, booked a family portrait session with me, I knew they were the ones. We had talked about shooting photos for years but never managed to make it happen. Thankfully, this past November it all came together as one epic weekend of shooting. Not only did we get permission to use the awesome Motel 8 (thank you, Grace), we also found some fantastic spots Downtown in another abandoned motel. We had so much fun (as evidenced by the multitude of photos to follow) and I’m pretty certain it can’t get more colorful than this!

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The Bjorklund Family

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I met the Bjorklund’s several years ago and Sarah quickly became my go-to for all things homeschooling related. She’s the most dedicated, hands-on, homeschooling mama I know and her kids are proof of that. Considering they lead busy lives, her husband, David, has the most calm and relaxed presence.  As for the kids, I have this philosophy that if you raise children you’d want to hang out with, then other people will too. That’s exactly how I felt with these guys. They were so smart and interesting to talk to! I can only hope my kids turn out as well.

I’ve noticed there’s often one person on each shoot that truly enjoys having their photo taken. In this case, that would be Anna. She’s full of personality and the camera loves her. She has that classic, all-American look and I’d be surprised if she’s not on stage or modeling for Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger in a few years! Then there’s Chris, the budding photographer. He brought his camera and shot photos alongside me. This was a first, for sure! His enthusiasm and inquisitiveness was infectious. Last but not least, there’s Parker. What a little ham he is! He may have some special needs, but boy does he have the greatest sense of humor! He was full of energy, quick wit and definitely kept me on my toes. Collectively, they were such a fun family to spend the afternoon with.

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Slice of Life

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October 2012

Over two years have passed since I took these images. My backlog of photos has reached such epic proportions, I’m not even sure where to begin — but I wanted to post these before I share the latest pictures we shot this fall. It’s astonishing how much these children have changed in such a short amount of time!

In this shoot, my goal was to capture the kids’ budding (tween) personalities, at home, surrounded by their things. At the time, Gwenyth loved Justin Bieber, American Girl dolls and cheer. John was into his phone, sports and maybe not quite as interested in having his photo taken. They’re both really fun, sweet, beautiful kids and looking back, I love how different these are compared to other sessions I’ve had with them. It makes me want to take similar photos of my own kids! Sometimes it’s so hard to notice all the changes that happen right under your nose.

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33 1/3

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Hello again! Are you surprised to see 3 posts in 2 weeks? Me too! In a desperate attempt to come out of the woodwork, I’m going to start posting all of my non-published work over the past few years. It’s truly depressing (+ overwhelming) that I’ve managed to get so far behind. But nevertheless, I’m determined to make up for lost time. Sometimes you just have to start somewhere, so let’s roll back to fall of 2013, when I photographed my dear friends, the Killian family, out at the El Dorado Dry Lake Bed in Boulder City.

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