The Peck Family | Michigan Family Photographer

14 people, 6 of them under the age of 7? Noooo problem! They requested to be photographed in front of Grandma & Grandpa's waterfront cottage. It was a beautiful morning for photos, and the kids received an instant reward for being so patient - the park is 50 yards from the porch!

The Parr Family | Michigan Family Photographer

For the second year in a row, I've had the pleasure of photographing this adorable family. I love giving them the most awesome Christmas card pictures :)

Shaker | Port Huron Northern | Class of 2013

This guy cracks me up....I thought I would die when he walked out in that blue morph suit and yellow shorty-shorts!!! Not only is he a comedic genius, he's also a talented tennis player, and very active in student politics. Shaker for President? Maybe some day!!

Austin | Marysville High School | Class of 2013

Like most of my senior guys, Austin's mom had to draaaaaaaaaaaagggg him in to have his pictures taken...but in the end I think he had a little bit more fun than he actually thought he would ;)

The Boehler Family | Michigan Family Photographer

One of my bf's from WAAAAY back in the day at good 'ole Yale Public Schools (and Mommy to my son's future bride!), Trisha's family is near and dear to my heart. I'm so glad we finally got our schedules to match up for pictures and a little cookout :)

The Kirchoff Family | Michigan Family Photographer

As a family gal, I do not condone or support domestic violence. So when the Kirchoff family approached me and said they'd like to recreate a family heirloom photo involving a bride, a groom and a baseball bat...I was concerned! However, this family has nothing but love for each other, and they are FUNNY! I hope they enjoy the updated version of the baseball bat photo (see below)...

Alex & Savannah | Class of 2013 | Lapeer East High School

How often do you get to photograph twins - TWIN SENIORS! Alex and Savannah had drastically different styles, but we were able to incorporate a little bit of both of them into their portraits. Yay!

Tim | Class of 2013 | Crestwood High School

 Hoo-rah!!! Tim is a very upstanding gentleman and is enlisting in the Marines! Mom & Dad couldn't be more proud :)

Cheyenne | Class of 2013 | Port Huron High School

ARGH! These adorable PH girls are killing me! Cheyenne is such a funny, bubbly, crazy gal. We had a blast on our 'tour de PoHo'. Nobody can rock the hot pink pants like this girl ;)

Sydney | Class of 2013 | Port Huron High School

Sydney's Mom requested one thing: that we capture Sydney's *adorable* dimple! We did, and soooo much more. Everyone's favorite image from the session is sweet Sydney sitting in the swing in her backyard...they sure do grow up fast, don't they?

Jacob | Class of 2013 | Marysville High School

Jacob! He totally had the quiet artist vibe - and he's an awesome drummer. Despite the wind blowing over both of my lights stands (grrr) we had a great time and got some pretty awesome pics!

Katie | Class of 2013 | North Branch High School

Katie! Came all the way from North Branch and it was pouring down rain!!! One of her wishes was to be photographed near a waterfall. Because of the rain, the waterfall was turned off - but we asked nicely and the operators turned it on *just for us* and we enjoyed a 15 minute break from the rainfall. Right on cue, the rain returned and we headed for cover to finish the rest of her session. Mud, sand and soggy shoes - but it was awesome and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Jestine | Class of 2013 | Port Huron High School

This girl has the coolest eyes I've ever seen! I've never met anyone with TWO DIFFERENT COLOR EYES! Plus, her personality is sooooo fun and catchy. We had a blast at her session. Despite Mom's doubts - we were able to drive the minivan down the woodsy path - and get the nature images that Jestine adored <3

The Hoeksema/Day/Kirchoff Families

Steve and Debby have been married for 40 YEARS!!! In honor of this momentous occasion, their amazing children surprised them with a family photo session. Family photos are MUCH better than a paperweight or flowers, don't you think????

The Erhardt Family

Awww, Sean surprised his lovely wife Cheryl with a surprise vow-renewal on their 10th Anniversary. How sweet!!! It was a blessed day that they shared with their friends and family - and I was able to capture some family portraits to commemorate the day :)

Christina | Class of 2012 | Port Huron Northern

Ever have a day where everything you touch seems to turn to gold? Um, yeah, that's about how I felt during this session. Christina is such a natural beauty, and soooo easy to photograph. We had an amazing time, and even made a new friend. Well, at least we think there was someone sitting in the Border Patrol SUV the entire time we were there. Maybe?

Editing??????

If you have ever been to a custom photographer, you may have wondered why it takes a week (or more) to view your proofs. So what’s the hold up? (Well, besides being a wife and mom in a very active household)??

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what happens to your images after I leave your session. This process it followed with every single image that I share with you, and images that are not up to my high standards will not be shared :)

First of all, I load the images into my computer. This takes a while because I shoot in RAW format, which basically lets me make the decisions of how the image will be processed (instead of the camera when shooting Jpeg), so the files are very large.

Next, I cull (sort and find the good ones) your images in Adobe Lightroom. I then create a folder of the ‘good’ ones, and open them individually in Adobe Camera Raw. Because I am not limited by Jpeg, I am able to tweak the exposure, white balance and any other little nuances of each particular image. I then export them as TIFF files to a separate folder.

Now we’re cookin!!!! Each TIFF file is opened in Adobe Photoshop, where I remove blemishes, undereye circles, enhance the eyes, whiten teeth, and all the other magic I do. This can be time consuming (usually 5-10 minutes per image) but the results are WORTH IT.

Then it’s back to Adobe Lightroom for some cropping and vignetting (if necessary) and exporting the files as Jpegs to a separate ‘proofing’ folder. Then and only then can your images be uploaded to your Gallery, or shared on Facebook.

My entire editing process takes 4-8 hours per session, depending on the type of session and subject...Time that is well spent if you ask any of my super-happy clients :)

Nicole

Brian | Class of 2012 | PHN

I've known Brian for quite a while (his mom and I are good friends) so I was excited to have the opportunity to take his senior photos! Mother Nature wasn't quite cooperative, but we were determined, and prevailed with some EPIC photos....

Allison | Class of 2012 | PH

Have I told you how much I love photographing Senior Models? Allison was such a gem to work with! Her personality really shines, especially when we really got her to smile :)