The Pink Suitcase 312 B South Main St Ottawa Kansas 66067 785.248.6505 Facebook . . . → Read More: the pink suitcase {kansas city photographer}]]>

The Pink Suitcase
312 B South Main St
Ottawa Kansas 66067
785.248.6505
Facebook

. . . → Read More: laura + andrew {kansas city photographer}]]>

. . . → Read More: nation family {kansas city photographer}]]>

. . . → Read More: kristy {kansas city photographer}]]>

. . . → Read More: gollier kids {kansas city photographer}]]> Another fun session I had early in the winter was with the Gollier kids. Loved exploring their old house and spending time getting to know them a bit. They did great!

. . . → Read More: maggie {kansas city senior photographer}]]> Love Maggie B. Love her mom, who tagged along. Great people. I love my job. Here’s a peek at her session.

. . . → Read More: mourning family {kansas city photographer}]]> Another great family I met last fall is the Mourning family. Super nice people make for a great session!

. . . → Read More: samantha {kansas city senior photographer}]]> On a very very windy Kansas day, I got to hang out with Samantha and her sister to capture her senior photos. Even though the weather conditions were adverse, we had a fun time and she rocked the session.

Such a sweet girl. Thanks for allowing me to capture your senior photos. I wish you the best!

. . . → Read More: ian {kansas city senior photographer}]]> I was totally excited to get to be photographing Ian’s senior photos since I’ve been working with his family for a couple years now. Another fun, laid back session. Take a look…

Take a look…

. . . → Read More: bryce {kansas city senior photographer}]]> Take a look at another great senior from last fall, Bryce.

Take a look.

Enjoy!

One completely gracious family I had the pleasure of photographing were the Nichols family. We had a fab time last fall, roaming around and playing with . . . → Read More: nichols family {kansas city photographer}]]> I have loved meeting all these new people in my community. It’s a really special part of my job and has made me feel more at home here.

One completely gracious family I had the pleasure of photographing were the Nichols family. We had a fab time last fall, roaming around and playing with their two precious little girls.

Take a peek at what we captured.

Thanks for allowing me to capture your beautiful family! Best wishes to you in the new year!

Take a look at these great looking people. I love it when Mom shows up with the cutest clothes for the . . . → Read More: orr family {kansas city photographer}]]> Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday and stayed safe. I thought maybe I should update the bloggity with all the fabulous people I got to work with last fall.

Take a look at these great looking people. I love it when Mom shows up with the cutest clothes for the littles. It makes my job so fun running around capturing the wee ones.

Thanks to the Orr family for such a great time capturing your love for each other. P.S. you might have to get those 2 littles into modeling…

. . . → Read More: ferguson {kansas city photographer}]]> I love people that are loyal. They come back year after year because we bonded and they love my work. I think that’s the greatest compliment. This is my 2nd year of photographing the Ferguson family. I just love ‘em to pieces.

. . . → Read More: riley {kansas city photographer}]]> Riley is another outstanding senior I had the honor of photographing. She made my job fairly effortless. She’s another great example of a person who shines from the inside out. And at the end of the shoot, there were horses. Enough said.

I’ll let the photos speak . . . → Read More: jaime {kansas city photographer}]]> Jaime was a blast to shoot! Tall and beautiful, she shines from the inside out. I love meeting well rounded people and she really seems to have a great head on her shoulders. Thanks Jaime for the great shoot! My camera loves you and so do I!

I’ll let the photos speak for themselves now…

. . . → Read More: altic {kansas city photographer}]]> Here’s another fun family I had the pleasure of photographing this fall….

Anyhoo, I loved photographing these little cuties. I also loved . . . → Read More: thompson kids {kansas city photographer}]]> Oh man! What a whirlwind the last couple months have been! After a very slow, unusual summer, I’ve been out and about rocking out my camera every weekend. And here we are in November already and I’m just now updating my poor neglected website.

Anyhoo, I loved photographing these little cuties. I also loved that mom gave me complete freedom and permission to just take the kiddos where I wanted without her. That’s a lot of trust and I appreciated it! It made for a great relaxed shoot with the kids. Something to think about if you’re wanting a shoot with just your children. They often do much better without parental units hanging about.

Here are some of my faves from this session.

Here are a few of my favorites.

. . . → Read More: megan {kansas city photographer}]]> What a ray of light Megan is. I had a great time learning more about her and capturing some of the loveliness that she is, inside and out.

Here are a few of my favorites.

A special thanks to Judy, Megan’s mom for being an excellent reflector holder!!

. . . → Read More: miller family {kansas city photographer}]]> I had the pleasure of photographing the Miller family recently, complete with cutie patootie baby cuteness. Here are my faves from this adorable family.

This year I will (tentatively) only be booking 2 sessions a week, so get your date booked now. I am employed part time and . . . → Read More: lacey part 2 {kansas city senior photographer}]]> Senior season is upon us and now that it looks like the heatwave is (hopefully) over for the most part, I’m excited to get going on capturing your beautiful faces!

This year I will (tentatively) only be booking 2 sessions a week, so get your date booked now. I am employed part time and so my business will be going part time also. I hate to turn anyone away due to being too booked, so please don’t wait till the last minute, or I’ll be sad. We don’t want that.

Here are a few more from Lacey’s session that you might enjoy. I know I enjoyed working with this lovely young woman and doing something I hadn’t done yet; water shooting. Fun stuff.

Enjoy.

Anyhoo, Payton and I went out on the hottest day of the year so far and found this awesome bamboo. I didn’t even know Kansas . . . → Read More: payton in the bamboo {kansas city fashion photographer}]]> Ok, technically Payton is not a senior, but I thought it would be good to have this post in that category as well. Just wanted to clear that up.

Anyhoo, Payton and I went out on the hottest day of the year so far and found this awesome bamboo. I didn’t even know Kansas had bamboo. BONUS.

And really, I feel a little wonky calling myself a fashion photographer, up there in the tag title, but I’d like to think I’m pretty darn close. Of course, it helps that Payton totally has that rawr model look down pat.

Here are some that I just love. I just wanted to put these out there because this is the kind of shooting I really connect with.

Minus the monster humidity, of course. yikes.

I . . . → Read More: the Bridges family {kansas city family photographer}]]> I had such a great time hanging out and capturing memories with Kevin, Dana and family! As we walked around downtown Ottawa, I got to know them a little and saw how cute of a family they are. Dana has this megawatt smile that you just can’t help but smile back. It’s infectious.

I am blessed to get to work with such awesome people. Here’s a peek at their session.

Thanks Dana, for allowing me to photograph your beautiful family. ?

I am really . . . → Read More: winifred the great {northeast kansas photographer}]]> Meet Winnie, my 2012 Senior Representative! I just love this little gal. She is unique, funky and breathtakingly beautiful. The facial expressions she would give me during the shoot were just blowing my mind. I love to capture the people that follow their own rules. It was a perfect match really.

I am really looking forward to this season’s senior sessions and all the cool people I’m going to meet.

There are actually a lot more that you can see HERE.

Thanks so much Winnie for being so fabulous!!

In the meantime, I thought I would post another artist that rocks my world. I feel this song has been . . . → Read More: the voice like melted butter]]> Ok, so I’ve been working like a mad woman on the last couple sessions I’ve done (one being a wedding) and haven’t had time to update this site. I promise I will. Pinky swear.

In the meantime, I thought I would post another artist that rocks my world. I feel this song has been played to freakin death on the radio and that’s unfortunate cuz it’s really a great song. However, the video is a visual feast in and of itself. It was the first song I heard of Adele’s and now I want to be her best friend. I would cook for her and she would sing for me. I might even play my piano for her if she promises to sing for me. sigh.

Her voice just cuts through my chest and grabs my squishy parts.

anyway.

here.

Here is a peek at the fun we . . . → Read More: birthday numero uno {northeast kansas portrait photographer}]]> I had the pleasure of meeting up with the handsome Miles and his mom, Cassandra the other evening to capture all the cuteness that is turning 1. Such a fun age; toddling around all chunky and cute. Drool abounds and the micro expressions just kill me!

Here is a peek at the fun we had with Miles.

. . . → Read More: conard family {northeast kansas portrait photographer}]]> I love this family! They are unique and wacky and just plain fun. But mostly, you can tell they have real relationships with each other. It was a blast capturing some memories for them.

Thanks Kim and family for the fun session!!

. . . → Read More: erika {northeast kansas senior photographer}]]> Erika was the last of my 2011 seniors and made it in just under the wire! She was a real joy to shoot and we had fun chatting it up and getting some shots downtown and in the studio. I hope the 2012 seniors are ready to rock it out! I’m ready!!

I cannot even begin to describe how much I love this little family. If you are thinking I say that alot, it’s just because by some twist of fate, life has thrown these awesome people across my path. I’ve actually read it’s a marketing strategy, to attract the kind of clients . . . → Read More: gwinner family {northeast kansas family photographer}]]>

I cannot even begin to describe how much I love this little family. If you are thinking I say that alot, it’s just because by some twist of fate, life has thrown these awesome people across my path. I’ve actually read it’s a marketing strategy, to attract the kind of clients that you want to shoot, you need to put yourself out there, so they are drawn in as much by you as your work. Whatever the case may be, it’s working and I couldn’t be happier!

Alana and Ben brought their yummy kids to my house a few months ago for a mini session and quickly decided to get the whole family captured this summer. As the time got closer, Alana and I got more acquainted on Twitter and since I just love her to death, I knew the shoot would be a no pressure fun time.

Brodie is a runner, let me tell you. That kid just wants to be free! But he is just so cute, with that impish little dimple. And Naomi is probably the most serious little thing I’ve ever met. I just love how she stares you down, scrutinizing every detail of your face. Alana and Ben are people I would hang with in real life if given the chance, they are just cool and fun.

I had to post a slideshow vs individual pics, because I want you to get the full effect of how I love a family shoot to go.

Thanks again Alana and Ben for the fun evening and for being so awesome. Hope to see you guys often!!

. . . → Read More: the discipline of creativity]]> Through the years, I’ve had a lot of creative outlets. I’ve always been heavy on the creative side of the brain and light on the practical side. But something happens when you put your creative talents into a business. Sure, it’s really my dream job, even though I’m still at the 0h-my-gosh-will-my-bills-get-paid-this-month stage.

So, here’s a confession: I am very feelings oriented when it comes to wanting to shoot. Or really doing anything. That intuitiveness of knowing when my peak creative times can be a great thing, but the last couple years I’ve learned that creativity can be a discipline also.

Photography as a business has taught me several things about myself. I’ve learned that even though I am a total introvert, once I get out of myself and meet the people I am photographing, I love it. Maybe I’ve just been really blessed by working with such fabulous people, but I am slowly learning to get over my shyness.

It’s also taught me that even when I don’t necessarily feel like shooting, it’s always beneficial. I can’t remember one time that I came back from a shoot feeling the same funk that I felt before it started. It’s like all the stress from my daily life just melts away when I get the camera in my hand and I start solving the problems of light, posing and composition.

In between paid sessions, I give myself assignments also. I love doing artistic self portraits, something I’ve carried over from art school when I used to paint and draw. (Now you’re all going to think I’m a goon). I used to spend a lot of time photographing my own kids, but really they’re sick of me and my camera. And self portraits have taught me so much about posing and light for when I do other sessions.

Every artist knows that you can’t wait until you feel like it to create. It’s great when that burst of inspiration hits, but discipline to create when that burst isn’t there really does develop something awesome inside that you can draw upon over and over.

Bekah came to my studio a couple . . . → Read More: wadkins family {northeast kansas photographer}]]> Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate. Especially here in Kansas. I sometimes wonder what those photographers out in California do with mostly dependable sunny skies? I do know that here, it challenges me and pushes me to be resourceful and capture these fabulous families regardless of imperfect conditions.

Bekah came to my studio a couple months ago with her little cutie JD and we had so much fun, we decided to continue the fun out at the berry farm for the rest of her family photos. The only hitch was the cold, grumpy morning. Cold and toddlers don’t always mix so well! And sometimes rescheduling is harder. So we went for it. I’ll be honest, I felt bad! I know I’m not in charge of the weather, but I invite my clients to an experience as much as getting beautiful images that they’ll love.

But we made the best of it. I did my job quickly and just in time before poor little JD had gotten his fill of the chilly morning. And when I saw the photos, I breathed a sigh of relief and joy that despite the weather, Bekah, Adam and JD’s specialness shone through the images. It’s what great families do!

Here’s a look at their session.

And Bekah, a big thanks to you for being such a positive force through this whole process. You’re the best!