I have an affinity for mother/daughter duos, perhaps because I have my own baby girl and I also have a mother who happens to be my best friend.  It’s the best kind of gift and a relationship that stands the test of time no matter what.  And from an outsiders perspective, it’s always inspiring to see teenagers who remain close to their mom’s through that teenage fog.  And if you’re a woman, we all know “the fog”.  =)  I was invited to do a senior shoot at this family’s cabin in the woods, about a 40-minute drive from our own cabin in the woods.  And I arrived to the most quiet, secluded, quaint little cabin tucked away in the mountainside, where just she and her mom had been enjoying their weekend.  They’d been riding four-wheelers most of the day and hanging out, and I just kept thinking to myself, “THIS is exactly what I want to be doing with my own daughter someday…”

The weather was a bit ominous, cloudy and even rained for the first part of the shoot, but I was determined to get this gorgeous girl in front of my lens.  We ventured out into the wide-open meadow where the light was a little brighter and it ended up becoming a perfect evening, with a gorgeous senior who obviously has her priorities in all the right places.  Family first.  And I felt an affinity for her…and I think my camera felt that same affinity.  =)can you possibly get anymore beautiful than this??:Thank you so much to these two ladies for inviting me up and allowing my little family of four to share in your ever-so-quaint and cozy cabin in the woods.  I hope you love these as much as I do!!

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I am so very excited to begin offering these fun little local workshops for teens wanting to take their photo skills up a notch!  Think on-location, fun, casual, informative…and even more fun when you bring your friends!  I am happy to meet with you one-on-one, or you can choose to bring up to 4 of your photo-loving buddies.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity if you are photo-crazed!  I will answer all your questions and tailor our session to your interests and desires.  It’s really like a cool version of a day-camp.  =)

Oh, and did I happen to mention that if you’re a senior, you get a discount on your senior session with Alissa?!  That’s right.  Just click for more info.  You won’t be disappointed!

Today I met up with this GORGEOUS gal and I must say we had a little fun.  =)  Did I mention that she’s gorgeous?!But not only is she beautiful, but she is truly one of the sweetest seniors I’ve ever met.  I left our session thinking to myself that I’d be very lucky to have my own turn out similar at that age.  Whatever her mom and dad are doing has paid off a million times over!!  So onto the session, it was a windy WINDY day and so we decided to forgo the park after a short while and explore a site I’ve been looking at for a few years, but hadn’t used yet.  Thank you to these business owners for allowing me to use their location – it turned out really fun!

Every session I think, “THIS is my all-time favorite image!” and then the next one comes along and I feel exactly the same way.  And this session lent itself to SO MANY gorgeous images I could sit in front of my computer all day just proofing them.  But I *tried* to keep it to a minimum and post these few that jumped out at me so far.  =)  Enjoy!and quite possibly my favorite image of the day…maybe ever…I just {LOVE} it for some reason:Thanks for stopping by!

Today I had the honor of photographing this little beauty.And I just might add that I fell in love with her.  Sigh.  Seriously, she was the tiniest little person born just 11 days ago at 37 weeks weighing just over 5 lbs.  She is precious and beautiful, and I would like to order one just like her.  =)  And did I mention her mom and dad waited eight long years for her??  I think her debut has been long awaited!

Her mom and her grandma traveled from out of town to meet with me, and I hope these images make it worth their trip!  I typically love black and white images for babies, but these just felt fresh, colorful and sweet just as they were.  Thanks to all three of these ladies for such a fun(ny) afternoon!!  I can’t wait to share the rest with you!  Enjoy!

Whew!  I think this will be the last installment of this *little* series – next year I think I’ll just incorporate a slide show!  lol.  I spent the morning trying to get a few snaps of my own kiddos, and well, let’s just chalk it up to entertainment!  I will share those with you tomorrow – photographing my own children always seems next to impossible for me as they never look at me, they have their own agenda entirely, and one cannot seem to open her eyes without squinting!!  Sigh.

Anyway, here is the last installment of my 2009 in Review.  A word to potential 2010 clients, bookings are filling in for Spring and Summer, so if you are interested in a session, please contact me early!

Onto the images…

First off, a family from Montana who traveled here for their session – we had a blast and I fell in love with their little one!!!

Next up was a fun pair of twins and their sweet parents:A very fun senior who made my job so, so easy:An opportunity to contribute to THIS beautiful little organization by photographing these adorable bumps and babes:One of my annual, best, sweetest clients ever!!!:And one of the most adorable babes I’ve ever laid eyes on!!:I think that sums up my year: AMAZING clients and so much FUN!  Thanks again, and I’m looking forward to see what 2010 holds!  =)

I may be back this afternoon with some of my own…or if my cabinets entice me, it may be tomorrow!  Have a great day!

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Although it’s now into the second week of January, I’ve recently been reflecting on all my wonderful clients this year and wanted to say a huge

THANK YOU

to each and every one of them!  I truly had the best year ever, and I only have my valued and incredible clients to thank for that!!  From awesome engagement and boudoir sessions (click both words to view more sensitive images), to family and newborn sessions, my time spent with each client was so rewarding and fulfilling!  I feel incredibly blessed to work with such fun people, make such great friendships throughout the process, and do what I love most!

2009 in Review: (Part 2 and 3 coming over the weekend!)

Thanks for looking, and I’ll be back in a day or so with even more favorites from this past year!

This beautiful creature is my best friend.  It’s hard to even know where to begin on someone such as this – a woman who is not only stunning on the outside, but one with character that never falls short.  I can say without hesitation that although she may be fallible, her intentions are ALWAYS pure – and that is hard to find in another human being, especially in women I have found over the years.  There are those friends who you care about…and then there are those you would call your own – those you honestly couldn’t envision your life without.  And she is exactly that.  I realize this sounds silly, but this particular woman is nothing short of my soul mate…in female form.  =)  Oh, and isn’t she just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?!?  =) Enjoy your buildup to Christmas!  It appears as though Mrs. Claus will be going it alone this year on our home front.  Sigh.  Ah, well.  I am blessed Santa has such a solid job at the moment.  =)

This afternoon I met up with this sweet girl and her mom for a quick senior shoot – we hiked around in this beautiful little spot and snapped away.  I must say, I have never seen anyone with more beautiful eyes – they were incredible!!!  I barely touched them in PS as they are gorgeous all on their own.  =)  Thanks so both of these ladies – I hope you enjoy them!

Have a fabulous weekend!!!  I plan to enjoy the weather with my peanuts before winter sets in for the next year. 

When I meet polite seniors who are so kind and genuine, it actually makes me dread the teenage years of my own kids a little less.    I always get incredible seniors to work with, and this guy was no exception.  =)

Thanks so much to this guy for spending 30 minutes (yup, it was fairly painless!) with me – and to his mom who was so patient in waiting for an opening in my schedule!!

I photographed this gorgeous girl several weeks back but am unfortunately just getting this posted in the midst of a move!  She is Mrs. Sheridan this year, and I would be shocked if she didn’t have an incredible chance: she’s sweet, down to earth, and obviously, stunning!  Good luck to her!!! 

As for me, I’ve really had a love/hate relationship with my computer lately as it seems to be the last thing I spend my time doing.  And so, I’ve horrified my husband and gone domestic instead.  I’ve learned how to knit and have been teaching myself how to sew these past few weeks (no laughing, please).  =)  I’ve started dreaming about stitches, yarn and gorgeous fabric….it could be a very serious addiction!  Put the knitting needles down and the sewing machine back in the closet.   =)  My husband thinks I’m 29 going on 89.

We’re, as I mentioned, in the middle of a move, and should be out of our place by the end of next week!  So many exciting changes coming my way, including (eventually) a natural-light studio in my home, which will be INCREDIBLE!!  So excited to share some upcoming family sessions, and a senior session from a couple weeks back!  Until then, Happy Mother’s Day to all you mamas out there!  =)