Now I’m not saying I don’t enjoy some of the cooler temperatures, but by cooler, I mean 75 degrees and nothing below it. I loath the winter. Give me two weeks of snow around Christmas and I’m good. Utah winters have been so ridiculously long lately that I’m mortified when it drops below 80. Can I get an amen Kristina?

So tonight we held on to summer a little longer by going as a family to a U-Pick raspberry and blackberry farm just down the road, McBride Farms. The older couple that run it are just about as darling as it gets. Lucy was calling them Grandma and Grandpa by the end of our time there. It was an absolutely perfect evening. Slightly cooler temperatures, happy children and therefore happy parents. The kids picked an entire two hours without a complaint. They were enthralled, and it was, dare I say, therapeutic for me. And the berries! Oh the berries! We’ll (and by we’ll I mean me) be making loads of freezer jam tomorrow, and maybe a couple pies.

Have I mentioned how much I love Mapleton? Just look at that view.

Lucy was surprisingly an excellent berry picker.

They offered Isaac a job in a couple years as they hire neighborhood kids to help with orders. I’m all over that!

A successful and delicious evening for all.

I had a delightful time with her little sister back in June, and just as much fun with her. It was a beautiful time of day in the orchard which was near swarming with deer and reddening apples. Her mom came armed with clothes and props galore and we all enjoyed some books and a tea party together in the grass. Can’t wait to photograph their whole family in a month.

I love sessions that make me want to run home and grab my kids and tell them how much I love them. This was one of them. This little family is full of love and it shows.

This morning I dropped Isaac off at his first day of Kindergarten. He was so excited. It was pretty much the cutest thing ever to see him walk in there, put his backpack away and sit at his table. Lucy will be starting preschool in a couple weeks at the same time and I must say, two hours of me time is looking pretty good these days. I’m excited for all these new changes and to see my children growing up and experiencing life.

I might be partial because she happens to be named after me, but isn’t my niece just a doll? I’ve had the pleasure of playing with my ENTIRE family this whole week at Bear Lake, and now my house. And meeting my newest niece for the first time? Icing on the cake. Who ever thought we’d have a red head in the family!

My best friend Amy’s brother and family were in town a while ago and asked me to take some pictures of their growing family. I took pictures of the twins soon after they were born and I was so excited to see them again. All those kiddos you see below are miracle babies and each one couldn’t be loved more. What a handsome family. I’ve decided that large dimples don’t hurt either. Can I place an order for those the next time around?

Behind the scenes of the above photo. Sometimes you have to be creative when a baby is more interested in eating the rocks on the ground then looking up. Thank you to my lovely assistant, their aunt, for sacrificing her lovely hairdo.

This picture is so them. Laurel giggling and Mark pulling a funny face to get us all the laugh. I love it.

My digital camera gear:

Canon 5d
Canon 24-70L f/2.8 – My favorite all around lens.
Canon 50mm f/1.8 – Great for low light situations and portraits of course.
Canon 85mm f/1.8 – My all time favorite portrait lens. If I’m close to you, this is the lens that’s in your face most likely.
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 – Great for large group settings and funkier type shots.
Canon Speedlite 580EX – I’m a natural-light photographer, but every once in a while (like receptions) I need some extra light. I use this along with my Lightsphere and bounce of ceilings or walls.
Gary Fong Lightsphere

This family drove all the way from Idaho to come see me. What an honor! They just added their newest addition two weeks prior and wanted some pictures of him while he was still ittybitty. Of course it ended up being the brightest morning known to mankind, so we had to bring it inside and get creative. While I’m defiantly not the studio type, I think we still got some great shots of the baby and family inside, all with natural lighting of course!