Casual Cute Fall Senior Photos | Avery | Kennedy High School

Casual Cute Fall Senior Photos | Avery | Kennedy High School

Don’t mind me, I’m just half a year behind on blogging senior sessions! But, like, I couldn’t NOT blog Avery’s GORGEOUS fall senior photoshoot. Avery’s mom reached out waaayyyy in advance to get her scheduled for the fall season because she knows that’s the #1 photoshoot time and it fills up fast. I did Avery’s sister’s senior photos a few years ago and it was frigid cold and snowing. They were unique and turned out gorgeous, but they wanted NICE, enjoyable weather this time around and that fall color - Mother Nature did NOT disappoint!

When I met with Avery and her mom for our consultation and planning appointment, I found out quick that Avery was EXCITED for her senior photos and that there was no shortage of selfies in her life. LOL! I LOVE it because that meant she was already semi-comfortable in front of the camera. I was SO right. She is a natural model!!!

Since the derecho in Cedar Rapids kind of put a damper on the landscape scenery, we decided to hit up the big ol’ town of Central City! When Avery hopped out of the car all dolled up and looking like a movie-star (thank you, Krysta at Make Me Up, for your makeup and hairstyling skills) with her entourage of mom, dad AND boyfriend, I KNEW we were in for a good time. That’s a LOT of people staring at you while you get your photos taken.. and a LOT more people to encourage you and make you laugh. And that we did!

(Behind-the scenes photo courtesy of Avery’s mom!)

We spent some time just exploring the cool buildings and colors of Central City, changed outfits, got inspired, and had a LOT of fun!! I’m sure Avery got SO tired of hearing how perfect the weather was, especially compared to her sister’s senior photoshoot day! LOL!

I loved how her skin tone, hair color and outfit all coordinated so beautifully with the brick wall! Isn’t she stunning?! Then she discovered this cool multi-color alleyway and spray painted ground and we were inspired! It was the perfect aesthetic for her casual and comfy outfit.

Then we went headed across the street to Pinicon Ridge park for ALLLL of that gorgeous fall color and the perfect-colored bridge for fall!! Doesn’t her outfit coordinate perfectly!? And she just looks flawless!! We all had so much fun making Avery feel like the celebrity of the day - as your senior photos SHOULD be!!! And I put Avery’s dad and boyfriend to work as professional-leaf-throwers to make a fun Pinterest-worthy fall photo for her. And there was definitely more than one take. It was a blast!

After a change of outfits, we went on the hunt to find the most vibrant, colorful trees. Apparently, so did everyone else - LOL! We had to take turns taking photos with other families and professional photographers out there just trying to capture all the beautiful leaves as well. It was pretty comical!

(Another behind-the-scenes photo below!)

As I often do, I told Avery we were all finished up about 15 times before I actually meant it. But we ended our session on my trusty (ok, actually I don’t put too much trust in it) old stepladder that has made it into TOO many photos already. I mean, it’s not even cute and somehow it keeps getting it’s photo taken. But I needed a solid headshot of Avery before we left, so I sat her on it and it ended up being one of their favorites!

And I can’t wrap up this blog without showing off the book cover that I custom-designed for Avery. Almost always, my seniors LOVE the photobook and choose to order one filled with their favorite photos, and this is the cover I designed for Avery. Isn’t it adorable?!

Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine does and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2022 or 2023 (or a parent of an upcoming graduate) - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

Urban and Athletic Senior Photoshoot | Makenzi | Jefferson High School

Urban and Athletic Aesthetic Senior Pictures | Makenzi | Jefferson High School

I’m so excited to be blogging Makenzi’s senior session today. Makenzi is a senior at Jefferson High School, but she was actually a junior when I first met her. Her mom signed her up for a model call I was doing to capture a soon-to-be senior girl with the blooming trees this past spring. They were both SO fun and we had a blast in our short time together. They decided to sign up for a full senior photoshoot experience with me and the rest is history! So Makenzi got to do TWO senior sessions with 2 seasons, which is definitely a little “extra” but after the year we have had, they definitely deserve it! Isn’t she gorgeous in these spring flowers?!

We planned Makenzi’s “real” senior session for the fall. She wanted to incorporate her volleyball uniform, but other than that, she didn’t have any special requests. We decided to reserve a spot for part of her session to use the gorgeous sunflowers at Colony Pumpkin Patch, but the night before her session we had some crazy wind come through and the sunflowers didn’t make it. I replanned our session that morning and it all worked out SO perfectly! Makenzi’s session started with professional hair and makeup with the amazing Krysta at Make Me Up. Having your hair and makeup professionally done takes your photos to a whole new level, and the difference it made in Makenzi’s confidence was obvious! She was BEAMING and SO excited when we met for her photoshoot! We met and walked around the Newbo Market for a while, and found some awesome spots that worked perfectly with her outfits! (And see what I mean about that professional hair and makeup?! AMAZING!!!!)

I love sharing some behind-the-scenes photos or “What you see vs. What I see.” These ones crack me up!

She’s a straight-up super model!!! My goodness, we had SO much fun!!

YESSS!! Always bring your puppy!!

Makenzi was especially excited to use her volleyball uniform because she got the spot she wanted on her varsity volleyball team!! I’m so proud of you, girl!

Doesn’t this blue graphic wall in Newbo match her school colors perfectly!?

Since the sunflower portion of her session was no longer happening, I decided to bring Makenzi allll the way to Center Point. After the derecho that hit Cedar Rapids, it’s hard to find areas that look nice for photos so I’ve been bringing a lot of clients to my hometown this year. I love the natural trail and other natural areas! And this bridge is especially popular and looked amazing with Makenzi’s adorable outfit!!

Although time was running out and the sun was setting fast, we convinced Makenzi to take a few fun photos in an outfit that was 100% HER. Comfy, casual and cute!

The sun was setting fast, so we hopped on out into the field of wildflowers until the sunset and it was so beautiful. (Side note: I’m so sad to see these beautiful weather go!!)

Makenzi - you are GORGEOUS inside and out! I hope you have the BEST senior year and volleyball season!! You will do amazing things!

Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine does and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2021 or 2022, or a parent of a 2021/2022 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

Trendy Summer Senior Photos | Grace | Marion High School

TRENDY SENIOR SESSION WITH GRACE

Downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Center Point, Iowa | Marion High School Senior Photographer

I first met Grace just two days after the derecho swept through Cedar Rapids. It was such a whirlwind of craziness the days following that I ALMOST forgot to meet with her and her mom! But, after so many attempts to try to reach each other through the spotty cellphone service we were experiencing at that time, her mom and I finally connected and I met them at their home to start planning her session (after having to use old-fashioned word-of-mouth directions, because GPS’s weren’t working at that time either.)

We chatted about the damage in their neighborhood and the surrounding areas, how it had been affecting their family, and how it might affect her senior year - including her senior session with me. Everything in the area was in shambles and all the natural, beautiful areas and parks required so much cleanup. After chatting with Grace, her main goal was to have photos that were different than her friends and to include some wildflowers. Well… wildflowers are hard to come by post-derecho. So, we decided to travel to my hometown, Center Point, to find wildflowers AND have some scenery and backdrops that her friends wouldn’t. Win win!

We started out in Downtown Cedar Rapids, because I felt like it best matched the vibe for some of Grace’s adorable outfits. We just wandered around, found cool spots and took cute photos. BUT I do have to note… it was HOT out!! Grace’s mom wasn’t ever too far behind with the hairspray - good thinking, mom! P.S. COOL new graffiti art wall, C.R.

Then we ventured up to Center Point for some wildflowers. We stopped quick at the Travel Plaza (…or is it just Casey’s now?! Hmm!) and I was inspired! Wayyyy in the back there’s a little bit of land with trees, which would be the perfect way to add some more variety to Grace’s photos. Yay! Plus, I love the little fence and water in the background. I even convinced her to wear my hat and she looked SO good in it!

Then finally, off to the feature location of the night, the wildflower field! Grace is just the sweetest, and isn’t she just straight up adorable?!

Grace wasn’t able to get her cheerleading uniform from the school before her senior session so we scheduled a 15-minute mini photoshoot for her one Friday afternoon after school started. So we took some fun photos to show off her love for cheer and I’m so glad we did! Cheerleading was my favorite in high school too, so my cheerleading senior photos is still one of my favorites! I hope that’ll be the case for her, too.. because once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader! :)

Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine does and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2021 or 2022, or a parent of a 2021/2022 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

Twin Senior Girls Photoshoot | Gabrielle & Grace | Classic and Boho Wildflowers

Twins Senior Photoshoot with Grace & Gabrielle

Clear Creek Amana High School | Iowa Senior Photographer

The story of the first time I met Grace and Gabrielle is one I tell often. Along with their mom and younger brother, they made the trek to Cedar Rapids to meet me for their consultation and plan their sessions. Sitting at Roasters Coffee in the NewBo City Market discussing ideas and outfits, we watched through the floor-to-ceiling glass garage door as a “severe thunderstorm” started coming through Cedar Rapids. Little did we know that this was actually the life-changing derecho and things were A LOT worse than the thunderstorm we thought we were in. As power went out and the scene outside started looking really scary, the nice woman at Newbo offered us the sanctuary of the hallway bathroom, and we decided to take her up on that offer.

What a story we have to tell now. But luckily, the weather for Grace and Gabrielle’s senior session was PERFECT. During their consultation, I learned that Grace really wanted her photos to be unique, with a boho style and was really drawn to photos in fields and wildflowers. Gabrielle said she was up for whatever, and her style was more casual and classic. So I set out to come up with the perfect game plan to capture what they both had envisioned!

They started their session getting a bit glammed up. Meeting at Acacia Salon, we met with hairstylist Chelsea and makeup artist, Lindsey. Originally, both girls were skeptical about getting their hair and makeup done, because they wanted a natural look, but seeing their faces light up when they first saw themselves in the mirror was priceless. They LOVED their looks!!

Since Grace wasn’t interested in urban aesthetic for her photos too much, I had Gabrielle get her hair and makeup done first and took her to downtown Cedar Rapids to wander around and get some photos of her there. She admitted that being in front of the camera felt really awkward, which is SO TRUE! But I honestly think she did SO good.

Then when Grace’s hair and makeup was wrapped up, we met her at the NewBo City Market and took a few photos there before heading to Center Point, where I KNEW there were wildflowers. (After the derecho came through, wildflowers were hard to find.) Grace also expressed how awkward it felt to be the center of attention in front of the camera, but she’s such a natural model, I couldn’t tell!

I had our photoshoot schedule planned out down to the 15-minute increments. I had alarms set in my phone to keep me on schedule. With one senior, we typically get to wander around and find cool places more leisurely, but with 2 girls, I didn’t want one standing around and waiting too much, or their photos to look TOO much alike. So with everything planned, it went perfectly! We started at the natural trail in Center Point. There’s so many little spots in this area and the photos always turn out so pretty!!!

Next stop was the softball and baseball fields in Center Point. Both girls are going to college to play softball, so it’s a huge part of their lives and we definitely wanted to incorporate it into their senior photos. I’m so glad we did! Aren’t these girls gorgeous?!?! (We definitely had to use my pop-up changing tent a lot. They each had at least 5 outfits!!)

Next up was the open fields and yellow wildflowers for Gabrielle as the sun started going down. I’m in love with how they turned out. And Gabrielle was ROCKING the serious face - no awkward feelings or giggles stood in her way by the end of her session.

And to wrap up their session was Grace’s turn in the wildflowers, but we chose the white ones for hers. This was the MAIN thing she wanted for her session so we used every last bit of the sunset to capture some sweet, boho vintage photos in the wildflowers, and she looked absolutely beautiful!

I love these AMAZING folio boxes the twins chose (which include ALL the digital files that seniors love to have), and the metal prints and hanging canvas their mom loved for the new house they’re renovating. It’ll be farmhouse-style and I think they will look BEAUTIFUL up on their walls!!

Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine does and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2021 or 2022, or a parent of a 2021/2022 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

Spring & Fall Double Senior Session | Reagan | Cedar Rapids, Iowa

SPRING & FALL DOUBLE SENIOR SESSIONS

Newbo Market | Ellis Park | Kennedy High School Senior Photographer

This past Spring as the trees started to bloom with the gorgeous flowers, I HAD to photograph them. In the Spring, snow is still melting and people are just starting to willingly come out of their homes after a long, brutal winter. Let me just put it this way - most people are not booking photoshoots at this time. It’s also graduation season and seniors are graduating while juniors are stressing about finals and the end of the year. They’re not ready to think about senior pictures yet!

I had this vision of a gorgeous (soon-to-be) senior girl in the golden sunset light with these blooming trees, but it had to be done SOON, because these flowers fall as fast as they come. I put out a model call and Reagan answered - and I’m SO glad!! She made my vision come to life!!

We only spent a little time taking photos since I just needed a few to share, but she and her family LOVED her photos and knew they wanted to book a full senior session for Reagan in the fall! So today, I get to share my first senior session from TWO different gorgeous seasons!

Every day when driving home, I saw these blooming trees overhanging the sidewalk as the sun shown through them. It was easy access and would be perfect for my mini-session model call with Reagan.
(A few examples of what I see (photos of Reagan) vs. what someone else might see (cell phone shots))

We even set up my lighting to make it seem like it was sunset-y and glowy for a few photos - it was exactly what I had envisioned!!

I knew I had the photos I was wanting, but I wanted to make sure it was worth Reagan’s time too (since she so graciously volunteered last minute for me) so we played around in the other trees and nature trail a little bit, which made it a great practice run for her full senior session. (And spoiler alert… she NAILED it!!!!)

We scheduled Reagan’s next photoshoot for the end of October, really crossing our fingers for those fall colors! And Mother Nature delivered. The colors were unreal. And with that red hair of hers… OhEmGee.

We threw around some ideas of locations and ended up choosing the Newbo area because of the cute buildings and Ellis Park for the colorful trees and water! Did you know that colorful trees + water = DOUBLE the color because the water reflects the fall colors!? Yeah.. it was gorgeous!

We met at Newbo Market and started our adventures from there. Reagan is SO adorable and awesome about posing. She NAILS the serious face every time. It was like walking around with a model the whole night, she made my job so easy!

After a few outfit changes, we made a pit-stop to get some photos with her pup and brother, and then we were on our way to Ellis Park!

I just couldn’t stop taking photos. We barely had to move around in the park, it was so pretty everywhere! And spending the evening with Reagan and her mom made my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. They’re two peas in a pod, and so much fun!! And it’s Reagan just SO gorgeous?!

We wrapped up Reagan’s senior session as the sun set and I knew I couldn’t wait to get home to go through her images!! It was the perfect senior session: fun outfits to match Reagan’s adorable style paired with a perfect, sunny day to just relax, explore and laugh while capturing some AMAZING images. Best day EVER!!!

Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine does and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2020 or 2021, or a parent of a 2020/2021 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

Feminine Senior Photos | Kira | Kennedy High School Senior Portrait Photographer

UNIQUE & FEMININE SENIOR SESSION WITH KIRA

Paramount Theatre | Squaw Creek | Eastern Iowa Senior Photographer

Oh, I can’t wait to share of the adventure we had on Kira’s senior session! I met with Kira and her dad at Hyvee and the excitement she felt about getting her senior pictures done just RADIATED from her. While usually I communicate with the seniors’ parents through the process, Kira had such a vision, her dad just sat back and let the two of us plan her session. The first step, though, getting her braces off! We planned her session for a few weeks after she FINALLY got her braces off - which she was PUMPED about!

Throughout the next few weeks Kira and I texted, staying in contact about her upcoming session. When she sent me a photo of her brand new smile the day she got her braces off, my heart just soared for her!!! And it made me feel AMAZING that she felt comfortable and close enough to me already to send me her super excited selfie. I LOVE my job!

We planned out Kira’s session a few days before her photoshoot, everything was “weather depending.” It had been raining and raining all week leading up to her session, including the day before, so I was a little worried about the outdoor location I had chosen be super muddy. (Spoiler alert: It was.)

Kira and her family chose my “Celebration Package” which includes lots of pampering for the senior. A few days before her session, she stopped by for the BEST spray tan at Sol Sisters in Newbo. (They really are the best! Kira even said “I am so happy with my spray tan! It’s the best one I’ve gotten!! Sol Sisters did so good!”) It happened to work out perfectly because she had Homecoming the next night. The afternoon of her session, Krysta from Make Me Up met Kira at her house and made her feel like a million bucks with her natural, classic makeup look and perfectly curled hair. She was glowing and Kira raved about how much she loved Krsyta!

I arrived at Kira’s house and while she enjoyed a quick meal of chicken nuggets, I started setting up her bedroom for the first part of her unique senior photoshoot. We catered her senior photos to all about her… Part 1 was about her obsession with FUZZY BLANKETS!

This was TOO much fun. I do feel bad about the number of feathers they probably had to clean up after the session was over. But, it was WORTH IT! Next up, Part 2… the Paramount Theatre!

Kira asked me about using the Paramount Theatre for some photos because of her love for theatre, music and performing. I told her I doubt they would let us in but I would look into it. Sure enough, they allowed us to rent it. The WHOLE thing. It was so detailed and gorgeous, but the lights throughout the building were pretty dim… it is a theatre, so that’s expected. But it forced me to get a little creative with lighting and ideas, and boy am I glad we had Kira’s mom and grandma (visiting from Florida) there to help us out!

After a few outfit changes and A LOT of stairs later, it was time to move on to Part 3 of Kira’s unique senior photos.. my backup location at Squaw Creek Park in Marion. The two other locations I had picked out for her were a muddy mess, so Squaw Creek it was! Squaw Creek is were 95.89% of the area’s local photographers go for photoshoots and it was FINALLY not raining. I knew it’d be packed out there, and it was, but Squaw Creek has so many options, I knew we would find some perfect spots.

Kira brought to special outfits that she just wanted a few photos in, because they represented her! 1. Her “Happiness” jacket from her school activities and her UNI outfit because she’s SO EXCITED to be attending UNI next fall!

Kira’s last outfit was my favorite! A classic, feminine two-piece outfit with a bit of a vintage vibe. Right up my alley!

We spend the rest of the daylight finishing up her senior photos as her mom and grandma ooo-ed and awww-ed over the gorgeous golden sky. Kira is SO. GOSH. DARN sweet and I loved spending the day with her, her mom and grandma. I feel like I hit the jackpot that they chose me. What an AMAZING girl, and what a blessing to have gotten to know her!

Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine does and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2020 or 2021, or a parent of a 2020/2021 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

Glacier National Park Wedding | The Hausladens | Destination Wedding Photographer

Mr. & Mrs. Hausladen

West Glacier National Park, Montana | Mountain Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer

When Holli and Kyle first reached out to me to be their wedding photographer, they were planning their wedding at a family farm. The day we were scheduled to meet for a consultation, Holli reached out apologetically and said they had changed their minds and wanted to get married in one of their favorite spots to travel, Glacier National Park. Instead of shouting back via email “TAKE ME WITH YOU,” I kept my cool and said, “I love to travel, so if you decide you need an elopement photographer, don’t hesitate to reach out.” (Smooth, right?) I gave them some quotes and I may have cried inside with happiness when they decided to bring me with them. Seriously, what an honor!

It has been such an adventure ever since. From their camping and canoeing-themed engagement session to their mountain wedding and everything in between, I have LOVED getting to spend time with this couple (and their sweet pups!)

I traveled with my boyfriend, Jake (who doubles as my second shooter and assistant for destination weddings), his parents and grandparents who had Glacier on their bucket-list of places to visit. We stayed at this amazing rental place I booked from Airbnb called the Moonridge Retreat in Whitefish, Montana. It was the perfect, private location for us! We hiked and saw lots of wildlife, ate lots of good food, went whitewater rafting and celebrated my birthday! We even hired our own photographer while we were there, Elsa Eileen Photography, because I wanted my own beautiful mountain photos! (And it was a BLAST!!)

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

(These 3 photos below are just a few of the photos our photographer, Elsa, took for us in Glacier!! LOVE!! )

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

The day came for Holli and Kyle’s wedding and I was so excited, I knew it would be a breeze. (I didn’t account for all the tourists, but that’s what creative angles and photoshop is for, right?!) They decided to do a private first look on the little beach area, so as Holli arrived looking stunning, we turned Kyle to face the mountains while his bride prepared to see her groom for the first time. Pure joy. Pure love. THIS is what weddings are meant to be! Holli even had a little surprise for her dad - she had a Harley patch sewn into her dress! (Her dad told her that the dress better have the Harley logo on it for how much spent on it! LOL. 100% worth it, girl!)

Since I was only there for a few hours, and the fact that Glacier National Park can take hours to get through, we did the family photos near the ceremony site and wandered around to find all the best spots for Holli and Kyle’s portraits. Of course, the goal was the get epic photos of them with the mountains!

Of course, I wanted to give them some variety for their wedding photos as well! We walked to this little patch of woods, found a boat dock with an amazing view and just had great time soaking it all in! I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to visit Glacier National Park to celebrate Holli and Kyle, who decided to listen to their hearts and do their wedding THEIR way.

Going back through these photos, I have so many feelings! But seriously, pinch me! Is this my real life?! Is this what I get to do for my “job?!!!” I CRAVE traveling and experiencing new places. If you are deciding whether or not to take the plunge and have a destination wedding, I hope you do it! You won’t regret it - AAAAND I’d love be your third wheel, fly on the wall, go-to-girl, a.k.a. your photographer! I’d to meet you and talk about your plans and dreams - just fill out the info below!

Summer Senior Portraits | Maddie | Xavier High School Senior Photographer

Wildflowers & Sunshine Senior Session with Maddie

Squaw Creek Park | Downtown Cedar Rapids | Senior Photographer

If you follow my Instagram (@Seniors_by_Lehia), you know my Insta-game isn’t very strong. I’ll be the first to admit that!! But when Maddie reached out and told me she found me on Instagram, I was so excited! In just the sentence or two that she wrote me, I could tell she was something special. When I met with her for her consultation, I knew I was right - she’s amazing! Maddie loves traveling and is SUPER busy - so much so that we had only TWO days in our calendars that matched up to schedule her senior session on. So we chose the first date for her session, and set the second as our rain date… but luckily we didn’t need it! It was a PERFECT night for her photos - I’m in LOVE!

Maddie senior package included professional hair and makeup with the amazing Krysta at Make Me Up and a free spray tan with my girls at Sol Sisters Sunless Tanning. So when she showed up to her session, I could TELL she felt like a rockstar. It’s crazy how much of a confidence boost a little pampering can give you. And it shows in her photos! I can’t get over how adorable she is!

We started near downtown Cedar Rapids, at Green Square Park (those flowers… swoon!!) and headed on over to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. After a quick change of outfit in my handy-dandy pop up tent, we wandered around and used some of my favorite spots in the area.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Maddie calls these her “power pants” so naturally, we’ve got to do the “power pose!”

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

We left Cedar Rapids and headed towards the most popular park in the area, Squaw Creek Park. We drove in and I was in awe! I’ve never seen that many wildflowers there before. I could not WAIT to photograph Maddie here. The outfits she picked out were SO adorable and I knew the cloudless sky was going to give us that ultimate summer-look of golden-glowy goodness! It did not disappoint.

View fullsize

View fullsize

When I showed Maddie a few of her photos from the back of my camera, she put her hand over her mouth. I got a little nervous but she assured me it was a good thing! (LOL, I’m so out of the “cool” loop now, by the way.) She ROCKED every.single.part of her session, as you can tell.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

We ended her session just trying out model-poses, running around and having fun. It was such a blast and I couldn’t wait to get home to go through her photos. Her family left for vacation a day after her session so I had to wait for what felt like a lifetime to show her the photos for the first time, but it was worth it!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

I definitely over-shared Maddie’s senior session, but I had so much fun during our session. It’s not often you meet someone 10+ years younger than you and feel like you could just chat for hours, but Maddie is SO down to earth and ready to take on whatever challenges and turns her life holds. Good thing I follow her on Instagram, because I’m so excited to follow her post-graduation journey - I know she’s going places!

View fullsize

View fullsize

Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine does and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2020, or a parent of a 2020 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

5 Reasons Why You Should Choose Me to be Your Wedding Photographer

Pick me, pick me, pick me!!! Ok… only if you want to!

Forewarning: I overuse exclamation point, and this first paragraph isn’t part of my “Why you should choose me” speech.

Quick disclaimer on choosing your wedding photographer. My main goal as a wedding photographer is obviously to capture beautiful photos for you, but in order to do that, you have to be comfortable with me and in front of the camera. I always meet my future bride and groom before they book with me to make sure we “jive” because as a wedding photographer, I will be spending more time with you on your wedding day than anyone else. Meeting with each other builds connections and choosing a wedding photographer who you can connect with and makes YOU feel comfortable is a HUGE deal. (So don’t just choose a photographer based only on their style and cost!)

So now that I’ve said that, let’s move on to the reasons I think you should PICK ME!

1. You get free presents.

Of course I had to start with this one, because I LOVE giving my clients surprise gifts! Every time I meet with my brides and grooms (or any client) I always bring something fun for them (and let’s be honest, it usually it involves food). Whether it be a post-session goodie bags, ordering session cupcakes, or a personalized wedding gift, I love surprising and spoiling my clients with goodies! (I use a local business, Birch & Bauble, for the adorable custom signs!) Eek!! SO CUTE!!

2. You’re not just another wedding couple.

Not even close! I book only a handful of weddings each year because I want to get to KNOW you on a personal level. I know you could find someone to take pictures for you cheaper. I know my process means a few extra meetings with me. I know you can find someone to show up for your wedding, take the photos and then send them over to you on an online gallery for you to figure out how to download. But I LOVE providing a full-service experience to my clients because that’s what they deserve!

And on your wedding day, I’m going to cover ALL the bases… twice. Not every photo I take is going to be perfect and magazine quality because I spend most of my time documenting your day as it unfolds. I’m not photographing your wedding to get my version of the “perfect” photo for my website and social media - I’m there to capture YOUR authentic moments! The moments you were part of and the moments you may have missed in the hustle and bustle of the day. I might be out of commission for a few days following your wedding because I worked (and talked) my booty off, but you chose and trusted in me. You better believe I’ll put my heart and soul in it for you.

3. Girl, I’m multi-talented.

If disaster would strike on your wedding day, I kinda-sorta feel like you’re going to want me there. Cake ruined? Making cakes used to be one of my side-hustles; I’ve got tricks. Dress tear or clasp need sewn? I’ve made entire outfits from fabric; I can sew. Nobody can tie a perfect bow for your dress? I tie pretty little bows daily. Need hair and makeup help? I know my way around a curling iron and fake lashes. Music malfunctioning and you can’t get your special first dance song to play? Girl, I know love songs, and sing in my church choir - just pass the mic. Ok, ok, that last one is more far-fetched, but if needed for ANYTHING I can’t say no. I want your day to be PERFECT. I may be hired as the photographer, but if needed I can be much more… you ask me to dance, I’ll dance. You ask me to clean, I’ll clean. You ask me to hold your boob, I’ll hold your boob ( it happens: see left photo, directly above this paragraph). I got you.

4. I create your wedding day timeline for you.

Most likely, this is your first wedding. Most likely, you have NOOOO idea where to even begin with a wedding day timeline or how much time photos will take and that part is stressing you the heck out. I LOVE that I can do this for my wedding couples because I know it not only helps them out so much, but it helps me know that the day is not going to be either jam-packed (you’re going to want some moments to chill) or waste unnecessary time or your energy. When they’re ready, my clients fill out a survey asking them ALL the questions I might need to know (like are you having a first look vs. are you seeing each other down the aisle or what are the family photos you’d love to have) and I create a 100% customized timeline, just for them!

5. The photo-reveal party, with cupcakes of course.

After your engagement session or wedding, we always meet for what I call the “ordering session” but in reality it’s a photo-reveal party! You can invite your friends or family if you’d like (or have it just be the two of you) and I come to your home and I show you all of your photos on a slideshow, right up on your TV! This is one of my favorite parts… guess why?! I get to be there in person to show you your photos for the first time and it’s AMAZING! And while I’m there at your home, I can use my handy-dandy app to show you what photos and sizes would look like on your actual wall, with your furniture and wall colors. Then I do all the designing and ordering for you, then deliver them right to your door.. and boom, you’re done! How cool is that?! Whether you’re planning your wedding or just wrapped it up, you do NOT want to spend your precious time deciding which photos to print/what size/where to hang them/attempt to design a wedding album. It’s overwhelming and most people give up and never get those gorgeous photos printed. So, that’s why I do what I do!

I hope you had fun reading this list! If my five reasons spoke to your soul - or - if you simply love cupcakes, cry about everything happy/sad, and feel a little nervous or awkward in about getting your photo taken, then you’re my people and we should probably be friends! Fill out the form below and let’s do this thing! (crossing my fingers I still have your date open because I’d LOVE to meet you!!)

Colorful Fall Senior Portraits | Olivia | Kennedy High School Senior Photographer

Colorful Fall Senior Session with Olivia

Marion | Cedar Rapids | Eastern Iowa Senior Photographer

Olivia’s October senior portrait session couldn’t have been a more beautiful day. Her mom and I had so many ideas, and Olivia’s only request was that we make a stop at Almost Famous Popcorn Company in Newbo and she wanted colorful trees. About a week before her senior session date, most of the trees lost all of their colorful leaves, and although I know I can create some Photoshop magic and fall color if needed, I still aim to please! As I was driving around, scoping out areas hoping to find ANY colorful foliage left, I came across a giant patch of my favorite tall, plume-y grass that occurs in the fall here in Iowa, pampas grass. I hadn’t gotten to photograph it ALL year and knew I HAD to try it with Olivia. The location wasn’t ideal, it was in the middle of a very public area, but I thought with some creative angling it could possibly block out the busy, bustling background scenery. So that’s where we started, and although it was a challenge to get into the middle of the crazy, deep grass, it was totally worth it!

Since the grass didn’t allow us much movement, as beautiful as it was, we had to move on. The sun was starting to officially come out from behind the clouds, so we headed down to the Newbo District for the next part of Olivia’s senior pictures. Her outfit looked AWESOME with the colors and buildings there. And isn’t her hair gorgeous! (Ya’ll she just braids it while it’s wet and let’s it dry and it comes out all perfect like that!)

As requested by Olivia, we popped (pun-intended!) into the cute little Almost Famous Popcorn Company shop for a mini photoshoot with their popcorn. With their vintage sodas and vibe, I knew the red dress that Olivia had brought would fit the decor well. We made this part fun and quick, I didn’t want to be too disruptive - but the employees were so nice about letting us use their space!

We walked around looking for some more amazing spots (stopping to pet some adorable dogs along the way) and took some classic senior portraits with Olivia’s grandma’s necklace she had brought for her session (as a surprise for her dad!) And yeah, when you have hair like that, you better believe you’ll spend 50% of your session doing hair flips!

As the sun started to get lower in the sky, it was time to head out for our last portion of Olivia’s senior pictures. We headed out Squaw Creek Park in Marion, which is usually FULL of photographers this time of year (because it’s an amazing park, obviously) but there was nobody there! (Maybe because all the leaves had already dropped?!) So we set up camp - sort of literally! LOL. I bring a pop-up changing tent for sessions so you don’t have to get changed in the backseat of your car. It’s pretty awesome. I pulled out my vintage-floral “grandma” chair and it matched Olivia’s romper perfectly!

The sun was setting extra quick it seemed, but oooh man, look at that gorgeous golden glow that I LOVE! And I seriously loved this location!! I wanted to photograph Olivia here forever! She ROCKED her session - aren’t her outfits so adorable?!

Senior pictures are SO fun, and we party until there’s no more sun left in the sky. Olivia’s session was no exception. We did one last outfit change for a more comfy/casual look and finished up her session. We even found a tiny patch of flowers that I insisted she lay in, which happened to be her mom’s FAVORITE photo of her!

A little behind the scenes, courtesy of Olivia’s mom! Thanks, Karen!

I LOVED every minute of Olivia’s senior portraits and her images are some of my all-time favorite senior pictures. We had Olivia’s ordering session, a few tears were shed, and her family decided they’d love a photobook of her photos. I designed her photobook using all of their favorite images, and they had me design a custom cover for it as well, and I just LOVE how it turned out!! Its too cute not to share; isn’t it gorgeous!?

Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine in the summer and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2020, or a parent of a 2020 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! It may seem early, but I’ve had so many parents tell me they wish they wouldn’t have waited! P.S. I always run a special deal for Seniors who book their session for the summer. Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

3 Things to Do When Planning an Affordable Destination Wedding or Honeymoon

Affordable Destination Wedding or Honeymoon:
Tips from a Destination Wedding Photographer

Traveling or vacationing is something everyone says they wish they could do more, but don’t. Why? Maybe they “don’t have time” or “don’t have the money.” I don’t have kids, but I do understand travel IS more complicated when you have kiddos. But you know what, it IS possible. I’m not here to give you a pep talk on WHY you should be making traveling a priority in your life, or how to do it easily with children (because yeahhhh, I’m not much help on that one).

You’re here because you’re already planning to take a trip sometime in the next year (or two), maybe you’re wanting a destination wedding or you’re planning your honeymoon, and you want to get the best deal and save as much money as you can. So, let’s get to it!

I directed this blog post at newly engaged couples considering the possibility of a destination wedding (like the one I photographed in Aruba) or those planning an affordable honeymoon, because I’m a destination wedding photographer who loves to travel, but these tips could apply to anyone!

(Side note, if you’ve never researched what your destination wedding cost would be, I’m told they can easily be cheaper than a regular wedding!)

This wedding in Aruba was so relaxing! What an amazing way to spend your wedding day and week.

Airline-Miles or Travel Credit Cards

Reading that headline makes me think “ick!” It seems like I’m about to go all sales-y on you, doesn’t it. Trust me, I’m not here to try to SELL you on getting these credit cards. (p.s. I’m not affiliated at all, but they do have a referral program which I have linked below.) I just love sharing smart ways to save money! These are a no-brainer to me now. ESPECIALLY if you’re planning a wedding, because of how expensive they are — you might as well be getting some of that money back!

Everyone starts a wedding savings account for their wedding expenses, which is smart! My next step would be to get a credit card that makes sense for your lifestyle and use it to pay for your wedding expenses — as well as everything else you buy in your everyday life. Then throughout the week, you go into your credit card account and you will select your wedding savings account to pay for the wedding items you purchase. (I go into mine about every other day to pay it off, and so I can easily track my expenses.) So, yes, I understand that this is an extra step, but I feel like it’s WAY worth it for the amount you’ll save on your travel expenses in the end.

When I first started looking into these, my heads was SPINNING! I tell everyone I know about them now because I love them! Disclaimer: Credit cards can be risky if you have a hard time saving money and don’t track your spending. If you treat them like a regular bank account, don’t spend more than you have and pay them off throughout the week (I do this online and it takes 2 seconds), this should be a breeze for you.

After A LOT of research and about giving up (I recommend starting HERE if you want more info), I decided to try two different types of credits cards that sort of worked together to give you the most return for your spending. Different credit cards give you a different amount of “points” depending on what they want you to use them for, so essentially I got one credit card for restaurants and travel expenses (hotels, car rental, etc) and a second credit card for everything else. My “Restaurant Card” as I call it ,gives me more points for going out to eat than my “Everything Else card” would. If you don’t go out to eat or travel often, then you wouldn’t necessarily benefit from this card, and I wouldn’t recommend getting it because there is an annual fee (which for us is ok; we easily make that fee back because we eat out often — usually at least 3 time a week.)

The two credit cards I use are the Chase Freedom Unlimited (everyday card) and the Chase Sapphire Preferred (travel and dining card). You can do your own research on these cards, and other travel cards, but if you decide to get them, I highly recommend taking advantage of their “bonus points” you will get by spending a certain amount within 3 months of getting your new cards. Points = money. That’s a SUPER easy way to get free money for something you’d already be spending on your wedding anyway! These cards DO have a cash back option, but your points are worth more money if you use them for traveling. We’ve had our credit cards for about a year now, and we’ve saved up $1600 in free travel money that we’re using to save up for plane tickets for a trip we normally couldn’t afford, like Greece or Egypt! EEK - that’s so exciting!! (And then we’ll get MORE points by using my Chase Sapphire Preferred to purchase the plane tickets - win, win!)

To recap, when you start using the Chase Freedom Unlimited to make your everyday purchases, you earn free money back on what you’d be spending anyway, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great add-on credit card for those who dine out or travel already, to get MORE points for those things. More points = more free money towards traveling (aka your destination wedding or honeymoon)! Like I said, it’s a no-brainer.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Photos from our yearly trip to Acapulco.

Google Flights and the Hopper App

Like I mentioned above, we’ve already earned $1600 this year that we plan to use towards our future plane tickets. While $1600 in free money is AMAZING, we’re not going to blow it by not doing our research on the BEST flight options.

Whenever I’m planning a trip, I always start with Google Flights. In my experience, they show me the ALL of the options and best deals and the site is straight forward and easy to navigate. You can use Google Flights to see your flight costs for certain dates as well as what flying on different dates might cost you. If you can change your flight from leaving on a Saturday to leaving on a Thursday for example, you might be able to save a few hundred dollars.

Something else I do frequently is compare costs from flying out from other cities near me, or even into cities near my destination if I’m already planning on renting a car anyway. I’m based out of Center Point, Iowa and there is an airport nearby in Cedar Rapids. This is ideal because you don’t have to pay for parking if you have a friend or family member drop you off and pick you up. But by checking out the larger airports within a 4-hour driving distance (Des Moines, Quad Cities, Minneapolis or Chicago for example) I could save A LOT of money and make the drive worth it. But it has to be a price difference that makes sense when you factor in the cost of parking your car, gas expense and if it’s worth the extra time it takes.

A perfect example is my upcoming trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. A sweet couple from Iowa reached out about hiring me to photograph their wedding here in the Midwest, but realized how affordable destination weddings could be. I gave them a custom-quote, as I do all my destination weddings and now I’m their destination wedding photographer! (I’m able to keep my destination wedding costs down because I’m ALL about finding the good deals, so don’t be afraid to ask me for a quote.) I’m so excited to be visiting Glacier for the first time! I’ve been watching flights from Cedar Rapids to Glacier National Park/Kalispell, Montana and wasn’t finding any flights that fit my needs and budget. We were also needing to rent a car while there, and the cost of those was as much as a plane ticket itself. YIKES! No gracias. We ended up purchasing tickets from Cedar Rapids to Missoula instead because 1. the flights were cheaper, 2. the car rental was WAY cheaper and 3. I could fly Delta (yay) with my ideal travel times. We saved over $250 EACH this way. Yes, it will be a 2 hour drive to our destination and back at the end of our trip but it’s a scenic and beautiful drive and we’ll still be arriving way earlier in Kalispell then we would be if we would’ve just flown directly from Cedar Rapids. (I didn’t want our flight to be landing at 10pm and that was my old affordable direct flight option. Now we will arrive around 3pm. WAY better!)

I have only ever flown out of the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids or the O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. And I 100% would pay a little extra money to fly Delta because we always have the best experiences with them. (So much so that I almost got THEIR credit card but didn’t want to be hindered on only flying where they offer flights or ONLY with them. Unfortunately I sometimes can’t choose Delta if their prices are way higher than the other options.) While flying out of your nearest airport is easier, sometimes flying out from the nearest large-city airport still makes more sense on your budget. When we fly from O’Hare in Chicago, we choose to either Park ‘N’ Fly/Park, Sleep, Fly or use a parking/shuttle service, depending on what time our flight is. If we have an early flight and don’t want to wake up at 2 am to make the commute to Chicago, or our returning flight will and late and we don’t want to make the 4-hour trek back super tired, we have used the Park ‘N’ Fly (or Park, Sleep, Fly) option. This is where a hotel will let you park your vehicle in their parking lot while you’re on your trip for a smaller fee if you stay at least one night with them. More often than not, we will choose to use a parking/shuttle service. We found Blue Sky Parking when we first started traveling and they only charged $8/night for parking. Their prices have gone up a bit since then but their customer service is worth it. You pay to park your car in their lot while you are gone and they drop you off and pick you up at the airport when you need them. They even have scraped our windows from snow and pre-heated our car for our return during the cold winter months! We were so thankful!

A little more clarification for all you number people out there, I’m going to show you how I’d build my ideal budget-friend trip:
For the sake of this example, I’ll use our most common trip we take. We vacation in Acapulco, Mexico each year for 2 weeks around January. As I’m looking at Google Flights right now, ideally we would like to leave on a Friday and return on a Saturday so we can have all of Sunday to recover from traveling before heading back to work on Monday.

• So let’s put our tentative date at Jan 10th — Jan 25th to avoid any of the American holidays. Our of Cedar Rapids, our best option is a 9.5 hour flight for $573. Ok, so let’s see if I can find a better deal. As I was choosing my dates, I noticed that Google Flights was showing me that flying out on a Thursday was a slightly better deal, but still not worth it.

• My next variable would be trying different airports. Flying out of Chicago those same dates would be $524 for a 9.5 hour flight. We’d also have to add in our driving time. This is not worth it either. I even checked different dates for flying out of Chicago and there wasn’t a significant price drop.

• If Chicago flights would’ve been a at least $200 cheaper than Cedar Rapids, I would’ve considered it. Parking in the Blue Sky parking ramp for 14 days would cost us around $168, and my boyfriend and I would split the cost. So if Chicago’s flights would’ve been around $373 or less, we might go that route. That’s a savings of $116 per ticket ($573 - ($373 + $84)). But gas would have cost us maybe $100 a person for the trip there and back (I like to round to the heavier side of costs so I know I’m being safe) and it would be 8 hours of driving. So there goes that $116 ticket costs savings. No thanks to that option!

So you will have to play around with the different variables, do the math and see what makes sense with your situation and needs. If I’m planning a trip, I check the flights every other day for a while. I use my notepad on my computer or phone and track the weekday (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc) and what the flight costs as well as how long it is for comparison consistency. If you start planning for an affordable honeymoon at the same time as you begin wedding planning, this should give you enough time. By tracking for several months, you will start to see trends on your flights. Costs might drop at the end of the month or on certain weekdays. Then you will know that if you’ve been seeing a price drop on the last Wednesday of every month, for example, then you know to wait until then to purchase your tickets. It does take some effort to remember to consistently check and track flights, but I enjoy it. I do also have the Hopper app on my phone that sends me a notification if prices drop on the flights on watching, which might be a good option for you to try, but I have noticed that it doesn’t include ALL the flights I’m watching when I look at Google Flights, unfortunately. For example, I used it before booking our flights for our Glacier trip and it told me the cheapest flight was $500 but on Google Flights, there are SO many that were cheaper.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Photos from Canada, Aruba and Acapulo.

Airbnb Rentals

One things that surprises me the most is how under-rated renting an Airbnb is compared to staying at a hotel or all-inclusive resorts. While I get that there are major perks to hotels/resorts, if you’re trying to travel more and pay less, Airbnb rental should be your first choice! There are many reasons I love Airbnbs.

• They’re cheaper usually, depending on which one you choose. You can find amazing ones within your budget and cheaper than a hotel.

• You can have your own private home to stay in with all the amenities.

• You can have your own private pool/hot tub.

• Parking can be free and you just have to pull right in the drive way.

• And my favorite reason is because you can get your own kitchen. You don’t have to eat out 100% of the time you’re hungry. You can stock up on groceries, snacks and drink mixes and save so much money this way!

If you’ve never heard of Airbnb, it’s where people will let you rent out their vacation or rental homes to stay in while they are not living there. Sometimes they might be neighbors who bought the property next door, or they might live in the top portion of the house while renting out the bottom. You can rent entire houses to just a single room. You can filter your search on their site to match exactly what you’re looking for, but make sure to read the descriptions and reviews before making a final decision. Sometimes if content is unclear, I will even contact the Airbnb listing’s owner and ask them. My favorite Airbnb so far was our trip to Aruba. We stayed HERE. It was beautiful!

I currently have a LONG list of places from all over the world that in my “Dream Travel” list in my Airbnb account, like Vietnam, Ireland, Spain and even Disney!

Photos from our Airbnb in Aruba. These do not do it justice!

Final Tips

Two last things before I end this VERY long blog is 1. set up your bank account to transfer money weekly or biweekly and 2. join traveling groups on Facebook.

You can set up your bank account to automatically transfer money to a savings account for you. I have done this for years, and I’d recommend starting it ASAP, even if you’re aren’t in the midst of planning a trip. You can do this online usually, or you might have to call your bank, but transferring whatever you can afford, whether it’s $10 a week or $40+ a week, you will have saved up $500-$2000 without really even noticing it. Not you can put that towards your affordable honeymoon or destination wedding! $500 can easily be a plane ticket or almost a full week at an Airbnb!

By joining traveling groups on Facebook, you can easily use it as a resource from real people. I love the Girls Love Travel group and find all the best sight-seeing and restaurant recommendations there. You can use the search bar for groups to search what has already been discussed. So just type in wherever you’re traveling and read the unbiased opinions of other travelers! Before we left for Aruba, I searched the Girls Love Travel group for ideas and suggestions and my two favorite experiences from our trip came from there. (UTV rental to tour the island/Natural Pool and Zeerovers).

Photos from our UTV rental and Zeerovers in Aruba.

That’s all the travel budgeting tips I have for you today. Anything that I missed that I should be doing?! I’d love to hear your recommendations. I hope you have a wonderful (and affordable) honeymoon or destination wedding. (And keep me in mind if you’re needing a destination wedding photographer who would LOVE to travel with you!) Happy traveling!

Want more information about bringing me with you!? Fill out this form and I’ll be in touch!