Photography: Ethan [14 years]

     This Fall has been my best season yet for photography! So many people have generously asked me to take their photos, and the bright colors are at their peak right now in the Midwest.
     Ever since I got into photography, I have been my family's main photographer.  These pictures are late in coming, as my brother turned 14 this winter, but he definitely wanted his picture taken in his soccer uniform, so we waited until now.  It took a fair amount of coaxing to get him to simply smile naturally, but the promised McDonald's sundae was reward enough.  Since he wasn't too thrilled about this whole photo-shoot thing, we stayed close to home so as to get done quickly.

Some things I need to grow in/learn as a photographer:

1. How to pose naturally (esp. for guys)

2. Having a repertoire of locations on public property

3. Buy a fancy photo editing software (for now my favorite on the computer is iPiccy and on my iphone, VSCO cam.)
4. Know my camera inside-and-out (manual settings, types of lenses, etc.)

Sometimes all it takes is another perspective, another angle, another detail to see the art.

Natural smiles and laughter are my favorite.

Black & White or Color? It's always a struggle.

Up in a tree.

Life. Is full of adventure.

On another day (Yes, he let me take that many pictures....barely!) We had some fun experimenting at a nearby tunnel.  It turned out the lighting was horrible for taking portraits, but awesome for silhouettes!

Thanks for being a good sport Ethan!  Happy 14th.

Photography: Lenz Family

     I was invited this fall to take some family pictures for the Lenz family.  Unfortunately, the leaves were either not quite at their peak or past it, and we ended up with some very green backgrounds.  Still, the kids were great, and everyone braved the cold and put on a smile anyway!

I was surprised at how bright the sun was so early in the morning!  We made it work though, and with the lake and sunshine, there was this beautiful mist all around.  

Someone was an early bird--enjoying the peaceful lake on a boat in the fog.

Lately, I've been liking the contrasting look of black and white photos.

Also, I'm experimenting with more candid shots, and I like this look much better!

This little guy had (always has!) plenty of energy.  I asked him to please run for me so I could experiment with some lighting and I ended up with this misty photo!

The bright morning sun created soft silhouettes of the family.

Once we finished experimenting with sunlight, we moved over to some shade to take a few close-ups.

{Looking to his parents while taking care of his younger sister}

Little sister has TWO big brothers to watch out for her!

  

Too much cuteness for one picture!

It's tough to capture 3 smiles in one picture, so here are 3 pictures with 9 adorable faces.

...and then we brought out the pumpkins!

"...now make a silly face at each other!"

Back to more family pictures:

 

What a beautiful family!

{p l a y f u l}

Towards the end, the kids were getting cold and tired, but they still managed to smile for the camera!

 Thank you, Lenz family!!