It was fun to visit this friend’s home for their family portraits last weekend – especially when they recently moved back from across country! Their backyard was the perfect setting for family portraits, especially with the warm fireplace so close by on the chilly morning. Welcome home, friends!
Tag: kansas
A Sea of Sunflowers
Last weekend, my husband humored me by getting up well before sunrise, waking our kids, and loading them in the car for a drive to the Kansas-famous sunflower field, Grinter Farms. I mean, what kind of Kansas photographer would I be if I didn’t insist we go there for sunrise?
Reality: While the morning light was great, the kids were not. Apparently the beauty of infinite sunflowers is lost on small children when they’re dragged out of bed and thrown into a field full of scratchy flowers and bugs. I still have to hashtag #worthit and #makingmemories, because the photos did indeed make it worth it.
Senior Portraits | Spencer
My sister started talking about me shooting my nephew’s senior photos back when he was in middle school. It seemed so far off. He was, after all, only six when I got married. But with the blink of an eye, here we are. His senior year. Last weekend, I had a great time visiting both recognizable and unique spots around Topeka to capture his senior photos. There are SO many images to choose from (over 600, to be exact). Here are a few of my favorites.
Do you have a student graduating high school this year? It’s not too late for portraits! I think fall is the best time for photos, and turnaround time is just a few weeks. Contact me if you’d like to discuss.
Family Portraits | Fall Color
Another one in the books for this photogenic family! With a mom who loves to take their picture, these kiddos have really gotten smiling and posing down to an art. We loved using the pops of fall color throughout Antioch Park.
On the Farm
My in-laws probably wouldn’t consider their home a farm, but compared to our suburbia, it certainly is. It’s a white-sided home with a red barn, picturesque land, and cows practically in the front yard. And a tire swing! You just feel at peace there. Here are a few of my favorite shots of my one-year-old and five-year-old playing in the yard before church during our visit last weekend.
Family Portraits | Beating the Heat
Last weekend I shot family photos in the Leawood area, and despite the extreme Kansas heat, it didn’t slow down the energy of these adorable boys (or their parents)! I always enjoy shooting photos for this family – they’re so kind and so much fun. And those eyes on the boys!
Spring Portraits
With spring comes warmer weather…and wind! We definitely fought wind this portrait session, but the kiddos (and parents) did great. I couldn’t believe how much little Ethan smiled and posed for the camera. I’ve been doing this family’s photos since their engagement session close to a decade ago. Those photos were actually at the same park – in the wintertime! They live on the other side of the country now, but we’re always able to catch up when they come back to visit.
Family Portraits | Lake Lenexa
Last weekend I took photos of my most loyal customers at a new location to us – Lake Lenexa.! Even though the fall leaves weren’t quite at peak yet, the colors and the setting were gorgeous. And I snapped a few extras of their sweet, independent girl – who is almost three!
Check out last year’s portraits here.
Sunflowers for Miles
I was so excited when this family reached out to me to take photos at Ted Grinter’s Sunflower Field near Lawrence, Kansas. I had wanted to take pictures there last year but didn’t have the opportunity. Farmer Ted plants acres and acres of sunflowers and lets the public come visit and take photos free of charge. What an amazing place!
The beautiful views, coupled with the little guy’s huge smiles and adorable dimples, made for an awesome photo shoot. I have so many favorite images from this session! This is just a handful.
Lesson in Photography | Natural Light
If you wonder why I only book portrait sessions at the beginning or end of the day – this is why. We squeezed in a visit to Grinter Farms last week between church and lunch, which was unfortunately right around noon – the worst possible time of day to take outdoor photos. Notice the sun beating down on us, the awful shadows on our faces, and the squinty eyes? The “golden hour” right before sunset or right after sunrise is the best time for natural light. I will say I’m still happy we got to visit this huge, beautiful sunflower field. Next year we’ll be sure to visit much earlier or later in the day so I can get even better photos.
Photographic Rhodes 