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.

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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.

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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.

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Thanks to Bobby for taking this photo.

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Our friends Brandi, Lil’ W, and Bobby

Photo of the Day: Bring on Fall

Fall is just a few days away. Here are a few things I’m looking forward to during this favorite season of mine …

  • Photographing the turning leaves
  • Hot chocolate, chai tea, and maybe even a pumpkin spiced latte or two
  • Craft festivals
  • Decorating my home for fall
  • Fall lawn renovation and new siding – pretty much a complete outdoor makeover on our home
  • The return of Biggest Loser and Sing-Off
  • Pumpkin baked goods & chili
  • Football games
  • Family/friend get-togethers with s’mores
  • Our fall races (a 5k, 4 mile run, and maybe a couple of others)
  • Leaving the windows open during cooler (but not too cool) weather
  • An ultrasound, feeling our baby move for the first time