Los Angeles
I can’t claim to be an expert. But throughout my photography career I’ve amassed a bag of tricks I use to get kids to cooperate with photos. I grew up in a large family and my mom was also a very good photographer. So I learned some from her, some from hanging with my nieces and nephews, and some from just plain old remembering what it was like to be a kid. So here’s my top advice to parents and photographers.
Kat is such a beautiful person, inside and out. I loved this opportunity to give her some new modeling headshots. We did these in a local studio with a simple, dark background.
From the moment I met Koye, I got really excited to photograph their wedding. Koye has a vibrant, artistic personality, and Mitch is a quieter teddy bear. Listening to them speak about their wedding photography, their venue, and their relationship, I was reminded of why I’ve grown to love wedding photography.
I love doing engagement photography for cute couples. And the thing about my idea of a cute couple is that you don’t have to be particularly attractive, young, or thin in order to be a cute couple. To be a cute couple, you have to be in love. You look at each other with that little mix of adoration and let everything else (including my presence) slip away. Be willing to look stupid and try funny things because some lady with a camera told you to. Giggle, tickle, and be ready to tell your significant other what they mean.
I’ve enjoyed watching Daniel grow as an actor. Even as I’ve grown as a portrait and headshot photographer, I’ve seen him grow from a kid to disciplined young adult. Recently he’s gotten into very good shape and seems so healthy. I loved the opportunity to take some acting headshots for him right before making the trip down to Los Angeles! Congratulations on your amazing shoulder muscles, Daniel!
The thing about photos is that they don’t say a lot about the person’s soul. Their inner being. Because although this girl is beautiful on the outside, her soul is amazing. Although this started out being a hike with a friend, I have a thing for photographing redheads. So I brought an epic skirt and made her run around in the foothills at sunset in it. The varied scenery had so much to offer, and the gentle undulations of the hills are a fashion photographer’s dream.
I love photographing simple weddings. It’s one reason I still offer budget photography packages in Los Angeles. It’s a lot less pressure and sometimes you get to meet amazing, adorable couples like Brenna and Matt. These two tied the knot at Alpine Ponds Event Center. I’d never photographed there before and it’s a beautiful, unassuming location outside of Eagle. Well, it’s 2am and I’m exhausted, so going to sleep now. 🙂
So it seems like I met these two ages ago. We went on a grand adventure taking beautiful engagement photos in the mountains, and then met periodically until their wedding, which was last weekend. These two are so beautiful together. They obviously love each other so much and were ready to be married. Everyone was amazing at the wedding and we got family photos done in record time. It was beautiful.
So I’ve known this beautiful soul since we were kids. In an attempt to be a semi-normal friend, we decided to hang out. But in typical Mercy fashion, I wanted to photograph her. There’s something special about adventuring with someone and taking their photo. You get to see different sides of them. It gives you something to do and talk about as you wander around and re-acquaint yourselves with each other.
So this year, I was determined to get a few sessions when the orchards were in full bloom. Most people think of these gorgeous pink blossoms as cherry blossoms, but these are actually peaches. They’re pink now, then they turn purple and the leaves start to grow. This cute couple contacted me and soon revealed that they had just been engaged and were looking for engagement photography in the Boise area. Immediately thinking of the orchard blossoms, we booked and agreed to meet at Hell’s Canyon Winery out near Caldwell. I grew up in that area and knew the area was in full bloom. The weather cooperated (despite threatening rain all day) and the photos turned out amazing!