Jill & Scott

Okay… So I’ll have to toot my own horn here… I LOVE these images!! But of course I can’t possibly take all of the credit. A little bit of prep work and a some assistance & dog wrangling by our brother, and even some blood, yes blood, went into making this shoot a success! (More on that later) I had a lot of help selecting ideas and locations with my mom & my sister, and Scott did amazing at being such a good sport for the bazillions of pictures we took, especially the balloon ones! I loved working with my sister & her fiancé. I knew my sister would want to bust out some unique, fun and individual images, so I didn’t want to let her down!! We shot some images in town in their dressy clothes, which then leads me to the blood story. I managed (in attempting to get a shoe shot by the white brick wall in these images) to totally wipe out while backing up. I attribute my fall to a large cement flower-pot on main street, that somehow didn’t seem to want to budge as I was tripping over it. However much I cannot say about the extent of my bodily injury, I would like to say I am pretty proud of my ability to save my relatively expensive camera, lens and flash. My arm instantly went up in the air in an attempt to do so, and they all came away from the incident without a scratch. My elbow, butt and ankle didn’t fare as well. But we all managed to laugh this off, (as well as the people inside the local businesses) partly do to seeing me smiling and laughing with potting soil and dirt in my teeth. Anywho… back to the awesome photos… After town, we went out to an amazing spot in the country where the natural lighting couldn’t have possibly been more perfect. And then headed to the tracks with their favorite furry family member, Greta. And I don’t think I really need any more words to describe these, except maybe, ENJOY! I just love the images, my sister & her soon to be hubby!! I had so much fun and can’t wait for their wedding!
Mandy
http://www.mlstudiosphotography.com

Noxx

Not sure if I'll be able to top these images… they are some of the best!
Today’s post is Noxx. Another little blue-eyed ball of fun! This little guy never disappoints, and neither do his parents at coming up with something totally fun and different! We first snapped some with a cool vintage tractor they had in the overalls that have been patiently waiting for Noxx to grow into. Then we busted out the lawn chair, which Noxx made himself right at home in. And of course mom couldn’t forget the sunscreen! After lounging for a bit, it was time to hop into the pool- which Noxx loved… except for the goggle part. And we saved the crazy sprinkler for last. It was a cute little octopus with arms that flailed around and squirted water everywhere! This ended out being more comical than anything, so I thought I would share just one of those. The water was just too cold and poor Noxx was almost scared out of his diaper of the thing! It still provided for some good laughs if nothing else! What a fun session- Hope everyone enjoys these images!
Mandy
http://www.mlstudiosphotography.com

The Dress

Yes, I realize you're not supposed to see the dress before the wedding.... but this shot doesn't give too much away, so I couldn't resist sharing it (of course after her approval). I had the pleasure of seeing my sister Jill try on her wedding gown today after patiently waiting for its arrival. We got a sneak peek of the whole look, with the Meg custom designed pearl necklace, fabulous heels, and the flowers Jill & I created. She will be nothing short of a picturesque bride, and absolutely can't wait for their January destination wedding in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico!!

Mandy

http://www.mlstudiosphotography.com

Today’s post is nothing short of C-U-T-E!! I had the opportunity to work with Mr. Mason for the second time, and I just love seeing these little ones as they grow up! And I think I am definitely developing a weakness for the little blue eyed kids… they are just my favorite!  And I honestly don’t think I could pick any better clients for my shoots—they are always prepared & bring the cutest clothes and props! Some of my favorites are Mason in his little bibs & boots. And what could be cuter than a fuzzy birthday hat and cupcakes? Mason will be turning the big “1” this June, so I wish him a very happy birthday and thank Jeff and Emily for being such great helpers during his shoot! I had a lot of fun wheeling around with you and Mason in his little radio flyer!
Mandy
http://www.mlstudiosphotography.com

Werner & ZImmerman Family Sneak Peek

Today was a great family day! I photographed our friends Matt and Emily Zimmerman’s family in the town of Ryan. Matt and Emily don’t live far from the small town, so I thought it’d be the perfect spot for some candid family portraits! The weather was a bit unfavorable for a photo shoot… a few rain showers mixed with clouds, gloomy skies and some good ol’ Iowa humidity. But hey, we managed! In between the sprinkles, the family did such a great job listening to all my crazy comments and ideas and when I said do “serious”, that somehow translated into “laughing uncontrollably”. But, this did make for a pretty comical shoot and some great images! I hope Matt and Emily, as well as their family enjoy their sneak peek! I had a lot of fun working with and meeting them!
Mandy

Mia

Today's post is Mia-- in all her cute little piggy-tail glory! She was such a trooper. Mia and her family recently moved to Mississippi, but were back in Iowa visiting family for the holiday weekend and had a great little mini-session! She looked so serious, but we got out her favorite Elmo, and were able to sneak in a few smiles! Mia loved the little flower basket, and picked flowers like a pro-- So cute... I hope everyone enjoys this sneak peek!
Mandy
http://www.mlstudiosphotography.com