Miss Lily S.

Get ready for some major cuteness... my goodness! It's miss Lily again-- with her big brown eyes & ridiculously long lashes ~ such a pretty girl! We did a shoot back when her big sister Addison was this same age in this same coat & hat, and the likeness is amazing. Both were equally adorable! :) I just love her cute little grins-- like she's up to no good :) And seriously-- the last image here, what a little stinker posing so cute! SO precious! Hopefully Lily's family enjoys the sneak peek! And thanks to Mom, Grandma & big sis Addison for helping to get some smiles for me!
Mandy

Salow, Chesnut & Hays Families

Ahh! LOVED this shoot! I can't wait for these guys to see these images :) I had so much fun with these families! Annnnd I think the kiddos were the most well-behaved ones to date! When Kerri {who owns Kerri Photography in Des Moines-- check out her work!} emailed me about possibly shooting her family as a gift to her mom, I just knew I couldn't turn this opportunity down, knowing they would be a great group to shoot-- and they didn't let me down!! We caught the tail end of the fall leaves, but ended up with a GORGEOUS evening to photograph (a photographer's dream actually... cover cast, no wind, & clean crisp air!) and these guys were constantly making cracking me up and you can just feel the love everyone had for one another oozing from every frame! Family is such an amazing thing, and I am so blessed to capture it behind the lens and share it with these tight knit families!! I hope that this gift to Mae was a gift she and the others will cherish for many years to come, and I absolutely can not wait to see which one she chooses to place above her fireplace! :) Enjoy!
-Mandy

Wall & Saeugling Families

Can't say enough about how great this fall has been! It's been super busy, but I just loved all of the colors, nice weather & amazing families I have gotten to work with! The Wall & Saeugling families were so much fun! I grew up with Kim, Matt & Shana, and Jean actually was my babysitter when I was a kid. This shoot was her birthday gift from her family :) I think family photos are so very important ~ they showcase not only a beautiful family, but their love, laughter & the personalities of everyone! Time seems to fly by anymore, and what better way to capture it than by a great image of the ones closest to you! I just adore this family, and got some beautiful fall photos, and got to see the 3 cutest little boys once again~ they are just too adorable! And they will all be little heartbreakers someday I think! They've got the most amazing blue & brown eyes!! Even little Cameron was a smiler~ such happy & fun little guys :) I hope they enjoy their sneak peek!!
Mandy

Pilgrim, Jenatscheck, Hansen, & Haas Families

I am loving this fall! And I definitely love my job and get to work with some of the best people around!! Meet the Pilgrim, Jenatscheck, Hansen, & Haas families~ some of whom you have seen before on my blog-- but man have these kids grown!! I love seeing the little ones grow and change over the years. They have such cute personalities :) And what a good looking bunch, to boot! They did a great job of coordinating for their shoot! And despite me forgetting my shoes for this shoot (all I had were my work heels, so this lady went barefoot!) this session went off without a hitch! I hope these families enjoy their sneak peek!!
Enjoy-
Mandy

Heather & Alex {Married}

Heather & Alex's wedding day was nothing short of amazing. Theirs was the very way weddings should be- rustic,vintage, original, timeless, simple, minimal - and so full of love. I loved everything about their day. People ask me all of the time why I don't shoot (& probably will continue to not shoot) weddings. And the answer, for the most part is simple & condensed into two words- TOO MUCH. Granted, there are plenty of great things about big weddings-- mine included. My wedding was huge, a huge ta-da, 500 guests, a large wedding party, etc... etc... And that's great! LOTS of weddings are like this. And that's why I just have to say no when people ask me to do them. And the images below are why I choose to do the ones that I do. I will ask the bride when she asks me to shoot the wedding-- how many are in your bridal party? How many guests? Where will your wedding be? And this is because I do what I do best using natural light only. Not in big churches & not in big reception halls. Outside, taking in all of what mother nature has to offer. Heather had no bridesmaids, no corsages to put on, no big church with awful lighting, no tons of guests to worry about taking 29 photo combinations of.... She and Alex wanted images of them & the ones they hold nearest to their heart. Their outdoor ceremony was at their parents' pond (who happen to be our next-door neighbors, by the way) and their reception was at Alex's mom & dads also. It was full of home-made treasures-- mirror & glass jar chandeliers, candles, wine bottles & dried florals. I am SO happy the rain held off for their entire wedding & reception-- I believe these images are some of my personal best. I truly hope that I captured the feeling of their wedding day & I am truly blessed to have spent the day with these amazing people! Enjoy--

Mandy

http://www.mlstudiosphotography.com

Fall Families {Wendt, Fraser, Moormann, & Domeyer}

Ah I love fall---
Everything about it! Colors, cool crisp air, leaves, well just about everything! All but the fact of what comes next.... winter... ugh- the dreaded word! BUT I am loving it right now & also loving the super sweet families I get to work with :) Meet the Wendt's, Fraser's, Mormann's & the Domeyer's! They were a fun bunch-- & the kiddos were pretty entertaining! I can just about imagine how much fun they have at their holiday get-together's! It is so neat to see such big families ~ and such a good-looking bunch to boot! :) I hope that everyone enjoy's their sneak peek!! Enjoy-
Mandy
http://www.mlstudiosphotography.com