We're going to backtrack a little for today's post. The Welhoff shoot was done about a month ago as a Christmas surprise for their grandma and grandpa. Despite the cold weather and huge wind gusts, it was a success. Now that Christmas is over and the secret can't be ruined, it's time to share some of our favorites from the session.

Every once in a while we're fortunate enough to be presented with the opportunity to give back. Sometimes it's a fundraiser auction, or something like our recent Christmas giveaway. Each of these times, we're rewarded with a warm feeling inside and several thank yous. Often, in fact, another reward shows up later in the form of bookings or sudden good fortune. I think that's what they call paying it forward.

As our church is redecorating the foyer, we were recently approached about providing pictures of the Pastors and their families. The reward for the Skeen's family pictures was instantaneous as we were blessed enough to come away with some fantastic pictures of this beautiful family for our portfolio (not to mention the McDonalds).

I had the opportunity to take family pictures of a sorority sister and her beautiful family. We've never had a baby as cooperative as baby 'N'. He shared his bright, shining eyes with us almost the entire session. Here are a few of our favorites:

This week, we did a Christmas shot for one of Expressions' favorite subjects - my nephew, Carter. We may be a little partial, but have you ever seen a cuter Santa?




Yes, this next one is exactly what it looks like...we are training him for the 2026 Kansas Jayhawks...wait, did that make anyone else feel old?
These next three illustrate why we chose our name...Expressions... During every shoot we really try to let your baby (or child, or family) be who they really are...because you don't want to look back at a picture 10 years from now and see one just like the one every one has...you want to see your child...and their expressions...

It's been awhile since we've had a new posting. Things are going great at Expressions KC and we have been busy with both business and fun. While we've been fortunate enough to be able to work with some amazing people and are excited about the two families we get to photograph this week this posting is not about business. We'll spend the next couple of days recounting some of our favorite photos from the very best week of our lives...our Blode? (Blog Ode) to a week of love and laughter:

With new iPods loaded up with new music and playlists specially designed for a 34 hour road trip halfway across the country and back, we woke up early, filled the car with everything needed for a week of fun and adventures and headed off for the best week ever.


Some of the highlights:
Tennessee: A stop at Sun Studio in Memphis to tour the place where Johnny Cash, Elvis and others recorded some of their best music.



And in Nashville, tours of Willie Nelson General Store and Cooter's Place - a museum dedicated all things Dukes of Hazard.



A trip to the Frist Center for Visual Arts followed by a fancy dinner at Sambuca: complete with our very own table in the corner, a show by Peter Moon and a specialized dessert.



A very special wedding in Aiken SC...


...followed by an amazing three days in Charleston where we had some of the best food of our lives courtesy of The Mellow Mushroom, Charleston Crab House, Sticky Fingers Rib House, and Cupcake.


Stay tuned during the next day or two for more pictures and stories from our trip.

Alisha was the third and final senior session of the weekend. While the weather was a little more cooperative than it was on Saturday, by the end of the afternoon we all left the shoot with numb fingers. An artist in more than one sense, Alisha shared with us her amazing talents on both the guitar and on canvas. Alisha's love for black and white photos and artistic flair inspired us to expand our horizons a little with our post-processing (you'll see more of these later, Alisha - I'm saving some of our favorites for your viewing session). Thanks again for sharing your afternoon with us!

Last Saturday, despite the frigid weather, we loaded up the car with outfits and cameras and took a "trip" to downtown KC and Westport for a dual senior session with Ashley and Codi (sorry girls, I couldn't resist). New winter coats and 'Libby Lou' gloves helped the freezing weather become more bearable - too bad everyone couldn't share my appreciation for fingerless gloves. Braving the cold proved to pay off, though. Between several trips to the car to keep us thawed, we managed to get some really fun shots. Enjoy the sneak peak, girls!

We've covered a lot of expressions in this blog, but maybe never have we seen more love in one posting. Anyone who knows the Coulters would agree with us when we say that they are a great example to everyone of what a loving family is. Just spending the afternoon with them, we were able to see the love shared between the parents and kids; we are truly lucky to have had the opportunity to share this experience with them. Thanks, guys...we had a blast!

"I will delight in the sheer pleasure of being with you...just being with you. Days spent with you are among the best in my world." -Lance Wubbels

For some reason, we've shot a lot more girls than guys this year, but we're proud to showcase our first of the Class of 2009. Taylor came to us through his girlfriend, Kaila, who you've seen here before (and will again). Taylor was obviously proud of her, but as a member of our state champion Wildcats, he was also proud of his rings.

We had a blast during this photoshoot of brother and sister duo Laelle and Triston. Perfectly coordinated outfits, new shoes, and perfect smiles made shooting this session a breeze. We were lucky enough to be blessed with a beautiful fall day and by the end of the shoot, with cheeks sore from smiling, we squeezed in a few last shots as the golden light shined through the leaves before heading home for the evening. Here are a few of our favorites:

Okay, we got a little silly with that last post (although I think they really liked it). Today, we've got Jennifer, our most recent senior. We had a blast with Jennifer and her dog, Gater. She did present us with one of our biggest challenges yet...trying to incorporate a large part of her even larger t-shirt collection. Thanks for sharing your senior portrait experience with us, Jennifer...we hope you enjoy your preview!