Afraid of the camera. Yep. That is me. Okay, not afraid. But let’s just say that I totally relate to the clients who say to me, “I HATE pictures of myself”. THAT IS ME. I am one of those people. I would be lying if I didn’t admit part of the reason I love photography is because it gets me on the other side of the camera. But REALLY and MOSTLY I love photography because I love the challenge trying to capture that picture of you that you will just LOVE. That is my goal every time I head out for a shoot. That is what I pray for every time I pick up my camera.

Just yesterday Daniel got this one of Dayla and I when we were just hanging out at our pool with some friends. I had to share it. I just LOVE it. Everything about it warms my heart. (Not to mention the fact that my eyes look waaaay bluer then they do in real life. I wish they were that rad-tastic all the time.)

Thanks babe for grabbing it.

I wanted to make out with her.  Yes.  It is true.  No, I am not in the habbit of making out with women, especially an engaged woman, but everyone gets an exception to their rules right?

I am also not in the habbit of doing engagement sessions.  It is not that I don’t love engagement.  In fact, I LOVE love.  Even more then that, I LOVE MARRIAGE. Next month Daniel and I will be celebrating our 6 year wedding anniversary, and for the last 6 years  I know that the best decision I have ever made was saying “yes!”   Sure, there are the days that I am POSITIVE that nothing is more awful or annoying then the way he closes the door or whatever small detail happens to be driving.me.INSANE. that day.  But even on those days, I know that I married my best friend and my perfect match.  I would do it again. Over and over.

When I met up with Marisa and John for their engagement session it made me feel all warm and tingly.  My heart lept in my chest.  I swooned.  There is something unique and wonderful about the way two people look at each other when they are about to get married.  I wanted to take it and put it in a bottle.  The way their eyes met.  The way they laughed.  The way he leaned in to her.  The peace on her face and his arms wrapped around her waist. The way they glowed when the shared the story of how they met.

Marisa and John are both passionate about kids.  And teaching. Two teachers that met at a teaching event and will vow next month to teach each other for the rest of their lives.    Now that is my kind of story.

So why did I want to KISS Marisa you ask?  Well, when I asked what she wanted for engagement photos, she said, “I want something unique, different.  Not your steroetypical engagement photos.”  THAT was when I wanted to make out with her.  ”YES!” was my answer.  What do I love more than love?  People who want unique and different pictures!  So I brought out the apples (for the teachers!) and asked them to juggle.

He juggled. She juggled. They juggled. It was good times. They were such good sports!

This shoot was full of laughter! I love couples who love to laugh! Especially when it is at my REALLY BAD jokes. Thanks for all the laughs guys!

Thanks so much guys for being a FANTASTIC couple and being such good sports for my crazy ideas. I had so much fun. You two are an amazing couple, an inspiring couple, and I wish you the best wedding and best marriage anyone could hope for. Blessings to you.

I am not a morning person. Ask my husband. When we first got married he used to surprise me by romantically jumping on the bed and giving me gentle kisses in the morning to wake me up. It was like a romantic comedy. Really. But. I had to ask him to stop. I remember thinking, “I WANT to love this. Too bad all I REALLY WANT is for him to let me sleep.” I don’t think I am a grumpy person, but sleep is the trump card. Nothing beats it. I am a girl that loves my sleep.

The other day I woke up cheery. Warm down comforter hugging me from each side. Sun streaming in through the window. The clanking sounds of my amazing husband making me breakfast in the kitchen. The clock reading 8am and not a peep yet heard from our little girl. Suddenly, as I sat there, I had the realization that I was booked to my MAX CAPACITY for Sundin Photography in June. I sat there in bed and took it all in for a moment. I thank God. He is so good. I know every blessing I have is from Him.

One of the exciting bookings I had in June was for a Sundin Photography Booth! It was at a small craft fair put on by the employees of PETCO. Nothing to call the newspapers about or anything, but it was a blast and I met a ton of warm and wonderful people. Here are some of the pictures I snapped of our set up:

When I was young I used to tag along with my older sisters Girl Scout troop on their many camping and canoeing adventures. I am not sure why I was allowed to tag along, but I remember each of those trips like it was yesterday. The baggy maroon colored sweat shirt I wore, my mom “putting on her face” by the light of the morning sun, watching my sisters and their friends try to curl their hair in the bumper of a car (to impress the nearby Boy Scouts of course), the taste of my first “Score” candy bar that I bought with my own money from the campground “store”. But those are not the reasons I remember those trips so well. It was because I got to tag along with my two older sisters. And the best part of course was that they let me. They invited me in to their world. And that felt like heaven.

It was a few years before my love of those trips ended, but I will never forget the day it did. It was a beautiful sunny day up in the mountains. The smell of redwoods filling every breath. We were headed on another canoe trip, paddling several miles down a large and torrent river. I loved these trips. I, being a fresh little chicken at the age of 8 or 9, got to sit in the front and “paddle” while my older comrades in the back and middle of the boat did all the navigating and propelling of the boat. It was the best of all worlds. I truly thought I was helping that boat along, but when the white rapids approached I got to put my paddle in the boat and just hold on, feeling my heart leap into my throat and giggling and screaming with glee the whole way. This day was different though. Instead of being paired with some of the best oars women, I got paired with an older and heavyset woman who had never been in a canoe before. My mom stroked me with words of confidence of what an accomplished oars woman I had become. But my gut churned.

The river was beautiful. The sun dancing on it in all it’s glory.  The birds chirping and flying above.  My heart slowed and my gut stopped churning.  The girls had started a splashing war and the giggles echoed through the mountains.  I felt peace. 

A lot of the details of what happened next are a blurr to me.  All I know is that suddenly we headed toward the bank of the river and a large branch came right for our heads.  This is a common event with immature paddlers, and usually nothing to fear.  You just duck from that tree and navigate your way back to the river.  On that day I ducked but my canoeing partner leaned. 

I felt the boat go to the side and the water come rushing over my head.  Everything went black.  I heard my mom’s words in my head.  “Don’t panic.  Just put your feet down river”  Through a small miracle I found down river and pointed my feet in that direction.  My head surfaced.  But my fear did not subside.  I saw the rapids ahead of me, my oar, my bag, my lunch all getting thrashed on the rocks ahead.  I was certain death lied ahead for me.  Or at least some broken limbs.  The river tossed me side to side.  The water didn’t seem to notice my presence, just like one of the many leaves or twigs that got engulfed and mangled.

Many days I feel like  life is like that river.  Sweeping me along, thrashing me side to side and sometimes I feel mangled at the end of the day.  Some days my head goes under the water and I wonder when it will surface.  I travel so far down the river and I have no idea how I have gotten there.  I am sure that I passed many things on the river bank, but I have no idea what I missed since my head was under the water for most of the journey.  Some days I feel the thrill of the rapids.  Some days I feel engulfed by them.  Many days I hear my mom’s guiding words in my head, “Don’t panic, just put your feet down river”.  I try to find peace in the midst of the current and by a small miracle I get my feet under me.

 Today was a day that I woke up and I saw the river from the bank.  I got to stand back and really look at it and see all it’s beauty.  Instead of feeling the roaring rapids take me away and engulf me, I got to watch them from afar and revel in their majesty.  The river, even at it’s most chaotic parts, is truly beautiful. 

I thank God for creating the river and letting me ride down it.

A moment from our recent vacation to Hume Lake

I am not a shy person, but there are some things you just don’t say to some one’s face. But on a blog. On a blog you can say anything, right? I don’t think anyone will read this. No one is one the Internet.

Perfect. That is what I have to say. Perfect. Like sitting in a tropical location with a frosty beverage and your favorite person with just the right weather. Perfect. Like sleeping in until you feel like getting out of bed and waking to the smell of your favorite breakfast. Perfect. Like the feeling you have on your wedding day when you look in your love’s eyes. Perfect. I had the perfect day today (mostly thanks to the BEST CLIENTS in the world).

I am elated.

Not everyone is willing to meet me at 7am. I suggest it almost every shoot, but it rarely gets chosen. Not only did Joanne, Ryan and Kingston agree to meet me at 7am, but they were cheery! Not only were they cheery, but every one of them is model material. Gorgeous and cheery. It doesn’t get better then that. And they trusted me. When I told them to stand in front of an ugly wall.  And willing to do any antic I threw there way with a smile on their face. And they have infectious laughs.  I am telling you, they were the BEST.

On the note of being the best.  You should DEFINITELY hire Joanne if you can.  Or tell your friends to.  You can tell a lot about a person at 7am.  (Believe me, I used to be a Barista at Starbucks and people show A LOT about themselves early in the morning.)  Joanne is crazy cool. I have told you about her before, here. She is a baby planner. If you or anyone you know is having a baby, you should look into hiring her. You won’t regret it. She is a perfect mixture of business and fun. We all need that.   Someone willing to get down to business, get the job done, all while making you laugh. I just love it.  And she picked ME to be one of  her vendors, so you know she must have great taste.  (Check her out  HERE).  (*Also she is having a “give away” on her blog…so get there fast and leave a comment so you can be entered to win!)

Recipe:  The best clients + a job I love = pictures that I am actually going to write home about: