Tess Cormell Photography

BRADY AND COOPER.

2011-07-01T08:58:00.000-06:00

A BOY AND HIS DOG!

Could my delightful friend Katie have requested a session I would love more?! Doubtful!!! Miss Katie used these portraits for a Father's Day gift -- what a truly special idea! I absolutely love these two boys and am so honored I was asked to document their special bond!

COURAGE.

2011-07-01T08:29:00.000-06:00

I have had absolutely HORRIBLE luck with newborn sessions lately! The little boogers are so excited to finally meet Photog Tess, they simply will NOT sleep! Sleepy newborns are my all time favorite subjects too! Little Miss Courage definitely made Mama work for these shots. The beauty of stubborn newborns is that I just sit around and wait for sleep to finally arrive. It is the mamas that have to do all the work! I just have to be patient! Luckily, this family is super fun. I enjoyed my hours with them, visiting and playing with big brother Ritter! Ah, what a life!

KLEIN MATERNITY.

2011-06-02T07:23:00.001-06:00

Miss Carrie is one of my very favorite clients! She is so laid back and relaxed at shoots, she makes my job easy! She is already such a patient, loving mama to my pal Ritter and, obviously, stunning as an expectant mama! I am so honored I get to photograph this growing family! And I can't wait to meet baby GIRL!

CURRAN TEMPLE SEALING.

2011-04-28T21:54:00.002-06:00

Aren't these two just the cutest?! When Laura asked me to take some photographs in honor of their official sealing at the Temple, I was honored! This was my first shoot on the grounds of the Boise Temple and I am grateful they were so willing to answer all the strange questions I had for them! The building is truly beautiful and Mike and Laura -- so much fun to photograph! I wish them the best of luck on their new commitment to each other!

HUXLEY.

2011-04-28T21:31:00.001-06:00

I have known Huxley's daddy, Kenny, for years -- what an honor to meet and photograph his first born son! Little Huxley was an absolute angel for our session! Although he wasn't the least bit sleepy, I quickly fell in love with his big blue eyes! Welcome, Huxley! And congrats Kenny and Brooke!!!

WYLIE B.

2011-02-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

Oh man this little dude is so much fun to photograph!

Mr. Wylie B. just turned ONE!!! What a FUN age and a really amazing little boy!

I have the biggest crush on him and that little nose-wrinkling grin he saves just for me!

Happy first birthday little man! See you soon! ;)

THE STEIN/MASHBURN FAMILY.

2011-01-01T09:20:00.001-07:00

I am so happy I FINALLY got to photograph this family! They are such good friends of mine and Mr. D -- he's my GODSON! I loved getting to hang out with them (outside of work) and sincerely enjoyed our afternoon together! It was a surprisingly delightful WARM winter day and just great to be outside in the SUNSHINE with them! Danielle has been there for me through thick and thin and really keeps my world spinning some days! I am so glad I got to give something back to her! Her portraits turned out beautiful (as is she) and I sincerely hope she won't wait so long to ask me to photograph her again! Thank you, thank you, thank you Danielle -- for all that you are and do for me!

HACKWORTH/ROGERS MATERNITY.

2010-12-29T22:02:00.002-07:00

I met Kenny many, many years ago and have watched his life change drastically over the years. I have to admit, I never thought he would become a DAD! Nor did I ever think I would see him so HAPPY! His girlfriend and her little girls have brought Kenny to life! I cannot wait to meet his little boy! In fact, as I ready this post, Brooke is in labor! Her girls' names are Faith and Grace -- what will they name the little guy? Looks like we'll know very soon!!!

AMY AND COLE.

2010-12-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

I have known Miss Amy for several years and done MULTIPLE sessions for her. She was such a good sport about this particular session though! After receiving a last minute cancellation, I called her and she arrived at our location in record time! Thank you, Amy, for saving my day! And, for being such a terrific client!!!

THE PIERCE FAMILY, 2010.

2010-12-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

An Aspen-themed Christmas card picture has become tradition for the Pierce family and I love it! I love wading through knee deep snow to get to the grove. I love that our shoots are super short because it is only 7 degrees outside! I love that by the time I am finished, I am always soaking wet and half frozen! I love that this family is MY family! And I especially love that they are always, always up for an adventurous shoot!

MISS MATTIE.

2010-12-29T21:16:00.001-07:00

This was my very FIRST boudoir session and I LOVED it! Again, it was something brand new for me and I really loved the opportunity to flex my creative muscles! Miss Mattie was wonderful! Although we were both a bit nervous, we worked through the awkwardness and I think her photos turned out beautifully! They were a gift to her husband who is currently deployed! What a sweet gift and what a great kick-off to boudoir season! Thank you Mattie for being my FIRST beautiful, brave soul!

THE BANTZ FAMILY.

2010-12-28T19:22:00.001-07:00

I have to say, I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS FAMILY!

Our shoot was SO relaxed and natural. It was as if I was documenting an ordinary day in their lives. AND, as any of you who have stood in front of my lens know, this is EXACTLY how I LOVE my photo shoots to go! I don't like unnatural poses or that weird uncomfortableness that goes along with them. I simply love to capture real interactions and genuine smiles. The Bantz family is THE reason I am passionate about portrait photography. Mom and Dad were so playful and at ease --even DAD! (And dads are notorious for HATING photo shoots)! Their willingness to let little Myles run around and just be Myles was so such a welcome delight! Mr. Myles was adopted at birth and it is SO, SO clear that his mommy and daddy are simply crazy about him. Watching them interact is an experience I will always cherish.

There is so much love, laughter and HOPE in this little family!

MMA FIGHT.

2010-12-27T20:55:00.001-07:00

When my friend Chuck asked me to photograph his MMA fight, I was thrilled! I LOVE MMA fighting and the thought of being ringside was pretty exciting -- especially when such a good friend would be fighting! I was also eager to shoot something so out of the ordinary for me! The fight was not only a great learning experience for me, it was also a HUGE adrenaline rush! I had NEVER walked away from a photo shoot with weak knees and a pounding heart before! Now that I have experienced (and photographed) a cage fight so intimately, I'm hooked! Luckily Chuck has asked me to be his official photographer (which means I will be cageside from here on out)! However, since his last three contenders have backed out of their schedule fights (no one in his amateur ranking will fight him) his next fight will be his PROFESSIONAL debut! What an honor it will be to capture such a momentous time in his career!

I. CAN'T. WAIT.

TROOPER AND TANNER, FALL 2010.

2010-11-17T22:39:00.000-07:00

Oh the story behind this shoot! This was actually our second attempt. Our first session was scheduled about a month prior to this one. We met at our location and said our hellos. Tanner took one step off the Greenbelt and fell. ONE STEP!!! We hadn't even been together FIVE minutes!!! Tanner was hurt pretty badly. I had to call the paramedics and she was rushed to the emergency room. She fractured her back in TWO places!!! We spent five hours in the ER that day BUT she was still determined to have me shoot portraits for her once she was healed. I scouted a BRAND new location for this shoot! Flat. Mostly paved. Far, far from the river! Fortunately this shoot went off without a hitch! We had beautiful fall color and THIS TIME, very much enjoyed our day together! I love you Tanner and Trooper! Thank you for trusting that I wouldn't hurt you TWICE! :)

KYREN AND ADIE, FALL 2010.

2010-11-17T22:22:00.001-07:00

These two kids have really won my heart -- especially Miss Adie! During this shoot, she walked up to me as I was kneeled on the ground, pushed my camera away, wrapped her little arms around me and crawled into my lap! My. Heart. Melted! These portraits were in honor of her first birthday! Such a fun age. Such a sweet baby girl! Kyren is a very busy man but is super fun to interact with! What a character! This family came into my life rather quickly but it looks like they are around for the long haul! Their mommy, Sara, does my hair so we've worked out a great trade arrangement! It simply doesn't get any better than this! :)

McKENZIE.

2010-11-17T22:07:00.001-07:00

****URBAN****

****RURAL SESSION****

I did Miss Kenzie's Senior portraits in two separate sessions, with two very different themes. Each day, as she stepped in front of my lens for the first time, she was so nervous and uncomfortable. And then we start laughing (and honestly, continued through both shoots)! Once she loosens up, she takes some truly stunning photos! She is beautiful! I loved that she was so open to my location suggestions and, although she might have been skeptical at times, she trusted me! Those shots, where she might have been questioning my sanity, are some of my favorites! Both she and her auntie were amazing to work with and I am so honored they asked me to take such important photos in Kenzie's life -- and that I have made two beautiful friends in the process!

KASON.

2010-11-01T20:22:00.005-06:00

Mr. Kason who was just two weeks old in these photos, was a stubborn little monkey! We tried to shoot on two separate days and I think he slept all of about three minutes total! He was very awake and alert and absolutely refused to pose for very many those sweet sleepy newborn pictures! In the meantime, his two brothers, Carson and Mason, were more than willing to pose for me and, in fact, had big fun playing with my backdrop stand! They were all very well behaved (and quite entertaining) . . . just not very sleepy! :)

PORTENIER 80TH BIRTHDAY GATHERING.

2010-10-31T15:28:00.000-06:00

Mary Lou's family gathered together for her 80th birthday for some family pictures. Although I knew much of Ms. Portenier's family, it was the first time I had met her. She has a really amazing family and it is clear where their amazing comes from! They were full of fun and laughs (due to one persistent nose picker)! AND, they were super understanding when I arrived with a FRESHLY cracked rib! Mary Lou really wanted their session to be shot at the Boise Depot and (even though it is one of my most despised locations to shoot) I obliged. She brought along an old photo that showed her, as a very young girl, at the Depot, wearing a kimono. She brought that kimono and we found the exact spot where that original photo had been shot so many, many years ago. Now that is one of the only good reason to shoot at the Depot that I can think of! Thank you Porteniers for working around my super sore rib and Happy Birthday Ms. Mary Lou!

THE '65 CORVETTE.

2010-10-31T03:54:00.000-06:00

When Papa Richard asked me to shoot his car, I was THRILLED!!! After a rough streak of shoots (putting a client in an ambulance certainly counts as a rough shoot), I was more than ready for a sessions where I didn't have to wait for someone to sit still or smile. And I was pretty sure I wasn't going to have to call the paramedics for the Corvette! I loved this session!!! It was such a fun change of pace and just what I needed to get reenergized for all of my upcoming fall shoots! Isn't she B-E-A-U-TIFUL?!?

THE BIEROTHS.

2010-10-30T09:08:00.000-06:00

The Biertoths were such a fun family! Daddy was moving to Montana for work the VERY next day and it was such an honor to be a part of this bittersweet afternoon. He had been a stay-at-home dad to little Wylie and it was clear their bond is truly sweet and genuine! They clearly love to make each other laugh! As the economy forces this family apart, I pray they will be reunited quickly and that their love will keep them strong!

THE MCNAMARAS, 2010.

2010-10-29T13:00:00.000-06:00

The McNamaras are clearly one of my favorite families to photograph! They are a truly beautiful family and such wonderful friends! The last photo is by far my favorite photo from our session. It was honestly the last photo I shot and I titled it, appropriately enough, THE END! As you can see, at this point, EVERYONE was ready for us to wrap up the shoot! Hilarious!

JORDYN.

2010-10-15T21:59:00.005-06:00

Ms. Jordyn just turned ONE and (like most one-year olds) she wasn't so sure she wanted me to photograph her. However, with some patience and alot of encouragement from her older brothers, it wasn't long before she warmed right up! She has such pretty blue eyes and, when she was finally ready, the most infectious smile!

TALLIE.

2010-10-07T08:40:00.001-06:00

Newborns are my absolute FAVORITE subjects! Although sessions often require extreme patience,the payoffs are amazing! Miss Tallie was determined to stay awake for her ENTIRE session! However, during her few moments of slumber, she was divine! I love her dark hair and the fact that, as she ages, will probably grow freckles! You know I think the RARE dark-haired and freckled among us are truly SPECIAL! :)

And the name TALLIE -- super cute!

ALEX.

2010-10-04T20:21:00.000-06:00

Ah, B-E-A-U-TIFUL ALEX!

Alex was an absolute honor to photograph. She is simply stunning! STUN-NING! I personally have a hard time believing that this beautiful WOMAN is but a SENIOR in high school! We shot her portraits over the course of two separate sessions because Alex is super busy! (Her every free moment is consumed by volleyball! BUT that dedication has earned her a full-ride college athletic scholarship! Rock on!). In addition to being beautiful and athletic, Alex is charming and funny and unbelievably modest! WHAT A ROCKSTAR!

BETTY WEDDING.

2010-08-09T22:08:00.003-06:00

After every wedding I SWEAR I am never doing another wedding again! I really only do weddings for friends and family though so when the time comes, I am always willing to do JUST ONE MORE! Kim is from the same small town I grew up in. Her mother, who passed several years ago, was a good friend to my mom. So, when Kim was looking for a wedding photographer I told her I would be honored to do her wedding. Although I was exhausted after the wedding (and came home swearing I would never do another wedding), I really do feel honored Kim and Avery trusted me with her special day! And I would do it all over again in a heartbeat--just as I will gladly accept the responsibility the next time I am asked to do a wedding! I wish Kim and Avery all the luck and love in the world! And I told them I expect to receive a call for maternity pictures soon! :)

THE COBLEY/FORDYCE FAMILY.

2010-08-09T21:48:00.001-06:00

I know Chuck and Jami from work but until our shoot, I hadn't met their kids. What a beautiful family they have! They were certainly a handful for me but I fell in love with them regardless! Next time, I think I'll leave my camera at home and just play in the river with the kids! Ah, who am I kidding. Leave the camera at home . . . like I could EVER do that!

TRASH THE DRESS--AMY.

2010-08-09T21:07:00.001-06:00

I was so excited when Amy asked me to do a Trash the Dress shoot! We had a difficult time deciding on a location but I think we picked one that suited Amy perfectly! I don't know which one of us had more fun! Amy was such a trooper. She not only hiked in her dress, she hiked out in a very wet, HEAVY dress! I must admit we were quite a surprise to the other hikers that day! Most simply pretended they didn't notice the woman dragging her wedding dress through the poison oak (but they definitely did) while a few others were brave enough to stop and ask questions. In fact, one lady volunteered to watch the Amy's little guy while we did the water shots! I loved getting the chance to do such an original shoot and I can't wait until the next girl steps up to the plate in her wedding dress!

DECLAN.

2010-08-09T17:00:00.001-06:00

Just about a year ago I shot the wedding of Declan's parents, Kayla and Jake! I love doing multiple sessions for families -- engagements, weddings, maternity, newborns, and right on down the line. We tried really hard to do Kayla's maternity pictures. Mr. Declan, however, did not cooperate! First he tried to be born WAY too early. Kayla was hospitalized for weeks and eventually on bed rest. The moment she was released from bed rest we scheduled a session. She went into labor that night! Declan was born the next morning! Although we missed out on a maternity session, we were determined to get Declan when he was still a teeny tiny newborn. The night before our newborn session, Declan stopped breathing! It was weeks before the family recovered from the near tragic event. FINALLY, at a month and a half old, we were able to take Declan's first portraits! May ALL of his future sessions be drama free! :)

KYREN AND ADIE.

2010-08-09T16:38:00.002-06:00

Kyren and Adie's mom is my new hairstylist! We literally met one day and took these pictures the next! I trusted her with my hair, she trusted me with my camera! I think we both came away pleasantly surprised! Her babies are absolutely beautiful and were cooperative enough to give me one of my shortest, easiest sessions yet! I look forward to seeing Mom every six weeks and hopefully Kyren and Adie again soon!

THE EAGY GIRLS.

2010-08-09T15:45:00.002-06:00

This shoot definitely goes down on record as one of my most difficult shoots! From getting the actual shoot coordinated to getting these little girls to cooperate--none of it seemed to go smoothly! However, the beauty of photography is that all of that melts away and is forgotten once the portraits are done. Beautiful pictures somehow manage to emerge despite the chaos!

WYLIE.

2010-08-09T15:30:00.002-06:00

I LOVE shooting baby pictures!

Wylie wasn't having the happiest of days (that ALWAYS seems to happen on picture day) but he sure did love it when I talked to him!

Beautiful baby boy!

HARMONY AND IZZY.

2010-08-09T14:53:00.001-06:00

I was really excited for this shoot! First I spent a great deal of time finding the perfect location. And then an even greater amount of time finding some adorable little girls (in white dresses) to photograph! Fortunately a friend BORROWED her two gorgeous nieces for me! Izzy, the younger of the two girls, was the absolute perfect fit to my vision! I just loved her sweet innocence in the flower patch! She was PERFECT! And the photos--they ended up as a great surprise Mother's Day gift for their mommy!

KATE AND NATALIE.

2010-08-09T14:30:00.001-06:00

Kate and Natalie are simply WONDERFUL and their shoot was so much fun! The girls were very enthusiastic about having their pictures taken so they were more than willing to give me some beautiful smiles and most often came up with their own poses! I loved that, although they were rambunctious and full of energy, their mom was cool, calm and collected! She let them be!!! Oh how wonderful that was! The girls definitely reached a point where they were done shooting but they gave me several good hours! Having Mommy be relaxed about the shoot made all the difference in the world! Plus, she had a great location suggestion--a greenhouse!

NO PARK! HURRAY!

After our shoot, Natalie wanted to show me her pretty dress back at her house.

She was twirling around in it and then suddenly did this!

When I cracked up laughing, she asked me to move in with them!

What a delightfully random little girl!

FOOTHILLS ALPHABET PROJECT.

2010-08-09T14:01:00.002-06:00

I volunteered to work with Foothills Learning Center for this project! Over the course of two days, the elementary art students posed for me, in the shape of letters. The photos were then complied and made into a poster by one of the older art students. The completed poster was then auctioned off at the learning center's annual fund raiser!

SUGAR AND RILEY.

2010-08-09T14:00:00.000-06:00

I went out to take portraits of Sugar and Riley--two twin Golden Retriever pups. I ended up with a few shots of the dogs, some of the boy and his dogs, and some with the boy and his mom and dad! It's all good! I love puppies but I love this little boy and his mama too!

JOEL AND COURTNEY.

2010-08-09T13:15:00.003-06:00

When Joel and Courtney contacted me about shooting their engagement session, I was a bit nervous! We shot this session during the absolute dreariest of months! As I might have mentioned, I don't do much outdoor work during the winter but it is for a reason--it isn't particularly pretty outside! I thought this session would be a real challenge! However, Joel and Courtney chose some locations that were especially meaningful to their relationship! We shot down by the Boise river where one night, early in their relationship, Joel had carved their initials into a tree. And the Friendship Bridge on the campus of Boise State University, which was were they very first met! In fact, every spot we worked at, was in some way special to them! Working in the deadest of months turned out to be rather fun! Joel and Courtney are such a cute couple who absolutely love to laugh--and it definitely shows! What a fun afternoon we had giggling together! And I have to tell you, Joel spoiled ME during this shoot! He opened the car doors for both Courtney and I--EVERY TIME! What a true gentleman! Somebody's mama sure raised him right!

PIERCE FAMILY.

2010-08-09T13:00:00.004-06:00

I had the idea for this shoot for months before we were able to actually shoot the portraits. It was so hard waiting for it to SNOW! I feel so fortunate that my favorite family was up for anything for their Christmas Card Session! They were receptive to my idea and were great sports about going out into the woods in the dead of winter! I love working in new locations where I am able to express some creativity! Please, please don't make me do another shoot in the park! I don't do much work during the winter (especially outdoors) so it was great to get behind my camera and get my creative juices flowing! I got to play and they got fun pictures for their Christmas Cards! What an amazing day and super fun shoot!

Any takers for next year???

BINGMAN WEDDING.

2010-08-09T11:37:00.002-06:00

TJ and Amanda's wedding was such a special shoot for me! Not only is TJ my cousin, he and Amanda got married out on my grandparent's property! It was fun to work with family and to shoot somewhere that was so personal to me!

I thought the flower girls were simply THE cutest!

(they are my nieces!)

VERY excited once she realized it was her Aunt T taking pictures!

This swing used to hang on my Great Grandma Gardner's front porch!

MASON.

2009-11-27T13:30:00.011-07:00

Mason and his family came all the way from SEATTLE for this session!

Having not met Mason beforehand, I was a bit worried about my choice of locations.

Fortunately when he arrived for the shoot, my worries were immediately eased! He quickly warmed to my style of shooting and we had a blast together! Between Mason's good looks and his mom's amazing sense of humor, I couldn't have asked for a better shoot! It was a surprisingly fun shoot for me and I am so appreciative of his family for allowing me some creative freedom! And they came all the way from Seattle! Wowie!

Also--thanks to my wonderful assistant on this shoot! You rock! :)

During the shoot we spotted this "doggie in the window" who I thought was pretty terrific!

I couldn't help by snap a few photos of him too! Isn't he just wonderful?!

DOBSONS, CARSONS, KLEINS.

2009-11-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

Another super special family!

This group is absolutely awesome to work with! They are so laid back (and beautiful)--it makes taking their portraits SO EASY! I wish all my clients were as relaxed about getting their pictures taken! It definitely makes a visible difference! They are sweet, funny and an absolute blast but they are also some of my most appreciative clients. Ms. Cathy (who might kill me for sharing this) was literally in tears when she called to thank me for the portraits of her and her grandbabies. I'm not sure there is a greater compliment! So thanks to this awesome family for including me in an afternoon and for being so unbelievably supportive of my efforts!

You are THE reason I love shooting portraits!

THE CURRANS.

2009-11-26T23:28:00.002-07:00

Miss Laura is the Director of Nursing at one of my buildings and, because I simply adore her, I was thrilled when she asked me to shoot some family photos for her! This was my first time officially meeting her boys and what a riot they are! Although they clearly decided NOT to cooperate for family photos, I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them! Our laughs and giggles made up for our lack of cooperation! What fun we had playing in the leaves! And Little Sister--I traded her for my camera in an instant and had the DELIGHTFUL honor of rocking her to sleep! I love babies and I love little rambunctious boys! I would have loved to get Laura some beautiful family photos too but, as she says, those wouldn't have been truly reflective of her young, vibrant family!

BRADY D.

2009-11-24T17:56:00.001-07:00

Within the last year, Brady and his family have become very special people to me! I quickly and easily fell in love with all of them and consider meeting and having them in my life an absolute blessing. And Brady--I simply adore him! I was telling his Mom the other day that I can't wait to see what this little guys grows up to be. He is hilarious, imaginative, loving and just plain adorable! And he has these stunning blue eyes that make this brown-eyed girl ever so jealous! I learn something from every shoot I go on. What I learned from Brady?

DIRTY UNDERWEAR!

Those two words, from his favorite Chipmunks movie, were guaranteed to make him (and me) smile every time they were uttered! What a great replacement to the ever so dull "CHEESE!"

ISAAC GRACIN.

2009-11-05T07:32:00.001-07:00

Every year Isaac's Mommy thinks up a really cool theme for his traditional birthday pictures based on what he is currently interested in! Isn't that fun?! Last year was trains. This year (his 5th birthday) was . . . TREE CLIMBING! Isaac loves to climb trees at his MomMom and DadDad's house so we borrowed their backyard for the afternoon! What a fun and easy shoot! Isaac was eager to show off his tree climbing abilities and had even worked on a few poses beforehand! He had a pretty suave Duke Brothers pose (as in The Dukes of Hazard)! One thing has always been certain about Isaac . . . he will make me smile! He is such a special little man in my life and I am so thrilled I get watch (and document) him grow! I love you Isaac and I can't wait to see what your Mom thinks up for us next year!

ANNA MARIE.

2009-10-05T19:22:00.003-06:00

Miss Anna, like most of my clients, is so super special to me! I absolutely adored shooting these portraits of her (in honor of her second birthday)! Doesn't she just ooze sweetness! Her smile is completely infectious (and definitely courtesy of Daddy) but that sweetness is all Mommy! She is THE most perfect blend of two of the most wonderful personalities! I am honored to have shot some of Anna's first portraits and am so, so honored that I was again asked to shoot some portraits of this beautiful little girl! Happy Birthday Anna Girl!

THE LEES.

2009-10-03T16:02:00.004-06:00

I am always delighted when a photo shoot goes well! With that said, I'll be the first to admit, my session with the Lees was NOT one that went particularly well! It was difficult, long, and, at times, frustrating for all involved! However, I would shoot this same session all over again in heartbeat! I would not want to miss out on this valuable learning experience! Brandy, Bob, Sunny and I met on a HOT afternoon after work. Little Sunny arrived in dire need of a nap and her dinner! The combination of being hungry, sleepy and hot left Miss Sunny in NO mood for photographs. Despite our patient efforts to appease her, we failed miserably! She simply WOULD NOT COOPERATE! However, thanks to my afternoon with Sunny, Tess Cormell Photography now has an Offical Baby Policy! It is my hope that in the future, every baby that finds itself in front of my lens will benefit from my new Sunny clause!

Watch for it to be posted soon!

TROOPER AND TANNER.

2009-09-18T15:23:00.003-06:00

Tanner and I met through work and, because I think she is one spectacular lady, I was thrilled when she asked me to shoot a quick session with her and her son, Trooper. It was wonderful to spend some time outside the building with Miss Tanner and to finally meet Trooper (who's name I just adore)! Furthermore, these two were some of the most genuinely grateful clients I have ever worked with! They are the reason I truly love portrait photography!

SELLERS WEDDING.

2009-09-11T19:44:00.001-06:00

Kayla and Jake had a beautiful backyard wedding planned. The location was absolutely stunning! The wedding day weather, however, was every bride's worst nightmare! Late the night before the wedding, the family made the heartbreaking decision to move the wedding indoors. I must say the the new wedding location, a nearby church, was splendidly decorated and the wedding went off without a hitch. That is for all but Tess, their OUTDOOR wedding photographer! The new location left me with virtually nothing interesting to work with! On my way to the wedding, I stopped and bought a couple of umbrellas, hoping the bride would be open to the idea of using them for a few shots! Fortunately she was! The shoot was definitely challenging for me but it was a great learning experience as well! The Sellers are an adorable couple who are obviously completely in love. And in the end, they got some truly unusual (yet completely unexpected) wedding portraits!

KURT AND RITTER.

2009-08-19T22:54:00.000-06:00

RITTER AND KURT

I am absolutely thrilled that . . .

Kurt is Ritter's UNCLE!

As always, I am so grateful to have met these two beautiful baby boys and immensely honored to have been asked to capture some precious moments of their babyhood. It was pretty awesome to finally meet and spend some time their mommies too! I sincerely hope this was just the first of many shoots with Uncle Kurt and his nephew Ritter!

Such beautiful babies!

IVY.

2009-08-19T22:22:00.000-06:00

RON.

2009-07-25T21:02:00.001-06:00

Last week I met Ron, the Bull Mastiff puppy. Two seconds later I WAS IN LOVE!

Thank you Ron for allowing me to capture your wonderfulness!

COLE BRYAN.

2009-07-25T20:51:00.001-06:00

This little family is so special to me and I am simply honored they ask me to photograph so many of the momentous events in their lives! After shooting their engagement, their wedding, and a maternity session, I now get to help announce the arrival of a new member of their family, Cole Bryan. Little Cole was just one week old when we shot these portraits! His daddy was deployed to Iraq just days later. It will be six months or more before Stan will hold his youngest son again. There will certainly be many, many more portrait sessions featuring Cole, but this particular session held a great deal of sentimentality and importance to me personally!

CONGRATULATIONS Fossette Family on expanding by one more

and THANK YOU for sharing, for serving and for SACRIFICING so much!

KENNEDY WEDDING.

2009-07-22T18:59:00.002-06:00

Conor and Ally's wedding was such a fun shoot for me! They were so easy to work with and Ally was an absolutely stunning bride! They chose a location that I thought would be a real challenge for me but, with the help of some cloud cover, we got some truly beautiful shots of this amazing couple! The Kennedys have such big hearts, they hold a special place in mine! They are raising (and hoping to adopt) little Carson, Ally's nephew. What an amazing sacrifice they have made for this little guy! He is certainly a lucky kid and I hope and pray their adoption with be granted smoothy and quickly!

ALLY, CARSON AND CONOR

WHAT A CHARACTER!

GABRIEL--5 MONTHS

2009-07-14T10:46:00.002-06:00

I KNOW I MIGHT BE BIASED, BUT I THINK THIS IS ONE BEAUTIFUL BABY!

AUNT T LOVES YOU GABEY!

FOSSETTE MATERNITY.

2009-06-16T12:45:00.000-06:00

SERIANA--MAY 2009.

2009-05-26T07:49:00.006-06:00

MAX.

2009-05-12T21:44:00.009-06:00

When I first arrived for this shoot, poor Max was NOT happy to have a strange photographer in his house! However, this shoot exemplifies one of the main reasons I love to take baby portraits in my clients' homes. We were patient with Max and EVENTUALLY he came around and was an absolutely wonderful subject! I am so honored I was asked to work with little Max and thanks to his mommy for sharing her Mother's Day afternoon with me!

Max--I am so glad you finally stopped fussing! You are a beautiful baby!

GABRIEL DANIEL--3 MONTHS

2009-05-12T21:33:00.008-06:00

I can't believe how fast this little man changes! When I saw him this weekend, I was absolutely shocked! Even though I have to admit I am certainly a BIASED AUNTIE, I think he is gorgeous! The night Gabriel was born, I explained to him that the sound of my shutter firing was a sound he had better get used to! Apparently our little talk worked because he is a perfect subject!

I LOVE YOU GABEY!

TJ AND AMANDA--INDUSTRIALS

2009-04-01T22:26:00.014-06:00

Last week, with only a tiny break in the weather, I finally managed to shoot TJ and Amanda's engagement session! They were really open to my suggestions for shoot locations so we tried some new-to-me locations! I was so thrilled to have a chance to stretch my creative abilities a bit! However, we also headed to some familiar, tried and true locations too, just in case! We ended up with SO MANY good shots! In fact, there are two separate posts for this HUGE engagement session so be sure you see BOTH of them! Speaking of good shots, I am anxiously awaiting TJ and Amanda's wedding too. Their wedding is being held at one of my very favorite and sentimental places to shoot portraits!

I never imagined I would get to shoot a WEDDING there though!

Now that you are thoroughly intrigued, be sure to check back in August to see TJ and Amanda's wedding portraits!

TJ AND AMANDA--NATURES

2009-04-01T20:56:00.014-06:00

HIDE.

2009-03-28T21:32:00.001-06:00

While hiking with friends several weekends ago, their daughter, Anna, wandered off into some nearby grass and informed us she was hiding! She sat, quite contentedly, right in the middle of a grass mound, all the while repeating HIDE. She was so thrilled with herself and was the absolute perfect model! These are some of my very favorite pictures to shoot--unplanned, un-posed, and definitely unexpected! And all the better that my subject was completely thrilled to be getting her picture taken while doing something she thought was so clever and sneaky!

GABRIEL-2 WEEKS.

2009-03-01T21:04:00.009-07:00

THESE ARE THE FIRST OF MANY OF GABE'S BABY PORTRAITS!

WE HAVE ANOTHER SESSION PLANNED AS WE WERE PRETTY LIMITED FOR TIME DURING THIS SESSION! STAY TUNED!

MIRIAH, HAYLEE, MACY, HARLIE.

2009-02-21T21:08:00.014-07:00

In honor of Miriah's birthday, Miriah's mom asked me to do a special photo shoot with the birthday girl, her sister Haylee and a couple of their friends! The girls were definitely fun to work with! Although I have to admit, they clearly watch too many modeling reality shows! I saw an awful lot of supermodel poses from these girls today! What a riot! I was so thrilled to be working outside again! What a beautiful, spring-like day too! Thanks girls, for giving me a great excuse to enjoy the nice weather! And Miriah--HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

MIRIAH

BEST FRIENDS

HAYLEE

MACY

HARLIE

LADY RAMBLERS.

2009-02-18T21:25:00.016-07:00

the team.

the real team!

these photos were included in the standard package offered.

copies these photos (as well as the silly team photo) may still be ordered!

LAURA . . . BELLY #4

2009-02-06T19:19:00.013-07:00

In a matter of weeks my sister will be the mother to FOUR of the most beautiful children!

I am so honored to have been asked to photograph each of Laura's pregnancies.

I have to admit, my photography skills grew right along with my nieces and nephew though!

If only I could go back and reshoot those early photos! Alas, I cannot.

But I AM thrilled with these final belly shots of Laura and #4.

My little sister has never looked more beautiful!

She radiates such serenity and grace.

She is the face of love.

And to the little monster who is my nephew: As with all the others, I am so unbelievably excited to meet you! To learn your name. To see the color of your hair! To marvel at your tiny, absolutely perfect fingers and toes. To hear your gentle newborn gurgles. I am going to say something to you I have said to each of your siblings in turn just before they were born,

CAN YOU COME OUT AND PLAY?

i know your mommy sure would appreciate it!

i love you now and forever baby!

your aunt tess