Best of LiLo 2013

How can I ring in the New Year without looking back on 2013 and sharing my favorite pictures?

Here are a few of my favorites from 2013!  Prepare for picture overload (in no particular order).

Cute Babies

Favorite Seniors

Favorite Couples

Favorite Cousin Pictures

Favorite Family Shots

Favorite of 2 sessions with these guys!

Favorite parents with kids pictures

Favorite Kids

Favorite Newborns with Siblings

Favorite Props- Hand Knit Blanket, Fire Helmet, Pinterest Blanket and Tiny armchair

Favorite Sibling Pictures

Favorite Maternity Picture

Favorite Location

Favorite Picture of my T-Bone (usually he is making a goofy face or extremely dirty)

Favorite Texture

Favorite Black and White

Favorite "getting ready" wedding picture

Favorite Bridal Picture

Favorite Cowboy

Favorite Squishy Baby

Favorite "dress up" session

Most amazing eyes award

Favorite Backlighting

Favorite Model Shot

Favorite Landscape Wedding

Favorite Look Between the Two

Favorite Corporate Picture- Easy Street Properties

Favorite Ring Picture

Another Favorite Ring Shot

Favorite Smolder

Favorite Story Behind the Picture- click here for the story!

Favorite Newborn Picture

Favorite Wedding Picture

Favorite Kissing Picture

Favorite Bride/Most Photogenic

And the winner is.......

This picture received 3944 hits on my Facebook page!  Can you believe that?

Thank you to all of my clients!  It was a wonderful year and I can't wait to see what 2014 is going to bring.  For more pictures or to schedule a session for 2014, visit my website at www.photolilo.com.

LiLo- 2013 goal wrap up

I am only a few days late after ringing in the New Year.  I wanted to pause for a moment and remember 2013.

For LiLo- it was a banner year!  (See future post for personal-2013 wrap up).  It was fun to take a look at the professional goals that I wrote back in January of 2013.  I was pleased when I took a look at the things I wanted to accomplish and found that I did accomplish most of them.

Here were my goals for 2013:
1.  Grow Business (check)
In 2012, I did 44 photo sessions.  In 2013, I did 67 sessions.

2.  More Newborn Photo Sessions (check)
In 2012, I did 5 newborn sessions.  In 2013, I did 12 newborn sessions.  That is more than double!

3.  Get more year-round business- not just late summer-fall (check)
I still did more than half of my business after September, but I did have more consistent work throughout the year.

4.  Improve Photoshop skills- (check, but still want to work more on this)
What can I say about this?  Practice, practice, practice.  The more you work with something, the better you get.  I have made a few ground breaking discoveries in Photoshop that have helped my editing skills!  I am still learning but I am getting better at taking pictures as well so my pictures are better straight out of the camera as well!  That helps with editing.
 
5.  Be better at taking and printing/sharing/scrapbooking personal pictures (ummmm. could use some work still)
I still did not do very well in the scrapbooking department.  I used to have some family/friends that I would go away for a weekend or two a year and scrapbook but that has gone by the wayside.  I would still love to do it as I would get a TON done during those weekends.  Perhaps I need to find some new scrapbooking friends and get away for a weekend.  I have a cabin we can use.  Who is in?

6.  Buy a new camera body and maybe a new lens (check)
YES!!  My old camera body was giving me some focus issues and it was driving me crazy.  I was able to get a new camera body by doing some work with Jefferson County and their foster care/at risk youth department.  I love my new body (hee hee) and the focus is SOOOOO much better.  I was also able to buy a used lens from my mentor.  Thanks Rene for upgrading your lens so I could buy your old one.

7.  Spend more time on blogging (check)
Blogging is hard and VERY time consuming.  I don't know how some people do it so often.  However, I was much more consistent with my blogging and had 82 posts this year compared to 60 in 2012.

8.  Spend more time on LiLo (check... sometimes it seemed like way too much time.  Need balance)
This one is tricky.  I did spent WAY more time on LiLo this year.  My business was very successful and I am very thankful.  I would love to grow the business even more in 2014!

Yee-haw!  There is nothing like setting some goals, working hard to meet them and then look back at the goals you set and see your dreams come to life!

Now on to 2014!

Last year I was kind of ashamed of my goal setting and didn't tell anyone about them and hid them in my desk.  This year I am going to be bold.  I am going to set my goals out in front of all of you!

In 2014 I want to....

1.  Increase my business even more!
2.  Be better with social media (blogging, Facebook, Instagram).
3.  Create better boundaries for working from home.
4.  Take a class (or two) on Newborn or Family Photography.
5.  Increase and expand my wedding sessions.
6.  Continue to improve my photography and editing skills.
7.  Not be so critical of my photography skills (especially when it comes to personal pictures) and take more personal pictures.  Sometimes I get burned out and don't want to lug around my "big camera".
8.  Get IN more pictures.  Sometimes because I am the "photographer in the family", I tend to take all of the pictures and not get in them.  I need to be better at setting my timer and getting in the shots, myself.
9.  Do a few "just for fun" sessions where I can be more creative and use fun props!

I am going to stick with 9 for now....because 9 is my favorite number and because 10 sounds like one too many!

How many of you write your goals down and then have fun looking back on them to see how you did?

Stay tuned for Best of LiLo 2013!

Last Sneak Peek of 2013!

It's a wrap!  This is my final photo shoot of 2013.  It has been such a wonderful year for LiLo and I want to thank all of my clients and followers.  I am going to do a 2013 wrap up, so stay tuned for that!

But before I move on to 2014, I have to show you one last family!  Our families go way back.  I met Lynne when I was working at D'Evelyn.  She is a wonderful teacher and she befriended me during my time there.  She recognized my last name and we figured out that she was on swim team with Chris and Stacey and even graduated high school with Stacey. 

Lynne contacted me a few weeks ago and wanted to give her mom a photo shoot for Christmas.  What a wonderful idea!  So we scheduled a shoot for 2 days after Christmas while her brother and his daughters were going to be in town.  After Grandma opened her Christmas present, she was able to choose the theme of the session.  She chose a Broncos theme.  I love it!

It was a beautiful Colorado day and we got some great pictures.

The Grandkids

I am looking forward to a few more of just the Hobbs Family when Jason will be in the pictures too.  More to come!

Happy new year and way to go Broncos!  I guess this family and their team spirit helped in the amazing Bronco victory.  For more pictures, check out my website or my Facebook page.

Sneak Peek: Mila

There is nothing like a baby at Christmas time.  It really brings home the whole reason why we celebrate!  A tiny baby born over 2000 years ago.

This little gal was a little older than my usual newborn, and had a ton more hair.  Don't you love all of the dark locks?  It was fun to work with a little lady who could focus on the camera a little more.  She needed a little extra TLC as she didn't want to shut her eyes.  Little Mila was too excited to meet me!  It gave me a great opportunity to get to know her Dad a little more while Mom was filling her belly to try to get her to sleep.  Mark works for cell phone companies installing new towers in some pretty remote areas.  Thank goodness for people like Mark!  We can all use our cell phones in Avon and Breckenridge and other remote places in Colorado and surrounding areas.  The bummer thing for guys like Mark is that they are away from their families Monday through Friday and then they are only home on the weekends.  Brutal!  Especially with a new baby.  I can't imagine how hard that would be.  It was very evident that these guys loved their little girl.

Doesn't she have such a georgous Mom too?  She has such a quiet beauty!  Mila is a lucky girl.

Mark also told me that his grandmother crocheted this yellow blanket for her new great grand baby.  The cool part is that she hadn't crocheted anything in a long time because it was too hard with her arthritis.  However, she came out of retirement to make this blanket for Mila.  After hearing that story, how could I not put it in the pictures?  I love personal touches!

Mark and Amber, enjoy your precious baby and may we all enjoy the baby that we celebrate during this Christmas season! 

For more pictures, visit my Facebook page or my website.

Sneak Peek: The LaChance Family

Jack Frost is nipping at my nose.  And my toes.  And pretty much every part of my body.  It is freezing outside!  Yet the children are playing outside.  They need it.  It has been a little too much inside time for little boys.  They need to get out and run and play.  So I guess if they are having fun in the 9 degree weather I should let them!

As for me, I am snuggled up in the house enjoying myself and finishing up this fun session with the LaChance family.

This family is such a blessing!  They started attending our church a few years ago and it has been fun getting to know them.  I have grown to love them, but even more than that...I have come to highly respect them.  They have such wisdom and it has been fun to watch them grow in the Lord.  You see, they came to know the Lord as adults.  They didn't make commitments to the Lord when they were young and therefore, they had to fully submit themselves to the Lord as adults.  I love that.  I think the older you are, the harder it is to surrender control of your life! 

It was a blast to hang out with this family and with Sherrie's parents.  It was a beautiful November day and I loved capturing this family.  Luke didn't want to show me his pearly whites, but I managed to get him to give me a big smile now and again.  Scott didn't want to smile very big either (like father like son) but he is a police officer, former marine and part of the S.W.A.T. team so he has a rep to protect, right?

 

Sherrie wanted to a photo shoot that included her parents, who were visiting from Arizona.  They are a neat couple and I love to see multiple generations interact.

These kids are so awesome.  Luke is a heck of a baseball player and plays on my nephew's baseball team.  It is always fun to watch them play.  Miranda is one of the sweetest girls I know.  She is always playing with the kids and helping where ever she can.  She is such a joy!  It is fun to watch these twins interact!

Thanks for living life with us LaChance family.  We love you guys!

For more pictures of this family visit my website or my Facebook Page.

Sneak Peek: Nathan & Amanda

Can I just tell you that I am pretty excited that I already have two weddings on the books for next summer!

My first wedding is Amanda and Nathan's.  Amanda's mom (Jannon, isn't that such a cool name?) is the sister of (Paula) the financial guru of SPELC (where all my kids have gone to preschool).  Are you confused yet?  Jannon is also a co-worker of my friend, Jessica.  I love how all of those connections come together for a wedding booking!

This cute couple is getting married in July up at Mt. Vernon Event Center.  I can't wait to help them celebrate their Big Day! 

I met with Jannon to discuss details and to cover wedding details, but I had yet to meet the Bride-to-be as she is living in Arizona.  I was excited when they wanted to do engagement pictures over Thanksgiving break when they were home.  Engagement pictures are so wonderful because it gets the bride (and more importantly the groom) more comfortable with having their pictures taken.  It also allows me to get to know them a little more so that I can better capture them on the day of the wedding.  It is almost like a little photo rehearsal.  It is so important, especially in cases like this when I am mostly meeting with the mother of the bride to discuss details.  If I had only met bride and groom on the day of the wedding, it might take us a bit to get into the groove.  Now, we can just jump right into pictures on the wedding day and we will be comfortable with each other and with the poses I am asking them to do!

This couple is cute and young and fresh.  They are a bit quiet and shy, but they came out of their shell by the end of the session.  I can't wait to see them all dressed up in July.  Enjoy your engagement and enjoy the weather in Arizona.  It is freezing here in Colorado!  Good thing the cold front didn't come through a week later.  That would have made for a freezing photo shoot!

Sneak Peek: Landon

Okay, last one for awhile.  I promise.  I am under the gun and trying to get all of my work done before we leave on vacation TOMORROW!  I haven't packed a thing (or even made a packing list yet which VERY strange).  I just didn't want these families to have to wait an extra week to get their pictures.

Especially this family.  They are wanting to get Christmas cards out at the beginning of December (I am seriously impressed).  And people, I hate to tell you this...but December is sneaking up on us quickly.

Landon was one of my first "Baby's First Year" babies.  It has been a joy to see him three times this year and see how much he has changed.  I was shocked when we got together on Sunday.  He looks like a little man now.  I love all of his hair and his cute expressions.

They really wanted Christmasy looking pictures, but that proved to be hard 10 days before Thanksgiving in a thus far mild winter.  No snow, no decorations....disappointing.  But we made do!  Thankfully they were dressed festively and that is 3/4 of the battle!

I just love the expression on Landon's face when we plopped him down in front of this blue wall.

I titled this one "Blue Christmas"

I can't wait for our last session right around his first birthday.  Merry Christmas Landon (even if it is still 37 days away).

For more pictures of this family and others, visit my website or my Facebook page.