I am in the process of updating some marketing materials and getting ready to gear up for the busy season… weddings, family pics, babies, etc.  I am looking for some models who are willing to brave this heat and have some fun.

These shoots will be scheduled in mid-August - both early morning and late afternoon times.  We will choose the location and provide you with guidelines on what to wear and expect.

We are looking for:

1. High School Senior - someone who is lots of fun, energetic, and willing to be creative with us.

2. A small family with 1 or 2 EASY-GOING kids (preferably 3-6 years old).

3. An engaged couple, or a couple in LOVE that wouldn’t mind kissing, holding hands, and pretending that they like each other!

4. A couple that will dress up in wedding attire and help us get some GREAT, funky, and NON-TRADITIONAL wedding images.

5.  A family with teenage kids.  COOPERATIVE teenage kids.

6.  Newborn.  Very new.  Like, less than 2 weeks old at the time of the shoot.  (This will be done indoors.)

So, PLEASE, if you are interested, or know of anyone that is interested, please leave a comment or shoot me an email.  I will be making final selections and setting dates by July 25.

Please note… the purpose of these shoots is for our own marketing.  We will post these images online and you will have the option to order any image you like.  You will also receive a print of our choosing as a thank you.  However, we will not promise our normal speedy turn-around times for proofing or ordering.  We will be fitting these editing jobs in to our regular workflow and get them done as quickly as we can.  We also will not be able to add any special requests during the actual shoot.  We would be more than happy to schedule a “client” appointment with you to take care of the shots you want.

I love this holiday!  Although it has been several years since I have really seen fireworks, which used to be my FAVORITE.  I think my favorite part of this holiday is spending the whole day with family and friends, swimming, eating, and enjoying all the freedoms we are so blessed with in this country.

The great thing about AZ is you can have parties all summer long - as long as they are pool parties.  You never have to worry about bugs, rain, or wind.  You just plan on it being HOT and plan on swimming and it is all good.  UNLESS, you have an early monsoon that just happens to roll through your party 30 minutes before the DIVE in movie begins.  (no, that was not a mistype, a DIVE in movie for all you non-AZ swimmers is a movie projected on a large screen and enjoyed while floating in the pool… yes, there are advantages to evening temps of 105 degrees!

Needless to say, when a monsoon comes, you move inside.  This is not your light sprinkle.  This is 2 inches of rain in 45 minutes… winds that take down large branches and trees, and lightning that lights up the whole skyline.  It is beautiful, amazing, and powerful.  The kids thought it was almost as fun as the movie.  I wish I had my camera, but somehow it got buried in piles of inflatable rafts, food, towels, clothes, and toys that were rushed inside.

We did have a blast, though, and enjoyed the company of some friends, and family.  Thanks to my parents for letting us use their “way more fun” pool and house!

Here’s as good as it is going to get… too hot to sit that close together for any period of time. 

Thanks Grace and Jackson!  We love your interpretation of “HAPPY 4th!”  Hope you enjoyed the party past the initial photo stages.

Thanks Mom and Dad for having us all over to your house… we all had a blast!  And thanks, Dad, for mixing up some of your tasty concoctions for us to enjoy!  (Soooo many pool floats - there were kids in there someplace, right?!?!?)

The waterfall and the swim up bar are two of the features that make Nema & Hepa’s house sooo fun.  (Besides the HUGE backyard… something you don’t find at most of the houses up here.)  The boys can spend all day climbing up the waterfall and jumping off.  I think this next series is sooo funny… why is it OK for Mike to teach Ryan how to push him off the waterfall, but as soon as Parker tries to push Ryan off, he gets yelled at instead of the laughs Ryan got?!?!?

If these two didn’t look so much alike, I would wonder who this kids’ father was.  We have no idea where he gets his coloring from, but he is soooo dark.  That is after generous applications of 50+ sunscreen!  He looks like a little oreo cookie when the swimsuit comes off.

Here’s our good friend, Jackson… with his best friend, GOGGLES!  That kid loves his goggles!

Parker and Riley are trying to get Riley’s daughter, Madison SOAKED!

And the great finish to a wonderful day… the dive in movie got moved into the media room.  I glanced in to see if the kids were doing OK, and saw Grace and Ryan snuggled up on the couch.  I don’t know if it was a scary part of the movie, but I love how she is ever so slightly touching his hand!  Guess we have our own fireworks going on this 4th of July!