Amy Anne Photography

Amy Anne Photography has a new face!

2010-05-26T12:30:00.001-07:00

I am very pleased to debut a new logo and branding for Amy Anne Photography.

There have also been updates to the website, www.amyannephotography.com, although the site is not quite complete. If you have any questions regarding pricing or scheduling, shoot me a quick email or call me at 801.230.0626

To top things off, the Amy Anne Photo Blog is moving from this site to here so be sure to bookmark the new site ;) This one will remain intact should anyone have the desire to peruse the archives.

Brody and Alex + Engagements

2010-05-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

So I realized that I completely forgot to post a few photos from my brothers engagement session last year. He was married on December 12, 2009 in Idaho and I didn't even get to go! There was a huge snowstorm that came through the night before and the day of and I didn't want to risk driving up there.

Alex is the perfect woman for him. She's strong minded enough to handle all the bullheadedness and ego that comes with being a Talbot... LOL!

Caption: The image on the left would be Brody saying "Nanners, I aint putting no damn sissy flower in my face". He did it anyway because he loves me ;)

A day at the park

2010-05-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

Watching tennis with her buddy...

The Watkins Family

2010-04-10T21:52:00.001-07:00

Bug restoration update

2010-04-06T21:44:00.001-07:00

Okay, so here is the first part of the final paint. The color is called Lotus White and it's a sort of off-white, kind of cream, color. The dash, inside doors (including jams) and trunk have all been painted. The images you see here are not quite true to color because I had a couple different fluorescent light sources + some natural light, but it's close enough :)

Giang + Enny

2010-04-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the wait ;)

More to come...

2010-03-28T23:08:00.001-07:00

Snow at Twilight

2010-03-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

These were taken a couple of weeks ago. There is something so peaceful about a snowstorm. The sounds of the city seem to be swallowed by the blanket of clouds and the falling snow, and the world feels so much more tranquil, serene, still...

Sisters

2010-03-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

The VW version of a facelift

2010-03-17T22:12:00.001-07:00

Remember this car? It's been quite a while since I've driven it - 2 years! Well, it's undergoing a major, dang near pan-off restoration, courtesy of my amazing husband.

*Note- the first 4 shots were taken with a point and shoot almost 2 years ago.

And it begins...

If you notice in the first shot, the side windows are one piece, i.e., there are no wing windows. The green doors you see here are so that we could get the wing windows back which are original to the car.

You can see the wing windows here.

Here is where we are now. Body work is complete, it's painted with primer and ready for color in the temporary paint booth in our garage.

Stay tuned for updates!

Progress

2010-03-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

My great-grandmother was a wonderful and very insightful (and feisty) woman. She loved life which I believe is why she made it to the fantastic age of 92. These photos make me think of her because she used to say...

"When I was young, smokestacks were called progress and now they're just pollution."

These shots were taken in South-Western Wyoming in the summer of 2008 with a Canon 5D.

Mick + Newborn

2010-03-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

Amelia = chubby little sausage toes...

2010-03-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Oh, I'm a sucker for any plump little baby with yummy little sausage toes. I can't get enough of those little dimples on their knuckles or the no wrist armbands... nom, nom, nom.

I miss this precious age with Evie. Her delight in finding some delicious toes, her contentment after a nice meal and a good nap, or her sheer excitement at watching her reflection in the mirror.

*Sigh* Goes by in a blink...

Just another lovely day

2010-03-03T21:00:00.001-08:00

Taken with a Hasselblad 503CW

The Hurley Family

2010-02-17T22:27:00.000-08:00

With my spring fever running rampant, it feels good to get out and do some shooting despite the lingering cold, and Sunday actually turned out to be a nice day to do get outside and photograph this fabulous little family and their sweet little bug.

Jeff is my husbands best childhood friend and they just recently re-connected through facebook. I've had a great time getting to know them and it's been great to see Evie make friends with Victoria. Jeff and Andrea, thank you so much for allowing me the honor of capturing some treasured moments for you.

Sorry if the photo quality seems a little low. I keep reading about other photographers who have discovered that their images are being taken off their blogs and claimed by others as their own work, so I uploaded some smaller files this time. I'm not sure that it really makes much difference because if someone wanted to steal and claim my work, they would find a way to do it.

*Post Edit- I couldn't stand the low-res quality so I re-uploaded some slightly larger files.

A few outtakes...

Seriously. Jeff's expression here makes me crack up!

Give to Hope for Haiti

2010-01-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

I have experienced an immense amount of personal tragedy in my life, but I cannot feel self pity. I feel blessed because I have never been buried alive, been without food or water or without a home. Please, if you can, go here and give whatever you can afford, even if it's only $5. They desperately need it.

This is the official website featured on the Hope for Haiti live show which was broadcast this evening. The point is, the site is legit and you can feel confident that your $$ will get to the people of Haiti.

Evie's Party

2010-01-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few images from Evie's birthday celebration. Some of the images were taken by my sister.

I just can't believe how fast she is growing. Every day I look at her yummy little face and her delicious little body and I hope that I remember everything about that moment because I know how much I'm going to miss this time. Every giggle, laugh, the cute way she walks. Even the way she has an entire conversation with me in her own baby language. I'm going to miss it all!

This is Evie's good friend Spencer (holding the vacuum). We met his parents in a natural birthing class and we've been fortunate to become good friends. He was so spellbound by this toy vacuum that we sent it home with him for a while :)

First Birthday

2010-01-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

First let me apologize for the hiatus. The weeks leading up to the holiday were busy and its been difficult finding the motivation to get back into the swing of post holiday life. I fear that this will be a continuing trend and that I'll need to develop some skills for managing it all; let me explain.

My sweet baby girl turned ONE on the 18th! One is a big birthday so it commanded some time in planning the celebration and since her birthday is so close to Christmas, its important to me that her day doesn't get lost in the usual hustle and chaos of the season. Her birthday landed on a Friday this year so I slaved into the wee hours on Thursday attempting to create a perfect little fondant cake that I had been so nostalgically dreaming about for weeks in my head. Trust me when I say that its much harder than it looks and I give many props to all you professional bakers out there. Needless to say, my little cake turned out perfectly imperfect...

Saturday was the big birthday celebration where I traded in my fondant creation for some more traditional, yet still made from scratch, cupcakes.

So, Evie's Stats:

22.5 Lbs, 30 inches
Favorite Foods: Mandarin oranges, pears, gerber graduates corn puffs, yogurt and ham
Favorite Activity: Bath time with Daddy
Favorite Words: Oh Wee, Oh Yeah, Wow, Cat (more like gat), What's this? (imagine it all slurred together)
Favorite Object: Her minky dot blanket, although balloons would be a close runner up
Favorite Pet: Our cat whom she refers lovingly to as either 'be' or 'bye' rather than cat

This was nearly the one and only shot I could get of her before she was off to explore. She is not the cooperative little darling that I was hoping she would be, but I wouldn't have her any other way.

The little blue bottoms are a g diaper and I really wanted her to be wearing pink, but I never had the chance to got out and buy a pair, just in case anyone was wondering why she is in blue ;)

Dear Santa,

2009-11-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa, by amyannephoto featuring Anthropologie

What do you hope to find under the tree this year??

Maddi's Bat Mitzvah

2009-11-10T17:11:00.000-08:00

Rhonda & Bill + La Caille Wedding

2009-10-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

Chloe and Sage - For Fun

2009-10-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

Patrice and Dave's Intimate Wedding

2009-10-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

I apologize for being so behind on posting. This wedding was back in June!

Patrice contacted me about photographing her lovely and intimate wedding in Park City at the Temple Har Shalom. It was low key, easy going and had very little of the pressure's that are typically associated with big weddings. The red & black dress that you see Patrice wearing is the same dress that her mother wore on her first date with Patrice's father... I love sentimental things like that ;)

Stay tuned in for more post's to come.

Hannah's Tropical Bat Mitzvah

2009-10-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

Mason and his lovely guitar

2009-08-14T09:51:00.001-07:00

This cute guy just graduated high school and is now off to study engineering in Nashville with a minor in music. Isn't his guitar just lovely? I wish that when I was younger I had learned to play an instrument. I think it would be such a stress relief and so soothing to be able to just sit down and create; or just play. It's never too late, right?

Maren + Puppy in the City

2009-08-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love the faces of Maren. Her expressions are priceless.

Evie's first fat lip :(

2009-08-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

So, today Evie got her first fat lip. Was it my fault?...NO

Did that fact keep me from feeling like a dirt bag mom for not catching her in time?... NO.

FYI...photos were taken with a point and shoot.

Just a few from 4th of July camping

2009-07-23T14:41:00.001-07:00

He was going really slow, but as you can see, she loved it!

This face absolutely melts me.

We took a very scenic and absolutely lovely way home through the Uintah Forest. At the summit, we came upon a herd of what must have been thousands of sheep. They all had little hearts painted on their backs.

Richard & Kelli

2009-07-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

Chloe

2009-07-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

Deb + Maternity

2009-06-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

Danielle-High School Senior-Part 2

2009-06-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

Dang, I'm sorry it took me so long to get these up! This girl was so much fun to work with. She's cute, has a great personality, tons of style and easy to photograph.

This is a life-size playhouse in the backyard that was built for Danielle and her sister when they were little.

Danielle grew up playing on this swing. It means so much to her that she wrote a paper about it for a school assignment.

Doesn't this look like she should be a Ralph Lauren model?

I Heart Film

2009-06-13T14:02:00.001-07:00

A few shots from our camping trip over memorial day weekend at my brother in laws property.

I like this one of my puppy, but it was raining and so I had placed a plastic shopping bag over my camera. I think that part of it was covering the lens and resulted in the haziness in the corner of the photo.

My Evie Darling

Sunday + Baby Morning Doves in an Apple Tree

2009-06-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday + Sleeping Baby

2009-06-06T14:45:00.001-07:00

And, a lazy cat.

Danielle-High School Senior-Part 1

2009-05-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

Jessica//High School Senior

2009-05-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

Seriously! This girl was so dang much fun to photograph. She knows how to work the camera and she is seriously fabulous. I photographed her the same day/time that I photographed another senior, her friend, so stay tuned for photos from Danielle; another stunning and gorgeous senior.

Avery - High School Senior

2009-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

Can you believe how gorgeous this young lady is? Avery needed/wanted some shots of her in her bedroom and backyard for her senior photos. This girl loves pink and its evident by how her bedroom is decorated. Everything from pink walls to pink pillows, feather boas, chairs and blankets. Avery, you are such a sweet girl. Thanks for allowing me to get some great shots of you in your pink oasis.

SOLD

2009-04-20T14:00:00.001-07:00

The canon 20D is sold. I'm so happy to see it go to a good home ;)

For Sale

2009-04-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

Canon 20D Digital SLR 8.1MP camera for sale.

Excellent ++ condition

Purchased ~2 years ago from B&H Photo Video, this camera has gone through very moderate use. There are no dents or scratches.

Items Included:
Camera Body
EFS 18-55mm lens
(4) 1GB CF cards
(1) battery
camera strap
leather side hand strap
BG-E2N battery grip (www.pictureline.com) purchased about 1 yr ago
user manual

I'm selling this one because I upgraded to the 5D.

If interested, call me at 801.230.0626 or email me at amy@amyannephoto.com

AJ- High School Senior

2009-04-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

Jake + 1 year old

2009-04-10T16:38:00.000-07:00

Isn't this little guy just the cutest? I photographed Jake when he was only a week or so old and I can't believe that its already been 1 year. It makes me scared to think that Evie's first year is going to go by just as fast. I'm already missing the age she is at because she is changing and growing so quickly. Before I know it she is going to be asking me for the keys to the car.

Ian's Bar Mitzvah

2009-04-03T17:30:00.001-07:00

Attention all mom's and dad's!

2009-02-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

Check out this great website for incredible deals on baby items.

www.babysteals.com

Every day there is an item posted for as much as 50% off and more. Be sure to check early because the items will usually sell out before the end of the day.

A good cause

2009-02-01T12:42:00.001-08:00

I just found out about a new piece of legislation that is in the works and will take effect Feb 10, 2010. It's called the CPSI Act (Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act) and will require extensive testing for toxins and safety on any toy or product made for children. Individuals will have to invest $$$ to a third party individual for testing, just to prove that their product is safe to sell. I know that we all want safe products for our children, but this isn't the way to do it. So, all you moms an other individuals who make amazing handmade products, get on board and get this thing nixed. To find out more about it, click HERE. To sign a petition, click HERE. Or even better, print THIS sample letter, personalize it and send it to your local congress person and senator.

Click HERE to find your local representative and HERE to find your local senator.

Finally, click HERE to see everyone that will be affected by this ill-conceived piece of legislation

Evie's Birth Story

2009-01-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

I had spent months putting into my mind that I wanted to have a natural, un-medicated birth. Toward the end, Chris and I even took a natural birthing class. Some people may think I'm crazy, but I wanted to experience what my body was designed to do and meant to experience.

Evie was 4 days overdue and for the last several weeks of the pregnancy, I had developed high blood pressure, so my Dr. decided it was time to induce. Of course, I didn't want to be induced, but I wanted to do what was best for the baby.
When I arrived at the hospital, I was 85% effaced and 4-4.5 cm dilated. We decided to break my water and see if that would jump start active labor. I did start having regular contractions, but I wasn't dilating very quickly so they decided to start the pitocin and it didn't take much. Regular and more intense contractions soon followed and were actually very manageable to my surprise. It wasn't until I was dilated to about 9cm that I felt like I was having a hard time managing. Not only were the contractions intense, but I was having immense back labor because Evie was coming out in the posterior position. Thank god for my husband because he stepped up and was an amazing birth coach! I am so proud of him because if it weren't for him, I don't think I could have made it through. At about 3:30pm I was fully dilated and started pushing. Even though it hurt, it felt good to push and I was amazed at how involuntary pushing is. I had no control over it and I just had to go with it. At first, Evie' heart rate was dropping with each push and for a while the Dr. was saying that I might have to have a C-section. Of course, I didn't want that, but I would have done whatever was best for the baby. Once Evie started to drop down in to the birth canal, she started tolerating the pushing and her heart rate was fine. Four hours of pushing later and at 7:36pm, Evelyn Elizabeth Larson was born without so much as an aspirin for pain.

My entire memory of the experience is both very euphoric and dream like. It's everything that I had hoped for and I feel extremely positive about the whole experience. The Doctors and Nurses at St. Marks were amazing and incredibly supportive of my decision to birth naturally. They never once asked me about pain meds or even made mention of it. My nurse even stayed several hours past her shift to see me to the end and then came and visited with me in postpartum the next day.

If anyone reading this is interested in having a natural and un-medicated birth, please, please read this book. It's full of wonderful information, stories and even images to help get your mind and body ready.

Introducing...

2008-12-31T12:56:00.000-08:00

Evelyn Elizabeth

December 18, 2008

9Lbs, 1oz, 20 inches

4 days overdue...

2008-12-16T21:13:00.000-08:00

The nursery is ready. Fully stocked with warm soft blankets and cuddly cotton sleepers, but alas, no sign of baby yet. Baby Larson is being stubborn. Not ready to brave this crazy and beautiful world. Mom and dad are ready. Ready to meet this baby they've been dreaming about for so many months.

Vanessa's Maternity

2008-12-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

Michael Starks...Rest in Peace

2008-11-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

Tragedy strikes and the world loses one of the good ones. Michael died from extreme alcohol poisoning at Utah State University where he was student. Police are looking into it as a fraternity initiation incident and may bring charges since Mike was only 18. Let me say that Chris and I were extremely fortunate to have been a part of this young man's life for the short time that we were. Michael joined our volkswagen club and would frequent our house to get mechanic advice and help from Chris or to just hang out and talk for while. He was genuinely one of the sweetest young guys we knew and we believed that he would grow up to be an amazing adult man. He attended Judge Memorial Catholic High School where he took yoga classes and made films. He was smart and funny and he wanted to be fire fighter. We are truly going to miss this guy and our hearts go out to his family.

Barker 50th Wedding Anniversary

2008-11-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

Meet Lorraine and Boyd. They've been married for 50 years, have 4 children and are still in love. I had the absolute pleasure of photographing their 50th wedding anniversary celebration which was organized by their children. They were surrounded by friends and family as well as tons of memorabilia of their wedding and union 50 years ago. It's so inspiring to not only see a couple who has shared so much of their life together, but to see a couple who has shared that life in love.

The original wedding invitation

The original wedding dress

The re-created original wedding cake

Get out there and VOTE!

2008-11-04T10:30:00.001-08:00

Just a reminder that everyone should be getting out there and casting their vote. No Excuses. Whether you think you'll make a difference or not, doesn't matter. It only matters that you voice your choice.

Amie & Joe Wedding

2008-11-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

I should have posted this quite some time ago...

Amie and Joe were married among their family and close friends, on a gorgeous summer day at the Hotel Park City. It was a small and intimate wedding that joined two beautiful families.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T19:42:00.000-07:00

Dreams of costumes, trick or treating, candy, carving & painting pumpkins with my own little pumpkin, soon to make an entrance into my life.

Martain Wedding

2008-10-02T15:31:00.000-07:00

The Faces of Maren

2008-09-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

What can I say about this cutie except that I had a fun time with this little pistol. She has quite a mind of her own and she wasn't very happy with my attempts, which where quite futile, to get her to pose for me. She was on her own program and she let me know, as you can see by her expressions. We toggled between happy, when she was doing her own thing, and not so happy when myself or mom was trying to get her into our program. Although we did get a few poses out of her, I was mostly just a witness to Maren's world.

We had asked her to put her hands down on the ground because she kept squishing her face

Feeding Zephyr some cheese.

She was throwing flower petals into the air and letting them fall over her. Mom was helping too.

Debbie's Bridals

2008-08-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to click on an image to view it larger ;)

Mark and Ella Wedding

2008-08-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, what can I say about Mark and Ella. They are great people with awesome personalities! I have never seen two people who were more excited to get married than these two! Instead of nervousness there was anticipation and excitement. In the 4th photo from the top, Ella is literally screaming with excitement. She just found out that everything was in place, everyone had arrived and the wedding was ready to start.
Instead of an officiant, they had their two best friends (who were certified) marry them, another group of friends play a live song during the ceremony and a third read a poem that she had written. Then, after the ceremony, their exit song was We Are The Champions by Queen. It was so unique and fun and I loved being a part of it!

Ida's Maternity

2008-07-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

This is my dear friend, Ida. We met while working together at the genetics lab up at the University of Utah. She is an awesome and amazing person. I remember that I used to dress very causally at the lab because there were only lab mice to impress. My hair was always pulled back and I never wore any of my nice clothes for fear of spilling some agent on them. And then there was Ida. She always walked into lab looking very put together. She would wear the cutest and most fabulous shoes and carried the greatest handbags. Her hair was always done. Needless to say, I always felt a bit like a bum standing next to her. So here she is, looking fabulous as ever.

Horwitz-Moon Family

2008-06-20T17:12:00.001-07:00

One Week Old

2008-06-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

Blue Boar Birthday

2008-06-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

This was a really fun group of people. The birthday girl (in the red dress) decided that for her 40th birthday, she wanted to spend it at the Blue Boar Inn. The catch is that everyone lives on the East coast. This whole group of people flew in and spent the weekend at the Inn. My observation was that this group of family and friends is very close knit. They seemed to be having so much fun together and had tons of stories to tell. It was a beautiful evening, everyone was relaxed and having a good time and I enjoyed capturing the moments and the details.

Mike + Graduating Senior

2008-05-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

Looking back, I wish I had done a senior portrait session when I was graduating. All I have, as most do, is the Don Blair Yearbook portrait. I think senior sessions are so fun because you get so much more of their personality. This is Mike. He is graduating from Judge Memorial High School this year. He's a great kid and I wish him the best of luck. He's off to Utah State to be an Aggie.

Baby Larson's First Photos

2008-05-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here are the first photo's of our baby! I know that it's going to drive everyone crazy, but we are NOT going to find out the sex. We believe that there are so few surprises in life and we want the anticipation of this one. I am 10 weeks and the expected due date is December 11th.

On another note. This is something I should have posted about 1 month ago. I had the opportunity to photograph Randy Horiuchi. He needed photos for his Democratic campaign. The photo of him hiding behind the basketball can be seen on many billboards around the city. It was a short and fun shoot and I had a great time meeting the man.

First love, then marriage, then........

2008-04-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

You guessed it!

This is test 1 of 3. Chris and I had plans to start actively trying this August, but because I hadn't had a normal cycle in over 1 year, we figured that we might have some trouble and so we stopped preventing. Obviously, we were mistaken about having trouble. We couldn't be happier and even though I feel like the life force is being sucked from my body, I am full of joy and I feel so blessed about the little life growing inside of me.

My Brother... The Brodster

2008-04-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

So this is my very cute (although he would want me to say very good-looking) brother, Brody. I hadn't seen him in quite some time, despite my constant nagging for some quality family togetherness, and so when I finally got the chance to see him last week, I took the opportunity to grab my camera for a few quick impromptu shots. As you can probably tell from the photos, Brody has a hard time being serious in front of the camera ;)

For those of you who don't believe that personality is inherited, let me tell you that you would be mistaken. Brody was only 3 months old when our dad died and somehow, in the personality ways, he has managed to end up so much like our dad, that my uncle has called him "Little Bill" on several occasions. Our dad's name was Bill, of course. It's truly uncanny and amazes me. So here he is, showing off his muscles and his best face, my brother.... the Brodster ;)

Skriker- A Rowland Hall St. Marks High School Production

2008-03-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to photograph a play put on by the High School students of Rowland Hall St. Marks School. It was called Skriker. It's a story about a group of fairies that live in "the underground" because no one believes in them anymore. They are called changelings because they can change into different people. They try to convince a human to come with them to their underworld so that humans might believe in them again. I had a lot of fun photographing this play and was entertained at the same time.

HUGE VICTORY FOR UTAH CATS AND DOGS!!!

2008-03-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

I Have been waiting for the better part of 10 years for animal abuse and torture to be a felony in Utah and this week the bill was finally passed! Woo Hoo!!! As most people know, I had wanted to be a Veterinarian most my life and I worked as a Vet Tech for almost 6 years.

The downfall is that the bill only covers cats and dogs so the rest of the animals are still only prosecuted as Misdemeanors (Is that spelled right?), but if someone is convicted of animal abuse/torture, its a felony on the very first offense. There is also protection for Veterinarians who turn in a person for animal abuse. There are now only 6 other states that have yet to make animal abuse a felony offense.

The very cool thing is that today, while at Judge High School's baseball practice, I met a man named Dave (I wish I remembered his last name) and we got to talking about the bill. He looked at us and said "Yeah, that was my bill". I know I sound like a geek, but I got to actually meet the man that made it all happen! I wish I would have given him a big hug, but I did tell him I loved him and Thank You!

NOT, sleeping beauty...

2008-03-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

Even though she is only 2 weeks old, despite our best efforts, we could not get this little girl to sleep. We wanted to get some really cute sleeping baby photos, but she had another idea and the only time she slept was when mom fed her. The second we started trying to take more photos, her eyes were wide open. Hey, at least we got a couple.

Scrum-didilly-umptious!

2008-03-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

Winter Vacation to a Wyoming Ranch

2008-02-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

Valentines weekend. For those who don't know, my husband Chris' birthday is on Valentines Day. This year he turned 30, so to celebrate the Valen-Birth-Day, we took a short trip to the extremely small town of Roberston, Wyoming. For those who also don't know, when I am not doing Amy Anne Photography, I am working for Julie Shipman, photographer extraordinaire. She is fortunate enough to own a ranch in Robertson, Wyoming and offered for Chris and I to spend the weekend there. We left on Friday afternoon. It was a gorgeous day! There is a gentleman that takes care of the ranch and he had told us to keep our eye out for wildlife around the Echo Lake area. Chris and I were stunned. We had to have seen over 500 deer, a heard of elk (with huge bucks), one red fox, two big eagles and 3 moose! All this in the Echo area. And then, once we arrived at the ranch, we saw 2 more moose about 150 yards from the cabin! It was incredible. There was a lot more snow at the ranch than we expected ( it was knee deep) so we weren't able to explore like we wanted to, but it was beautiful. The place is incredibly peaceful and isolated. There is no TV, no Internet, no distractions. Needless to say, it was the relaxing weekend that we both needed. Here are a few images of the pasture's surrounding the cabin. When the sun would set, the pink, soft winter light was stunning. Don't forget to click on the images if you want to view them larger.

The cabin with my trusty chocolate lab, Felony, posing on the deck.

This is what the Robertson locals must do for fun (all 1000 of them).

Blue Sky windmills just off the I-80 freeway. They are so huge and ominous looking when you are standing below them. These pictures don't do the size justice.

Happy Birthday Mom

2008-02-18T18:06:00.000-08:00

My gorgeous young mom. I am not sure how hold she was here, but I think she was somewhere around 20.

About 2 years before she died. STILL GORGEOUS!

This beauty is my mom. This is kind of a hard and personal post, but I sort of feel the urge to share it. Yesterday was my mom's 45th birthday. She would have been 45. She died 3 years ago from alcohol poisoning. She was an alcoholic.

My mom was only 14 when she got pregnant with me and only 15 when I was born. While she was pregnant, she married my dad who was 20. She fell right into the housewife role. She used to home-make all of my baby food. She would talk about spending hours cooking and then blending carrots, peas and even beef. My sister was born when she was only 17 and at only 18 years old, she and my dad were divorced and she was thrust into a world were she was only a teenager, but with 2 kids in tow. I think anyone can imagine how hard that would be. When I was 9, my dad died in a plane crash and now, at only 24, she was a single mother.

Just over a year before she died, there was a close call with her life. She had drank too much alcohol and taken too many sleeping pills. She spent the night in the hospital where the doctors told us that she had come close to dying from overdose/alcohol poisoning. I told my mom how terrifying that was and asked her to please get help so that me and my sister didn't end up parent-less. She told me that she would never want that to happen and that she would never intentionally leave us.

Here is the thing about my mom. She may have struggled with being a mom so young, but she excelled at pouring us over with LOVE. There was never a moment that I doubted or felt unloved. She always told us how proud she was of us and she would tell anyone that would listen about her beautiful daughters. She would whip out the photos, because no one believed she was our mom (she looked more like a sister), and tell them "these are my daughters!" She would tell them how proud she was that she was our mom. Once a long time ago, I asked her why she kept me when she was so young. I asked her if she had ever thought about getting an abortion. She said NEVER! She told me that it had never entered her mind. All she thought was okay, I'm having a baby.

So, when my mom died, I had nightmares that she wasn't at peace. It would consume my day. I imagined that once she realized she was dead, she would be freaking out about having left us, worried about us and trying to get back to us. I just simply imagined her being a tortured soul. I wanted so badly to know where she had gone. I would ask out loud, "Mom, where are you. I love you and miss you and I don't know where you are". I agonized over it. I've struggled with spirituality and God. I've struggled with the question of where we go. Do we still exist and how do we exist. I don't understand how we can love someone so much, need someone so much and then just like that, they are gone. No more hugs, no more love... nothing.

One night, about a year and a half after she died, I had a dream. I could see my mom in front of me. She was dressed in white (or bathed in white) and she was walking toward me with her hand outstretched to me. I was walking toward her too and my hand was outstretched to her. We walked toward each other and I was aware that there was this invisible wall between us. When we got close to each other, my mom's hand reached through the invisible barrier and touched mine. As soon as she touched mine, she became very real to me and I could feel her. When I say I could feel her, I mean I could feel her spirit and energy surrounding me and I could feel her love like a warm blanket enveloping me. She told me that she loved me... then I woke up. The second I became aware, I knew that my mom had come to see me and tell me she was okay. It had felt so real and she was telling me that she still exists.

I still struggle with all the big questions, but I don't agonize anymore about whether my mom is at peace. I know that she still exists, that she loves me and that I will see her again. I don't know why I had the urge to share all this, but I hope that for those of you who read it, there is something you can take from it that will add to your life.

Be Well and God Bless.

Ready for Spring

2008-02-13T21:04:00.001-08:00

When I look outside and I see this...

Inside, I have this to help get me through the rest of this winter.

I can't wait for spring and warm sunshine.

A little Kiss for Nettie

2008-02-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

I've been working on the 230 photos that Jinette picked from her boudoir session and this song has been on my mind the whole time.

Jinette, how many times have we danced like crazy women to this song in the 17 years we have known each other. Yeah Baby!!

Jinette's Boudoir

2008-01-29T08:16:00.001-08:00

This one of a kind sexy lady is one of my best friends. We have known each other since Junior High School, making her the friend I have had the longest. She is an absolutely amazing person! We wanted to do some photos for her equally amazing husband who is over in Afghanistan until June. We had so much fun taking these photos and picking out all the outfits that she was going to wear. It definitely helps that she is so gorgeous and has the most amazing long legs. Two kids people... Two!

Bastian Wedding

2008-01-27T10:42:00.000-08:00

This was a wedding that I second shot back in June and I never posted. I was there to get the details and the guests. I had a lot of fun photographing this event because the details were absolutely amazing! There were waterfalls covered in flowers, crystal palm trees everywhere, flowers floating in the pool, a huge tent with crystal chandeliers that had orchids hanging from them, huge table centerpieces and hundreds of candles. The food was incredible and there was even a helicopter that came to get the bride and groom to take them off for the evening.

Cynthia+Jim

2007-12-30T14:40:00.000-08:00

Puppy Love

2007-12-27T11:41:00.000-08:00

The Barker's

2007-12-12T21:05:00.000-08:00

Dieringer Family Photos

2007-11-30T07:16:00.000-08:00

Goodbye Sweet Fella

2007-11-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

"I'll lend you for a little time a friend of Mine," He said,
"For you to love the while he lives and mourn for when he's dead,
It may be ten or eleven years, or maybe two or three,
But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for Me?
He'll bring his charms to gladden you, and shall his stay be brief
You'll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief.

"I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return,
But there are lessons taught down there I want this friend to learn.
I've looked the wide world over in my search for protectors true
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes I have selected you.
Now will you give him all your love, nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call to take him back again?"

I fancied that I heard them say, "Dear Lord, Thy will be done."
For all the joy Thy friend shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness, we'll love him while we may
And for the happiness we've known, forever grateful stay;
But shall the angels call for him much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand."

-----Adapted from a poem by Edgar Guest-1938

Today is a really hard day. Our sweet, sweet Cima left us last night. He suffered from an ailment common to large breed dogs, whereby their stomach actually twists. It happens very quickly, 30 min in Cima's case and is fatal. One hour we had a happy dog and the next we were loosing him. Cima, a.k.a fella, guppa, gu (pronounced like the gu in guppie), seba, seba do and sepa, was an amazing dog with such huge personality. He made me and Chris laugh on a daily basis. He was a big part of our lives and we already miss him dearly.

Rest in Peace our sweet boy.

The Simpson's in the Park

2007-11-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

I just love this time of year with all the gorgeous colors and the yummy warm light. I had a lot of fun shooting this family. The youngest boy was such a HAM! He was soooo excited about throwing leaves in the air and running through them, that he just couldn't handle all the excitement and had to do this HILARIOUS happy dance after we were done. I just want to say a big THANKS to the Simpson's for a fun shoot.

Out of Town

2007-10-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to New York City for the PDN photo plus expo and conference, so if anyone needs to reach me, I will return (and be reachable) on Monday, October 22nd.

Cheers!

Whitney & Robert Wedding-Memory Grove

2007-10-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

Dave's Yellow Ghia

2007-09-23T21:07:00.001-07:00

Tagged.....Twice

2007-09-05T18:53:00.000-07:00

So there is this thing going around where if you get tagged you have to list several random facts about yourself, and I was tagged twice, so here it goes.

1. My favorite movie when I was young was the Labyrinth with David Bowie...I still like it. I also loved Willow with Val Kilmer.

2. My favorite animal is the Dolphin. I have a Dolphin tattoo to prove it.

3. I wanted to be a Veterinarian before I wanted to be a Photographer.

4. I love, love, love good SUSHI

5. I wish I knew how to play the piano....I plan on learning some day. I also wouldn't mind learning the guitar.

6. You can always catch me singing to my favorite songs (this is probably related to my desire to learn the piano) and I am much less timid when I'm by myself.

7. My Great Great Uncle was Roald Amundsen. He was the first man (along with a team) to go to the South Pole (try googling him....it's pretty cool).

8. My middle name, Anne, was given to me by my father. He had a re-occuring dream about a woman named Anne whom he believed was one of his guardian angels.

9. I learned to ski about 5 years ago and I love it, but I am still afraid of speed and crashing which is most likely due to the fact that I don't go enough :)

10. I absolutely love the Mountains, but I prefer the Ocean. All of my greatest childhood memories happened on the Northern California Coast (Monterey Bay).

So now that you all know me a little better, I guess its my turn to tag. Since everyone I know has been tagged already, I am only going to tag two people, and those lucky people are Lisa Ogden and Erika Larson

Cheers!

Our First Anniversary

2007-09-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

My, my, my, how time flies. Tommorow is our one year anniversary. Everything about the day was absolutely perfect. The weather was beautiful and the setting was amazing. To celebrate, we wanted to be in the canyon, however, since there is no lodging in Millcreek Canyon, we will be staying the evening at the Cliff Lodge, Snowbird. These photos are courtesy of my amazing friend and rockstar photographer, Kate Benson.