Merry Christmas Baby!

That's right! Oh baby :0)

Jack is sooo adorable and sweet! It's easy to forget how small these little ones start out but I was quickly reminded when I got to hold and cuddle this guy. Just look at these!



Annalisa is one excited girl and loves Jack to bits!




gotta get those little toes! :0)


I can't wait to design an announcement for this little guy- I know Kristine has something unique in mind and I have a few ideas myself. It'll be awesome I know! :0)

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Laura Siivola- Photographer. Organic wedding photography based in the Phoenix Arizona area.
laurasiivolaphotpgrapher.com

Melody, Dan and Family :0)

One more post in the crazy days before Christmas! Tonight I wrap presents while the little ones are in bed- it's getting to the exciting parts! My favorite is sitting down with the kids on Christmas Eve sipping hot chocolate with candy cane stirrers!

So right now I have a free minute to introduce you to Melody and Dan!


Melody works with my bride Susan- and I have to say once more how much I love referrals!! It sounds so cliche' but I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I know I've made someone happy with their images and more people get excited about them too!


I love it when people bring their dogs to the shoot! It might be a little harder to shoot (although, not in this case- they were perfect angels) but they are so much a part of the family too!


So thanks guys! I can't wait to get the slideshow up for you to see! :0)

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Laura Siivola- Photographer. Organic wedding photography based in the Phoenix Arizona area.
laurasiivolaphotpgrapher.com

Oriana Maternity Session!

I've been waiting and waiting to post these until I had time to write but with the crazy season I'm not sure it would ever get done if I waited any longer! I have no time left and presents left unbought! (I don't really think that's a word but you get the idea!) :0P

I had two great sessions on Sunday but first one's first. Oriana's due date is on New Year's Eve and she looks more awesome every time I see her! We waited until the last minute to do this but I'm glad we did! I love these images! I love so much how they tell a story about what an incredible family they are- the girls are so sweet and are looking forward to the new baby.




I can't wait to see the new little one either!!!

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Laura Siivola- Photographer. Organic wedding photography based in the Phoenix Arizona area.
laurasiivolaphotpgrapher.com

Marissa and Nick!

I've been doing things so backwards for the holiday season (or flu, whichever you prefer!) :0P I usually have my blog post up the day after any shoot but this time I did the slideshow quickly and the blog later... much later!

Marissa and Nick are so cute!! They got engaged at one of my favorite places- Kazimierz!

Marissa was looking for someplace unique to do the engagement pictures and I thought well, why don't we do it at the wine bar! Great idea, and of course sentimental too but how much time could you really spend there (well, I could spend hours of course but we're talking about a photo shoot here guys!) So we got to talking about how she wanted a Spanish atmosphere and I couldn't think of anything authentic... well nothing in Phoenix at least!

We decided on Tlaquepaque in Sedona! How awesome is that? They've spent a few weekends up there too so it was perfect! Loving the fall colors in these images- perfection! The engagement slideshow is here, if you want to check it out but as always, here a a few (or more!) of my favorites!





I think this is my favorite from the whole day. What a great laugh- I can almost hear it just from the photo!







I can't wait for your wedding guys- it'll be absolutely wonderful with all the great things you've got planned!

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Laura Siivola- Photographer. Organic wedding photography based in the Phoenix Arizona area.
laurasiivolaphotpgrapher.com

Trent's Senior Session!

It's time to play catch up on the blog now that I'm feeling mostly better. Did I mention I had tonsillitis last week? No? Oh that's right, I was out for the count for five whole days with a fever! It's been so long since I've had one I forgot how much it takes out of you!

But I'm tough! :0) And I have a great network of friends and family to help out with my kiddos when things get rough!

So now I get to share with you (albeit almost a month later!) Trent's senior session! It was great and it was my first one too! You're welcome to check out the slideshow but of course I'm posting a few of my favorites here...

gotta mess around with those funky mirrors!

This was fun! Trent just jumped up the wall on a whim and it was so cool looking I had to get him to do it a few more times! Trent- my son thinks you're Spiderman! :0)


and I had to get my back lighting fix of course!


Check these two out- they look absolutely different! I was looking for a lomo action online and found one here. For the photographers out there, you have to play with this set! The lomo effect worked great on another image but when I got to checking out what other actions were there I saw "The 300" Hmmmm... what's this?


It processes the image to mimic the movie 300 and it's just so surreal! The skin tones aren't too out of whack either, which is something you have to watch out for.


On a side note, it took me a while of processing images to figure out who Trent reminds me of and I'm sure he's heard it before, but check this out- doesn't he look just like Matt Damon?


yep... :0)


I had so much fun doing this shoot and meeting your family! I absolutely love it here in Arizona and I know you guys will too! :0)

---
Laura Siivola- Photographer. Organic wedding photography based in the Phoenix Arizona area.
laurasiivolaphotpgrapher.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, it's been a long week- my daughter was sick and of course I was destined to get sick too!

Thankfully since I saw it coming I was able to drink lots and lots of vitamin C!!! My cold only lasted three days while my poor little girl is still toughing it out. I was trying to stay positive and thought she might be well enough to join the turkey feast but with 8 more little ones under the age of seven I think it's better if we don't spread it around. I'll make sure to bring lots of leftovers for her and tons of the fabulous pie me by Aunt HeHe! (by the way, that' toddler speak for Tiffany and it was so cute it stuck!)

So I have been pretty busy and the reason I didn't blog last week is because I was away at an awesome retreat with a few fellow photographers...

Work Less, Live More!!!

It was so awesome! Four photographers drove up to Pinetop, AZ. It was beautiful and the fall colors were great (because as you may know, here in the Phoenix area we just don't see that!) But alas, we spent most of our time inside working! Each night we went over one photographers business plan and portfolio for critique and redirection. It was awesome! So be on the look out for some new things coming from me. I've been bad about posting the new work on my website mostly because I'm getting a new one!!! I'm so excited about it! I just can't wait to get started! :0)

So here are a few images from the long weekend!

Sara, working at her laptop...


Michelle, working(?) at her laptop :0P (are you noticing a theme here???)


Me, after someone stole my own camera away from me laughing "you won't be blogging this!"
Fine! :0P


We posted up words that describe our images and where we want to go with our business. Mine were Fresh, Organic and Natural. (Aren't organic and natural the same thing???) Hmmm... sounds like I'm describing a dairy product!!! I had modern in mind but the girls thought those three really fit my stuff. Let me know what you think!


And here, once again- stealing my camera from me! FUN! :0)


I have so much more to blog about but it will have to wait. So thanks you guys! You helped so much and it was a blast hanging with you (even though my back was sore from working at the laptop too much!) hehe! :0)

Horsin around with Bruce :P

Forgive the blog title, I just couldn't resist!!! :0P

But I had a great time with my friend Bruce this weekend! He came into town and we got to shoot together again- a beautiful wedding on Saturday and a gorgeous horse on Sunday.

You wouldn't believe the amount of work that goes into getting a horse prepared for a show or in this case... picture day!


Here she's staring to get restless because all the other horses were being fed!

And at the end of the day, all the braids and rosettes had to be taken out! All that work for a few hours! Bruce and I were joking around how it really is like a bride getting ready- the horse had makeup done too. Seriously.

Then we met up with a few other friends and fellow photographers, Rachel and JT. I was pretty tired by that time, I kept yawning!! (damn I'm getting old- I mean I was home by 10:30!)


But it's always fun no matter how tired I get!!

Jessi & Matt's wedding at Monterra

I had such a great time shooting with Kim Jarman the other weekend! So easygoing to work with! :0) If you're saying who's Kim? She used to go by Michelle Allen Photography. Her work is awesome!

We started out with the girls getting ready

gotta get those shoes!

Then I headed over to hang with the boys

This couple decided to see each other before the wedding ceremony- she had a special book to present to the groom! Kim did a boudoir session and wowza!!! :0) I was talking with a few of the guests- and we all agreed, what a great time to do something like this.

How do you guys feel about meeting before hand?
I searched a couple of posts over at the knot just to see what brides thought- check it out!
bride and groom seeing each other before hand
intimate moments before the ceremony


I couldn't resist one of Kim shooting while I was on the balcony! :0)


The nice part about seeing each other beforehand is getting the pictures done with lots of time and low stress!




So we headed over to Monterra at West World for the ceremony and reception.

Awww... the father daughter dance :0)

What a fun group!!!




So thanks Kim I had fun! I love shooting with other photographers and seeing how they do it!

Oh and on a side note... I put on my pants last weekend and there was a rip in the seat!!! So if anyone has to witness me bearing my undies at this event I truly apologize!!! haha :0)