The day went so smooth and the weather was just beautiful! So thankful for the rain the day before that cleared the air and gave us crisp blue skies! All the details were incredible and so thought out. Congratulations to you, Balakians!! You are truly loved. Here's a few sneak peeks!!
Venue: "The Park"
Dress: David's Bridal
Florals: LaBotaniqa
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Every hour was filled with laughter (especially toasting hour) and a sense of ease. Noah and Bailey are so sweet and laid back and wanted to make their wedding fun (like playing bingo!) and special for their guests, which they did!! Congratulations to the Krahns!! Here's a glimpse of their wedding day!
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My favorite part though was watching them together, how very sweet and kind they were towards each other. I cannot wait for their wedding in just over two months!
P.S. Shout out to my awesome hubby (and his dad) who drove to Fresno State and changed my tire during our session, in the 102 degree heat, after I ran over a bolt on a freeway exit, yikes!
Their day wouldn't be complete without a vintage car, the most amazing wedding dress, a muddy and friendly mascot that followed us around (Mudge, you're the cutest!), and 108 degree weather!
What I loved most about Vincent and Sadie's wedding was seeing so many different people generously and joyously serve. The entire day felt like a warm hug and a party all at the same time. I'm so incredibly excited for them as they start this journey!
Their wedding day started off at a beautiful Air BnB in Reedley, then the ceremony took place at the amazing Hillcrest Tree Farms! The 100 degrees did not stop us from having a blast. What a sweet, relaxing, and lovely day! Congratulations, Warners!
Venue: Hillcrest Tree Farms
Caterer: Merritt Catering
Dessert: Ampersand, Mainstreet Cafe
Photography: Kim Koop Photography
]]>I have so enjoyed watching these girls grow and blossom. And from what you can see in the first pic, they enjoy taking their pictures more now haha! In fact, when its time for a shoot with these girlies they run the show! They know exactly what they want and we just have a great time running around and laughing while we do! Enjoy these beautiful girls in their Easter best!!
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All to say, I'm thankful for God's grace tonight! In which I am in constant need of. I'm thankful that every morning and throughout the day there are new mercies waiting for me, whenever I need it. I'm thankful my kids so freely and easily forgive me when I say " I'm so sorry _____, Mommy messed up again! Please forgive me". Done and done. I have so many lessons to learn from them!
I will have to say throughout this session I had to keep reminding myself of these blessings and how they are gifts, even when I was trying to get the perfect shot and they are completely goofing! I might have gone a little nuts at times! I mean, this mama just wants one picture! Haha, I feel all you families out there; family photos are no joke! But I pulled out some of the tricks that I use on my client's kiddos and we had a great time. I'm thankful they were up for an adventure in a field at 8am on their spring break! I love seeing each of their personalities (ahem, that middle child!) in these images and have already ordered a large canvas (of the last image, my favorite!) and prints to hang up on my walls. The craziness was worth it to be able to relive these moments in their lives as their sweet faces continue to lace my walls with remembrance of the "good days".
Now...onto the pantry for some chocolate therapy! Enjoy!
Now, to say this photoshoot was an adventure, is an understatement! We encountered cows, about 50, which proceeded to follow us wherever we decided to shoot; we always had an audience (watch out for the cow-pies, kids)! Random dogs from properties nearby also joined us and wanted to be in on the fun, which Jax (their oldest) decided to name "Blackout" :) And to top it off, they got into a fender-bender on the way to our session! So, I'm hands down impressed they even showed up with smiles!
As you can see the scenery was dreamy and the light was just perfect. But the part that made it the best was this beautiful family and their fun kiddos! I had so much fun goofing around with the kiddos and a few of them even wanted a turn taking a picture of the cows. Loved it!
Enjoy this sneak peek from this sweet session and stay tuned for the rest!
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Albert and Monica were a JOY to work with! They were nominated by a family member for a free engagement session with me, and won! It was amazing getting to know them. Our session was at Reedley College down by the river, which is just screaming with spring right now! Between the light, scenery, and A & B, it was pretty magical!
I think we laughed at least half of the session and spent most of our time talking about our kids; on the parenting ups and downs and how crazy, yet FUN it is to have our kiddos! These two have been together for 17 years (can I get a clap?!) and I just loved watching how they interacted with each other! So sweet watching their love and deep connection together. I'm so glad I could make it "so easy and fun" (Monica's words) for you two! Enjoy!
I was so excited when Christy asked me to photograph her family (extended)! It was her mom's birthday gift, and I just love that. What better birthday gift than memories and images you will have forever?! Each family is so different and unique and wonderful in their own ways; there are no two alike! I really enjoyed spending time with the Nance family. The location was their beautiful country home east of Dinuba; and the skies were PERFECT. Because it was overcast, we were able to capture the beautiful landscape of the orange orchards in the background, as well as the beautiful Sierra Nevadas! And if you live in the Central Valley, you know its a treat when you can actually see the mountains and not just the haze!
I have a tradition of praying on my way to every shoot. It's important for me to do that because this business means more to me than just a paycheck. I am able to, for a short time, interact with people and bless them in some way with my talent and also what I have to offer from my heart; my story. Sessions are more to me than just a transaction, they are an opportunity for me to bless someone and glorify God in how I interact with my clients. I had specifically asked the Lord for an overcast session knowing the beautiful scenery I could capture if it was! What a gift that the cloud cover rolled in. I don't see God as a vending machine giving me everything I ask for (thank goodness for that!), but it's such a gift that's personal to me when He does. So thank you God! Here are some of my favorites from the session. Enjoy!
The Ensz family are friends and fellow-church goers with us. We are in the same adult Sunday school class and our kids are in lots of church activities together as well! I have loved getting to know Jill more throughout the years and am blessed by her friendship. I was so honored that she asked me to photograph their family! Their kiddos are so sweet and fun. Little Julia gave me a workout; she is a busy one year old! I loved spending time with all six of them and can't wait for our next session. Here are some of my favorite images, enjoy!
We talked about our love for documentaries and somehow got onto a tangent about Ted Bundy. I told Daniel the only way he could mess up with the "nuzzle" shots were looking like a serial killer at Bethany! We were cracking up. So I think I'll just nickname the nuzzle shots "just-don't-look-like-Ted-Bundy" from now on. They were both so sweet and kind. Their love for the Lord emitted from them! Daniel and Bethany I hope you enjoyed our session as much as I did, thank you!
]]>It was so fun to reconnect and spend some time together. Jason and Dorothy are so fun and laid back! They are just such sweet people and their love for God and life is so evident! Dorothy just emits joy and laughter and I love watching them interact with each other! We had a beautiful session in a dreamy mandarin orchard and used it just in time before they were picked! So excited to share these with you!
The strong bond that my mom and I shared wasn’t always there. Growing up, in fact, we butted heads a lot and I felt closer to my dad in the teenage years. But when my dad passed away after a battle with metastatic kidney cancer my junior year of high school, things changed. Both of my older brothers out of the home and it was just my mom and I. We had to get close real fast, because all we had was each other. I was hurting and grieving, and being a teenager I was completely wrapped in my own world and hurts. I honestly don’t think I realized or thought about how my mom was alone after losing my dad. I can’t imagine.
I still remember a day vividly in my mind when this all shifted. I don’t know what we were doing, but my mom and I were in the living room together. I was being extra quiet and not wanting to talk (I was kind of a pill as a teenager, I know!). She was trying to get me to open up and I just started crying and saying how I was hurting and missing my daddy and telling her she didn’t understand what I was going through. She looked at me and yelled “do you realize I’m hurting too?! I just lost my best friend of 28 years! The boys are out of the house and you’re here, and this is what our relationship is like!” I was stunned. It was the only time I heard my mom yell like that. There we were, two hurting souls having a yelling match in the living room.
And that was it. From that day on, our bond strengthened, day by day, and we began to stick together like glue. Attached at the hip. We needed each other more than ever.
That is not the end of the story. My mom isn’t sitting here with me laughing about our various adventures and eating dark Dove chocolates together. Life from that point on would get harder. Three years after my dad died, my mom was diagnosed with stage IV triple negative breast cancer. My healthy, lean, active mom discovered a lump and had it checked out right away. After a lumpectomy and treatment, she was in remission. But it came back. Then chemo and a double mastectomy. It came back again. She fought so hard, and yet she lost the earthly battle. I lost my best friend.
Fast forward five years after losing my dad, my mom married a sweet man named Ray. He had recently lost his wife to ovarian cancer of 30 years, and I believe so strongly they were gifts for each other. He would lovingly tease my mom (and I) about constantly COB-ing. Jonathan and him even started a COB-ers anonymous spouse support group, haha! Even the short stay hotels they would stay in at Stanford for breast cancer treatment was a part of the COB equation. My mom would lie in bed at night thinking about all of the things she would change in the room; how she would have the curtains be a different fabric, the walls could use a fresh coat of paint, etc. Ray would just laugh saying “Becky you don’t even live here!” But that was my mom. That’s how she saw life, to make it better. More organized, cleaner, and prettier. She would always say “If something has a place, its much easier to put back”. Isn’t that true. She kept our house tidy and organized growing up, but it was the warmth and peace she had that made it feel like home. She saw beauty in everything all the while laughing and bringing joy to everyone she met. That’s my mom.
Friends, I do not tell you this story to have a pity party. And admittedly there were years that I wanted just that. And there are some days, that I do sit and cry and wrestle with what has happened. Losing my parents will never be something I “get over” or “move on” from. ButI can tell you that I see the good and beauty in the hard hard stuff; amongst the deepest pain I have experienced. And yet even with going through tragedy, God has given me such a JOY that only comes from knowing Him and His peace. I sense His goodness; it’s something that is at the core of my being that I cannot shake or deny.
For years, I have held the COB acronym to myself because I felt like if I started sharing it, it would lose its meaning and I would lose the special-ness of our saying. I wanted to hold on tight to it in fear of letting the memory go and disperse. On the contrary. I love that I am able to share a piece of my mom with you all (because if she was here, I know you’d love her!). She’s so much a part of me, I want to share that. COB-ing is a part of me. It’s not something I just enjoy doing, it’s my DNA makeup and how I see life. I could COB all day if allowed! So there it is my friends. The story of COB. Use it, share it freely. And when you COB think of the bigger picture; beauty can and need sto be added to this world.
]]>I had so much fun getting to know Tony and Raquel through our session! I love being able to give my couples beautiful images of themselves together even years after their wedding!
We ended our session adding in their sweet little kiddos! Tony and Raquel you are an amazing couple and parents! I can't wait to see what three looks like in your home!!
