let me start by saying i can’t believe that this is my job.  i get to hang out with wonderful people, totally in love and take photos of them.  that’s amazing.

amanda, clayton, and alexis were just perfect.  (alexis may be my favorite 6 year old on the planet.)  they love to cook, so this was the perfect setting for their engagement session.

i’m not sure clayton understands the “proper” way to taste things.

thank you guys for a great session and for sending me home with a bag full of cookies.

Sometimes the more you want something the harder it is to get it.  The harder you try, the less it seems to work.  I’ve been super fortunate to have amazing brides.  Most of them understand that their wedding day is just one day.  They realize that it may not go as planned.  They understand that when viewed through the lens of their whole marriage it matters very little.

I know that many of you out there are planning weddings and some of you are really really planning hard.  Planning every single detail.  Planning what you will say, planning what people will say, maybe even trying to plan how others will react.  This is a little reminder that much of your day will be out of your control.  Let me say that again.

Much of your day will be out of your control.  (And it’s ok.)

You’ve already planned the most important part.  You’ve planned who you will spend your life with.  That’s really the only thing worth planning.  10 years ago I looked at my bride and said “I’m planning on being with you.”  We’ve stuck to that plan.  Things happened on our wedding day that we didn’t plan for.  Things happened in our marriage that we didn’t plan for, but the main thing we did plan for is what has kept us together.

Your wedding day is one day.  Plan it all you want.  Plan it to death.  But plan on little things surprising you along the way.  And sometimes… those surprises may end up being the best part of your day.

it’s been a long time since i had this much fun during a session.  angela, bj, and addy were the best.  i started by having them “walk towards me”.  they decided to run.  :)

then to make this next photo i had them literally walking backwards.  i know.  i just blew your mind.  backwards!

slamball!  someone (bj) got dunked on.  (bad)

family time!
while watching a movie.
while bj checks his phone.
(don’t judge, we’ve all done it.)

angela is a couple years older than bj.  which technically makes her a cougar.

thank you 3 for a killer session.  the wedding is going to be a blast!

UPDATE: It took less than 12 hours.  All the sessions are gone.  Thanks to everyone who spread the word and thanks to you 5 who booked a session.

Since before Danielle & I were married, the subject of adoption has been super close to our hearts.  We love adoption stories and love it even more when we get to be a part of them.  My friend and fellow photographer Lissa Anglin and her husband just began their adoption journey.  They are looking to adopt from Ethiopia and we could not be more thrilled for them.  Most adoptions end up costing a bit more money than families have lying around the house so part of the process involves raising funds.  (That’s part of the stage they are in now.)

Lissa and I did a little brain storming and came up with this plan.

You have a family.  You have a baby.  You are expecting. You have a senior.

You need pictures.

I’m offering 5 sessions at $200 bucks.

The first 5 people to hit me up for them get the spots.

Then, I’ll take that $1,000 bucks and buy more iPhone apps.

I’m kidding.  I’ll take that $1,000 bucks and send it to Lissa & Shawn and it will go towards their goal of $30,000.

Bonus Points: Every time you look at the photos we took, you’ll get all tingly inside because you helped rescue a child from the other side of the world.

Email me here to book your session.  alexmphotography@gmail.com

You can read more about their journey here: http://www.lissaanglin.com/adoption

Here is a little video they made to announce that they were adopting.

last year i took a photo everyday. it was fun. at first i tried to not make every photo about my kids, but hey, i’m around them a lot, so get over it. :)

it’s so fun to scan these and see all the little adventures we took. glancing at them brings back memories from each day. sometimes it feels like life is flying by but all these little moments are the ones that it is made of.

enjoy them in all their instagram goodness.

(it might take a minute to load so give it time.)

so… in case you don’t… you should totally follow me on instagram here: alexmphoto