I met Alida last summer for a big family session at the beach in Holland, when she was six months old. Now she is 1, and her parents invited me to their beautiful home for a casual session to photograph their little girl. I was so excited to see how she had grown... and how much personality she has! She is sweet, feisty, busy, smart, busy ;)... and of course adorable as ever. I went overboard with the pictures...

The idea of sitting on the couch for any amount of time did not appeal to her. She knows how to say how she feels.

Alida is definitely getting some teeth, and for a while there was no way anyone was taking this teething ring away from her! Hope those teeth come through soon! Life can be tough for a 1 year old!

I thought perhaps a change of scenery would distract her from the teething, and maybe cheer her up. She got bundled up and we all went outside in the front yard. It was a gorgeous sunny winter day... she seemed to enjoy it at first.

...but not for long. :*( I think she was still a little unsure about the snow! So this was the last photo I took that day.

Thank you again for having me over to take these photos, I had a really nice time talking, and of course chasing Alida around. I know she keeps you on your toes a lot, but it's clear how much you love her and want the best for her. She is a joy!

Last fall I met Matt and Kim,
who were expecting their first child in December.
Immediately I felt so welcomed into their home, and into their lives in
a tiny way. We had never met before then, but I had such a lovely time talking with them during their maternity session, and I looked forward to their child's birth, anxiously awaiting news to hear if they had a girl or a boy,
and what name they chose!
Yes I love taking newborn photos...
but I think somewhere along the way I started to think of them as friends,
not just clients,
and the pictures I'd get to take were just a bonus ;).

So it was an honor to be able to meet their little girl Falon,
at their home, at just 1 week old!
Sidenote - Falon Vale - such a lovely, unique name!
It just sounds so pretty, and certainly suits the owner.

Matt and Kim had just settled back in at home,
and were willing to let me visit them so I could capture these images
as soon after her birth as possible.




This crocheted blanket was a gift from Matt's mother,
made for someone else in the family, who passed it over to Matt & Kim.
Falon's grandma is watching over her from Heaven now.
What a treasure...



















Matt, Kim, & Falon,
I really do appreciate you choosing me to take these photos
during such a special, life-changing time.
Your daughter is going to be so loved, so happy in a peaceful home,
where art and literature (and really cool movies) are celebrated.
I see her growing up to be a pretty awesome kid!
For now, however, enjoy your darling little baby girl, every moment.
Even at 4:00 AM.

Last month I had an at-home session,
I remember that it was the first big snowy weekend of the season...
in fact we got several inches and it made for an amazing
winter wonderland!

Scott, Stacy, and I spent most of the time indoors,
taking pictures of their adorable son Zac,
and enjoying the warmth of their lovely home.
I even got to drink some nice tea (thank you!)...
Zac was such a good boy and barely fussed at all!














We braved the cold and snow for some quick family photos
and even a few of their dog Wrigley
(he's part of the family too),
who obviously loved running around out there in the snow!
It was also so nice of Stacy to lend me a pair of boots to wear outside,
because the snow was about a foot deep!
Luckily we have about the same size feet! ;)






I'm so glad I was able to meet you all this winter.
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season,
and lots of fun with your adorable little boy...
Thank you again!

Last month I got to meet another
wonderful family through a mutual friend,
and I really enjoyed that late fall afternoon taking photos of them
and their adorable boys Nick and Levi!

The sun was setting already - but it made for some gorgeous light...

Nick was busy exploring and talked my ear off,
while Levi was a little shy for a while...

There's a smile, even with a little teardrop! ;)
Big brother can make him laugh!

You all were so much fun -
I remember hanging out at that playground
and not wanting to leave!
It was great to meet you, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Last month I took photos for my friend Katie,
of her two beautiful children, Dylan and Ella.
They were turning 5 and 3, and had a baby sister on the way...
not too much later, Madelyn Mae was born,
and I was so lucky to get to meet her at only 4 days old!
She is just amazing.

I love little baby fuzz!

Love this...

Oh my, cute little toes!!!

Mady, you are a doll!!!!
You all have much to be thankful for this holiday season.
I am so happy for you, that you have a healthy, sweet little girl
here to enrich your lives and bring even more love into your family.
Congratulations!

We moved into our current home in the fall of 2007.
We met some of our neighbors right away, but it wasn't until the following spring and summer,
when people started coming outside, going for walks, and enjoying the
warm weather, that we met Alissa and Mike.
They only live a few houses down from us,
and as it turned out, Alissa and I were both due to have a baby
within a few days of each other! I remember running into them on
a late night walk last fall. We both had the same idea... wanting to get things moving.
I had Henry the next day... a week and a half early.
Several days after that, Elleana came along too...fashionably late!

And just like that, her first year flew by! Seems like when you can't wait
for something to happen, time moves in slow motion...
but when you want to hold onto every moment, it goes by way too quickly!
Now she is this gorgeous little girl, toddling around, giggling, exploring her world.

Elle, I love that I've gotten to watch you grow over the past year,
and I had so much fun taking these photos,
thank you for being so good during our session!
Alissa and Mike, your family is beautiful, and I am just so glad that we
have such wonderful neighbors and friends.
Have fun with that little cutie!

My friend Katie was one of my first clients
when I was just starting out!
I took photos of these kids one year ago tomorrow, chased them around a park...
it was a big compliment that she hired me and now she is my first
"return customer" (other than maternity/newborn)!
The pictures I took of their two kids last fall were the beginning of my portfolio...
so I owe them a big thank you for helping me get my start!

Here are Dylan and Ella again - a year older, a year cuter...
This month they turn 5 and 3 years old!

Thank you again for hiring me for this session!
It is so fun to watch your family grow
(especially with another little girl on the way, very soon!!!),
and I am so glad I could take these pictures for you.
Blessings to you all for the coming year!

This is Caeden, and he just turned 2 last month!
Here's the thing about two year olds:
You aren't going to get them to pose!
In my book, that's a good thing.
Their expressions are honest,
and their actions are uninhibited...
so it is a perfect time to capture a child's emerging personality.

This little guy is just as sweet and curious as they come.
I'm guessing there's a mischievous streak in him, like any toddler,
but he seemed to have a gentleness...

Notice the red sucker in his hand -
it made its way into many pictures... but it kept him happy!

That's a laughing grin!!! :)

Caeden (and Mike and Liesel) it was
wonderful to see you,
and I had a lot of fun on our walk through the woods.
You guys are an adorable family! :)
Thanks again!

This little cutie is Adelyn Grace, and she just turned one year old!
Her mommy is an old classmate of mine from high school,
and I had so much fun reconnecting with a friend and
taking photos of her gorgeous little girl!



What adorable clothes - this little green coat is so cute!





Addy loves walking around holding onto mama's hand or finger...
she's really getting the hang of it!
She's just a couple days older than my son, so I'm going
through pretty much the same stage right now with him. :)





Although it was pretty chilly out, she still gave us a few smiles!



Okay, give the lady a jacket!



Oooooooh! ;)



She loved watching the cars, saying, "bye bye!" to everyone!





Back in the warm house!!! :)





My goodness, this was a fun session. I got to hang out and talk to an old friend,
and take pictures of this little sweetie-pie. It had been a little while
since I got to photograph a little girl,
so I was so excited when Staci e-mailed me!
Thanks so much for having me over
and letting me capture this stage in Addy's life!

Last week I went out to Holland for a session to
photograph a six month old, as well as the rest of the family -
parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and her cousin!
They were all so friendly and fun. :)

With the client's permission, I brought along a GRCC student,
Ashley, who is interested in learning more about photography so she could see what goes on at a "typical" session....
although every session is so different.
Of course she took photos too!

So, this is 6 month old Alida!



Alida's grandparents live in Holland and have access to a semi-private beach
within walking distance! WOOOO-HOOOO!
It was amazingly beautiful. This was her first time in the sand,
and she loved it! I think this girl is definitely going to be a beach bum.



Well, maybe she loved it a little too much.
Of course, 6 month olds put everything in their mouth!
Sand, not an exception.



In an era of Photoshop, I have to tell you, the sky really was that blue!
They brought along this giant colorful umbrella... so fun!



Family :) Kim and John with their little girl.




Mike and Rebecca with their daughter Adelaide:



Ryan and Julie -
She said she gets piggy-back rides all the time from him... cute :)



The guys!



The girls :)



Back at the house, we took some more pictures and Alida got a new dress on.








Since Adelaide was a good sport with all these photos, she got a popsicle when we were all done.
I thought I was done taking pictures, but c'mon... :) I love these.




Thanks again everyone for having me out to photograph your family...
I had a great time, and I hope you enjoy your preview!

This is Cooper, and he is turning 1 on Friday!
We had a great session in Holland a few days ago,
and I had a lot of fun trying to catch this little guy's amazing
blue eyes, and all his different expressions!




Perhaps my favorite:







Okay - so he had a variety of expressions, some happy, some not so happy, some that just said "who is this strange lady with a camera?" but apparently me laying on the ground behind the bench was a sure way to get a smile out of him! Whatever it takes!








With his beautiful mama!
I love these colors - the hot pink scarf, with the black, blue and green.





This was toward the end of our little adventure.
Cooper was not interested in sitting still, but I wanted to try this
kind of shot with his parents standing behind him.
Keeping the camera aimed on their son resulted in a little bit
of a skewed portrait, but I love it so much more!
He's quick, that's for sure!



I put my camera away, but immediately got it back out
and whipped the cap off to catch a couple more with his daddy.
That's how it always goes!



I have so many more images that I am very excited to
share with his parents, but had to narrow it down a little.
Thank you so much for choosing me to capture this stage
in your son's life. He is absolutely precious!
Happy 1st Birthday Cooper!!!

Earlier this week we went to Tunnel Park with some friends and their two boys.
Actually we're connected in a couple different ways -
my husband Ron teaches at the same high school where Mike taught.
Mike went to Hope College, and we have some mutual friends from there,
and I worked at the high school for a couple years and got to know him during that time.
His wife, Jenn, is also a wonderful photographer,
and you can check out her work on her website.

So, a little while ago we planned a trip to the beach. A couple sprinkles threatened, but it turned into a nice night and we had fun chasing the kids around with our cameras.

Our kids got along really well, and yes I got some pictures of ours too... but this post will keep the focus on their adorable family - the two boys were so fun :)








Liam - 2 years old - is such a sweet boy. I love his curls!
He's a cuddler... :)





Footprints!





Who needs swim trunks? Sam wasn't at all afraid of jumping in the lake (and then the sand... and then the lake... and then the sand...) with all his clothes on! Hilarious!



This boy reminds me of Peter Pan in this picture...
He seems to have a spirit to match.



Let's do it again sometime!
We had so much fun hanging out with you guys. :)

Last week I posted a preview photo from a family session at the park....

It was a perfect afternoon, and this is a beautiful family.
Emma and Jacob were adorable little kids, and their mom and dad were so nice
and relaxed. I love sessions like this. The session was actually a birthday gift to Krista (the mom) from family.
That's a first for me, being part of a gift for someone! I very much appreciate my friend Amy for giving me the opportunity :).
That is a huge compliment.

Before the kids got too restless we went for some "traditional" group photos.
They're nice, and I like to get something like this, even if I have to take several shots to make it happen....



... however I personally love the ones where the focus is on each other, and not on me!



This is my favorite kind of family photo, actually....
it really shows a lot more what life is like with a toddler and a baby:
a little disorganized maybe, but beautiful nonetheless!





Reflecting...



I just love this expression. He was a so smiley and easy for me the whole time,
all his pictures are him grinning for the camera, or his mom and dad...
so this was something a little different - just a sweet, curious face!



All you other photogs (and parents!) out there know how tough it can be to get two little ones both looking in the same direction for a photo -
and yes I succeeded (with help from Mom and Dad)!
However, I liked this one, with Emma looking around at her little brother.





Another family portrait that isn't very traditional, but I love the scene.



My personal favorite of this little cutie:



She was so happy to be able to just run around and explore...
you know she's movin' fast down that hill!







This one was one of my favorites too...
I just got lucky and got the best expressions out of them!











Family sessions are wonderful because there are many different relationships
within the family to capture. Besides the whole group, I can include individuals, parent and child, siblings, husband and wife. It is really important to take the time and try to show these other facets of family life.

Thank you Kevin and Krista! I am so glad you are happy with your photos.
From the bottom of my heart, I hope you look back at these thirty years from now
and love them even more.

I had the honor of photographing my friend Kristin's newborn
baby girl a couple weeks ago. The last time I was at her house was her baby shower,
and the time before that I was taking maternity photos of her with her husband Brad!

Ainsley was born a bit early, so she was still a tiny little peanut...
but she was very alert the whole time!
That's fine with me though, because you can see her
beautiful dark blue eyes....
Will they stay, or change to brown or hazel?



This might be my favorite baby feet picture! I just love her little toes stretching out
and all the girly pink-ness.








Her perfect little ear. Hello!



I love this one - a favorite for sure:



I adore the baby peach fuzz newborns have...
This little one wasn't even to her due date yet when these were taken!
Details like this are so miraculous and special, because they change so quickly.





Deep in a conversation with her mama...
"yes, that is an interesting point, hmm..."



She is such a beautiful girl, I was so happy to hear when she was born
and everyone was happy and healthy! I loved meeting her, and I'm so thrilled that
Ron and I get to watch this child grow up. Congratulations again!

No, you can't see their faces, but you can definitely feel the connection between this two year old and her mommy. I wasn't setting out to get this type of picture, in fact this was toward the end of our session and the daughter was about done with me! I noticed her playing with her mother's ring, and realized that this was probably her little nervous habit. So cute!

Although the little girl was, by this point in the session, pretty tired of getting her photo taken, I thought it was a sweet moment, and I'm so thankful I was paying close enough attention to capture it. I won't lie, having a little toddler girl myself, this image seemed so familiar... maybe that's why it stood out to me. But it's them, they will know the ring, the hands, the clothing. It isn't generic, but it is universal.

More from this gorgeous family coming soon...

I met up with this family in Ludington for a session on the beach. The whole group was so nice and it was absolutely perfect weather. I had fun chasing the kids around and got some of the entire group as well! I posted one preview photo a little while ago, but there were so many more great images from the session that, even though it was a couple weeks ago now, I still wanted to share some on the blog!

The brothers-in-law, laughing at some kind of shenanigans going on. And a little blonde cutie in the dune grass, I love the trace of a smile...

    

One of my favorites... EVER!





There was a nice strong breeze, perfect for kite-flying, and they came prepared!

    

Brothers.... :)


and their little cousin....



And all four grandchildren with Grandma and Grandpa, flying the kite.



    

Normally I don't always love the images where someone is looking right at the camera, but this one is definitely an exception - like he's saying, "pretty good, huh!"
with kid brothers right behind him! Love it.



Summertime in Michigan is practically defined by the
beautiful beaches on the big lake. Isn't it easy to take it for granted?
It's practically a freshwater sea right here for us to enjoy, and it's beautiful all year,
but a summer afternoon is just perfection!

Thanks again for having me come out and photograph your beautiful family!

...for little girls...

You may have seen Ruby on a post here a few days ago, but I said I'd be posting more, so here they are!

Since Amber is an old friend from Hope College, I've been following her and her family throughout her pregnancy (and even before) through her very entertaining blog. I see glimpses of her siblings and her parents, as well as Ryan's family, and it's plain to see that Ruby is joining a remarkable group of people. I look forward to watching her grow in such a spiritually nurturing and positive environment.

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. If that is true, she's destined to be an amazing woman! I'm so glad that I was able to capture this momentous time in your lives. Have fun with your new little daughter!

Last weekend I met this family in Ludington, along with her sister and brother-in-law, their kids, and their parents. The kids played in the sand and water... they even brought kites! Everyone was so friendly and happy to act natural even with a photographer wandering around. Here's a preview with one of my favorites... More to come.

Meet little Ruby Dawn.

Her parents, Amber and Ryan, along with so many friends and family, were thrilled when she finally arrived.
It was a privilege taking her photos on Friday, at just 9 days old.
She was awake and happy almost the entire time.
Amber is a natural at her new role as a mother, so calm and instinctive.
As much as I love taking pictures, my favorite part of the visit was just spending some time holding their little girl, she is so precious!

More photos are coming... but here are two of my favorites so far.

Congratulations again!

And to my dad, my father-in-law, my grandpas,
so many dear friends and neighbors, father-figures,
already dads or TTC,
and of course my wonderful husband,
Happy Fathers Day!

This is 1-year-old Clare... She is such a little doll!
Our session at the Celery Flats in Portage was a lot of fun.
All week I watched the ever-changing forecast, and was so relieved that
Saturday morning it was bright and overcast,
with a little sunshine here and there...
perfect!



I had never been to the Celery Flats, but it is a very beautiful park.
There was a pond, and all along the edge of it were countless frogs,
practically climbing on top of each other, and making lots of noise!
In a way it was kind of neat, but it was also kind of gross,
there were just so many.
(yeah I snapped a picture of a frog too, but I'll leave that out for now...)

So, as things were wrapping up, the wind picked up... a lot!
Clare's little squeals picked up too, and she was telling us that she had enough modeling for one day. We headed out and within minutes of leaving the park, the skies opened up and a huge thunderstorm hit - buckets of rain - and continued through the rest of the day and night!
I am SO glad we missed that storm and had good weather, and Clare was such a sweetie.
I know it's only coincidence, but that day it really felt like the rain was holding off just for us.

So many beautiful images, but I have to share this one
of Clare looking up at her daddy with those big gorgeous eyes!
[Awwwww]

I have more to do, and will probably post a couple more here, but wanted to get a few up for you before the weekend was through ...
...and I made it just in time! ;-)

A few more highlights:

Finally, it feels like spring is here (ahhhh).

Although it's still a bit chilly out there,
it's great to get outdoors and breath some fresh air!
Last time it was this nice out we only had one child...

...A child who is very accustomed to ignoring my camera.
She is so not interested.


 
Now we have a 6 month old boy, and he's already getting so big!
Amazing how much they change throughout the first year...
I'm so glad I'm capturing all these stages.


 
Things with Mindy Leigh Photography are picking up again,
and I'm so grateful and excited about the fact that I'm pursuing something I love.
For that reason I know that my business will continue to grow.
I will be doing this for a long time.

I am really looking forward to the sessions I have scheduled
and plan to share some of the highlights here!

I think I should also mention,
Right now through April 30
New customers get $25 off their session fee plus a free 5x7 print.

Here are a few more of Lucy and Henry:


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 
Feel the love...
Just kidding!
She loves her baby brother and he loves his big sis
(who has a handful of rocks ready to throw).

I had the joy of photographing these two adorable boys
this morning at their home.
One is 3 and the other is 7.5 months old.
Here is a little preview for their mom and dad...

Big brother was a good sport for me, and I have more beautiful photos of both little guys...
I will be busy this weekend working on the rest!