Hieu + Maria | Tucson Engagement Session | Arizona Wedding Photographer

 (Hieu + Maria | Engagement Session | Agua Caliente, Tucson, AZ}

We braved the incoming clouds and resolved to go for a sweet little engagement shoot--rain or shine. Maria showed up in a cute little polka dot dress and Hieu in a dapper blazer. We sat and talked shop over coffee and got a few details about their 2-day, multi-ethnic wedding celebration coming up in December. After bonding a bit we carpooled over to the nearby state park and frolicked in a bit o' romance. love these candid  ones...Thank you so much you guys! You were wonderful to shoot! I hope you had as much fun as I did! | lkm

David + Ali | Downtown Urban Engagement Session | Arizona Wedding Photographer

{David & Ali | Downtown Tucson Engagement Session | August 2012} David and Ali were a riot. I haven't met a groom so willing to dish back my subtle (???) sarcasm and within moments I knew the shoot was going to be a fun one. We met at a starbucks near downtown just to talk shop about wedding details, timeline, thoughts and ideas about photography...We bonded. We laughed. We made a few mild jests at each other's personal beliefs and life decisions. So random. So not what I was expecting. Pretty hilarious. Honesty is golden though--raw, bona fide authenticity--I love. And with that fun beginning, we dove right in...on of their favorite hot spots is Hotel Congress. We had to grab a few shots on the footsteps... Thank you guys for such a fun shoot! Can't wait to talk more wedding stuff with you!

Paul + Samantha | Tucson Engagement Session | Agua Caliente

{Paul + Samantha | Agua Caliente, Tucson, Arizona | July 2012} Paul and Sam are a hoot! I love how candid Samantha was on the phone when I first called her to tell her she had won a 'Save the Date' Mini Session after attending the Tucson Bridal Event Expo earlier in June. She flat out inquired, "uhm, are you going to make me sit through some sort of seminar or buy something or--or--???" "Heck No!" was my reply. The last first impression I want to leave with somebody is a photographer trying to 'sell' them. I assured her, "I simply want to woo you. I will treat you. I will shoot you. I will ask you sincere, excited questions about your wedding because I am actually genuinely interested. I will not obligate you to purchase anything or even put that awkward pressure on you thereafter so you book me for your wedding. I won't hound you with silly emails. I want to simply introduce you to how I work--my style; my brand; me. Hook you up with awesome pictures. Treat you to a fun date out with a collection of memories. Take it or leave it--me. And it's free. My treat." Samantha replied, "Oh! Well, that sounds awesome!" Me: "I'm so glad we're on the same page!" | lkm

Note: the day after our shoot, Paul emailed, "Thanks again for being yourself on Monday Laura. Your first impression went a very long way. And what your first impression didn't cover, your work certainly made up for it. As a designer myself, I can say that you do have great skills that set you apart from the competition.. :)" (grin).... While i try to figure out what my first impression didn't cover, I'm pretty sure their wedding in November is going to be hilarious, spunky, awesome and really, really fun. :) woot woot! | lkm

Matt + Marcy | Alice In Wonderland Inspired Engagement Session | Agua Caliente, Tucson, Arizona

{Matt + Marcy | Engagement Session | Agua Caliente, Tucson, Arizona | July 2012}

I showed up to M + M's e-session striving hard to take myself seriously. I was climbing (awkwardly of course-pregnant) out of a borrowed single cab pick up truck that was decked out in NFL Broncos everything AND I had those child's play sticky tattoos plastered over my right arm, ankles and wrist. I didn't regret the play time I had had with my kids just before the shoot, though it might have helped me feel more pro if i had scrubbed them a little and gotten over the fact that my license plate screamed 'TEEEBOW". Sharing these superflous details DO have a point by the way. Turns out Marcy actually WORKS at a graphic design lab FOR the very company of tattoos I had just divulged in with my kids that afternoon. I could have hugged her. It was free entertainment for a solid 2 hours that day. Ahmazing bliss. I didn't hug Marcy but she got a kick outta the fact that my arm tattoo of a bear was one that she had particularly designed herself. Ironic yea? ... Matt & Marcy are shooting for a garden-esque/earthy-meets-whimsy/a-little-dash-of-alice-in-wonderland theme for their wedding next April. I loved that they both showed up to their e-session aware of those details and fully prepared to walk around for an hour in large-and-in-charge shoes no matter what the cost. Vanity before comfort right?! Matt said he 'was looking for a wedding photographer who can help him feel comfortable.' What a fantastic challenge. :D  I did my best... They really seemed to have a lot of fun together!  Love these two.

Thank you guys for letting me hang out with you for an evening!

Chance + Ashley | Tucson Engagement Session | Green Grass and Quarry Romance

 {Chance + Ashley | Tucson Engagement Session | A Random Orchard off of the side of the I-10 | July 2012} I hopped in the car, checked my gps to make sure I wasn't seeing things--yup, i was meeting my couple about an hour away in a place I had never been. Admittedly, I was anxious. I typically like to be in charge of scouting out locations--making sure I know where light is going to hit, where things are, have my plan-of-attack all set up in my head... but I was taking a chance this time. An hour later I arrived at a Starbucks that felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. The monsoon dreariness lay thick and threatened to spill out from pockets of darkness that mingled with other hopeful pockets of blue sky tinted with little flecks of gold--a tease of a sunset that made my little photographer's heart whisper a quick prayer for something cool that evening. As we talked wedding details and downed a few preliminary glasses of triple-filtered water, Ashley explained that there was an orchard right off the freeway exit down the road. A what?!  Potential green stuff? No. Way. Skeptical, I carpooled with C + A over to this perfect little oasis and I ate my heart out. I. LOVE. GREEN. I aimed to keep poses casual and natural--to really fit the chill personalities of the two engaged. On a side note, speaking of eating hearts out, all mosquitos available in a 100 mile radius must have received the same memo that there was a pocket of lushness waiting right off of I-10. It's been a week since the shoot and you could still play 'connect the dots' on my legs with the remnants of the darn bugger's thankless feasting. Chance & Ashley bore down and delivered some wonderful snapshots of tender lovin' despite the bugs. Even when I found myself standing  in a  red ant nest while snagging that last set of images over looking the nearby quarry,  C + A graciously let me go into an intense 'excuse me i'm going to silently freak out and try not to cry' zone for a minute as  i stripped off sandals and swat the crap out of my feet. Oh the things we do for a good shot. I've got battle wounds from this session...but now that i get to share a few highlights, i'm feeling much better thanks. :D | lkm

Curtis + Jenna | Downtown Casual Engagement Session | Tucson, Arizona Wedding Photography

 {Curtis + Jenna | Downtown Tucson Engagement Sessions | July 2012} Working with Curtis + Jenna has been such a joy. For what little i know of their ins and outs, they couldn't be any more opposite! But it's pretty neat to see God folding them into each other's lives. Folding--that's exactly what I stretched them to do during this engagement session. I wanted Jenna to just fold herself into Curtis. The objective was to make this man feel strong--to accent Jenna's delightful joy and Curtis quite strength. They wanted to keep things 'subtle' and really natural. I tried to capture the little things--the nuances and subtle conversations--the little touches.  I even told them to give me a 'signal' if I asked them to do anything that 'felt funny.' ... oh this face...i love this face almost as much as i love her heart :D 

i really like this black and white...

remember that 'signal' i mentioned above? yea...i got it once... :D these are my favorite... one of their favorite swank little cafes... :)We went to go change wardrobe...check out that stellar glasses! I wish we had played with those more :D its the little looks, ya know?below right was one of my favorite split-second moments during the whole shoot...Jenna spontaneously just whipped her arms around Curtis and gave him a big wet one :)Jenna specfically scouted out this wall and asked for a series with it...this is their REALLY excited face...So incredibly excited to celebrate with these guys on their wedding day in 4 weeks!! :D EEK! | lkm

Jesse + Samantha | Southern California Lakeside Proposal | Riverside Wedding Photography

 {Jesse + Samantha | Proposal in the Park | Fairmont Park, Riverside, CA | June 2012} A couple weeks ago I received a sneaky text from Sam asking the sly question, "so would you happen to have December 15th booked yet? I'd like to tentatively, secretly reserve you for a particular occasion..." (smiley face smiley face smiley face). To which i promptly called back with hushed squesls and excitement. It wasn't offical. Nothing was official of course. There was no ring. And that angst was setting in mixed and colored by sheer joy. So i grinned to myself with a sprouting idea, told her timing would be perfect and hung up. I immediately called Jesse and pitched an idea that sounded a little like this, "so, this is going to be way presumptuous of me, but...i'm still gonna go for it. Would you by chance happen to have the ring yet?" He was getting it that Friday. Perfect. "I'm going to be in town to shoot in a few weeks, would you be up to letting me possibly scheme with you??" He was. He did. And i 'sponateneously called Sam the Sunday before my Monday Riverside Mini Shoots, June 18th, and asked if she could whip up a sassy outfit, grab her honey, indulge in a bit o' romance and meet me for a Sweetheart shoot 'just for fun' at the park. She was game of course.

I started off with just a few fun casual portraits. Honestly, Jesse and I hadn't really set up an agenda. So my mind was racing with a gameplan while trying to maintain a really casual front so Sam wouldn't suspect anything :) I love this picture below with that glow behind Sam's gorgeous face and sparkly eyeballs :DI pretended to hem and haw a little looking for a few more spots with fun sunbeams. Asked them if they just wanted to walk along the lake. They were down. We found a secluded peninsula. Perfect. I was able to mutter to Jesse: "the code words will be 'I'm gonna back off and you have to give me a whole 60 seconds of romance..."... So that's what I said. And that's what they did. They talked and snuggled for a little under that darn tree. I couldn't hear anything. I actually started to wonder if Jesse was gonna flip the script and ask for a different spot. Or something... I'm so glad i just shut up and watched and snapped away... (Do note Sam's funny face in that 3rd picture to the far right. You should ask her what choice explitive she used when she got a closer look at the ring. I burst out laughing) Her eyes DANCED! SO excited!! couldn't stop looking at her new bling bling SO stinkin excited for Sam! We trotted back to show Lawson and the kiddos the new finger decor.  I've known Sam for a LONG time! Watching her go from highschool, through college and into adulthood--wrestle with big things, grow with Jesus, meet Jesse and now engaged--sheesh! I'm so overwhelmed with joy for her! Can't wait for your wedding in December dear friend!! 

Jeremy + Kelly | teaser

{Jeremy + Kelly | Engagement Session | Windy Point, Tucson | April 2012} So teasers are pretty mean. That's why i'll trade you a facebook highlight show if you promise to 'like' that sweet little LKM facebook page. deal? deal.

Tyler + Megan | Tucson Engagement Session | Pt.2 - "Romance in a Desert Wash"

 {Tyler + Megan | Engagement Session | North Tucson | April 2012} After we hit up T + M's favorite date spot (See Part One), we sauntered over to the nearby wash (a common landmark in Tucson). I wasn't sure what to expect. As a photographer stationed in the desert (grin) I'm still workin' on my collection of locations and backdrops to shoot in...I'll have to write more about the changing and challenging scenery later. While Megan was anticipating a couple romantic hugs on the bridge I suggested we jump down INTO the wash (which was an impressive feat for a client in a sassy dress, a pregnant photographer and a grip of camera gear). But we did it and I was so glad we did! The sun was setting and provided a soft glow as a few tall, assuming weeds played off the neutral tones of the lovebird's wardrobe. I was eyeballing the sunbeams streaking through the bridge pillars knowing that that was where i'd wrap up the shoot...

Tyler + Megan are getting married in Alburquerque, New Mexico next month. I am SO excited for them to start this new chapter...AND finally get to live in the same city. They've been doing long distance for the past few months and my heart goes out to them. While distance is a pretty 'safe' way to do the engagement period, it's gut-wrenching. Been there. Done that. Thank you so much for letting me be part of these memories T + M. I hope this last month of preparing for the celebration and the rest of your lives ROCKS and is full of great, great amazing joy! | lkm

Tyler + Megan | Tucson Engagement Session | Pt. 1 - "Favorite Date Spot"

 {Tyler + Megan | Engagement Session | North Tucson | April 2012} There is something super sweet about leaving an engagement session overjoyed for the couple you just shot. I watched eyeballs light up and laughter dance even over the silly things and left Tyler + Megan's session with a HUGE smile on my face. AND--that's EVEN after my phone fell out of my camera bag and shattered its screen in the parking lot seconds before I met up with the couple--a fantastic way to glaze over that travesty! Here are a few highlights from our time together - PART ONE. (Stay tuned for PART TWO later this week :D)they really got into their dancing... (song playing softly in my head "when a man loves a woman...") Tyler's top favorite food is Pizza. And this particular parlor is one of their favorites.  these stairs were SO cool.  :Done of my absolute favorite collections of images... :) "tyler can you just grab that woman and embrace her please."...yes, thank you. check out her eyes!!  PART TWO coming soon... :D