Andrew + Sam | Tucson Desert Rain-Soaked Maternity Session

{Tucson Maternity Session | Desert Rain | February 2013} 3 years ago my little family of 4 (at that time) lived together with Andrew & Sam. It was one of the best years ever. Doing life together; intentionally living 'in community' as we called it, was a glorious challenge that stretched us and drew us close and taught us much. We have braved some stormy weather together and apart these past 3 years, and just a couple weeks ago I had the absolute treat to shoot Andrew & Sam's maternity session. I'm pretty sure it was the coldest day of the year. Sam sure thought so. She had prepared for sunny skies and the notorious Tucson heat--of which, i reminded her, is actually seasonal and that we do, in fact, have SEASONS in the desert. weird, i know. but now you know. | So this is them. The Horvath family. They are and always will be so very dear to our hearts. This precious  little anticipated bundle of humanity will be joining us in just 2 months. Holy Moly. This is life everyone. There is life in there! (A little creepy. A lotta awesome.) Love you friends! | LKM  SO SO SO excited for and eagerly waiting for you to join the ranks of parents equally as overwhelmed with the significance and intensity of our job! WOOT! Go team go. | lkm

Jeff & Abby | Rainy Downtown Engagement Session | Pasadena, California Wedding Photography

{ Jeff & Abby | Rainy Downtown Engagement Session | Pasadena, California Wedding Photography}

Oh my stars. Butterflies are swarming in my tummy. The excitement for these two little love birds is incalculable. I've known Abby since she was a lil' tike. No joke. One of my oldest  family friends.  To see her grown and loved by a good, good man who is humble, tender, loyal, passionate and sincere--i just want to cry and thank Jesus for being so so very good. Check out that rain. Seriously, one of my coldest/rainiest shoots ever. So worth the miseery!!  okay, so it was REALLY really cold. So we were trying to see if we could capture our breath...and they were laughing/shivering/snorting all sorts of wonderfulness.the black and white below is abby's favorite :) (and shhh, don't tell her, but i printed it on canvas and am surprising her for her wedding :D)did i mention we got wet? coffee shop subtleties we laughed SO much! we were struttin' around downtown pasadena and saw this hole-in-the-wall bookstore. I mean, it SMELLED like old books. It was fantastic...and we got uber cozy amongst its shelves. mmmmhm. these images (below) are some of my favorite. Jeff & Abby ADORE each other and are just so comfortable together... i love the moment below in black and white. the story and journey they've been on these past few years make the tenderness and trust a REALLY big deal oh how he loves her

19 days you guys!! can NOT wait to see you soon, shoot your Pasadena wedding. Laugh SO much and celebrate with you guys!! See you on the flipside baby! | lkm

Ryan & Samantha | Yellow and Teal Couture Wedding Photography | San Diego, Green Gables Estate | Pt.1

{Ryan & Samantha | Yellow and Teal Couture Wedding Photography | San Diego, Green Gables Estate | The Girls}

So...i'm breaking highlights from this amazing San Diego wedding into multiple parts. There is just...too much awesomeness. Yellow and deep teal were Sam's colors with a splash of couture inspiration. With Guess heels and Vera Wang dress, Ms. Fashionista herself was glowing. My team and I arrived at the 'girls pad' late morning with time to spare so we could just hang out and bond a bit while they gussied up...

oh that dress.... Vera Wang did not dissapoint! Sam and her mom had a really special bond... Once we donned the dress, touched up the make-up we had planned to spend a good amount as 'just us girls.' We hit up mom's orchards in the backyard  first... sam was more than willing to do pretty much anything...until winds picked up and we were frozen to the bone. The rest of the bridal party went to go warm up in the car while MOH Catie and Sam enjoyed a few last minute laughs and poses. then meandered over to some awesome nearby train tracks and let the 'sass' spew. Back at the Green Gables Estate, we avoided San Diego's once-in-a-lifetime hurricane remnants  and gushed over the incredible Bridal Prep room decorated with posh little quaint details.

oh man....these little ones.... :)

the lady in waiting... ;) love these moments of anticipation. the excitement OOZED... :)

to be continued... :) | lkm

Ryan & Samantha | Green Gables Estate Wedding, San Diego, California | Rehearsal

{Ryan + Samantha | Green Gables Estate Wedding, Escondido, California | Rehearsal | March 2012} I realize that little flower girl and ring bearer kinda trump this post, but i couldn't help it. They were the stars of the Ryan & Samantha's rainy rehearsal show!  Check back for highlights from Ryan + Samantha's San Diego wedding day highlights ! Meanwhile, you can revisit their drool-worthy engagement session HERE and HERE. (swooooooon) | lkm ....can't wait to share memories from their stunning wedding day!  eeks!:)

Jason + Christine | Claremont Colleges, California | Maternity Session

 {Jason & Christine | Claremont Colleges, Claremont, Southern California | Maternity Session} Baby #1 is always an intense thing. I watch these soon-to-be parents look ahead at the unknown future, preparing for radical, exciting change. Because that's what kids do. They change you. They change the dynamic of "him and me" into "us."  Kids rock worlds. They humble hearts.  The calm before the storm is special and that's one of my favorite parts of capturing these maternity moments. It's a solid fist pump to an awesome prelude to an even MORE awesome chapter ahead. (sigh) and thats all i have to say about that. :) | Jason & Christine, thank you so much for letting me frolic about with you during the burst of color and fallen leaves at the Claremont Colleges. You guys were delightful. I hope these moments captured are sweet memories  of that precious prelude... | lkm

With great joy and excitement for you guys!

LKM

Sophia | tucson lifestyle newborn moments

{Sophia | Lifestyle Newborn Moments | Tucson, AZ | January 2013} I've titled this blog very intentionally: 'lifestyle newborn moments' :) Seriously. Newborn photography is NOT my forte. In fact, I have a grip of newborn photographers I am UBER eager to refer any expecting mom to (email me). Newborn photography is an incredibly fine art in and of itself. You know--the time, patience and intense fine skill and prep to nail those BOMB pinterest images that make mommies swoon all over the planet? Babies posing in perfect sleepy poses with heads propped in their hands or cuddled up in ball of perfection. Yup. Never gotten there. NEVER.

I called up my friend, Missy, yesterday  to  see if i could swing by and just capture a few moments of 'little-ness.' It wasn't fancy. I have no props. I haven't any fancy backdrops or monkey hats or cool fluffy pilllows perfect for these things. I just wanted to snatch a few moments in this stage of Sophia's first week where newness abounds. So with GPS in hand and a  bit o' dinner love in tow, I paid a visit. I hugged Drew & Missy, conversed a little with new-big-sister Emma, gushed over Sophia and snatch a few real moments with the family. (beat)  This whole welcoming-new-life into the world is intense. Motherhood is intense. The tiny-ness and abandonment of self is insane...crazy, crazy beautiful. (moment to weep a little inside my heart with how big of a deal these thoughts are) (anyways) Love you Montagues! Welcome Sophia!  | lkm 

Hodge Family | Tucson Sonoran Desert Gates Pass Portraits

{ Hodge Family | Tucson Sonoran Desert Gates Pass | Portraits | December 2012} Nikki charmed my socks off with her first facebook inquiry and when we met up at Gates Pass earlier this month, my sixth sense did not disappoint. This little family was a treat! I can't wait to meet and capture more memories with them when baby #2 arrives in February!  | lkm Dad was G R E A T with dex. Can you believe it? MOM was the one who specifically asked for a 'shot of dad throwing dex really really high in the air.' Most moms would have thrown up if you had only seen the ravine path we were on and the cactus Dex was flying over! some belly lovin i love this triptic... Thank you so much Hodge family!  Enjoy enjoy enjoy!! | lkm

Harry + Hilary | A (RAINY) Tucson Desert Engagement Session | Saguaro National Park

{Harry & Hilary | Dessert Engagement Session | Saguaro National Park, Tucson, AZ | Laura K Moore Wedding Photography} Harry & Hilary made me beam for a solid 2 hours. Granted, this was the wettest engagement session I have ever shot. BUT, I'm pretty sure it ranks up there with a favorite. From the backdrop they chose (saguaro national park) and the special little personal nuances they brought along with them...I'm pretty sure we nailed something special! they ride bikes in this park ALL the time...notice Harry on the right below? yea, that's him attempting to be serious...attempting.. notice the rain?? :D did i mention we got wet?? i love this one... and this one... i LOVE that point of complete abandonment. when i can step aside and a couple trusts enough and is comfortable enough...to just love each other. they laugh ALL. the. time.  Oh Harry & Hilary, you two were definitely a highlight for my weekend!  I hope you enjoy these moments captured as much as I have! | lkm

Amir + Maribel | Tucson Engagement Session | Wedding Photographer

 { Amir + Maribel | Tucson Engagement Session } These two have been a treat to shoot this past season in Tucson. We met at a bridal expo last April and since then, we've shot a 3-part engagement series that has me tickled pink to share!  My favorite thing about these two....how gentle and poised both of them are; so 'put-together'...refined...a constant sense of 'class' sorta oozes from both of them. And yet they hired me for their wedding because, (i quote) 'we had so much fun and need someone to bring out our fun side'. yes, ma'am! | lkm (note: this is one LARGE chunk of awesomeness for a single blog post. but i refuse to break it up into "sections"... :D i like the fact that they progressively got more and more comfortable each time we went out for a shoot, played, laughed, kissed....kissed some more... these two just 'fit' together :D){ Downtown - pt 1 }{Downtown - pt 2}Can't wait for wedding time Amir & Maribel! 10xs more awesomeness awaits us! :D | lkm

Neal + Connie | Modern Chic Downtown Tucson Engagement Session

 {Neal + Connie | Downtown Tucson Engagement Session | Tucson Wedding Photography} We made it to downtown promptly during Friday's rush hour and had to race a quickly setting sun amidst the war (cough) i mean, construction zone that is down there. Streets were closed, parking spots were packed (because apparently Tour De Tucson is a big deal), and I was getting a lil' nervous about finding a stellar backdrop and making it all 'work'...and then i caught myself--your focus is FIRST people, not places. I watched Neal & Connie respond and react, enjoy each other and laugh freely. We even made a grungy parking lot look like a light-pool filled with bougainvillea! Ta Da! (pause) (debating in my head wether to go that extra measure of disclosure....here goes...)

To be honest, I have never felt so disheveled before a photo session. I'm back from maternity leave and figuring life out -- balancing three little ones  and (thankfully)enjoying a good photography work load while figuring out a system to make both hats fit. Being able to release these highlights is sheer relief. We did it!! Come rain or shine, babies or sleepless nights, there is grace and pictures are glowing across the screen right now! New lovebirds are being captured and put on display and I'm so excited to share these two with you! | lkm

the 'look we're so fun!' series on  4th avenue... she had a nintendo shirt. he had a startreck shirt. bomb. dude, they SO got into that jump...