LKM - who we are and why | Meet LKM | personal

It's a new year and we are continuing to build, develop, and refine the voice, message and trajectory of LKM STUDIOS.  We rewrote our "about page", broke it into two parts--"Meet Laura" and "LKM Philosophy." We are excited about the sweet stories we have yet to share from last year and are particularly stoked about what this year has in store! 

Click on the links above to read about who LKM is and the approach we have towards photography, our clients, the culture of our studio and the life we aim to pursue holistically! Thanks for stopping by! | LKM

My Grandma Turned 90 so I Flew to Florida to Celebrate! | Personal

My grandma, Gloria Williams, turned 90 over the weekend. I  flew in for a short visit to just hug that woman and be with family. I'm so glad it worked out. My highlight all weekend was our leisure afternoon, Friday before the party. She started talking and sharing memories with us and I stopped what i was doing and got out my laptop and started transcribing. My fingers could barely keep up and she was giving me these details that I had never heard. Now that I was writing them down I was seeing them and remembering them and realizing ... oh my gosh, THIS is such a precious treasure. She is alive to tell these little details that otherwise will fade! She kept pausing and apologizing for talking to much and i just glowed and stumbled over encouragements to keep talking! It was so so fun. 

So i thought i would share a few of her memories from when she was a little girl and on into her time as a nurse and meeting her husband, my late grandaddy. I hope you enjoy these little windows into her childhood set min-century as much as I did. :) | LKM

CHILDHOOD MEMORY

The great depression was in the 29s and the 30s were spent recuperating. everybody seemed to be on the move. settling. finding settlement. hobos would be on the road, traveling. so they would come to your house and knock and you’d take them to the back door. we had to figure out safety factors. as a child that safety measure impressed me. we’d take them to the back door. they would eat outside. there was an understanding.

CHILDHOOD MEMORY

I was 5 when we were in Gainsville. there was this thing called the Honeywagon--a wagon would come along and make sure they took care of our sewage. they’d come by and pick up our waste every day. we’d bring it out and they’d take it away. and we’d chase after the wagon like it was a grandest thing.

DUNNELLON MEMORY

my father decided farming was really for him. he raised 3 pigs and he was done. so he bought the grocery store in Dunnellon. I would go and visit them. Dunnellon , on first impressions was a typical little grubby country town with old houses,old sidewalks, brick streets.  One water tower,one bank, one hotel-boarding house, and another hotel. The favorite place to eat was Miz McDilda’s café.  She was also well known for advice to teen agers.  “If it can’t be done by 10 0’clock you shouldn’t be doing it”

MEETING ROBERT

On my days off I would take the bus to Dunnellon. They traveled thru Williston to Dunnellon, so it was a long .  But usually my friend Willie came with me.  On one of those times Dunnellon we were hanging out clothes, and a young man hoeing corn on a lot on Walnut Street came over for a drink of water. Later I learned he lived across the street from the corn patch!

I thought to myself, now there is a nice young man. A man who would hoe. (laughing) I don’t think Robert touched a hoe once after that day.

NURSING MEMORY

In 1947 I was employed  by Marion County Hospital. Actually, from that time on I could fill out an application and go to work the next day. In 1967  I applied for a transfer to the VA Hospital In  Sepulveda California, and had to wait a whole week before they put me on schedule..That was my first realization of the feelings of rejection when you are not successful on a job application.

HIGHSCHOOL MEMORY

then the war started. and we all started making scarves to go to the british. i made 1. only time i knitted. to send a scarf to a brit.  that was the time i saw a b17 on display . the biggest bomber to bomb in world war 22. in those years there were fleets of planes flying over all the time. the trains going by would be hauling tanks and motorized vehicles for the soldiers. if you stopped at a train crossing. you would see all boys in the unit pass by with their trucks. It was always safe to be friendly on the train or bus, because Uncle Sam was chaperone.

SCHOOL MEMORY

my father wanted me to be a secretary and sent me to Jacksonville to learn. i lived with my aunt who worked at a perfume factory and lived right next door. Massey’s Business School and i got a job as a secretary. After a few months I was bored out of my skull. there was so little. A lot of people love office work but that was not for me. I learned how to short hand my own way and learned to use a dictaphone. But i got out of that business school as fast as possible. When they started putting me on machines I fled. I hated machines. So then i got a different job and used a dictaphone. I decided I wanted to go into the navy. There were recruiters looking for woman to fill as nurses and I jumped on that.

I couldn’t go into the US nurses cadet corp until I was 18. I got out when I was 21 and got a job in Ocala. The hospitals had nursing quarters. My friend Willy and I stayed in one of the rooms and the other girls were in the other rooms. I met willy in training. there were 5 of us who were protestant and we kind of stuck together through the programs. Got a job and lived together in the nursing colleges. We lived at and were paid on the property.

SCHOOL MEMORY

so we worked 8 hours a day and went to school the rest of the time. that lasted 3 years and by that time the war was over. the last 6 months of school i could do whatever specialty i wanted and i wanted to go to Jacksonville college and took my 101 courses. i took state board for nursing -- or waited to take them and Ocala hired me before i even passed the state board.

NURSING MEMORY

i was a red cross polio nurse, about 3 of us. and the reason that’s important is because that’s why i have all this immunity. most people who worked with polio at the time would get the beginning of the virus -- low grade temperature and mild symptoms. i think we were all just building up an immunity to it.

ROBERT MEMORY

1948 Robert and I were going together and he didn’t get a job and I went on my life in Tallahasee. He couldn’t stay away. He was burning rubber going up there all the time. so that’s when he decided what he would do about this degree. I was in tallahassee and he was down here and we agreed to go to Alabama and their was no option to do it unmarried. So we got married. He never asked. It was just the thing to do. We got married on christmas day, December 1949 and then left for Alabama.

ROBERT MEMORY

When we decided to go to Alabama for Robert’s second degree, He already had the basics as far as his degree goes but he got a job right out of college to make gun barrels and Lockhead head hunters found him there in Birmingham and he was a no-brainer. He had an auro-nautic engineer degree. They moved us to Murrieta, California to work on the C130. They would test the engine at night. It had propellers and turbines--a very durable machine. I have heard airplanes my whole life that when I would hear that rumble it was like music to my ears. I always felt so safe as long as i could hear airplanes in the air.

Here are a couple highlights from the modest party we threw for her and a few friends. She was glowing several days after! Such a treasure! | LKM :)

Corey + Jessi | Urban Fun Wedding // Sherbert & Succulents {Featured Wedding}

Tucson's recent opening of PARK AVE, an urban downtown refurbished warehouse-turned-event-space was initiated with this rock-solid fun-loving wedding entourage! Corey + Jessi's colors were fun, they themselves were light-hearted but sincere and wanted the nuances and entire story of their day to be the same. Both having super fun creative inspirations, they did some really cool DIY stuff for their wedding. So neat in fact, that...

WE ARE BEING FEATURED THIS WEEK on Something Turquoise wedding blog! Hop on over to see all the DIY details and hear the super cute backstory and behind-the-scenes highlights from bride & groom themselves! For starters though, here are my top favorites:

- their super emotion first look (corey KILLED me. he JUST held that woman when he saw her. gosh it was precious)

-  their wedding party was on FIRE--so much fun, because we did so many special picture moments BEFORE the wedding, we were able to get some really raw and special images of the wedding party and family -- both the fun kind and the really special intimate kind. Such a breadth and depth of storytelling happened!

- also because of the amazing timeline we had created that day, we were able to breath and take some stellar fine art portraits at the old historical courthouse with the bride while waiting for guests to arrive

- their reception was off the hook! We're talking lazers, kazoos, signature cocktails, fantastic music playlist, avid dancers, glow sticks, laughing--so much laughing!

CREDITS:

Photographer: LMK Studios // Ceremony: Old Pima County Courthouse // Officiant: Andy Tracy // Reception: Park Avenue // Flowers: Flowers by Occasions (Kimberly Neal) // Catering:Rincon Market // Cake: Cakes by Genevieve // Invitations: Designed by the Groom // DJ: Che' Wilson DJ & Entertainment // Dress: Almond Tree // Shoes: Dillard's // Bridesmaid's Dresses:David's Bridal // Hangers: Hangers By Melanie // Men's Attire: J.Crew // Favors: Wine made by the Grooms Dad // Wine labels: Applewhite Accessories // Bridesmaid Gifts: Lola Lane Gifts

LKM is an Affiliate of Kelly Moore Bag!

We are now a proud affiliate of Kelly Moore Bag!

Short story--these are the best camera bags in the whole world. They have been one of the most important investments in our photography arsenal and they continue to crank out new materials and design options and brand development as the years go by.

I, Laura, vouch for these bad boys. They are a pretty penny. They are an investment. It will also be the best camera bag you'll ever purchase! 

To celebrate our new position as pom-pom shakers for KMB they just announced a 2 day FALL SALE on their camera bags!

GO HERE AND USE COUPON CODE: FALL (expires oct 31)

And just in case you are on the fence or need a nudge or are trying to figure out what the hoopla is about, here's my fanaticism boiled down to its beginning. :)

I started off with an awkward borrowed camera bag that was nearly 20 years old and didn't hold my equipment and hung awkwardly on my shoulder or around my chest as a sling. It'd nearly dump out all of my stuff every time i tried to open it on the fly. I'm a mom so it was just another thing to drape around my body next to a baby, a baby bag, maybe a purse, maybe my computer bag... I know i carry too much most of the time anyways. And it didn't help. 

When i saw Kelly Moore, one of my top favorite photographers who inspired me at the very beginning of my own journey, launch her line of camera bags, my jaw dropped. Really? It was possible? Functional and classy? Variety and personality? Well-built and intuitive design? WHAT?! 

I won my first bag--the Classic Kelly Moore. It was her first and only design for a couple years. It turned heads and I felt so put together. No more masculine clunky things or velcro sounds or spilt equipment. Couple years later they released the LIBBY and i knew it was what i needed. It was my additional limb. It went with me everywhere! I can prove it. From 2012-2015 nearly all our family vacation pictures plus my behind the scenes on-location work pictures have that baby by my side. I'm emotionally attached. 

I've, in the last year, branched out and experimented with a few other designs from the Kelly Moore Bag line. Trying to alleviate the weight on my shoulders but still have a bag that would be optimum for my style of shooting, I've got my eye on a few and saving up!

So go check them out! Get yo'self some eyecandy! Then come back and tell me what you think! I've got my eye on the ESTHER or the SONGBIRD. :D

Which one has your name etched all over it??

Jeff + Emily | Celebrity Wedding Teaser | Arizona Wedding Photographer

This weekend we had the honor of shooting Jeff & Emily (Weprich) Campanella's wedding at SaddleBrook Country Club in the Catalina Foothills of Northwest Tucson. Before we head off to this weekend's San Diego wedding, we wanted share a few sneak peaks of Emily's pre-wedding bridal portraits. You might recognize her from the celebrity engagement feature a few weeks ago or from the post earlier this summer honoring her father. Having shared a few slivers of storytelling in this family's life this past year made this wedding more meaningful. And being part of Emily's first deep breaths as a bride -- the moment she put on that incredible dress, loved her mom fiercely, laughed with her ladies--her resilient cheerfulness, grace and concern for others was radiant. More coming soon! (see note to all guests/friends/family below)

If you were a guest or are a friend or are a family member, go HERE to register and be kept apprised when all wedding pictures are released! 

7 Tips on How to Make Camping with Kids Worth It | Personal

 Before kids I thought kids would mean the death of independence and spontaneity.

This past weekend a few families went and camped in Arizona's Cochise Stronghold. We came back with notes and thoughts about camping with little humans and made a list for how to make camping with kids kinda sorta awesome. 

The quickest way to another parent's heart is to love their child. And that is where community is born.

We, as parents, are responsible for their memories.

If you are curious what our "7 tips on how to make camping with kids worth it", go HERE! 

James + Lindsey | Vintage Meets Southwest | Tucson Desert Engagement Session | Tucson Photographer

When the morning sun rises and the cactus blooms and twiterpated folks like James + Lindsey come eager to be sweet, silly and nostalgic... I watch the saguaro's shadows shorten, the ocotillo brighten, a yellow vintage dress twirl and a precious anticipation be a wonderful backdrop for it all. 

These are called love story sessions because looks and laughs are my favorite parts of stories--the breaths in between and the pauses that anticipate the next chapter they have yet to experience. | LKM

p.s. and if you love these quaint perfect little details, just WAIT till you see their wedding! :)

Los Angeles Celebrity Engagement Session | Potato Mountain, Claremont | Jeff Campanella & Emily Weprich

//THE WARNER BROS. STORY//

So now that the TV SHOW has aired, i can share the backstory about a cool unprecedented opportunity we had earlier this month! A few weeks ago Warner Bros. called and asked to use an engagement picture in one of their episodes of MAJOR CRIMES. My client, Jeff, had landed a role on the show and part of the story line involved a fictional fiance. They asked if he had any recent sweetheart pictures and voila! LKM got the call asking for a few high res images to use in their fake mock up of a wedding site, we negotiated release, copyright limitations, usage and and the episode aired on TNT this past Wednesday! It's a 2 second clip (i'me efficient with my 5 minutes of fame ;D). Watched it in my pjs last night with a surreal thankfulness for cool opportunities and exposure! Check out  Season 4 Episode 10 Here :) 

So in other details that are highly more important and not nearly as narcissitic... Jeff & Emily are a riot. Highschool sweethearts. An actor. A fitness model. Vegans. Lovers. Laughers. 

I'm delighted to be trusted with capturing a piece of their love story during this season.

This session was set in this crazy random hole in a hill called Potato Mountain in the Claremont foothills of Southern California. We hung out in the last few rays of sunbeams, reached a few inner childs (yes i know that is not grammatically correct), and got to know each other. Having shot their family reunion several months prior, I had only seen slivers of Jeff's erratic (cough) goofy side and Emily's soft-spoken but eye-twinkling exuberance. Their affection is natural with longevity sprinkled all over it. :) ....

// CLIENT REVIEW //

(i swear i didn't pay him to say these things)

There i was, in my pjs watching a tv show flash this sweetheart picture created by LKM STUDIOS. I was pumped. Jeff then sends a follow up email titled: "REVIEW" with the instructions: Post this. It sounds like i'm not your spokesperson but a real client. And if i couldn't get any more narcissitic, I figure sharing the review hammers in that nail for the day. 

"This is not just a photographer. This is not just a pretty face with an even prettier personality. This is a force of nature. LKM is so good, that her photographs cross into different dimensions. It's true. One of our engagement pictures from our session with Laura was so electrifying, so vibrant, that it crossed from everyday land into TV land on the famous TNT drama 'Major Crimes.' How is this even possible? How could TV characters even find out about a photographer from a different dimension? Well, once you meet this woman, you will know that she is out of this world. Hate smiling? You will love smiling after your session with Laura. Feel unsexy? Laura will make you feel so darn sexy. Don't want to show intimacy with your significant other in public? Laura will make you feel confident, playful, and grateful to be taking pictures with the love of your life. Positive, warm, talented, and fun, book your session with Laura K Moore now!" 

Remembering Fred...

When an inquiry writes and says that this might be their last family session together, you take it seriously. 

I was so moved when Devon emailed in December and asked me to snatch just a few images of her family while they all were in Tucson for Christmas... I felt the sincerity of the request--the discipline to maintain a light-hearted atmosphere and a sense of family joy and nostalgia. 

I spent time with them--a good, perfect Tucson December afternoon the day after Christmas. They laughed together and were silly. Both Devon and Emily were so conscientious of details and making sure everybody was ok. I almost felt like an intruder. Almost...until they nearly pulled me into their desert retirement home, hugged and said "thank you" more times than i can count. They asked me questions about my own life and were just so dang happy to have me there to capture a slice of theirs.

They didn't talk of loss. They didn't talk of regret or sadness. They brought out pictures and framed pieces of memories and legacy. Fred told me a story of when he was serving in the war many moons ago and his eyes danced as he talked about his daughters loving them too-the stories i mean. And he hopped from one memory to the next as his eyes shone. 

And he watched his girls. He made his wife laugh. He would do this under-his-breath mutter and then look up me and wink. He leaned on his ladies and sons-in-law--he hated that he needed to, but he let them dote on him and care. so. much. And he was strong and had this history about him that I knew I had just barely tapped into; a sense of family experiences and series of moments that he had been endowed with and cultivated. 

....

Just this passed week Fred Weprich passed away. I found out this morning when I saw Emily's instagram post about her father... I gasped. My kids were confused and I tried to explain to them that my clients had lost their daddy...but I couldn't get through it.  I have been learning recently that a picture taken at one moment can be 10 times more valuable at a later moment. That's how I feel about this session. It is extraordinary to be on this side of memories, capturing an effervescent spirit about a family that makes you want to know them better and work hard to tell their story well and honor who they are, who they have been and who they always will be. Thank you Weprich family. My heart goes out to you. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful sliver of Fred's life and legacy. | LKM

The morning after....ALASKA.

It is strange to have just been in Alaska. Ordering my double shot short steamed soy latte this morning i stepped out into an 8am 95 degree weather reflecting. Hopping in the car, Judah asks me to tell him the story about black mud that kills people and Jordyn reminds me that there is this place where they have midnight sun. I'm pleased that they remember details from family time last night. I showed them a map of where i went and a few crazy things that i learned about the totally different PLANET of the last frontier. 

While I currently sit and capture my cards I am overwhelmed with gratitude. It was only 4 days but every day the rocks cried out and my heart was moved to sing a tune celebrating the Creator. I did remind Lawson (my husband and best friend) that he should have been with me. Like literally. I had even secretly conspired with his boss to give him the weekend off and i'd steal him away....but long story short it fell through and i had a few moments of notes to self throughout my trip that went like this: "bottle this up" and return with your Love one day. whole family. a month exploring. adventure and adventure well.

In those moments of homesickness, I would shoot a few extra images just to share with him--bottling it up as best as i could. I'd try to slow down and breath the air that smelled like a yankee candle and know that a moose or elk was probably watching. C O O L. I forced myself to get up early and stay up late just so i could capture the creme de la creme lighting -- when the sunset is soft and long and the mountains get smooth and pink and the water sparkles and the whole world seems to slow and have 4 more hours added to joy and breathing. It was new. Different and bizarre. GORGEOUS... 

While i don't have images totally all captured and sorted yet, i did get a few teasers from the wedding. It'll have to be my place holder until i can get some more highlights worked on :). This is the couple that brought me to their home. To capture their people. To go to this distant land with whales and salmon runs and world-renowned road trips so that I could be in their world and capture it.... so honored and so thankful. | LKM