Peter + Vanessa | Southern California Engagement Session | Citrus State Historical Park | Pt.1

 {Peter + Vanessa | Engagement Session | Citrus State Historical Park, Riverside, CA | January 2012 } Last February  I  got an amazing series of phone calls from my brother, Peter.  It started off like this: "Hey sis. So...i have my eyes on someone." Oh my word. Was I thrilled. My brother is pretty amazing. He loves Jesus more than anything and when I heard that Vanessa was the one that had captured his attention, I choked on my asparagus.  He spoke of her heart for others, the way he loved serving with her--and then he told me about her issue with SOCKS and I was sold.  They spent nearly a year dating, getting to know each other better and then when she spent a semester in Africa with her nursing program from APU this past fall, he spoke of his incredible longing for her. My brother...a man...longing for this woman whom he wanted for his bride. He proposed in Africa by the way.... but i'm saving that story, written by my brother, for tomorrow. :) | lkm

the 'how to dip' coaching session was full of belly-laughs your guess is as good as mineThis is Peter talking to my other brother Nathan who was SUPPOSED to have come hang out for the afternoon. Peter arrived at the session, spent an hour cuddling with his fiance and then suddenly gasped and shot a look at Vanessa, "we forgot Nathan." It's kinda funny now -noitisnot- especially remembering Vanessa's look of horror and Peter's genuine look of remorse. I haven't seen Nathan in 9 months....yes, yes I am still bitter.two of my favorites from the day...I vote no glasses for the wedding. What do you think? I get another sister!!! Part Two coming tomorrow :) Along with one of the best proposal stories I've ever heard of... :)

Ryan + Samantha | Picnic-Inspired San Diego Engagement Session | Birch Aquarium at Scripps College | Pt.1

{Ryan + Samantha |  Engagement Session | Birch Aquarium of Scripps College in San Diego | January 2012} Oh. My. Peachfuzz. There is joy. And there is love. And then there is smashing hot wonderfulness that I got to shoot last month. :) Ryan + Sam are on a whirlwind engagement escapade. I literally choked on my mac 'n cheese (yes, i still eat mac n cheese) when i heard she was planning her spankin suave wedding in 4 months. Yup. I just inhaled involuntarily thinking about it. We scheduled their San Diego engagement session for mid-January and shook a few fists when we found out the forecast was going to be grey, dreary and wet. Alas, myself and my wonderful award-winning travel buddy Alyssa, pushed forward.  I had hope that something amazing would come of it all. We scratched Plan A and Plan B for locations when we realized both places would be miserable in the rain. Then our awesome San Diego weekend host, Rebecca Brown, took us to the Birch Aquarium property and I squealed. Rain or shine, the foresty backdrop and mid-summer-esque arena was perfect. | lkmR+S brought this perfect picnic set up topped off with a pitcher full of Twizzlers. I mean, say that to yourself for a moment. It's cute. Right? I think they should get each other a pitcher full of Twizzlers every valentines day. Just sayin'.We started our afternoon off on the picnic blanket and they were so giddy about everything.  fun little detailsmind you, Sam has no clue what ryan was doing in the background. what a ham.some golden favorites :)they just so happened to have an umbrella. and then the wedding colors got whipped out. apparently Sam was particularly excited about my challenge to find a wardrobe that brought in wedding colors into the mix. That way the pictures posted on wedding day would tie in with the color scheme.   Teal & Yellow baby...Sam hollered right before wrapping up in the forest, "oh! we forgot the socks!" gosh. forget the socks? that would have been terrible! So we snagged a few shots of their socks.  we were racing the sun by the time we finished up part one of the afternoon. We still had this cool wood backrop to nail and then of course the sunset on the beach. I wish we had taken a video of these last few pictures in the tree...Pretty much veered off the road, illegally parked, had alyssa keep the car humming while we pranced (i'm sure Ryan appreciates that verb) to this cool tree with gold leaves and got them real cozy with each other. We were laughing pretty hard. At least Sam and I were. Ryan was cool about it all and just dove into every opportunity he had to embrace his bride-to-be. What a keeper! :) And that's only part one. :)

Ryan + Samantha | San Diego Engagement Session | Birch Aquarium at Scripps - UC San Diego | teaser

 {Ryan + Samantha | Engagement Session @ Birch Aquarium | San Diego, CA | January 2012} There is a very LARGE grip-load of eye candy coming to Google readers (via LKM blog) near you. Here area few teasers from Ryan + Samantha's gut-wrenchingly beautfiul engagement session shot on the property of Birch Aquarium at Scripps College, UC San Diego. Stand by...

Dan + Erin | 'Vintage-Meets-Urban'-Inspired Downtown Tucson Engagement Session | Pt.2

{Dan + Erin | Vintage-Meets-Urban Inspired Downtown Tucson Engagement Session | Janaury 2012}

I thought that shooting in La Placita in downtown Tucson would be too cliche. But you get a couple like Erin and Dan to unleash, be real, enjoy each other, share a few inside jokes, laugh, trip, embarass themselves gloriously so--and you could stick 'em in front of cardboard boxes and still have a spread worth a million bucks. Oh the color!! My gosh, these two burst with such a raw, goofy delight in each other--my face hurts from smiling. | lkm

(above) check out their vert! they nailed the 'jump' on the first try. standing ovation please.  that pole little kiss moment there was purely spontaneous. Dan--you're so suave. erin's grin in these middle-of-the-street/my-photographer-is-going-to-kill-us images...was favorite. so we found this truck...kinda random. but i'm a fan. 'hey dan, grab erin's hand and frolick gleefully down the alley and then embrace each other in than corridor.'i can't get over how perfectly the tones of what they were wearing meshed with the wall...so the day was mostly overcast which is often some of the BEST natural-soft-box-style lighting you can get....but I was secretly a little bummed that we missed out on some of that golden flare when a session ends with a sunset-provided epic finale....... and yet...... there was a band playing in downtown that night. Just as dan and erin were getting into the car i knew i had to cease the moment. quickly. before we lost momentum. and boy did these two deliver :)   Dan + Erin, we love you guys. You are SUCH a treat. Lawson & I still can't wait for our double date. Thank you for trusting me with these memories. So so blessed to be a part of this special season with you guys! | lkm

Dan + Erin | Vintage-Inspired Downtown Tucson Engagement Session | Pt.1

{Dan + Erin | Vintage-Inspired Downtown Tucson Engagement Session | January 2012} Planning this shoot with Erin was a blast. There was a grip of giggly emails passed back and forth with 40s hair-dos, accessories, ideas and inspirations. We planned to meet an hour early so i could plan out the 'storyboard' of the afternoon extravaganza. We assessed our collection, kept the looks softly inspired, downed a good solid cup of blond (nods to Starbucks baristas), applied (nervously) that darn long-last lipstick stuff three times before getting it just right, touched up Erin's soft curls, oggled Dan's impressive collection of caps and suspenders, and hit the road!

these highschool sweethearts are so comfortable with each other :) I didn't even tell her to pop that heel :)Love this reflection image... I started to say something like...'Hey Dan, could you give me a flirty lean and-- and then I stopped talking because they just melted right into eachother. No instructions needed. The way she looks at him... a bit o' bliss... this whole series made me laugh so much. Dan is just so stinkin' goofy. Oh and this is just the beginning. Check back on Friday for part 2 of Dan and Erin's e-session... I know. I know. I'm mean aren't I. It's worth the wait though. If that makes you feel any better :)

McPhilipps Family & Co. | Romeo, Florida | Family Portrait Photographer

{McPhilipps Family & Co | Romeo, Florida | October 2011} Everybody has personality. Some have personalities that bursts, pop, flare, sass, hit you smack in the face, chase you off, draw you near and dear and even makes you all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm sure that is an official title of some cool pyscho-assessing book somewhere in the world. If i were to write a personality book, I'd use these images and the offspring from this little pod to provide case in points. No kidding. When you get a bushel-full of whiz, bang, pow, beat em' up kinda  boys and a heaping cup o' girly squeals--you'd have to! But don't take my word for it...

(above) check out that smokin' gun and that snarl. can't beat that face. :)  cousin lovin'  (below) this would be, hands down, my first choice for the cover of my book  such sweet little facesthe marshland was eating him...and he had just broken his cool stickbig bro and his sneaky little spit fire of a wingman :)a mini mommy&me moment more cousin lovin'i want this whole cousin series framed :) Rikki, you scored such a cool backdrop with those huge oak trees and praise JESUS he sent those golden sun beams just for you and aaron at that last minute. :) McPhilipps & Richardsons... I am so glad I got to snag such a fun collection of memories for your 2011! Thank you so much for getting all dressed up and cozy with family, for trusting me, and definitely for letting the kids whip out all their tricks for the most fun batch of faces, energy and personality i 'er did see! Happy 2012. I can't wait for next years!! ;-)

I'm comin' to San Diego!

Go HERE for more details.

Email me if you want to snag one of the 5 remaining slots this Saturday.

contact@laurakmoore.com

Capaccio Family | Arizona Family Photographer

{Capaccio Girls | Agua Caliente, Tucson, AZ | December 2011} Oh my stars I am drooling over all this color. :) When I tell families, 'pop the make-up, bring a wardrobe that offers texture and options, possibly toss in a few props to play with'...I sometimes get a nervous chuckle in return. However--when Christine called to talk shop about a family session, she took up the challenge and even brought one of those HUGE colorful parachutes to play with! I died. Capaccios brought their A-game, I brought my giddy little self, God delivered His sunset---awesomeness on a platter. | lkm

oh to have a sister... I was SHOCKED I snagged this one shot. both of them could NOT keep from bustin' up. tender little mercies getting mom and dad to give me a 'bit o' romance' was one of my highlights from the shoot. we had to warm up a bit, set the girls up right behind me to 'oo and awww' on cue. Soon enough they got through their giggles (cough) (i mean manly laughter) and... signed...

sealed...

...and delivered. :D - Capaccios, you rock. Fiercly like. :) Happy New Year! | lkm

5 years ago today... | personal

{My Hubby & I | Kimberly Crest Park, Redlands, CA | July 14, 2007} 5 years ago today Lawson Moore proposed to me on the shores of Puerto Galera, a small island an hour's boat ride off of Manila Bay, Philippines. It was pretty picture perfect. We even had a double rainbow show up minutes before he got down on one-knee and everything. It was the first time we kissed. It was the most awkward ALL-TEETH kinda kiss because I was smiling so big. I'd tell the whole story, but it really is way better if I act it out for you. So I guess we'll just have to meet. And then  I'll give you the blow-by-blow with all antics, hand-motions and sound effects included. :) ...p.s. Dear Husband, you rock my face off.  | lkm

mmmm. love sure does ripen over the years. i look at this picture moments before he popped the question and think to myself, 'oh the things you will learn and grow to love evermore..."

Papa Family & Co | Tucson Family Photography | Agua Caliente

{Papa Family & Co | Holiday Portrait Session | Agua Caliente Tucson, AZ | November 2011} I met Andrea (Papa) Malinowski over the summer at Tucson Refugee Ministry's Kids Camp 2011. Her servants heart and incredible patience with her kids were the things that most struck me about this woman. It almost bothered me. I repeatedly wondered, 'how is it POSSIBLE to be so cheerful, giving, endlessly energetic and willing to serve with FIVE KIDS IN TOW??!' But her kids are great, her family is incredible, and her husband Chris leads with a joy and gentleness that warmed my heart so much. With her extended family visiting from out of town,  we nailed a large family session over the Thanksgiving weekend to capture the bonding and captivating spirit of these sweet new friends. | lkm

I love how the girls are thrilled and the 2 little boy look....confused. :) Little Isaiah is probably one of the cutest kids I've ever laid eyes on. Matthew had enough energy for all of us...and then some! Elizabeth was a more quiet subject...but when we got her up in a tree and playing with cousins, she lit up! Like Father like son Grandma & Grandpa seemed delighted to snag a few sweet memories with the kids.When i stole them away for a few sweetheart pics, they jumped right in--no hesitations, no whining, no complaining that they were too old to be romantic. They just smooched away. And i giggled (very professionally mind you) the whole time.There were 3 generations of Joe's. You can only imagine how hard--and hilarious--that makes directing when doing a family photo session.Medium Joe's family was stinkin' cute.  Our attempt to take pictures with the dog (his name escapes me. probably 'joe') despite the fact that there was a flock of ducks waddling directly behind me. I tried to explain that they were not conducive to a photo shoot, but they just quacked at me. the nerve.Andrea, you may never really understand how, even in our short time as friends, you have taught me -- modeled for me -- much about grace. I hope we are friends for a very long time.