...love is kind...

There are some people who are just plain, outright good people! Sweet-natured and kind, Heather & Tyler are those people. They were both so calm and happy on their wedding day, exuding a quiet joy in their love for each other. Heather is the younger sister of one of my life-long friends, Nathan; so it was an honor to make the trip to Omaha, NE, to photograph her wedding to Tyler. I had never met Tyler before, but it was obvious to me right away that he and Heather are perfect for each other!





The whole day was lit up by big smiles from everyone involved! :)
















Heather & Tyler chose to see each other before their ceremony, and it was such a sweet time! Look at his smile when he first sees Heather!








The beautiful bridesmaid on the far right is Heather's sister-in-law, Betsy, who happens to be one of my best friends in the whole world! :) {Hi, Betsy!}




I love the flower girl's expression here! {Toryn, you are so cute! :)}










Such a handsome grandpa! :)










Heather & Tyler~
Thank you for choosing me to photograph your sweet wedding! You were both so relaxed and easy to work with. I appreciate your kindness towards me! Congrats on your marriage! :)

~abi~

eyes in the back of my head

Sometimes I think that photographers are put in the same category as moms, in that they need or are expected to have eyes in the back of their head. :) It is so nice when a couple chooses to have a second photographer for their wedding day! After all, we really can only be in one place at a time. :) I know that I personally love having the opportunity to second-shoot for my awesome photographer friends! As I have mentioned before, I feel that it gives me the opportunity to play a bit and exercise my creativity. I second-shot Katherine & Mitchell's wedding a few weeks ago with the always fab Kriea.

I started out with the guys as they were getting ready...




Then we headed outside for some portraits. You can't tell, but directly on the other side of this brick wall was a homeless person. Mitchell and I didn't see him until we walked around to go inside.


With three of the groomsmen being the brothers of the groom, and the rest obviously sharing a great connection, they were a very cool group of young guys to work with!






Katherine & Mitchell chose to see each other before the ceremony in order to allow a lot of time for portraits...




A sweet moment of prayer...






While Kriea took the couple outside for some portraits, the girls peeked out from their dressing room...




The cool photo guest book Kriea made...















Immediately after the ceremony, I rushed over the reception venue to get some detail shots. Check Kriea's blog for links to the wonderful vendors!












Katherine's dad and sis dancing together. Oh! I think she spotted me! :)


You all know I love some cute shoes! :)






Kriea, Katherine&Mitchell~
Thank you for having me be a part of this special day! I really enjoyed all the personal touches at this wedding! It was a fun day, and I enjoyed getting to be the eyes in the back of Kriea's head, haha! :)

~abi~

a fair trade

So, to all the ladies who read my blog: You know that feeling you have right after getting your hair done? That extra confidence and feeling of hotness? :) There's just nothing that boosts the spirits quite like a good hair day, is there? :)
Well, Jamie is a good friend of mine who I got to know through a small group I attend for my church. She is an absolute sweetheart, and she also happens to be a fab hair dresser {at the very cool DK Salon}! And I'm lucky enough to speak from experience when I say she's good! You see, she agreed to exchange some 'do's for some engagement photos! :) Pretty sweet deal, if you ask me! I personally think it was a fair trade, but I'll have to post a photo of my new 'do soon, so that you all can be the judge of that! haha. :)

Here's Jamie and her man, the oh-so-cool {and hot!} Jairus.....



Jamie had told me that she and Jairus love watching movies together, so we started out by this cool theater...


So cute! :)


Then we headed downtown for more photos...








Two of my favorite photos ever! :) {I had them kiss a lot during this shoot, but you know, they didn't seem to mind...}





















So clever... ;)








Such a HOT couple!!!




Jamie & Jairus~
Thank you so much for being such great models! :) You guys rocked it out, and I can't wait to shoot your wedding! And Jamie, I have gotten tons of compliments on my hair the past couple weeks! :)

~abi~

real style

You know those articles in magazines that are titled something like "Real Girls With Style"? Well, consider this post to be one of those articles! :) Taylor is the other participant in the fab Senior Session I posted earlier, and let me tell you, this girl has style! It's not just about her clothes, which are super-cute, it's more about her I'm-gonna-have-fun-and-love-this-life-AND-look-good-doing-it attitude. Taylor and Regan are the definition of "bff", and they are a perfect balance for each other! It's really cool to be around them and observe their differences and similarities. Next fall, they will be rooming together at college, and I just know they are gonna have a blast!

Here are Taylor's photos...





the eyes have it... :)


Taylor's mom mentioned that the headphones on the left were perfect, since Taylor is always listening to music......And Taylor and I were pretty amused by this King Angry Bird on the right! :)






Such great girls!






This was a total ANTM moment, with Taylor clinging to a ladder in wedge heels! :) It didnt' faze her a bit...




a bit of a departure from my usual post-processing, but I love it!






In order to get to these cool concrete thingys, we had to carefully maneuver around some mud. I was glad that Taylor's cool yellow TOMS shoes didn't get ruined!






Taylor~
You are such a cool girl! Your wonderful attitude and apparent zest for life will take you far! Thank you for being a willing participant in this fun shoot! You did a great job climbing and jumping in order to get to the places I wanted you to be! :)

~abi~

thinking outside the box

Whenever I think about my senior pictures, I realize that the fun I had during my session helped develop my desire to be a photographer {even though I didn't realize that desire for several years}. You see, even in my small Iowa town, I was blessed enough to find a photographer who thought outside of the {studio} box when it came to senior pictures! :) By the time I was a senior in high school, I had definitely developed a strong interest in fashion, so I knew i wanted more than just the traditional, very posed photos. To this day, that want for something "different" and more fashion-driven still fuels me whenever I conduct a Senior Session!
Regan is an awesome girl who just graduated from Yukon High School. She did her session simultaneously with her best friend Taylor, and they both rocked my world with their cool personalities and great clothes! :) We had a great time exploring some random places I discovered!





had to get a pic of Regan's cool boots...












These were taken at a place I had been eying for awhile, but I had no idea of all the cool stuff we would find there--or how well it would work with the girls' outfits! :)


Regan, you are SO BEAUTIFUL!!






another great find I noticed while driving through town a few days before our session...




Love that smile!






As I mentioned, Regan wanted to do her Senior Session with her best friend Taylor. Here's a shot of them together...{And check back later for Taylor's pics!}


Regan~
You are the kindest girl! I know this world will be a better place once you make your mark on it! Thank you for indulging all my crazy ideas for this shoot! I am praying that you and Taylor have an amazing first year of college together! :)

~abi~

throwback thursday {1}: a winter wedding

You've heard of Christmas in July, right? Well, this is even better than that: it's a Winter Wonderland Wedding {posted} in May! :) As I believe I mentioned in a previous post, I will randomly be posting some past shoots/weddings that never made it to the blog before, but definitely deserve an entry. This is one of those.
Back in December, before the fabulous Kelly Beane went on maternity leave, I had the absolute pleasure of second-shooting for her at Chris & Shelby's wedding. It was AMAZING, to say the least! One of the prettiest weddings I've ever seen, with some of the kindest people I've ever met! I am so happy that I was able to shoot it with Kelly, and that she asked me to post this blog, because I had a great time and I just love the photos! :)
Please check out Kelly's blog for the links to the wonderful venue and vendors!

The girls started the day by having a delicious breakfast at the home of a family friend...




yep, that's hair on curlers...in a bag! :)




The Bobbi Brown makeup artist was a highschool friend of Shelby's...He was fabulous!! The girls looked gorgeous!




Whenever I second-shoot, it usually means I get to hang out with the boys a bit...I'm not complaining! ;)




the handsome groom...




The details were incredible, right down to the shoes and flowers!




Shelby & Chris chose to see each other before the ceremony, and it was a beautiful time for them together!


One of the things I enjoy the most about second-shooting is the freedom to be able to concentrate on catching the candid moments...












Did I mention the gorgeous details everywhere?? :)


The next few images are from right before the ceremony...






If you can get past the hotness of that kiss, check out the coolness of the stage set-up behind them!


Some more yummy details!


I don't know if I've ever seen so much effort put in by friends and family for wedding decor!
















I also just wanted to show you guys how cute and dedicated Kelly was at this wedding! {Hi, Eli! ;)}




The band was phenominal!




Be sure to head over to Kelly's blog to see more of this fab wedding!

Kelly, Shelby & Chris~
Thank you, each of you, for allowing me to be part of this special day! I enjoyed myself immensely! You guys are the best!

~abi~

a supermodel's scrapbook

Brittney is about to graduate from Yukon High School. As I sat at her graduation party a couple of nights ago looking through the scrapbooks containing photos of her life, the awesomeness of my job hit me again. You see, her sister Chelsea had spent weeks sifting through old photographs, choosing the important moments captured forever in a still frame. And now, I have contributed images from one of the most exciting times in Brittney's life.
I am beyond thrilled with how this shoot went! The light was gorgeous, and Brittney performed like a supermodel! Seriously! Her long arms and legs made me feel like a fashion photographer as I was posing her. :) Over the last couple of years, I have gotten to know Brittney pretty well, and let me tell you, this girl is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside! Her sweet spirit is obvious, and it will take her far in life!



This light makes my heart go pitter-patter! {Ok, so I am a huge nerd!} :)






Brittney chose some great outfits for her session! I love this colorful dress!




She is one hot basketball player, isn't she? :)








Especially in the following photos, Brittney reminds me of Elle Macpherson mixed with a bit of Angie Harmon. Do you see it?












Brittney~
Thank you for choosing me to do your senior pictures! And thanks to you and your mom for being so willing to go anywhere I dragged you guys! You are a wonderful girl, and I am praying the very best for you in your future!

~abi~